2010 Mazda CX-7 - Multi-Stage Paint Correction and 22ple Application

[zmcgovern45]

My fiance bought this car a few months ago since we truly needed an SUV since both of us had smaller cars at the time. She got it at a good price, so I could not complain, however I knew it was going to require a good amount of work. It was hard to tell the true condition of the paint when we went to see it at the dealer because the car was dirty and had not been washed yet. I could tell there were water spots all over the car, but I was not prepared for them to be as severe as they turned out to be. The driver's side of the car seemed to be much more heavily coated with water spots, and the entire car was covered in swirl marks and a lot of deeper scratches. Since this is a daily driven vehicle that is currently parked outside 24/7, I was not out to correct 100% of the defects, as that would not be reasonable for a car that gets a lot of use. I would estimate 80%-85% correction was achieved, as many heavier defects remain. This car had very thin paint - the measurements averaged around 70 microns throughout the entire car - so I knew I did not want to be too aggressive with my correction if I did not need to be... unfortunately I needed to be more aggressive than I had hoped. However my most aggressive combination needed on the driver's side only removed 4-5 microns according to the before and after readings on my test spot. The car was then coated with 22ple VX1 Pro Coating to provide a semi-permanent protection that would aid in preserving the clear coat and helping to bring out the true depth and gloss of the nicely polished black paint. Overall, I was very happy with the turn around - and my fiance appreciated the hard work. 11 hours well spent.

The goal of this weekend's work was strictly to get the paint looking good. The wheels, tires, engine, and interior will all be addressed in future maintenance washing, however we are due for a snow storm tomorrow so I just wanted to get the paint taken care of while the weather was still tolerable.

Process
Wash: Chemical Guys Citrus Wash and Gloss
Dry: DI Waffle Weave Microfiber
Decontamination: Optimum Opti-Eraser (heavy) on horizontal panels & DI Fine Grade Clay on vertical panels.
Paint Thickness Readings Taken
Correction (Driver's Side, heavy water spots): Meguiar's M105 w/ Yellow LC Pad followed by Meguiar's M205 w/ White LC Pad (applied with Rupes LHR21ES machine)
Correction (rest of car, severe swirls and RIDS): Menzerna Fast Gloss 400 w/ Orange LC Pad followed by Meguiar's M205 w/ Black LC Pad (applied with Rupes LHR 21ES machine)
IPA Wipe Down
Protection: 22ple VX1 Pro Coating


Before

The car was dirty from being driven on a daily basis. It did not appear to look too bad in the afternoon light. The true condition of the paint would be revealed once it was washed and brought into the garage under proper lighting.










During

After washing and drying, I proceeded to remove bonded contaminates using both the opti-eraser (heavy) and fine grade detailing clay. This left the paint feeling much smoother, but unfortunately my work was just beginning.



The amount of contamination that was coming off the paint was pretty remarkable. This was after only a few passes on the hood.


After the entire car was decontaminated, the true condition of the paint was revealed. Here you can see the dull appearance that the paint has with the etched water spots on the hood... and these were no where near as bad as what was waiting for me on the driver's side of the car.


The entire car was covered in swirl marks and RIDS (random isolated deeper scratches). This also added to the dull finish.






I began on the driver's side - as I felt it needed the most attention. I started my test spot with M205 + white pad just to see where it would get me... literally nothing happened. I then went to M105 + white pad.... there was an improvement, but it was not what I was hoping to see. I decided if I was going to spend the time polishing the car I needed to see better results, so I stepped it up to M105 + yellow pad. This was much better, however it left a large amount of micro-marring (to be expected) which was then corrected with M205 + white pad. There were still several water spots that were simply too deep to fully correct, but the improvement was outstanding.


After correcting the driver's side I made my way to the passenger's side and decided to do a new test spot as I felt I would probably not need to be as aggressive on this side. The water spots were considerably better, however there were tons of swirls.


Again I tried M205 + White pad first to see what it would get me. It cleared up a good amount of the swirls, but left the majority of the deeper imperfections behind. Again I decided I would need to step it up to achieve the results I was after.


I moved up to FG400 + Orange Pad and was very pleased with the results. This also left some haze behind, so it was later followed up with M205 + Black pad to finish down even better. Here are the results after compounding.


There were a good amount of tighter areas that required 3" pad - here is an example of the front bumper. Before and After.




Next, I worked my way to the rear of the vehicle, which also required a good amount of work with the 3" pads. I also decided to remove the dealership sticker for a cleaner look.






After

The polishing process was a long process, but the results were worth it. The car is now a true deep black color and the reflections in the paint are crystal clear and vivid. It is like looking into a mirror. The car was protected with a permanent coating - 22ple VX1 Pro Coating - to help make it easier to maintain and to preserve the nicely polished finish.




Look at those crisp, clear reflections! 22ple will continue to cure for 5 days and the gloss will continue to be enhanced.










Remember the dull lifeless paint before? It is a thing of the past now!






Thanks for looking! Please leave your comments below!

[Oalmon]

Pure sex

[lildisco]

Wow! I've got my tax return, wanna do mine?

Black is one of the hardest to keep clean, but it looks like you're doing a damn nice job so far!

[zmcgovern45]

Haha - if you were in IL I would be more than happy to help you out.

[lildisco]

I did a good clay bar & zaino wax job right after i got mine. It was in a slight wreck before i got it & there was paint traces all over the roof, like they forgot to tape it off before they sprayed it. It sits in a 'barn'/garage when i'm not driving it (weekend/trip vehicle) so it doesn't get too much damage from the elements.

I really like to see how smooth it is from time to time & i like to watch the water just slide right off when i wash it