This article is written by Justin Labato, who is not only the Lead Global Consultant for Buff and Shine Mfg, but the past President of IDA and owner of Showroom Detailing Inc.
The project at hand was a 2018 GMC 2500HD that came in with significant RIDS and swirls from poor care habits. It also had fender flares removed that left a distinct friction line from road vibration over time. We knew this was gonna need a heavy compound step due to the level of defects we had to remove. So my first thought was to grab a 5″ Buff and Shine Uro-Wool and Meguiar’s M100 on a FLEX 3401 VRG for a test spot. I chose this combo knowing the gear-driven machine paired with a heavy cut pad like the Uro-wool would get me the results I needed effectively and efficiently. The M100 was nice, however it left heavy marring on the black GM paint so I then switched to Griot’s Fast Correcting Cream due to its greater finishing capabilities. This combo was a win for removing heavy defects including the fender flare friction scratches and leaving a manageable finish for polishing. We then cleaned our residue from the compounding step and grabbed the RUPES Mark2 15 for its long-throw finesse capabilities paired with the Buff and Shine Uro-Tec Dark Blue pad. This pad has great finishing capabilities on GM black so I knew it was our go-to for this project. With performing a test spot using Sonax EX 04/06 and Perfect Finish our winning combo ended up being the Perfect finish paired with the Dark Blue pad. The paint correction service on this project was completed in 2-steps with 80% or greater defect removal due to the machine, pad and product combo allowing for effective and efficient completion time.
- When cutting with the FLEX we ran it at speed 6 with moderate pressure, slow arm speed and a 12x 12 section with 5-7 passes
- When polishing with the RUPES we ran it at speed 4.5 with moderate pressure, slow arm speed and a 12 x 12 section with 4-6 passes
Take a look at some of the photos, along with a link to some of the items used in this detail below!