DJ Mayo Studios – 350Z Paint Correction
by DJ MayoMajority of times, the cars we work on are constantly black, red, blue, etc. Not in this case. This color gave me several different shades depending on the lighting. Sometimes it was brown, orange, and sometimes purple. The pictures will highlight the color change from the various angles. What this color does have in common with others is that it shows defects the same way. This client picked the vehicle up and immediately scheduled to have the vehicle worked on. After doing a thorough inspection and agreeing on what level of service, I spent 2 days refinishing the paint work and making sure the clients used vehicle, would be better than new upon pickup. This paint was pretty straight forward and corrected well.
Here you can see an attempted machine polishing job that left holograms from improper buffing / and or using too aggressive of a compound without finishing down the paint correctly.
In direct lighting, you will notice the color change varying from the different angles as well as plenty of other swirl marks and scratches.
Before any polishing takes place, it is very important to remove any old sealants or waxes from the paint so you have a fresh base to work on. I’ve always told people, “you can’t fix, what you can’t see”. For this step, using a strong yet safe citrus wash such as Chemical Guys Citrus Wash will help prepare the vehicle for paint correction work.
I’ll show you a few direct before and afters as I know most of you enjoy seeing them.
The process for this vehicle was as followed:
Meguiar’s D300 Microfiber Compound using a Micro Fiber Cutting Pad on speed 5-6.
The 2nd step in the correction process was done using a Makita Rotary and Menzerna 106FA Super Finish Polish. Some of you may ask why did I switch to a rotary? For this particular vehicle, the rotary with a nice polish gave me a better result with a more even and crisp finish than the DA. The type of clear on these vehicles more often than not is typically a little bit soft so you can really pull some gloss out while providing a great finish.
The next step is often overlooked but yet very important to me. Cleaning the paint to give your protection a nice base to bond to will not only allow for better durability, but will prove easier to apply and remove. Let’s face it, at the end of a paint correction job that runs many hours, the last thing your looking to do is fight a product on application and removal stages. Using a product like Chemical Guys EZ Creme Glaze will not only remove any polishing oils left on the paint which could effect the bonding of your protection, but it provides a smooth surface and adds a great look of it’s own. After applying this on a DA machine at speed 4 using a soft blue or red pad, the product will nearly work into the paint with nothing to wipe away. You can go straight to your protection product which saves time. Knowing this car is garage kept and would be looked after, I went more with a beauty product instead of full out durability. For this choice, it was no other than Chemical Guys E-Zyme Natura. The application and removal process is no effort and gives a nice dark look to the car which on this color made stand out even more.
With dedication and patience, you can go a long way.
Once again, thank you for taking time to view my work. If you have any questions or comments, please submit them below.
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Very nicely done DJ! The “pop” of the paint is now in full effect.
Lovely work DJ.
I see many pros switching from DA for compounding/cutting to rotary for polishing/jeweling. What kind of pad did you use here or recommend to pair with the 106fa on the rotary?
I am planning to work on my car later this summer and I am thinking flex3401+ s34 + LC purple wool followed by rotary + 106fa + lc White and then flex + EZ prior to opti-seal and about a week later top up with a carnauba paste wax.
That is why I am asking the initial question. Because if I understand the new Meg’s system your first step is similar to mine, but I am missing if you went immediately to jeweling (ie using a finishing pad) or if you did only polishing and no jeweling (ie used a polishing pad).
Thank you for your kind help and feedback.
Hey DJ, were those before and after shots simply from washing with the citrus wash or after you completed the full paint correction? I have to assume the latter. Great job! The car looks fantastic.
Beautiful work Sir!!
I really need to step up to a rotary.
Thank you for the compliments on the article. The final polishing was completed using the Black LC Pad. The pictures were after all polishing work was completed for the before and afters.
Great work as always DJ!
You made that Z scream DJ! Buying a solid used car and then having a paint correction specialist spend some time with it to bring it back to like-new condition is a smart move. This one in particular will now look better than all the rest on the road! Keep up the good work…
Very nice job DJ!!! lots of gloss from that car now!
Iva, Todd, Eric-
Thank you guys! I look forward to your next write ups!
Stunning work!