2012 Jeep Rubicon, correction and opti coat
#1
2012 Jeep Rubicon, correction and opti coat
What's up everyone? Wanted to share a job I finished today. It's a 2012 Jeep Rubicon, black. It seems that's the only color I do sometimes. No worries though. The Jeep was in good shape. It had some light scratches and several RIDS. It took about 20 hours. There was A LOT of taping.
Products used
Adam's Car Shampoo
Dawn
Meg's APC+
Foammaster II foam gun
Car Pro wool wash mitt
Iron X
Pinnacle fine poly clay
Meg's medium grade clay
Seafoam Bugs b' gone
Menz FG400
Meg's M100
Meg's M205
Menz SF4000
Opti Coat 2.0
I didn't take a lot of pics but every panel pretty much looked the same.
It was in good shape when it was delivered by the customer
Some light scratches and a few RIDS
Now under the lights!
After compounding
50/50, compounding on the right, polish on the left.
Products used
Adam's Car Shampoo
Dawn
Meg's APC+
Foammaster II foam gun
Car Pro wool wash mitt
Iron X
Pinnacle fine poly clay
Meg's medium grade clay
Seafoam Bugs b' gone
Menz FG400
Meg's M100
Meg's M205
Menz SF4000
Opti Coat 2.0
I didn't take a lot of pics but every panel pretty much looked the same.
It was in good shape when it was delivered by the customer
Some light scratches and a few RIDS
Now under the lights!
After compounding
50/50, compounding on the right, polish on the left.
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Great job! My girlfriend has a 2013 Jeep JK that I'm going to polish soon. The dealer instilled a lot of damage just on the first wash..pisses me off.
What machine did you use? I'm going to try out my rupes 21 when I do hers more than likely. How hard is that paint?
What machine did you use? I'm going to try out my rupes 21 when I do hers more than likely. How hard is that paint?
#5
This paint sucked. I talked to GoFast about Jeep paint before I started this one. He said the two he has done had really hard paint, like M101 hard paint.
This paint was hard but didn't finish down like hard paint normally does. "Normally" with hard paint using something like FG400 or M100 on a MF pad, even after the compounding step there's not that much micro marring. I tried several didn't pad/compound combinations. I started with a Meg's finishing MF disc and FG400. It removed the defects but left more micro marring than I was expecting. Then I tried a LC tangerine pad. It left a lot less marring but it took forever to get the defects out so I stayed with a finishing disc and FG400. I called GoFast and asked him if he had ran across this before. He said he had and basically its the worst of both worlds. Hard paint that finishes down like soft paint.
The interesting this is a LC flat black pad and Menz SF4000 took that marring out and finished down amazing.
The Rupes is awesome. One thing I will stress is if you are using something like M100, M101 and especially FG400 and a MF disc be VERY careful. The 21mm throw and microfiber creates ALOT of heat. I mean ALOT even on speed 3-4. FG400 seems to be the worse. After my experience and talking to Jeff I only use a finishing disc with something like FG400.
I firmly believe it's possible to burn through to primer and/or burn through an edge. I find myself taping edges a lot more with the Rupes and MF. Speaking of taping I don't do 50/50 shots when using Rupes/MF/FG400. It creates so much heat there is a good chance the clear will suck in the adhesive from the tape to the basecoat.
Basically what I'm saying is don't go after defects with the Rupes like you would a PC or similar machine. You will be amazed how fast the Rupes levels defects. Coming from the PC and it's 8mm throw, the Rupes 21 took a little getting use to especially with a 6inch pad but after the second panel all was good.
Sorry for the long reply. I just wanted to touch on a few things that I haven't seen mentioned yet about the Rupes. Don't be scared of it, just respect it.
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I used the Rupes 21 and PC7424XP.
This paint sucked. I talked to GoFast about Jeep paint before I started this one. He said the two he has done had really hard paint, like M101 hard paint.
This paint was hard but didn't finish down like hard paint normally does. "Normally" with hard paint using something like FG400 or M100 on a MF pad, even after the compounding step there's not that much micro marring. I tried several didn't pad/compound combinations. I started with a Meg's finishing MF disc and FG400. It removed the defects but left more micro marring than I was expecting. Then I tried a LC tangerine pad. It left a lot less marring but it took forever to get the defects out so I stayed with a finishing disc and FG400. I called GoFast and asked him if he had ran across this before. He said he had and basically its the worst of both worlds. Hard paint that finishes down like soft paint.
The interesting this is a LC flat black pad and Menz SF4000 took that marring out and finished down amazing.
The Rupes is awesome. One thing I will stress is if you are using something like M100, M101 and especially FG400 and a MF disc be VERY careful. The 21mm throw and microfiber creates ALOT of heat. I mean ALOT even on speed 3-4. FG400 seems to be the worse. After my experience and talking to Jeff I only use a finishing disc with something like FG400.
I firmly believe it's possible to burn through to primer and/or burn through an edge. I find myself taping edges a lot more with the Rupes and MF. Speaking of taping I don't do 50/50 shots when using Rupes/MF/FG400. It creates so much heat there is a good chance the clear will suck in the adhesive from the tape to the basecoat.
Basically what I'm saying is don't go after defects with the Rupes like you would a PC or similar machine. You will be amazed how fast the Rupes levels defects. Coming from the PC and it's 8mm throw, the Rupes 21 took a little getting use to especially with a 6inch pad but after the second panel all was good.
Sorry for the long reply. I just wanted to touch on a few things that I haven't seen mentioned yet about the Rupes. Don't be scared of it, just respect it.
This paint sucked. I talked to GoFast about Jeep paint before I started this one. He said the two he has done had really hard paint, like M101 hard paint.
This paint was hard but didn't finish down like hard paint normally does. "Normally" with hard paint using something like FG400 or M100 on a MF pad, even after the compounding step there's not that much micro marring. I tried several didn't pad/compound combinations. I started with a Meg's finishing MF disc and FG400. It removed the defects but left more micro marring than I was expecting. Then I tried a LC tangerine pad. It left a lot less marring but it took forever to get the defects out so I stayed with a finishing disc and FG400. I called GoFast and asked him if he had ran across this before. He said he had and basically its the worst of both worlds. Hard paint that finishes down like soft paint.
The interesting this is a LC flat black pad and Menz SF4000 took that marring out and finished down amazing.
The Rupes is awesome. One thing I will stress is if you are using something like M100, M101 and especially FG400 and a MF disc be VERY careful. The 21mm throw and microfiber creates ALOT of heat. I mean ALOT even on speed 3-4. FG400 seems to be the worse. After my experience and talking to Jeff I only use a finishing disc with something like FG400.
I firmly believe it's possible to burn through to primer and/or burn through an edge. I find myself taping edges a lot more with the Rupes and MF. Speaking of taping I don't do 50/50 shots when using Rupes/MF/FG400. It creates so much heat there is a good chance the clear will suck in the adhesive from the tape to the basecoat.
Basically what I'm saying is don't go after defects with the Rupes like you would a PC or similar machine. You will be amazed how fast the Rupes levels defects. Coming from the PC and it's 8mm throw, the Rupes 21 took a little getting use to especially with a 6inch pad but after the second panel all was good.
Sorry for the long reply. I just wanted to touch on a few things that I haven't seen mentioned yet about the Rupes. Don't be scared of it, just respect it.
Were you changing out pads often and cleaning them with compressed air/using a pad brush on them? I've only used foam so far so I have to get used to using the mf pads. I have an air compressor and a pad brush.
#7
Well that's just great news lol. I have the rupes, 5 inch backing plate, a couple mf finishing pads, and m101 so that is good news. I've seen some pretty amazing results on a couple forums with just a mf finishing pad and m205. The paint really isn't bad except for on the hood, I have no clue what happened to it.
Were you changing out pads often and cleaning them with compressed air/using a pad brush on them? I've only used foam so far so I have to get used to using the mf pads. I have an air compressor and a pad brush.
Were you changing out pads often and cleaning them with compressed air/using a pad brush on them? I've only used foam so far so I have to get used to using the mf pads. I have an air compressor and a pad brush.
To prime the MF pad put about 5 nickel sized drops on the pad and work it in with your fingers covering the entire face of the pad. Then take compressed air and blow the pad out. Then put 3 pea sized drops on it. The reason behind this is you want to completely saturate the face of the pad(just like a foam pad) so all the fibers get compound in them but you don't want a bunch of excess compound. Working the compound in with your fingers and then blowing it out does just that. If you don't do this your first section will have way too much compound on the paint.
If you prime the pad correctly you will be surprised how little compound you use in each section. Obviously if you are doing a larger area you might need a drop or two more.
Doing the things listed above will increase your pad life and dramatically increase your results. Using too much compound is the number one reason why people have to change MF pads so much.
For compounding on the Rupes I typically use speed 3.5-4 with MF pads and M100 and FG400 and speed 2.5-3 for polishing and jeweling.
I don't finish with MF I use foam but everyone is different. If the paint is hard you probably could get a way with M205 and a finishing pad but you would probably be around speed 3-3.5 M205 doesn't do well on soft paint and neither does MF pads. For hard paint its tough to beat a flat black pad and M205 for polishing.
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Thanks for all the help! I'm just worried about the pad delaminating like I hear about all the time but I think if I follow the steps you listed that won't be a problem. I think the key is keeping them clean and swapping them out if they get too hot.
One more question, have you done the washer mod? And do you know if GoFast has either? Everyone says it increases the performance of the machine by an upwards of 50%.
One more question, have you done the washer mod? And do you know if GoFast has either? Everyone says it increases the performance of the machine by an upwards of 50%.
#9
Thanks for all the help! I'm just worried about the pad delaminating like I hear about all the time but I think if I follow the steps you listed that won't be a problem. I think the key is keeping them clean and swapping them out if they get too hot.
One more question, have you done the washer mod? And do you know if GoFast has either? Everyone says it increases the performance of the machine by an upwards of 50%.
One more question, have you done the washer mod? And do you know if GoFast has either? Everyone says it increases the performance of the machine by an upwards of 50%.
I have done the washer mod and GoFast has too. I didn't do a before/after test but Kevin Brown says its a 45-50% increase in performance. The Rupes is the real deal.
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Meguairs had problems with pad delamination on their first run of MF pads. It was the adhesive they used. They have since corrected the problem. They do sell a specific backing plate for their MF pads for the PC to help disipate heat. I believe Kevin Brown sells one also. The Rupes backing plate is vented and I haven't had any problems using MF pads on it.
I have done the washer mod and GoFast has too. I didn't do a before/after test but Kevin Brown says its a 45-50% increase in performance. The Rupes is the real deal.
I have done the washer mod and GoFast has too. I didn't do a before/after test but Kevin Brown says its a 45-50% increase in performance. The Rupes is the real deal.