Question on paint after use

[BlizzofOZ]

Hello!

I've got an older VW that I'm fixing up as the kids are at driving age.

Paint has been abused and neglected with much oxidation on the roof of the car.
I had some SSR1 and it starting cutting thru the oxidation but decided that I need something more.
I ordered some Master Cut not only to cut thru the oxidation, but like I said, extreme neglection of the pain. Swirl/spiderweb city.

Using my Porter Cable 7424 XP and a Meguiars red pad, I was hitting a spot (not the oxidation) with extreme swirls/spiderweb. Now I was expecting miracles, but it started to actually look better than I thought it would!
My question: Had to do a couple of passes with the Master Cut. I started noticing a spot that was of a slightly lesser shade of the paint. I don't think I damaged the clear coat at all, was still shiny. How can I explain... it reminded me of how bird crap can damage paint. It also had this effect of how when water freezes on a window, get this spiderweb like effect.

I don't want to continue and potentially do more. Just seemed on last pass that it got larger. Wish I can take a pic of it. I tried, but not where you can see it.

Any ideas?
Heck, could've been bird pop that was there from long time ago.

 

[Poorboy]

how old are we talking .. is it definitely a clear coat? what you might be seeing is a haze from the compound .. did you follow with the SSR1 and a finishing pad?
It could be something in the paint already .. really hard to say without pictures or seeing it in person

 

[BlizzofOZ]

'92 Jetta, not terribly old.
Yes, did follow up with SSR1 on a Meguiars yellow pad.
After posting this, i looked at it at different angles... I did notice that it actually was less shiny. There are scratches in that area, not going down to primer, but after buffing I can definitly see lighter primer. Im thinking i may have did too many passes on the Master Cut.

Keep in mind this is first time using a polishing machine.
I think i know how to handle going forward. Again, car's paint is quite neglected, so good car to learn on.
Results of Poorboy's products are very impressive! Im extremely happy with the results so far and really exceed what i was expecting.

 

[Poorboy]

as long was expected to be a learning experience, then all is good ... not sure what the yellow pad is ... you may also want to have a polish in between SSR1 and Master Cut ... maybe SSR2.5 or ProPolish2 ..

 

[BlizzofOZ]

Oh yes, this is definitly a learning... I figured how worse can i make it (it really is that bad).
You have to be really up close to see it.
And I can definitely see your point on using a polish between the MC and SSR1.
Im really excited with the results so far as they exceeded my expectations.

 

[Poorboy]

the basic rule when starting off is use the least aggressive combination .... mine is a little different ... just use finishing pads while you experiment with different aggressiveness of products

 

[BlizzofOZ]

I was finally able to get a photo of what I'm talking about. In the middle, you can see an oblong shape of a slight lighter shade.
Any idea what it is? Did I damage the clear coat?

 

[Poorboy]

do you know if that panel was ever repainted? It really doesn't look like something you did more than something you uncovered :smt017 it has a weird shape not like a pattern you would do when polishing.

 

[BlizzofOZ]

I've owned the car 19 of it's 20 years of life. I've never had to have it painted, but it is possible something happened to it before I bought it.

If it doesn't look as though it was something that I did (my biggest concern), then I've got a good understanding how to work this. I've also ordered some SSR2.5 for in between MC and SSR1 polishing.

If you look above that shape, you'll see some scratches that are still left... and believe me, it was much, much worse than that. I'm very pleased with the results.

I appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions.

 

[Poorboy]

some of the scratches may either be too deep for your machine to fully pull out, or they could be under the clear if it was repainted before you bought it. Just curious.. was it bought from a dealer or private party and if you feel around the edges of the panel are they perfectly smooth or a little rough?

 

[BlizzofOZ]

Well... I truly wasn't expecting any miracles, but it is looking much, much better than it was. Actually, it seemed to me, that after hitting it with one pass of SSR1, those scratches diminshed much.

I'll take a look at it when I get home. I've been doing much work to it, inside and out. I've ripped out the seats, carpet and door panels to deal with leaks and rust issues. Been underneath to replace exhaust... I haven't seen any indication of a accident that would require a painting.

 

[BlizzofOZ]

All edges are smooth... I don't see any kind of edge where paint spray ends.

Also, i had bought the car from a used car dealership.

 

[Poorboy]

you never know ... but as long as it is improving, that's a good thing