Hello Eric. Pro detailer here. I am watching the video and will comment as I see things. First off, for compounding, you want to use the max speed of you polisher. You are trying to remove damaged paint with a low end polishing machine (good ones run in the 300-400$ range). So crank that thing up to max speed. Second, your pad should always be spinning while you are working, if it's not, it is not correcting the paint, just buzzing on it doing pretty much nothing. The product you chose (Meguiar's Ultimate Compound) is the best consumer grade compound available. Good choice. As for wet sanding... you should definatelly use a bloc to make sure your pressure is even on the sand paper and you don't burn through your paint. 1500-2000 grit are the best papers to use for that step. After you are done with the compound, you should do a polishing step. Same pad and machine, but with Ultimate Polish. This is what restores the shine.... the compound leaves paint dull. Then you can wax or better yet, use a paint sealant (synthetic wax). Hope this helps.
No, it's the type of paint on the car that does this. His car has what is called a single stage paint. It means that the color and protection products are in through the whole paint. Now we use a Basecoat/Clearcoat system where the color paint is 1 layer covered by a varnish layer of clear coat. So when you polish a Clearcoat the paint you are taking out is transparent and doesn't change the color of the pad. But on a single stage paint, as the paint is coming off from the buffing, it changes the color of the pad.
@@Calendyr Hi there, I've got a single paint stage car and I am trying to figure out the best method, polish/waxes to apply so that I am not taking out it's [red[ paint. Trying to diminish swirl marks and oxidation without damaging the paint. Let me know, thanks
@@Nicole-ju8fd Hi Nicole, you should just buffing the car with a Polishing Compound ( Extra Fine Polishing Compound ). The Pad should be a foam pad ( orange color - medium cut , blue color pad - low cut ) , it depends how damaged and dull your paint is. If it's just dull, use blue color, if damaged, scratches etx, use orange color pad. After that use waxing with a wool buffing pad. You can use a rotary machine at 2500-3500rpm, but make sure you don't burn through paint, as you use a rotary and you also have 1 stage paint. Cheers
@@mihai0377 thank you for the reply, I'll be using the orbital one so it wouldn't be possible to damage / burn my paint. As for the necessary compound is what exactly I need to get thanks again !
FINALLY, I found a video of a car with actual faded paint that truly needed to be compounded, and not a car that was one step away from a final polish. Thanks for showing us what ultimate compound can do for genuinely faded paint.
Recently becoming a qualified paint spray this video reminded me of how I was as an apprentice. Which isn't a bad thing as we all gotta start some where. A few tips you Eric! - When you're using the mop or buffer you need to put a fair amount of pressure directly over the cutting head. I always find it better to ditch the side handle and put my hand right over the pad on the soft rubber. You'll find the mop will cut a lot better and also not push it's self around as much. - For compound I would highly recommend Farecla G3 Premium, or 3M Fast Cut Plus. Makes compounding a breeze - When wet sanding clear coat you don't wanna use anything less than 2000grit as you'll struggle to get the scratches out perfectly with any courser paper. Would also recommend using a wet block. Using your bare hand to flat can and will leave "tram lines" in the clear coat as you're only applying pressure to the paper at your palm and finger tips. Where as with a block you'll get even pressure and a much better finish. - Use a hard foam pad for getting out things like deep scratches and oxidation (Real heavy stuff) then use a softer foam pad with either a diminishing compound or dedicated fine polish to get rid of the compound scratches and refine the finish even further. As for applying wax I always prefer to do this by hand with a microfiber applicator pad in small circular motions. Usually if doing a whole car then I start on the drivers door and work my whole way around the car. Then when I get back to the drivers door the wax should have hazed enough to wipe it off easily.
I bought a legend about a month ago and i am so happy with it. they have always been in my top ten dream cars. absolutely love seeing you work on yours!
I give Eric credit that he admitted he didn’t have much experience with this. AMMO NYC is the channel for this content. To do this type of work properly, it is an all day job, especially for someone without experience. Eric only did a few steps and it took him a day. Car needs to be decontaminated with a wash and clay, wet sand if cut compound alone is not sufficient, polish, then seal/wax. Use a quality DA and the right pads for each step. Kind of surprised Eric posted this content, but I appreciate the effort he gave it. The Legend does look better.
Integra DIY It is at minimum what you would not expect on the ETCG channel. Car detailing by Mr. Stay Dirty. Although I’m sure Eric is not advising on detailing, but rather, oxidation removal. What I like most about the video is that Eric was exploring something new and was not pretending to be an expert on the subject.
robo tiger actually the products are great and not much more than any meguiars ultimate product Secondly doing the job right is wiser than a quick job you'll have to redo shortly A quick job is a half ass job. Eric is learning so I'm not calling his work half ass as he clearly put in the time. However constructive criticism will only throw tips his way to hopefully save him headaches and end up with better results
robo tiger 9 out of 13 products he sells are 25 or less with many of those under 20. The absolute most expensive out of the 13 items 69 bucks and its really only for car show use Stop pulling numbers out your ass. And holy crap it's now a bad thing to recommend a good brand like Makita? I love harbor freight and all but their polishers are absolutely mediocre at best Do the job right or don't do it at all.
Love your videos. Definitely looks better, but if you ever do it again, follow these steps. I promise you'll be impressed with the results. Clay the car after washing to remove embedded contaminates. Once you've done that and the necessary prep, use the DA at a higher speed. Heavier oxidation needs more friction. It's very hard to burn through paint with a DA, so I wouldn't let that be a concern. Also, move much slower to allow the foam and the compound to do its job. Typically on a rough surface such as the one you are working on, I move 2 inches per second. It takes much longer, but it's worth it for the result. After you've done that, move on to a polish so that you can remove the scratches that the compound left. Wipe it down with an IPA solution and then place your protection onto the paint. Not bad for not having any experience though. Respect for anyone willing to learn on their own!
Hey Eric! I tried my dual action polisher for the first time the other day on my heavily oxidised car... And it came out amazing! But what I did was use a clay bar with soapy water first, before using the polisher. I believe that's to prevent the existing contaminants from scratching the paint when using the polisher. Nevertheless, excellent work at the end man... 👍🏻
That was my dream car in the mid to late 90's! Never could find one for sale privately or on a dealer lot so I never had the joy of owning one. You're lucky to have her.
Eric I think you got the result with the effort (and materials) that you used. The next step up (for those out there who are in a similar boat), would be 1) get a few more of the orange and finishing pads (you need a few to 'do' an entire vehicle; 2) split up the car into chunks (unless you're really needing do the whole car at once); 3) Use Meguires professional M105 as the first step with the orange pad, then wipe; 4) Then follow with Meguires M205 as the 2nd step - using the finishing pad - to give it the spit shine. Yes it would mean 'double' the work, but I think it would give you 'double' the result. But alas Eric, with a single polish compound and a single pad...you got a good result already!
M105/205 stink. If you're going full hog, use the appropriate grade of Menzerna/Jescar compound on a microfiber pad, and polish with Sonax Perfect Finish on a yellow Rupes pad.
Eric it’s very inexpensive to do vinyl wrap. They look surprisingly good. You’re the type of person that could actually pull it off. There are plenty of UA-cam videos showing how to do it. This car would be the perfect card to learn on.
That is a sweet looking car Eric. It's body lines are so clean. From every angle it looks awesome. I love that front end and rear end both. Good work on the paint too. It almost looks like a different car already.
I did this for over 15 yrs and a few garages hated me for taking too long buffing cars and i told them you aint gonna get top dollar for it if it aint done right.Eric did a good job on this but buff it with polish too not with a rag/cloth.My best advice is you got to remember to use proper wax after it's all done and then wax it again a month later to let it settle which sounds strange nut it's true.Use AutoGlym Super Resin polish a month later then another coat a few months after that and you'll go WOW!! You'll never regret it,even on plastic door mirrors will restore it lovely BUT use polish with v.little compound on a cloth first.
The red Legend with the tan interior ... exactly the car I lusted for back then. (I saw one at the Honda showroom, asked about it, and the salesman told me the dealership owner had grabbed it already!) That was THE car to get, among those who knew what to get.
Going to do this on my 90 Celica. Last owner got a cheap paint job but didn't put clear coat on it. Now it's more like a dull red almost pink. Tried this stuff on the spoiler and it has potential. Great video Eric!
Single stage paint is a whole other beast, they all act different with combos that get good or worse results. Good job for first time doing! Glad to see you back at it Eric. Ps water is your friend when removing that compound.
Ammo NYC or Chemical Brothers channel are great channels to learn from when it comes to waxing, compounding and paint correction. Make sure to take a black sharpie to the back of your orbital and drawl a few lines to judge the pressure you’re applying. Keep up the great work Eric and love to see you posting more content.
I did this on my Skyline R33. Been busy for 2 days (whole weekend) and did all the stages. Now it's perfect. But the first few scratches have already been made, and those are the most painful ones after all the work I'd put in. But hell yeah it was worth it!
I like his honesty, "I have no experience with this, but maybe I can make it look better" Just an average person trying to make their car look better without spending a fortune!
You should put 1 or 2 pen marks/lines on the top of the pad and hold the machine square and push enough pressure that the pad spins. The lines make it easier to see.
I did this to a 92 Mustang and made the same mistake. After the compound instead of going straight to wax go over the car with Meguires Ultimate Polish with a finer pad. I think the pad you need is blue from HF. Anyway then you will be ready for wax. The polish will remove the swirls and bring up more shine. The car will look way better. Also when wet sanding put a few drops of dish soap in the water. It will help the paper last longer, lube the surface better, and keep it cleaner. 2000 grit is pretty safe to use. Wrap the paper around a sponge or a flexible rubber block or squeegee otherwise you will leave finger marks in the paint. I have done this now several times to several older cars using these methods and the Harbor Freight buffer and pads.
You got great results. Red cars with oxidized paint are tough to do anything with. Thanks for just "picking up stuff off the shelf" to use on your car. That's what most people do. They don't spend $18.99 on five bottles of different magic elixirs to revive their 15-20 year old daily drivers.
Not sure if it was your frame rate. but for a significant portion of your buffing shots the pad wasn't rotating as part of the dual action. The pad needs to spin to get the best out of the system. On a super ruff cut, you're best to dial it right up to max speed and use a little water in a spray bottle to ensure lubrication. That compound is very durable and the abrasives wont break down. jsut use water to reactivate/lubricate. To get best effects from wet sand, you can get wet-sand pads that'll fit your buffer. makes it way easier. but it looks like there's work to be done. rest assured it can be flattened :) Took me 15+ hours to bring my yellow 1992 Pulsar GTiR which was equally faded (single stage yellow) back to the world. it's a long and slow journey that can't be rushed.
Eric, you're a love/hate UA-camr for me, though I know I'd like you in person. I have to give you infinite thumbs up for the choice of music on this one. Seriously. Next time I detail my car I'm looking for these tunes! All kidding aside, you do very good work, and offer the less initiated a glimpse into how to do things properly.
For quicker results, slow your arm speed down a bit, and work smaller areas at once. 2 feet x 2 feet is plenty. Make sure you take full advantage of the product's abrasive qualities by working it steadily until it is fully broken down.
How do I know when to stop polishing? Do you just polish certain areas or usually the whole car when taking off scratches and such? Obsviously this car needs a full job .
Hey Eric, glad so see such improvement on the car. I'm not a DIY specialist, but I suggest to let the electric cord pass over your shoulder so it doesnt rub against the car's body ;)
Here before all the experts are gonna tell you that you did a million thing wrong, but it looks way better than it did before! The only thing i can say is, that you can take it a bit slower with your armspeed and really work the compound a bit before taking it off but never the less Great work eric!
Bobby Bass as he said in the video, he isnt a professional detailer and the thing he wanted to do was to make the car look better, not making it look like it just rolled of the showroom floor...
The thing about detailing is you get criticized bij how many mistakes you make, and not the end result, i know he did ‘a lot of’ things wrong but in the end it looked better and he got rid of the oxidation on top of the paint, This thing need a repaint as you can see at the roof of the car, stop whining that he didnt do everything perfect its his car anyway
Ummm Mike doesn't have to point a single thing out to you.... Other than the fact you are being a douche and looking for a bit of control. There are ways to communicate and you come across as a complete and utter arse.
Beautiful lines on those cars. This lady at my work parkade has one. I ask her every 3-4 months to sell it to me. she just lols and shakes her head. Its the black-gold paint with gold wheels. Beauteous. Stay gold.
If I remember correctly, This particular model of Acura was Honda's answer to the Nissan Skyline since Skylines couldn't be sold in the United States when Nissan first made them due to import laws detailing that foreign cars made for foreign markets would have to wait 20 years before they could be bought and sold in the U.S. Which is why that now you are seeing more Skylines and Figaros on American streets. It is a beautiful car and it's nice to see new life being put into it.
Honda's red paint always does that. I had a red 2005 Civic and without some wax it almost looked grey more than red. Yet, the plastic bumbers were still shiny.
Soak the sand paper in water for a few hours, then go ahead and sand it. Also, you a sponge if you dont have a sanding block, so you put even pressure over the paint.
I did a similar job on my 1998 Ford Mustang GT in Atlantic Blue Metallic. The idea with the compound is that the friction actually heats up the clear coat and evens it out. I used the same Harbor Freight machine but, I used setting four and you don't need to use light pressure but, just be sure to keep the pad moving and also use Meguires detail spray for lubrication(some use soapy water but, I didn't try that). I also put a lot more compound on the pad than you showed here. Then i used the Meguires polish which takes most of the scratches out and then wax after that. i purchased the car from California so, the paint had some Sun fade(which I can't really do anything about without repainting) but, the clear is spectacular!
omg dude u got a legend 6 speed!! i wanted one when i was looking for a car but i couldnt find one. that car looks super clean, i love the front end of those years that honda/acura came out with. reminds me of accord but so beefy and aggressive
I would first like to say that I'm an automotive detailer and when you rub the compound onto the car with the polisher to spread it out, it creates scratches. Dab the polisher onto the pain to spread the compound, then on a low setting spread it out. Turn the polisher to the max setting to remove oxidation and scratches and do this for around 5-6 passes in up and down, back and forth motion for best results.
Eric thanks for the vid, those are nice cars, you should have set the polisher to speed setting 6 with the ultimate compound to get a more even cut to really remove the oxidation and some of the deeper scratches , I noticed the pad wasn’t spinning enough, apparently had some pad stall Than you want you want to use a finishing polishing speed setting 3-4 to refine the paint and amp the gloss, and protect it with a preferably a sealant or wax of your choice. Speed setting for 1 to spread the sealant and wax. I know you said you don’t detail, thought I’d just share a tip, really appreciate all of you past vids
Perhaps in a video series you can do vids where you repair a car mechanically and refinishing the same car if it’s a resell that will show the mechanical and appearance transformation
The harbor freight DA is hands down best bang for your buck. You need to turn the speed up more though to get more correction done in a timely manner. The pad shouldn't be able to stop on a flat surface, if it does then up the speed. I usually use 5 or 6 for compounds and then 2-3 for finishing. With the DA you can't mess up. Looks good Eric!
What grit sandpaper ? Awesome car What a gem and a great price, Happy to see this preserved a little repair is natural and expected on any used vehicle rare find and definitely one of my favorites, on my 5th and 6th Honda, best affordable car built period
better pads and better compound would help alot more but this did help the dull paint but you can get even better results from this point. I watch youtube all the time and i've learned alot about detailing cars that I didn't already know and I have been doing detailing for some time now. Never a waste of time.
Nice job for a non-detailer! Good call on the 6" HF polisher. The 7" is a rotary polisher, which should NEVER be used by anyone but experts. (... even then)
Great job. Looks a lot better and I'm sure it runs just a little bit better now, too. I know my car always runs a little bit better right after a wash and wax. :D
I have a Ford 2004 F-150 pickup which looks great, and the paint job looked great when I first received it from the dealer. I bought is used and I could tell that the vehicle was well taken care of and only had 28,500 plus miles on it. I was told that the owner didn't drive it that much because he was a over the road trucker and spent most of his time on the job. I noticed that the paint job is now in need of being polished, and then waxing as the finish is oxidized on the flat part of the hood, and roof. My next job will be polishing those areas, and then waxing the vehicle.
It definitely needs a wet sand, clay bar first wet sand and then a buff, polish and sealant. That paints very save able no doubt about it. Try the mothers 3 step polish and wax kit. I've brought cars back to a new car shine with it. My 2010 golf tdi hadn't been taken care of and 8 hours of detailing I had it from hazey pitted clear coat to glossy deep shine that caught people's attention all the time. Detailing a very rewarding thing and like you stated a cars appearance is everything
It's cool to see you step outside of your comfort zone when you make it video. It more accurately depicts what us novices can expect from the experience. Experts can make anything look fast and easy. From doing this myself, I can say that you need to take your time and avoid skipping any preparation steps, such as clay bar, masking, removing plastic parts, etc. You'll be glad you did when it's all finished and looking the way you hoped.
I would say my favorite Honda used to be the 93 integra GSR with the B17 engine. But man the more I look at that legend the more I like it, you never see the coupes anymore.
Youre right, every time I go to sell a car (or virtually anything), I detail heavy and get top dollar - assuming mechanically everything is sound. My oxidized hood's been a pain for a few years. Ive compound/polish/wax, and oxy starts back in weeks. I'll step it up with a clay bar, orbital polisher (Porter Cable, middle road to pro, and gently used off eBay), foam pads, the better compound and polish, and a sealant. Then my problem will be, my whole fam will want me to detail their cars and trucks. I better say I took it someplace deeply expensive, out of town. lol You got a nice looking car now, keep it waxed. cheers
Greeting Eric! From my knowledge the correct order of operations is: 1. wet sand 2. heavy cut compound + cutting foam disc 3. finish compound 4. wax/ sealant For you particular case I guess that it would be better as DIYer to wet sand and then apply 3 levels of fresh clear coat. In US I know you can buy 2K clear coat in spray cans, so no need for special tools.
2K clear is awesome! I spent a year trying to clear coat my project electric guitars with store-bought clears and they never got hard enough to polish to perfection. My first try with 2K was one can-wet sand-compound-polish and came out with a perfect clear!
Yeah, I understand you for sure. I was thinking resell is nice, but is he really saying that as it looks better, he's feeling better and better about it all the time? :D
I'm a police officer for my career but I'm an Airplane Mechanic ( A&P IA) which means Airframe & PowerPlant Inspection Authorization by trade. Using Meguiars in my experience detailing aircraft will give an extra 3 to 7 knots airspeed. That is the best stuff out there.
If you've ever heard of AMMONYC on youtube, Larry has the definitive solution to all paint care needs. I really do enjoy the fact, that you started the video by saying you haven't done this before and you still went ahead and recorded, I wish I could be that brave, it's actually very encouraging. Thanks for the upload, that car really is awesome, but what about the Acura NSX?
Hello Eric. Pro detailer here. I am watching the video and will comment as I see things. First off, for compounding, you want to use the max speed of you polisher. You are trying to remove damaged paint with a low end polishing machine (good ones run in the 300-400$ range). So crank that thing up to max speed. Second, your pad should always be spinning while you are working, if it's not, it is not correcting the paint, just buzzing on it doing pretty much nothing. The product you chose (Meguiar's Ultimate Compound) is the best consumer grade compound available. Good choice. As for wet sanding... you should definatelly use a bloc to make sure your pressure is even on the sand paper and you don't burn through your paint. 1500-2000 grit are the best papers to use for that step. After you are done with the compound, you should do a polishing step. Same pad and machine, but with Ultimate Polish. This is what restores the shine.... the compound leaves paint dull. Then you can wax or better yet, use a paint sealant (synthetic wax). Hope this helps.
Calendyr I was seeing his pad turn red... maybe to much pressure?
No, it's the type of paint on the car that does this. His car has what is called a single stage paint. It means that the color and protection products are in through the whole paint. Now we use a Basecoat/Clearcoat system where the color paint is 1 layer covered by a varnish layer of clear coat. So when you polish a Clearcoat the paint you are taking out is transparent and doesn't change the color of the pad. But on a single stage paint, as the paint is coming off from the buffing, it changes the color of the pad.
@@Calendyr Hi there, I've got a single paint stage car and I am trying to figure out the best method, polish/waxes to apply so that I am not taking out it's [red[ paint. Trying to diminish swirl marks and oxidation without damaging the paint. Let me know, thanks
@@Nicole-ju8fd Hi Nicole, you should just buffing the car with a Polishing Compound ( Extra Fine Polishing Compound ). The Pad should be a foam pad ( orange color - medium cut , blue color pad - low cut ) , it depends how damaged and dull your paint is. If it's just dull, use blue color, if damaged, scratches etx, use orange color pad. After that use waxing with a wool buffing pad.
You can use a rotary machine at 2500-3500rpm, but make sure you don't burn through paint, as you use a rotary and you also have 1 stage paint. Cheers
@@mihai0377 thank you for the reply, I'll be using the orbital one so it wouldn't be possible to damage / burn my paint. As for the necessary compound is what exactly I need to get thanks again !
FINALLY, I found a video of a car with actual faded paint that truly needed to be compounded, and not a car that was one step away from a final polish. Thanks for showing us what ultimate compound can do for genuinely faded paint.
Recently becoming a qualified paint spray this video reminded me of how I was as an apprentice. Which isn't a bad thing as we all gotta start some where.
A few tips you Eric!
- When you're using the mop or buffer you need to put a fair amount of pressure directly over the cutting head. I always find it better to ditch the side handle and put my hand right over the pad on the soft rubber. You'll find the mop will cut a lot better and also not push it's self around as much.
- For compound I would highly recommend Farecla G3 Premium, or 3M Fast Cut Plus. Makes compounding a breeze
- When wet sanding clear coat you don't wanna use anything less than 2000grit as you'll struggle to get the scratches out perfectly with any courser paper. Would also recommend using a wet block. Using your bare hand to flat can and will leave "tram lines" in the clear coat as you're only applying pressure to the paper at your palm and finger tips. Where as with a block you'll get even pressure and a much better finish.
- Use a hard foam pad for getting out things like deep scratches and oxidation (Real heavy stuff) then use a softer foam pad with either a diminishing compound or dedicated fine polish to get rid of the compound scratches and refine the finish even further. As for applying wax I always prefer to do this by hand with a microfiber applicator pad in small circular motions. Usually if doing a whole car then I start on the drivers door and work my whole way around the car. Then when I get back to the drivers door the wax should have hazed enough to wipe it off easily.
Thank You. I’m saving your comment. I’m studying how to remove heavy oxidation.
I bought a legend about a month ago and i am so happy with it. they have always been in my top ten dream cars. absolutely love seeing you work on yours!
I give Eric credit that he admitted he didn’t have much experience with this. AMMO NYC is the channel for this content. To do this type of work properly, it is an all day job, especially for someone without experience. Eric only did a few steps and it took him a day. Car needs to be decontaminated with a wash and clay, wet sand if cut compound alone is not sufficient, polish, then seal/wax. Use a quality DA and the right pads for each step. Kind of surprised Eric posted this content, but I appreciate the effort he gave it. The Legend does look better.
agreed but it is cool to see him experimenting with detailing and not the usual grimy mechanics
Integra DIY It is at minimum what you would not expect on the ETCG channel. Car detailing by Mr. Stay Dirty. Although I’m sure Eric is not advising on detailing, but rather, oxidation removal. What I like most about the video is that Eric was exploring something new and was not pretending to be an expert on the subject.
Totally agree with you. Love seeing Eric starting out with learning. Maybe he will delve more into learning about detailing in the future.
robo tiger actually the products are great and not much more than any meguiars ultimate product
Secondly doing the job right is wiser than a quick job you'll have to redo shortly
A quick job is a half ass job.
Eric is learning so I'm not calling his work half ass as he clearly put in the time. However constructive criticism will only throw tips his way to hopefully save him headaches and end up with better results
robo tiger 9 out of 13 products he sells are 25 or less with many of those under 20. The absolute most expensive out of the 13 items 69 bucks and its really only for car show use
Stop pulling numbers out your ass. And holy crap it's now a bad thing to recommend a good brand like Makita? I love harbor freight and all but their polishers are absolutely mediocre at best
Do the job right or don't do it at all.
Love your videos. Definitely looks better, but if you ever do it again, follow these steps. I promise you'll be impressed with the results. Clay the car after washing to remove embedded contaminates. Once you've done that and the necessary prep, use the DA at a higher speed. Heavier oxidation needs more friction. It's very hard to burn through paint with a DA, so I wouldn't let that be a concern. Also, move much slower to allow the foam and the compound to do its job. Typically on a rough surface such as the one you are working on, I move 2 inches per second. It takes much longer, but it's worth it for the result. After you've done that, move on to a polish so that you can remove the scratches that the compound left. Wipe it down with an IPA solution and then place your protection onto the paint. Not bad for not having any experience though. Respect for anyone willing to learn on their own!
Well said
Hey Eric! I tried my dual action polisher for the first time the other day on my heavily oxidised car... And it came out amazing! But what I did was use a clay bar with soapy water first, before using the polisher. I believe that's to prevent the existing contaminants from scratching the paint when using the polisher. Nevertheless, excellent work at the end man... 👍🏻
Thanks for doing an example for the common folk. No technical jargon. Just HF stuff. Just what I needed to see.
That was my dream car in the mid to late 90's! Never could find one for sale privately or on a dealer lot so I never had the joy of owning one. You're lucky to have her.
Eric I think you got the result with the effort (and materials) that you used. The next step up (for those out there who are in a similar boat), would be 1) get a few more of the orange and finishing pads (you need a few to 'do' an entire vehicle; 2) split up the car into chunks (unless you're really needing do the whole car at once); 3) Use Meguires professional M105 as the first step with the orange pad, then wipe; 4) Then follow with Meguires M205 as the 2nd step - using the finishing pad - to give it the spit shine. Yes it would mean 'double' the work, but I think it would give you 'double' the result. But alas Eric, with a single polish compound and a single pad...you got a good result already!
M105/205 stink. If you're going full hog, use the appropriate grade of Menzerna/Jescar compound on a microfiber pad, and polish with Sonax Perfect Finish on a yellow Rupes pad.
Eric it’s very inexpensive to do vinyl wrap. They look surprisingly good. You’re the type of person that could actually pull it off. There are plenty of UA-cam videos showing how to do it. This car would be the perfect card to learn on.
I always loved the look of those cars. I'd still love to have one.
That is a sweet looking car Eric. It's body lines are so clean. From every angle it looks awesome. I love that front end and rear end both. Good work on the paint too. It almost looks like a different car already.
I did this for over 15 yrs and a few garages hated me for taking too long buffing cars and i told them you aint gonna get top dollar for it if it aint done right.Eric did a good job on this but buff it with polish too not with a rag/cloth.My best advice is you got to remember to use proper wax after it's all done and then wax it again a month later to let it settle which sounds strange nut it's true.Use AutoGlym Super Resin polish a month later then another coat a few months after that and you'll go WOW!! You'll never regret it,even on plastic door mirrors will restore it lovely BUT use polish with v.little compound on a cloth first.
The music made me feel like I was on hold while calling Eric 😁
Harrythepot or in a slow moving elevator
definitely elevator
😂😂 I love this comment
Eric from Statefarm?
For 1994 paint that car looks Amazing! Thanks Eric. I have always wanted an Acura Legend. That car looks like a real keeper.
I like the improvement is incredible. Great work, Eric.
This is the Ericthecarguy I remember from earlier this decade! Thank you for coming back to the basics!
The junkman UA-cam channel is the gospel.i promise it's the best for information on paint correction and care
Looks way better! That's one of my favorite cars from that generation too. Hard to find that clean and in 6 speed!! Nice. Anyway great videos man!
The red Legend with the tan interior ... exactly the car I lusted for back then. (I saw one at the Honda showroom, asked about it, and the salesman told me the dealership owner had grabbed it already!) That was THE car to get, among those who knew what to get.
That is a BIG job. Better put aside a whole day. Looks Great Eric.
Going to do this on my 90 Celica. Last owner got a cheap paint job but didn't put clear coat on it. Now it's more like a dull red almost pink. Tried this stuff on the spoiler and it has potential. Great video Eric!
Single stage paint is a whole other beast, they all act different with combos that get good or worse results. Good job for first time doing! Glad to see you back at it Eric. Ps water is your friend when removing that compound.
Welcome back Eric!
Music was cracking me up
Ammo NYC or Chemical Brothers channel are great channels to learn from when it comes to waxing, compounding and paint correction. Make sure to take a black sharpie to the back of your orbital and drawl a few lines to judge the pressure you’re applying. Keep up the great work Eric and love to see you posting more content.
I did this on my Skyline R33. Been busy for 2 days (whole weekend) and did all the stages. Now it's perfect. But the first few scratches have already been made, and those are the most painful ones after all the work I'd put in. But hell yeah it was worth it!
Glad to have you back ETCG! As always, great vid sir. Here's to a great 2018 of new adventures.
Now that car looks LEGENDARY
I'm sorry i'll show myself out
Good one fila
Haha good one
LOL
i knew it, you are secretly a honda guy! didn't understand why i like your channel so much before this revelation.
Red is a tough colour to perfect. Good job, that Meguiar's stuff works well
I like his honesty, "I have no experience with this, but maybe I can make it look better" Just an average person trying to make their car look better without spending a fortune!
I love seeing these Honda restoration videos. The paint shines now and looks great!
I also found that Meguires 'wet look' seems to work excellent on oxidised paint and just done by hand.
You should put 1 or 2 pen marks/lines on the top of the pad and hold the machine square and push enough pressure that the pad spins. The lines make it easier to see.
I did this to a 92 Mustang and made the same mistake. After the compound instead of going straight to wax go over the car with Meguires Ultimate Polish with a finer pad. I think the pad you need is blue from HF. Anyway then you will be ready for wax. The polish will remove the swirls and bring up more shine. The car will look way better. Also when wet sanding put a few drops of dish soap in the water. It will help the paper last longer, lube the surface better, and keep it cleaner. 2000 grit is pretty safe to use. Wrap the paper around a sponge or a flexible rubber block or squeegee otherwise you will leave finger marks in the paint. I have done this now several times to several older cars using these methods and the Harbor Freight buffer and pads.
Welcome back Eric, I haven't catch up with your videos but I missed them a lot!
I use the same stuff on my tired paint it looks great now👍
You got great results. Red cars with oxidized paint are tough to do anything with. Thanks for just "picking up stuff off the shelf" to use on your car. That's what most people do. They don't spend $18.99 on five bottles of different magic elixirs to revive their 15-20 year old daily drivers.
Not sure if it was your frame rate. but for a significant portion of your buffing shots the pad wasn't rotating as part of the dual action. The pad needs to spin to get the best out of the system. On a super ruff cut, you're best to dial it right up to max speed and use a little water in a spray bottle to ensure lubrication. That compound is very durable and the abrasives wont break down. jsut use water to reactivate/lubricate.
To get best effects from wet sand, you can get wet-sand pads that'll fit your buffer. makes it way easier. but it looks like there's work to be done. rest assured it can be flattened :)
Took me 15+ hours to bring my yellow 1992 Pulsar GTiR which was equally faded (single stage yellow) back to the world. it's a long and slow journey that can't be rushed.
Good to see you back.
Eric, you're a love/hate UA-camr for me, though I know I'd like you in person. I have to give you infinite thumbs up for the choice of music on this one. Seriously. Next time I detail my car I'm looking for these tunes! All kidding aside, you do very good work, and offer the less initiated a glimpse into how to do things properly.
For quicker results, slow your arm speed down a bit, and work smaller areas at once. 2 feet x 2 feet is plenty. Make sure you take full advantage of the product's abrasive qualities by working it steadily until it is fully broken down.
wax on wax off
How do I know when to stop polishing? Do you just polish certain areas or usually the whole car when taking off scratches and such? Obsviously this car needs a full job .
Hey Eric, glad so see such improvement on the car. I'm not a DIY specialist, but I suggest to let the electric cord pass over your shoulder so it doesnt rub against the car's body ;)
Here before all the experts are gonna tell you that you did a million thing wrong, but it looks way better than it did before!
The only thing i can say is, that you can take it a bit slower with your armspeed and really work the compound a bit before taking it off but never the less
Great work eric!
How about you point out one thing he did right... Aside from plugging in the polisher, I couldn't find any..
Bobby Bass as he said in the video, he isnt a professional detailer and the thing he wanted to do was to make the car look better, not making it look like it just rolled of the showroom floor...
Again, can you name anything he did right, instead of making excuses like a fanboy ? When he pulls into the sunshine it will look worse than before.
The thing about detailing is you get criticized bij how many mistakes you make, and not the end result, i know he did ‘a lot of’ things wrong but in the end it looked better and he got rid of the oxidation on top of the paint,
This thing need a repaint as you can see at the roof of the car, stop whining that he didnt do everything perfect its his car anyway
Ummm Mike doesn't have to point a single thing out to you.... Other than the fact you are being a douche and looking for a bit of control. There are ways to communicate and you come across as a complete and utter arse.
It's small, and silly but I really liked the music while watching Eric work. My stress levels dropped even lower than usual.
Beautiful lines on those cars.
This lady at my work parkade has one. I ask her every 3-4 months to sell it to me. she just lols and shakes her head.
Its the black-gold paint with gold wheels. Beauteous.
Stay gold.
Another great video! I love the easy jazz flute!
If I remember correctly, This particular model of Acura was Honda's answer to the Nissan Skyline since Skylines couldn't be sold in the United States when Nissan first made them due to import laws detailing that foreign cars made for foreign markets would have to wait 20 years before they could be bought and sold in the U.S. Which is why that now you are seeing more Skylines and Figaros on American streets. It is a beautiful car and it's nice to see new life being put into it.
Honda's red paint always does that. I had a red 2005 Civic and without some wax it almost looked grey more than red. Yet, the plastic bumbers were still shiny.
Soak the sand paper in water for a few hours, then go ahead and sand it. Also, you a sponge if you dont have a sanding block, so you put even pressure over the paint.
ReggaeDubSoundSystem when I seen him using his fingers to sand...noooooo!! Lol
Welcome back Eric and happy year
I love detailing. It's my hobby and I wish I had a shop to do it instead of outdoors.
I did a similar job on my 1998 Ford Mustang GT in Atlantic Blue Metallic. The idea with the compound is that the friction actually heats up the clear coat and evens it out. I used the same Harbor Freight machine but, I used setting four and you don't need to use light pressure but, just be sure to keep the pad moving and also use Meguires detail spray for lubrication(some use soapy water but, I didn't try that). I also put a lot more compound on the pad than you showed here. Then i used the Meguires polish which takes most of the scratches out and then wax after that. i purchased the car from California so, the paint had some Sun fade(which I can't really do anything about without repainting) but, the clear is spectacular!
Ahh !! An ETCG and Eric O . new video back to back this morning. Seems like it might be a good day !!!
EO >> CF > ETCG >> SK these days.
VideoNOLA 👍✌
omg dude u got a legend 6 speed!! i wanted one when i was looking for a car but i couldnt find one. that car looks super clean, i love the front end of those years that honda/acura came out with. reminds me of accord but so beefy and aggressive
You brought back some shine. Good video, I like when you’re the cameraman.
Didn't seem like the DA was spinning. Should do clay bar, compound, polish, then paint sealant / wax.
Legend one of my fav cars. If I only I could get a clean rust free one around here. and you scored the 6 speed.... jealous.
Cool eric. Cannot wait to see the next vid. Glad to hand you back.
I love my 91 legend, and watching this....just made me happy haha
Hear we go
I would first like to say that I'm an automotive detailer and when you rub the compound onto the car with the polisher to spread it out, it creates scratches. Dab the polisher onto the pain to spread the compound, then on a low setting spread it out. Turn the polisher to the max setting to remove oxidation and scratches and do this for around 5-6 passes in up and down, back and forth motion for best results.
Presta makes awesome compounds and 1500 wet dry sandpaper would be a good start.
Love the videos and keep them coming!
Good job Eric. Looks way better for sure
Eric thanks for the vid, those are nice cars, you should have set the polisher to speed setting 6 with the ultimate compound to get a more even cut to really remove the oxidation and some of the deeper scratches , I noticed the pad wasn’t spinning enough, apparently had some pad stall
Than you want you want to use a finishing polishing speed setting 3-4 to refine the paint and amp the gloss, and protect it with a preferably a sealant or wax of your choice. Speed setting for 1 to spread the sealant and wax. I know you said you don’t detail, thought I’d just share a tip, really appreciate all of you past vids
Perhaps in a video series you can do vids where you repair a car mechanically and refinishing the same car if it’s a resell that will show the mechanical and appearance transformation
Yup he's using a dual action polisher which has a safety feature, it stops spinning with pressure applied
Is it possible the camera frame rate matched the speed, like a strobe effect maybe?
zx8401ztv it's possible mate but that didn't happen in these shots you can see it's vibrating only
lentilsouper, Well it was worth asking :-D, cameras produce some odd effects, Thanks for your reply :-)
The harbor freight DA is hands down best bang for your buck. You need to turn the speed up more though to get more correction done in a timely manner. The pad shouldn't be able to stop on a flat surface, if it does then up the speed. I usually use 5 or 6 for compounds and then 2-3 for finishing. With the DA you can't mess up. Looks good Eric!
Looks awesome. May have to try this on my dull volvo 240 paint. Would be the shiniest brick in town!
What grit sandpaper ? Awesome car
What a gem and a great price, Happy to see this preserved a little repair is natural and expected on any used vehicle rare find and definitely one of my favorites, on my 5th and 6th Honda, best affordable car built period
Best looking car Honda ever made? Agree. One of my favs. Update?
I'm loving the Bossanova jazz overlay; we need more!
better pads and better compound would help alot more but this did help the dull paint but you can get even better results from this point. I watch youtube all the time and i've learned alot about detailing cars that I didn't already know and I have been doing detailing for some time now. Never a waste of time.
Had this car in this color lasted 15 years and lil over 400,000 miles. SO miss it!
Nice job for a non-detailer! Good call on the 6" HF polisher. The 7" is a rotary polisher, which should NEVER be used by anyone but experts. (... even then)
Great job. Looks a lot better and I'm sure it runs just a little bit better now, too. I know my car always runs a little bit better right after a wash and wax. :D
Happy New Year, EricTheCarGuy. Glad to see your video pop into my feed.
Please make more of these, im dying to find one that is a good allrounder. one that improves the good looking paint, and the ones that looks ok.
I have a Ford 2004 F-150 pickup which looks great, and the paint job looked great when I first received it from the dealer. I bought is used and I could tell that the vehicle was well taken care of and only had 28,500 plus miles on it. I was told that the owner didn't drive it that much because he was a over the road trucker and spent most of his time on the job. I noticed that the paint job is now in need of being polished, and then waxing as the finish is oxidized on the flat part of the hood, and roof. My next job will be polishing those areas, and then waxing the vehicle.
Good Job! A lot of work, indeed. But worth it, as you aptly demonstrated.
It definitely needs a wet sand, clay bar first wet sand and then a buff, polish and sealant. That paints very save able no doubt about it. Try the mothers 3 step polish and wax kit. I've brought cars back to a new car shine with it. My 2010 golf tdi hadn't been taken care of and 8 hours of detailing I had it from hazey pitted clear coat to glossy deep shine that caught people's attention all the time. Detailing a very rewarding thing and like you stated a cars appearance is everything
Thanks eric! Great u show us the low key attack, off the shelf...as u said it well ! Makes us easy to step inn. Thanks bob the belgian.
I really enjoyed this video this morning with my coffee! Keep up the good content!
I don;t know why, But I like this guy
It's cool to see you step outside of your comfort zone when you make it video. It more accurately depicts what us novices can expect from the experience. Experts can make anything look fast and easy.
From doing this myself, I can say that you need to take your time and avoid skipping any preparation steps, such as clay bar, masking, removing plastic parts, etc. You'll be glad you did when it's all finished and looking the way you hoped.
I would say my favorite Honda used to be the 93 integra GSR with the B17 engine. But man the more I look at that legend the more I like it, you never see the coupes anymore.
1 million subs... dude... gratz.
- Eddy
Loved the bossa nova, cara. 👍
Honestly for a car like this that job is more than adequate. Great work.
Probably not worth spending days detailing a cheap daily car.
congrats on hitting 1m subs Eric, as always thanks for the vids
Dude has a Legend, and Integra GSR... He knows quality..
Youre right, every time I go to sell a car (or virtually anything), I detail heavy and get top dollar - assuming mechanically everything is sound. My oxidized hood's been a pain for a few years. Ive compound/polish/wax, and oxy starts back in weeks. I'll step it up with a clay bar, orbital polisher (Porter Cable, middle road to pro, and gently used off eBay), foam pads, the better compound and polish, and a sealant. Then my problem will be, my whole fam will want me to detail their cars and trucks. I better say I took it someplace deeply expensive, out of town. lol You got a nice looking car now, keep it waxed. cheers
I'm impressed with the Meguiar Ultimate Compound you used great effort! Thanks for sharing!
Greeting Eric!
From my knowledge the correct order of operations is:
1. wet sand
2. heavy cut compound + cutting foam disc
3. finish compound
4. wax/ sealant
For you particular case I guess that it would be better as DIYer to wet sand and then apply 3 levels of fresh clear coat. In US I know you can buy 2K clear coat in spray cans, so no need for special tools.
2K clear is awesome! I spent a year trying to clear coat my project electric guitars with store-bought clears and they never got hard enough to polish to perfection. My first try with 2K was one can-wet sand-compound-polish and came out with a perfect clear!
Looks way better, not bad at all! That Meguiars compound is good, I've used it before. . Smells like spicy cinnamon too!
"increasing the resale value" as if you would ever sell that car.
Yeah, I understand you for sure. I was thinking resell is nice, but is he really saying that as it looks better, he's feeling better and better about it all the time? :D
Didnt he end up selling that car?
Id buy this car in a heartbeat
amazing elevator music! Good job Eric.
+hubbleISS spot on!
Nice work for never detailing. Good job bro
I'm a police officer for my career but I'm an Airplane Mechanic ( A&P IA) which means Airframe & PowerPlant Inspection Authorization by trade. Using Meguiars in my experience detailing aircraft will give an extra 3 to 7 knots airspeed. That is the best stuff out there.
Thanks for the tips! Im gonna be doing this to my 1991 Ford Ranger XLT!
Looks a whole look better afterward than before hand
If you've ever heard of AMMONYC on youtube, Larry has the definitive solution to all paint care needs. I really do enjoy the fact, that you started the video by saying you haven't done this before and you still went ahead and recorded, I wish I could be that brave, it's actually very encouraging. Thanks for the upload, that car really is awesome, but what about the Acura NSX?