# Advice from the polishing experts



## X-Ravin (Oct 6, 2010)

So I just got my first GTO, a 04. It's in great shape, but the clearcoat is swirled badly and the passenger fender is scuffed up. Paint is fine, it's just in the clear. I'm no stranger to polishing, but I've read the GTO clear coat is thin. So here's what I'm planning to do:

1 Wash with dawn
2 Claybar
3 Sonus SFX1 only on the bad scuffs
4 Sonus SFX2 on whole car
5 Klauss AIO
6 P21S Wax

If you're aren't familiar with Sonus, SFX1 is a gritty polish meant to get out bad scuffs and scratches. It's probably one step up from wet sanding. SFX2 is meant to get out haze. I'll be using an orbital buffer, and I understand the crisscross pattern. So does this sound good? Any advice from those who have done a similar operation?


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## jpalamar (Jul 22, 2008)

If that process worked on other cars it should be fine with these. No real special GTO specific paint care other then our paint sucks lol


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## X-Ravin (Oct 6, 2010)

Haha ok. I'm beginning to think I may need to use the SFX1 all over, I forgot the SFX2 doesn't really remove swirls, more like restores the gloss. I guess I'll just have to take it slow and check my work often.


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## Mike_V (Mar 10, 2006)

How bad is the paint; do you have a PC?


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## X-Ravin (Oct 6, 2010)

For the most part there's just a lot of swirl in the clear. There are a few spots, namely the fender that are scuffed, like it scraped along something. But it's not into the paint, just the clear. Yeah I have a PC, and the proper pads for each polishing stage.


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## Mike_V (Mar 10, 2006)

I would try 3M swirl remover on the orange pad - it gave the best results by a mile.


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## X-Ravin (Oct 6, 2010)

Mike_V said:


> I would try 3M swirl remover on the orange pad - it gave the best results by a mile.


Cool, maybe I'll pick up some when I run out of the SFX, which will be this weekend lol.


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## Gotagoat (Jan 6, 2006)

Why Dawn rather than a quality car wash soap? I've always heard that dish washing soap is rough on an automotive finish.


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## BWinc (Sep 21, 2005)

Plain Dawn is okay to strip off old wax when you are detailing an older car for the time. Or for the first time in a long time. After the initial paint correction, polishing and waxing/sealants you should use the gentler pH balanced stuff.


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## X-Ravin (Oct 6, 2010)

BWinc said:


> Plain Dawn is okay to strip off old wax when you are detailing an older car for the time. Or for the first time in a long time. After the initial paint correction, polishing and waxing/sealants you should use the gentler pH balanced stuff.


This would be the reason. Don't want to be polishing wax. After a good polishing run I use car friendly wash soap.


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