Vinyl Stripe Scratches/Swirl Marks

[TeamGomez]

My recent acquisition of my first GT350 came with long to-do list of upgrades and elbow grease to get it where I wanted it. I've been using Sal Zaino's products for 20+ years although none of his products will 'fill' micro marring like a good can of carnauba wax can with far less effort. But carnauba just doesn't last/won't protect nearly as well as today's advances in coating technology.

So I've read both sides of the argument for using products on the stripes and I'm curious if any of y'all have a go-to product that will fill/hide the micro marring on our stripes. TIA.

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[Brisvegas]

Vinyl can potentially self heal if you run a heat gun over it , just dont overdo the heat . Worth a shot

 

[kilobravo]

Yep, heat might help but having dealt with vinyl for a good while John, my guess is that even that won't eliminate all the marring. Chances are, the only way to "hide" them would be to get something like Carnauba or similar into the slight scratches.

But, our MD may have a better solution, what say you, D?

 

[MattMPA]

I have used Plexus on plastic and vinyl with very good results. It won't last like a coating, but fills minor marring well.

 

[2017RedGT]

Im in the same boat, on my GT, the vinyl stripes do have some minor scratches, I just went over them By Hand using Griots complete compound. It did help, but not completely where I want them. I will try Griots plastic all in one this weekend, again by hand before trying both products again with the rotary. Work in progress, if I come up with a good solution, I will update.

 

[MiamiGT350]

Since the GT350 stripes are gloss, you can use a paint polish on them like Chemical Guys V36 or V38. Scratch remover or rubbing compound is too aggressive imho.

 

[MAGS1]

I had vinyl stripes on my 2016. I used Sonax Perfect Finish and did it by hand with the least aggressive pad I had (finishing pad). Did the trick on mine, just be careful around the edges so you don’t catch them with the pad. I’ve heard of people using a machine but I wouldn’t want to get that aggressive if I didn’t have to.

 

[TeamGomez]

Thanks for the replies fellas.

Im in the same boat, on my GT, the vinyl stripes do have some minor scratches, I just went over them By Hand using Griots complete compound. It did help, but not completely where I want them. I will try Griots plastic all in one this weekend, again by hand before trying both products again with the rotary. Work in progress, if I come up with a good solution, I will update.

I'm not sure I'd wade into Griot's Plastic AIO on vinyl either by hand or with a buffer. That product appears to be applied to hard plastic vice the vinyl.

I had vinyl stripes on my 2016. I used Sonax Perfect Finish and did it by hand with the least aggressive pad I had (finishing pad). Did the trick on mine, just be careful around the edges so you don’t catch them with the pad. I’ve heard of people using a machine but I wouldn’t want to get that aggressive if I didn’t have to.

Interesting. I would have thought the Sonax product would have been too abrasive. Thanks for that tipper.

Vinyl can potentially self heal if you run a heat gun over it , just dont overdo the heat . Worth a shot

Yikes. Didn't think about that one. I did kind of melt some clear on my Tundra removing the badging with the heat gun...will do some homework on this technique.

 

[MAGS1]

Interesting. I would have thought the Sonax product would have been too abrasive. Thanks for that tipper.

If you want to start even less aggressive, give this one a try. Perfect Finish isn’t super abrasive but it does have a little cut to it.

https://www.sonaxusa.com/sonax-final.html

 

[kilobravo]

SONAX PROFILINE Final

Many thanks, Mark, I didn't know about that Sonax product and from the site's description and your experience, it sounds like that might do the trick for John. Much better I think than using Final Finish due to the diminishing of Final Finish.

 

[TeamGomez]

If you want to start even less aggressive, give this one a try. Perfect Finish isn’t super abrasive but it does have a little cut to it.

https://www.sonaxusa.com/sonax-final.html

This appears to be a distant relative to P21S Paintwork Cleanser which I happen to also have in the cabinet. Any experience with the P21S as it compares to the Sonax?

I like the Sonax product lineup though I don't have any experience with it. I'd like to rid the cabinet of the 50 or so different bottles of paintwork products that I've acquired over the years (many of which were test samples that I worked with developing a paint protection product line about a decade ago). Would be much nicer to have 5 bottles instead of 50!

 

[MAGS1]

This appears to be a distant relative to P21S Paintwork Cleanser which I happen to also have in the cabinet. Any experience with the P21S as it compares to the Sonax?

I like the Sonax product lineup though I don't have any experience with it. I'd like to rid the cabinet of the 50 or so different bottles of paintwork products that I've acquired over the years (many of which were test samples that I worked with developing a paint protection product line about a decade ago). Would be much nicer to have 5 bottles instead of 50!

I don’t have experience with P21S unfortunately. If it’s similar in terms of being a lighter cut/finishing polish, it should be fine. Just don’t want to use a heavy cut polish/compound as it will damage the vinyl. A cleaner wax might also take care of it if you have one in your cabinet. That would be the least aggressive.

 

[DFB5.0]

This appears to be a distant relative to P21S Paintwork Cleanser which I happen to also have in the cabinet. Any experience with the P21S as it compares to the Sonax?

I like the Sonax product lineup though I don't have any experience with it. I'd like to rid the cabinet of the 50 or so different bottles of paintwork products that I've acquired over the years (many of which were test samples that I worked with developing a paint protection product line about a decade ago). Would be much nicer to have 5 bottles instead of 50!

Ooops..............................

As for P21S vs Sonax, I can't comment on that comparison. But what I can say is, polishing abrasives have moved ahead leaps and bounds over the last decade, to the point where I would say its one of the areas of detailing that has changed and improved most. When I started machine polishing back in 2008, polishing compounds were horrible to work with, dusty, oily, hard to wipe off, hard to wash out of pads. In other words, perhaps trying something newer would be worthwhile exercise.

I've been really liking the newer Rupes DA liquids, DA Fine and DA Coarse. I also LOVE using Carpro Reflect, it won't have a lot of cut, but its fantastically easy to wipe off, does not dust AT ALL, and deliverys a superb finish. If you want a won and done type product, then Sonax Perfect Finish can cut and finish in one single step, ramp up or down the cut by changing your pad.

CARPRO Reflect High Gloss Finishing Polish 250ml (8oz) (carpro-us.com)
Sonax Perfect Finish - 250 ml - Detailed Image
Rupes DA Fine Polishing Compound - 250 ml - Detailed Image
Rupes DA Coarse Compound - 250 ml - Detailed Image

 

[kilobravo]

Would be much nicer to have 5 bottles instead of 50!

No doubt most of us feel the same way, John. Not sure if I have quite fifty but certainly close.

Ooops..

<laughing> I had a feeling you might post a photo, D! :=)

I also LOVE using Carpro Reflect

Who can keep up?!! <REALLY laughing now>

After MANY trips to the CarPro site, I never noticed Reflect (again, typical on my part.) Took a looksee just now but CP only has one small paragraph for the description that gives no details.

As usual, I asked Mr. G. and found an excellent review of Reflect that, including to yours, had some very helpful tips on how to use it.

To date, I have yet to make a dedicated "finishing pass" with the polisher and making another with Reflect will obviously increase the job time but, after reading that review (and especially your very positive comments on the product, I'm sold and will pick up a bottle before the Spring re-coating.

I have no idea how many times I (and others) have thanked you for your experiences and your regular, highly-detailed posts but, I'll add one more for today's info. :=)

Back to my original statement..

The truth is, you DO "keep up" my friend and you save us TONS of time and money with your first-hand experiences..really. I know that the subject is close to your heart and that testing products as well as the detailing itself are therapeutic. <smile> Even though my case of OCD isn't up to yours <chuckling>, I can absolutely relate.

<COS> (Change Of Subject..I like acronyms <grin>)

I can't wait to see photos of the new S650 after you've given her the "DFB Treatment". <smile> Please post full rez photos when you do, too. (You know how I nutty I am about digital images.) ;-)

 

[TeamGomez]

DFB5.0 Thanks for the reply and info. Looks like I need to wade into your posting history and log a few points of college credit. One thing, though, can you please organize your cabinet into alphabetical order for the rest of us with CDO? (CDO is like OCD but the letters are in the correct order lol).

I see you're from down under- which coast? I've spent time on both sides and under from down under in Tasmania. Aussies are the greatest hosts on the planet. Bar none.

But what I can say is, polishing abrasives have moved ahead leaps and bounds over the last decade, to the point where I would say its one of the areas of detailing that has changed and improved most.

I believe it. I'm going to grab some product from Detailed Image and it looks like they're having a 25% off sale...thru 10 Feb so order up!

I didn't really like the Rupes cut/polish products from what was probably Gen 1 for them. I'm going to give the Sonax and CarPro products a whirl to see if I can get the finish I'm looking for on the black steed in the stable (it's also the first black car I've owned since '92/tried to correct). It was kicking my arse yesterday as I was getting acquainted to the Griots 3" ROB I just added to the stable . Even with P21S on a 6" black finish pad on a Rupes Bigfoot, I could still see the slightest of pad swirl. The white Shelby is 'upstairs' and will get some ROB love this weekend after the storms clear from normally sunny SoCal.

As usual, I asked Mr. G. and found an excellent review of Reflect that, including to yours, had some very helpful tips on how to use it.

KB- thanks for that link. I wonder how many folks tried using that CP product and got frustrated not knowing the finer details of application. Good to know.

Looks like I have some catching up to do on current ops in the detailing cabinet. Appreciate your notes, Gents.

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