Can you Polish a car to much?

[SmartAmg]

I ask because, apart from doing the garden and other small jobs, the car is taking the brunt of my boredom, I've always kept a clean, tidy motor, (OCD) but recently
I've been polishing the car every other day ,Today gave it an extra clean, paying particular attention to the wheels. ( in fact I'm sure I saw the car trembling this morning, when I walked out the door with the polish and cloth in me hands)

 

[Wolfie1]

Yes polish too much and you will go through the paint, waxing on the other hand no

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I ask because, apart from doing the garden and other small jobs, the car is taking the brunt of my boredom, I've always kept a clean, tidy motor, (OCD) but recently
I've been polishing the car every other day ,Today gave it an extra clean, paying particular attention to the wheels. ( in fact I'm sure I saw the car trembling this morning, when I walked out the door with the polish and cloth in me hands)
View attachment 94167

Probably not by hand but you can easily polish too much with a machine polisher and aggressive polish/compound.

Unless you’re actually polishing it using something with a cutting action, then you’re probably not improving the finish.

You’re also increasing the risk of causing scratches - the more time you spend polish the more likely you are to contaminate the cloth - so make sure you’re meticulous.

 

[SmartAmg]

Yes polish too much and you will go through the paint, waxing on the other hand no

Right, Wolfie, think I'm OK then it's Wax not polish, it's
WWW. Williams Wash and Wax.

 

[Deleted member 126251]

This guy has put ~4500 coats of wax on his car....

Updated 3/25/20: Is 4455 coats of wax too many?

 

[SmartAmg]

This guy has put ~4500 coats of wax on his car....

Updated 3/25/20: Is 4455 coats of wax too many?

Mmm, Rory, 4455 times a tad excessive, but doesn't seem to have done it any harm,
looks bl00dy great!

 

[Flyinspanner]

.....but now 6” wider than standard, hahahaha

 

[D-18]

I like to keep my car in good condition and it gets washed regularly, but I'm certainly no 'detailer'. As the cost of power tools like DA sanders / polishers has dropped, many more people now own and use them. I'm not convinced this trend is entirely positive.

Looking at it in terms of a used car purchase, I'd regard a highly 'detailed' car with some caution. Personally, I'd prefer to have a car with swirl marks on it, but still in possession of its full thickness of paint rather than something that has almost had the paint finish removed by a machine polisher.

I understand some companies in the PCP marketplace sometimes measure the depth of the paintwork as part of their evaluation when vehicles are returned at the end of their lease period.

 

[Deleted member 113659]

I ask because, apart from doing the garden and other small jobs, the car is taking the brunt of my boredom, I've always kept a clean, tidy motor, (OCD) but recently
I've been polishing the car every other day ,Today gave it an extra clean, paying particular attention to the wheels. ( in fact I'm sure I saw the car trembling this morning, when I walked out the door with the polish and cloth in me hands)
View attachment 94167

Same here, but canny post a photo or I’ll get banned. (Defector)

 

[Dazsw]

I like to keep my car in good condition and it gets washed regularly, but I'm certainly no 'detailer'. As the cost of power tools like DA sanders / polishers has dropped, many more people now own and use them. I'm not convinced this trend is entirely positive.

Looking at it in terms of a used car purchase, I'd regard a highly 'detailed' car with some caution. Personally, I'd prefer to have a car with swirl marks on it, but still in possession of its full thickness of paint rather than something that has almost had the paint finish removed by a machine polisher.

I understand some companies in the PCP marketplace sometimes measure the depth of the paintwork as part of their evaluation when vehicles are returned at the end of their lease period.

Smart thinking mate.

The problem is people with not enough knowledge getting hold of a polisher or just companies that don't care.

90% of the either hobby or working detailer/valeters I now never use or have never heard of a paint thickness gauge.

They are in effect working blind.

First thing I did long before I had a detailing job was buy a paint thinkness gauge, great bit of kit, when working I always removed the minimum amount of paint for maximum benefit.

Takes longer but leaves paint on the car for future use.

 

[alabbasi]

Yeah you can, when I was a kid in my 20's, I polished the crap out of my old E30 BMW with Autoglym super resin polish. After a couple of years, I managed to strip the clear from one of the doors. Polish is a super fine abrasive so if you do it enough, it will burn through the paint.

 

[SmartAmg]

Same here, but canny post a photo or I’ll get banned. (Defector)

Post away, i/we like to see nice motors, no matter what make.

 

[daveenty]

@Rashman : Your thread's here

As mentioned above by a few, the answer is yes, you can polish it too much but wax is fine.

My current car is ceramic coated so I don't do much with it really, though I still go over it with a detailing spray at least once a week. My last couple, both E63's, were polished when I first got them though only ever waxed after that, usually every 2 - 3 weeks, though the detailing spray was again used at least weekly, usually every time they went out.

Every 12 months or so I go over them with a clay bar to get the build up of crud off them, then start over again with the same regime.

 

[Deleted member 113659]

Post away, i/we like to see nice motors, no matter what make.

(Note the Hiab just the other side of the fence ready for when it breaks down. )

 

[SmartAmg]

View attachment 94186

(Note the Hiab just the other side of the fence ready for when it breaks down. )

Like that!

 

[Nobbymogs]

it is surprising how much paint Mercedes actually use on their cars before i started doing my cars with a DA polisher i watched hours of videos on tutorials and what polishes are best and as above when used wrong polishers can cut through paint but you would have to go quite hard in same area for a long time (providing its got original paint)
how ever wax or ceramic polishes have zero cut properties and you can polish with these until your arms drop off although it does get to a point when your just wasting polish
but yours does look amazingly clean and wheels to match

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

it is surprising how much paint Mercedes actually use on their cars before i started doing my cars with a DA polisher i watched hours of videos on tutorials and what polishes are best and as above when used wrong polishers can cut through paint but you would have to go quite hard in same area for a long time (providing its got original paint)
how ever wax or ceramic polishes have zero cut properties and you can polish with these until your arms drop off although it does get to a point when your just wasting polish
but yours does look amazingly clean and wheels to match

I thought ceramic coatings were more like a sealant than a polish, so no benefit in polish over the top or else you’ll remove the coating.

 

[baxlin]

I thought ceramic coatings were more like a sealant than a polish, so no benefit in polish over the top or else you’ll remove the coating.

True, no benefit in polish over ceramic coating, but wax can give a deeper and/or wet look shine, maybe? (I’m sure I’ve read this on DW)

 

[Wolfie1]

So this was my attempt of washing my cars and the wifes,






[url=https://postimg.cc/njYKqJZt][/URL]

 

[ColinMerc]

I ask because, apart from doing the garden and other small jobs, the car is taking the brunt of my boredom, I've always kept a clean, tidy motor, (OCD) but recently
I've been polishing the car every other day ,Today gave it an extra clean, paying particular attention to the wheels. ( in fact I'm sure I saw the car trembling this morning, when I walked out the door with the polish and cloth in me hands)
View attachment 94167

This made me lol at 1am, cheers!