I detailed a car yesterday that had a rough texture that was similar to spray paint on the hood and roof. The surface of the rest of the car was smooth. I used to the following steps to prep:

1. washed car (meguiars nxt soap)
2. bug and tar remover
3. clay bar (entire car)
4. washed car again
4. paint cleaner (meguiars w/ orbital)
5. polish (meguiars/orbital)
6. wax (meguiars nxt tech wax/orbital)

This was one of those off-white almost sand colored cars so the blemishes weren't really visible but were very obvious to the touch. I figured the clay bar would help out the car but didn't really do much to smooth out the surface. Then I assumed the paint cleaner would help to smooth out some of the rough spots and it actually made it worse. After applying the paint cleaner, the hood and roof appeared as though tree sap was blasted all over the surface. I took a great deal of elbow grease to remove the paint cleaner and for some reason I proceeded with the polish and wax. The polish came off without leaving any residue but the Nxt gen Tech wax just amplified the blemishes on the surface.

My questions are:

-What is the condition of the surface called when it has the texture of spray paint but doesn't smooth out with the help of a clay bar or paint cleaner? Is that a result of acid rain eating away at the clear coat? The car is about 10 years old and not frequently waxed. No harsh chemicals or abrasives have ever been used on the surface.

-Would a more abrasive paint cleaner smooth out the rough spots and if so what products would you recommend and can you use an ordinary orbital buffer to apply or do you need a professional buffer like a PC or even a rotary?

 

Which Meguiar's product were you using?

 

I used their Nxt Gen soap, Step 1 paint cleaner, Step 2 polish and the Nxt Gen Tech wax. The bug and tar remover was from Turtle Wax and I forgot who made the clay bar.

 

From the sound of things, you are going to need to use something more aggressive. The products you mentioned for polishing may have been meant for a car with very light imperfections. However, some products require machine operation to get better results.

A PC would be a good choice to use for your situation. As for polishes, I would recommend something like either of the following:

Meguiar's Dual Action Cleaner Polish
Sonus SFX-1, SFX-2, and SFX-3 Polishes
Menzerna Power Gloss (Best results can be obtained by a Rotary)

 

Thanks for the recommendations, looks like I'm going to have to used something stronger. Btw, with the PC how long can you use the pads? If you can reuse them, what's the best way to clean them thoroughly?