10 replies to this topic

[flanders56]

Which rubbing compound shall i use on my mini, people have told me you have to be careful to get the right one or it will damage the paintwork if its oxidation... i believe... is too intense?

Thanks

[n00b]

iv been pondering about this too, recently found my local garage shop stock it for £11.99 for the 400ml tub

[mars red mike]

It all depends on the condition of your paint to start with. G3 is a fairly aggressive compound and it would be very easy to burn through the paint using this if you arent careful, assuming that you would be using a machine polisher rather than by hand. The general rule is to start with a compound with the least amount of 'cut' to it. If this gives the results you are looking for then you can continue with this compound. If it doesnt give the desired finish however, the next step is to move up a level to a compound with medium cutting ability and so on.

[roofless]

G10 ?

[Jet_black]

I think they make a G6 compound as well.

[roofless]

G3, G4, G6, G7, G10 are the more available compounds in the UK

http://www.farecla.com/#/54

[mattsbmw]

are you working by machine or by hand?

[flanders56]

machine

[Scallywag630]

I just used G3 on my daughter's 1998 Saxo and it came up beautifully. Remember to keep the mop head moving and use plenty of water.

[datsun100a]

I would start with 3m finesse-it before using the rubbing compounds.

[panelbeaterpeter]

G3 isn't aggressive if used sensibly, whether you use it with a mop or by hand. I'd be very surprised if you went through the paint if using it by hand unless the paint was very thin, you can burn through more easily with a mop, but only be being careless. Never keep the mop in one place for too long, and keep it so it rotates away from edges, rather than into them. Also put low tack masking tape on edges which may get hit, for example if I'm polishing a mini roof, I'll mask off the gutters to avoid burning through the top edge. G3 works fine without water, but if you want to use water use very little, I have a spray bottle and just mist water onto the panel before polishing, apply the compound to the mop head, not the panel. If you use lots of water it flies everywhere and is a nightmare to remove, especially from rubber. An alternative to G3 is Polarshine C20, it is pretty much exactly the same but doesn't leave such a mess and wipes off rubbers and trim without leaving white marks, and there's not really any need to use G10 or any anti swirl compound as it does both jobs in one. I prefer it to G3. G10 is intended for use after G3, to reduce swirls and give a deeper shine, it's not abrasive enough to remove 2000 marks, it's just meant for finishing.