Black paint polishing

Does anyone have experience with polishing black paint? My clearcoat has the typical oxidation, but the paint looks to be in great shape. I have a few orbital polishers and want to give it a shot. Tips and advice on what pads and products would be helpful.

 

I do on a Honda Accord. I did the following
1. Decontaminated the paint with Adam's Iron remover. I don't think it really did much but there were a few spots that turned purple indicating fallout. If you live near industrial areas or a railroad, definitely do this step.
2. Clay bar. Take your time and get all the junk out of the clearcoat. After doing this rhe paint will look better but will still have quite a bit of oxidation
3. Mechanical polish with a polishing compound with no fillers. I used another Adam's product here and an Adam's rotary polisher. You can use a buffer but results won't be as good. Make sure to do a small section ar a time and don't linger or you can burn the clearcoat. It's easier than it sounds. Lots of good videos on YouTube.
4. Wax, ceramic, graphene top coating of your choice. I used Adam's graphene.

Paint still looks great after 1.5 years. Really flattens out the clearcoat. You may want to use a water spot remover between steps 1 and 2 above if you have hard water mineral deposits in the clear.

 

Perfect instructions. All those steps are critical to a nice looking detail.

 

Great advice TrueTexas with the process. I would advise a similar process

1. Use Mcguires or similar car wash and get your 4Runner spotless
2. Then a clay bar kit like Mothers or Meguiar's and remove all the contaminants
3. Finally, with an orbital buffer on low, use 3M Machine Polish to remove any scratches and polish it back to new. Be VERY careful to do only a small area at a time and move constantly to not burn your finish.

I have a few orbital buffers but my favorite is the M18 Fuel 15mm random orbital polisher b/c it is battery powered, easy to maneuver, battery last a long time and no cords to worry about. Expensive but "buy once, cry once" I always say.

The 3M finish is not cheap but last a very VERY long time. Again, you get what you pay for. I still have the bottle I purchased 15+ years ago and I've polished my 4Runner a couple time and have done spot removals a number of times over the years.

 

3M Perfect It Buffing and Polishing Kit | 36060 06094 3M Rubbing Compound and Machine Polish (Quart) | Buffing Compound, Car Polishing Kit | Bundled with Kangaroobands Microfiber Cloth

Amazon.com: 3M Perfect It Buffing and Polishing Kit | 36060 06094 3M Rubbing Compound and Machine Polish (Quart) | Buffing Compound, Car Polishing Kit | Bundled with Kangaroobands Microfiber Cloth : Automotive

I have narrowed it down to this buffing and polishing kit. Now I need to know what pads to use for each.

Below are the things I've purchased recently for this project.

 

They have a "black" colored wax. It fills all the nicks and such in so you cant see them.

 

My black 2001 was in rough condition because of my neglect. Yes I kept it washed and waxed once a year, but it wasn’t enough. I washed and clayed the car then used th meguiars m205 and 105. That was about 10 years ago. It still looks good. Now I just wash and use a ceramic spray wax

make sure your u use a DA polisher or you risk burning through the paint. Ask me how I know. The orange pad does a good job cutting then move to a black or white pad yo get it right. It’s a lot of work, but well worth it in the end. Good luck

Meguiar’s Mirror Glaze M105...

$12 Meguiar's Mirror Glaze M105 Ultra-Cut Compound, Car Rubbing Compound for Removing Scratches and Heavy Swirls While Adding Shine, Safe and Effective on All Glossy Car Paint and Clear Coats, 8 oz

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Meguiar's M205 Mirror Glaze Ultra...

$12 Meguiar's M205 Mirror Glaze Ultra Finishing Polish, Easy-to-Use Formula for Impeccable Shine, Multiple Ways to Apply Mirror Glaze, Removes Defects and Swirls for a High Gloss, 8 Oz Container

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Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wax,...

$13 Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wax, Easy-to-Use Spray Wax for Car Detailing with the Superior Protective Power of Advanced SiO2 Hybrid Barrier Technology, 26 Oz Spray Bottle

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PORTER-CABLE Buffer Polisher, Car Polisher for Car Detailing, 6-Inch, Orbital, Variable Speed (7424XP)

$140 PORTER-CABLE Buffer Polisher, Car Polisher for Car Detailing, 6", Orbital, Variable Speed (7424XP)

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