Polishing Compound
 

Hey just bought a used car from 02. Haven't ever really maintained a cars paint other than a simple car wash.

Anyway i bought some rubbing compound to get some minor scratches off the paint and i did it over with some polishing compound. Am i set for that? The scratches were barely noticeable and the paint looked fine after polishing.

My second question is how often can i use this polishing compound on my paint? Like can I apply it all over the car or do i need to buy pure polish for that?

I'm doing this all by hand btw, both are turtlewax brand.

You've got it right so far. The rubbing compound is way more abrasive so only use it to remove the deeper scratches. The polishing compound is to bring back the gloss after using the rubbing compound and for general polishing duties and can be used frequently although once in the spring is probably all the polishing it will need. Follow up with a coat of wax or sealant 2-3x a year and you're golden. :)

If I go over the paint with rubbing compound am i compromising the clear coat? It first started 'hazing' so i wiped it off with a dry towel and noticed it appeared dusty. Was I using too much compound?

I waxed the car after, overall it looked decent nothing spectacular

It will be tough to get a show car finish using those products by hand. The rubbing compound will remove a bit of clear if used with a machine but doing it by hand makes it a non issue. The hazing is because the rubbing compound is quite aggressive and will dull the finish. The polish is used to remove any dullness left by the compound and bring the gloss back. All compounds dust. Its just the fillers in the product. To make it easier, look at the hand polishing pads in my "polishing accessories" section. Inexpensive and can be re used over and over. To get a nicer finish, maybe get rid of the turtle wax polish and try something like Menz Power Finish. You can come by and try some on your car before you buy it to see if its what you need.

Ah, should i go over the entire car in rubbing compound or only for scratches? I only went over the entire car in just polishing compound.

Also how much pressure do i use if i'm using a towel (I think ill switch over to those pads when i can stop by)?

I appreciate your help

Just use the compound on scratches as its quite a bit more abrasive than the polish. Use the polish for improving the shine on the whole car. Use firm pressure without actually bearing down on it, if that makes sense. Just give me a call when you want to pop by and I'll let you know when I'll be in the shop. :) 604.561.5121

also, if meguiars ultimate rubbing compound is really good for oxidation/fine scratches/swirls/etching etc... I have had and have seen great results from using this even by hand... try it.. takes a little elbow grease, and yes it does take a minute amount of clear but that is the only way you are going to fix the deeper paint defects... give it a try. I think meguairs offers money back anyways, and crappy tire will honor that... if that doesn't work, maybe you should bring it to ken for some porter cable action :D