# Detailers after some paint advice. (merlin purple)



## JayReed (Jul 9, 2015)

I'm going to be giving my merlin purple tt a 3 stage polish. Need to know if anyone knows whether the paitns a hard or softish paint rather then me doing test spots

In need of some compounds at the moment so will be looking to get some anyway. Will buy some to suit the paint a bit better to save some effort.

I know as a rule of thumb audi paint is in general a hard paint (My last tt aviator grey was).

Any detailers out there got any clue? Before I get criticised I'm by far not a professional but I know my way round a da polisher and can get the swirls out to my liking.

Jay


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## Ian_W (Oct 19, 2008)

My Merlin Purple S3 was very very hard paint.

Looked fantastic when it was done though 









Sent from my ONE E1003 using Tapatalk


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## JayReed (Jul 9, 2015)

I assumed so, Looks sweet the s3. I know the black tt paint is pretty hard as well. I'll get something more harsh and give it a bash this weekend or next


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## YELLOW_TT (Feb 25, 2004)

Yep all Audi paint is very hard


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## Allspeed (Oct 7, 2016)

Assuming the paint is original, if there's signs of previous paintwork then tread more carefully.


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## Baalthazaar (Jul 11, 2010)

Hard as a hard thing.....Audi lacquer is notorious and can take some serious correction, however, as with all paint renovation go slow, and test out first. Also if the car has been resprayed at all all bets are off as you can bet your bottom dollar that money was saved on the depth and hardnesss of the lacquer.


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## JayReed (Jul 9, 2015)

I gathered so, from the eye and looking out for overspray etc I don't think she's been sprayed although I was tempted to touch up the stone chips over her before hand.

Heard brilliant reviews on scholl s3 xxl on german paint so probably going to give that a go alongside their white spider pad (orange pad on the curved areas of the body)

Jay


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## Jamesc (May 23, 2010)

As said audi paint is generally quite hard. Though can still get good results with lighter polishes depending on your machine and pad combo. I find meguiars 105 and 205 along with flexi microfiber pads or meguiars microfiber pads and get good results with audis, though have been using rupes bigfoot, pads and compounds and getting awesome results too, but then the prices of rupes machines really too much for a "once a year" Polish.

I detail for a living so fortunate to have 3 rupes machines and a flex machine as well as a da6 on hand.


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## JayReed (Jul 9, 2015)

That's my issue I have a DAS6 Pro, Done wonders on my vxr believe i used menzerna polish with it worked well, Wouldn't touch my brothers a5 though. (Well it did just not anything below a certain level if that makes sense). Ended up using blackhole on it to get a decent ish shine but even then that didn't last too long.

I was close to buying a 2nd hand big foot but sadly missed out on it last minute. For what I need though the das6 pro is plenty.

Heres a couple of shots of my vxr I done:

Before:


















After:


























Really wanting to show the flakes of the merlin purple when I do it so heres to hoping it comes out just as good :lol:


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## Jamesc (May 23, 2010)

The das6 is still a great machine, I bought mine years ago when I first started out doing my own cars, before doing it professionally, and still a great machine to have it the artillery just in case, with a couple of grands worth of high end machines I still use the £70 (was around that price I paid I think, was that long ago) more often than you'd think. Handy wee machine, for tight spaces etc, it's not as powerful, but spend a bit more time you'll get as good results with it as you would with a rupes etc.

You are limited with the likes of the rupes bigfoots as you cant officially change the backing plates, to smaller or larger items, the size it is that's it, compared to the da6 etc.

Vauxhall paint is fairly soft paints so easier to work with audis are a good bit stronger. Black hole is OK but full of fillers so will wash out after a couple of washes/spells of rain and be back to how it was.


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## arpuc (Jun 14, 2014)

Very hard paint, I put a post up last year where I worked on a merlin for a friend, I used poorboys ssr2.5

viewtopic.php?f=31&t=1324994


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## JayReed (Jul 9, 2015)

Looks lovely mate. Ill get some stuff ordered and give it ago this or next weekend depending on free time


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## arpuc (Jun 14, 2014)

JayReed said:


> Looks lovely mate. Ill get some stuff ordered and give it ago this or next weekend depending on free time


stick some pics up when you're done


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## JayReed (Jul 9, 2015)

I will do mate 

See your from south wales too, Which part?


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## arpuc (Jun 14, 2014)

JayReed said:


> I will do mate
> 
> See your from south wales too, Which part?


Live in Cynon valley at moment.


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