Mastering the Art of Paint Correction and Polishing (Mar 2026)

Give the car a thorough wash using a strip soap or even a bit of dish soap (don't tell the missus) to remove old waxes. Get into the cracks with a soft brush.

Spray an iron remover on the paint. If it turns purple, that's the fallout from brakes and industrial areas melting away. Rinse it off well.

Run your hand over the paint. If it feels like sandpaper, you need to clay it. Use plenty of lube (soapy water works) and glide the clay over the paint until it's smooth as glass.

Use a blower or a big drying towel. Water dripping out of a mirror while you're polishing is the quickest way to ruin your arvo.

Tape up any black plastic trim, rubber seals, and badges. Trust me, getting dried polish off textured plastic is a nightmare you don't want.

This is the most important step. Don't go gung-ho on the whole car. Pick a small section on the bonnet and try your least aggressive combo first (finishing polish on a medium pad).

Put 3-4 pea-sized drops of polish on the pad. Spread it around with your finger to ensure the surface of the foam is covered.

Work in a 50cm x 50cm area. Don't try to do the whole door at once; the polish will dry out and you'll get poor results.

With the machine OFF, dab the pad around your work area to spread the product. This prevents 'sling' (polish flying everywhere like a messy pavlova).

Start the machine on speed 1 to spread, then bump it up to speed 4 or 5 for the actual correction work.

Move the machine slowly in overlapping horizontal lines, then vertical lines. You want about 50% overlap on each pass.

Move the machine about 2-3cm per second. Let the weight of the machine do the work; don't lean on it like you're trying to push it through the floor.

Work the area until the polish turns translucent (clear). This usually takes 4-6 passes.

Use a clean microfibre to buff away the residue. Use your LED light to check if the scratches are gone.

Spray your panel prep or IPA. This removes the oils. A customer once brought in a car that looked great, but after one wash, all the scratches 'reappeared' because the last guy just filled them with oily polish. Don't be that guy.

If the scratches are still there, move to a heavier compound or a firmer pad. If it looks good, repeat the process across the rest of the car.

Every single section, use a brush or air to blow out the spent polish and dead paint. If you don't, the pad will heat up and potentially delaminate.

If you used a heavy compound, you might have some 'haze'. Go back over with a fine polish and a soft pad to bring out that deep, wet-look shine.

Pull the car out into the sun. The sun is the ultimate truth-teller. Check for any spots you missed.