Test spots

[Stevendw]

So lately I've been hearing a lot about doing test spots before determining what polish and pad your paint requires.

 

While I agree that you probably shouldn't just willy nilly start compounding/polishing, there's something I don't understand. Say once you've completed your tests and have determined that you need polish/compound x and pad y, that only means you need that polish and that pad on that particular spot on that particular part of the panel, and not necessarily the entire car. For example the hood might indeed need polish x and pad y, but you might get the same/comparable results with far less aggressive polish a and pad b on the doors, but that'd mean you'd have to do the testing routine on each panel, which first of all seems like a major drag, and second of all is not mentioned in any of the videos I've seen.

 

What am I missing here?

[falcaineer]

The test spot should be chosen based on what's most indicative of the majority of the car. Usually that's on the hood, or maybe trunk lid. It is true that you could adjust up or down depending on the overall results you're after and of course the condition of the paint. It's just to give you a starting point and not a hard and fast rule.

[RayS]

I have had a few vehicles that needed additional attention in some areas while the overall vehicle only needed the level determined by the test spot.  The rule of thumb is to start with the least agressive method and if you have an area, such as hood or trunk that @falcaineer noted,  that need extra attention you can do another pass on those areas.

[Stevendw]

Thank you guys for taking the time to answer, much appreciated. I was just afraid there would be visible differences in the hue of the car if you're using, for example, a wool pad on one part of a panel and a foam pad one another part of the same panel, but since it's only the clear coat, and I will be doing a uniform polishing step over the entire vehicle afterwards, this shouldn't be an issue I guess.