I use 2000 grit to get any dust particles or blends I've made out of the paint. But for a quick scuff to get out any clear coat cloudiness I use 3000 grit. Use soap and water as your median to sand with, and clean the paper often (wipe it on a towel) to get off clearcoat buildup. If the paper turns while, that's clear, and will scratch the surface if you don't wipe it enough. Also, if you hear any "squeaking" when sanding, clean or change to a new piece of paper.

I change the paper usually 3-4 panels, depends how bad it is. I went through 18 sheets when doing the Civic.

As far as buffing goes, a good 3-stage polish system with a wool pad and 2-foam pads works great. I use both 3M sandpaper and their paint conditioning system.

I've used 1500 grit sandpaper before to take out paint runs but you really gotta be careful especially if you're a novice. It takes a good eye to read the clear and see how thin it is. Too thin and you're going to end up respraying.

EDIT: You can also use a DA with sandpaper but if you don't know what you're doing I wouldn't recommend it. You can leave DA swirls in the clear and then they're impossible to get out.

I ended up lightly scuffing the Civic completely with 2000 grit then going over with 3000 grit but that's a shit ton of work, and you probably won't need it unless the paint is really sloppy.


That's right after I got done spending 4 hours wetsanding/buffing.