polish for white car

[fpalattao]

need suggestion on what polish to use for a 4 month old good paint condition white car.

Currently I'm just undecided.

My current full detail steps are after washing, clay, scratch x all over car, tech wax 2x and #16 2x.

My cars paint condition is amazing as it is, and I have read that polishing is good for darker color vehicles and you can see the difference more.

But I remember Mike saying that even white needs polishing.

What product recommendations? From consumer to professional please. Thanks

[Mike Phillips]

Re: polish for white car

Originally posted by fpalattao
need suggestion on what polish to use for a 4 month old good paint condition white car.

Hi fpalattao,

Quick question... Is this a clear coated white finish? Or a single stage white finish?

If it's a clear coat over a white base coat, then you're not really working on white paint, you're working on clear paint and you would clean, polish and protect this paint just like any other clear coat finish and most single stage finishes.

Mike

[Marc08EX]

Either Deep Crystal Pure Polish from the consumer line or the #7 Show Car Glaze from the professional line would work fine.

[fpalattao]

Sorry, its clearcoated. Its a white mazda 6.

Any major differences between step 2 polish and #7.

I plan to use a by hand application.

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by fpalattao
Sorry, its clear-coated. Its a white Mazda 6.

Any major differences between step 2 polish and #7.

I plan to use a by hand application.

There has been quite a bit of discussion her on Meguiar's Online on the differences between Meguiar's pure polishes and cleaner/polishes, typing a few key words into the Search button would probably provide some good reading.

Here's the basic difference,

#7 Show Car Glaze was formulated for use on traditional single-stage finishes. It was introduced in the 1930's, (I think), and has been unchanged for over 50 years. (A testimony to the quality of the product design).

Deep Crystal Polish is formulated for easier use on clear coated finishes and will give you the similar results as the #7 Show Car Glaze while being easier to use.

We use Deep Crystal Polish every Saturday at our Detailing 101 clinics with excellent results on a multitude of cars and their different paint types.

You should note, while polishing paint of any type with a Meguiar's pure polish is beneficial to the paint, on light colors like white, you typically won't see a dramatic difference. This is because light colors don't offer depth and reflectivity like dark colors.

Mike

[fpalattao]

Thanks for the posting Mike, I'm leaning towards now the DC Step 2 polish, however, given that my paint is in good condition do I still need to polish it, since there is'nt any dramatic change. What exact change will I notice anyways using a polish on white colored vehicle.

Thanks Mike

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by fpalattao
Thanks for the posting Mike, I'm leaning towards now the DC Step 2 polish, however, given that my paint is in good condition do I still need to polish it, since there isn't any dramatic change. What exact change will I notice anyways using a polish on white colored vehicle.

Thanks Mike

If your car's finish is new, or in excellent condition, then you can skip the polishing step as the integrity of the paint is high. Meguiar's always says that polishing is an optional step, that is best for medium, dark and black finishes because these are the colors you're going to see the difference in.

Polishing paint with a Meguiar's pure polish is good for non-visual reason too however. Here's an article I wrote on the subject,

Why Meguiar's recommends polishing paint

Also, just the act of rubbing an applicator pad over the finish with a smooth, creamy product has a "polishing-effect" which acts to create gloss by keeping your finish smooth.

If your car is new, and your car's finish is in excellent condition, then it's highly likely you will not see any visual difference in before & after when applying a polish, but the process is still beneficial to the paint.

It's an optional step for you to decide. Many of Meguiar's waxes are also rich in Meguiar's trade secret polishing oils, such as our Gold Class Wax, and our Medallion Premium Paint Protection, these products are what Meguiar's calls Polish/Waxes, in that they add depth and reflectivity while also adding protection.

So again, if you skip using a dedicated pure polish and only use a Meguiar's wax, you will still reap the benefits provided by a polish.

Hope this helps...

Mike