Paint Cleaners & Polishes

[scott_04]

I own a 04 Mustang that I bought 7 months ago and the paint has slight swirl marks over the entire car that are only visible in the sun. My first question is which product would be the most effective at removing the swirl marks by hand? Since the swirl marks are only minor would a product like Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner be a good choice to start with since it is the least abrasive. My second question is what would be a good polish to apply before my LSP #81 Hand Polish or Deep Crystal Polish? I'm wanting the best show car shine possible.

Thanks

[Mike Phillips]

Hi Scott,

I'm setting up for our detailing class today here at Meguiar's Garage so I can't get to involved with answering questions on the form but here's the answers in a nutshell version for your questions.

ScratchX by hand over the entire finish. Work it in well, panel by panel. Follow this with either the M81 Hand Polish, or the Deep Crystal Polish, both work exceptionally well. If you were to apply them side by side on the same paint panel, I don't know than a majority of people could see a difference.

Here's a how-to for using ScratchX by hand,
How to remove a defect by hand with ScratchX


Have a good day!

[gb387]

As for the two polishes I prefer the #81 over the DC#2... Both work very well, DC#2 is easy to find and sold at a great price.

#81 is harder to find but I feel it gives me slightly deeper looking paint on my black truck over DC#2 and the #81 seems easier to remove.

Good luck!

[scott_04]

Scratch X Q.

I've read in several threads that say Scratch X is a good product for isolated scratches\swirls, but not something that one would really want to use over the entire vehicle. Can anyone explaine to me why this is? Is the product difficult to apply or remove?

[scrub]

Not difficult to remove. There is a bit of elbow grease required for ScratchX. In addition to the elbow grease the size of the area to be worked really has to be 6 in by 6 in to get the best results with scratchX. Add both of those factors and your on for a long day.

[scott_04]

#9 Swirl Remover

What about #9 Swirl Remover, is it a good choice to use by hand over the entire car instead of Scratch X or Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner? How difficult is it to apply/remove and is it easier to work in than Scratch X? Finally, is it more abrasive than Scratch X or Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner? I'm wanting to start off with the least abrasive product.