Seeking advise for a noob.

[Izhar]

Heya guys,

Some updates for today.

I went out to the nearest automotive store and found out that they had a sale or all Meg's products. Yay to me!!

Bought clay bar, ultimate compound, ultimate wash and wax and most importantly, All Wheel and tire cleaner.
I was ready to go to WAR with the rims. However, something inside told me to give the wheel and tire cleaner a try first before even going to claying and UC. Also because i had to go and pick up my kid from school in 1.5 hours, lol..

So i listened to the little voice in my head and:-

Sprayed down to clear loose particles off the wheel.



Rims super dirty. My confidence was not very high.
Ok, no problem, lets wash it with Ultimate Wash and Wax and agitate with a tyre and rim brush.



Heart sank even further. OH S**T... does not look good. Never mind, persevere. believe in the product.... i told myself. It was not looking good.
Get the Hot Rims All Wheel and Tire Cleaner out and read the instructions and SPRAY already!!
First Pass - with finger agitation and brush... going into every crevice.



Hot D**N.. this product is DA BOMB... it freaking works.. yes yes yes...
take a break, catch your breath.

Ok break over...
Second pass...



OHH YES!!!! its cleaner than i thought it could be.. i was ready to clay and even to sand down but the Wheel and Tire cleaner saved me...!!
Left it as it is for a while as i worked on the other wheel and then sprayed the Brake Dust Barrier.




Now... I'm a very happy customer and i am glad to know that i did it myself with the help of Meg's products.

I do have some queries though.

1) I am still not very happy with my work and would like to clean the rims further. Any suggestions on what i could look at? Claying and Ultimate compound?
2) Should i want to use the Wheel and Tire Spray again, do i need to remove the brake dust barrier? If yes, can i do it by Claying?
3) Now that i have gotten the rims somewhat clean\ i would like to look at other parts of the car as well. I am quite busy and can only spare pockets of time with the car. I was wondering if i could work on a part of the car a different day of the week to carry out the 5 step paint restoration?
Do i need to wash the car every single time i want to work on a different part? Also should i have already down a some parts, i'll just have to maintain every time i was the car and work on another area?
4) When do i need to use sealant?

Appreciate all the advise provided which has shown me that there is a light at the end of the tunnel for me.

[Murr1525]

1. Claying and UC would be fine. Just start off gently, and apply with more effort if you feel comfortable.

2. Well.. probably shouldnt have applied the BDB if not finished working on them... just kind of sealing in the dirt. I think I saw something about a 50/50 alcohol/water mixture for removing the BDB. Clay probably would not... I guess UC would, but not sure.

Once you get them cleaned well, and the BDB applied when you are happy with them, you really should only need the regular soap and water. If that isnt quite enough, you could still use the Wheel and Tire cleaner, just would start removing the BDB faster.

3. Yeah, a panel or so a day is perfectly fine. You do want to be working on a clean panel, so either would want to wash the car, or just that panel.

4. You would want to use a wax or sealant at the end, when you are happy with how the panel looks.

[h_bomm]

Glad the Hot Rims All Wheel Cleaner did the trick for you! It really is an amazing product. I was always skeptical of wheel and tire cleaners but not any more. I also think it helps with the appearance and longevity of any tire dressing you apply as well.

[Izhar]

hi Murr1525,

I know what you mean with sealing of the dirt in. i was kind of worried that i would be adding more dust/contaminants in if i do not seal it.
Will keep it in mind next time and i hope to be able to work on the wheels a bit longer this time round with the claybar and UC.

thanks for your advise on the rest of the questions however i am still puzzled (sorry, noob...) on the Wax or sealant.

When should i use wax and in what situations do i use sealant?
Is it overkill if i use both? Should that be possible, which do i apply on first?

Also if i have worked on the surfaces but its not complete and i need to go back to it the next day, do i wax or just leave the surface unprotected after ultimate compound?
Could i ask for your advise on what i should do?

Also i am currently in touch with the distributor here in SG and am looking at using the professional hand pads instead of the G220V2.

Firstly due to me not being able to get a wall plug somewhere near my car at where i will be parking it. Well there are actually, just that it would be illegal to use.
Secondly, its a cost that i would not want to incur now.

Would you or any other members in the forum have any opinion on the unigrit hand pads? 3" or 6"

h_bomm,
i am certainly glad that it did the trick but im gonna have to get rid of it before i re do the whole surface.. :boohoo:

[Murr1525]

When should i use wax and in what situations do i use sealant?
Is it overkill if i use both? Should that be possible, which do i apply on first?

It can be a little fuzzy... there is no set way of naming things, so a company or person can call stuff whatever.

In general, a wax may be carnuba based, and a sealant entirely synthetic.

A synthetic product can be more durable. If you were to use one of each, most people would apply the synthetic product first.

Other than that, you cna just use what product you like.

Also if i have worked on the surfaces but its not complete and i need to go back to it the next day, do i wax or just leave the surface unprotected after ultimate compound?
Could i ask for your advise on what i should do?

Just for one day, I would leave it alone. Just clean the panel off the next day and keep working. Then wax, etc when finished.

Would you or any other members in the forum have any opinion on the unigrit hand pads? 3" or 6"

Havent used those.

[Izhar]

Many thanks Murr1525, will keep your words in mind. I should be working on my car during Friday to Sunday.