At a loss!

[united]

Re: At a loss!

Urgent*!*!*!

My burgundy pads have parted at the velcro, i was so close to finishing have the roof left. I could cry.

CAN I USE THE YELLOW POLISH PAD TO FINISH THE JOB?!

[GLOCKer]

Re: At a loss!

Urgent*!*!*!

My burgundy pads have parted at the velcro, i was so close to finishing have the roof left. I could cry.

CAN I USE THE YELLOW POLISH PAD TO FINISH THE JOB?!

I experienced this same issue with some of my DA Power System pads and was extremely disappointed. I am pretty sure to experience the right amount of "cut" with the compound, you'll want to go grab yourself another pad. If you could possibly step down to the yellow pad and compound, but I'd save that for the polishing step.

I can personally attest to the hard work it takes to compound, polish, and wax a car with the DA Power System! I've been using it for the compounding and polishing steps, and then I would apply wax with a buffer and wipe it off by hand. I just recently picked up a cheap conventional DA and I'm really looking forward to trying it out on my car!

[united]

Re: At a loss!

It's been hell! Although i was very happy to see significant reduction in swirl marks when i put the car out in the sun. I'm not aiming for the highest standards to be honest, i just dont want cobwebs all over my car ruining post wash satisfaction.

I'm new to detailing, DA system is great for a home DYI job but yes, it appears to be very difficult to use it for significant defect work. It also becomes quiet uncomfortablr, not sure how actual buffers compare to a drill but i am sore! Being an office worker
With minimal labour work doesnt help granted.

I was going to wax and skip the polishing part, spoke with Meguiars on the phone and even the guy said so. Id like to but ive had enough for the time being 😆

Anyways extremely dissapointed in the pads durability! Theyre not cheap here in Australia, i think i will ask for a refund as i havent exactly used the product in an unitended use, it should last at least couple cars! I did a home fix job of combining velcro tape and super glue to get it to stick to the DA System, just hopefully long enough to finish the roof and couple of touch ups

[Blueline]

Re: At a loss!

It's been hell!
Anyways extremely dissapointed in the pads durability! Theyre not cheap here in Australia, i think i will ask for a refund as i havent exactly used the product in an unitended use, it should last at least couple cars! I did a home fix job of combining velcro tape and super glue to get it to stick to the DA System, just hopefully long enough to finish the roof and couple of touch ups

It is a good little tool for spot correction. I wouldn't (couldn't) do a whole car, as a drill is just not user friendly for polishing. And yes, those pads are not very durable and ridiculously expensive for a little piece of foam and Velcro.

[GLOCKer]

Re: At a loss!

It's been hell! Although i was very happy to see significant reduction in swirl marks when i put the car out in the sun. I'm not aiming for the highest standards to be honest, i just dont want cobwebs all over my car ruining post wash satisfaction.

I'm new to detailing, DA system is great for a home DYI job but yes, it appears to be very difficult to use it for significant defect work. It also becomes quiet uncomfortablr, not sure how actual buffers compare to a drill but i am sore! Being an office worker
With minimal labour work doesnt help granted.

I was going to wax and skip the polishing part, spoke with Meguiars on the phone and even the guy said so. Id like to but ive had enough for the time being ��

Anyways extremely dissapointed in the pads durability! Theyre not cheap here in Australia, i think i will ask for a refund as i havent exactly used the product in an unitended use, it should last at least couple cars! I did a home fix job of combining velcro tape and super glue to get it to stick to the DA System, just hopefully long enough to finish the roof and couple of touch ups

Yes it is hell! And it is not very ergonomic! LOL But I've been able to get good results on my car with it!!!!















All of those photos show the results of using that DA Power System on my car! It makes me excited to know if that thing on the drill will give me those results, then I should get even better results with a true DA!
In my opinion, I think your going to get a deeper, shinier result if you compound, polish, and then wax. The compound will actually dull the surface ever so slightly, and the polishing takes that back out. The wax is more of a protectant layer, while lending some depth to the shine.

So, maybe consider polishing too? Or hook it up with a wax with polishing oils in it like Meguiar's Black Wax.

Good luck and keep us updated!

Oh yeah! I have to say, I spent a week in Sydney this past April and I absolutely fell in love with Australia!

[Top Gear]

Re: At a loss!

I've been there, done that, bought the t-shirt. Foam pads might be fine for softer paint and/or insignificant minor defects, but for what sounds like the case with your car, I can only repeat what I said before:

...As for products, Ultimate Compound on a foam pad with a drill DA is a great way to get some exercise, maybe work out some frustrations, but chances are the combo is not cutting very much, if at all. You'll go through the multi-step process and wind up with a great polish and wax, for sure, but the underlying surface has yet to be scratched, so to speak. You can get a more aggressive pad (say a Meg's microfiber cutting pad), get a more aggressive liquid (say M100, M101 or M105), get a higher-powered DA machine (like the Porter Cable), use light wet-sanding instead of compounding per se, or use all of the above for really tough situations - as I have...

[united]

Re: At a loss!

Yes it is hell! And it is not very ergonomic! LOL But I've been able to get good results on my car with it!!!!















All of those photos show the results of using that DA Power System on my car! It makes me excited to know if that thing on the drill will give me those results, then I should get even better results with a true DA!
In my opinion, I think your going to get a deeper, shinier result if you compound, polish, and then wax. The compound will actually dull the surface ever so slightly, and the polishing takes that back out. The wax is more of a protectant layer, while lending some depth to the shine.

So, maybe consider polishing too? Or hook it up with a wax with polishing oils in it like Meguiar's Black Wax.

Good luck and keep us updated!

Oh yeah! I have to say, I spent a week in Sydney this past April and I absolutely fell in love with Australia!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. The car looks great! It's a great car too

I think given the effort i've gone through, i deserve the best finish and thus i must go with the polishing step too! So i guess, i will dedicate another day to that too, but knowing dame well to expect the pads to go again! Or is polishing less physical and ease up on the pressure required? Great to hear you enjoyed Australia, ive actually never been to Sydney and i've lived her 21 years! I aim to take a small trip this year tho

I've been there, done that, bought the t-shirt. Foam pads might be fine for softer paint and/or insignificant minor defects, but for what sounds like the case with your car, I can only repeat what I said before:

I guess it makes sense Top Gear, what did most the damage is when buffing out narrow edges, the pad just grips and flings creating uneven torsion or something and yanks it off the velcro. Very dissapointed mind you! Shouldve lasted at least one vehicle

Having said all this, the process has been 1 step forward 2 steps back. HOWEVER. As i mentioned my main aim has been achieved, i've removed about 90% of swirl marks. The black paint looked really nice in the sun. I am proud of myself.

I did have a horror moment today though. I got a smidge of super glue on the car

My quik research indicates it is indeed very hard to remove, without requiring paint restoration? If anyone has some advice feel free.....

I'll post up a pic when polish and wax steps are done

[united]

Re: At a loss!

Quick update!

Major relief to find the 'glue' was more of the resin from the velcro i applied rather than the super glue itself. Bit of citrus based solvent removed it promptly, relief is an understatement at the moment!

[GLOCKer]

Re: At a loss!

I'd say the polishing is slightly less physical. I would say it's like this: Compound is kind of like the rough sandpaper, and then the polish is the slightly less rough sandpaper, and then you finish it with the really smooth sandpaper - the wax.

I wish I could move to Sydney! But I'd love to go back and check out Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane, etc.

[united]

Re: At a loss!

Righty-o.

So would the polishing and waxing steps be the same procedure i follow using the DA system and pads? As in, do 4 passes horiztonal and 4 vertical, followed by buffing it with a MF towel and move on? Anything in particular i should know about those two 'phases' in the detailing procedure as opposed to the one i've just completed?

I have some yellow pads on the way, god forbid they also brake down, so i just need to quickly get my head around the next few steps to complete the job. For example, is it recommended i was the car in between each phase etc etc

I'm from Melbourne, and it's said that it's more of a European feel to the city. But we have awesome beaches too! Never been to Perth, Brisbane is pretty laid back, you might want to see Cairns while youre up there and the Gold Coast.

[GLOCKer]

Re: At a loss!

After each section of the car, just wipe it clean with a microfiber and then move on to the next section. You don't wash the car between compound, polish, and wax. Just switch your pads and go!

I was surprised how American Sydney felt with a touch of European influence but it was much cleaner than any American city I've been to. I have heard that Melbourne is more of a European feeling city before.

I was surprised how European Moscow and St. Petersburg Russia felt!

What kind of car do you by the way?

[united]

Re: At a loss!



This is my beauty

Sorry for the long delayed reply. I am happy with my efforts and i did indeed remove majority of swirl marks yippeee!!! Not the best detailing job by a long shot, but hey, i achieved my main goal 90%

My next detail will only be better!

NOW; onto some important and concerning matters. Maintenance and cleaning of black cars.........I have a bad feeling that if i am not careful with how i clean and maintain it, it will be swirl city all over again. It seems to be rather sensitive the paint. Just by wiping the car in the sun with a microfibre towel i swear i could see induced swirl marks again.......

I am aware of the two bucket method for cleaning the car, i have a Meguiars wool wash hand mitt. Now, what is the safest way of drying the car? I am reading leaf blowers and blot drying with an approved material......I also gather you really need to take care in removing all fine and loose dirt to avoid it being trapped in the mitt, therefore the mitt also would require inspection prior to every application! All this has me concerned with how long it will take to safely wash the car, and avoid water spotting too! You need to be rather quick when washing a car no?

I am curious to try the 'flood' method of rinsing too, will be interesting to see how much of a difference i can make to the drying of the car. Anyways, some tips and tricks to washing/drying black cars safely much appreciated!!

[Eldorado2k]

Re: At a loss!

That's great news to hear that you were able to achieve positive results!

As far as maintenance, it sounds like you're on the right track so far. A couple suggestions: As far as the wash mitt, you can go with the bucket method & grit guards or even choose to quickly spray your mitt clean with the hose nozzle after washing a section of your car with it. [I personally use the nozzle method]

As far as safe washing practice, I like to start by gently going across a panel of the car with 1 side of the mitt, making sure to lather it up with suds, then flipping the mitt over to the other side and going over the same panel, this time being able to really "wash" the panel fully clean, knowing that most of the superficial dirt has already been removed + the paint is well lubricated by now.

Always wash in the shade and not in direct hot sunlight and you shouldn't have a problem with water spots or having to rush the process.

Clean your wheels & tires before you begin washing the paint. This will help avoid water spots on the paint as well because you wont have water sitting on the paint while you're washing the wheels..

As far as drying: Yes, the sheeting method is good practice. You can get a couple of Meguiars Water Magnet waffle weave drying towels. Or you could choose to go with other high quality drying towels that are available such as the "Dry me crazy" towel. I've never used it, but it gets high marks from lots of people who like to take precaution when drying their vehicle.

You could also choose to spray a bit of Megs Ultimate Quik Detailer after the sheeting rinse/just before using the drying towel as a way to provide extra lubricity while you dry.

Above all it's important to maintain a "waxed" finish on your vehicle as it not only protects it, but also makes washing it much easier and minimizes the chance of you scratching it during wash/drying sessions. Apply a coat of Meguiars Ultimate Wax every 2-3 months, or every 6-8 bucket washes if you prefer to be safe rather than sorry. It's your car, you care about it, so why not maintain it the best you can

Good luck!

[The Guz]

Re: At a loss!

^^ I would opt for ultimate quik wax or D156 as a drying aid versus ultimate quik detailer. UQW will add more protection and keep UW boosted longer. I would save the UQD for light dust say for example the day after the car was washed.

Watch this video on the proper way to wash your car.

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?41790-Meguiar-s-Quik-Tips-Video-Series-Washing

[GLOCKer]

Re: At a loss!

Great looking Ford!!! I am so disappointed that the Falcon is dead in Australia.

As for drying; I use an electric leaf blower and then use a microfiber towel to hit all of the door jambs, trunk jamb, and wipe down under the hood (I maintain my engine bay as factory fresh!). With the electric leaf blower, I pay special attention to the areas where water will collect like around the door seams and my rear quarter window. I try to blow all of the water out of the nooks and crannies because afterwards, it will drip out of those areas and down the exterior panels of the car. I will use a microfiber only on those minor drips after the car is dried. As a rule, I wont touch it again with anything unless it's to wash it. Don't try to knock the dust or dirt off or you'll introduce scratches to the paint again.

More pics of your car please!