scratch x - usages

[grafxworld]

is there a limit to how many times you can use the scratch x product on the same panels?
before ruining the paint job on 1998 GM car ?
plain white paint
still have some small areas that need more work and the car won't shine up to perfection with gold class wax and show shine without getting them out, help please

[Mike Phillips]

In most cases there's nothing to worry about. I've been using ScratchX since it came out on hundreds of different cars and I've never rubbed through a clear coat finish to expose the color coat below.

On another note, if you or anyone has thin paint, then the potential to remove to much can be done with any paint cleaner, whether a Meguiar's product or not. ScratchX is very safe and non-aggressive, next time you have some out, squeeze some into your fingers and rub it back and forth and feel it. You'll get the idea.

[grafxworld]

is this the right process to a shiny car
wash gold class wash
clean with clay and quik detailer after drying of course with microfiber cloths
use scratch x on bad spots
wax with gold class wax
polish with show car shine
is this the way to get the glass finish I'm looking for
so far it's not bad but the car goes hazy in flouro lights on the hood and roof in a few days even if it looks clean and shiny in the sun, until you get close to it

reminder the paint is GM Heron white, live near the beach, but not in the sea air at night, car washed every few days with gold class
I want the shinist car in town without a respray if possible.

[Murr1525]

You would want to ScratchX the toruble areas, but be sure to use a cleaner over the whole car. You can use a milder cleaner like Deep Crystal #1 for the good areas.

And your polish/wax steps are reversed.

Meguiar's 5-Step Paint Care Cycle

Step 1 Wash

Step 2 Clean

Step 3 Polish

Step 4 Protect

Step 5 Maintain

So your routine would resemble this:

1. Wash - Gold Class
2. Clay
3. Clean - ScratchX swirls/scratched spots followed by DC#1 everywhere else (or overlap)
4. Polish - Show Car
5. Wax - Gold Class

And then after future washings, you could apply a Quick Detailer or a Spray Wax to keep that nice fresh waxed look.

[grafxworld]

You use the polish before the wax ? I've always done it the other way around, is that why it's shiny but not blinding?

[Murr1525]

Well, there are reasons one might use a polish last, on a show car for instance, but for an everyday car, you definatley want to use the polish before the wax.

The paint cleaning and polishing steps are what produce most of the looks and shine. The wax, while adding some gloss, also mainly helps seal looks and shine in.

Polish is not durable, and offers no protection, so it will also wear off very quickly if left unprotected.

Here are a couple other reads that may be of interest to you, esp as far as white paint goes:

A Lesson From White Paint

Why Meguiar’s Recommends Polishing Paint

The polishing article gets into a little bit of nonsense from different posters, but Mikes main posts are most important.