G100A results

[John_Wayne777]

In a previous post lost in the crash, I documented my first attempt at using a G100A, #83 and NXT on a 2001 Dodge Intrepid RT with Inferno Red paint.

Before I started, the paint looked like this:





After using the G100A with a Soft Buff pad and some #83, (and a few hours polishing, I managed to get this:





A pretty significant improvement, though there are still some swirlies evident in direct sunlight. This is only obvious if you look really closely, as these pics show:







All in all not bad for a severely neglected and abused finish and no experience using a polisher. I had problems, but they mainly flowed from not knowing how to properly clean the soft buff pads, not having enough ultimate bonnets on hand, and doing all of this in the bright sun with a hot finish.

[gb387]

wow! That is a BIG improvement... Really gave it a deep wet looking red! Nothing beats a PC and the right products!

[scrub]

Big improvement. Looks great. Awesome first attempt.

How long did you work in the #83 DACP??

[John_Wayne777]

This past weekend brought cool temperatures and an overcast sky, meaning it was ideal polishing/waxing weather. So I whipped out the G100A, the #83 and the NXT and went to work on my daily driver, a 1997 Dodge Intrepid with a White finish.

The car was as badly swirled as the 2001 RT, only deeper, as the car has an extra 60,000 miles on it, and had a severely abused and neglected finish when I bought it used. There are deep scratches in the finish that only a skilled hand with a rotary buffer could get out, and even then it might take more than that.

Still, the finish comes out looking pretty good after some #83, a few hours of polishing time and a coat of NXT:











The pics are a bit subdued, as they were taken on the same overcast day that the polishing/waxing was done on. The finish looks better in brighter light, though direct sun reflection does show swirlies and scratches left over.

Still, the G100A made the car look better and enhanced the reflectiveness and depth of the finish, which isn't terribly easy on a white finish. This car is 7 years old and has over 80,000 miles on it. The paint won't look perfect without the attention of a darn good paint pro. But for a noob with no experience and a finish that bears over 80,000 miles of battle scars, the results aint half bad.

A wierd thing about the 97 Intrepid is that the trim originally had a shiny black finish to it that was very reflective. Over time this finish dulled and now looks awful. Then I discovered Meguiar's Trim Detailer:



That stuff is like magic in a bottle. It makes the trim look just like it did when it left the factory. It lasts pretty well, but you do need to apply it regularly to keep the trim looking its best.

All in all I am happy with my purchase of the G100A and the results I have gotten from it. The result is better than I thought it would be, and it does a much better job of removing paint imperfections.

Applying and removing wax takes a lot less time, which means you can wax more often. It also uses a lot less product, meaning more bang for your buck.

From now on all my vehicles will get the full Meguiars treatment from the G100A regularly. If you care about your car's looks, you should buy the G100A and use it OFTEN. It will help protect your vehicle and keep it looking new longer, which can literally add THOUSANDS to your car's value at trade in time, or keep it looking so good you just drive it longer.

The G100A is a good investment. My only regret is that I didn't buy it sooner...

[John_Wayne777]

Originally posted by scrub
Big improvement. Looks great. Awesome first attempt.

How long did you work in the #83 DACP??

On the 2001 I spent about 7 hours from washing to claying, (i didn't need to do much claying beyond the front grille and hood), polishing and waxing.

It took so long because the finish was hot, and the #83 dried almost on contact. This produced white dust that covered the whole vehicle. It took forever because I had to keep wiping the car down and trying to get the #83 to work in. I would say that a full 5 hours were spent on polishing alone. I worked most every area more than once.

Had I been doing this in the shade or on an overcast day, I feel confident I could have had much better results yet.

The 1997 Intrepid went much smoother, as the finish was cool, and I worked in smaller sections at a time. The whole job only took about 4 hours from washing to wax removal, but I had been keeping a good coat of Gold Class wax on this finish for quite some time.

Still, though I had some frustrations on attempt number 1, it is darn hard to argue with results like these:







The G100A and #83 aren't magic, but they will make your finish look as good as it can without the loving attention of a REAL paint pro. I would love to put this car in someone like Mike's hands and give him carte blanche. I have a feeling he could improve the finish a great deal more with the tools and techniques at his disposal....

[scrub]

I'm trying to figure out how long to work in #83 in a 2'x3' section. Some people say 30-45 seconds or until the finish shines. Some say 3-5 per panel/spot to really break down product. Which method did you employ?

[Antonio Wright]

Originally posted by scrub
I'm trying to figure out how long to work in #83 in a 2'x3' section. Some people say 30-45 seconds or until the finish shines. Some say 3-5 per panel/spot to really break down product. Which method did you employ?

I really don't see 30-45 seconds doing the job UNLESS you are using a rotary. On my brothers Jetta I did each panel for like 2-3 mins.

[scrub]

Any hazing problems (micromarring)??

[John_Wayne777]

Originally posted by scrub
I'm trying to figure out how long to work in #83 in a 2'x3' section. Some people say 30-45 seconds or until the finish shines. Some say 3-5 per panel/spot to really break down product. Which method did you employ?

More is better than less. My adivce is that you work it until the #83 is almost dry, and then re-apply and work it again until that point. Then use a microfiber towel to remove the residue and look at the paint real good. If you are satisfied, then move on. If not, work more #83 into the paint. This is essentially what I did. I worked #83 into the paint in relatively small sections until it didn't appear to be removing any more swirl marks.

From my somewhat limited experience, it seems impossible for anyone to give you an exact time without closely inspecting your finish. So my advice is to pick a section that is easy to see, and work in #83 until you are happy with the result.

#83 is not very abrasive, but with the Soft Buff pads it does do a good job of removing most swirls. You can work #83 all you want, as it won't strip the clearcoat or cut too deeply. When it has cleaned up all the scratches it can clean up, then it will just act more like a polish, and you can safely polish paint all day with the G100A.

[John_Wayne777]

Originally posted by scrub
Any hazing problems (micromarring)??

The 2001 Inferno Red Intrepid did have a real hazy look to the finish. (as you can imagine from the before photo)

After using the G100A and the #83, however, all that went away. The finish got darker and clearer than it had ever been. The #83 has such a fine abrasive that you can't even feel it when you touch the product. You don't have to worry about #83 and the G100A damaging the finish, as they are just not agressive enough to do any damage.

Now if you put on a wool cutting pad and used some of the heavy cut polishes, you might have a problem.

But #83 on a W9006 pad and the G100A won't damage your paint. I used that combo in the worst kind of wrong way, and the paint STILL came out looking good, so you should have nothing to fear...

[scrub]

John_Wayne777
Antonio Wright

Thanks for the info!!