new, need some help!

[brettdotcom14]

okay so i just really got into car detailing. i read up alittle bit on it and went out and bought a few things. clay bars, #26 wax. deep crystal polish.

well today i went and washed and clay bared my car(all i had time to do) and ive noticed i have alot of swirl marks. ive read that you use #80 or #83 to get rid of them but does the deep crystal polish get rid of them too?

im also looking for a polisher/buffer. i dont want to spent too much on it and i have no clue what pads to get or anything. any help would be appricated thanks

[TrufflePig]

Re: new, need some help!

WELCOME TO MOL!!!

the DC system is good for very fine and light swirls.

your best bet, in order to kill your curiousity is to do a test spot and see the results for yourself.

sure i can say the DC system is good for very fine and light swirls, but who knows it may be the product for your car. just do a test spot, and you'll see.

square off a 12 x 12 section.

place a piece of painters tape and then tape a towel down. now using the opposite side of that towel(say to the right of it) use the products that you have set out.

then pull your car into the sun and compare the two sides.

The 5-Step Paint Care Cycle.

Meguiar's 5-Step Paint Care Cycle

Step 1 Wash

Step 2 Clean

Step 3 Polish

Step 4 Protect

Step 5 Maintain

How to Remove Swirls by Hand
How To Remove Swirls By Hand

How to remove a defect by hand with ScratchX


M80 is def. much more aggressive then the DC system and M83 is even more aggressive. those two products do a great job and most of the time all you need is M80 and PROPER techinque and you're set to go.

all the best. goodluck.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: new, need some help!

Wow Truffle Pig, you're all over this forum thing!

You're making my job too easy...

[Mike Phillips]

Re: new, need some help!

WELCOME TO MOL!!!

your best bet, in order to kill your curiousity is to do a test spot and see the results for yourself.

Good advice, everyone should do a Test Spot before attempting to do the entire car.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: new, need some help!

I'm also looking for a polisher/buffer. i dont want to spent too much on it and i have no clue what pads to get or anything. any help would be appricated thanks

If you are serious about doing good work and removing swirls using M80 and M83 then you need a Porter Cable Dual Action Polisher and about a half a dozen W-8006 polishing pads to start with.

Lesser machines, power wise, and less costly machine price-wise won't get the job done. Invest in a PC, we call it the G100 and you'll recoup the money you invested in your first couple of details.


Truffle Pig left this one out...

Rotary vs PC vs Regular Orbital Buffer


Also, if you're going to detail cars for money, either part-time or full-time then spend some time reading the articles in this forum.

Got Questions?
Check out the The Information Station




Tons of great knowledge contained in the Information Station

[TrufflePig]

Re: new, need some help!

Wow Truffle Pig, you're all over this forum thing!

You're making my job too easy...

Mike, its winter here. well spring. weather is good but not great yet. couple more weeks.

so its downtime for me.

i also run a family business that runs in the summer so can't really do much now. on top of that, i got two italian parents who watch the Italian station all night with currently one working TV. and i dont feel like watching it all night long.

top that with the fact im write alot (books for kids) so i spend a considerable amount of time on the net reading current events etc...

come summer. you won't see me on here as much.

but thanks for the kind words.

always glad i can help.

[brettdotcom14]

Re: new, need some help!

yeah never thought to do a test spot. ill try that out. thanks for help!

[TrufflePig]

Re: new, need some help!

man i've learned my lesson the hard way.

its lifes best lessons.

always do a test spot because it helps you out SO MUCH.

at first i was always like yeah yeah yeah, test spot, what a waste. then i learned.

now not so much. always do test spot on a new car you're working on for the first time and where you're deciding between products.

[brettdotcom14]

Re: new, need some help!

one more quick question. is it okay to polish/ wax in the sun? cause i want to go out and do it now but theres no shade?

[Mike Phillips]

Re: new, need some help!

one more quick question. is it okay to polish/ wax in the sun? cause i want to go out and do it now but theres no shade?

Depends upon how you define sun.

If the sun is shining directly onto the car and causing the paint to warm up then no, it's usually not a good idea to do this as the warmth from the sun will cause the product to try to dry before you've effectively used them. It can make products harder to work with, make them dry faster and harder and make wipe-off more difficult.

If it's daytime, by this we mean the sun is out but there's a cloud cover so the paint isn't getting warm, it's just in visible light, then 'yes' it's okay to work in the sun.

Best case scenario is always a cool surface in the shade.

[Murr1525]

Re: new, need some help!

Just to add on, in the winter for us northeners, working in the sun can be your friend. In the summer, you cant do it at all, as Mike said, the surface will get too hot.

[brettdotcom14]

Re: new, need some help!

its like 80 degrees and it would be in direct sunlight so i guess ill wait thanks!