How does this sound?

[mitoman212]

Hey was going to detail my car this weekend have some light swirls and want to get them out. how does this sound?
1.wash with dawn
2.clay
3. use color x and scratch docotor on car and any scratches
4.uses the 2 step polish in the meguiars system.
5. glaze with # 7
6. put a coat of zaino z-2
7. z-8
8.z-2
9.z-8
10. let sit then finish it off with a coat of nxt

i really want the swirls gone but dont have a buffer i have the second step of the 3 step system i think i also may need to do the first one to help prep the paint.
thanks for the input in advanced

[Andy M.]

Re: How does this sound?

Hey Mitoman,

Welcome to Meguiars online!

I would skip the dawn wash and use a quality car wash soap like Gold Class or NXT car wash soap.
2) clay
3)since you are working by hand I would use some scratch x and a little passion.
4)the consumer line polish that you already have(step2).
5)2 coats of NXT appplied about 12 hours apart for curing.

I would skip the Zaino. Not that it is a bad product, it is actually a good one. Just very pricey thats all.

Andy
101impala

[Murr1525]

Re: How does this sound?

1. Wash - Use a quality wash like Gold Class, Nxt, etc. There is no reason to use Dawn.

2. Clay - Good. Remember to use plenty of lubricant.

3. Clean - ScratchX the bad spots. Remember it takes a lot of effort and can be 3 or 4 applications per area, so dont rush.

At this point, you have a few options.

4A. Clean the rest of the paint that wasnt ScratchX'd with Deep Crystal #1, so that all of the paint has a cleaner used on it. If you end up ScratchXing the whole car, then you wont need to even worry about DC#1 for this detail.

4B. ColorX is a cleaner/wax. So you could cleaner/wax the entire car to get some polish and wax on it. Esp good if you are in a hurry, but wont make much sense if you plan to use a pure polish after.

5. Pure Polish - If you are going to use a pure polish, you only need #7 or DC#2. And as I said above, you can go right from DC#1/ScratcHX to the pure polish. ColorX would be a bit of a wasted step in between.

6-9. But ok, "find something you like and use it often." Does seem like a lot of money and effort though.

10. Thats more like it, Nxt 2.0 and #21 2.0 are even better, and 2 thin coats is best.

11. Remember to get some UQD for maintenance after future washes.

[mitoman212]

Re: How does this sound?

okay so how bout this by the way all ready own the zaino need to go buy the paint cleaner and scratch x i had said scratch doctor.
1.wash with dawn
2.clay
3. paint cleaner step 1 and scratch X on car and any scratches
4.uses the 2 step polish in the meguiars system.
5. glaze with # 7
6. put a coat of zaino z-2
7. z-8
8.z-2
9.z-8
10. let sit then finish it off with a coat of nxt

murr1525 what is pure polish i think i kno but dont want to make asumtions is the second step in the three step system a "pure Polish"?

[mitoman212]

Re: How does this sound?

by the way i need to use dawn caz i have wax on there rit now and its like only a week old the detail i did did get all the swirls just some of it. ps which would be better to buy and clean the paint with the 1 step or the scratch X would rather buy one thing than two.

[AeroCleanse]

Re: How does this sound?

Dawn is bad for car washing, despite what some may say.

[Tim Lingor]

Re: How does this sound?

okay so how bout this by the way all ready own the zaino need to go buy the paint cleaner and scratch x i had said scratch doctor.
1.wash with dawn
2.clay
3. paint cleaner step 1 and scratch X on car and any scratches
4.uses the 2 step polish in the meguiars system.
5. glaze with # 7
6. put a coat of zaino z-2
7. z-8
8.z-2
9.z-8
10. let sit then finish it off with a coat of nxt

murr1525 what is pure polish i think i kno but dont want to make asumtions is the second step in the three step system a "pure Polish"?

No, I would use the:

1. Wash with a dedicated car soap (Leave Dawn in the kitchen where it belongs)
2. Clay
3. Use ScratchX to remove deep swirls and marring
4. Use ColorX as the base
5. Wipe paint down with Z6
6. 2 coats of Z2 with Z6 between coats
7. Top with Z8

Finally, Meguiar's Step#2 and M07 are both pure polishes and would be a redundant step. But again, since you are using a non- Meguiar's LSP, there may be bonding issues between the pure polish and the Zaino, and therefore, it should not be used.

Tim

[Murr1525]

Re: How does this sound?

While washing a car one time with Dawn wont destroy anything, it also does not to anything positive. With using a good quality car wash, you are not drying out the paint, rubber, and plastic parts. And even though it is only a little at a time, it is still more than I like. The clay and paint cleaner steps will remove the wax as they prep the paint, so nothing to worry about there.

A pure polish is simply a mixture of polishing oils, with no cleaning or protection abilities. DC#2 and #7 are both pure polishes, #7 being the higher end one. So you would only need to use on or the other, not both.

ScratchX is a bit stronger of a cleaner, and would be needed for swirls. As I alluded to above, it also takes time and effort to work in. Deep Crystal #1 is a milder, easier to use cleaner, that works best for just removing dirt, and that kind of buildup. So in the future, when you have no swirls, DC#1 would be the cleaner to use. Or on swirl-free parts of the car now.

[mitoman212]

Re: How does this sound?

Murr1525 i want your opinion on my detail do u think my curent plan is good. also what do you think about glazing the car befor i put the zaino and what about a wax on top of the z-2 z-8 ??i am going to buy scratch x and use that this time to get rid of all the swirls for sure.

[Murr1525]

Re: How does this sound?

I have not used Zaino, so I cant say anything good or bad about them. It comes across to me as a bit pricy and a lot of steps, but lots of other people like it. So if you want to try it, go for it. The best thing might be to do one panel one way and another panel another, and see what looks best to you.

Here are a couple links for using ScratchX, and a search of the forum will bring up many more. The key, if I wasnt clear enoug yet, is to work the product in well in a small area, then wipe off, and check your progress. Slow going, but working by hand ***** when removing swirls. If you only get part done, then stop there and polish/wax those panels, and come back another day. Dont rush and let your results suffer.

I will mention that there have been some good things said about M105 Ultra Compound, or some name like that. (I know the number is right). Mike Pennington I believe it was mentioned it seemd to work a bit faster than ScratchX by hand, but it is a brand new product, so none of us have really gotten to try it by hand.

Here are a few links to be sure you have read them. If you use ScratchX or M105, the same ideas apply.

Meguiar's 5-Step Paint Care Cycle
Step 1 Wash
Step 2 Clean
Step 3 Polish
Step 4 Protect
Step 5 Maintain

Suggested Products for Taking Care of a New Car

What it Means to Remove a Scratch

How To Remove Swirls By Hand

How to remove a defect by hand with ScratchX

1986 Ford Bronco II - Extreme Makeover

Each one, teach one... Ferrari Fiorano 355 F1 Spider

[Tim Lingor]

Re: How does this sound?

Murr1525 i want your opinion on my detail do u think my curent plan is good. also what do you think about glazing the car befor i put the zaino and what about a wax on top of the z-2 z-8 ??i am going to buy scratch x and use that this time to get rid of all the swirls for sure.

Perhaps you should go back and read my reply as I addressed the pure polish bonding issues already. Zaino Z8 is an excellent detail spray that also adds extra gloss and some protection to the finish. Topping it would be redundant.

Tim

[Tim Lingor]

Re: How does this sound?

I have not used Zaino, so I cant say anything good or bad about them. It comes across to me as a bit pricy and a lot of steps, but lots of other people like it. So if you want to try it, go for it. The best thing might be to do one panel one way and another panel another, and see what looks best to you.

Here are a couple links for using ScratchX, and a search of the forum will bring up many more. The key, if I wasnt clear enoug yet, is to work the product in well in a small area, then wipe off, and check your progress. Slow going, but working by hand ***** when removing swirls. If you only get part done, then stop there and polish/wax those panels, and come back another day. Dont rush and let your results suffer.

I will mention that there have been some good things said about M105 Ultra Compound, or some name like that. (I know the number is right). Mike Pennington I believe it was mentioned it seemd to work a bit faster than ScratchX by hand, but it is a brand new product, so none of us have really gotten to try it by hand.

Here are a few links to be sure you have read them. If you use ScratchX or M105, the same ideas apply.

Meguiar's 5-Step Paint Care Cycle
Step 1 Wash
Step 2 Clean
Step 3 Polish
Step 4 Protect
Step 5 Maintain

Suggested Products for Taking Care of a New Car

What it Means to Remove a Scratch

How To Remove Swirls By Hand

How to remove a defect by hand with ScratchX

1986 Ford Bronco II - Extreme Makeover

Each one, teach one... Ferrari Fiorano 355 F1 Spider

Meguiar's M105 Ultra Cut Compound is WAY more aggressive than ScratchX. Having actually used the product personally, it would not be my first choice to use by hand. It takes a long time to break down when used by hand and most people will not work it long enough to enjoy its high gloss finish it leaves behind. With a rotary that is another story. Yes it works extremely well, especially with wool pads.

Tim

[Murr1525]

Re: How does this sound?

Meguiar's M105 Ultra Cut Compound is WAY more aggressive than ScratchX. Having actually used the product personally, it would not be my first choice to use by hand. It takes a long time to break down when used by hand and most people will not work it long enough to enjoy its high gloss finish it leaves behind. With a rotary that is another story. Yes it works extremely well, especially with wool pads.

Tim

Thanks for the info. Granted I will still look forward to trying it out, but I have to find something to use my ScratchX tubes on first.

[Tim Lingor]

Re: How does this sound?

Thanks for the info. Granted I will still look forward to trying it out, but I have to find something to use my ScratchX tubes on first.

By all means...but just so everyone is aware, while M105 works well by hand, it takes a LOT of work to break it down when used in that manner. Hence the reason it tends to work best, IMHO with the rotary.


Tim

[Mike Phillips]

Re: How does this sound?

also what do you think about glazing the car before i put the zaino and what about a wax on top of the z-2 z-8 ??

We're a pretty big fan of the practice, idea and philosophy of a "System Approach", which in this case means staying inside a system or a line of products, the reason why is because the chemist who creates the formulas for a line of product creates the products to have a synergistic compatibility. Mixing products across different brands could effect your final results, in simple terms, if you're going to use Zaino, then use the complete Zaino system, if you're going to use Meguiar's then use the Meguiar's system.

Of course the problem you can run into with all these web based wax companies is they don't always offer all the tools, (read as products), that you might need to do all the procedures you need to do. We're a polish manufacture and have been catering to the refinishing industry, bot OEM and Collision since cars have been around, thus we do offer a lot of products especially on the paint correction side, i.e. product that can remove defects.

Zaino makes a swirl and scratch remover, so you do have the option to remove the swirls in your car's paint and stay inside the Zaino system.

As for "cleaning" the paint, instead of using a detergent dish washing soap re always recommend using a paint cleaner like the Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner, it will clean the surface to fresh base and leave the paint looking good. Detergent soaps may clean the surface but tend to make paint look dull with repeated use. The big point being we don't teach people how to dull paint as a part of our processes.

Have you read this?

The words Clean and Cleaning as defined by Meguiar's terminology