detailed my car by hand- need quick advice

[cubbies21]

detailed my car on a saturday and sunday and took my time.
after a gold coast wash and QD/Clay scratch x was not attacking many of the scratches. i called the hotline and was recommended to M80 Professional.

M80 seemed to be doing the trick after about 4-5 coats and many of the scratches are gone. BUT today in the sun i noticed the car nearly completely covered in pad-buff marks!

today was really the first time i looked at the car in the sun and noticed the buff marks

i completed all the polishing/waxing steped with MF pads.

is there a quick fix bec i dont know when i will have 2 days to complete the whole detailing process

thanks guys

[Mike Phillips]

Re: detailed my car by hand- need quick advice

Okay,

Looked up your other posts...

http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?p=218776

Looks like you're working on a 2007 clear coated Monte Carlo that was swirled out at a dealership?

http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=218115

Now you've tried to remove the swirls first with ScratchX and now M80?

And now the finish in the sun looks horrible.

Is this correct?

Did you put any wax on the paint after the M80 step?

[Mister B]

Re: detailed my car by hand- need quick advice

It's possible that you may need to change the type of applicator pads that you use. I would get a few of the Meguiars High Tech Applicator (foam) pads and try either the scratch X or the M80 again. This time working in a small square area and see if you can remove the marks from that small area first. It may be that the Microfiber pads that you applied the products with are what created the buff marks you refer to.

It's worth a try.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: detailed my car by hand- need quick advice

M80 seemed to be doing the trick after about 4-5 coats and many of the scratches are gone. BUT today in the sun i noticed the car nearly completely covered in pad-buff marks!

IF you look at the picture on the label of the M80 bottle it shows Mike Pennington using a rotary buffer.

This is a "Visual Indicator" of the "best use" of the product. It can be used by hand successfully but it's going to require some really good skill and expert technique to rub out a clear coated car to remove rotary buffer swirls and leave a nice finish ready for waxing.

Like Mister B stated, you're going to also need to use a clean, soft applicator pad.

By hand it may not finish out like ScratchX so you might have to go over all the paint after using M80 with a less aggressive product to get the paint where you want it to be before wax.

This could be,

ScratchX
Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner
ColorX

You're also going to have to work only small sections at a time, about a foot squared, and for each section use perfect technique.

Clear coat paints are hard to work on and get great results by hand when ti comes to removing swirls by hand, it requires skill, perspiration, patience and passion.

To be honest... I don't know if I could do what you're trying to do using M80 Speed Glaze by hand and get it perfect.

M105 followed by ScratchX followed by wax, maybe.

Also remember... before going over the entire car with a product and process, (process is how you apply the product), make sure your product and process will make one small area look good.

We call this doing a Test Spot and it was mentioned to you in your first post to this forum.

Test Spot
Test Spot
Test Spot!

Always do a Test Spot, it will keep you from possibly wasting your time.

[cubbies21]

Re: detailed my car by hand- need quick advice

yes the swirls were there, and now they are worse
i waxed the car with tech wax 2.0 w/ the foam ap pad.

[cubbies21]

Re: detailed my car by hand- need quick advice

ok. do i have to worry about increasing swirls and taking off too much paint with M105, being it is so strong and abrasive.

Also, being i am a beginner to detailing, do i have to worry that my technique will effect the paint in a negative way?

what is the best to follow the m105

[Evan.J]

Re: detailed my car by hand- need quick advice

To me it seems like you may not wat to go right to the M105. This is really agressive. As a rule of thumb you always want to so from least agressive and then on up. So since you have tried ScratchX and M80 well next would be M82 then M83 if needed. Since you are working by hand you really need to put lots of passion behind your pad and really work the pad to the paint. But, I wouldnt think about going right to the M105 if I were you.

[tguil]

Re: detailed my car by hand- need quick advice

I owned black cars or trucks for over thirty years. I was never really successful in removing swirls and marring until I invested in a Porter Cable Dual Action Polisher. If you are serious about keeping your black Monte Carlo "lookin' good". I suggest that you buy one and then review some of the posts that give suggestions for its use.

Over the years I found that the following procedure with a pc is about as good as it gets on black: Megs #83 if needed, Meg's #80 and then a couple of applications of NXT.

Tom

[3Fitty]

Re: detailed my car by hand- need quick advice

If I might be so bold as to make a couple of recommendations...

1. Consider having a pro look at it (maybe you can find someone here); or

2. Get a DA polisher, to work with M80. My thinking is that if it is pretty bad, you're going to take your arm off working by hand. Passion over an entire car is a LOT more passion than I'd be willing to invest in.

3. Before undertaking step #2, invest in some instructional videos regarding using the DA polisher.

My main concern with #80 is and I'm not sure I know the answer (for certain) is whether or not I can CREATE problems in using it improperly? When I say improperly, I'm not talking about using a sledge hammer with it, but suppose I'm using my G110, with and 8006 pad, trying to keep the surface down and working the product into the paint (not letting it dry). Do you run the risk of putting in "new" scratches or swirls.

So, when I say "improper", I say it really meaning "not as good as one of the pros would do".

[Mike Phillips]

Re: detailed my car by hand- need quick advice

Sounds like you should stick with either ScratchX or Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner.

After washing and drying the car, ONLY apply and work a small section with your paint cleaner, about a foot squared. Thoroughly work the product over the paint but don't work it like a Gorilla and apply so much pressure that 'you' put scratches in.

After you work this one small section wipe the product off and inspect as compared to the area around the paint.

If you cannot make one small are look good with a paint cleaner you're not going to be able to make the entire car look good so it's time to stop.

It could be your car's finish is in dire need of a Professionals help, or at least someone to show you how to work on your car's paint by hand.

Removing swirls and scratches out of clear coat paints by hand is difficult even if you're good at it, if you're not good at it or just learning then it can even be more difficult.

You need to practice to one small area until you can perfect your technique so that you're getting great results to one small area before you try to tackle the entire car.

ScratchX and Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner both work great but the user needs to use them correctly.

[tguil]

Re: detailed my car by hand- need quick advice

Unless you want to develop OCDD (obsessive compulsive detailing disorder), you may want to consider a very carefull application of ColorX using a foam pad. I have used ColorX very successfully on my daughter's sort of neglected silver Tacoma -- both by hand and with a pc. ColorX is a one step cleaner/wax that does have some abrasives. I'm quite sure that it also has fillers. It is easy to apply and remove by hand. If you do not already have OCDD you may be very happy with the results you get by using ColorX every six weeks or so.

Tom

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: detailed my car by hand- need quick advice

By hand I would go for numerous passes with the scratch x. Remember put alot of passion behind the pad. (elbow Grease). Your monte should be rocking. Good luck.