Detailing not working with MG products ?

[My2Cents]

I just got my car back today from a local company which use nothing but Meguiar products. My car had gotten some bad scrapes from a previous wash and since I do not currently have either a DA or rotary at hand I had to send it away for detailing.

Here is the result after their work, driver door.



They had been using Ultra Cut 105 but I cannot see any difference from previous to when I turned the car in.

Note that when I drag a nail over the scrapes they do not stop the nail, which should indicate that they are not very deep. It is also not visually possible to see them when looking straight at the door, only upon close inspection from the side or with a halogen lamp, as shown in the picture.

In my opinion the 105 with correctly applied pressure on the Flex (which is the machines they use) should easily get out these scrapes, yes ?

The car is a VW Touran silver metallic.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Detailing not working with MG products ?

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In my opinion the 105 with correctly applied pressure on the Flex (which is the machines they use) should easily get out these scrapes, yes ?

The car is a VW Touran silver metallic.

Maybe.

Flex Rotary or Flex Forced Orbital?

Those scratches look pretty deep, regardless if your fingernail drops into them or not.

M105 is designed to remove up to #1200 grit sanding marks out of fresh paint using a wool pad on a rotary buffer.

Those scratches could vary in depth and be as deep as a #1200 grit sanding mark? Who knows without some testing.

Factory cured paint is usually a lot harder than fresh paint that was sprayed within days of being sanded and buffed so the sanding marks will buff out a lot easier than the ones in your VW

For a skilled detailer to remove scratches like pictured if the scratches throughout the entire finish would be a minimum of 6-8 hours using a rotary buffer with a wool pad. That's a minimum and that's just carefully removing the swirls in one step and then hopefully also still having time for machine polishing with a second step after the first heavy compounding step.

The paint would still need to be waxed, wiped-off and detailed. So about a 12 hour job minimum.

How long did they work on the paint?
What did they charge for the paint polishing?

[My2Cents]

Re: Detailing not working with MG products ?

Obviously they did not work long enough ! I'd delivered the car at 08.30 and got it back at 15.30, but I reckon they did not spend more than 4-5 hours total using these products (all MG and the time spent includes washing);

Ultra-Cut 105
Quick Detailer 66
Last touch D-155
Gloss cleaner D-120
All season dressing D-160
High Tech Yellow wax

The scratches may look deep, but as I explained they are not deep enough to be felt when going over with a nail....Cost me about 170 bucks....

This company is being used by several dealers in the county, VW included.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Detailing not working with MG products ?

Obviously they did not work long enough !

As explained here, removing scratches means removing paint.



Maybe take it back to them and let them know that your expectations were for all the scratches to be removed and let them take another stab at it. Our products work, so if they know what they're doing they should know what it will take to remove all the scratches.

Me personally, I would do a Test Spot using a wool pad on a rotary buffer using M105 with a wool cutting pad while you were standing there and then see what the results of the test spot were, (check to see if all the scratches are removed to your liking), and how long it took to do that one little spot.

Then factor in the entire car x 1, (that's the first cutting step), then factor in the second and sometimes 3rd polishing steps, then the waxing steps and the finishing steps and give you an estimate for how long it's going to take to do just the paint polishing work.

Interior, wheels and tires, etc. that would all be a separate charge and a separate day unless they can put at least 2 guys working on the car, one guy doing nothing but the paint polishing and the other guy to do the other things.

Removing swirls out of a clear coat finish is definitely a easier and faster now that M105 is on the market but the 'whole' job of going over an entire car doing a multiple-step process with the goal being show car results is going to take all day if you start early.

Most Pros would start with at least $300.00 for just the paint polishing and that would be cheap. A professional with a good reputation would probably be closer to $500.00 to $600.00 for a show car finish on any kind of swirled and scratched finish if the expectations are the scratches are to be removed. Besides paying for it, the other hard part is finding Pros that actually know what they're doing and do professional quality work.

[My2Cents]

Re: Detailing not working with MG products ?

...Me personally, I would do a Test Spot using a wool pad on a rotary buffer using M105 with a wool cutting pad while you were standing there and then see what the results of the test spot were, (check to see if all the scratches are removed to your liking), and how long it took to do that one little spot.

I will do this and appreciate all the input from you. "Fortunately" it is only the side doors that are affected so that should limit some of the time spent total...I can do everything else myself after the first step is through also.

[Mike Pennington]

Re: Detailing not working with MG products ?

Sounds like this is covered pretty well, unfortunately we hear stories like this this too often.

Keep in mind, the technician doing the work has just as much, if not more, influence on the outcome as the products being used.

As odd as this sounds, just because someones uses Meguiar's doesn't automatically make them a great detailer. In addition, just because someone doesn't use Meguiar's doesn't automatically make them a bad detailer...

[RaskyR1]

Re: Detailing not working with MG products ?

Sounds like this is covered pretty well, unfortunately we hear stories like this this too often.

Keep in mind, the technician doing the work has just as much, if not more, influence on the outcome as the products being used.

As odd as this sounds, just because someones uses Meguiar's doesn't automatically make them a great detailer. In addition, just because someone doesn't use Meguiar's doesn't automatically make them a bad detailer...

very true!

[My2Cents]

Re: Detailing not working with MG products ?

Thank you all for your input. The car will be in the shop again next Thursday, and I will personally oversee when they do the 105 with wool until I am happy with the results. I will keep you posted on the results.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Detailing not working with MG products ?

Thank you all for your input. The car will be in the shop again next Thursday, and I will personally oversee when they do the 105 with wool until I am happy with the results. I will keep you posted on the results.

Have them do a test spot, have them work on one small section to show themselves and you if it can be done with the tools, products, pads and their skill and technique.

Basically find a section with the scratches you want removed and then have them buff that section and inspect the results. A successful recipe of pads, products and process needs to be proven in one area first, if it can't be done in one area it isn't going to happen over the entire car.

Not sure which Flex they're using but if it's not a direct drive rotary buffer then it might just be that's the right tool for the job and if so that's just how things are according to the paint hardness and depth of the scratches.

From Machine Photos - DA Polishers - Rotary Buffers - Traditional Orbital Buffers


Flex XC3401 VRG Dual Action Polisher




FLEX L3403 VRG Rotary Buffer

[Megafast13]

Re: Detailing not working with MG products ?

It's not the product's fault, it's the detailer's....

That Meguiar's Product is amazing.

[My2Cents]

Re: Detailing not working with MG products ?

Ok guys, had the car in once again, they went over with blue pads and same polish for a couple of hours and that did the job. Just a shame they didn't do it straight away though. Next time I'll do it myself.

Thanx for all the input !

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Detailing not working with MG products ?

Ok guys, had the car in once again, they went over with blue pads and same polish for a couple of hours and that did the job. Just a shame they didn't do it straight away though. Next time I'll do it myself.

Thanx for all the input !

So it came out good the second time? They were able to remove the below swirls and scratches?

These look pretty serious as in deeper than just light scratches.

[Tom Weed]

Re: Detailing not working with MG products ?

I'm thinking they were in a hurry in and just missed that area, or didnt' work it long enough, but glad you got it fixed to your liking...

[3Fitty]

Re: Detailing not working with MG products ?

Any "after" pictures of the same spot?