Help with '69 Mustang

[msmarcus]

I have been cruising this board for a while and love it. This is a great place for help and motivation. I have some questions regarding my '69 Mustang and it's finish. The car was painted approximately 10 years ago with base coat/clear. The cars paint is in excellent condition as it spends it's life in a garage, enclosed trailer with the only time outside at car shows. I show the car in MCA Concours Trailered. This past Labor Day at the Grand National in Augusta, the car was inside the convention center. This arena had Metal Hydride lighting (very bright, white light, much like flourescent, but more white). Under this light, I noted that the clear coat had many fine scratches or I guess you would call them spider webs. In my garage and in natural light, they were not noticable, but in this venue, it stuck out like a sore thumb. While there, I spoke with the Meguiars rep. and bought the collection with the PC. He mentioned Scratch X with the PC. Can it be used this way or should it be done by hand. The car is rarely waxed using Gold Class, however, I have used the 3 part system in the past and clay bar it once a year. I use throughout the year the show car glaze on it and have been very satisfied with it. I am currently getting this car ready for the 40th Anniversary show in Nashville and need some suggestions on how to make it look stunning. I have purchased NXT and have a lot of the Meguiars lines. If you could give me an outline from beginning to end on what I should use, that would be greatly appreciated. The car is Winter Blue (very light, like Carolina Blue) and the paint is in exceptional condition for it's age. Thanks in advance for the help.

[Mike Phillips]

Hi msmarcus,

Welcome to Meguiar's Online!

I didn't want you to think I had forgotton about your post, but I've been working on some other projucts and travelling also. I'll post a response to some of your questions in just a little while when I have a free moment.

Mike

[Airborne Ranger]

Hey msmarcus,

Welcome to Meguiars Online

I admire the older style stangs, especially the kind you have thus far. I know those 428 CJ's could get up n go!! Blowing the doors off any Camaro SS or Trans Am that gets in it's way!!

Since the car spends most of it's time indoors you seem to be doing the right thing to take care of it. For removing the spider webs, try using #82 Swirl Free Polish with a W-8006 pad on about speed 5-6. If that doesn't cut it (no pun intended) upgrade to #83 DACP with also a W-8006 pad. From how bad the swirls are, I would think a W-7006 pad is out of the question. If you use DACP or SFP, work them until near dry until only light residue remains to ensure both products have broken down completely, thus far leaving a high gloss shine. Follow up with a coat or 2 of NXT wax, back out in the sun watch that thing glisten like a puddle of texas crude lol! I have never tried NXT before they alot of members here use and swear by it. They say after 24 hours after NXT has had a chance to fully cure, that it shines even more so versus when you applied it!

As far as Scratch X's ability remove swirls, I have not used it in this manner so I can't really comment on that. Though I have used it on minor knicks and scuffs and it works great!! Show some before and after pics once your done, I would drool over seeing a perfectly detailed CJ Stang deadman98

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Help with '69 Mustang

Originally posted by msmarcus
I have been cruising this board for a while and love it.

That’s the goal!

This is a great place for help and motivation. I have some questions regarding my '69 Mustang and it's finish. The car was painted approximately 10 years ago with base coat/clear. The cars paint is in excellent condition as it spends it's life in a garage, enclosed trailer with the only time outside at car shows. I show the car in MCA Concours Trailered. This past Labor Day at the Grand National in Augusta, the car was inside the convention center. This arena had Metal Hydride lighting (very bright, white light, much like fluorescent, but more white). Under this light, I noted that the clear coat had many fine scratches or I guess you would call them spider webs. In my garage and in natural light, they were not noticeable, but in this venue, it stuck out like a sore thumb. While there, I spoke with the Meguiar’s rep. and bought the collection with the PC.

He mentioned Scratch X with the PC. Can it be used this way or should it be done by hand.

ScratchX is formulated to be used by hand. The problem with using it by machine is the machine generates heat and this can cause the ScratchX to become gummy, and thus more difficult to remove. I have tried using ScratchX with the PC and have had some luck with it as long as you keep your PC speed low, such as the 4.0 setting and don’t work one area too long.

A better option would be to purchase some #83 Dual Action Cleaner Polish and give your car’s finish a though polishing using the PC/#83/W-8006 foam polishing pad on the 5.0 setting. If you decide to do this, you will want to work a section at a time, and overlap all of your motions by 50%. You will want to work the #83 until it has almost dissipated, but is still leaving a liquid film on the surface as you’re moving the PC around.

This would probably be the procedure I would use. Any scratches this combination doesn’t remove will mean they are deeper and will more than likely require a complete buff out by a trained professional using a rotary buffer.

I would be interested to know if the painter/body shop buffed the paint out after it set-up, and if they did, what they used. For example, wool pad plus an abrasive compound? Meguiar’s products? Someone else’s products? (I always try to find this out when possible).

After this you could go right to applying at least a couple of coats of the NXT Tech Wax using the PC also along with a new, clean, dedicated W-8006 foam polishing pad. Let the first coat cure for 10-15 minutes before removing, and in a perfect world, wait for 12 to 24 hours to apply the second application. For the second application, you could use the W-9006 foam finishing pad for a softer buff.

Remove using microfiber polishing cloths, or bonnets on the PC. Just as a side note, under some lights, like the ones you mention, it is almost impossible to produce a 100% swirl and scratch free surface unless you have total control over a complete detail. By complete, I mean starting with a rotary buffer and massaging each and every scratch out of the finish, and then working your way to the very last step of applying your choice of pure polish or wax and sometimes both.

The car is rarely waxed using Gold Class, however, I have used the 3 part system in the past and clay bar it once a year. I use throughout the year the show car glaze on it and have been very satisfied with it.

A very common and successful combination.

I am currently getting this car ready for the 40th Anniversary show in Nashville and need some suggestions on how to make it look stunning.

Meguiar’s is sponsoring this event and even giving tours of our manufacturing plant. As far as suggestions go it sounds like your doing pretty good so far? Can you post some pictures of your car? (Upload to the gallery but make sure they are under 700 pixels wide if possible)

I have purchased NXT and have a lot of the Meguiar’s lines. If you could give me an outline from beginning to end on what I should use, that would be greatly appreciated. The car is Winter Blue (very light, like Carolina Blue) and the paint is in exceptional condition for it's age. Thanks in advance for the help.

Just by coincidence, I also have a 1969 Mustang coming up for a before and after also. The finish on this Mustang is solid, but lightly, to moderately oxidized. If you like, I will polish it out using the steps I think would work best for you and then post them here. You can also follow my brief outline above if your ready to get started right away.

Before shots





Mike

[msmarcus]

Mike,

I have taken your advise and purchased (with no shipping charges) the DACP for the Mustang. I also was able to locate today #9 Swirl remover that was also recommended in this post. I will upload some photos of my car and will take some photos of what I am trying to describe. It is very faint and scratches may not be the right descriptive term. The Corvette that you did in the other post is about 15 times worse than my "scratches" on those on the deck lid. Also, being a light colored car, they are less noticable than that. Thanks for the advise. I am really excited to try out this combo once I receive the DACP. Would you try the #9 first to see if it makes a difference then go to the DACP depending on the results? If so, Then I will get started this weekend.

I would like to make a suggestion for your company. Since being on this board, I have had a hard time knowing what products are being refered too by the numbers. I would like to have for my garage, a poster with all the products listed (pictures of the bottles) of both the professional line as well as the consumer line. I would think that this would be a great car show goody bag stuffer as well as sales tool for your product line. The website is great and I have a wireless laptop, so I can take it to the garage, however, most can't. Just a thought.

Thanks again for the help.

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by msmarcus
Mike,

I have taken your advise and purchased (with no shipping charges) the DACP for the Mustang. I also was able to locate today #9 Swirl remover that was also recommended in this post. I will upload some photos of my car and will take some photos of what I am trying to describe.

(Please resize them first to no larger than 700 pixels wide. Thanks.)

It is very faint and scratches may not be the right descriptive term. The Corvette that you did in the other post is about 15 times worse than my "scratches" on those on the deck lid. Also, being a light colored car, they are less noticeable than that. Thanks for the advise. I am really excited to try out this combo once I receive the DACP. Would you try the #9 first to see if it makes a difference then go to the DACP depending on the results? If so, Then I will get started this weekend.

Yes, definitely try the #9 first. Do a "Test Spot" By this, pick an area about a foot square and then apply the #9 and remove, then apply your wax allow to dry and remove. If to the entire car you plan on applying two coats of wax, then to your test spot, apply two coats of wax. Then remove and inspect.

If your results look good, then repeat your process to the entire car. If they don't, then stop. If you cannot make one small area look good, you will not be able to make the whole car look good. It is better to find out your results to one small area to insure they are good then to find out on the entire car only to find out your results are less than expected.

Something I have learned from experience.

I would like to make a suggestion for your company. Since being on this board, I have had a hard time knowing what products are being referred too by the numbers. I would like to have for my garage, a poster with all the products listed (pictures of the bottles) of both the professional line as well as the consumer line. I would think that this would be a great car show goody bag stuffer as well as sales tool for your product line. The website is great and I have a wireless laptop, so I can take it to the garage, however, most can't. Just a thought.

Thanks again for the help.

And a good thought at that, I'll pass it on.

Mike

[msmarcus]

Update on this thread. I found at a local paint shop, Swirl Remover 2.0 as was discussed here. I also had some of the Gold Class Swirl Remover that I had never opened. This is what I did:

1. Wash vehicle (Gold Class)
2. Clay Bar
3. Quick Detailer wipe down
4. Scratch X on small scratchs on fenders
--very minor scratch removal, did not feel that it did much at all. This is the only Meguiars product that I have felt may not have lived up to it's claims. I worked the product with a foam pad in same directions as small scratches.
4. Gold Class Swirl Remover- used w/ PC- Meguiars Polishing Pad
--light swirls and marks removed, better than what the finish was, but definately not good enough. Very good product if you had some very light swirls.
5. Swirl Remover 2.0- used w/ PC- Meguiars Polishing Pad
--remarkable ability to remove the swirls. 95% of swirls gone after this series of products. I love this. My wife's Windstar is next!
6. NXT Tech Wax- used w/ PC- Meguiars Polishing Pad
--MAN oh MAN. The car looks like glass, with very little swirls on paint noticable in flourescent light. Amazing. Very happy with outcome.

I purchased DACP thinking that I might have to go that far to get them out based on the discussion here. I will try it on the daily driven, auto carwashed, spouse mobile (Windstar) then mover to Swirl Remover 2.0. I took photos, but after review, the photographer didn't get the exposure right, so not very good.

Thanks for the help and advise on this. I love this board.
Thank you Meguiars!

[MattN03]

Re: Re: Help with '69 Mustang

Originally posted by Mike Phillips

Meguiar’s is sponsoring this event and even giving tours of our manufacturing plant.

Mike, this is a quote regarding the Mustang 40th Anniversary Celebration in Nashville. Will a Meguiars booth be set up with products for purchase? Also, do you mean there is a Meguiars manufacturing facility near Nashville?? I'm in Memphis & just had stuff shipped from your CA location. Just trying to find out where you all **really** are :p Thanks.

Matt

[Mike Phillips]

Hi Matt,

Yes!, our manufacturing plant is in Nashville. I'm almost positive there will be one of our Special Events Trucks there and they should be set up to offer Meguiar’s products.






I'll send out an e-mail and find out?

Mike

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by msmarcus
--MAN oh MAN. The car looks like glass, with very little swirls on paint noticeable in fluorescent light. Amazing. Very happy with outcome.

That's the results I've been getting....

Thanks for the help and advice on this.

I love this board.

Thank you Meguiar’s

Your welcome! That's what we're here for and we thank your for your trust.

(How about some pictures?)

Mike

[MattN03]

HOLY SMOKES, those are some awesome looking rigs!! This show is going to be such fun-I hope I can stand it :p If you can find out any info on what will be there & if products will be available, I'd love to know. I can post your reply over at the Mach 1 Registry. There has been a good bit of interest in the NXT lately.

[electricgreen]

Oh man, now I wish I was going to Nashville!!! I'll have to let the YMR (Yellow Mustang Registry) know to look for the Megs display, since I know a bunch of members are going. There seems to be a lot of Stangers on this forum....