Just a few questions..

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Hey everyone..
I plan on doing a full wash/polish/wax on my truck in the next week or two.
I have a black/gray 2007 Ford Ranger, so the paint is by no means old.
It has it's fair share of swirls and scratches, some of them deep, that I'm really not expecting to be able to remove them completely, I'd just like to make them at least less noticeable. I was hoping someone here can tell me if I've picked the right products to use. I'm planning on spending the whole day doing everything by hand only.

This is what I've come up with:
1. Good wash top to bottom (obviously)
2. Clay bar (mild or aggressive?)
3. ScratchX 2.0 on the worst scratches
4. M07 Show Car Glaze on whole truck (or is there something better for swirls on black?)
5. NXT Tech Wax 2.0 (how many coats?)

Any other suggestions, or does this sound okay? I've done a bit of detailing & waxing over the years but not really a whole start-to-finish project like this.

Thanks in advance!

[akimel]

Re: Just a few questions..

Welcome to MOL! Are you going to be working by hand or machine? Assuming you are working by hand, here are some thoughts:

This is what I've come up with:
1. Good wash top to bottom (obviously)

FWIW, I like the Gold Class wash solution.

2. Clay bar (mild or aggressive?)

Go with Meguiar's consumer claybar version (mild). You probably won't need the more aggressive bar.

3. ScratchX 2.0 on the worst scratches

Sounds good. You could also go with Ultimate Compound instead (see below).

4. M07 Show Car Glaze on whole truck (or is there something better for swirls on black?)

M07 is what Meguiar's calls a pure polish. It is nonabrasive and does not remove swirls and scratches. I would recommend instead that you get yourself SwirlX and Ultimate Compound. Do a TEST SPOT and see which one effects the level of correction that you want. It's good to have both polishes on hand.

Apply with a foam applicator. Remove with a clean microfiber towel.

5. NXT Tech Wax 2.0 (how many coats?)

Two coats is optimal to effect uniform coverage.

Get yourself plenty of good microfiber towels. Don't skimp. Poor quality towels can undo all of your hard work (trust me on this; I learned the hard way).

Have fun!

Cheers,
Al

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Re: Just a few questions..

Thanks for the advice. Is there anything else that is similar to the Ultimate Compound and SwirlX that works well? I couldn't seem to find either one today while I was looking.

[ClearlyCoated]

Re: Just a few questions..

Thanks for the advice. Is there anything else that is similar to the Ultimate Compound and SwirlX that works well? I couldn't seem to find either one today while I was looking.

Where are you looking? WalMart usually carries both products at some good low prices.

[Murr1525]

Re: Just a few questions..

Might be a tad rarer in Canada still, not sure?

Could you find the ScratchX 2.0?

[FULLSCALE]

Re: Just a few questions..

Where are you looking? WalMart usually carries both products at some good low prices.

I checked Walmart a couple days ago and don't remember seeing either the SwirlX or the Ultimate Compound. I bought the ScratchX 2.0 and NXT 2.0 at Canadian Tire. I could get them at work (CarQuest) but I had CT money to use, so I got them for free. The part numbers for SwirlX and Ultimate Compound won't even go into the system at work to order.

[Murr1525]

Re: Just a few questions..

Do some test spots with the ScratchX, see what you get.

Can always use it on the entire car if needed.