Diming up my Sonata proper-like

[Tinga]

Hey,

Found this forum through google while I was searching for stuff to clean up my car with. Didn't realize there was much information on the detailing world than what I've been absorbing recently. Awesome stuff, I'm glad I found this site, it can feed my addictive personality for a bit, heh.

On to what I'm here for.

I own a Hyundai Sonata 2003 GLS and it's in pretty good condition. Since owning it, the only damage I have done is put two decent sized streaks on the drivers side door, which extends to the back door. They look like scuff marks, but go a little deeper into the clear coat. I believe it happened when I was backing out of my garage and marked it up against a garbage can or bike. Oops. There are also some bird etchings that I know exist on here, but I didn't take pictures.

Here are some pics.

















Here are some other problem areas on my car that I would like to address since I plan on doing the car over completely. All of this damage existed before I purchase the vehicle, so I don't know the sources of damage:

Bumper:


Random Scratch #1, Rear Passenger Side:


Random Scratch #2, Passenger Side Front Door (Scratch near my hand holding the camera):


Swirling (Wish I would have taken pictures on a better day when it wasn't so overcast in better lighting, however you can see some swirl effects are present):




I am a noob to the detailing world, but ready to dive right in and give my care the care that it deserves. Since I plan on owning it for a while, I'd like to keep it looking gooood. I plan on purchasing the DA Polisher and a bunch of the compounds/cleaners/waxes/pads/towels/etc all at once, and want to make sure I have my bases covered.

My concern is that I am going to overlap products, and make this process longer than necessary.

My plan of attack:

Wash with the 2 bucket method
Clean with the clay bar
Polish ...

Here is where I am confused, because I want to attack everything at once.

- Should I be using SwirlX on the swirls?
- Should I use Ultimate Compound or ScratchX on the the long scratch/two random scratches/bumper with Ultimate Compound.
- Does Ultimate Compound do the job for both Swirls and Scratches?
- Would I be better to attack each of the scratches with one of the products individually and then go over the vehicle with Ultimate Compound?
- Should I go over the car with SwirlX then Ultimate Compound?
- Should I consider going with 105/205 for this process?

Protect with the NXT 2.0
Maintain with some Ultimate Quick Detailer

So I guess my main issue lies within how I should tackle the spots with what product. I know that I should be using the least aggressive approach, but it seems as if each of the scratches are at different depths, and could require different amounts of time spent on them.

How would you go about tackling the above, basically?

Helppppp!

Thanks!

[StoneRaizer]

Re: Diming up my Sonata proper-like

Hey Tinga, welcome to MOL (Meguiars Online)! I'm a noob like you so I can't offer too much advice, but I will suggest that between claying and waxing I'd use a coat of ColorX. It's a cleaner/wax so it'll clean the paint surface and leave a coat of wax behind, which you can then top with some NXT 2.0. For washing, get yourself some Gold Class Car Wash. I first tried it out today and was amazed at how the wash mitt glided across the car surface. Just a word of warning - the stuff is thicker than cold ketchup so be a little patient when pouring it into the wash bucket!

I also noticed that you didn't mention anything about the wheels, tires or interior. Meguiars makes a variety of wheel cleaners and tire dressings that you should definitely consider. Since I don't know what type of wheels your Sonata has I shouldn't suggest a wheel cleaner because using the wrong cleaner could damage your wheels and I don't want to be held responsible for that! For a tire dressing I like to use the Hot Shine Tire Foam because you just spray it on, let it do its thing and you can go grab a cold beverage or work on another part of the car. Don't have to scrub it, spray it off, nothing.

For the interior it depends on the look you want - glossy or satin. I've heard of the Quik Interior Detailer but don't have any experience using that product so I can't give any comments about it. What I like is the Natural Shine because it leaves the vinyl looking like new without being too glossy. Best of all it's not slippery or greasy so you can spray it on the steering wheel, pedals and other areas where having a slippery surface would be a hazard. It also smells nice. If you want a more glossy look you could try the Supreme Shine but again since I haven't had any experience with that product I can't comment on it. My final suggestion for the interior is to get a Car Cleaning Kit for your Shop Vac (I'm assuming you own one somewhere). The one I personally use is from Craftsman and it includes a brush, crevice tool, another tool that I don't know the name of and an extension hose that has a smaller diameter - great for getting into those tight spaces!

Some helpful links:

How to mix your car wash solution
How to wash your car using the two-bucket method
Gold Class Car Wash
ColorX
Hot Shine Tire Foam

Once again, welcome to Meguiars Online.

[Tinga]

Re: Diming up my Sonata proper-like

...between claying and waxing I'd use a coat of ColorX.

I saw this product as I was looking at posts/MOL, and didn't mention it in my post. I did want to do this step, but wasn't sure if I would need to use this if I were to use the Ultimate Compound/ScratchX/SwirlX (1 or any combination of the 3).

...It's a cleaner/wax so it'll clean the paint surface and leave a coat of wax behind, which you can then top with some NXT 2.0. For washing, get yourself some Gold Class Car Wash...

Yea, I planned on doing all of this, both with the NXT2.0 and the Gold Class Wash. It's all going to be purchased. My main concern is how I tackle the steps between there.

...I also noticed that you didn't mention anything about the wheels, tires or interior...

Wheels/Tires, I have already been using Meguiars products on for years. Since I have owned my Sonata, I have also been using Meguiars on both, so that's covered. I plan on purchasing new tires/rims for the vehicle soon, and will have to try some new products out then Interior has been well taken care of, and that's also not an issue. I will explore other products by Meguiars, and see how I can utilize them with my interior.

Thanks for your reply/links. I've read a ton of the same stuff already, it's good stuff, and I'll definitely check into some of things your provided. Gotta get these scratches taken care of first!

[Underdawg736]

Re: Diming up my Sonata proper-like

Welcome to MOL Tinga!

It looks like your Hyundai has some paint transfer and by the looks of it, it may be shallow and fairly easy to get rid of.
First off give your car a good thorough wash with a quality car shampoo (NXT, Gold Class, ect), dry off with clean towels (water magnets work great) and then clay the car using Meg's clay & Quik Detailer.

Some of the things you may be looking for are paint cleaners such as the Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner (if it can still be found....they are phasing them out in the states), if not try some ScratchX and if that doesn't work then the Ultimate Compound may be your best bet. Apply a small amount (I'd go with 2 or 3 pea sized dots) on a foam or microfiber applicator and go at it with some passion (pressure) for about 45 seconds. Wipe off with a clean microfiber pad, evaluate the defect and follow up with another pass if needed.

After that you can try to knock out other defects and finish up with some wax. Look around here, you WILL find everything you need to do the job right and don't hesitate to ask questions. The pro's here are just that PRO's! They will square you away as they've done to me!

Welcome to the detailing sickness, it's VERY contagious!

[CieraSL]

Re: Diming up my Sonata proper-like

to MOL!

[Murr1525]

Re: Diming up my Sonata proper-like

Well, here is what I would do... And keep in mind that while a G110 is good for swirls, it may not have the power needed for the deeper marks. You may find it better to attack the scratches/rubs by hand, at least first.

I would probably:

1. Wash
2. Clay - Smooth Surface Clay kit, and an extra QD bottle. Don't forget to clay the windows as well.
3. Clean - Those deeper marks/rubs will definitely want Ultimate Compound or #105. Both can be used by hand or machine. And like I said, you probably want to work on the individual marks first by hand. Some defects may not be completly removable, so dont over do it.

Then, you can decide if you want to use a machine for the swirls, or keep working by hand to do the whole car. As far as the swirls on the whole car, you may want to do a test spot to see if you need SwirlX or Ultimate Compound for them. You will definitely want SwirlX in the future for regular cleanings though, so with UC and SwirlX on your shelf, they wont go to waste.

If applied properly, UC should leave a nice finish behind, but it is possible it may need followed up with SwirlX anyway for great results.

Of course, don't go removing all your swirls by hand, then by a G110 the next week.

4. Polish - Using a pure polish is optional, but Deep Crystal Polish is good and easy to use.

5. Wax - Nxt 2.0 is nice, 2 thin coats is best.

Other Q's:

1. ColorX is a great product, esp for a quick detail, but not really want you want for major defect removal.

[Tinga]

Re: Diming up my Sonata proper-like

It looks like your Hyundai has some paint transfer and by the looks of it, it may be shallow and fairly easy to get rid of.

Haha, I think you're seeing some old dirt/reflection from behind me. There isn't any paint transfer from any accidents that I've had.

Welcome to the detailing sickness, it's VERY contagious!

Thanks for your post, and I already caught the bug, lol.

Well, here is what I would do... And keep in mind that while a G110 is good for swirls, it may not have the power needed for the deeper marks. You may find it better to attack the scratches/rubs by hand, at least first.

I would probably:

1. Wash
2. Clay - Smooth Surface Clay kit, and an extra QD bottle. Don't forget to clay the windows as well.
3. Clean - Those deeper marks/rubs will definitely want Ultimate Compound or #105. Both can be used by hand or machine. And like I said, you probably want to work on the individual marks first by hand. Some defects may not be completly removable, so dont over do it.

Then, you can decide if you want to use a machine for the swirls, or keep working by hand to do the whole car. As far as the swirls on the whole car, you may want to do a test spot to see if you need SwirlX or Ultimate Compound for them. You will definitely want SwirlX in the future for regular cleanings though, so with UC and SwirlX on your shelf, they wont go to waste.

If applied properly, UC should leave a nice finish behind, but it is possible it may need followed up with SwirlX anyway for great results.

Of course, don't go removing all your swirls by hand, then by a G110 the next week.

4. Polish - Using a pure polish is optional, but Deep Crystal Polish is good and easy to use.

5. Wax - Nxt 2.0 is nice, 2 thin coats is best.

Other Q's:

1. ColorX is a great product, esp for a quick detail, but not really want you want for major defect removal.

Murr, thanks for the info. I think you clarified a little further on my specific problems/confusions when it comes to cleaning the car and the products involved.