Got Some Questions..

[Skywitit23]

Re: Got Some Questions..

You'll probably want a Dual Action buffer such as the G110. The Makita is a rotary and without practice you'll end up and burn the paint right down the to the metal. But yes, you can use it by hand and get good results. It will just take some time and elbow grease. Applying the products with a DA will give you flawless results for a show quality look. You shouldn't have a problem with holograms if you use the DA.

Just some advise if you want to learn a little more, go on youtube and watch some videos. Just do a search for Meguiars buffer and ect and you'll learn a good amount there. Meguiar's USA has many videos on there on how to use various products and equipment.

But yes, black paint can be tricky and time consuming to care for if you want the perfect show look. Meguiars is one of the very few brands who actually advertises their products on black vehicles as you get to see the true reflection and quality of the finish. Here's their booth at SEMA this year:

yeah that looks nice so i need the DA with any foam pad? do i clean the pad before using each product? UC and swirlX correct? then hit it with #7 ? the NXT 2.0? also witch goes first UC or swirlX? idunno if i asked this before what is siwrlX paint cleaner? and what is UC?

[RGP]

Re: Got Some Questions..

yeah i dunno about the sand paper still

Sooner of later, you'll reach this conclusion. http://autodetailingsolutions.net/g110-kit-1.html Hopefully sooner, as you'll do more than $200's worth of damage with sandpaper. I also tried the manual correction just on my tiny Miata trunk, and I can tell you it "ain't" worth it. I've got this new Meguiar's unit on order too.

Unless you car's a real beater, or a poor repaint, I wouldn't go within a mile of sandpaper. Even if you opt for sandpaper, you'll need one of these for certain anyway. It's a brand new configuration and should be on line shortly.

[Skywitit23]

Re: Got Some Questions..

Yeah im going to be ordering this soon, but as for my car you think just the SwirlX should do the job? and also if i get the Da what pad should i use and i guess also i "Should have" just in case in?

[akimel]

Re: Got Some Questions..

Sky, black cars can be tough! But they are also wonderful, aren't they?

Yes, you may wish to consider investing in a D/A, pads, and polishes. Meguiar's has a new model coming out at the beginning of 2010, and both Porter-Cable and Griots have just released new models. Plan on spending $300+ for everything. Unless you plan on detailing a lot of cars and are willing to spend a lot of time practicing, it's probably best to stay away from the rotary.

The critical question is: What is your objective? How much time (and money) are you willing to spend? It might help if you could upload some close-up photographs of your car and the paint surface.

Please ignore the suggestion to wet-sand your paint. You don't want to do anything to the paint from which you cannot easily recover if you should make a mistake, especially if you're working on a beloved vehicle. Instead, begin with the dual action polisher and see what you can accomplish. The MOL experts will be happy to see you through to success.

Good luck!

Al

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Got Some Questions..

Listen well to Al (AKA akimel) as he knows his stuff. If you think rotary buffing is not something for the novice, then wetsanding is definitely not for the novice, especially if you're confused about various grades of paper, etc. But you seem to possess a healthy fear of the process anyway, so that's a good thing. At least for now.

Now then.... if you clayed and it didn't remove all the bonded contaminants then odds are you just had a pretty severely contaminated surface to begin with. We've seen cars where the level of bonded contamination was such that we simply had to step up to a more aggressive clay to accomplish the task, or just take much longer than usual with the consumer clay to do so. Just as not all below surface defects are the same, neither are above surface issues. We've clayed some cars in about 15 minutes, and closer to 3 hours for others. Thankfully that last scenario is extremely rare!!

Once you remove those bonded contaminants to your satisfaction it's time to work on the below surface defects. Ultimate Compound is a great choice for this, especially when dealing with black paint. It's very forgiving, easy to use, and returns excellent results. Honestly, a dual action polisher such as Meguiar's new G110v2 or similar is a HUGE benefit when trying to bring up maximum shine and clarity to a finish. The learning curve is very shallow so you can pick it up in no time, and with almost no risk at all to the paint.

Read through our 5 Step Paint Care Cycle for some tips on the proper procedures for dealing with your paint.

[Skywitit23]

Re: Got Some Questions..

Yes black is hard to keep but then again when cleaned nicley its amazing
Well i did clay the whole car but some places still feel like "sand Paper" i mean not alot but you know what i mean..This is my DD so i know i dont wanna run my clear coat down to get a Show Car finish but i wouldnt mind getting it looking good again after the winter,and also time to time bringing back my black..So my Goal i would say is to keep up with it , keep the swirls down, and always claying it , and keeping my Black healthy..I will post up pics later of the car..Also after using ColorX by hand , here and thier im seeing Halograms? how can i get rid of those? i will invest in the DA , like i said my brother has the Makita but i think its alittle out of my Range..but when i do get the Da whats compounds should i have and pads?

[akimel]

Re: Got Some Questions..

.Also after using ColorX by hand , here and thier im seeing Halograms? how can i get rid of those?

Properly applied, ColorX should not cause any marring of the paint. Most likely, therefore, the marring is caused either by the pad or by your application technique. What kind of applicator are you using? I personally prefer using a foam applicator: they are not easily found in local stores, so I had to order them online from ADS. Was the pad clean? Did you periodically check the pad to make sure that grit had not gotten trapped in it? Is it possible that you rubbed the paint too hard? I have sometimes caused marring via hand polishing with microfiber pad by applying too much pressure. I was able to remove the marring simply by going over the area with the same product with a foam applicator.

ColorX might be able to remove the "holograms" you are seeing. Just be careful with your technique. If it doesn't work, try some SwirlX and/or Ultimate Compound, both of which are available at local stores.

And ALWAYS do a test spot first: How to do a Test Spot. You want to get your technique down first in a small area before you work on the entire car. A test spot will also help you to determine whether you have chosen the right product for the job.

I'm sure the experts will chime in with better advice on how to remove the marring.

[Skywitit23]

Re: Got Some Questions..

yeah its a meguiars pad, i cleaned it and made sure it was clean after applying here and there,i mean its not bad maybe i did applyed to must pressure? I went to walmart today and bought SwirlX and UC witch one should is use first?

[akimel]

Re: Got Some Questions..

yeah its a meguiars pad, i cleaned it and made sure it was clean after applying here and there,i mean its not bad maybe i did applyed to must pressure? I went to walmart today and bought SwirlX and UC witch one should is use first?

Meguiar's rule: always begin with the less aggressive product, in this case SwirlX. Do a TEST SPOT. If SwirlX removes the marring, then you're set and you can proceed to polish the rest of the car. If it doesn't remove the marring, then try Ultimate Compound.

[Skywitit23]

Re: Got Some Questions..

okay i just did a couple of test spots and to tell ya the truth i couldnt tell witch one worked better? i did side by side comparison, one side SwirlX and then UC, and i couldnt tell really , its like the same results..Also its not taking the all the swirls out i tryed them both together on the same spot and its the same really it took out atleast 60 percent of the swirls both together and also using one at a time.. im thinking witch one is better? swirlx or UC? do they both serve a different situation or just less/ more agressive with a different label? i hope i didnt waste money on the swirlX maybe i should have just bought the UC?