Advice on polishing & waxing

[Murr1525]

Re: Advice on polishing & waxing

I would look at it as ColorX for a quicker detail, SwirlX for a more complete detail. If you always like doing a full detail, then you can always clay if needed, and use the SwirlX, DC Polish, and Wax. But sometimes I just like to get the car waxed, so claying if needed, ColorX and Wax makes for a quicker detail, and still turns out pretty top notch.

Look at my layout in my first post, and you'll see how I would use them. Just change from Nxt to #26.

[mk2r32]

Re: Advice on polishing & waxing

cool, thanx alot for that guys!

ok il give the SwirlX ago, but before i do, lastly, is there just a 'cleaner' without any wax/polish in it...? whats the DC Paint Cleaner like...?

[Murr1525]

Re: Advice on polishing & waxing

The DC Cleaner will be a cleaner only, no polish or wax. It will be milder than the ColorX or SwirlX.

It is also discontinued, so if you want to try it, you'll want to pick it up.

[searle]

Re: Advice on polishing & waxing

May sound silly but 'IF' the NXT is a polish and wax in 1, (although i prefer, now, using the DC and #26), whats the point of using DC before and the #26 after...? If itl make my finish look and shine alot better then i definatly dont mind doin it...

Whats is the 205 and M80?
And which one is most recommended out of the 205, M80, ColorX, SwirlX, ScratchX, Ultimate Compound, DC Paint Cleaner, Cleaner Wax etc... as a cleaner?

p.s everything is done by hand, not yet invested in the G220 as i dont think itl benefit me much just yet

205 and M80 are products in the professional line, and I believe 205 is intended for use with a rotary machine. For a very light paint cleaner, SwirlX is likely the way to go (ScratchX and UC are respectively more aggressive, not needed for paint cleaning and really more for defect removal). DC1 paint cleaner is now discontinued, and was mostly a chemical paint cleanser with very very mild cleaning (almost no defect removal). ColorX is an All-In-One cleaner (mild, even milder than SwirlX) plus polish plus wax. SwirlX is the replacement for DC1, and when applied by hand is very mild and could be used regularily by hand over many years with minimal reduction of paint. SwirlX also contains some polish (so a separate polish/glaze is more optional). NXT is almost pure-sealant, but does contain a little polish (and even a very very little cleaner).

So you need to decide how much time and work you want to spend to absolutely optimize results. The ultimate is likely obtained by SwirlX cleaner then DC2 or M07 glaze then NXT sealant (2 coats, or 1 then Carnuba depending on your preference). The fastest is likely single-step ColorX All-In-One, giving 90-95% of the results (difference likely only visible to professionals and then highly based on personal preference/opinion).

For better or worse, Meguiars has many different products with different capabilities, spread over the consumer and professional line. You can browse the forums to get an idea about all them, and try to optimize for your particular needs, or you can take a simple set of consumer products and get 95% of maximum possible results with only a few products (defect correction is another aspect not covered here). Choice is yours. Most folks here (me included) are contaminated wthe the detailing virus -there is no cure.

Let us know what path you chose, and how it goes.

[mk2r32]

Re: Advice on polishing & waxing

Im in the UK and the DC Cleaner is still available. I dont mind going through the individual long stages. Like i said i think my paint work is mint coming second in Europes show.

For now i think il try:

1. wash, 2. clay, 3. DC Cleaner, 4. DC Polish, 5. #26 wax

The reason i will go with the DC Cleaner for now avoid the Color/Swirl as it has polish/wax in it, is because i will be polishing and waxing the car as i go through the stages...

out of curiousity, the DC Polish is not or going to discontinued is it...?

[searle]

Re: Advice on polishing & waxing

For now i think il try:
1. wash, 2. clay, 3. DC Cleaner, 4. DC Polish, 5. #26 wax
...
out of curiousity, the DC Polish is not or going to discontinued is it...?

There has been no mention of discontinuing DC2 polish, and that would seem very unlikely. Even if it was discontinued (unlikely) there is always M07 which is Meguiars ultimate polish/glaze and it is widely available, even in many consumer stores.

Your plan looks good, assuming you do 2 very thin coats of wax (to ensure even coverage and no missed spots). Emphasis on thin (same as with the polish).

[SouthTexasRancher]

Re: Advice on polishing & waxing

I just used the Gold Class liquid wax on one of my vehicles today and it looks great. However, I went gently around areas of black plastic & rubber because I was running out of time. Is there a certain time frame I have to wait before going over those areas in detail by not using the round pad but something where I can get right up to the edge without putting any on the plastic & rubber? In other words can I reapply the Gold Class tomorrow or do you need to wait 'x' # of days? I know some of the more exotic (synthetic) types say wait 24 hours or ???.

Also since I am bound to recover some areas close to the plastic &/or rubber does it hurt to go ahead and put a 2nd coat of Gold Class on the whole vehicle or is that a waste of time.

Many thanks guys.

[Murr1525]

Re: Advice on polishing & waxing

Not entirely sure what you are saying...

I have found if I get some wax on plastic, and wipe it off right away, all turns out ok.

Some people also like to apply a plastic/rubber dressing, then wax, then come back to buff off the excess plastic product.

[searle]

Re: Advice on polishing & waxing

I believe you are saying you did most the car but may have likely missed areas close to the trim (due to time pressure and not wanting to get polish on the trim). You now want to redo those areas, but are concerned about applying a second coat to the existing polish "too soon"

Synthetics ideally need time (at least 1 hr, preferrably 12-24) to cure. Carnuba does not. I would give it 15 mins to harden, but you can apply a second coat almost any time and no worry. I often apply one coat of #26to the whole car, wipe, and then repeat to the whole car again. Probably is 15 mins between the coats.

Even with synthetics (like NX2) you would not cause any problem with an immediate 2nd coat, just it would essentially replace the first coat (since the first coat had not cured).

[SouthTexasRancher]

Re: Advice on polishing & waxing

I believe you are saying you did most the car but may have likely missed areas close to the trim (due to time pressure and not wanting to get polish on the trim). You now want to redo those areas, but are concerned about applying a second coat to the existing polish "too soon"

Synthetics ideally need time (at least 1 hr, preferrably 12-24) to cure. Carnuba does not. I would give it 15 mins to harden, but you can apply a second coat almost any time and no worry. I often apply one coat of #26to the whole car, wipe, and then repeat to the whole car again. Probably is 15 mins between the coats.

Even with synthetics (like NX2) you would not cause any problem with an immediate 2nd coat, just it would essentially replace the first coat (since the first coat had not cured).

Thanks Searle that is exactly what I was trying to get across. My apologies Murr1525 for not being totally clear.

Since we have for the first time in months good, sunny and warm weather (and low humidity) I'll be able to rewash it this weekend and have the time to go over it in detail.

****
A new Question: Is there any benefit by applying NX 2 on top of the Gold Class Liquid or is that not wise? I have used Liquid Glass in the past and it is a specific 'stand alone' product, i.e., the surface must be clean and free of any other product outside the paint itself. I am very pleased with the way the initial use of Gold Class but, as I understand it GC is not a long lasting product so I was just wondering if either the NX 2 on top of the GC or the next time I am ready to wear my shoulders and arms out should I just switch to the NX 2?

Many thanks for your help.

[searle]

Re: Advice on polishing & waxing

...A new Question: Is there any benefit by applying NX 2 on top of the Gold Class Liquid or is that not wise? I have used Liquid Glass in the past and it is a specific 'stand alone' product, i.e., the surface must be clean and free of any other product outside the paint itself. I am very pleased with the way the initial use of Gold Class but, as I understand it GC is not a long lasting product so I was just wondering if either the NX 2 on top of the GC or the next time I am ready to wear my shoulders and arms out should I just switch to the NX 2?. Many thanks for your help.

Actually, very good (and surprisingly complex) questions.

GC is mostly wax (actually, some polish/glaze oils plus mostly wax, and a little synthetic polymers (in new GC-plus). Hence it needs a clean well-prepared surface (since it has no cleaners). It *can* go on top of other wax(s), but since you cannot actually layer wax (regardless of what other products say), you will remove some of the first wax and end up with a mix of the two - not a bad thing, just neither purely one nor the other and certainly not double the depth/coverage.

Building on the above, you certainly can add NXT2 on top of GC, but you will end up with some combination of each - in which case, why not just use NXT2 if you prefer its look and/or durability? NXT has some (a little) polish and is mostly synthetic sealant (which is why it has increased protection and durability).

I would say chose based on the look you like. Most folks seem to perceive that Carnubas tend to have slightly more warmth and depth (especially on red or dark colors), while Sealants tend to have slightly more glossy/reflective finish (especially on white or light colors) and slighly longer durability (say 2-3 months instead of 1-2 months for Carnuba).

Being an indecisive wimp, I usually detail (wash+clay+cleaner+glaze) and then wax with NXT2 for durability, and then top that with #26 for red paint warmth and depth. There are dozens of similar "prefered" mixed-wax approaches, the difference is probably 98% in the eye of the beholder. GCplus, with its polish+carnuba+polymers, is a very nice choice as a simple off-the-shelf combination of most of the best features wanted in a wax.

The "best" answer is do 1/2 the car with a fresh coat of GC, and 1/2 the car with a fresh coat of NXT2. Most "normal" (non-detailing-addicted) folks wont be able to see a real difference, but then chose what appeals to you and use that thereafter.

Let us know if that helps answer your question(s), and how it works out for you ...

[SouthTexasRancher]

Re: Advice on polishing & waxing

Thanks again, Searle. Yes it does answer my question. I'll finish doing the GC this weekend and then in about 30 days or so will do the clay bar, polish and try the NXT2 on the cab portion of the 4x4 and GC on the bed and stand back and take a look with the sun on a side and then in the shade to see which looks best. A big +++ for me is how long it lasts. Back in high school, college and first 10 years of marriage I thought nothing of washing, polishing and waxing once a week. Now that 'Father Time' has reared his ugly head on me I'm more into the polish and wax thing every 2-3 months, although I do wash each vehicle as needed and always by hand.

Since I just started posting here my initial posts take a bit of time to actually show up but, I do appreciate all your help. I actually decided to give Meguiar's a try after watching Car Crazy on the Speed Channel recently. You gotta love Barry's enthusiasm.

[Spike]

Re: Advice on polishing & waxing

Hey guys, if I use M80, then M07 to polish the paint, will NXT wax bond to the surface? Or will all the oils in the 2 polishes not play well with NXT because it is a sealant, not a carnauba? I have read that most people use a carnauba as an LSP on those kinds of polishes with the oils, but I would definitely like to use NXT wax because it has more durability than #26 (I think). Has anyone put NXT on top of M07, and had no bonding issues, or reduced durability of the wax?

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Advice on polishing & waxing

All of our products are compatible with each other, so you'll have no issues applying NXT Generation Tech Wax 2.0 on top of M07 Show Car Glaze.

[searle]

Re: Advice on polishing & waxing

Hey guys, if I use M80, then M07 to polish the paint, will NXT wax bond to the surface? Or will all the oils in the 2 polishes not play well with NXT because it is a sealant, not a carnauba? I have read that most people use a carnauba as an LSP on those kinds of polishes with the oils, but I would definitely like to use NXT wax because it has more durability than #26 (I think). Has anyone put NXT on top of M07, and had no bonding issues, or reduced durability of the wax?

I do exactly this all the time with great success. cleaner, M07, NXT2. Then ofgten top with #26 (but not always).