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**polaris** · Jan 13, 2012, 04:46 PM

Re: 17 beginner questions & what products to use...

For hand Application I like the foam applicators find them easier and more effective.
For headlights use plastic x and a buffer ball they turn out great.
You can wax your wheels but use the right product for the material of the wheel.
Have not personal tried chamois ,but i find microfiber ones the best they tend not to swirl or scratch.
After you detail your car after a week you would need to wash if very dusty but if light dust us ultimate detailer.
For swirl mark removal by hand use uc or scratch x 2.0.
Da is for new users it will not burn paint or leave marks. A orbital buffer is for professinals with lots of experience.

**Murr1525** · Jan 13, 2012, 05:05 PM

Re: 17 beginner questions & what products to use...

1. Well.. the wind will thin your paint over time. #105 will be the strongest product, so it would thin your paint, but most of it will come down to the application method. Clear coat is clear paint.

2. No, the QD is safe for all surfaces.

3. Yeah, UC is good to have.

4. PlastX can work... UC can work, or the Headlight Restoration kit. Same as paint, just work the cleaner in and then remove.

5. APC or APC+ is good for general cleaning. I tend for terry cloth, or just general household brushes.

6. Yes, wheels can be waxed. UQW would be a good choice.

7. You would use painters tape, which doesnt. But you might get some product build up along the edge that needs wiped off.

8. Dont wet sand at this point.

9. A rotary is direct drive, while a D/A oscilates and rotates.

10. Some people do, some will put a bag over the alternator, and other electtic connections.

11. I like APC or APC+. Some auto stores sell brushes, or buying online. autogeek.net has a variety.

12. Yup.

13. APC or APC+. I find brush with a wire core, and bend it some, and wipe it back and forth.

14. A good one would be safe. A cheap/poorly made one could scratch.

15. Where is 15?

16. Yeah, few years if stored in cool conditions.

17. No, I find other things to do while drinking...

**ChevyNick** · Jan 13, 2012, 05:15 PM

Re: 17 beginner questions & what products to use...

Originally posted by Car Potential View Post

Just clayed my car for the 1st time today with clay kit (very impressed with results). Ive been
casually detailing my car for about 5 months, washing ( ultimate wash & wax) with 2 bucket method, clay (as of today), using #7, #26, UQW and applying by hand. (Scared to use rotory for now, lol). Also, I nearly died laughing at the post "you know you are (car) crazy when..."

The name of the game is: You know you're car crazy when... - Car Care Forums: Meguiar's Online

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?35306-The-name-of-the-game-is-You-know-you-re-car-crazy-when&highlight=clay

Off topic discussions... just keep it family friendly...

1) What are some products that thin your paint? UC? 105, 205? Why/how do they thin your paint? What is a clear coat?
Ultimate Compound and M105 are both examples of products that remove a very small amount of clear clear because they have abrasives or something that cut or remove your clear coat (which is paint without pigment I believe)

2) When you clay do you tape the panels? (b/c its hard to not get some spray on the panels)
I don't really know what you mean by panels. I've never taped anything before when claying, not even the cladding on my Avalanche. Detailing spray is pretty easy to remove off most surfaces as far as I have found.

2) Applying by hand, is there a difference using a foam or microfiber pad?
As far as I have read, there isn't much of a difference. I believe it is all preference. Some cheaper microfiber pads may swirl your paint, so make sure you don't buy a cheap one if you use that method. I prefer foam pads myself because they seem to let the product you use "go a longer way".

3) Ive seen this posted a million times but for a lot of swirl marks, not deep ones, working by hand, UC or 105, 205? (Im not going to buy both and do test spots). Im thinking UC.
Ultimate Compound is a very popular choice, so yeah, that is fine. I recommend you buy a D/A Polisher if you are going to become an avid detailer; it will save you a lot of time and will get you "near perfect" results. I was worried about using one at first, but it is very simple and is almost impossible to damage your paint.

4) For hazed headlights, use plast x? (i dont understand the buffing part) Whats the process?
I suppose you can, I have seen people having good results using Ultimate Compound on their headlights and achieving good results. Even an all in one product, such as D151 Paint Reconditioning Cream has been proven to restore headlights.

5) What to use to clean/ get stains out of non leather seats & also carpet? Also, wut kind of brush?
After reading on here, I have discovered that APC or APC Plus is a popular choice. Mix it with water with the recommended dilution ratio; spray the carpet, work it with some sort of carpet brush or something, haha, and then soak up the residue with a terry cloth towel or similar.

6) You can wax wheels? (aluminum & chrome?) with #26 and/or UQW?
You sure can.

7) When you tape the edges of panels and/or car, doesnt tape leave residue?
Use Painters tape, it has never left a residue for me.

8) How does sanding/grit paper work? It doesnt scratch the car? Why do people do it? What is wet sanding?
It does indeed scratch the paint. It removes clear coat a lot quicker than when using Ultimate Compound or M105. People do it to remove severe scratches, or other serious defects that would otherwise be near impossible to remove by D/A or Rotary (I think). Wet sanding is sanding with a liquid to lubricate the surface.

9) Difference b/t rotary and d/a?
A D/A rotates and orbits. Safe for rookies.
A Rotary just rotates. Not so safe for rookies.

10) With Engine cleaner, you can spray it anywhere/ everywhere and it wont do damage, right?
I will just give you my common sense on this one; don't concentrate your spray on electrical components and try not to get the intake wet. Other then that, I do not think it will do much damage to anything else.

11) To clean tires and get grime off before using gel, do I use #39 or #40? Where can i buy brushes to clean tires & rims, any auto store?
I don't know what those products are, but I know APC or APC plus would work. I use Simple Green myself. Any auto store will have brushes.

12) After you detail your car, in less than a week isnt dust all over your car (not garaged parked)?
Yes. You can use a Detail spray every day or two (depending on how much has accumulated on your paint surface) to keep your car looking it's best.

13) What to use to clean the underneath of the panels above the tires? #39, 40? With what kind of brush?
Since you mentioned these twice, I just checked out what they are. M39 is for cleaning, M40 is for dressing. So M39 would be ok I suppose, with any type of brush in my opinion. A tire brush would probably be fine. I use a terry cloth towel on my wheel wells with Simple Green.

14) Can a chamois scratch a car when drying? ( I am going to start using Megs wet magent microfiber i think)
Anything can scratch paint as far as I know. It is all about your method. Chances are it will not as long you have cleaned the surface well. I don't know how else to answer this.

16) Is there a shelf life to products like #7 or #26? ex) 3 or 4 yrs.
After a quick search on the forums (hint hint), I found that 3-5 years seem to be the average life span of a wax, as long as it hasn't been frozen, and has been sealed when not in use.

17) Do you find when you drink a beer or 2 or 3 that you go 'to town' on detailing?
I don't drink, yet, haha.

Thanks guys. I want to perfect every inch of the car.

- Andrew

In the future, use Google search and the Search function on here! I answered 3 of your questions after doing a quick search on Google, which actually lead me to other topics on this forum!

**Shawn T.** · Jan 13, 2012, 10:52 PM

Re: 17 beginner questions & what products to use...

1) What are some products that thin your paint? UC? 105, 205? Why/how do they thin your paint? What is a clear coat?
UC, 105, 205, Ultimate Polish, M83, M80, M09, M95, M82 and any other abrasive polish on the market will thin your paint. They remove paint because the abrasives take away microscopic amounts of paint thereby removing scratches and defects.
How much will they thin your paint? http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums...hickness+gauge
A clear coat is just clear paint.

2) When you clay do you tape the panels? (b/c its hard to not get some spray on the panels)
I do not. I do not find a need.

2) Applying by hand, is there a difference using a foam or microfiber pad?

Microfiber tends to mar in my experience so I prefer to use microfiber.
3) Ive seen this posted a million times but for a lot of swirl marks, not deep ones, working by hand, UC or 105, 205? (Im not going to buy both and do test spots). Im thinking UC.
It totally depends on how hard the paint is. Some paints can be corrected easily with UC while others may require M105.

4) For hazed headlights, use plast x? (i dont understand the buffing part) Whats the process?

Plastx can be used like UC or 105. Just spread on the pad and buff the light.
5) What to use to clean/ get stains out of non leather seats & also carpet? Also, wut kind of brush?
Any kind of all purpose cleaner and a stiff carpet brush. Also the use of microfiber and cotton towels helps dry any fabrics of excess cleaner.

6) You can wax wheels? (aluminum & chrome?) with #26 and/or UQW?

Absolutely.
7) When you tape the edges of panels and/or car, doesnt tape leave residue?

Not if you are using quality tape or if you stay out of hot sunlight. Hot sun will increase the likelihood that the tape leaves residue.
8) How does sanding/grit paper work? It doesnt scratch the car? Why do people do it? What is wet sanding?

It does scratch the car. But, it is adding uniform scratches into the paint that level the existing ones so that you know exactly what you are instilling and what you need to remove.
Wet-sanding is the process of using water or soap/water mix to wet the sand paper which allows for less aggressive sanding which is necessary on clearcoat finishes since there is a very limited amount of paint to work with.
9) Difference b/t rotary and d/a?

DA spins and oscillates while a rotary only spins. Das ar every easy to learn while rotaries can take years.
10) With Engine cleaner, you can spray it anywhere/ everywhere and it wont do damage, right?

Nope. Everywhere. Here is my review: http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums...engine+cleaner
11) To clean tires and get grime off before using gel, do I use #39 or #40? Where can i buy brushes to clean tires & rims, any auto store?

40 is a dressing and light cleaner while 39 is a havy duty vinyl/rubber cleaner. However, it is more efficient and cost effective to use a degreaser or all purpose cleaner in place of 39.
12) After you detail your car, in less than a week isnt dust all over your car (not garaged parked)?

Yes. That is why we have quick detailers! J
13) What to use to clean the underneath of the panels above the tires? #39, 40? With what kind of brush?

All purpose cleaner or degreaser with water and a brush.
14) Can a chamois scratch a car when drying? ( I am going to start using Megs wet magent microfiber i think)
A chamois is more prone to scratch because it has no fibers and therefore any particulate caught between the paint and the chamois will be pressed into the paint.
The Water Magnet is a waffle weave microfiber and, in my opinion, much safer because it is microfiber and less prone to scratch.

16) Is there a shelf life to products like #7 or #26? ex) 3 or 4 yrs.

A few years or more if stored at room temperature.

17) Do you find when you drink a beer or 2 or 3 that you go 'to town' on detailing?
Nope. I find the cops at my door asking why a 20 year old is drinking beer in public

LOL

**Michael Stoops** · Jan 16, 2012, 12:07 PM

Re: 17 beginner questions & what products to use...

Wow, 17 questions in one post! That's a bit of a task to take on, but here goes (answers in red below).

Originally posted by Car Potential View Post

1) What are some products that thin your paint? UC? 105, 205? Why/how do they thin your paint? What is a clear coat?
Hmmm, actually three questions here, so that brings up to 19 questions!!

Anything with abrasives in it can thin your paint. How much, and how quickly, depends on how aggressive the liquid is, how it's applied, and how hard or soft the paint is. Even working by hand with just a mild product will remove some paint. How does it work? With very fine abrasives suspended in liquid - the concept really isn't all that different from using sandpaper except that compounds and paint cleaners are far, far less aggressive than sand paper. But still, you're using an abrasive to level the paint and remove fine swirls (with are really just super fine scratches) and other defects. Clear coat is a clear coat (a few coats, actually) of paint applied over the color coat in modern paint systems. While the clear coat provides all the gloss and UV protection in this type of paint system, it really is nothing more than clear paint.

2) When you clay do you tape the panels? (b/c its hard to not get some spray on the panels)
No real need to. The spray lubricant used won't stain trim so there's no real need to. Obviously you don't want to run the clay over textured plastic but that's easy enough to avoid.

2) Applying by hand, is there a difference using a foam or microfiber pad?
#2 again?? Now we're at 20 questions..... There can be, yes. Ultimately, though, how hard you work the product is the real key. We've seen people literally rub through their clear coat when working by hand with a mild product and a foam applicator pad. But they were scrubbing very hard in a very small space for several minutes. Not a good idea.

3) Ive seen this posted a million times but for a lot of swirl marks, not deep ones, working by hand, UC or 105, 205? (Im not going to buy both and do test spots). Im thinking UC.
In the vast majority of cases, UC is the go to when working by hand. Still, hard paint or severe defects can still be a major challenge, even if you did use M105. But if we had to pick one, especially for a new user, UC all the way.

4) For hazed headlights, use plast x? (i dont understand the buffing part) Whats the process?
Yes, that's precisely what PlastX is designed for, and we supply it in both of our headlight restoration kits. The process (Q 21??) is much the same as using Ultimate Compound on your paint. And just like when working on your paint, how severely oxidized the headlights are will determine how aggressively you need to apply PlastX, or if you need to step up to our HD Headlight Restoration Kit that includes two grades of wet sanding media.

5) What to use to clean/ get stains out of non leather seats & also carpet? Also, wut kind of brush?
Some will use All Purpose Cleaner while others will go for Quik Out. There are various carpet specific brushes on the market and most are good choices. Depending on the upholstery you want to be cautious about being overly aggressive so as not to damage the material. Carpet tends to be much tougher stuff.

6) You can wax wheels? (aluminum & chrome?) with #26 and/or UQW?
Sure, and you can use any wax you want on them. A synthetic like Ultimate Wax will last longer than a carnauba wax will, but if you're using a wheel cleaner like Hot Rims All Wheel Cleaner later on, it's going to remove that wax.

7) When you tape the edges of panels and/or car, doesnt tape leave residue?
If you're using a quality tape, like Meguiar's professional detailer masking tape or 3M blue painters tape, no. Go super cheap and you may have some residue.

8) How does sanding/grit paper work? It doesnt scratch the car? Why do people do it? What is wet sanding?
This brings us to.....24 questions? OK, this is a very complex topic, but in a nutshell, sanding works by quite literally rubbing an abrasive material against the paint so as to remove some material and level the paint. This happens in varying degrees of course, and is utilized for various reasons - from removing very deep scratches (and that process has it's limits) to flattening orange peel. What you end up with is a whole bunch of scratches in the paint. Sounds bad, but in reality these scratches (when done correctly) are very uniform and predictable, so they are much easier to buff out with a rotary buffer and the appropriate compound. This topic could fill a days worth of discussion - and it does in the form of our Advanced Classes 4 times a year. Suffice to say that this is a very advanced process and should not be attempted by a novice. It has the potential to remove a lot of paint very quickly, but when done properly it can actually be less invasive than heavy rotary compounding.

9) Difference b/t rotary and d/a?
A rotary tool behaves pretty much like an angle grinder; lots of power applied in a perfectly circular pattern, very aggressive, potentially very dangerous in the hands of a novice. In the hands of a pro, however, it can produce incredible results. The rotary takes a lot more time to master. The DA (dual action) buffer moves the pad a bit differently; it rotates the pad but also moves it in sort of an off centered way so it also oscillates. Because of this, and the reduced power of the tool, it is far safer in the hands of a novice, but it usually won't remove extreme defects the way a rotary can, or at least not as quickly. Let's put it this way: if you use a rotary wrong you need to visit a body shop to have part of the car repainted; if you use a DA wrong you usually end up just pushing product around on the surface and not really accomplishing anything at all.

10) With Engine cleaner, you can spray it anywhere/ everywhere and it wont do damage, right?
Depends on the engine cleaner and what you mean by "anywhere/everywhere". Some custom built engines have a lot of polished aluminum pieces to make the engine a showpiece at an event, and plenty of cleaners or degreasers can damage that material. Totally stock factory engines rarely have such pieces so that's less of a concern. Still, you don't want to spraying stuff right into the alternator or other sensitive electrical parts, but for the most part modern engines are very well sealed against moisture. But engine cleaners are not just spray on and forget - usually you need some agitation and then a rinse with plain water.

11) To clean tires and get grime off before using gel, do I use #39 or #40? Where can i buy brushes to clean tires & rims, any auto store?
M39 is great for this, but so is All Purpose Cleaner or our new Hot Rims All Wheel & Tire Cleaner (assuming you have factory coated wheels and not aftermarket wheels). Tire brushes are widely available at most auto parts stores. M40 is a light cleaner and dressing in one and is a popular stand alone tire dressing.

12) After you detail your car, in less than a week isnt dust all over your car (not garaged parked)?
Sure it is. This is where quick detail sprays come into play, as long as the dust accumulation isn't too bad (like a day or two of exposure).

13) What to use to clean the underneath of the panels above the tires? #39, 40? With what kind of brush?
All Purpose Cleaner is much more cost effective here, but M40 is, again, a popular one step. A toilet brush often works great here as they tend to have long handles and smallish brush heads to fit between tire and wheel well opening. Popular dressings after cleaning include Hyper Dressing, M40 or even Natural Shine.

14) Can a chamois scratch a car when drying? ( I am going to start using Megs wet magent microfiber i think)
The downside to a chamois is that it's totally flat. Sure, they drink up water like a dehydrated camel, but that lack of texture or nap means that anything that gets trapped between it and the paint will get dragged against the paint, potentially scratching it. A microfiber drying towel like our Water Magnet is specifically designed to be both water absorbent and to safely pull any errant bits of stuff into it, rather than dragging it across the paint. We recommend lightly washing and drying the Water Magnets prior to use, and use two for your drying process. Always wash and dry them after use.

16) Is there a shelf life to products like #7 or #26? ex) 3 or 4 yrs.
3 to 5 years is the normal shelf life for all of our products, provided they are not exposed to prolonged high heat, and that you don't let them freeze. A single hard freeze will kill most products. Then again, we have seen some polishes that are still perfectly usable after a couple of decades or more.

17) Do you find when you drink a beer or 2 or 3 that you go 'to town' on detailing?
Whatever you libation of choice, it is important to stay hydrated during a long detailing session. It sort of important to stay focused during the process, too, so that may play into your choice of beverage.

Thanks guys. I want to perfect every inch of the car.

- Andrew

Now, after all that, we see you're in SoCal but you haven't yet signed up for one of our detailing classes. Given your level of interest in this hobby, we highly suggest you do so. The full schedule is here.

**Car Potential** · Jan 20, 2012, 06:16 PM

Re: 17 beginner questions & what products to use...

Thanks guys for the replies and valuable information! I am finding that maintaining the paint of my car is not as difficult as I thought and especially with all the information on this forum; I can find answers to all of my questions.

@Michael Stoops, excellent answers and I will definitely sign up for one of the Meguiar's Saturday classes.

Also, just one problem I am having is using tire gel and it leaving tire marks in my drive way. I no longer use the spray tire shine as it stains my driveway (only noticeable in the rain); and I like the results on the gel better anyway. Are other people have problems with endurance gel? I will apply it when my car is parked on the street.

And polish like #5 or #7 does not thin the paint, right? Also, right after I apply #7 to my car and wipe it off (usually 2 or 3 times wiping); I can apply #26 right after, right? Or do I have to wait a while? B/C I think if I applied 2 coats of wax I would have to wait but with polish I can apply right away.

Other than that I am soon going to start using a dual action buffer as I am slowly advancing in my car care techniques. The car looks too good when detailed and its hard not to continually stare at it!

Thanks Guys!

**Murr1525** · Jan 20, 2012, 08:13 PM

Re: 17 beginner questions & what products to use...

Yeah, most of the tire products seem to leave a little something behind if they run onto the drive way. You may want to try thinner coats if the tire shine is running that much.

No, a pure polish wont have abrasives to remove any paint. If you were to apply a product very agressively, anything can thin the paint.

You can wax right after polishing. You would want to wait at least a little in between the waxes.

**CivicSi** · Jan 29, 2012, 11:46 AM

Re: 17 beginner questions & what products to use...

cheap and effective way to remove headlight glaze is toothpaste..

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17 beginner questions & what products to use...

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