A Few Good Questions!

[h_bomm]

I've had a few things on my mind that I thought I should wait for till things were back to full strength, so here goes!

1. I am wanting to get the DA Microfiber Kit this spring and was looking for thoughts and opinions on weather I should go with the 5" or 6" kit. This might be a good one for Mike Stoops since I have a funny feeling has experience with both!

2. I got a Daytona Wheel Brush for Christmas and the package says to clean with a degreaser. I assume D108 Super Degreaser would be a good choice, I have some already diluted 10:1, is that strong enough? Is it necessary to use a degreaser like they suggest or is some other soap (dish soap) a better choice?

3. Is there anything to be gained by using a pure polish after you have already used UP? I'm sure there might be, but is it worth it for maybe barely noticeable gain?

4. Speaking of pure polishes, what is a good one? I was thinking about M07 Show Car Polishbut I saw that it can be kind of a pain to remove. Then I was maybe leaning towards M03 Machine Glaze or Deep Crystal Polish.

5. I also am getting a Tornador Black. What is a good cleaning solution to use? I was thinking APC at 10:1 but not sure. I am excited to use it to clean all the crack and crevices but when you use it on air vents, doesn't the cleaning solution go down the vent? Is that a problem and how do you combat that?

Sorry to unload like this, but I appreciate the advice. It's great to have a place to go to get help!

[The Guz]

Re: A Few Good Questions!

I'll answer as best as I can.

1. I am wanting to get the DA Microfiber Kit this spring and was looking for thoughts and opinions on weather I should go with the 5" or 6" kit. This might be a good one for Mike Stoops since I have a funny feeling has experience with both!

If you do a lot of production detailing then the entire MF kit would be worth the money. If you are going to be using a DA like the meguiar's one or the porter cable then I would stick with the 5" kit. I have only used the 5" MF cutting pads on my personal which work great. Especially on cars with hard clear coat. I follow up with M205 and a foam polishing pad to refine the finish and elimate any haze. I would also pick up some foam pads as well.
2. I got a Daytona Wheel Brush for Christmas and the package says to clean with a degreaser. I assume D108 Super Degreaser would be a good choice, I have some already diluted 10:1, is that strong enough? Is it necessary to use a degreaser like they suggest or is some other soap (dish soap) a better choice?

I have not used D108 but I clean my wheel brushes with D103 APC+. Dish soap should work fine as well.

3. Is there anything to be gained by using a pure polish after you have already used UP? I'm sure there might be, but is it worth it for maybe barely noticeable gain?

UP has enough polishing oils that you really don't need to use something like M7 after it.

4. Speaking of pure polishes, what is a good one? I was thinking about M07 Show Car Polishbut I saw that it can be kind of a pain to remove. Then I was maybe leaning towards M03 Machine Glaze or Deep Crystal Polish.

M7 is usually the recommended one. I'm not sure if M3 is available. If you are using UP or M205 I would not bother with M7.

5. I also am getting a Tornador Black. What is a good cleaning solution to use? I was thinking APC at 10:1 but not sure. I am excited to use it to clean all the crack and crevices but when you use it on air vents, doesn't the cleaning solution go down the vent? Is that a problem and how do you combat that?

I can't help you here as I don't have a tornador.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: A Few Good Questions!

Well, The Guz answered everything (except Q5) pretty completely but allow us to expand on things a bit:

1. I am wanting to get the DA Microfiber Kit this spring and was looking for thoughts and opinions on weather I should go with the 5" or 6" kit. This might be a good one for Mike Stoops since I have a funny feeling has experience with both!

Like The Guz said, if you're using a traditional style DA (G110v2, Porter Cable, Griot's, etc) then the 5" is recommended. If you pick up a kit it will come with the appropriate W67DA backing plate, but if you decide to just go with pads and liquids rather than the full kit, make sure you pick up a W67DA backing plate for use with the pads. If you have a Flex 3401 or a Rupes 21 then the 6" pads are the way to go. While personally I don't care at all for microfiber on the Flex, they are utterly fantastic on the Rupes.

2. I got a Daytona Wheel Brush for Christmas and the package says to clean with a degreaser. I assume D108 Super Degreaser would be a good choice, I have some already diluted 10:1, is that strong enough? Is it necessary to use a degreaser like they suggest or is some other soap (dish soap) a better choice?

If the manufacturer recommends using a degreaser then you should use a degreaser. Again, as The Guz points out, dishwashing detergent is a great degreaser so you could use just that. But APC and Super Degreaser do work extremely well for this sort of cleaning.

3. Is there anything to be gained by using a pure polish after you have already used UP? I'm sure there might be, but is it worth it for maybe barely noticeable gain?

The Guz nailed it - 'nuff said.

4. Speaking of pure polishes, what is a good one? I was thinking about M07 Show Car Polishbut I saw that it can be kind of a pain to remove. Then I was maybe leaning towards M03 Machine Glaze or Deep Crystal Polish.

On a modern clear coat, you'll get more out of M205 than you will a pure polish. M205 has plenty of polishing oils for the depth and gloss, but the SMAT abrasives in it are fantastic for adding a lot of clarity to the finish, especially on metallics, pearls and light colors. It should be a staple of your detailing arsenal.

5. I also am getting a Tornador Black. What is a good cleaning solution to use? I was thinking APC at 10:1 but not sure. I am excited to use it to clean all the crack and crevices but when you use it on air vents, doesn't the cleaning solution go down the vent? Is that a problem and how do you combat that?

Such an awesome tool - I recently acquired one as well and love it. Love it!!! I've been using APC at 10:1 in it and so far it's been doing a great job on all kinds of things: carpets, door sills, engine bays, you name it. If you need APC stronger than that for a given job, then mix it up. If you need Super Degreaser instead for a given job, mix it up. And speaking of the Tornador, get their blow gun for cleaning out microfiber pads, drying wheels after washing (trust me on this - it's fantastic!!!) and other uses. (Note: these endorsements of the Tornador tools are mine and mine alone, not Meguiar's)

[h_bomm]

Re: A Few Good Questions!

Thank you for the replies! I was kinda leaning towards the 5" kit anyway, but that firmed it up for me. I have UP and love it. I haven't used 205 yet but I was going to get some this spring and use it on my truck to clean up the winter mess. I have UC'd and UP'd it so the major defects are pretty much gone. Maybe I wasn't clear about the pure polish. I was thinking on using it when 205 or UP weren't necessary, just to put some depth and gloss back into it. Guz mentioned that he wasn't sure if they made M03 anymore but I have seen it on AG. How difficult is M07 to remove? I have read that it can be kind of a pain. That's why I was looking to get an opinion on M03 or Deep Crystal. For all I know, I may not even need to use a polish, but I think it's still good to have options. Again, thank you all for your replies and info!

[BillE]

Re: A Few Good Questions!

M-7 CAN be a bear to remove if you use too much and/or it dries on the surface.

Apply a thin application (work it in) then remove while still 'damp.' Just do one section at a time.

As everyone said above, when using Ult Polish, M-7 really may not make much of a visual difference. BUT (ahh the infamous 'but') if there may be a few little swirls (etc) you did quit get, 7 will hide them well.

Sorry for the short answers, it's cold in the garage this morning and the hands don't want to work.

Bill