polishing (& wax) recommendations '88 944 Guards Red

[audi49]

I recently purchased an '88 Porsche 944 in Guards Red. The paint is a single stage paint (except for a couple parts that were repainted). Most of the car is in excellent condition (for its age), but the hood and top have some minor scratches and minor to moderate hazing/oxidation. What polish(es) is/are recommended for such a paint? And what wax would be recommended. I have Ultimate Compound and Ultimate Polish on hand, but want to make sure that i use the 'best' for such a single stage paint. Obviously i don't want to go too aggressive because once the single stage is gone, i'm done with a red car. Thanks for any advice on polishes & wax. Does Meguiars make products specifically for single stage paints?

[davey g-force]

Re: polishing (& wax) recommendations '88 944 Guards Red

A lot of the older Mirror Glaze products play well with SS paint.

However, the UC and UP that you have also will produce great results. I'd start with what you have and see how that goes.

Having said that, M7 is one product that SS paints absolutely love if they are dried out or oxidised. Is that the case with yours?

[audi49]

Re: polishing (& wax) recommendations '88 944 Guards Red

I think there's only minor oxidation on the hood and roof. The rest of the car is excellent. My plan is to first clay. UC on the hood and roof. The go with UP on the whole car. Then maybe the m7? Can I use menzerna power lock over m7? I have the menzerna and like it on my other cars. Thanks.

[davey g-force]

Re: polishing (& wax) recommendations '88 944 Guards Red

Sounds like a good plan.

Just check that the PL does not need a perfectly bare surface in order to bond. If it does, then I wouldn't do the M7, and do an IPA (or similar) wipe down after UP and before the PL.

[audi49]

Re: polishing (& wax) recommendations '88 944 Guards Red

Thanks. But what does ipa stand for besides the beer? :-)

[davey g-force]

Re: polishing (& wax) recommendations '88 944 Guards Red

Isopropyl alcohol.

Basically alcohol (dilute with water as necessary) to remove any polishing oils etc left behind by the polish or glaze to ensure your wax/sealant bonds properly.

Not all waxes/sealants require this. That's why I think you should check if PL does. The Meg's waxes/sealants do not require this, providing the polish/glaze before it is also a Meg's product.

[Don]

Re: polishing (& wax) recommendations '88 944 Guards Red

I have a ss red Suzuki and the Ultimate Polish played really well with the paint, even turning my "white" mirror red again. In fact, it worked so well that I didn't feel the need to use #7 to 'feed' the paint any more that the UP did, so I went straight to my LSP (Last Step Product) which was Ultimate Paste Wax.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: polishing (& wax) recommendations '88 944 Guards Red

I have a ss red Suzuki and the Ultimate Polish played really well with the paint, even turning my "white" mirror red again. In fact, it worked so well that I didn't feel the need to use #7 to 'feed' the paint any more that the UP did, so I went straight to my LSP (Last Step Product) which was Ultimate Paste Wax.

This comes as no surprise, really. UP contains similar polishing oils to M07 but with a tiny bit of added SMAT abrasive to help with some light defect removal, refinement of the surface following compounding, etc.

As Davey pointed out, stick with what you've got right now, that being UC and UP. Don't worry about either being overly aggressive since you get to control the aggressiveness by your application process. You don't mention whether you'll be working by hand or with a DA polisher, but we highly recommend the DA. Used at a moderate speed with a polishing rather than cutting pad, even with UC you won't have to worry about going through the paint. We do indeed make products that date back to the days when everything was single stage, but in the grand scheme of things you're working on paint whether it's older single stage, or a modern clear coat. Yes, there will be some differences in behavior between the two, but maybe not as dramatic as most think, especially if the paint is in fairly decent shape to begin with.

So, UC for the main defect/oxidation removal, followed by UP to refine the surface and really enhance the gloss, and finished with your wax of choice. If you like the Powerlock, go for it. Many around here a huge fans of our Ultimate Wax paste while others would argue a nice carnauba like Gold Class for a red Porsche, but since the vast majority of gloss and depth are going to come from your compound and polish steps the wax/sealant becomes a personal preference.

[audi49]

Re: polishing (& wax) recommendations '88 944 Guards Red

Michael. Many thanks. I think I have a direction. And I will be using a random orbital.