Car Detail Help

[zr123]

Hello everyone.

I want to finally detail my car completely as of next weekend. Meanwhile I want to spend some time and money and gather the products I would need in order to perform this detail.

My car: 2003 Black BMW 3 Series. The paint is in good condition in terms of scratches, etc... except there are some "white dots" and bonded partcles to the paint which I can feel by putting my fingers over it and some swirls/cobwebs.

My products:
- Meguiar's Clay
- Meguiar's Quik Detailer
- Meguiar's NXT Liquid Wax
- Meguiar's Scratch X
- Meguiar's Deep Crystal System Paint Cleaner
- Meguiar's #7 Show Car Glaze
- Meguiar's NXT Tech Protect
- Meguiar's Insane Shine Tire Coating
- Meguiar's High Tech Applicator Pads (4 or 5 of them)

My goal: To get the car as smooth, as protected and as shiny as possible. Rid all swirls and cobwebs.

I own a 10" Simoniz Orbital Buffer. I want to eventually buy either a PC or the G100 (perhaps within a month), but right now I will have to make do with what I have. I was thinking of purchasing an Ultimate Bonnet for the buffer to wipe off the wax?

I also find it real hard to remove the bonded particles to the car, I literally have to kill my arms before I can clean up something as small as the trunk. Would buying an more aggressive clay such as the Mild Clay help? Would it make a difference to what and how things are removed from the surface at all?

If you guys could help me out and tell me what I should use, and in which order... and if I have to buy any new products in order to achieve the results I want....

Once again, thanks so much for your help!

[Mike Phillips]

I'll post a little while, but it is Sunday, and I usually put a message on the frontpage about taking some time to rest and relax and not spending all day on the computer on a forum, it's probably close to 100 degrees where I'm at and the pool out back is calling my name.

If you are not able to remove the bonded contaminants from your car's paint using our Quik Clay System using your best skills, then there's a good chance getting a more aggressive clay may work, but it could be the bonded contaminants themselves are some kind of hard material such as epoxy overspray?

Point being, it is possible to have bonded contaminants that are not coming off without drastic measures. Have you any idea what these bonded contaminants are?

I don't know that the Mild clay is going to remove them if a lot of focused attention with the Quik Clay system isn't making a dent in them so far. Do you know any local pros you could check with?

As for the rest of the car, apply the scratchX to remove the swirls by hand, you can try using the buffer, but it's pretty ineffective at removing paint, (removing swirls), while you hand is more effective because you can exert more concentrated force to a smaller area.

You can remove the products faster by hand than with the orbital buffer again because it's slow and large.

Here's the order for the paint,

Wash
Clay
ScratchX
M07
NXT x 2

The other products are pretty self explanatory.

[zr123]

Originally posted by Mike Phillips
Have you any idea what these bonded contaminants are?

I think there is a small chance of them being overspray... but mainly dust and sap (since I am forced to park under a tree sometimes)

I don't know that the Mild clay is going to remove them if a lot of focused attention with the Quik Clay system isn't making a dent in them so far.

No no, what I meant was, the Quik Clay system does work. It is phenomenal on some parts of the paint, but it literally takes "an arm" to perfect even the smallest area... so I was thinking of moving up to a more aggressive clay, such as the mild one to see if that will pick anything up a bit better. - No chance of damaging the paint, right?

You can remove the products faster by hand than with the orbital buffer again because it's slow and large.

Incase I do decide to use the orbital, would making use of the Ultimate Bonnet help?

Here's the order for the paint,

Wash
Clay
ScratchX
M07
NXT x 2

Should I use the Deep Crystal System Paint Cleaner at all?... like before or after Scratch X? or it really won't make too much of a difference?

Thanks for your help Mike! much appreciated.

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by zr123
I think there is a small chance of them being overspray... but mainly dust and sap (since I am forced to park under a tree sometimes)

Try using ScratchX after claying, and then claying again after using ScratchX.

No no, what I meant was, the Quik Clay system does work. It is phenomenal on some parts of the paint, but it literally takes "an arm" to perfect even the smallest area... so I was thinking of moving up to a more aggressive clay, such as the mild one to see if that will pick anything up a bit better. - No chance of damaging the paint, right?

The Mild Clay is completely safe, it's the Aggressive clay you have to be careful around.

In case I do decide to use the orbital, would making use of the Ultimate Bonnet help?

It will help you not to wipe of products by hand.

Should I use the Deep Crystal System Paint Cleaner at all?... like before or after Scratch X? or it really won't make too much of a difference?

Thanks for your help Mike! much appreciated.

If you use the ScratchX, you shouldn't have to use the Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner, they both do the same thing, the ScratchX is more effective at removing below surface defects.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Going out to pull the cover off the pool... don't everyone spend all day sitting behind a computer, it's not healthy for you!

[zr123]

Mike (or anyone else),

Can you suggest what to use for an engine detail/shampoo and how? This would be the first time I would try an engine detail/shampoo and I am not quite sure what is safe to use or how to go about this.

Thanks!

ZR

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by zr123
Mike (or anyone else),

Can you suggest what to use for an engine detail/shampoo and how? This would be the first time I would try an engine detail/shampoo and I am not quite sure what is safe to use or how to go about this.

Thanks!

ZR

ZR,

You should really start a new thread for this instead of just add it on to your existing questions...

[zr123]

Hi Mike,

done deal.


thanks

ZR