What To Use Before NXT

[Scott]

What would be the best cleaner/polish to use before applying NXT? The finish is already very smooth and is in good shape aside from some scratches.

[Mike Phillips]

A good cleaner/polish to apply by hand before applying NXT Tech Wax for a clean, clear finish would be any of these,

#9 Swirl Remover 2.0
#82 Swirl Free Polish
#80 Speed Glaze


If you want to remove scratches by hand then ScratchX. If you're going to use a machine, and you want to remove scratches then M80 Speed Glaze.

What are you working on?
How are you applying your products?

[Scott]

I bought some ScratchX and tried it on a couple of spots 5 or 6 times and it didn't do much. One was fairly deep and I really didn't think it would come out. The other spot I tried, the scratches were not very deep, but they did not come out either. I am applying everything by hand. The car is an 2002 Audi A4 with a dark green pearl paint. I just got it a couple months ago and I think it was buffed out by the dealer. I just want to get a good coat of wax on it and have it be durable. Maybe I don't really have to polish it first? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I plan to get this done tomorrow.

[thejazzguy]

Audi paint is incredibly hard. I just used StratchX on a black 2004 A4 on the weekend. Despite the owner removing bird droppings daily, one particularly bad dropping left a very noticeable mark in the clear coat on the roof. We went over the area 6 or 8 times and the mark all but disappeared. You have to be in just the right light at the right angle and know where to look to see it now. The defects can be removed but it will take some patience. Make sure you work the ScratchX long enough, too, though not until it is dry.

I agree with Mike about the Speed Glaze (not that he needs me to back him up.) You could also just use the Deep Crystal Cleaner, DC Polish and then top with NXT.

[Tim Lingor]

HI Scott,

Here is a link for the proper application of ScratchX:

How to remove a defect by hand with ScratchX

As Mike points out, you really need to work the ScratchX until it is a very light residue (almost gone, but not quite) before removing.

Also, since you are working by hand, here is another link that will help:

How To Remove Swirls By Hand

If after trying the above, you still have marring, your paint may be too hard to remove the marring by hand, and will require machine buffing. But try the above first, and it very well may do the trick as it has for thousands!

Please keep us posted!

Tim

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by Scott
Maybe I don't really have to polish it first? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I plan to get this done tomorrow.

Just to point out, it's an easy mistake to make and if you're new to Meguiar's products very understandable, but when you're using a paint cleaner like ScratchX, you're cleaning the paint.

Meguiar's paint cleaners are intelligent substitutes for old fashioned rubbing and polishing compounds.

Read this and you'll be up to speed... especially Step 2 and Step 3 and then everything will be as clear as M01 Medium Cut Cleaner.

Meguiar's 5-Step Paint Care Cycle

As far as skipping the paint cleaning step goes, how long a last will last is dependent upon a lot of different factors one of which is,

"How well is the surface prepared to accept the wax?"

Paint that is squeaky clean like it will be after applying ScratchX will better accept a wax, (allow the wax to adhere to it), than paint that is in lesser condition.

One note on using ScratchX to remove defects... at our Saturday Detailing classes I often hear some of the same comments over and over again by people in the different clubs that visit Meguiar's, one of them has to do with ScratchX and typically goes like this,

"That's what I'm doing wrong..."

This applies to when people watch me apply ScratchX and really work it against the finish with some passion behind the pad.

You don't push so hard that you put scratches into your car's paint, but ScratchX is a gentle paint cleaner part of the cleaning/abrading ability comes from the product, and part of it comes from you.

Also, for swirls and scratches, it will almost always take up to three applications, all worked-in well before you see an improvement depending on how hard the paint is and how deep the defects are.

You also need to shrink your work area down as applying ScratchX by hand to a large are will mean you are not going to be able to focus enough attention, (force), for a long enough period of time to remove small particles of paint and thus remove the defects. Many people try to work too large of an area, similar to using the dual action polisher for the cleaning step. To remove defects you need to shrink the size of your work area down.

It is only the rotary buffer that can tackle an entire half of one hood at one time.

In the below picture, I applied ScratchX three times to a small section to get these result.

Before




After

Three applications of ScratchX, one application of Deep Crystal Polish and one application of NXT Tech Wax Paste.



Hope this helps...