Another Newbie

[sanderson380]

i just started detailing and i have some questions. i just bought a 2008 Ford Mustang dark blue with two racing strips gong down the middle. they are glossy not flat black. the paint is in okay condition but i'm a perfectionist and have found that when looking up close there are a lot of small scratches like spidderwebbing on the paint and also the stripes. i'm not sure what would be best to fix this. i also want to know what would be best to use to make my paint have that deep wet look show cars have. another problem is that at the moment i dont have a powertool buffer/polisher so i need something that works well by hand, seeing that this is my first time doing this with no exprience, it's probably best to start by hand anyway. i'm confused so any advice would be greatful!

[greg0303]

Re: Another Newbie

Hello and Welcome to Meguiar's Online.


Swirl removal - absolutely, go for it. It's No. 1 problem in car paint especially after we introduced clear coats.

To remove a swirl or a scratch from your paint you need to level the surrounding paint to the same level of the lowest point of swirl/ scratch depth. It basically require some paint removal.

If you plan to do it by hand work on a small area, like 16"x16" or even smaller, use foam applicator pad and some pressure. Sometimes when you deal with deep swirls or hard car paint you may need to use a terry cotton applicator. Also in some cases a single application may not be enough and you need to repeat the entire area again.

Now you know why so many detailers use machine polishers.

Products to remove swirls/ scratches need to have a cleaning (cutting) ability. The most aggressive in Consumer Line is Ultimate Compound which is a paint cleaner/ compound. Less aggressive (but still capable of doing the job) are cleaner polishes, like SwirlX or Ultimate Polish. They additionally offer polishing oils for gloss restoration.

Usually you would start with less aggressive product, like SwirlX or Ultimate Polish, do a small test spot and inspect the results (defect removal) to see if you're on the right track.

As for wet, show car shine, you simply need to apply some polishing oils into your paint surface. Dry paint looks dull and lacks any gloss. The new Ultimate Polish has rich polishing oils in it. Deep Crystal Polish is a pure polish which also restores gloss well or you could go with M07 Show Car Glaze from Mirror Glaze Professional Line (also pure polish). Because pure polishes have no cleaners in them you can use them as often as you like.

There's another quite important step in paint preparation: claying. You do it after you wash your vehicle and it removes bonded contaminants left by a car wash on top of your paint. Clay bars must be used with lubricants like Quik Detailer, M34 Final Inspection or D155 Last Touch Spray Detailer (mixed 1:1). Claying will extend your wax protection and make paint surface feel as smooth as glass.

And this takes us to the last step - protection. Ultimate Wax is Meguiar's newest wax offering the longest protection. It's fully synthetic. You need to let it dry and then remove it (usually 20 - 45 minutes).

[sanderson380]

Re: Another Newbie

what about my stripes, can i use swirl x on it as well? or what can i do about my black decal stripes?

[greg0303]

Re: Another Newbie

what about my stripes, can i use swirl x on it as well? or what can i do about my black decal stripes?

Sorry, forgot about the stripes.

Because they are glossy you can polish them. I would start with SwirlX or Ultimate Polish.

For maintenance I would use Ultimate Protectant or M39 Heavy Duty Rubber Cleaner or M40 Vinyl & Rubber Cleaner/ Conditioner.


Will we see some pictures after detailing ?

[sanderson380]

Re: Another Newbie

i'll post some before and after pics. i wish the weather would clear up so i could start.