new

[Playerx07]

Hi new to this forum . I am 18 and own a 02 forest green avalanche I want to start detailing it

[Selectchoice]

Re: new

Welcome to MOL!

[Daniel Kinder]

Re: new

to MOL Player

How do you apply your product Hand, 6''or10'' Orbital, DA, Rotary

Start by reading these articles.

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?33-How-To-Articles

And watch these great how to video's.

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?134-How-To-Videos

Glad you joined, have any pics of your Avalanche?

[Playerx07]

But of course I have pictures! I shall post as soon as I figure out how. Well I still haven't started but I'm going with hand. I bought Ultimate compound and Ultimate polish just yesterday. I'm afraid I might have to return the compound for something softer. Which would be smarter correct ? Ps thanks for the warm welcome

[Selectchoice]

Re: new

Depends on what you're trying to correct. Ultimate compound can be reduced in aggressiveness by using a softer applicator pad, less downward pressure etc.

If you're working by hand you may need it to fully remove any defects your paint may have. Working with a machine can open up a few other options, but for now keep the Ultimate Compound. It's a very versatile product that can work wonders!

[Playerx07]

Do these look bad? Bad enough to ultimate compound the whole car ? I highly doubt the guy before me ever did any kind of compound or polish.

http://i39.tinypic.com/o02jp5.jpg

http://i39.tinypic.com/11jcjfp.jpg

http://i39.tinypic.com/es2g08.jpg

[Selectchoice]

Re: new

Is the car washed and clean in the pics or is there surface dirt on the paint? Hard to tell if the first pic is just dirty or maybe something worse is happening there...

The second couple of pics look like they could be corrected. I'd use Ultimate Compound and a soft foam hand pad. Do a test spot first before tackling the entire car. You never know how any particular paintwork will respond to any particular product until you test it on the said vehicle.

[Andy M.]

Welcome to MOL!

[Eldorado2k]

Howdy and welcome.
After looking at you pix I'd say hang on to that Ultimate Compound as it's going to be the biggest difference maker in correcting your current condition. I recently corrected my car by hand and used microfiber applicators and it never felt as if I was overdoing it. I even did 2 applications over the whole car with both UC and UP because my paint was very oxidized in some areas and I hope to not have to go through all that work for a good while now that it's all cleaned up & protected.
I'm not recommending you do 2 applications, just saying you probably shouldn't worry about UC being too aggresive. I would also recommend you get the clay bar kit and make that your #1 step.
Soak up as much info as you can b4 you begin. Good luck!

[Playerx07]

thank you for all the hope. Everyone. I greatly appreciate it. So to apply the compound a foam applicator , then polish also with a foam ? ( how many times should I go over with polish ?) and wax with also foam applicator ? I'm gonna be using the black wax can't seem to find it in store only the light wax. What do people usually use the micro fiber applicators for ? Since there considered a bit more tougher than the foams ?

[Eldorado2k]

When I decided to jump in and get to work I too had foam applicators locked in mind as I had heard so much about them being "good". However I found them unavailable for purchase at Orielys and Autozone. And it's not that they were sold out, apperently they don't normally sell packs of foam applicators [at least the 2 locations nearby] which I was dissapointed by. But I had bought all my products and was set to start and no way was I about to put it off and wait for an online purchase to arive. I was too excited by then So thinking microfiber pads would be too gentle I opted for terry towel applicators. [since the back of the bottles do recommend terry towel or foam application]
But being as obsessed as I am to gather up last minute tips saved me. As I got a feeling terry towel pads might not be ideal [I noticed a lack of people talking about having used them. I looked everywhere online and found zero people talking about them] I finally did a detailed search and found out I might end up in some trouble if I used them because they're not very user friendly according to lots of reports. And while I thought microfiber pads would be too soft I found out they were "med" which turned out to be exactly what I needed. So I was saved in the last minute and returned the Terrys for a pack of microfibers and they worked great! I thank my obsession for preperation aka "the sickness":p

[BTW I don't know why it recommends terry towel application on the labels of some Meguiars products. If the results are so unpredictable why suggest it to unsuspecting noobs]? Just my 2 cents. As I could see people "follow directions" and end up using terry applicators and end up not getting the desired results.