So many choices have I made a good one?

[StevieB]

Thinking of moving from Autoglym to Meguiar's products...

Currently own a new MINI Cooper S 2004 version...

Have selected the following to try; is this a good selection or am I missing something?

(1) Gold Class Car Wash Shampoo & Conditioner
(2) Quick Clay detailing
(3) Gold Class Clear Coat Liquid Car Wax...

Any advice as to preparation and finishing off would be welcome...
StevieB

[Mike Phillips]

Hi StevieB,

Welcome to Meguiar's Online!

Your selection is fine and should deliver excellent results!

Mike

p.s.

Check out this thread,

Mini Coopers at Meguiar's NXT Garage!

[mopar]

good combo.Gold class shampoo and conditioner is awsome stuff .
gold class wax will darken your colour and make it really reflective.
the only i would add that i have used and really liked is scratch(if your paint needs it)it really improved the colour of my car and philled some minor swirls .But like mike said in another thread it is not a wipe on wipe off product it will take some elbow grease to see the true benefits of useing scratch x.

[4.6GT]

I'd use a polish before the wax --

[mopar]

^^oh ya i forgot about that

[StevieB]

Originally posted by 4.6GT
I'd use a polish before the wax --

Ok, here is where I reveal that I know little about preparation, cleaning, prolishing and waxing...

What am I missing by not applying a polish?

Looking at my combination of products, what is the 'polish' you would recommend, and why?

Information welcome

StevieB

P.S. What about 'application' products, e.g. how one applies the polish and wax?

[Mosca]

"Ok, here is where I reveal that I know little about preparation, cleaning, prolishing and waxing... What am I missing by not applying a polish? Looking at my combination of products, what is the 'polish' you would recommend, and why? Information welcome P.S. What about 'application' products, e.g. how one applies the polish and wax?",

He wrote, as he felt the ground tremble, and his feet gave way as a huge chasm open beneath him and sucked him in!


Polish is something like Meguiar's Deep Crystal Step 2; it adds gloss but not protection.


Tom

[Aurora40]

I think you will eventually need some kind of cleaner/polish product. A polish like #2 will not do any cleaning. I think your paint, even though pretty new, will need some cleaning action at some point. There used to be a companion cleaner/polish product to Gold Class Clear Coat Wax called Gold Class Clear Coat Prep and Swirl Reducer. In lieu of that, you might try a product like #9 Swirl Remover or #80 Speed Glaze. Or you could try the Step #1 cleaner.

Polishes that Meguiar's calls pure polishes like Step 2, or #7, etc, don't really do any cleaning, they just add some temporary gloss and depth to the paint. They are useful sometimes and do add a lot of shine back into the paint, but won't actually clean the paint or remove swirls or anything like that. They are used on paint that has already had those issues taken care of.

Anyway, your lineup seems fine. See how you like them, and then maybe shop for a cleaner/polish product.

You can apply the car wash with a nice chenile wash mitt/sponge, a sheepskin mitt, or whatever you prefer. You can apply the clay with your hand. You can apply the Gold Class Wax with the included foam applicator, or you can buy some if you need more. You could also probably apply it with a terry cloth towel or a MF towel if you wanted, but foam is probably the easiest.

[StevieB]

My thanks to all of you who have replied so far and I am happy to say that I have revised the original list so that it it now reads:

1. Gold Class Car Wash Shampoo and Conditioner
2. STEP 1 - Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner
3. Quik Clay Detailing System
4. STEP 2 – Deep Crystal Polish
5. Gold Class Clear Coat Liquid Wax

I think this may be 'overkill' with items 2 & 3 but better to have what I need to hand than to start without the 'tools' required.

Any 'tips' on prep, application most welcome...

Oh, Mike... can all of this be done by hand or should I invest in a coordless buffer? confused:

Thanks,
StevieB:

[Aurora40]

I'm not Mike, but I'd do the Step 1 Cleaner (which is step 2 in your agenda) after the clay, not before.

Also, you can use all of those by hand.

[StevieB]

NXT or Gold Class?

So.....the list is.....

1. Gold Class Car Wash Shampoo & Conditioner
2. Quik Clay Detailing System
3. Step 1 - Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner
4. Step 2 - Deep Crystal Polish
5. Gold Class Clear Coat Liquid Wax

Please confirm that this order is correct and how long should I leave between applications / between any of thes products?

Also, when doing the next cleaning session can I skip or repeat any of these to get even a better shine?

I am doing this by hand...having been discouraged by others that have used 'buffers'...leaving swirls????

I am on a shopping trip this afternoon so early replies requested....as I have a car ralley this Sunday (and I want my car gleaming....).
Thanks,
StevieB

[Aurora40]

The order looks good to me. No time is needed except after the Gold Class wax step. You might give 24 hours before using QD's, washing, applying something else, etc.

On subsequent applications, you could use the polish (Step 2 polish) and then the Gold Class, or just use the Gold Class. Or if you need some spot cleaning, use the Step 1 on spots or the clay on spots. Or if your "next time" is next year or something, maybe you'll want to do the whole thing again. It all depends on what the condition of the paint is when you go to do it again.