Beginner Detailer Needs Help

[gb387]

Yeah the chrome does add a nice touch to the interior... If I wasn't a "truck guy" I think the Trans Am would be high on the list of things to drive, good looking cars and they look like fun to drive. As you know the Lightning is quite fun too I have only had it 6 weeks and I wouldn't give it up.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Deep Crystal, here I come.

Originally posted by ksing44
I just want to do more than I have done in the past.

Hi ksing44 and welcome to Meguiar's Online Discussion Forums!

I would recommend stepping up to the Porter Cable Dual Action polisher. I have never met anyone who regrets purchasing this polisher.

It is capable of achieving dramatically better results than your hand can ever do, (unless your Scottwax).

Meguiar's version comes with a backing plate and a W-8006 foam polishing pad and a Lifetime Warranty, that's a no questions asked guarantee by the way.

You can apply most Meguiar’s paint cleaners, polishes and waxes including the new Tech Wax with the PC. You can also remove the wax using a Meguiar’s Ultimate Bonnet over a dry buffing pad on the PC.

That’s the direction I would go.

Mike

[gb387]

Mike Phillips... said it all go with the Porter Cable Dual Action polisher it will help GREATLY with your waxing/polishing the difference is amazing! I wouldn't give mine up for anything!

[mopar]

how easy is the pc to use?

[J SOLO]

Get the pc you wont be sorry i have the meg. one and love it.

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by mopar
how easy is the pc to use?

Super easy!

Mike

[gb387]

As mike said the PC is VERY easy to use, if you need a little how to, watch the video on Meguiars website... how to videos watch the one called "Power Polishing Clinic" You are not going to swirl the paint or anything. If you watch that online video you will have all the info you need to use the PC.

[ksing44]

Wow, that is a lot of rubbing!

We had a relatively warm and dry day, so I went for it.

Meguiar's Deep Crystal Car Wash
Chamois and 100% Cotton Towel Dry
1. Meguiar's Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner
2. Meguiar's Deep Crystal Polish
3. Meguiar's Gold Class Clear Coat Liquid Wax
Meguiar's Quick Detailer

All work was done by hand with new polishing pads and 100% cotton towels. Wow, that is a lot of rubbing. I think it took me about 7 hours. I thought my arm was going to fall off and my back got very tired. I may have to try an electric polisher. Will even more rubbing, like with an electric polisher or at least a fresh right arm, make the cleaner or polishing steps more effective? Which part of the process is most improved with an electric polisher?

My car does look better. All that work seems to have reduced the appearance of those "swirl marks" and increased the depth of the color. I couldn’t tell much difference between Cleaner and Polish, however, in terms of the appearance of the paint. I think two steps might be enough, either the cleaner or the polish and then the wax. It does seem that separate cleaner or polishing works better than the combination cleaner wax products I have used in the past.

One step that I didn’t include, was the clay bar, so I can still feel some "contaminants" that did not come off with the cleaner or polish. Next time I may try some clay, then polish, and then wax.

I liked the liquid wax. I have always used paste wax and there was something nicer about the creamy yellow liquid. For one thing, I think it was easier to remove. On the other hand, I didn’t feel like it left as much wax on my car after it was removed. Do you guys think multiple layers of liquid wax helps the appearance of the car and adds protection, or does the next layer of wax just remove the first layer of wax?

I don’t have pictures of after, but with my car I really don’t think you could tell the difference unless I went out of my way to make the before pictures look as ugly as possible by getting just the right angle of the sun.

Thank you for all of the help. Now I feel like I am doing everything I can to keep my car looking good and it really does look pretty good.

[Mosca]

1) The second coat increases the density of the layer, not the thickness. When maximum density is achieved, usually after two coats, additional coats are of no use.

2) The PC7424 is an electric polisher. It is a high powered, extremely versatile electric polisher. It can do anything from swirl and hologram removal (holograms from a rotary buffer) to final wax application and removal.


I was cruising my hard drive looking at pictures, and I found some pictures of my car from before I learned The Process. They might even be from the day that I decided that something was wrong, that I was missing something. I'd spent the whole weekend polishing and waxing and detailing my car, and it looked shiny... shiny and dull, faded, washed out. This was the limit of what I could do on my own, without knowledge and the right tools:






So, I did exactly what you are doing right now. I looked around the internet and asked a bunch of questions, and finally I went out and got the PC7424, and learned the pads and polishes and went to work on my car (this is my favorite picture of it):






ksing, if I can do it, anyone can. The tool is safe enough that you can experiment with it. If something doesn't work, it doesn't work in the sense that the swirls are still there, not in the sense that all you're looking at is bare metal, or primer.


Tom

[gb387]

Mosca... You can see a difference in the two photos, thats interesting. I know I noticed a difference in the finish after I went from hand waxing to the PC but I have never seen it side by side and as I recall mine results were similar.

ksing44... Its good to here you got some good results from the deep crystal system. You talk about an electric polisher, if you are talking about the ones you get from wal-mart for $20 in my opinion they are not worh the plastic they are made of. I have used one and all they seem to do is shake your arms. If you ar talking about a Porter Cable 7424 or 7336 or 7335 they are worth every penny! Yes they do cost more but they will give you much better results, hands down!

[ksing44]

Smudges from polish?

It has been bright and sunny, so my car is still clean except for some spray from puddles of melting snow. In the bright sun, I noticed that the swirl marks were mostly gone, but now I have something that looks like "smudges" under the wax. I think it must be from the polishing step. To me it looks like you can see stop and start marks from my rubbing. It looks like long strokes across the entire panel might give a more uniform appearance. Maybe I just need more rubbing with the polish. My arm was getting quite tired, so maybe I just didn’t rub it enough. Do you guys understand what I am talking about? How do I get rid of those smudges? I think it is under the wax. Maybe more polishing is all I need.

[chinkapin02]

PERPETUAL NOOB:
I've alway heard that the number one color Cops look for is red!
Boy they will see you coming ten miles away

Good looking car.
Don

[Rockpick]

Originally posted by mopar
how easy is the pc to use?

It's incredibly easy to use...

I was scared to death of the machine.... now that I have it, I wouldn't sell it back to you for what I paid. It's an incredible asset to anybody that is SERIOUS about car care.

RP

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Smudges from polish?

Originally posted by ksing44
It has been bright and sunny, so my car is still clean except for some spray from puddles of melting snow. In the bright sun, I noticed that the swirl marks were mostly gone, but now I have something that looks like "smudges" under the wax. I think it must be from the polishing step. To me it looks like you can see stop and start marks from my rubbing. It looks like long strokes across the entire panel might give a more uniform appearance. Maybe I just need more rubbing with the polish. My arm was getting quite tired, so maybe I just didn’t rub it enough. Do you guys understand what I am talking about? How do I get rid of those smudges? I think it is under the wax. Maybe more polishing is all I need.

I would try a second application of wax, apply a thin coat, and then remove using your highest quality microfiber polishing cloth.

When removing your wax, you want to be gentle and wipe softly. What you are describing sounds like smudges left behind due to the removal, or wipe-off process.

If you get a chance, try the new NXT Tech Wax, apply a nice, even thing coating, allow 15-20 minutes for the wax to dry and then wipe off softly with microfiber.

When it comes to finishes in nice shape, you really have to invest some care into the procuess to guarantee show car results. Once you get your finish to a very high state of polish, any little smudge or smear really tends to show up.

You could also try misting on some Quick Detailer to the smudged areas and then wiping off gently with a microfiber polishing cloth.

Hope this helps... cool:

Mike:

[Mosca]

ksing, I'm about 90 minutes north of you, in Mountain Top (southern Poconos). Maybe we'll get together some day & share some tips, etc. There's a lot of us in this corridor; Boss429, BrettK, and lots more.


Tom