We appreciate your support! Let us know how things turn out.

cerr - you might want to start by using a clay bar on your vehicle. Using a clay bar will remove surface contamination if there are any remains of the egg or whatever the "yellow crusty gunk" may be. If it has stained your clear coat, then you will want to use a chemical polish or perhaps a light abrasive finishing polish. That would be the steps I would take to tackle the stain you are speaking of. Be sure to re-protect your paint afterwards by applying a sealant and / or wax.

If you have any questions on anything, please do not hesitate to ask.

George

 

Hello,

I have an 05 brilliant silver coupe with 19K on it. The car sits in a garage @ work during the day from approx. 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. I live in a condo complex so it is outside the rest of the time.

Since I live in the complex, I have no way to use power buffers since there is no power recepticle and it is not allowed anyway...plus I would have to work in the sun. I do all my work by hand and have no problem doing that. I actually enjoy working on the car this way, although I would prefer to use a machine.

I take very good care of my car. I wash it every weekend @ my fathers home, weather permitting, and usually wipe it down two to three times during the week in the garage @ work. My daily round trip from home to work to gym and back home is only 7 miles.

I think my car is in excellent condition, but also know there is room for improvement. I buy OTC products as they are less expensive, easily accessible and I know can get the job done. This is an example of my most frequently used products for maintaining my car:

- Meguiars Gold Class Wash - applied with wooley mitt
- Eagle One Wipe and Shine - applied with fluffy, cotton terry bath towels
- Stoner Invisible Glass - applied with old cotton t-shirts
- Mothers FX Tire Shine - applied with round terry cloth wipe
- Meguiars Protectant Wipes - on interior plastics
- Meguiars Quick Interior Detailer Wipes - on plastics for quick wipe downs
- Meguiars Rich Leather Wipes - on all leather surfaces
- Meguiars PlastX - with foam applicator on clear plastic headlight lenses
- Meguiars ScratchX - with foam applicator, use as a polish
- Meguiars NXT, Gold Class or Deep Crystal Carnuaba Wax - foam applicator
- Meguiars Cleaner Wax - used between polish and wax treatments, one step
- Eagle One A to Z - to clean residue/buildup on tires from dressings
- Meguiars - NXT All Metal Polish - for exhaust tips and wheel lips
- Wheel Wax - foam applicator, so brake dust does not stick
- Meguiars Clay Bar - to keep finish smooth as glass, twice a year

- all waxes and polish are buffed off using fluffy, cotton terry bath towels.
- polish & wax the car every three months since it is outside

After two years, there are some small, faint scratches here and there most likely from washing or wiping car down with mist and wipe.

My question is can you recommend some OTC products that will improve my results working on the car by hand...especially polishes. There are so many out there and ScratchX and Deep Crystal are really the only polishes I have ever used. I have been to Autopia.com, but most of the stuff on there I have never heard of and it is not in the stores...only on-line or mail order. Plus most of the stuff there is for PC use.

Any product suggestions you may have to improve my results are greatly appreciated as I am sure you have tried many more than I have.

Thanks for your time.

 

Hello I have an 04 G35 and i'm only 17, so please help me.

Someone at school keyed the car and I can get pictures if you need to see how deep/how "un"deep it is.

But what is the BEST way to remove the scratch.

Keep in MIND that the car is from 2004, so the paint is not new!!

Thanks!

 

DRG35R - thanks for the detailed post and information about your process.

I'll highlight anything I see that can be improved upon and provide recommendations where applicable.

- Meguiars Gold Class Wash - applied with wooley mitt - by this do you mean sheepskin? If so then this is great. What are you drying with? This could also be the cause of your imperfections.
- Eagle One Wipe and Shine - applied with fluffy, cotton terry bath towels - invest in some quality microfiber towels instead of the cotton bath towels. Chances are this is where you are adding some of the fine imperfections in your paint.
- Stoner Invisible Glass - applied with old cotton t-shirts - same product I use on my glass, although i apply / remove with microfiber towels
- Mothers FX Tire Shine - applied with round terry cloth wipe
- Meguiars Protectant Wipes - on interior plastics
- Meguiars Quick Interior Detailer Wipes - on plastics for quick wipe downs
- Meguiars Rich Leather Wipes - on all leather surfaces - never used any ready to use wipe products so I cannot comment on the above 3
- Meguiars PlastX - with foam applicator on clear plastic headlight lenses - this is a good product to use
- Meguiars ScratchX - with foam applicator, use as a polish - this is a great option by hand
- Meguiars NXT, Gold Class or Deep Crystal Carnuaba Wax - foam applicator
- Meguiars Cleaner Wax - used between polish and wax treatments, one step - keep in mind this will remove any previous coats of protection and it does not built upon itself, as long as you are aware of that then it is fine. I personally would reapply the wax instead of this product until your next polishing process.
- Eagle One A to Z - to clean residue/buildup on tires from dressings
- Meguiars - NXT All Metal Polish - for exhaust tips and wheel lips
- Wheel Wax - foam applicator, so brake dust does not stick - good product
- Meguiars Clay Bar - to keep finish smooth as glass, twice a year - good

Overall you have a pretty good process for what you are doing. There aren't many polishes better than scratchX for hand application. You're limited to mild abrasives for hand application as it's very difficult to properly break down larger abrasives and finish the paint without adding marring by hand. Unfortunately I don't have a better alternative that is available locally to apply by hand.

Consider adding 3M Imperial Hand Glaze after polishing and before you apply your wax. Most carnauba waxes last 2 - 8 weeks, you should be reapplying your wax at least monthly.

Regarding the products in general, I'd opt for the Meguiars Professional Glaze Line, usually in the tan bottles if available, or the Duragloss line of products which can sometimes be found locally. Other than that, you'd probably have to order online to achieve a better finish with a lot more products available to you.

If you have any questions on anything let me know.

George

 

George,

Thanks for the quick reply!

My wooley mitt is synthetic...actually called the Working Wooley. It is very thick and plush and holds a ton of suds. I tried real sheepskin, but they just don't hold the suds and tear. Microfiber mitts have not worked for me either. I like a mitt that really holds the suds. Anything better you can recommend?


I do all drying, polish and wax removal with thick, cotton, terry bath towels. You suggest I change everything over to MF towels? Can you recommend a brand? The ones I have seen in the stores look small and cheap.


My interior is kept like new, always. No food, drink or kids. That is why I use the wipes and they are easy, clean and fast . What are some good, non-wipe, interior products to use on plastics and leather? Oh yeah, can you recommend something to clean the carpeted floor mats?


I will be removing the cleaner wax as part of my detailing process and instead be applying wax monthly and polishing every three months, thanks. How often should I glaze, every time I polish? Should I polish more than four times a year?


Okay, I guess I need to expand beyond the shelves of my local auto parts store to get better results. Can you recommend any online products that will improve my process and allow me to get better results based upon what I have told you above? There are so many brands and I have already been through the hit or miss process with the products off the store shelves. I really don't want to miss this time.




I really appreciate your expertise. I know doing the process by hand will not get the best results, but that is all that is available to me right now. I do not really want to let anyone else work on my car right now. One issue is paying for something I can do myself and enjoy. The other is finding a detailer near by that I can totally trust with my baby.

Thanks again!

 

The way you are going to remove scratches or other imperfections in your paint like swirls, water spots, etc. is to use a combination of abrasive polishes. If the scratch has removed the paint and you see primer or bare metal, then the only way to correct this is by using some touch up or get that panel resprayed.

From the sounds of it, your entire vehicle could benefit from a thorough polishing job, since you said the paint is not new, assuming you mean that the paint is not in new condition.

I'd recommend investing in a quality buffer such as the Porter Cable 7424, a velcro backing plate and some pads to go along with your polishes.

For polish suggestions, if you are going to opt for the buffer, I'd strongly encourage you to look at the Menzerna line of polishes.

For scratches they typically will require at least a two step product combination consisting of a medium cutting polish and a finishing polish.

Menzerna's two medium cut polishes are Intensive Polish (IP) and Super Intensive Polish (SIP). There are a few differences between them which I'll point out. SIP has a longer work time and has a lower tendency to dust. SIP also finishes down finer than IP so on certain vehicles the SIP may be enough and you may not need to follow up with a finishing polish. Downside of SIP is it only comes in 32oz size and costs $49.99. In your situation you would want to use an orange light cutting pad for either of these 2 polishes.

The finishing polish options are either Final Polish II (FPII) and PO106FF. Similar differences apply to the PO106FF and FPII. PO106FF has slightly more cutting ability, but also finishes down noticeably finer than FPII. Workability is about the same between the two and neither product really dusts. PO106FF only comes in the 32oz size and also costs $49.99. Both of these polishes would be applied with a white polishing pad.

Going with one medium cut and one finishing polish along with the buffer and proper pads will yield the best finish for your vehicle as well as remove the scratch marks, assuming they do not need to be repainted. I'd recommend reading our polishing guide to get the most out of your investment.

If you have any questions on anything please do not hesitate to ask.

George

 

If you are happy with the Working Wooley, and it doesn't appear to be adding imperfections to your paint, then I would say stick with it. We just got in a new wash mitt alternative called the Lake Country Ulti-Mit. It definitely holds suds very well, but can almost hold too much as it gets very heavy.

If you are going to end up ordering some new products online, our microfiber selection is top quality. Our waffle weave drying towels are very absorbent, have silk edges and are tagless. The waffle weave texture also makes this one of the safest drying towels you can use on your paint. For product removal towels, our all purpose microfiber towels are excellent. They have a medium sized nap, safe edges and remain fresh wash after wash. They are tagged, but I recommend removing the tag once you receive them. Here's a recent review on another forum about our waffle weave drying towels and all purpose microfiber towels.

303 Aerospace Protectant is a staple product in my detailing arsenal. I use this for a bold matte finish that provides excellent UV protection on vinyl, rubber, leather and plastic surfaces. 303 also makes a great carpet cleaner and comes in two versions, a pre-diluted ready to use formula called Cleaner & Spot Remover or the concentrated formula we recommend diluting 6:1 ratio Fabric & Vinyl Cleaner.

Applying the glaze after each polish is a good idea. I normally polish two - three times a year, I wouldn't recommend going more than 4 times a year for the sake of your clear coat, even though you are using a mild polish.

One of the nice things about the products we carry is they tend to go a long way. Follow the philosophy of "less is more" when applying any product. Thin, even coats are much better than over applying a product. To give you an idea, when I apply a paint sealant, I typically use 1 ounce or less.

Let me know which steps you would like product recommendations for. One thing I think you could benefit from is applying a paint sealant as your underlying coat of protection. A great option that is affordable but provides excellent results is Poorboy's EX-P sealant. This would go on top of a glaze and should be applied seasonally for maximum protection. Layering a wax on top is still a great option to enhance the depth and gloss as well as provide a second layer of protection. Ideally you want to let your sealant cure for 24 hours before applying your wax. This gives it the proper amount of time to cross-link and bond to the paints surface.

If you go this route, your new process would look like this:

Wash & Dry -> Clay -> Polish -> Glaze -> Sealant -> Wax

Let me know what areas you would like recommendations on and I'd be more than happy to offer my suggestions.

Talk to you soon,

George

 

Like many in the Southeast, my city has water restrictions due to the drought. So now I cant wash my car at home at all. I was going to the local "wand spray and wash" to every week. Rumor is that even these places will have their water output reduced or just cut due ot the drastic conditions due to this crazy weather. I think its shoot to kill in Atlanta if seen using water in public !!

I've GOT to do something!

I have researched somel waterless/water minimizing options that I would like an opinon on. I have used some versio of Dri wash about 10 years ago as pat of a MLM evlaution. But this is for the G. Any and all comments are welcome.

Poorboys World Spray and Wipe Waterless Wash

Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine

DP Four In One Rinsles Wash & Shine

Freedom Waterless Wash Car Wash

No-Wet Waterless Car Wash

Dri-Wash

 

Heere's a picture of the scratch:



&& here's one on top (near the spoiler):


^ when I wax the 2nd picture spots, they sort've go away... but the wind came... blew on the car, dirt everywhere and the scratches are visible (as you can see in the picture!)

(yes i know there's swirls!)

Sorry I didn't show you the pictures beforehand, now can you recommend what I can do for the scratches & for the swirls/paint.

 

wiz2 - I'd recommend Optimum No Rinse for heavier cleanings and Poorboy's Spray & Wipe for quick wipe downs of light dusting. Here is another thread on MyG37 talking about the same problem of water restrictions.

Renegade - Look a few posts up, I replied to your original post... Same products and process applies even after seeing the pictures.

George

 

So you're saying that your products will remove that scratch.

It's not too deep that it needs to be repainted?

LMK and i'll probably be talking to you REALLY soon.

 

If anything is going to remove the scratches it is properly polishing with abrasive polishes and a buffer as I mentioned. No one can conclusively tell you if those scratches can be completely removed based on those pictures alone. I'd suggest taking your car to a professional to examine in person if you are unsure. Can you feel the scratch with your fingernail? If so it probably will be minimize but not eliminated.

From your pictures, your car desperately needs some hours with a buffer and some quality polishes. You will be surprised on how much you can restore your finish with the proper products and techniques. Your paint will look like new when done properly. Expect to spend a solid 6 - 10 hours properly polishing your vehicle with a Porter Cable with the paint in the condition you are showing us. You'll have to weigh the options of properly polishing your vehicle yourself or taking it to a qualified professional.

George

 

Hmmm... I'll have to find one then, cause I'm just a kid, I can't do 6-10 hours of work. =(

Blehhhh, thanks for your help. =]

I'll go look around for a shop.

 

It is very time consuming to do right. Check here to see if there are any detailers listed in your area. Keep us posted on how you make out.

Good Luck!

George

 

Hello George,

Instead of blitzing you with my entire detailing/cleaning routine like before, I will ask more specific questions. Please, let me know if you have any suggestions for improvement in terms of product or process.

I needed some new leather conditioner for home/auto use. Instead of Meguiars Rich Leather Conditioner wipes I purchased the Lexol combo of cleaner and conditioner, OTC $7.95 each. My leather goods are kept clean and in excellent condition. In the past, I have only used cleaners on shoes and jackets, followed by a conditioner. Both applied with small, round terry cloth covered foam pads.

Car leather is never exposed to food, drink, kids, smoke, and is garaged during daytime hours, has 20% tint all around and full sunshade is always used when outside. Never used a cleaner on the leather, only Meguiars conditioner wipes. Leather still looks and smells new after almost two years.

My questions:

Should I be using cleaner on leather even though there has never been any kind of mess? No one has ever sat in the rear seats. Can I just continue to use conditioner only since the leather is not actually "dirty"? The only "dirt" would be dust. I was thinking about continuing the process of conditioner only on all leather except drivers seat, but even that is not "dirty".
Daily roundtrip is only 7 miles.

My concern is the cleaner. Even though PH balanced and "safe" can it, over time, "harm" the leather? Is it really necessary if leather is clean? Do you think just applying conditioner every 3 months is enough care?

Thanks for your advice.

P.S. I checked out your website, very nice, and would have purchased the Lexol products, but local auto parts store was having a sale.