New to this and I just bought a PC. I have a black car w/ alot of swirls.

I'm not looking for top-of-the line products, but I want to make sure I buy something that will work. So here's what I want to know:

1. What pads do I need (orange, white, etc)?
2. Will one of each do or do I need multiple qty for the car?
3. What's a good recommended and cheap polishing set for beginners?
-- Optimum, Poorboys, Meguires, Menzerna?

Like I said, I'd like to spend as little as possible with decent results. Not looking for a perfect job, but I don't want to throw money away on some product that won't help with paint correction. Thanks

 

Hey guys/gals i know this has probably been asked a couple hundred times but i went from page 1-16 and couldn't find my answers.
1) on the 03 sedans u know that black bottom part/skirts is there any way to make them look black again they always get ashy/grayish as soon as the car dries....better yet can i make then shine a lil more.
2) i drive on the freeway a lot and noticed that this car has some very thin paint does anybody know how i can get rid of all these little scratches and chips PLZ
3) i would go over the paint job but ive heard nasty rumors about painting cars AKA foggy!!!! so do you think a buffer can really help im kinda young and this is probably the 1st detail not wash im gonna do so im open to all...fyi i got the darker silver not that brilliant one THANKS!

 

whats the best product to use for cleaning brake dust without damageing the gunmetal finish .
i just purchased a used set of 350Z Nismo rims and i tried soap and hot water and the brake dust still wont come off

 

Hmm so long story short, I wetsanded a scratch but accidentally swiped an edge where it took off some paint leaving a "white" spot.

Question is... Is it safe to still polish in the area around or the area itself where the paint is gone? Or will this make the white spot bigger?

Also, aside from repainting the entire panel, is there anything else I can do about the particular spot where the color is gone? or at least reduce the visibility of the damage?


And one more thing, what is an easy way to clean up old dried up wax? There is white residue in the crevices of my car and along some of the trim and I assume it is wax or polish from past details.

Sorry for all the questions, just threw everything on my mind out there. Thanks for your help.

 

Best bang for the buck combo on a PC would be to go with M105 / M205 from Meguiar's and pair that up with some 5.5" orange pads and white pads. Personally, I'd grab at least 3 of each pad. Saturating a single pad when polishing can cause a lot of dusting, product smearing and inconsistent results from the start of the detail compared to the end of the detail. Make sure you have the proper backing plate for the pads you plan on using. I'd recommend the Meguiar's W67DA backing plate if you need one for 5.5" pads.

If you have any other questions on anything, let me know. Also, refer to this guide on M105/M205 with a PC7424.

Off the top of my head, I cannot remember what the bottom of the side skirts are made of. If it's a vinyl or rubber surface, you could treat them with Black Wow to help restore some of the natural black color. It won't offer a gloss to the trim, but it's one of the boldest looking trim restorer's I've used. For more of a glossy look, try Poorboy's Trim Restorer in a few thin coats. The more coats you apply (thinner is better) the glossier and more uniform the finish will be.

To remove scratches and swirls, you'll want to invest in a buffer to do the job. I'd take a look at the suggestions in the above post as far as a great starting point for investing in a buffer. Right now we have the PC on sale thru the end of the month at a great price. Read through that Meguiar's M105/M205 article and see if it's something you would feel comfortable doing yourself.

Let me know if there's anything else I can help with.

I know addressed your wheels in order to remove the embedded brake dust, but for maintenance if a regular wash isn't cutting it, you could turn to either Diablo Gel Wheel Cleaner or P21S Gel Wheel Cleaner. Both products are pH balanced and are safe for almost any wheel finish. Ideally, you want to maintain with soap and water though.

You want to be careful polishing around the area that you removed the paint. It is possible to increase the size of the spot and make it more pronounced. Aside from a touch up or respray of the panel, you'll basically have to live with that spot. How big is it?

For dried up wax residue, I typically turn to some isopropyl alcohol and water on a microfiber towel. This usually cleans up old wax residue and preps the surface. You can use it on a trim as well with a soft brush to agitate the pores and help remove as much wax as possible.

Let me know if there's anything else I can give you a hand with.

Sorry for the delayed replies guys.

George

 

For the M105/M205 combo, I'm referring to this chart:

http://craigdt.web.officelive.com/abrasives.aspx

You don't think M105 is too abrasive?

I was looking to use Optimum Hyper Compound as my most abrasive polish.

However, the fact that I get so much qty and need two products makes M105/M205 tempting...

 

M105 / M205 are unique that they aren't diminishing abrasive polishes. The level of cut you get out of them is more dependent on how much pressure is exerted on the buffer. If you were to polish using M105 with very little pressure, it wouldn't be a super aggressive polish, certainly not a 12 out of 12 rating.

If you're looking for a versatile compound M105 would be my top choice. Also, the fact that it finishes down so fine is a major plus as well compared to other compounds on the market.

Hope that helps.

 

The affected area is just about 2 inches along the bend of the front bumper. I was thinking about using a Sharpie and just filling in the color as a temporary fix until I get it resprayed in the spring. Any idea on how much that would cost? Would it be better to just purchase a new bumper? Although I haven't completely given up on wetsanding, I really have to be careful next time...

 

Been checking this almost daily since I got my car. I just recently went from a black to a lake shore blue g35. I'm wondering if I should take any extra precautions with the lighter color. It has a few scratches so I'd like to polish them out with my groits garage 3" orbital but i don't want to end up with any darker spots. Any suggestions? thanks

 

Resprays vary greatly depending on the shop you take it to and what paint technology and processes they end up using. I wouldn't even want to take a stab at a guess since it can vary so much. If you were planning on doing an aftermarket bumper, now certainly would be a good time to make the switch considering you'd need to get that painted as well.

If you polish away the scratches, you shouldn't end up with darker spots. If your car has lot of swirls and imperfections, what you'll end up with is the polished area in better condition than the unpolished area, which can look discoloring at times. Your best bet for a uniform finish would be to polish the entire car, if needed, use a more aggressive polish / pad combo on the scratches. Try to finish the entire car with the same polish and pad combo though for a nice uniform finish. Shouldn't need anything too aggressive with the soft Infiniti paint. If you need any recommendations, let me know.

 

Hello,

Quick question - I just finished putting the wax on my car and it started to sprinkle a bit for a while. Will it affect the wax bonding in any way?

 

I'm not sure if this question's been asked already, but what do you use/recommend to remove water spots/stains on windows and certain trim?

Also, what's the difference between the different Chemical Guy's washes?
-Chemical Guys Citrus Wash & Gloss
-Chemical Guys Citrus Wash
-Chemical Guys Maxi Suds II
-Chemical Guys Citrus Wash and Clear

 

The rain shouldn't effect the curing process of a sealant or wax. When the rain is done, you may want to go over your car with a quick detailer or give it a quick wash to avoid any water spots from forming.

Usually for glass and metal trim, I'll turn to an all in one polish, something like Klasse All In One to remove water spots and stains. The nice thing about using an all in one product for this is that it will clean and protect. The protection on the glass will help aid in sheeting rain and other elements off while driving, which helps with your visibility.

The difference between their shampoos...

Citrus Wash & Gloss
Citrus Wash & Clear
Citrus Wash

Those three are strong cleaning shampoos that can strip off previous coats of sealant or wax to give you a fresh start to your detail. The Citrus Wash is the most concentrated of the three shampoos and you'll only need 1oz per gallon to remove protection. The CW&G and CW&G require 2oz per gallon of water to remove any protection, so you're using double the product. The Citrus Wash & Clear has no gloss enhancing agents, so you'll be left with a squeeky clean finish. Citrus Wash & Gloss, when used in a maintenance ratio of .5oz per gallon of water, will help enhance the gloss of the paint while maintaining your protection on your paint.

Maxi Suds II is a maintenance shampoo that will not hinder the durability of your sealant or wax. It is easy to use, suds up nicely and smells great.

All of the CG shampoos work well in a foam gun too.

Let me know if this helps answer your questions.

Hope you all had a Happy New Year

George

 

I'm going to detail my car, this will be my first time. Ive got that i need to wash, dry, clay, polish, glaze, and wax.
Now i really don't know what products to use, ive been reading through this whole thread and am just overwhelmed at the different amount of products that are available to me.
So i don't even know where to begin when buying products. My G is red with minimal swirls. So if i could get some feedback as to what i should buy, that would be greatly appreciated.
Things that I can apply by hand are what i looking for.
Thanks in advance.

 

Here's what I'd go with for hand application.

Washing & Drying Starter Kit - This will cover all of your basics for properly washing and drying your car without adding imperfections to your paint.

Gentle grade clay bar with Spray & Wipe as your clay lube. This is a great combo bang for the buck and S&W is an excellent quick detailer for removing light dusting and finger prints, bird droppings, etc.

For a polish by hand, I'd suggest going with Meguiar's M205. It's a non-diminishing abrasive so you'll be able to work it into the clear coat without the effort required to properly break down a diminishing abrasive polish like Menzerna.

For a glaze, I'd recommend using Chemical Guys EZ Creme Glaze, especially if you plan on using a sealant to protect your paint. You can also top it with a wax, but it'll work for either type of protection.

For protection, I'd recommend Blackfire Wet Diamond as a great sealant to use on red colored paint. It's very easy to apply and remove and offers outstanding protection.

If you wanted to take the depth and gloss 1 step further you could opt to top the Wet Diamond with a wax after you've allowed the sealant to cure for 24 hours.

Those would be the steps I would take by hand for your paint.

If there's anything else I can give you a hand with let me know. Keep us posted on what you end up going with and how things turn out.

Cheers,

George