Some concerned questions on detailing for the pros (picus? detailedimage?) and all.
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Some concerned questions on detailing for the pros (picus? detailedimage?) and all.
Hey guys/girls, i just picked up an 05 obsidian black 6mt and am naturally drawn to wanting to detail the snot out of it and get it to a best-as-possible condition with protection asap. I'll start with the more prevalent issues.
The car has some swirls and light scratches (can't feel it with my fingers or fingernails) that i would really like to get rid of, however i don't want to polish if i don't have. I guess i'm afraid of at some point running into having overpolished the car, if thats possible. So would i be wasting my time by using a product like Meg's ScratchX? Or could i potentially see some results from that? I clayed and waxed it last weekend and that removed a few flaws, but the swirls are def still there (i know, clay won't get those out). Also, in what order should i use ScratchX? Wash, dry, scratchx, clay, seal, wax? I know the scratchx may not be aggressive enough to get the job done, and i'll gladly borrow my friends PC and pads to polish if need be, i just want to try and do as light as possible of aggressive detailing.
AND, with winter quickly approaching i'll be doing my detailing in the final warm days of this week/weekend; thus i'm limited to the products offered at pep boys, autozone, and o'reillys. So far the only sealent i've seen is part of Meg's three stage process of pre-wax cleaner, sealer, and then carnauba(sp?) wax. What's everyone's thoughts on these products/this system? Where would a product like scratchx fit into that scene?
Continuing on with winter, and this goes along with the new thread about winter care, how frequent should we be sealing/waxing our cars in the winter months? I know in the winter you have a higher chance of being exposed to aggressive street contaminates like salt and so forth that need to be removed asap, but you've also got the cold weather that typically requires you to do all of your washing with a rinseless wash... will that affect the sealent/wax's ability to bond to the clearcoat?
I have a host of other questions for you pro's and avid weekend detailers that i probably won't remember until i'm far away from this computer, so i'll post those later. Also, would the known pro's be up for some pm'ing of these questions? I don't want to take up thread space if this would be better handled via pm... and i would like to get as much input as i can.
Thanks for reading through this, sorry, i type a lot.
[/RANT]
The car has some swirls and light scratches (can't feel it with my fingers or fingernails) that i would really like to get rid of, however i don't want to polish if i don't have. I guess i'm afraid of at some point running into having overpolished the car, if thats possible. So would i be wasting my time by using a product like Meg's ScratchX? Or could i potentially see some results from that? I clayed and waxed it last weekend and that removed a few flaws, but the swirls are def still there (i know, clay won't get those out). Also, in what order should i use ScratchX? Wash, dry, scratchx, clay, seal, wax? I know the scratchx may not be aggressive enough to get the job done, and i'll gladly borrow my friends PC and pads to polish if need be, i just want to try and do as light as possible of aggressive detailing.
AND, with winter quickly approaching i'll be doing my detailing in the final warm days of this week/weekend; thus i'm limited to the products offered at pep boys, autozone, and o'reillys. So far the only sealent i've seen is part of Meg's three stage process of pre-wax cleaner, sealer, and then carnauba(sp?) wax. What's everyone's thoughts on these products/this system? Where would a product like scratchx fit into that scene?
Continuing on with winter, and this goes along with the new thread about winter care, how frequent should we be sealing/waxing our cars in the winter months? I know in the winter you have a higher chance of being exposed to aggressive street contaminates like salt and so forth that need to be removed asap, but you've also got the cold weather that typically requires you to do all of your washing with a rinseless wash... will that affect the sealent/wax's ability to bond to the clearcoat?
I have a host of other questions for you pro's and avid weekend detailers that i probably won't remember until i'm far away from this computer, so i'll post those later. Also, would the known pro's be up for some pm'ing of these questions? I don't want to take up thread space if this would be better handled via pm... and i would like to get as much input as i can.
Thanks for reading through this, sorry, i type a lot.
[/RANT]
the pics on your new owners thread are after my car was washed and clayed with the Meg's 3 stage that's at Advance or auto zone... i know you got a black G so those are the results you'll get after about 4 to 5 hours of hard work (no buffer)
https://g35driver.com/forums/showthr...=185155&page=2
https://g35driver.com/forums/showthr...=185155&page=2
Good questions. The only way to remove those scratches and swirls is to use an abrasive polish, otherwise you have to be content with the imperfections in your paint. Products with fillers can hide some of the imperfections, but you'll never achieve the gloss and depth of properly polishing your vehicle.
Re: over polishing your vehicle - unless you purchased a vehicle that already has clear coat failure or already had severe paint correction, you should have nothing to worry about as far as over polishing. You could polish twice a year for over 10 years and still have plenty of clear coat if you follow a quality polishing routine and take the least aggressive method to get the job done approach. (Here's a thread if you want to read more on how often you can polish before reaching clear coat damage)
I'm not sure exactly what polishes you'll have available at your local store, but you could use ScratchX again if you plan on tackling the imperfections by hand. You could try the 3M polishes or the Meg's Professional Mirror Glaze Line (tan bottles). If you end up ordering, I'd strongly recommend the Menzerna line of polishes.
You would want to clay before polishing to remove surface contamination. Otherwise you are grinding the abrasives into dirt, grime, etc. and probably creating more imperfections in the paint. The full detailing process usually goes: Wash & Dry -> Clay -> Polish -> Glaze -> Sealant -> Wax
Re: Meg's 3 step - you would use those products in this order: Wash & Dry -> ScratchX -> Pre-wax Cleaner -> Sealer -> Wax
You want to reapply your products before the protection runs out. If your wax is expected to last 4 weeks, reapply it every 3 weeks. Same with the sealant, if you're expecting 4 months, reapply it every 3 - 3.5 months. Always go less than what the manufacturer claims as those are often over rated for daily driven vehicles.
I say keep posting your questions so others can learn from them.
Hope this helps.
George
Re: over polishing your vehicle - unless you purchased a vehicle that already has clear coat failure or already had severe paint correction, you should have nothing to worry about as far as over polishing. You could polish twice a year for over 10 years and still have plenty of clear coat if you follow a quality polishing routine and take the least aggressive method to get the job done approach. (Here's a thread if you want to read more on how often you can polish before reaching clear coat damage)
I'm not sure exactly what polishes you'll have available at your local store, but you could use ScratchX again if you plan on tackling the imperfections by hand. You could try the 3M polishes or the Meg's Professional Mirror Glaze Line (tan bottles). If you end up ordering, I'd strongly recommend the Menzerna line of polishes.
You would want to clay before polishing to remove surface contamination. Otherwise you are grinding the abrasives into dirt, grime, etc. and probably creating more imperfections in the paint. The full detailing process usually goes: Wash & Dry -> Clay -> Polish -> Glaze -> Sealant -> Wax
Re: Meg's 3 step - you would use those products in this order: Wash & Dry -> ScratchX -> Pre-wax Cleaner -> Sealer -> Wax
You want to reapply your products before the protection runs out. If your wax is expected to last 4 weeks, reapply it every 3 weeks. Same with the sealant, if you're expecting 4 months, reapply it every 3 - 3.5 months. Always go less than what the manufacturer claims as those are often over rated for daily driven vehicles.
I say keep posting your questions so others can learn from them.
Hope this helps.
George
Same issues with my sedan. I tried Scratch-X and a couple of less abrasive polishes with little luck. I got a G-100 polisher matched with Meguiars more abrasive M-84 heavy cut cleaner followed by a fine-cut cleaner M01, then their Deep crystal #2 and wax. Fixed it right up.
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DI, you're phenomenal. Your input is always highly valued and welcomed.
Joaquin i took a look at those pics and commented in the other thread, but it needs to be repated that the car looks like slick, black, mirrory ink. Nicely done!
Darnelled - thanks for letting me know that Meg's can get a good job done. I'm really glad someone that's used their polishing products chimed in. Experienced input like that is priceless and really reassuring, thanks again!
Joaquin i took a look at those pics and commented in the other thread, but it needs to be repated that the car looks like slick, black, mirrory ink. Nicely done!
Darnelled - thanks for letting me know that Meg's can get a good job done. I'm really glad someone that's used their polishing products chimed in. Experienced input like that is priceless and really reassuring, thanks again!
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Originally Posted by Detailed Image
Good questions. The only way to remove those scratches and swirls is to use an abrasive polish, otherwise you have to be content with the imperfections in your paint. Products with fillers can hide some of the imperfections, but you'll never achieve the gloss and depth of properly polishing your vehicle.
Re: over polishing your vehicle - unless you purchased a vehicle that already has clear coat failure or already had severe paint correction, you should have nothing to worry about as far as over polishing. You could polish twice a year for over 10 years and still have plenty of clear coat if you follow a quality polishing routine and take the least aggressive method to get the job done approach. (Here's a thread if you want to read more on how often you can polish before reaching clear coat damage)
I'm not sure exactly what polishes you'll have available at your local store, but you could use ScratchX again if you plan on tackling the imperfections by hand. You could try the 3M polishes or the Meg's Professional Mirror Glaze Line (tan bottles). If you end up ordering, I'd strongly recommend the Menzerna line of polishes.
You would want to clay before polishing to remove surface contamination. Otherwise you are grinding the abrasives into dirt, grime, etc. and probably creating more imperfections in the paint. The full detailing process usually goes: Wash & Dry -> Clay -> Polish -> Glaze -> Sealant -> Wax
Re: Meg's 3 step - you would use those products in this order: Wash & Dry -> ScratchX -> Pre-wax Cleaner -> Sealer -> Wax
You want to reapply your products before the protection runs out. If your wax is expected to last 4 weeks, reapply it every 3 weeks. Same with the sealant, if you're expecting 4 months, reapply it every 3 - 3.5 months. Always go less than what the manufacturer claims as those are often over rated for daily driven vehicles.
I say keep posting your questions so others can learn from them.
Hope this helps.
George
Re: over polishing your vehicle - unless you purchased a vehicle that already has clear coat failure or already had severe paint correction, you should have nothing to worry about as far as over polishing. You could polish twice a year for over 10 years and still have plenty of clear coat if you follow a quality polishing routine and take the least aggressive method to get the job done approach. (Here's a thread if you want to read more on how often you can polish before reaching clear coat damage)
I'm not sure exactly what polishes you'll have available at your local store, but you could use ScratchX again if you plan on tackling the imperfections by hand. You could try the 3M polishes or the Meg's Professional Mirror Glaze Line (tan bottles). If you end up ordering, I'd strongly recommend the Menzerna line of polishes.
You would want to clay before polishing to remove surface contamination. Otherwise you are grinding the abrasives into dirt, grime, etc. and probably creating more imperfections in the paint. The full detailing process usually goes: Wash & Dry -> Clay -> Polish -> Glaze -> Sealant -> Wax
Re: Meg's 3 step - you would use those products in this order: Wash & Dry -> ScratchX -> Pre-wax Cleaner -> Sealer -> Wax
You want to reapply your products before the protection runs out. If your wax is expected to last 4 weeks, reapply it every 3 weeks. Same with the sealant, if you're expecting 4 months, reapply it every 3 - 3.5 months. Always go less than what the manufacturer claims as those are often over rated for daily driven vehicles.
I say keep posting your questions so others can learn from them.
Hope this helps.
George
Instead of the Scratch X, I used the clay bar... but next is some online order stuff... I WANT MORE SHINY!!!
Originally Posted by Scrooge
How come there is the shade. Are you hiding something
Here is my post on this at their forum regarding my paint transformation. I got mixed up on the exact products I used when I posted above which are correct here....
http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/thread/43886.aspx
I am using their products just because I am more experienced with them. There are a number of other manufacturers which make products that are equivalent or maybe better that you might try.
http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/thread/43886.aspx
I am using their products just because I am more experienced with them. There are a number of other manufacturers which make products that are equivalent or maybe better that you might try.
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