S14 n Tsx

Hello everyone.

Recently, I was involved in a car accident... Long story short, I got my car back from a bodyshop, but they did a one hell of micky mouse job on my paint and whole lot of buffer swirls everywhere on my hood, fenders, and doors.

I am very pissed about the whole situation, but I don't want to make a huge deal out of this, so I ended up ordering 7424 XP over the weekend.

Here comes my questions:
Which compound do you guys recommend? (like I said, it has very light buffer swirls all over the place, not a deep scratches.)
I am debating between chemical guys vs. Meguiars
chemical guys
Meguiars

I looked at Meguiars mirrow glaze #2, #3, and #9.
I don't really have any deeper scratches... I don't think I would need #1.

And, for chemical guys, I looked at yellow, blue, pink, and teal color bottles.

Price is about same, so I could go either one.

If you guys have something better product that I can substitute, feel free to share with me.

Thanks guys....

ACE2790

I have yet to hear consistently good reviews on any of Chem Guys polishing/compounding products. What I have heard good things on is the Meguiars line as well as Menzerna. I also placed an order for a PC on Monday actually with Phil and his package came with Menzerna products which is what I wanted to use.

You also might want to do some research on different products and their qualities as well. Most, not all, but most glazes are going to have filling qualities and not remove the current marks like you have now. Take a look at this chart and it'll help break it down for you in terms of abrasiveness.
http://www.autopiaforums.com/Todd-He...lish-chart.jpg

Let us know if you have more questions!

CU2MIKE

Not a fan of CG to be honest.

Seeing you already have a PC, order Meguiar's D300 compound with the 5.5 inch cutting disks (2 packs so you have 4 disks)
To finish, try Menzerna power finish or Menzerna 106FA with buff n shine (Known as uber pads @ detailersdomain) green pads.
You should be good to go. You might be able to get away with using just power finish on green uber pads IF the clear is medium to soft.

S14 n Tsx

Thanks guys.

If I didn't made this thread, I might of bought some CC stuff.

I never heard Menzerna before.. I guess I got some homework to do.
My buffer is on way to me, so I got few days to decide which compound I am going to get. I probably go with what Mike's suggestion.

Let me know if you guys know any other compounds that you guys can recommend.

SweetJazz

However, CG Citrus Wash Clear is the bomb!

CU2MIKE

I have to say I like Optimum car wash/Megs hyper wash better, but of course everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
I actually live half an hour away from CG! lol

SweetJazz

I agree. I am currently using the Optimum Car Wash. The CG and Optimum are my two favorites.

ACE2790

I've heard great things about CG's other products like washes, detailers, cleaners & degreasers, and even some waxes but I never see consistently good reviews on their polish products.

CU2MIKE

They make decent to good products, but for the money, there are better products out there.

S14 n Tsx

That's what I been getting from other people.
I probably order CG citrus, then try the optimum once I finish using CG citrus.

S14 n Tsx

Mike, I know you do detailing for living.. can you help me build up a start up kit guy like me, amateur to use?

Buffer: 7424 XP
Wash Shampoo: CG Citrus (Optimum would be next choice)
Clay bar: Pinnacle Ultra Poly Clay (any other good suggestion?)
Compound: Meguiar's D300, Meguiar's #9 (anything else?)
Finish: Menzerna Power Finish PO 203
Wax: P21S Concours Carnauba Wax

I am open for any suggestion....

I can't decide on wax and clay bar yet. I heard that Dodo got some good wax for the price. Yay or Nay? Ultimately, I want to pick up a Wolfgang Füzion, but don't want to spend that kind of money wax yet.

Clay bar is clay bar, isn't it?

ACE2790

IMO I agree as well. There are variations in how aggressive the clay is but that's all. Some say one is more "grabby" than the other but smhh...haha. Wax is completely objective so buy what you want.

You're setup looks good, but Meguiar's #9 is actually less abrasive than the Menzerna 203. I'd ditch the #9 and do any of the following. Also, the D300/D301 was designed for the Microfiber system so keep that in mind.

Meguiars D300 - Meguiars D301 - Meguiars 205
Meguiars 105 - Meguiars 205 - Menzerna 106FA or 85RD
Menzerna Power Gloss (very abrasive) - Menzerna 203 - Menzerna 106FA or 85RD

I don't have any experience with all the combos above, so I hope someone else can chime in and give you more information.

S14 n Tsx

Good call.

I will go with your suggestion.

ACE2790

lol, hopefully someone else more experienced can chime in but I appreciate the vote of confidence.

AZuser

I have 2 CG polishes. They actually work pretty well.

But I prefer and would recommend Meguiars 105 and 205 and some Lake Country pads (orange and white) for cutting and polishing.

Wax? Comes down to preference. Collinite 845 is a good and long lasting wax that acts more like a sealant.

For deep glossy blacks, Pinnacle Souverän.

CU2MIKE

Sorry, I was away in Vegas for my wedding, was not able to get to your questions ASAP.

Buffer: I would go with the Griot's 6 inch DA and get the 5 inch Lake Country backing plate... Why? It's more powerful, less vibration, and about the same noise level. Some report a reliability issue, but it comes with a lifetime guarantee against factory defects. I've had mine for a year and half so far, it shows no signs of slowing down.

Wash: After CG citrus, try optimum or megs hyper wash

Clay bar: I personally prefer Meguiar's C2000 mild clay. Clay bars AREN'T made equal, some breaks off in pieces while using. The C2000 I've used for a while now, it is a bit more expensive but I like it.

Compound: D300 with mf cutting disk will do the job

Finish: Menzerna power finish/FA106 with a buff n shine green pad or lake country white pad will finish beautifully.

Wax: Don't waste the money lol. Try Prima Epic synthetic wax, I've seen 5 months durability on my personal car. Good bang for the buck, use a lake country black pad/buff n shine blue pad and your buffer to apply.

Pad size: Most people prefer 5/5.5 inch pads, I find pads this size easier to control.

Pad brand: This depends, I've had good luck with both Lake Country pads and Buff n Shine pads, although I find Buff n Shine to dust slightly less. You can see both here: www.autodetailingsolutions.net

If you really, really prefer carnauba wax, try Auto Glym HD wax from your local pepboys. It's an excellent OTC product, I've seen it last 6 months in a review on a UK website. It lasted through harsh UK winter.

S14 n Tsx

Mike, Congrats!!!

Buffer:I already ordered my buffer, so there is nothing I can do to change that.

Wash: I might order CG citrus and Optimum at the same time. lol.

Clay bar: since you done this alot, so I will try C2000 myself to see if I notice any differences than what I have used in past.

Compound: I am pretty much set with what you guys have suggested, D300. Is there any other compound I need to have?? I am open to buy few more at this time.

Finish: I have no clue what to get, so I will stick to Mike's suggestion, Menzerna power finish/FA106.

Wax: so, I don't need a wax....Is that what you are saying? If I don't need one, then I won't get one.

Pad: I will be receiving five CCS foam pads as a package. I ordered it from autogeek.net as package deal. If I need to order more pads, then I will order some Lake Country pads.


As I mentioned above, I will be receiving 6.5 inc pads for free...Would these (link) work well with D300??

S14 n Tsx

Few more steps that I forgot to add..

Wheel cleaning: ?

Leather care: lexol, yay? I only have use this product, so I am open for recommendation.


Also, Those assholes (body shop) left a compound residue on my windshield wiper... How can I remove those? using which product?

ACE2790

Wheel cleaning is up to you. Some guys swear by certain prodcuts like Sonax FE Wheel Cleaner or Meguiar's Wheel Brightner, some only just a simple APC mix or soap and water. Depends of personal preference and the level of contamination the wheel has. Just be sure not to use an acidic cleaner on certain types of wheels.

I use Optimum Protectant Plus for my vinyl/leather. Other popular prodcuts are 1Z Cockpit, 303 Aerospace Protectant, Meguiar's Quick Interior Cleaner, and Mothers VLR. Note that most leathers are treated and do not need actual conditioning, so typically cleaners work fine on them.

Use Isopropy Alcohol and water mixed or diluted APC to remove the polish residue.

mY sLOW UA6

This is all you need, read page 2 http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-P...-pearl-part-1/

S14 n Tsx

Awesome!

I will definitely take a look into it when I get home tonight.

S14 n Tsx

Which kind? 50% or 75%??

CU2MIKE

Shoot..... forgot to tell you, buy Optimum Power Clean while you are at it (All purpose cleaner), dilute 1:3 to clean wheels.
Leather cleaner....... Try woolite (Yeah, that woolite, the laundry detergent) at 1:8 dilution. You could either spray directly onto the leather and use a semi-stiff brush to lightly agitate it, or spray the brush and agitate. Use a warm, damp towel to wipe off residue.

p.s. you don't need to wax, prima epic is basically a sealant, it is cheaper and provide better durability.

ACE2790

He says it better than I can hah

S14 n Tsx

Woolite? Okay. Do I have to add any finish to the leather once I clean it with Woolite?




Damn... My list is getting bigger and bigger.

CU2MIKE

Well it is laundry detergent, you can use it for laundry..... lol
Conditioning "leather" isn't really necessary since most automotive leather is urethane coated.
When you clean leather seats in a car, you are pretty much cleaning the urethane coating, and it's senseless to "condition" the urethane coating.

Scottwax

Did you contact your insurance company about the piss poor job the body shop did buffing your car? Body shops get away with that crap because no one wants to make a big deal about it. Make a big deal about it. A huge deal. Don't let them get paid for crap work, make it so if they don't get their act together the insurance company won't send them more work. Contact your insurance company, let them know about the horrible polishing job they did and that you expect to have it made right. Not at the crappy body shop though, at a competent detailer in your location.

With all due respect, if you have never used a polisher before and the swirls are very deep or they burnt the paint, you are going to have a really hard time bringing it back without investing a lot of time and money. Get your insurance company to cover a proper detail (since their responsibility is to restore the car to how it looked before the accident), and then use your recent purchases to maintain your finish.

Scottwax

Clay Magic makes all the clay bars, they hold the US patent on it. Their bars are still the best.

Personally, since I've used rinse-less washes, I don't use conventional car wash shampoos anymore. Optimum has just released their newest version of Optimum No Rinse, really amazing product. More gloss, more slickness.

Either Meguiars #105 or D300 or Optimum Hyper Polish are all good compounds. I wouldn't bother with #9, really outdated now. Either Meguiars #205 or Optimum Hyper Polish will work a lot better and you really won't need to follow with a finishing polish unless you really want to. The new microfiber pads both Optimum and Meguiars have are terrific.

P21S is a great looking wax but doesn't last long. If you don't mind apply it monthly, its fine. I mostly use Optimum Opti-Seal to protect finishes. Just wipe it on, that's it. Wet look, excellent protection.

S14 n Tsx

The body shop is aware of the situation, so we'll see what they can offer later. I was recommended by a good friend, so situation is bit complicated than what it is. If I didn't know the body shop... Of course I would go back there to fix all their mistakes. blah. I am just going to try myself to fix the issue first. I always wanted a buffer anyway.. This is good excuse to purchase one.

I have used the polisher before, so I think I can handle it. I think. Swirls aren't deep at all, not burnt either. I will try to take some pics to show you guys.


I never tried any of the rinse-less washes before. I am still a old school per say? I am gonna have to try rinse-less sometimes, but I am sticking with CG and Optimum first.

I am gonna stick to D300 and Optimum Hyper Polish as my main compounds. If I have enough funds, then I might add #105 to my little collection.

I really don't have time to wash and wax monthly, so I guess I will skip on the P21S then...

Boy, You guys are giving me whole lot of information with good products, but not enough funds to buy them all. One of

CU2MIKE

Well, if the bodyshop is going to reimburse you for it, then might as well hire me to come out lol. I'll let you have a go with it and give you some pointers with machine buffing while I'm there.

Scottwax

With the new version of Optimum No Rinse, you can wash 1-2 times a month and your car will look freshly waxed even if you don't wax it.

ACE2790

I've never use rinseless either, to me it logically seems weird but people swear by it. I dunno, I'll probably give in one day.

S14 n Tsx

Mike, how much do you charge a full detail?

Please pm for detail.. I expect great AZ discount.
I keep hearing about how great these rinse-less stuffs are. I am not sure if it is a must try thing, but definitely gotta try one of these days.

Scottwax

Definitely a great offer!

S14 n Tsx

Mike, appreciate your break down on the cost and steps, but bit $$$ for me.

Anyway, My buffer and some goodies should arrive any day now..

CU2MIKE

I figured as well, my prices are hard to swallow for many people. No worries lol

ACE2790

Haha. Is that because they are in fact steep or people just aren't used to paying for that sort of work?

CU2MIKE

My prices are pretty steep. I quoted him 20 man hours (10 hours per person since I have a partner) for wash/clay/interior steaming/engine bay steaming/compound with rotary/another wash/polishing with da/another wash/sealant
And I'm currently $40 an hour. The detail would last from morning to evening.

S14 n Tsx

Mike's cost is about little above average I would say??
I seen around $3-400 on average, and on the high side, I seen around $1500-2000.

I admire your work. If I had $xxx laying around, I so would have gone through you.

CU2MIKE

Thank you.
And yeah, when you start importing polishes from Europe because they have less VOC compliance regulations and their stuff simply works better, it gets expensive.....
The steamer? I think it goes for around 6k right now, pressure washer is around 900 bucks.
I'm an accounting major so I calculate everything by useful life and accumulated depreciation, and material cost obviously. My cost is a bit higher than average lol.