KillerG

thinking about doing a light swirl removal on one of my cars... how would the full process go?

wash
clay bar
polish (like TW rubbing compound or something similar)
wax?

or do i not need the clay bar?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

do you have a machine that aids in swirl removal?
for example the PC7424XP?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

wash (with two bucket method with grit guards)
dry with microfiber weaves
clay bar with QD
tape off
use machine with polish to take out swirls
use machine with fine polish
alcohol mixture solution wipe down
Rinse down

this will be a good 8-15 hour job with machine.
without machine, good luck buddy.

exceldetail

Stay away from TW compound.....

CU2MIKE

I lol'd when I saw TW compound.

KillerG

thankfully i am not a professional detailer
whats is a QD?
and if im a complete nub should i be scared of getting an orbital polisher?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

if youre a complete noob, you should start off with the PC7424XP. its fool proof. wont burn through paint.

QD = Quick Detailer.

KillerG

thank you guys. i think im gonna get a pro detail done for the first round and then pick up the PC7424XP and start living on autopia

MD03CL-S

iTrader: (1)

if you do decide to get the pro detail done first time around, I'd do my research before hand. That way when you speak with the pro, you should know more of what they are talking about when you meet up to go over the detail of your car.

KillerG

i just spent my entire day on autopia...the information there is...overwhelming...

im already eager to buy a 7424XP and go to town on my car lol

CU2MIKE

I'd say do it yourself.
The money you use to hire a professional you can use to buy tools and DIY.
You need,
For washing and claying:
2 buckets and 2 grit guards
OTC Megs soap
Some kind of wool wash mitt
A quality MF waffle weave towel (or 2)
OTC Megs clay bar
Optimum No Rinse and Shine aka ONR.
Megs APC+

Machine polishing & sealing/waxing:
PC7424XP or equivalent
2-4 Lake Country CCS orange pads (I use 4 per car, but you can get away with 2)
1 or 2 Lake Country CCS red pads
Quality MF towels
Small foam applicator if you decide to use a wax
Get the CCS red pads if you decide to use a sealant
Stoner's window cleaner

Cost for everything will probably run around $400-500, but getting a good detailer to do a 2G tsx will probably run around $300 or so.

I'm sure other people here can recommend you to polishes/sealant/wax

I use Megs M105 for compounding, Prima Swirl for polishing, Menzerna Powerlock for sealant, Victoria's Chaos/Mayhem for wax.

CU2MIKE

Seeing that you are in NJ, you can check out detailer's domain, they are in Norwood, NJ. Hopefully that's not too far away from you so you can pick up instead of ordering and wait for stuff to come.

KillerG

yeah im gonna make a trip up to the domain once the weather clears up. need a good detail on one of my cars but for the other im gonna attempt some DIY madness.

from what i read from today i think its a good skill to have. On your list mike what is the APC+ for? wheels? and im guessing your suggesting the ONR as lube for the clay bar?

are pads reuseable? what is the order that pads go in terms of abrasiveness?

what are the differences between a wax and a sealant? do people use them together?

and for light swirling does this sound okay...
1z paint polish -> 1z metal polish -> menzerna final -> wax (autoglym, collinite) ? or will this be overkill for light swirling?

ive read alot about the m105/m205 combo but from what i understand m105 is more abrasive than necessary for very light jobs.

CU2MIKE

1. Megs APC+ is great for many things. Use 3:1 for wheels, engine bay, and exhaust tips. 20:1 for light interior cleaning. Plus, a gallon of it is dirt cheap.

2. ONR has many uses too, it's a rinseless wash, clay lube, and QD. I use it to wipe down slightly dusty cars @ QD strength as a waterless wash also.

3. Pads are reusable, I usually use my pads until it doesn't feel as stiff or if they just tear up. You can tell when a pad's not as stiff because it won't correct paint like before.

4. The order for Lake Country is
Yellow -> heavy swirls, heavy cut.
Orange -> Medium swirls, medium cut.
White/Coarse green -> Light cut.
Green/Black -> Super light cut/No cut.
Blue/Red/Gold -> Used to apply sealant.

5. Sealant is synthetic, man made chemicals. It tends to last longer and give the car more "shine"; Carnauba paste wax is from natural carnauba oil, usually doesn't last as long (Unless you buy better ones like Zymol Glasur, Victoria Red Concour's, Swissvax Concorso, Ioncoat Naviwax), but gives the paint more "wetness and depth"
People do use them together, you would apply sealant first, buff it off after 10-15 minutes, then wait for it to cure for 12 hours. Next is to apply wax, with every coat of sealant/wax, there must be an 8-12 hours in between curing time, with Victoria's Chaos/Mayhem being the exception.

6. All the stuff you listed is overkill for light swirls.
Try Menzerna 106FF with white pads and see what happens, if you don't like the results, try it again with orange pads. You can further refine the paint by using Menzerna PO85RD with black pad.

7. Megs M105 is a compound, not a polish. It is very aggressive and has a bit of a learning curve, definitely an overkill for light swirls.

KillerG

so having 2 of the same pad is handy for doing a car so i dont have to wash the pad while working yes?

any tips for a first time ONR user? it seems like its indispensable to have according to what ive read D:

I'll stay away from the heavy stuff while i get my feet wet thanks a ton for answering all my questions

i think i will take your advice and try 106-> 85-> wolfgang sealant (added the last part in myself)

Just need this damn winter to pass already

v|nsan|ty

Hey CU2MIKE where are these coarse green and green pads available? From the sites I've looked at I only seem to see one kind of green offered. Also, is there really a difference between the red, blue, and gold? I can only find the blue pads on sale.

CU2MIKE

1. Yes.
2. No tips for ONR, just following mixing instructions.
3.106 -> PO85RD -> wolfgang sounds good!

CU2MIKE

see AGO link:
http://www.autogeek.net/lake-country-ccs-6pack.html
Note "coarse green" between orange and white, then there is "green" between white and black.

v|nsan|ty

Ohh I see how it works. Thanks.
So what is your personal preference for pads? Flat, CCS, Hydro, Surbuf, other?

KillerG

guys where in the process does something like zymol hd cleanse come in?