hi i just gotten my 2002 TL-S in Nighthawk BLack and im all new to this waxing/cleaning... i was wondering which product would be better.. the mother's or meguiars 3-step process... i have light swirls on my car, nothing severe.. or any suggestions.. thanks

 

I wouldn't be suprised if neither of them worked. It is much harder to get the swirls and "spiderwebbing" out by hand than by machine. For slight swirl removal, incredible shine and a decent amount of protection, sticking with the "off the shelf" products and thoes two brands I would choose NXT by meguiars.. its their new line. It is really easy to apply and take off and it has a great triple action qualities to it. For durability, let cure and top with Meguiars' gold class.

I have found that "off the shelf" three step systems, like the mothers and the meguiars, are typically outperformed by a good quality professional "All-In-One" product.

Meguiar's stuff is great but they do make some avg products, the three step, I would include on the list of avg products. Still great, but there are other Meguiar's products I would choose over the 3 step.

 

I have to agree, and disagree with Rf on this one. The 1-2-3 punches Megs and MOthers makes are very good off the shelf products, and excellent stuff for the beginner DIY'er. NXT, works for some, and not others, it appears to work better on newer surfaces, so it would be a good step for you. It has very very minimal cleaning ability, so i think the 1-2-3 punches would be initially better at this point if your looking to clean up a little. You can always top with NXT though. As always, better results can be acquired with a PC, but thats not an option at this point. Swirls are at a minimal, your going to need something abrasive, so a polish is in order. Find some Megs or Mothers and get to work !

 

how would i know if something is TOO abrasive?? im not really ssure how bad my swirls are... all i know is that the guy at AUTOZONE looked at my car from far distance and said its not that bad because usually you can see it from far away?? (true?)...
im really trying to work with something i can purchase in a local store (pepboys, autozone, target) and dont really have much money to spend..
i thank you guys a lot for your time, and i have a few more questions if you dont mind...
would the 3M swirl mark remover be okay for my car (black)?? can it be too abrasive (will that mean it will rip my paint apart or what?)

 

3M SMR is an excellent product as well. And its not too difficult by hand. But it does need to be worked in to be worthy. Its not going to ruin your paint, i have used it on non clearcoated surfaces with excellent results. Go for it, it actually has some filling properties as well.....Get some microfibers as well for removal.....Top with NXT and your in business.....3m SMR isnt really considered a real abrasive product anyway.....

 

scratch x is a good one to by hand but if it is swriled all over that can be a lot of work by hand - you'll have big arms when your done though

 

I used to use the Meguairs 3 step on my Civic all the time, its clean conditions and polishes, and lasts for a long time, but you gotta want the car 3 times, so its kinda time consuming, just get 3 applicant pads and like 20 SOFT cotton towels, or use old T-shirts, they are hella soft...

 

no!! no old t-shirts or cotton bath towels, they will scratch your paint!

 

man, that 3m gets so hard after it dries... aye.. it took too long to work it in cuz you gotta rub it till it dries.... got tired so i just wiped it off and waxed.

 

100% Cotton is fine as it's softer than the paint. When you have a cotton poly blend you have to worry cause the poly fibers are actually harder than the paint and will scratch.