dsianand

Is it ok the use rubbing compund (I'm using 3M brand) just like waxing the car?
I'm using Meg's 3-steps to wax the car, and after compounding, do I still need the 1st step (Paint cleaner), or can I just go straight to step 2 (polish) and then step 3 (wax)? Thanks in advance.

exceldetail

Definetly not ! Why do you feel a need for compound ?
Ad clay to your system and you'll have even better results.
Compounds are for the more sever swirl and scratches. problem with them, is people dont realize they leave additional marring, in their attempt to remove the bigger swirls and scratches......Then the user says "What the hell did I just do?"
If you dont have a PC, i would stick with the Mothers or Megs 1-2-3 punches, if thats your only access......

dsianand

the reason I asked is because I tried using the rubbing compound on some minor scratches on the car and it worked flawless. I didn't dare to do the whole car and thought I should ask the experts here first.

Also, I found that Meg's 3-steps polish doesn't do a good job in removing swirls and scratches. I've also tried scratch-x and also not that good. So far, the only thing is rubbing compound that I think is perfect for removing swirls and scratches.

Since it is not advisable, can you recommend a really good swirls and scrach remover/polish? I've searched and looked everwhere and there are tons of products out there but just don't know which one is good. Thanks in advance.

joerockt

I would go with any of the Poorboys SSR polishes. I've used SSR 2 to remove light swirls. 2.5 and 3 will help with removing moderate swirls...

Are you using a polisher to do this or by hand? The SSR's work great with a PC...

Hawhyen51

Joe hit it on the nose, PB SSR. Another product would be Optimum Polish. You can get those products from one of these places. Autogeek, PAC, Poorboys World, Exceldetail or Danase's.

dsianand

Thanks for the info guys. I'm doing this using a polisher (not a pc though). Using a polisher gets the work done fast, and more effective as well.

dsianand

I forgot to ask, if I'm using Poorboys polish, will it be advisable to use Meg's 1st step and then 3rd step wax? 'coz I still have plenty of Meg's 3-steps and I wanna finish them before buying new supply. Thanks.

aaronng

You can use SSR for swirl removal once every 6 months or 1 year. In between, use Meg's 3 step to maintain. You can use the paint cleaner, polish and wax as much as you want because they are non-abrasive and will not wear down your paint.

dsianand

Thanks for the answer. I'd really appreciate it.

Hawhyen51

OOPS, correction on two of the links ...... sorry 'bout dat!PAC and Exceldetail

MurfsTypeS

sorry for the late post, but im kinda of a noob and ive recently suscribed to autopia.org as well as the acura forums and i as well have the megs 2 and megs gold wax and i was wondering how often you should wax? 3 coats maximum wax (correct me if im wrong) and if its allright to always polish when waxing. ive heard that some polishes are abrasives and i dont want to take off my clear coat. i do have slight swirls on hood and trunk any products for removal?? eventually once i get the balls ill buy a PC a begin practicing. not on my own car that is. maybe girlfriends. haha

exceldetail

With a Nuba, I wouldnt let it go much farther then 4-6 weeks before another application. Nubas just dont have the best durability (Collinite is a different story).
Try to get in a routine of quarterly detailing, in other words, every season, either polish or clean the paint, then reapply your sealant, i.e. Winter (clay, polish, seal) Spring (Clean, seal), Summer, (Clay, polish, seal) Spring, ( Clean, seal). Use a clay twice, use a cleaner twice, use a polish twice, but a sealant 4 times. Dont be initmidated by the PC, its very user friendly. As mentioned earlier, a good hand polish would be Poorboys SSR 2, available at the links provided.

dsianand

Question: when you mention seal, did you mean waxing?

As for claying, I bought Meg's clay product (forgot the name), and I tried it once on my car and never used it again. Maybe I'm doing it wrong (I followed directions from autopia), but somehow claying doesn't do the job quite well. Besides, I don't see/feel any contaminants or that sorts on my car (I wash my car every week without fail) and maybe that's the reason why.

Hawhyen51

Sealing and Waxing are basically the same and they do one thing - paint protection. You can use Synthetic or Carnuba - your choice. The difference is durability as Exceldetail mentioned in the previous post. Most folks here use a polymer sealant (UPP, EX-P, SG) because of durability. It's usually topped with a 'Nuba (S100, P21S, Nattys) for depth and also acts an extra layer of protection.

You probably got Meg's Pro Detailing Clay. Put your hand is a zip lock bag and run it across the surface of your vehicle. If you feel slight bumps, roughness or specs of sand, you need to clay. Clay is used to remove imbedded particles such as brake and rail dust and other contaminants from the paint's surface. These particles will not be removed no matter how often you wash. The best way to remove them is claying. This process ensures the surface is pristine and ready for the next step. Follow a regime as mentioned in the previous post and you won't go wrong.