Shine it Up!!!

Wanted to ask a couple ?'s but didnt want to sidetrack the B-Body Pics thread.

bowtiepimp wrote:

MASShole9C1 wrote:

Well, I'll have to pick up a buffer. The car is going away for winter anyway. We will be getting a new paint job soon too.

..... one stage , swirl free, easy use, anybody can make a black beast look sexy compound.....

I use this on 90% of my details now. Works fast and easy, next to nothing for mess or dust after. You can use it by hand but low speed on the buffer and you can do the whole car in 30 mins or less. No need to polish after. you can wax to seal in the polys but not needed if you just want to shine it up fast. You use very little compound too, Ive had this bottle for 2 months and have done 9 cars so far with it.

Thanks for the tip Chris
I just use (rarely but I do use it .) a DA. Its a nice unit but still a DA.
I've tried different coumpounds but my DD & Matts are pretty rough in areas
Are you saying you use this AFTER you do any corrections necessary & it glosses right up?
So is this a body shop supply item? Never saw it on any parts shelf

Hey! I have a black box.

Must know more. Where to buy, and how much?

I use Meguiars Ultimate Compound. Available OTC. Use it on a machine and follow up with wax.

The best way to prevent your car from looking like HID's in your face at night, in the sun, is to wash it properly.

GasTT wrote:

I use Meguiars Ultimate Compound. Available OTC. Use it on a machine and follow up with wax.

The best way to prevent your car from looking like HID's in your face at night, in the sun, is to wash it properly.

x2 I use it all the time!

Oh, I know what I am buying myself for Saturday. Time to celebrate.

Like Tim said it's over the counter.....

The ultimate compound he uses is a great finish polish and up keep for clean cars , much like yours Steve. The compound i posted is a great speed cut and polish, more for like the paint condition brian posted in his pics. Both compounds work great and with little effort or clean up. does not sling or cake up it's not like the early snow storm matt had with his tahoe.



I highly recommend using Meguiar's synthetic paint sealer #21 ( purple stuff ) to finish wax any car. This stuff is like a bullet proof vest for the clear coat.

I buffed the cadirat when Bill had it. Drove it almost a year without buffing or waxing because of the purple stuff. Even dirty people were impressed by the shine and paint depth .

GasTT wrote:

is to wash it properly.

and yes that means to clay bar after a good wash , every time if your going to buff or wax.....

Think of a smokers car wind shield.... Ever notice the film when the sun hits it?

your car gets a film on it from road grim and other elements. Even if you don't see it, it's there. Use a latex glove and you will feel more on the surface than with a bare hand. These particles will contaminate your compounds , causing streaks & swirls .

Body shine or water & be generous , but dont drown the panels as you clay them. Light pressure. ( your not sanding the car. )

As it gets dirty just roll the clay and use a cleaner piece. My clay bar is over a year old and about a 100 cars abused.

Like Chris said, be careful with the clay. It can cause haziness in the paint if it is too aggressive or you use too much pressure/not enough lube. My favorite clay is the black box Clay Magic.

I recommend Meguiars Deep Crystal Car Wash soap (pink liquid). I've been using it for years. That or even better the Gold Class wash soap (gold liquid). Use either of these soaps with a microfiber wash mitt or sponge with the little nubbies on it. Use the soap liberally to maximize suds. Suds are your friend, they are the only protection between the wash sponge and your paint.

I dry using a silicone water blade and follow up with CLEAN microfiber towels. After that, if the car already has a good application of wax on it (water beads when you rinse), I do a quick spray and wipe with Meguiars Quik Exterior Detailer to remove and water marks or smudges.

When you wash your microfiber towels, DO NOT put them in the dryer. The micro fibers will melt and become abrasive. Although it will feel fine to the touch your paint will feel the effects.

I'm gonna use those last two posts to get a raise at my Sunday job! Thanks guys

Another thing about the MF towels I've heard is you can't wash them with regular cloth, you need to hand wash them by themselves with something really mild then let them air dry.

I've been slacking because my father stole one, but I started doing "2 bucket washing" about five years ago. I need to buy some new ones. But anyway, use one as a source bucket with clean soapy water, and the other for rinsing all the crap off the sponge. They sell "grit guards" to put in the bottom of the buckets that helps keep any stuff down in the bottom.

I also used to use grout sponges to wash, since I'm a tile guy, and I just had new sponges floating around. I started using a chenille pad type thing this year, it's sort of like a California Car Duster type of material. Sponges apparently trap junk in them, then you just wind up swirling the paint.

I also NEVER EVER use automatic car washes, unless they are the kind that only spray the car and are truly touchless. I think even those use strong soaps that might strip wax but you've gotta get the salt off...

After getting the black truck I really had a rude awakening as to how much of a PITA cleaning a car is. If I get another one, it will probably be Bermuda Blue or another metallic turquoise color...was so much easier...

I'm trying to get the Tahoe so it's not all messed up as bad as it could be this winter. I only have a DA too, a Porter Cable. I was using bigger pads but switched to the smaller kind because supposedly they allow you to concentrate pressure if you need it better. I use the foam pads with the waffle appearance to them.

I started with Meguiars 105 on a yellow foam pad, and it actually came out pretty good, but did have some issues like buff patterns a little here and there. You're supposed to follow that with another final polish but I didn't feel like and I'll just do that next year. I have some stuff called Menzerna Final Polish that's pretty good.

After that I used a product called Klasse All in One. This stuff is amazing...it's from Germany and is basically a paint protectant and polish mixed in one...it buffs the car out and also spreads an acrylic shell over everything as you pass. It goes along with a sealant glaze that's in a separate bottle you apply afterward. It's not cheap, I think the kit is like 30 bucks, but I've been using the same bottles for years and it's still more than half full. The SG is still about 3/4 full actually...a nickel sized amount covers a whole hood. You can use the AIO on other stuff too, I do my taillight and headlight lenses with it, you can put it on your wheels to seal out the salt, etc. It goes on by hand or machine too.

The thing I like about it is it doesn't matter if you get a little in crevices, on trim, etc. You can wipe the residue off with a towel unlike with polishes and waxes. Not a reason to make a mess or anything but it's nice to know you can get it off...

I think I'm doing one more coat of the glaze, then using the Meguiars wax that I have on top of that. I'll have to take some pics when I'm done, the truck looks so much better than it did before...

Wash the MF towels together, air dry them...... but for only a couple bucks I always pick up a few new one's to do my final wipe on any detail job.

Used the Meguirs ultra cut 105 for Matts
Didnt hurt but wasnt enough
Guess it need a professional

Knew about all the other
My 96 made me cautious
Always Dawn...clay...Zaino

I'm talking more DD's then pampered beeatches