sblue

I plan on giving my car a long overdue detail this weekend. I just recently picked up a porter cable. I've been reading ton's of different post's regarding proper steps/ products and am pretty overwhelmed? My main question is regarding proper steps? Here's what i think i figured out, please correct me if im wrong? I have swirls i want to remove and not just fill in.

wash
clay
wash
polish (megs.#80)
glaze
wax

I plan on using meguiars products for this detail they seem to be pretty popular? (Any recomendations for the above in meguiars products would be cool)

I'm sure theres some steps that can be added in between but im looking for just the basics of the detail job. My paint is'nt horrible just your typical swirl marks. I've read that the proper polish (no fillers, light cut) will rid the swirls a glaze will give the paint a wet look and a good wax to seal it all up?
Also is a glaze necessary? Can i just polish (megs.#80) then wax? or is the glaze used to clean up after the cutting polish?
Not sure if this post really makes sense? lol, I hope someone can chime in..
thanks!

One HoT

iTrader: (5)

The list you have is fine...Glaze is not always necessary, its a matter of personal preference....I dont like glaze because it takes too long to apply and it only last so long...

My recommendation is to spend the majority of your time claying and polishing...A good clay job will make your polishing less of a pain..Make sure all contaminants have been lifted so you can work with fresh paint...Polishing is so much easier when the paint is fresh!

From experience, swirls are diffcult to tackle with a PC which is why a rotary is more of my perferred choice...Chances are, you will need multiple passes to remove swirls with a PC so you'll need some or a lot patience...Try several pad and polish combinations in one 1x1foot area to see which one removes swirls effectively..Try the least aggressive combination first then move on to more aggressive combinations, this will minimize marring (buffer trails)...Once you found the correct combination, you can move on to the rest of the car...Take your time, observe, and double check your work in the sun...A great polishing job will stand out like no other after you have applied the last step product...

Other steps contribute minimal to the overall finish...Concentrate on polishing!

-Good luck

jfelbab

+1 what OneHot said.

Also using a PC requires some technique to get good results.

Don't use too much polish. The polish contains lubricating oils and as you polish a section, the pad becomes saturated with the oils and doesn't correct as well. Clean your pad after each section by putting a cotton towel against the pad and turning the PC on. Rub the towel over the pad face to remove as much oil as you can. A clean pad works much more effectively than a saturated pad.

Apply enough pressure to slow the rotation of the pad but not stop it. The pad must rotate to be effective. I put a permanent marker line on the pad to make it easier to see the rotation. I also dedicate a pad to a polish and write the polish type on the pad.

I have a couple of dual-head halogen work lights on tripods that I place to help me see the defects as I polish. Also be sure the paint surface is cool and work in a shaded area when you polish.

Do a youtube search on polishing and you will find a few pretty good videos demonstrating technique.

#80 has a high concentration of polishing oils. I find that after using #80, I seldom need a glaze for that reason. Also these oils can sometimes hide minor swirls so if you want to be sure you have removed them do a wipe down with 50% Isopropyl alcohol/water mixture over an area. This wipe down will remove all the oils so if you wipe down the whole car you might then want to use a glaze. A glaze will make the surface look wetter and yet it will evaporate over time so it is only temporary. When I was showing my MR2 I'd apply the glaze over the wax just before the show and it would look super wet. Using it in this manner, it would only last for a day or two. Long enough to show the car. Using the glaze under the wax will lengthen it's life by several weeks.

It probably is not necessary to rewash your car after you clay if you are using the supplied QD and wipe up the residue as you go. Any remaining QD residue will be removed when you polish.

ArmyofOne

I dont even use a PC, i never have. I havent needed one yet. I would love to have one tho.

JKA.nyc

This is a newb question... but when claying should i use a circular motion or up and down motion?

Chris@GlimmerGlass

iTrader: (3)

up/down, side/side... but yes, straight lines is preferred

jfelbab

Makes no difference.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfEfLGL59GI