First UDM Project

[Tractorboy]

I'm a nuube here and my detailing expertise until this point has been limited to claying (Griots), limited polishing using a old cheap 8" B&D vibratron and waxing with Megs 26. My new UDM should be arriving any day and I'm stoked to use it.

My question is about product. My first project, don't laugh, will be my wife's 96 dark blue Impreza, woo woo! The paint is in pretty decent shape but I want to try my hand at removing the minor scatches and swirls that have accumlated over 11 years.

What's in my garage:
Megs Clear Coat Body Scrub paint cleaner
Megs Deep Crystal System Polish
Megs 26
Claymagic (it's in the mail but haven't tried it yet)

Should I waste my time with this stuff or step up to a higher end product. I don't mind spending a little more dough but I hate wasting my time on mediocre results.

My next project is my white 02 540i.

[Stryder]

What got me into detailing was Meguair's Deep Crystal 3 step system. I though my car looked good with that system, but boy was I wrong. IMO, if you want to correct the swirls and minor scratches on your wife's car, you will need to upgrade your polishes. Optimum's polish and their compound are pretty much fool proof.

Good luck and have fun with your new PC.

[Stryder]

And if you want to go the OTC route, Mother's Power Polish is a good one to use with your PC/UDM.

[Patman]

If you're getting a UDM, no sense wasting it with the stuff you've got on hand there, you'll get way more benefits if you get some real compounds to work on the paint. I'm new to this game so I don't know all the products out there, but with my own UDM I've had good luck with Meguiar's Dual Action Cleaner/Polish (M83) and their Speed Glaze (M80) In combination with a white Lake Country pad and my UDM at speed 5, I've had great results with the black paint on my 98 Corvette. If I could only pick one of those two Meguiar's products though, I'd go with the M80, it can probably tackle most of the paint imperfections out there. Anything too severe for the M80/white pad/UDM combo probably needs the work of a rotary anyhow.

[optimusp517]

Based on what ScottWax uses for polishes with the UDM it appears that Optimum line works great. I would also give Menzerna line a shot. If you're doing some paint correction you'd want at least 106ff and possibly IP as well. I'm running 106ff and HTEC for mostly all the work that I need to do. I generally use the rotary for both of those application, and haven't tried it out with the UDM yet.

Also pick up some LC CCS pads, white & orange ones should probably be all you need for any paint correction.