Brief background of this car guy, I've always been a fan of detailing (unfortunately by hand) and also always been short on time since I'm a Chef. So after talking to friend about getting a PC to start and speed up my whole process I finally made the jump a few weeks ago and picked up a 7336 SP from LOWES for $109. and no tax since I got it in NH
I have been lurking here for awhile reading and devouring loads of information, which BTW I must say I am completely impressed with the amount of helpful info easily accessible here, thank you in advance. I went ahead and picked up the
Wolfgang DA Deluxe Foam Pad Kit. I also found a local shop with quite a nice selection of Megs Professional products. I picked up #1, #9, #3 & good old #26 which I've had VG results with in the past but haven't used in awhile since I have been hand applying and recently used Eagle 1 Nano wax for ease but unfortunately not an enduring cover.
OK the practice car I have is a Black 2001 Acura Integra Type R (actual color is B-92P or Night hawk Black Pearl), pretty much outfitted for track use, Autocross and High Performance Drivers Events with my local SCCA and NASA clubs. So as you can guess it's in reasonably bad shape with swirls, pits, chips and random cone and off course damage. But the paint has a deep awesome blue flake in the black and just looks amazing when clean or wet or properly polished and shined. I can get past the actual chips and damage since it's pretty much a purpose designed and outfitted car and not a show car.
So with PC and pads and polish in hand I wanted to learn on something that would pretty much show me most issues and or what the PC and various pad and polishes could do.
Fast forward to yesterday. I washed the car 2 times with Megs Deep Crystal Wash simply because my brother picked up several gallons on sale at Wallmart. Once because it sits outdoors with a cover but recently a storm took the cover off and it's been naked for a few weeks and a Second time to get all the track debris, oil, and especially rubber and brake dust off various areas.
Then I clayed it with Mothers OTS stuff since I had a brand new one laying around, Damned it takes some time to clay even a small car like that. My new EVO took alot less time because it's well, New and no problems or issues.
Then I started to work on the Hood. I figured if I fugged it up I could always remove it and get it repainted anyway since it has various chips and dents in it. I went through the whole process with the PC and LC pads and applied as much and in the same manner of product to the pads and car with minimal if any pressure as indictated by several articles here and posted videos:
First) Yellow with #1 worked it well, wiped it off with a MFT, did this 2 times because I needed to learn when the polish had broken down and it took a second time for me to figure that out
Speed 2 for applying and up to Speed 5 till it broke down and wiped off easily. This took away most swirl marks and imperfections.
Second Orange with #9, again worked well, and took it off with the MFT, did this once and had no problems, noticed the hood looked particularly smooth and glossy after this stuff, attributed that to the known listed fillers in the product. Speed 2 for applying and up to Speed 5 till it broke down and wiped off easily. This made the hood look 90% to me besides the chips, but I could still see small straight scratches every so often, overall it looked a hell of alot better. But I wanted more depth.
Third White with #3
And here is where I had varying success and need help and comments This glaze went on well but didn't break down like the polishes? Dunno it felt like it took forever and actually caked up at times. Speed 2 for applying and up to Speed 5 BUT when I'd wipe it down it was extremely hard to remove and or created the infamous "HAZE". It happened several times all I can attribute the haze to is to my inexperience and the Glaze step since both polishes looked to do great jobs before I applied the Glaze.
Final Grey/Black with #26 Just awesome as I remembered it even by hand. Applying this stuff with the PC is a joy. So much so that I applied 2 layers and it wiped down extremely easily, alot easier than the #3 Glaze. Speed 2 to apply but only up to speed 3 then let it dry and wiped off easily.
I also did a door afterwards that not only had light swirls but severe R compound brake dust affliction (!!!Note to everyone Don't Ever Use Hawk Blue R Brake Compounds in the Wet, the result is severe corrosion of your paint and rusty haze afterwards!!!) It took several applications of the #1 again but following the 4 step process most of the brake dust is gone. Which for me is amazing because there is no way it came off before by hand and since it's a track beater I wasn't gonna spend money on someone to detail it just to get ruined again the next weekend out.
I didn't get to finish the whole car but that wasn't really my goal anyway. It was my first outing and I just wanted to learn how to use the PC. I found that when I took the correct time to apply, polish and clean the products that it actually moved rather quickly. But when I moved too fast, I'd have to redo a whole process. No biggy, I like to learn.
The BIG question is the #3 Glaze and my hazing issue with it, it's not really hazing unless the Glaze doesn't come off, then it's a total Pain In The *** to Wipe/Rub off. I apply it the same was as the first steps. I tried various speeds but only used the White pad since I only have the 4 right now. It seems I need to put excess Elbow Grease into removing it and I'm looking for suggestions.
Of course I have fretty much 75% more of the car to do in the future and definitely plan to buy more pads, at least a few Blue, Black/Grey and maybe White.
I also have two newer cars to do; one 2004 Dark Blue Trailblazer for the wife that looks sparklingly killer when cleaned and polished, and a 2006 Graphite Grey EVO MR that is in excellent shape and has a few coats of the Nano wax on it but I'd like something more durable since the winter is coming and I live in New York and will be daily driving it in the white crap.
Sorry for the long read but I'm new and very excited with my recent project and margianal success. Thank you for all and any help.
Anton
CLIFFS- Skip to #3 Glaze issue, TIA
to Autopia.
). Wipe it on (using the PC if desired) then buff it off while it's still wet. Note that #5 is different, you can let it dry or not as desired, it's a foolproof product but the others (#3/#7/#81) are *not* foolproof.
Linear Mode
