A6, ML350, MDX, my car

Scottwax · 03-01-07, 11:10

2002 Audi A6. First time I did this one, it was horribly hammered by the dealer. Now it basically needs light polishing to keep it up. Optimum Poli-Seal using a white LC polishing pad and Meguiars #16 by hand.

This is his wife's '06 Mercedes ML350. Excellent shape overall but he had the right front fender repainted and for some reason, they managed to leave rotary tracers....on the hood.

Ceramiclear paint too.

I used Optimum Hyper Compound and orange Cyclo cutting pads, followed by Optimum Polish using green Cyclo polishing pads to remove the swirls. The rest of the ML, including the repainted fender, were swirl free so I just went over it with Meguiars #16.

Scottwax · 03-01-07, 11:19

2004 Acura MDX. Regular customer, he has me wax it every 2 months. However, with the horrible weather we had most of January and a cold weather for much of February, it was past the 3 month point this time. When it was just past two months since it was waxed, he put on a coat of #26 on his own before a road trip over the Werkstatt's Acrylic Jett I had used. He said it was still beading nicely but he didn't want to take any chances because of the trip. I didn't want to put AJ over #26 and it really didn't need any polishing so no sense using Prime to remove #26 and lay down a good base for AJ, so I just applied a coat of my 80/20 blend of Meguiars #16 and FK's Pink Wax. Meguiars Hot Shine Tire Gel on the rubber trim-very nice product, similar to #38.

Very few peeks of sun, so it was hard to get the full effect of the metallic in the MDX's paint.

Scottwax · 03-01-07, 11:39

My 1999 Mazda 626. Last waxed sometime in early November (#16/Pink Wax mix) and washed 3 times since, twice by me and once by the body shop that repaired the left from fender my brother's wife back into. The hood was also repainted and the shop did an excellent job on the repairs but not so good with the wash. My fault too, for dropping it off as dirty as it was but I had no time to wash it before taking it in. Not to mention my paint is a lot softer than the Spies-Hecker paints this shop uses. Anyway, I was exepecting to have to polish the car out after so little care during the winter so no biggie.

Here is a before shot, showing the marring and scuffing from the wash-

I started off with Optimum Polish using orange Cyclo cutting pads but it was leaving a lot of hazing.

I followed with Optimum Polish using green Cyclo polishing pads and even this (except on the repainted hood and fender) left some minor hazing. Told you I have soft paint! I ended up sticking with OP and the green pads for the rest of the car, then followed with Optimum Poli-Seal using white Cyclo finishing pads. This shot is after both those steps (OP/green, OPS/white).

A couple more sun shots before I started on the passenger side:

I used Clearkote's Carnauba Moose to wax after polishing.

As you can see in this picture, the repair and repaint on the fender and hood are first rate with very minimal orange peel.

BigAl3 · 03-01-07, 11:53

hey scott, nice job on ALL especially the acura mdx! i was curious... do you tape of the cars you do, or are you pretty careful so you don't have to. also, where can i get some of those tire applicators you're using?

Scottwax · 03-01-07, 11:59

No rotary, no tape. I don't use any products that really give me a problem with trim anyway. On the door handles on my car, the rubber gasket is oxidized and has turned a light grey-that is not wax or polish build-up you see. It bugs the crap out of me but not enough to replace the gaskets.

Griots sells the tire dressing applicators I use.

BigAl3 · 03-02-07, 12:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scottwax

No rotary, no tape. I don't use any products that really give me a problem with trim anyway. On the door handles on my car, the rubber gasket is oxidized and has turned a light grey-that is not wax or polish build-up you see.

Griots sells the tire dressing applicators I use.

thanks for the info!

hifiveo · 03-02-07, 12:47

Just awesome Scottwax! I think I'll breakout my #16 again. My paint is in good condition and I understand that final polishing helps to bring out that mirror look. Does routine final polishing, like every 3-6 months, affect the clear coat? As in reducing the amount of clear remaining.

BTW, in your last pic, you just missed the curb "by that much."

fishbonezken · 03-02-07, 02:56

your car looks the best among all of them scott!
that last shot looks so...warm...

ttsoca · 03-02-07, 03:00

Very nice, the biggiest improvement is your car. I have the same problem get so busy doing others cars don't have time for your own. It's is strange how life works sometimes.