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Hello,
I have always had a passion for automobiles, and for the last couple years have been working for a very large auto dealership washing and cleaning the insides. I have that down to a science and would like to get into detailing using compounds and the such.
I have been doing my research, and would like to get things straight before I start.
I recently aquired a `97 BMW 328is that is in need of a good cleaning. It has minor scratches and swirls and the color could used brightened up a little bit. The only place I am able to buy products for this is at an Autozone or NAPA. Can`t imagine Walmart selling quality products...
So I intend on washing the vehicle, claying, using some sort of scratch/swirl remover and then waxing. Is this the correct order?
Questions:
Do I clay the entire car, or just the rough parts?
Can I get a recommendation on a good scratch/swirl remover available OTC?
I have a rotary, with applying pads, but no pads to take off the comounds, can I do this step with a cloth, or should I buy an extra one or this purpose?
Thank you
TriumphGT6
02-21-2007, 09:55 PM
Clay the entire car.
Scratch Swirl Remover, Meguiar`s 80, 83, 84 & 85 are good locally available stuff.
How much experience do you have on the rotary? Depending on experience, try a PC first, it`s easy as pie and very hard to damage stuff.
Just curious though, why can`t you order online?
I have zero experience with a rotary, but am willing to give it a try. If that is risky I have no problem doing it all by hand.
I prefer not to order online, I would prefer to try my hand with OTC products first, if I do not get the results I want form those I will purchase off the Internet.
joshtpa
02-22-2007, 06:54 AM
Scratch X is a good swirl remover that is available locally.
Does scratch X just mask the problem?
Should I be using something slightly abrasive?
Also, does Scratch X or any other swirl remover take the place of a polish, or must I apply it after using this?
Accumulator
02-22-2007, 01:21 PM
Gryz- Welcome to Autopia! A few sorta-random thoughts follow:
I suggest you *not* use the rotary for now. It`s easy to make irreparable mistakes with one and if you get "holograms" (a common rotary-induced flaw) you`ll have a bear of a time getting them out by hand.
I have a `97 BMW M3, bought very used, so I`m somewhat familiar with what you`re about to do. It will be *very* difficult, if not impossible, to get that paint perfect by hand, it`s just too hard (or at least mine is).
In your case, a machine that`ll make the job easier (even if it doesn`t give "perfect" results) would be a good idea. You might be able to use it at work doing the *outsides* of the vehicles too. The Porter Cable ("PC") is the usual answer, though I prefer the Cyclo (do a search on it and check it out).
Scratch-X has a reputation for taking a *lot* of elbow-grease. If you *must* use OTC products, I`d look for an autobody/paint supply place, which can greatly expand the definition of "OTC".
If you`re working by hand, my absolute recommendation is to use polishes from 1Z, but you have to order them (I get mine from Aloha & Welcome to Our Oasis for All Your Auto Detailing Supplies & Accessories (http://www.pakshak.com/index.html) ). If your local autobody/paint place still has some of the discontinued 3M Perfect-It III Rubbing Compound 05933 and Perfect-It III Machine Glaze 05937, these work well by hand too (buy them if you can still find them).
Don`t use a machine to buff off residues from polish or wax, use a Microfiber cloth ("MF"). If you order from Pakshak, they have a great assortment of MFs.
Thank you,
The rotary that I have is a very cheap one form walmart I believe, it is cordless and runs off of a battery pack. If that makes any difference. If you advise me not to use it, I wont. I just feel bad not using it when I recieved it from a friend as a gift.
I will consider buying the 1Z polish, as I have read on here many good things about it.
Accumulator
02-22-2007, 05:25 PM
Gryz- I understand the psychological pressure to put your friend`s gift to some use, but yeah, I`d advise against it, at least for now.
But I`m wondering if it`s truly a "rotary polisher", I`ve never run into a cordless one :think: If it *is* a rotary, there`s a danger of messing something up with it. If it`s *not* a rotary, it might not be powerful enough to be optimal, but could still be of some use.
At any rate, you can use 1z stuff by hand or machine, so that wouldn`t change.
When I go home from college for break I will take a pic of the machine so you can see what exactly it is.
I will try the 1Z by hand, any specific one to try? Paint polish...express polish?
Thanks again
RyanDe680
02-22-2007, 06:15 PM
Porter Cable is definitely the way to start.
Surprised that no one has brought up Menzerna polishes yet, but not buying online really limits what you can use. I don`t think I have ever bought a polish, sealant or a wax OTC.
A few hours of work on the car with the PC and some Menzerna PO106FF should do wonders for your paint, assuming it hasn`t been treated as such in the past.
Be sure to use Microfiber towels. Those are another thing that I have purchased online.
To get great results, without buying online, you might run into a real challenge.
Accumulator
02-22-2007, 06:21 PM
When I go home from college for break I will take a pic of the machine so you can see what exactly it is.
I will try the 1Z by hand, any specific one to try? Paint polish...express polish?
OK, I`d like to know what the machine really is.
So they still make Express huh? I`d heard they were gonna discontinue it. I generally recommend the Paint Polish, it`s their general-use offering. IMO the Express would be *way* too mild for the BMW.
One last question, After I clay and use an abrassive polisher, should I apply a polish without abrassive properties? If so, is the latter otherwise known as a glaze?
Also, I have searched and found tons of threads about ColorX, any reasons to use it in place of ScratchX?
Cheetah
02-23-2007, 12:17 AM
IMHO, I`d say look for another alternative to the ScratchX method. I tried it about 2 months ago on my 2003 BMW. I read tons of threads here and on megs` board regarding ScratchX and followed all of the directions per Mike Phillips himself. I gave it a good effort but after about 10 minutes of really working it on a very light 1 inch scratch I could only
see the the slightest improvement. I mean SLIGHT!!! I estimate it would have taken me
about another 2 hours to take care of that one scratch. Maybe the paint on my car is very hard or something, I don`t know, but for me it wasn`t cutting it. literally. I`ll use scratchx for
something else someday when I find a use for it. I`m sure it`s a good product because many people seem to like it but no luck for me. I used like a week`s worth of elbow grease too.
My $.02
Accumulator
02-23-2007, 12:41 PM
One last question, After I clay and use an abrassive polisher, should I apply a polish without abrassive properties? If so, is the latter otherwise known as a glaze?
Also, I have searched and found tons of threads about ColorX, any reasons to use it in place of ScratchX?
The 1z Paint Polish will leave a ready-to-wax finish, in fact, it contains the sort of stuff that`s in a nonabrasive polish/glaze. After using it you`ll be ready for your LSP.
Color-X is an even milder product than Scracth-X, so IMO it`s not what you`d want; it`s not nonabrasive but it`s pretty close. It cleans well, does leave protection behind, but it won`t do any significant correction and IMO it`s simply not in the same class as the 1Z stuff at least not for this application.
Thank you,
I ordered the 1z PP off the web to try. I read many good raves about it.