Crystal White...what to do?

[chrisjb521]

Hello everyone, this is my first post so go easy on me. I have a 96 mustang with crystal white paint that I bought recently. The paint is in terrible condition. I want to do some detailing to bring some life to the paint but I don`t really know where to start. I`ve washed the car and a lot of the stains in the paint are very hard to get out, so I figure I would need a paint cleaner, polish, then wax?

And also idk if the car has been repainted because it seems like its a single stage paint. When I washed the car I could see white coming off onto the towel I was using...Any help is greatly appreciated.

[REVNU]

Hello everyone, this is my first post so go easy on me. I have a 96 mustang with crystal white paint that I bought recently. The paint is in terrible condition. I want to do some detailing to bring some life to the paint but I don`t really know where to start. I`ve washed the car and a lot of the stains in the paint are very hard to get out, so I figure I would need a paint cleaner, polish, then wax?

And also idk if the car has been repainted because it seems like its a single stage paint. When I washed the car I could see white coming off onto the towel I was using...Any help is greatly appreciated.



I would do the following:



•*Clay Bar

• Paint Cleaner/Compound of your choice

• Polish of your choice

• Sealant of your choice



I have a white car too, a Subaru though, so I`m not sure how the paint compares to your Mustang. Mine is pretty darn soft and scratches/swirls really easy.



I used the following with my Meguiar`s G110 and got amazing results:



• Megs 105 Compound with 3.5" Purple Foamed Wool (Speed 5-6)

• Megs 205 Polish with 4" LC White Pad (Speed 4-5, last pass Speed 3)

• Megs M21 Sealant

• Maintain with Megs M135 Spray Detailer



The reflections and depth of white I get are awesome to say the least. I get compliments everytime I take the car out somewhere.



If you don`t have a DA, you will have to do by hand. Compounding by hand is NOT fun, but it can be done with some time and patience. I`m sure someone else will chime in with some other suggestions. Good Luck!

[chrisjb521]

do the 105 and 205 work well by hand? and what should I use to apply the compound and polish when using these products by hand? thanks for ur help

[REVNU]

do the 105 and 205 work well by hand? and what should I use to apply the compound and polish when using these products by hand? thanks for ur help



The 105 worked great by hand on my door jambs and door handles with a Foam Applicator. It finished down nice enough for me that I didn`t bother using a polishing step, I went straight to LSP for the door jambs and handles. It`s white, so I didn`t see any need to go any further.



I`ve used 205 by hand on my black motorcycle helmet and it worked "OK". It left micro-marring (not too noticeable), but I`m not sure if that was the polish or the paint to blame for that. I`ve never used 205 by hand on car paint, so I really couldn`t give you much advice on that.

[wytstang]

If you`re doing it by hand I would do this

Clay bar-Clay Magic

Paint Cleaner Klasse All-In-One (2 passes to ensure you get full coverage)

Sealant or wax of choice.

Trying to remove swirls by hand is very tiring. I would strongly suggest a machine polisher for that.