EXTREME ENOUGH turning 16 yrs old Charcoal paint to Mirror Finish, newbie on rotary

[Chuckmotor]

A couple of my friends tell me that they use Meguair`s Cleaner Wax often. They say it hides all the scratches. One of these guys has a black car, as do I, and he says the Cleaner Wax makes the car look great. I was wondering if any of you guys new anything about this stuff. Is it safe? How is it different from a polish? Does it last? Will it work?

[JasonC8301]

I am assuming its the burgundy consumer cleaner wax from meguiars? The can or bottle from K-mart, Wall-mart, target type stores?



If so I have a 32 oz. bottle of that stuff. It cleans decent and leaves a shine that lasts for 3-4 weeks.



I guess Klasse All-In-One would be *like* the cleaner wax, but Klasse leaves a better shine IMHO and leaves more protection.



Meguiars also makes a professional cleaner wax #6 I think. I have no experience with that cleaner/wax.



The Meguiars will work with proper technqiue, but don`t expect miracles. Meguiars use the term polish loosely (sp?). The cleaner/wax is probably a glaze/wax. It will cover up swirls, clean the paint a little, then lay down some protection. Expect to apply once a month. AGAIN don`t expect exceptional results. Its an ok wax for the average Joe, but the cleaner wax does not live up to Autopian standards.



Jason

[imported_Intermezzo]

Do they all work for Meguiar`s? hehe, just kidding.



A cleaner is a product with cleaning agents (via solvents or abrasives or both) that will, depending on its strength, remove surface defects, swirls, stains, etc. Meguiar`s cleaner wax is a combination type of product that has some cleaning ability and also lays on a coats of protective wax. If used properly (and also depending on the condition of your car surface), it could significantly improve the appearance of your car as well as provide some protection from the elements.

[YoSteve]

<blockquote class=`ipsBlockquote` >

<em class=`bbc`>Originally posted by Chuckmotor [/i]
<strong class=`bbc`>A couple of my friends tell me that they use Meguair`s Cleaner Wax often. [/b]</blockquote>
Yeah chuck they must use it often because it only lasts a few weeks :). I Klasse twice a year period. It seems like a more worthwhile investment for something that works better, looks better, and lasts longer.

Also most of us agree that you shouldn`t use a cleaner wax that often, so if your friend is using it say monthly, it may wear down his clearcoat over an extended time, IMO.

[Scottwax]

I agree with Steve. Cleaner Wax is fine for a quickie wax just before you sell your car, but it isn`t something I would use very often. In fact, I wouldn`t use any of the Meguiars waxes in burgandy bottles. Either use their Mirror Glaze or Body Shop Professional lines.



Cleaner Wax has mild abrasives and can make your paint look better quickly, but IMO, it is better to use a two step process-a seperate polish and wax. It may take a little longer, but the results are worth it.

[Bob Post]

any type of cleaner wax as it`s kinda hard to "clean" a surface then "wax" it at the same time. Cleaners are made to remove surface dirt and wax also and is a double-negative. Those products are made for the general consumer (which there are not many of here) and don`t last long or perform very well. I would use the products sold at CMA, and use polymer`s.

[Chuckmotor]

I had assumed as much, but being only a beginner (but rapidly getting as obsessed as the rest of you!!), I don`t know too much. I`m learning! I have a question relating to wax preperation: if my car has some minor scratches on it, would it be sufficient for me to wash, clay, then use Meguair<span class=`bbc_underline`>S #2, then wax? Since my car is a 1992, I have some minor swirls, some haze, and little knicks and cuts all over the driver`s side, especially. Should I use anything in addition to #2, say #7, of which I already have a bottle? Or is the #2 enough?

[Scottwax]

Chuck-you might want to go to Meguiars website www.meguiars.com and see if there is a local distributer near you that stocks their Professional Body Shop line. Dual Action Cleaner/Polish is far superior to #2 Fine Cut Cleaner. The abrasives are buffered so the cleaner quickly turns to a polish and is much gentler on the paint, while still removing some pretty tough defects.

If you cannot get Dual Action, the #2 is fine, but you definately should follow it with Swirl Remover #9 then Show Car Glaze #7 for the best results. With Dual Action, you can probably skip the Swirl Remover and go directly to #7 (or from the Body Shop line, Hand Polish).

Once the surface is properly prepped, then use the wax of your choice. You won`t get a general concensus here-Klasse, Zaino, Meguiars, 3M, Pinnacle, PS212, etc are all highly rated waxes. You might want to go to www.thewaxtest.com and look over their results-try a few of the high performing waxes and decide which one you prefer.

[Chuckmotor]

If I use the Dual Action Cleaner/Polish, would I then need to use the #7 polish, or does the dual action do what it says and polish?

[imported_doug]

I have some of the dual- action c/p. I tried it a while back, and I felt it left orbital-pattern scratches on my car. HOWEVER that was before I understood how to use a diminishing abrasive product with the orbital. DA-CP is such a product. You must work it a long time. It has to get sort of dry and maybe even a little warm under the pad so that the coarser starting grit that does the cleaning breaks down into much finer abrasive that cleans up after the coarse stuff and polishes that stuff out.



I now know that this is the secret to success with FI-II, 3M SMR, Meguiar`s Swirl remover 2.0 (although the latter is much more forgiving because it has more fillers). I`m willing to bet that the DA-CP works pretty well if you give it this chance. One`a`these days I`m going to try it again.



By the way, on finding Meguiar`s "professional body shop" line (AND 3M`s commercial stuff) - try to find the paint house that supplies all the auto body shops in your area. In my area (San Francisco Peninsula) it is "San Carlos Paint". In an industrial section, but they have ALL this stuff.

[Lone Wolf]

#9 Swirl Remover or the Dual Action Polish?? My wifes car is a white 1995 Contour with lots of swirl marks..nothing to serious. When I get my PC

7424 I was thinking about using Swirl remover-show car glaze--Blitz..Would this be a good combo??



LW

[Scottwax]

<blockquote class=`ipsBlockquote` >

<em class=`bbc`>Originally posted by Lone Wolf [/i]
<strong class=`bbc`>#9 Swirl Remover or the Dual Action Polish?? My wifes car is a white 1995 Contour with lots of swirl marks..nothing to serious. When I get my PC
7424 I was thinking about using Swirl remover-show car glaze--Blitz..Would this be a good combo??

LW [/b]</blockquote>
Start with #9 first and see if it removes the swirls. If not, then jump up to Dual Action. Like carguy says, you really have to work it until it looks nearly clear and dry.

-------------------------------

Chuck-I would follow any paint cleaner with a glaze or light polish-it adds extra oil Dual Action doesn`t, and the abrasive is even finer than what Dual Action breaks down to.

[mx5]

Scottwax and carguy,

Meguiars sells online now, so anything you can`t find in your area or at CMA you can order through them.

[YoSteve]

ZV, a few of my friends and family members use AIO only on their car. They do it twice a year and it looks great all year long. Klasse All In One, does a good job a cleaning but it does set up a good coat of acrylic sealant that shines and protect.

[Chuckmotor]

Is the Medallion Premium Paint Cleaner from Meguiars any good? If I can`t get a hold of the Dual Action stuff, will the Premium Paint Cleaner help (followed by a polish, of course)? These scratches in my black car are bugging me!!