Need a new polishing compound

[Turbo1002]

Just ran out of 3m 5996 perfect-II. I have not purchased this stuff for a while now and I can not believe the price of it these days. I really liked it because it was designed for dark color paints. Does anyone know of a good replacement for dark colored cars or maybe place to get 5996 for a good price?
Thank you for the help.

[Evan.J]

Not sure what level aggressiveness that was but the two best I can think of are Menzerna FG400 and Meguiars M101

[dooyaunastan]

Not sure what level aggressiveness that was but the two best I can think of are Menzerna FG400 and Meguiars M101

This, they perform quite differently from my understanding but these are two of the best.

Another one that gets solid reviews from what I`ve seen is CarPro`s Fixer Compound

[mrclean81]

Perfect It II is a heavy compound. Ive used it for years. With that being said, there are much better compounds out there now days, but they are going to come with a learning curve since your used to 3M. +1 on FG400 or M101, but you might find M105 to be closer to what your used to. Either way you go, you will be shocked at how well these new products perform.

[wendell jarvis]

Check into the Menzerna line up

[colinpd137]

Check into the Menzerna line up

What he said,
I use almost daily..

FG-400
SF-2500
SF-4500

[Turbo1002]

OK.. You have me sold.. I am going to get some fg-400. What are you applying it with. Waffle Pads? Which colors?

[glen e]

you can do anything with fg400 -
want heavy? orange pad
polish? - white pad
fine polish? - green or blue....

great stuff...

[Stokdgs]

I have the best results for me with flat foam pads, no waffles, no pancakes, dimples, just flat pads.

If you are using 3M compounds, then I assume you are using a Rotary, right ?

I have stacks of flat pads of different colors I no longer use.

I stick mostly to Lake Country Hydro-Shred Cyan and Tangerine foam. Great cut and finish for about anything. These pads work very well with the Menzerna line of compounds and the Optimum line of compounds. I frequently use a Cyan HydroShred and Optimum Hyper Polish Finishing Compound to get a pretty badly scratched finishes down to applying the Sealant in 2 passes..

If it needs more correction quickly and finish down very nicely, I will use Lake Country Purple Foam Wool and Meguiars 105, etc.... And then finish with Meguiars 205..
The results are always stunning. All Rotary power.
Good luck !
DanF

[Todd@RUPES]

FG400 is going to FINISH much better than the compound you are used to, but it will likely not have as much initial bite. Remember that the older 3M compounds are full of fillers... They make the paint look nice for a couple of weeks.

Menzerna is filler free, so what you see is what you get (pretty much). Use a lower speed (1200-1400) and more pressure, and work slow, a section at a time. Clean your pad frequently.

As far as pads, I would look at Lake Country`s line up @ autopia-carcare.com.

With FG400, because of its finishing ability, you can use it with a variety of pads for anything from cutting to near-finishing. :bigups

Another option for you is Meguiar`s M100 Speed Cut... That stuff rocks!

[Beemerboy]

Check into the Menzerna line up

This is a real good line of polishes and compounds, but it`s designed for rotary only. At least that`s been my experience with it.

The PC doesn`t get the product hot enough to break down the abrasives

[cleanmycorolla]

Menz, Wolfgang, Blackfire Duo all great compounds or aggressive polishes.

However I love to recommend Meg`s UC. Depending on your paint and technique, it can finish LSP ready, it has a nice work time, it`s cheap and readily available, and it just works.

Nothing will ever pry the Wolfgang Duo from my cold dead hands, but UC is pretty awesome for price, ability, etc....

But I do get the appeal of the pricier polishes, because they`re great and they work well, sometimes price does have to play a factor, at least for me, can`t let what`s mostly a hobby bankrupt me :)

[Merlin]

Another option for you is Meguiar`s M100 Speed Cut... That stuff rocks!

I like rotary with M100 or M101 (http://www.autopiaforums.com/forums/autopia-carcare-com-new-products-customer-feedback/40668-story-overview-meguiars-m101-compound.html) both work great IMHO.
I`ve used M100 with Megs MF disc & Rupes 21. WOW!