View Full Version : Makin my baby Shine
I have a 1986 LTD Crown Victoria and I use the Mothers polish 3 phase system (Pre-wax cleaner, sealeer glaze, and carnuba) and it shines pretty good I did it last year by hand and got good results, but I am wondering what alternatives in polishes and rubbing compounds are there to really make her shine or is this about it. I just bought a Wen Pro Polisher & Waxer, 10" and I really didn`t get the results I hoped for.
:nixweiss
Anthony O.
05-20-2003, 10:57 PM
Well that WEN polisher would lose in a polishing contest against your hand!!
Your hand can produce more heat and friction than that WEN. The WEN was designed for final wax application and such, not paint correction.
And it is hard to give you any recommendations on polising your paint out if we have no picture to compare it to. If possible post a pic of your car so we have something to go by.
Anthony
Ouch, sorry to hear you wasted some cash on one of those huge things. :( They just have too many tradeoffs and limitations when compared to the PC machines a lot of Autopians favour. Trust me, I was looking into them too and finally went PC instead.
As Anthony said, some more descriptions about your car`s paint condition and any problems you`d like to fix would be helpful. Try to be descriptive since I personally don`t put too much stock in the reliability of pictures. I still wouldn`t mind seeing a pic of a Crown Vic of that age though. It`d be something different. :)
There`s nothing wrong with the Mothers glaze and wax, but for swirls and other problem fixing you`ll need something better (ie, stronger) than just their pre-cleaner regardless of how it`s applied.
By the way, welcome to Autopia! :welcome
GoodnClean
05-21-2003, 02:27 AM
I`d love to see a picture of a car like that maintained well myself!
Welcome!:welcome
Heres a couple pictures of my Vic after last years polishing by hand. http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrowse.asp?selected=274521
I can`t see the "zoomed" picture. :nixweiss
I just tried it right now and it worked, anybody else having problems? if u are I have a picture that is lower quality beacuse I had to make it smaller to fit inside the attached image limit.
Thanks. Looks good for an `86. :)
Back to your original question though, what aren`t you happy about with your existing routine? Do you have oxidation, swirls, etc.? :confused:
I don`t really have any complaints just wondering if in can make any inprovements to my process to a get a shinier look ? i am going to exchange my WEN so what kind should i get or is by hand my best bet. I just wanted to know what else is out there that will give better results than the mothers polish?
Thanks
Well, 95% of your results are from good paint preparation before putting anything on it. That`s why I asked about swirls/oxidation/fading/etc, which are typical problems people have. Sometimes they`re not all that noticable either, but it`s up to you to see if it`s there or not.
The Wen you had is more of a labour saving device for applying stuff like glaze and wax (and buffing if you want) but little else and won`t really improve results. Most people here like a machine called a PC because it makes polishing/compounding easier (and is capable of this!), but if your paint is already pretty swirl and blemish free I don`t see any rush to get one.
You might also want to consider claying your car if you think it needs it. This can make a big improvement in feel.
Check out some of the articles in the Learn! link on top as well as in the Member Articles section. Don`t forget the eBook too...
Well when I did my car this year when I used the prewax cleaner and everything and quite a bit of blue came on to my terry cloth pads so the oxidation is still ther and I checked and I do not have any severe swirl marks but I guees it wouldn`t hurt to go over with a swirl remover. What products would you recommend and where could I pick these up, considering I live in Canada.
2wheelsx2
05-22-2003, 04:57 PM
For series swirl removal, DACP.
For minor swirls, 3M SMR or #9.
Depending on where you are in Canada, you can get these at different places. In BC, Lordco has some 3M products, and all of the Meguiar`s BodyShop and Mirror Glaze lines. So do the Cmax and Mopac autoparts stores. In the east, maybe Paco or one of the others can answer.
But to use DACP or something similarly aggressive, it`s best to use a random orbital buffer, and they are not all that effective by hand, unless you have ape arms! :D
What?? You live up here and didn`t share this info? :D What city/town exactly? That might help since we have members in most major cities. (Notice my Location field to the left.)
Whether you have oxidation or not is a judgement call. Usually the paint will look dull, cloudy, slightly whitish, feel chalky, etc. The pre-wax cleaner will probably keep pulling paint whenever you use it because your paint, oxidized or not, isn`t clearcoated.
Some larger Canadian Tire stores are starting to carry Meguiar`s #9 swirl remover, which is supposed to be a good product for hand use. Otherwise, there`s nothing really wrong with the other 2 parts of the Mothers system and that`s what you would follow it up with.
I live in Edmonton so Iwill check around see which shops carry these products. So what would your recommendations be in products to get the best possible finish on my metallic blue paint, the kind of results that will get people taking a second look ? I am going to try pick up a PC also:up
I keep forgetting about this place, but check out the larger Home Hardware stores too. You may be able to find #9 as well as your PC all in one stop. Depending how many or what kind of pads you get though, PC ownership can get pricey (about $300)....
It`s hard to come up with a recommendation for you without seeing the paint in person. It`s pretty much up to you to assess what damage (if any) your paint has under good and different lighting conditions, and to then formulate a plan to correct it. Don`t forget to try a milder solution first though, which is safer by default.
Other than perfecting the paint, dressing the tires, and making sure the chrome and wheels look good, I`m not sure there is a ton more you could do really.... I suppose you could look into some of the polymer sealant systems people use here, but I`m not convinced that it would look a world "better" on well-prepared paint than a traditional glaze/wax regimen.
Oh yeah, pick up a California Car Duster too - that helps keep things looking good when the car gets dusty. Run a search on this tool for some good usage hints.