New to detailing, few Meguiar`s questions...

[RedStang]

I`m new to the boards, and I`ve spent a lot of time so far in researching the things I plan on doing to my car this spring (there is more info than I can handle on these boards. :D )



First off... I`ve got a 1996 rio red (basic performance red) Ford Mustang. So far all I`ve done since I got it a year ago is wash it when it needs it, and waxed it twice (just with basic cleaner wax... made by Malco).



So far, my plan for the spring is the following:

1. Wash car (is washing with Dawn really necessary?)

2. Clay bar

3. Meguiar`s #9

4. Meguiar`s #7

5. Meguiar`s #26 or #16



Having a red car, would the #26 or #16 wax be better? I`ve seen some pics of cars with NXT applied to it and it really makes non-metallic paint deep, dark, and wet-looking to me. However, with the steps I want to use, I don`t know if I can incorporate that at all. I know the #16 is known for more of a wet look, but still I don`t know which is more popular for cars of my color.



I`d also like the wax to be somewhat durable. I could apply two coats if necessary to make it last longer, but with being at college most of the year, my car is driven most during the summer months (I`d probably wax it once or twice after the initial detailing). Even though it isn`t driven much during the winter, I really have no time to wax it then.



I plan on applying all of these by hand with the yellow Meguiar`s applicator pads. Is there a different product I should consider using in place of anything, or does this sound good for my first time? Thanks for any advice. :D

[imported_Greg]

Welcome to Autopia. As for your current process, it looks pretty good. As for the difference between #16 or #26, it really is going to be a coin flip, however #16 is going to be more durable. If you want to add durability to it as well, you might consider using the #20 Polymer Sealant or NXT. #7 is pretty difficult to work with IMO so you might want to skip that step and either replace it with #81 Hand Polish, which was designed for clearcoated finishes or omit it completely.



As for application, since you are going to do this by hand, I would suggest maybe using a good quality terry towel for the #9 as it the terry will give it a bit more bite.



If you have any more questions, let us know!



Edit: Dawn wash not necessary, use whatever you would like with a good quality sheepskin mitt.

[RedStang]

Thanks for the help Greg! After thinking about it some more, could I just use NXT as my 4th step in place of the #7? If I would decide to use the #81 though, then I guess my process would be...



1. Wash car

2. Clay bar

3. Meguiar`s #9

4. Meguiar`s #81

5. Meguiar`s NXT

6. Meguiar`s #26 or #16



However, would the NXT be safe to use over top of the #81 since I`ve read that it has mild cleaning capabilities? Thanks again.

[RedStang]

Anybody else have any opinions on my plans?



Another quick question, I`m a little confused as to the difference between terry towels and MF. I know it was suggested that I use a terry towel to apply the swirl remover... I was looking at pakshak.com and would any of those towels be considered a "terry towel" that I could use to apply the #9? Would the same type of towel also be able to be used in the removal of polish/wax? I don`t know which towels are considered "terry" and which are "MF" (which are commonly used to remove polishes/wax) since that site lists the towels there as both "terry" and "MF".

[imported_Greg]

From personal experience, yes NXT will clean a bit, but you will still get the benefit of the #81. As for terry towels, go to Target or somewhere like that in the bath section and get a couple smaller sized (hand towel size) softest 100% cotton towels you can find. These will be your best bet for terry towels, and then use the Pakshak MF`s for all your other needs. I believe the more popular brand terry towels are Charisma or Martha Stewart, hehe.



DFTowel can explain this better than I can and you might try a search for his name, but basically terry is a weave, and MF is just a description of the thread size. So yes, you can have a terry MF. Kind of confusing.