getting by with bare min..

[smak]

I`m trying to broaden my horizons here but all these new products i`m learning about are hard to keep track of.



would it be possible to get by with just a PC, optimum polish and nattys blue.. if all you detail are dark cars with med/light swirls?



with a cutting and finishing pad for the PC, as well as the ability to vary speed i`d imagine you could get a broad range of swirls out, and then apply the nattys blue on top?



if using this system, what compramises are made in the final results?



i notice people are using product in between optimum and nattys usually. whats the purpose of this? to further smooth/remove swirls or to seal the freshly cut clear, or both?



and in removing product, is there any benefit to using a PC as opposed to good ole elbow grease? assuming one has high quality towels of course.



i can see applying it by PC maybe getting a stronger bond to the finish, but removal should be as light as possible no?

[dcswd]

Yeah, you could get by with that. I would go with a polishing pad and cutting pad instead though. Use those two pads with the polish, and apply wax by hand. Unless you have a large vehicle, applying by hand should be pretty quick and easy. I would remove by hand as well just because I think its easier to get into the tight areas. Nattys is easy to use anyways (both to apply and remove). Many find it very soothing and enjoyable to use a paste wax by hand :D



The step between heavy polishing and wax does help smooth everything out. It removes any minor defects left behind by the last step and leaves behind a nice gloss with a surface ready for wax. I havent used optimum, so im not too sure, but it seems like you could use it with a cutting pad (if needed) as your heavy polishing step, then follow it with a less aggressive pad. The second pad would essentially be this inbetween step.



Also, you have probably read it before, but the pad that the pc comes with is not all that great, so make sure you get a regular polishing pad to replace it.

[rollman]

Yes you could get by with your list with no problems at all. Instead of the nattys I would buy a good sealant and call it a day . Meg`s #21 comes to mind , or Klasse SG , Poorboy`s EX , EX-P . Removal by hand is the way I do it . :buffing:

[Accumulator]

Yeah, you could get by with that. I would go with a polishing pad and cutting pad instead though. Use those two pads with the polish, and apply wax by hand...

Also, you have probably read it before, but the pad that the pc comes with is not all that great, so make sure you get a regular polishing pad to replace it.



What he said. IMO you oughta have the PC for marring removal (life is short and hard enough *with* a PC).



Actually, if not for marring removal (and thus the need for a PC and the OCP), you could get by fairly well with just a cleaner wax! I`ve known plenty of people who keep their vehicle in "nicest car in the company parking lot" condition with just Meguiar`s/Mother`s cleaner wax. Maybe not "Autopian quality", but head-turning nonetheless.



But since you want to take it a bit beyond that, I`d consider some Meg`s #80 to use between the OCP and the Natty`s. And I`d stick with carnaubas instead of sealants as they`re a bit more forgiving of imperfect prep, especially on dark colors.

[White95Max]

Nattys (both regular and blue) is a great wax on ALL colors. You could definitely get by with just a PC, a polish (I`d pick SSR2 AND 2.5, but that`s just me. Sometimes you need a stonger polish, sometimes you don`t).

You also have to think about trim, tires, wheels, etc...

[Scottwax]

You can get by with just Optimum using a cutting then a polishing pad, or just a polishing pad if the paint is in decent shape. Natty`s Blue is fine but Collinite 845 would be more durable.

[wannafbody]

Optimum or Mothers Power polish

Pads

Sealant- EXP or Tropicare TC-3

Wax- Collinite 845



those products should be able to handle most cars with great results