New Guy With Newbie Questions

[88MustangGt]

I`m new to this forum, so i thought i would use this opertunity to introduce myself and ask some newbie questions.

I have a 88 mustang gt, and i have used the meguires three step process, (my paint is about 3 years old), and i was fairly happy with the results that i got but i found it just didn`t last as long as i thought it would. I`ve seen some pictures of guys with stock paint that are getting a sweeter shine than me, i`ve asked people what they use and its similar to what i`ve been doin. I think what my question is, what kinda stuff do you guys use? and what techniques do you use? if anyone has before and after pics of what you`ve done i`d love to see them.

Also this winter the engine is gonna be getting pulled out in my garage and replaced with something a little better , i`m just curious as to what i should do to the block and the engine bay to get the shine back in there. i have to take out a bit of rust on the fire wall so i gotta hit it with a bit of paint.

Sorry for the long post and newbie questions, but any suggestions would be appreciated.

heres my car......

[John Styrnol]

It`s all in the prep, not the product really. Wash, Clay, Polish/Cleaner, Wax/Sealant.

[TW85]

I agree with John Styrnol in that the paint`s appearance is MOSTLY, not all, in the prep work. Different finish products can give different enough results to actually be noticeable.

I`d clay it, then use Poorboy`s SSR2.5 if needed, Poorboy`s SSR1, Klasse AIO, Klasse SG, and then a carnauba topper.

[NYV6Coupe]

hi 88mustanggt, welcome to DC.

Lots of good info & friendly people that are ready & willing to share knowledge but my suggestion is read ... read ... read.

I agree with previous posts, it`s 90% surface prep, 10% product. You can get very good results by doing things manually but you`ll get your best results using a PC. Your budget will be your guide & things area a bit more expensive in Canada. eshine.ca is a pretty good Canadian source.

Strongly suggest claying the surface if you haven`t already done so, also suggest looking into MF towels for products & WW towels for lint-free drying.

Poorboys products are hobbiest friendly, as are 4* products. Many Meg`s, 3m, & Mother`s products are good and NXT is a favorite of quite a few members.

You can find a cheat-sheet of the popular abbreviations at the top of the Car Care Products Discussion & Reviews Forum

[JaredPointer]

88 -

Welcome to DC!! First of all, go read this thread. Very informative. You may also want to check out his website, OCDetails. It too is informative and will give you some idea of products/processes to use.

Also, feel free to call Dwayne @ Pac, Poorboy Steve, or any of the other sponsors here you may feel comfortable talking to. They can set you up with some product/process suggestions.

[88MustangGt]

wow it seems like theres so much involved with all this, all these different products.... i`m getting a headache....lol

i got one of these simozies buffers for last christmas, and i used it for the polish and wax..... is this a good thing?.. i will pick up a porter cable random orbit polisher if i`m gonna get way better results...... unless what i already have is good enough. if not, what should this simonize one i have be used for?.... once again sorry for all the dumb questions but i`m new to this. and am gonna be reading on this forum alot.


for next summer i want a car that looks as good as it moves

[BookemDano]

wow it seems like theres so much involved with all this, all these different products.... i`m getting a headache....lol

i got one of these simozies buffers for last christmas, and i used it for the polish and wax..... is this a good thing?.. i will pick up a porter cable random orbit polisher if i`m gonna get way better results......

Yep, once the bug hits, it WILL give you a headache. Wait `til you start seeing the arguments about which polish and sealant/wax is better. Woo boy!

Just hang in there and keep reading. It will start making sense (at least a little).

Regarding the buffer... :nono I`ve had two of those types of buffers. They are good for applying and taking off wax; that`s about it. They have virtually no options for pads or bonnets. And, they have minimal power. Sorry.

If you are even modestly serious, get a PC. WAY better! It you have a Lowes near you, they have a Porter Cable 7336 for $99. Great price.

Then you`ll need pads. There are several very good pads in different brands, types and sizes. Lake Country (LC), Sonus, Edge are excellent brands. I use Lake Country 7.5" pads from www.properautocare.com. They also have the 6" pads which are a better option for a :newbie. Regardless of brand, get a kit which will include the proper sized backing plate for the pads. Here`s some information on the 6" LC pads:

http://www.properautocare.com/hi612infopaa.html

And here`s a 6" kit that includes the basics to get you started:

http://www.properautocare.com/hipadkitwive.html

If you have some heavy compounding to do, add a yellow pad (second link, bottom of the page)

One caution about pads. I`m pretty sure that the Sonus and Edge pads from all retailers are the same. I.e., the 6" Sonus Blue pad sold by one retailer is the same as the 6" Sonus Blue pad sold by another. However...

LC is the biggest manufacturer and makes pads for multiple retailers; some are specific to that retailer. For example, the 7.5" LC pads sold by www.properautocare.com are NOT the same as the 7.5" pads sold by www.topoftheline.com. I`m happy with the LC pads from Proper Auto Care, but there are several good retailers to choose from.

Search this and other forums for pads for more information. Also, I hope Sonus and Edge users jump in with their opinions to balance out mine.

Best of luck,

Dan.