I need some process/product guidance...

[violentveedub]

I`ve been at this for a while, I`m not new to detailing cars and was once really good at it... However, it`s been more than a year since I`ve polished my car and probably longer than that since I`ve done a job for someone else...



Now I`ve let my car sink into a state of sadness and I`m a bit fearful/rusty on the resurrection.



Here`s how she sits at the moment...







The water marks are worse on the hood and are a recent addition after leaving the car at a friends for a weekend under a tree... :grrr



The rest of the car is a pretty good cross section of you normal daily driven black car.





I have both a PC and a Rotary, several Meg`s polishing and finishing pads and a white ultra fine pad.



I`ve got Hi-temp extreme and Heavy cuts, Meg`s swirl remover (#9), FPII, and optimum polishes. I`ve also got some paint cleaner from world`s best, and some RMG and load of LSP`s and clay, the works. Also, I`m not opposed to getting some new pads or products.



So given this situation, information and available armory... What would you do?

[Joel_MD]

You didn`t say what kind of car it is or how hard of a clear coat you have. Assuming it`s a medium to hard clear, I would do something like this:



Wash and clay

Polish with Hi Temp Extreme Cut or Optimum Compound with your rotary, orange pad

Finish polish with #9 or FPII or Optimum Polish, white pad on your PC

Red Moose Machine Glaze with a blue or red pad on the rotary

Finish with a carnauba wax

[violentveedub]

It`s a VW Rabbit, most say VW clear is hard but they`ve switched to waterbased paints so its hit or miss now.



Are orange pads similar to Meg`s yellow polishing pads?

[DSVWGLI]

Always try the least abrasive approach first. If that`s not working then step it up till you have the results you are looking for. VW clear can be soft so try the #9 first then the extreme cut with the polishing pad. The extreme & heavy cut work best with cutting pads if trying to remove heavy marring, so you may need to get them if nothing you have is working. Your PC is also less aggressive than the rotary so try the PC first then the rotary if your confident with it. Hope this helps.