Please review products before i buy

[cmp1223]

I`m learning alot here about methods and technique. I want to order my products soon so i can start when they arrive. This car is kept outside so durability is key. It also has a few scratches. Please comment on this method or suggest better products in the price range.



1) Shampoo and clay. Probably Sonus Gloss and a Clay Bar. Is clay lube really needed, or is the souns shampoo fine?



2) Polish: I`m looking at 3M FineCut or primarily DACP, since it breaks down quicker. Is a SMR needed after this as some suggest? Or will the Klasse AIO take car of it? And the polish goes on the scratches only right? Not the whole car.



3)Klasse AIO



4) Is Klasse HGS Glaze or Wax needed after AIW? AIW seems to produce great results itself. This is a daily use car, so it doesn`t need to be perfect.



5) SOme type of rubber/trim restorer: what do you recommend?





6) What type of pads for the PC? Topoftheline has good prices. Are the yellow good w DACP, or will orange do? I hear yellow pads can dull the clear coat, but i guess thats what the AIW is for.



Do i need any other products? One site recommended some sort of lube to use with AIO. I have sponges and microfiber.



thanks so much!

[mtodde]

I really liked the Sonus Glyde but would recommend washing afterwards...the Sonus shampoo is a bit pricey to use as a lube IMO...I love it, but would not use it as a lube.



If you have scratches, I would recommend Poorboy`s SSR series...depending on the depth of the sratches you may need a different level...to be safe you should start with SSR1, then 2, then 2.5, then 3...if needed. If you are applying with a PC then a gentle approach may work right away; always start with the gentlest product and work your way up...there is no appoint is using anything too aggressive.



For the sake of protection and durability I would recommend that you apply a sealant on top of the AIO...lots of folks love the SG...some prefer to top with Poorboy`s EX-P or EX or Zaino...what is the color of the car?



For trim restoration, if you try Poorboy`s SSR why not try their Trim Restore too?



I have just bought a PC (and some LC pads) myself...from my research I can tell you that using something like SSR 1 or a polish like the Sonus Paintwork Cleanser will help to remove any swirls from the compounding actionl...AIO may also help in this regard...personally I have AIO on top of Sonus Paintwork Cleanser...and I am planning to top the AIO with Poorboy`s EX-P.

[shaf]

I agree with most of the above :up although I don`t have experience with the Poorboy`s polishes.



You haven`t said how old or exactly what condition the rest of the car is, but odds have it that you probably should polish the entire car as well. How strong a product this requires depends on how bad the damage is, if any. See mtodde`s post.



Get some QD spray too. It may come in handy and you`ll probably use it at some point later on. Make sure your wash materials and methods are up to par, or you will undo some of your hard work.

[cmp1223]

the car is a 2000 honda accord dark metalic silver. The paint is in good condition except for some scratches caused by an abrasive pad, so polishing it all might not be necessary. Won`t AIO act as a mild polish on the entire car anyway?



I don`t want to use something too agressive for the scratches, but at the same time Im on a budget. I don`t think i can get all 3 SSRs. Alot of people recommend DACP or 2.5. I doubt i will need something between 2.5 and AIO, but maybe. BTW, I think i will get the SG and use some average car soap for clay lube.

[Accumulator]

Originally posted by cmp1223

Please comment on this method or suggest better products in the price range.

Let`s see if I can tweak your selections a bit and maybe save you some money without changing your plan too much.

1) Shampoo and clay. Probably Sonus Gloss and a Clay Bar. Is clay lube really needed, or is the souns shampoo fine?

You can get by without the dedicated lube. I just used the Sonus Block clay this weekend and while the lube works a little better, the shampoo mix worked fine. Save some money and get a different shampoo that`s available in gallons (you`ll use it quickly enough). Don`t get something cheap and crappy though, just look for a product in gallons.

2) Polish: I`m looking at 3M FineCut or primarily DACP, since it breaks down quicker. Is a SMR needed after this as some suggest? Or will the Klasse AIO take car of it? And the polish goes on the scratches only right? Not the whole car.

The 3M PI-III RC (pn 05933) or their FCRC (pn 39002) will work fine even by hand and *IMO* they are more user friendly than DACP. They are a lot milder than they sound. Yeah, use those on scratches and follow up with something milder such as PI-III MG (pn 05937) or Meg`s #80, which you can also use to prep the whole car. Don`t expect the AIO to fix any marring at all (it never did for me).

3)Klasse AIO



4) Is Klasse HGS Glaze or Wax needed after AIW? AIW seems to produce great results itself. This is a daily use car, so it doesn`t need to be perfect.

The SG is where the real protection comes from. It`s even *more* important on a daily driver. If you don`t want to use it, get some Collinite wax or some Meg`s #16, but put *something* over the AIO.

5) SOme type of rubber/trim restorer: what do you recommend?

Sorry, I dunno. Do a search, it`s been discussed before (and recently).

6) What type of pads for the PC? Topoftheline has good prices. Are the yellow good w DACP, or will orange do? I hear yellow pads can dull the clear coat, but i guess thats what the AIW is for.

The TOL pads are fine, or look into the new Sonus ones at the Autopia store. I prefer to use cutting pads instead of the orange multi-use" ones. Yeah, the combo of FCRC or DACP /cutting pad will leave a slight haze, but the milder polish (05937 or #80) will fix it when used with a milder pad. Again, don`t expect the AIO to fix this or any other marring. It has for some people, but not many and I don`t think you oughta gamble that it`ll somehow work for you.



Just use the aggressive combo on the scratches and the milder combo on the whole car and *then* do the AIO/SG. Again, don`t try to skip the intermediate step, it`ll leave micro marring that *will* show, even on silver. If you have to skip a step, just get the mild product and don`t expect to do too much for the scratches.

..any other products? One site recommended some sort of lube to use with AIO. I have sponges and microfiber.

That oughta do it. No, you don`t really need any lube with the AIO. I just use a little water on the pad/applicator or even use it dry.

[cmp1223]

Thanks alot Accumulator. I have decided to get the klasse AIW and the SG, but nothing more on top of that. Many people, including Accumulator, recommed a intermediate polish to be used after the DACP or Fine Cut or Poorboy SSR2.5 (still deciding) and before the AIO. It seems some recommend a SWR for this, but isn`t a SWR a filler that will be removed when AIO is applied?



Will a mild polish such as Poorboys SSR1 or the #80 you mentioned NOT be removed after AIO? DO I need AIO if 80 is applied to the entire car?

I have also decided to use this mild polish on the whole car, then the klasse twins

[Accumulator]

Just pick a mild polish that does *not* rely on fillers, that way the cleaning action of the AIO won`t make for unpleasant surprises.



That way you`re only using the polishes for their abrasive qualities. The AIO will (further) clean and prep the surface for the SG, which will provide the protection.



The SSR1 or 3M PI-III MG should work great. The #80 seems to have *very mild* filling ability (and some say it doesn`t fill at all), so it`s another good choice, as is Menzerna FP. Again, just use AIO after you polish.



The #80 is not a substitute for the AIO. Many of us *always* use AIO before SG...it`s one of those "right thing to do" situations.

[Upscale Detail]

Feel your car first! -



Before doing clay work, determine how extensive is the contamination. If it`s fairly extensive; i.e., all over the entire car, why use a gloss shampoo? All you care about now is getting the contamination off--so get off all the wax, polish and stuff first so you can remove contamination in short order. Gloss will come if you go through the process properly. Strip everything off with Meguiar`s Gold Class Shampoo--double strength. Throw out that water and get another bucket made up double strength as well. Perfect lubricant for clay. When you`re done with that, you`ll have a very smooth surface that`s squeaky clean. Perfect for going on to the next step. Addressing scratches and swirl marks.



Addressing scratches and swirl marks - Don`t get crazy with compounding before you have to! Take it easy! Klasse AIO should not even be in the picture at this point--it is not an abrasive, but a combination product that cleans and has some acrylic wax.



Easy swirl marks? White polishing pad and something like 1Z PP or Menzerna FP. Even Meguiar`s DA is too much until you do the more serious scratches. I also think it dries out too fast and clumps up. If the white pad doesn`t cut it--upgrade the pad first (to orange cutting), then upgrade the polish to say Menzerna Intensive. I recommend a fine polish all over the entire car. Hell, yes! That little bit of cutting sharpens the reflectiveness and clarity of the color.



Clean the paint--and if you want to do it right--use Sonus pwc--ROCKS. Follow with Klasse AIO, then SG or P21S.



Plastic/rubber? - NEW DISCOVERY! AutoGlym Bumper Guard and don`t let the name fool you! Works for a thousand things.



My two cents worth.



Peggy

[cmp1223]

Upscale Detail, i think i will need a product like DA. I took an abrasive pad to my trunk to get rid of pine tar and it left a series of light scratches. Can`t feel them with a fingernail, but viewable from a few feet. So far, here is my list:



Meguiar`s Gold Class Shampoo

Clay Bar

SSR2.5 or DACP for scratches

SSR1 (looking into Menzerna FP and 1Z) over everything

Klasse AIO

Klasse SG



Various PC Pads for everything, although i hear SG should be applied by hand



Question: A mild polish such as SSR1 works by removing some clear, right? Because it is not a filler. BUt not as much clear as SSR2.5 does. Do reapeted use of SSR1 thin the clear?

[l33]

Peggy, some very insightful posts so far.

you say gold class doubled up will strip off old wax?

[04BlackAV]

I`ve had a chance to work with SSR1 now and from what I`ve seen it`s very mild.I think you`d have to use it quite a bit to worry about removing any amount of clear.It`s also very easy to work with,I tried it by hand and PC.



Also the NXT shampoo is another good one,it`s been on sale around here.

[cmp1223]

Ok, Im going with SSR2.5 on the scratches and SSR1 on the whole car.

My question is, is AIO really needed? Doesn`t it do the same job as SSR1? Should I not use SSR1 or AIO since they do the same thing? Right now Im thinking of going SSR2.5 (scratches), SSR1, EX-P. Instead of SSR2.5, SSR1, AIO, SG.

Will EX-P leave they same finish as SG?

I like that EX-P is designed for hot cilmates like mine.

[mtodde]

AIO offers some protection too and is a lighter polish than SSR1. To be honest I think you will get the best results using SSR1 then AIO then EX-P. Remember the more work you do to prep, the better your results will be. EX-P is awesome topping AIO.

[cmp1223]

I think i`ll go with AIO because it is a cleaner, polish, and protectant. What should i top it with, EX, EX-P, or Klasse SG? THe only think i don`t want is a pure carnauba, since i want something very durable.

[Corey Bit Spank]

I don`t have it in me to review the whole thing at the moment



But I *really* like Poorboys SSR2.5 over DACP at the moment.