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  1. #1

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    Necessary Products for paint correction / enhancement

    Being new to paint care, as in actually trying to make the paint look better rather than just washing and waxing...I decided to rea h out to the knowledge base here to ask this question...

    What`s are the essential & needed types of products for paint correction / enhancement?
    These products being not a polisher or pads or wash media...but rather what products, or rather those of products do you always have on hand in your shop / arsenal

    Not necessarily looking for a specific brand or company, but what types of products

    Clay or something of that matter

    Fallout remover

    Compounds (different levels?)

    Polishes (different levels)

    AIO?

    Scratch and swirl removers?

    Bug / Tar remover

    Water spot remover

    Cleaner waxes


    Etc, etc, etc

    .I want to build my arsenal, and I`m not afraid to buy product X to have because I may need it at some point


    I`m. Ot going to go into the detailing business, but I do want to have products to help someone if needed as I learn more


    Where do you get practice panels...or rather do most body shops charge ice you want a panel or 2 to practice on?

    Thanks everyone

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  2. #2
    Mike The Guz's Avatar
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    Re: Necessary Products for paint correction / enhancement

    You are going to get a boat load of different products so be ready for that.

    This is what I use or have used that has stayed on the shelf and they are not all necessity. It is just what works for me.


    Clay or something of that matter Griot`s Fast Clay Mitt, Clay Magic Clay Bar

    Fallout remover: CarPro IronX. The new version does not stink. D1801 is another option but it smells the worst.

    Compounds (different levels?) 3D ACA, Sonax Cut Max, Meguiar`s M110

    Polishes (different levels?) Sonax Perfect Finish, Meguiar`s M205 & M210, Optimum Hyper Polish, CarPro Essence (for coatings)

    Compounding Polishes 3D One, Sonax Cut & Finish

    AIO? Don`t use them. I was sent Meguiar`s D166 by Autogeek for review so it is on the shelf

    Scratch and swirl removers? These are polishes and compounds just a different term for the same thing.

    Bug / Tar remover CarPro TarX. No bugs in So Cal so not a big worry here.

    Water spot remover Haven`t found one that actually does a good job

    Cleaner waxes Different term but same as an AIO



    Quote Originally Posted by Astouffer512 View Post


    Where do you get practice panels...or rather do most body shops charge ice you want a panel or 2 to practice on?
    Hit up your local salvage yard or body shop.
    Competition Ready Team 1929 Bentley
    1999 Silvermist Metallic Pontiac Grand Prix GT
    2002 Arctic White Chevy Camaro SS
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  3. #3

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    Re: Necessary Products for paint correction / enhancement

    Tha is Guz....any type of product that I missed?

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  4. #4

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    Re: Necessary Products for paint correction / enhancement

    I start with the wash. You can use wax or stripping soap but no proof they work. I personally feel they remove some but not all waxes

    My choice: Mckees coating prep wash in foam cannon then Car Pros reset.

    Follow up with a chemical decon for iron and tar.

    My choice: Tar X and Iron X. Could also use Trix all from Car Pros.

    Mechanical Decon with clay

    My choice: Griots brilliant finish synthetic clay and nano skin auto scrubs

    Compound

    My choice: didn’t use much as didn’t want to go to aggressive but CP Clearcut (super aggressive) wasn’t comfortable for my 1st time Griots Fast correcting cream again didn’t need this aggressiveness so went to griots standard correcting cream. Just right.

    Polish

    My choice: went with CP essence because I was coating. Amazing stuff.

    Polishers: get a good one best you can afford. I went with Boss 15 and Adam’s swirl killer mini.

    I went with the long throw because it works faster and thought about the Flex because although not as smooth from what I read but also gets done quick.

    If I knew what I know now and could redo I would go with The griots G9 (9mm?) and the flex pixie. 9mm would of done what I needed (2 cars per yr). Maybe a little slower but I’m only doing 2 cars. I would Choose the pixie base on it being a 1-3” polisher and size. If I couldn’t afford pixie griots G8.

    Don’t cheap out on your abrasives. I believe Mike says this is as important as technique. You’ll do yourself a big favor by not doing it on machines.



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  5. #5

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    Re: Necessary Products for paint correction / enhancement

    Quote Originally Posted by Astouffer512 View Post
    Tha is Guz....any type of product that I missed?
    Proper Inspection Lighting. It`s absolutely crucial and not as easy to square away as you might think.

    FWIW, I`d be doing Chemical Decontaminations more often than Mechanical ones. I`d expect ABCing it to take care of all the Deco work.
    Likes Coatings=crack liked this post

  6. #6

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    Re: Necessary Products for paint correction / enhancement

    Not much to add except get a good stool and forget a practice panel. Unless you are using a rotary put that time in productively by polishing a real car. You`d have to be `special` to screw up paint with a da.
    Likes Coatings=crack, re-tired liked this post

  7. #7
    Mike The Guz's Avatar
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    Re: Necessary Products for paint correction / enhancement

    Quote Originally Posted by Astouffer512 View Post
    Tha is Guz....any type of product that I missed?

    Sent from my SM-T580 using Tapatalk
    As mentioned good lighting. The scangrip sunmatch hand held is a great light. There is a braun light at harbor freight that is a good alternative and worth the gamble with a 25% off coupon. Posted it in this thread Post Your Unboxing Pictures!

    I received your PM. I can`t really say which products to try. All I can say is anyone of the ones I mentioned will be fine. You also have the option of picking up Meguiar`s ultimate compound and M205 at most local stores.
    Competition Ready Team 1929 Bentley
    1999 Silvermist Metallic Pontiac Grand Prix GT
    2002 Arctic White Chevy Camaro SS

  8. #8

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    Re: Necessary Products for paint correction / enhancement

    I have some ultimate compound actually. Picked it up a couple years ago when I thought I could hand polish a car.....that didn`t go well. I also have some M105 that I don`t like because it dusted bad, and I felt like it flashed real quick. I`ve read somewhere that people have mixed the Ultimate and the M105. Maybe I`ll try that.


    And about the practice panels and not needing them. I`d rather do some more practicing, and plus it gives me a reason to try something new if I want to

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  9. #9

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    Re: Necessary Products for paint correction / enhancement

    And moving into polishers

    I have a PC but have thought it would be nice to have a 2nd machine. Mainly for those tighter areas. I have both a 5" and 3" backing plate.

    I`ve been looking at the GG G8 and the GG G9

    What would be smarter, buying the G9 and putting the 3" BP on the PC....or would it be better to buy the G8 for the smaller areas?

    As mentioned earlier I`ll only probably do 2-3 a year maybe....so I don`t need the long throw polishers necessarily

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  10. #10

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    Re: Necessary Products for paint correction / enhancement

    Quote Originally Posted by bad penny View Post
    You`d have to be `special` to screw up paint with a da.
    +1
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  11. #11

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    Re: Necessary Products for paint correction / enhancement

    Quote Originally Posted by Astouffer512 View Post
    I have some ultimate compound actually. Picked it up a couple years ago when I thought I could hand polish a car.....that didn`t go well. I also have some M105 that I don`t like because it dusted bad, and I felt like it flashed real quick. I`ve read somewhere that people have mixed the Ultimate and the M105. Maybe I`ll try that.


    And about the practice panels and not needing them. I`d rather do some more practicing, and plus it gives me a reason to try something new if I want to

    Sent from my SM-T580 using Tapatalk
    Hard to get real world experience with a loose fender or door imo. Don`t you have a family member, coworker or neighbor you can practice on?

    Don`t give up so quickly on the 105. Probably still the best compound out there.
    Likes re-tired liked this post

  12. #12

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    Re: Necessary Products for paint correction / enhancement

    Quote Originally Posted by Astouffer512 View Post
    And moving into polishers

    I have a PC but have thought it would be nice to have a 2nd machine. Mainly for those tighter areas. I have both a 5" and 3" backing plate.

    I`ve been looking at the GG G8 and the GG G9

    What would be smarter, buying the G9 and putting the 3" BP on the PC....or would it be better to buy the G8 for the smaller areas?

    As mentioned earlier I`ll only probably do 2-3 a year maybe....so I don`t need the long throw polishers necessarily

    Sent from my SM-T580 using Tapatalk

    If you already have a porter cable and are only going to be detailing 2 or 3 cars per year you don`t need another polisher. The ones you have mentioned won`t get you any farther then what you already have.
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  13. #13

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    Re: Necessary Products for paint correction / enhancement

    If you want to step you game up without having to invest in another machine order 6" sanding disks and an interface pad.
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  14. #14
    Mike The Guz's Avatar
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    Re: Necessary Products for paint correction / enhancement

    Quote Originally Posted by Astouffer512 View Post
    I have some ultimate compound actually. Picked it up a couple years ago when I thought I could hand polish a car.....that didn`t go well. I also have some M105 that I don`t like because it dusted bad, and I felt like it flashed real quick. I`ve read somewhere that people have mixed the Ultimate and the M105. Maybe I`ll try that.


    And about the practice panels and not needing them. I`d rather do some more practicing, and plus it gives me a reason to try something new if I want to

    Sent from my SM-T580 using Tapatalk
    Toss that M105 for one of the other compounds I mentioned. You will be much happier. Ultimate Compound is derived from M105 but is made to be user friendly with a little less cut. It does a good job and is a good compound to practice with.

    Head over to the salvage yard for some panels.

    Quote Originally Posted by bad penny View Post
    Don`t give up so quickly on the 105. Probably still the best compound out there.
    Was surpassed long ago by newer technology abrasives in my opinion. Even by some of the newer Meguiar`s compounds.
    Competition Ready Team 1929 Bentley
    1999 Silvermist Metallic Pontiac Grand Prix GT
    2002 Arctic White Chevy Camaro SS

  15. #15

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    Re: Necessary Products for paint correction / enhancement

    Sorta-random thoughts follow:

    - With countless hours of *really* aggressive rotary work under my belt, the only time I`ve *EVER* damaged paint with a polisher was with a PC and a mild (although 4") pad/product combo, and that was after decades of experience too

    - That said, unless using a 4" pad (or smaller), I consider the PC so underpowered as to be basically worthless due to the time-INefficiency; it will indeed do the work, but it takes a very long time. When I got my first PC I thought it was defective given how it compared to my Cyclos (let alone the rotaries)

    - I never bothered with Test Panels, but that`s just me and I did spend *hours* thinking on the topic before I actually turned a polisher on; IMO 99% of the "oops!"-potential is related to something unexpected happening, and the less you know the less you might expect. Some do better practicing, others (like me) do better researching, so know what`s best for *you*

    - IME when M105 dusts badly it`s because it was worked too long, which is admittedly easy to do given it`s *VERY* short work-time (I seem to be one of the few who liked that)

    - Much as I still like M105 (especially the old v1.0), I reach for M101 more frequently

    - Unless doing cars for others, Compounding oughta be a *VERY* infrequent experience as today`s compounds are very aggressive and today`s clearcoats are very thin. We`re not talking "something you do annually" or anything like that

    - People generally underestimate both how many pads they`ll need and how quickly a pad needs cleaned/changed. AND how long this stuff takes even with the optimal stuff

 

 
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