2008 accord/ 3M

S

Stromboli

New member
:howdyHow U doin guys, first time poster here and have a few ?s

I have A 2008 Accord Coupe san mariono red :rockonadn want to protect my paint as best as possible. I also might take this car back to Jersey when i leave Miami.
I been thinking about using 3M polish and waxes,but which one should i use? I was thinking the 3M one step cleaner,followed by the performance finish and then the paste wax. my oem honda paint has quite a few swirl marks,no dents or deep scratches. 2-3 light superficial scratches that all.
Sonwhat do you guys thinks? I;m leaning towards well know otc products.

btw i paln on getting the 3M paint film clear bra stuff afetr waxing.

thanks!
 
While 3M does make some very good products, they don't get much comment on this or many other detail sites.
I guess OTC products just don't float people's boats which is unfortunate as there's a lot of good OTC stuff out there.

My personal experience has been with their One Step Cleaner wax followed by their Show Car Paste Wax.
The cleaner wax was available in a paste at the time I used it and I did use the paste version.
It was a good combination and if I hadn't been caught up in the sealant craze back in 2002, I might have continued to use it.
I did alternate between the Show Car Wax and Meguiar's Medallion Premium Paint Protection at that time. In my mind and eye, they were a very good combination.
I have also used their Hand Glaze. It looks great and like all glazes needs a wax over it for paint protection.
That was where I ran into a problem. Whatever wax, (probably the Meg's Medallion), I used over it was not a good fit. The two products combined to make a smeary mess. Since I'm not a big fan of glazes, I quit using it.

You probably need to check about the clear bra installation. I doubt that it should be applied over a freshly waxed surface. Just read and follow the instructions. :)
 
I never tried 3M, but Meguiars professional line can be found at most auto paint shops. They have a very complete line of product. The new Meguiars D151 is a great one step, top it off with Optimum car wax and you will be set.
 
What do you mean by paint sealant craze? I new to detail & wax type stuff.
BTW what do i use first ,second,third,etc
 
Stromboli said:
What do you mean by paint sealant craze?
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Several years back, the synthetic sealants were all the rage and I got caught up in it like many others. It wasn't isn't a bad thing, but you can take very good care of your vehicle with out using a sealant.
Are they better? You could argue that all day, heck all year. :)
Stromboli said:
BTW what do i use first ,second,third,etc
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Depends on the products, method of application and the condition of the paint.
I rarely use more than two products on my own vehicles, but they are never too messed up to start with.
A typical 3 step use of products on a somewhat marred finish would be:
1. Swirl remover
2. Paint cleaner/prep
3. LSP

If your marring is minimal, then a paint cleaner/polish/prep followed by the LSP should be all you would need.

FWIW, swirl removal by hand is a labor intensive and long drawn out process. A good random orbital polisher is really the only practical way to do it.
 
Damn i just went over to meguiars website and i dont know what the he$$ i would, there is so many waxes and polish.
what about the 3M performance finish, what step would i use this stuff.
is this coorect and do i need a rubbing compound?
1. 3M One Step Cleaner Wax
2. 3M Performance finish
3. 3M Show car paste wax
thanks guys,
 
Stromboli said:
Damn i just went over to meguiars website and i dont know what the he$$ i would, there is so many waxes and polish.
what about the 3M performance finish, what step would i use this stuff.
is this coorect and do i need a rubbing compound?
1. 3M One Step Cleaner Wax
2. 3M Performance finish
3. 3M Show car paste wax
thanks guys,
Click to expand...
Forget rubbing compound. It's not for amateurs like you and me.

It seems like the Show Car Paste Wax would be overkill. The Performance Finish appears to be a Last Step Product that doesn't need anything more.

As far as the Meguiar's stuff goes, just buy some ColorX and NXT 2.0.
Use the ColorX as your cleaner/prep and follow it with the NXT 2.0 for your LSP.
Actually, the ColorX wouldn't be bad by itself.

I am guessing that you will be doing all this by hand, right?
 
Stromboli said:
lets put it this, I'm gonna have some serious muscles!!!
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If your paint is that bad, just do the minimum to make the car look good to you for now.
Save up for at least a Porter Cable random orbital polisher, then attack the swirls.
I did it by hand for years before I bought the PC. I have no interest in ever doing it by hand again.
PC and pads will cost you $150 or less and you will not regret it.
The only thing better would be learning to use a rotary buffer properly. :)
 
CharlesW said:
If your paint is that bad, just do the minimum to make the car look good to you for now.
Save up for at least a Porter Cable random orbital polisher, then attack the swirls.
I did it by hand for years before I bought the PC. I have no interest in ever doing it by hand again.
PC and pads will cost you $150 or less and you will not regret it.
The only thing better would be learning to use a rotary buffer properly. :)
Click to expand...

I agree. Get a sample of Meg #105 use it on some realy bad areas of the car by hand. Then use Color X and top with NXT 2.0 or Duragloss 105. The meguiars site has some great info bout 105 used by hand.
 
The paint is not bad at all, its a new car. damn thing just has swirls from improper washing when the car was sitting at dealers lot.
btw I have never used a PC and i'm terrified of burning through the paint.
 
Stromboli said:
The paint is not bad at all, its a new car. damn thing just has swirls from improper washing when the car was sitting at dealers lot.
btw I have never used a PC and i'm terrified of burning through the paint.
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You'll be fine with a PC. While some folks would tell you it's impossible to damage the paint using the PC, I have seen it done via some posts on the internet. Just use common sense and read up on PC usage and you should be good to go.

Stromboli said:
Are any of these products sealants?
also wax can be applied over a sealant but not the other way, correct?
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Yes, NXT2.0 is a sealant. ColorX is a polish with a synthetic protectant "mixed in." Neither would be considered a "wax" despite what the packaging says.

It is typically said that you can top a sealant, but that if you lay a wax down first and then try to put a sealant over it that it will "hinder the bonding process." You can take that for what it's worth.
 
Stromboli said:
btw I have never used a PC and i'm terrified of burning through the paint.
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Don't be. :)
Someone once posted that the only way you could damage your paint with a PC was if you dropped it on the vehicle. That's not quite true, but it is close.
Stromboli said:
Are any of these products sealants?
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Yes
Stromboli said:
also wax can be applied over a sealant but not the other way, correct?

Thanks
Click to expand...
In many/most instances that is true, but there are some sealants that do work good when applied after a wax.

Don't even go there for now. :D
You can get so much information that you will be totally confused and probably spend too much money and too much time worrying about what to use/do.
It doesn't have to be difficult, but lots of people make it difficult.
For me, it has to be enjoyable or I probably wouldn't do it. Don't make it tough on yourself. Start with a few basics and if you like it, you can, (And will :)), spend lots of money on the products you finally decide on. Just like any hobby. :D
 
Stromboli said:
Any tips on application, what towels to use for application and removal,etc?


Any techiques such as circular motion,etc?
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For hand application of the LSP (sealant or wax) I prefer one of the yellow Meguiar's pads. You can usually get the locally.

Any type of removal I generally perform with a microfiber towel.

Some people say you should apply and remove in the direction the wind flows over the vehicle, however I have tried that several times and can not tell a difference once the residue has been removed.
 
JaredPointer said:
For hand application of the LSP (sealant or wax) I prefer one of the yellow Meguiar's pads. You can usually get the locally.

Any type of removal I generally perform with a microfiber towel.

Some people say you should apply and remove in the direction the wind flows over the vehicle, however I have tried that several times and can not tell a difference once the residue has been removed.
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Jared covered it for you and the only things I might add would be:
1. Follow the manufacturer's instructions.
2. While I do like the small yellow pads for applying products, I seem to flip one across the room occasionally.
If you can find a pad with the hand grip like the one shown below, I don't have a problem flipping or dropping those.
Auto Zone carried one made by Viking at one time, but I haven't seen them in a store for a few years.
(Haven't really looked since I have a dozen. :))

GripApplicator.gif


Another alternative is the Garand brand of grip for holding pads. IMO, not as nice as the applicator shown, but handy. It's available at some auto parts stores, Target and even China*Mart, (Oops, Wal*Mart :notme:), if you have no other choice.
 
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