A Few More Polish Questions (I'm sorry!!)

S

silvergray

New member
Hey guys,

I've posted questions like this before, and hopefully I won't have to in the future. :) I was thinking about my friend's BMW 530 I did a while ago, and I knew it didn't come out nearly as well as it could have. I know BMWs are *generally* known for hard clear. I am going to take another swing at it in a few weeks.



My questions are as follows:

-Is Menzerna Powergloss with a Yellow LC Cutting Pad too aggressive?

-Is Menzerna Intensive Polish with a Yellow LC Cutting Pad a good combo?

-Basically, can you recommend a set-up with Menzerna and any LC pads. (I've got it all!)



-Should I pick up some Optimum? I've seen many Click/Brags with people using OHC and a Yellow pad. (OHC is pretty similar to PG, correct?) I'm just worried about aggressive polish/pad combos being detrimental to clear coats.



-Finally, what do you think of DACP? I want to use it on my sister's Explorer. It doesn't need a pro detail, it just needs to look "good".





I've learned TONS from you guys already. The Click/Brag is amazing. I appreciate your help, and hopefully I can help others in the future!
 
silvergray said:
Finally, what do you think of DACP? I want to use it on my sister's Explorer. It doesn't need a pro detail, it just needs to look "good".
Click to expand...



The products you mention are all ones I'm considering testing for myself. Meguiar's DACP is the one I do know a great deal about.



The best results I've seen from it are with a Meguiar's W8000 yellow polishing pad and a rotary around 1500 RPM. I do know many use it was DA style machines and get good results as well.



Work it until it's just that polishing rouge, the oily remains after it's broken down. Wipe with a microfiber. Depending on paint color, you may want to go right to wax/sealant with no more additional steps.



It will leave some polisher marks/holograms/rotary swirls that are visible on some dark colors, but it's not scouring or anything nasty. When I was in business, I used this two-step for dealership cars that didn't pay for any more correction.



Had a lot of compliments on the improvements DACP M83 will make



It's inexpensive, relatively easy to use if you work it completely and don't use too much product, and it works.
 
Wow. Great advice. For my sister's car, I'm just looking for an easier/quicker solution than spending 8 or so hours on the paint. Sounds like I'll go with DACP.



I've used the Menzerna line a few times before, and I'm pretty impressed. I did a Titanium Silver M3 a few weeks ago, and it was probably a 90% improvement. I used IP/Orange Pad, FPII/White Pad, FTG/Black, FMJ/Black.



If you havn't tried the Menzerna, I'd recommend it!
 
silvergray- Nah, your Qs aren't stupid...and I'm surprised nobody's answered about the pad/product combos.



Noting that I am *NOT* familiar with the products in question, generally you *can* use a fairly aggressive product with a polishing pad.



Sometimes it doesn't work out too well- the product loads up the pad or the pad prevents it from working as aggressively as it's supposed to while not making it mild enough to forestall stuff like micromarring. Other times it works fine (I use some pretty aggressive stuff with polishing pads; I experimented and found some combos that work).



But generally using a mild pad with an aggressive product won't make the whole combination so mild that it'll eliminate any of your apparent concerns about taking off too much clear. The most aggressive component determines how mild the combo can be and IMO the most aggressive component is quite often the product, at least when you're talking about potent products.



If the milder combos don't satisfy you, I'd try a small area with the product you decide on and the yellow LC cutting pad. I bet you can do at least one pass with the aggressive combo and not do anything worse than save yourself some time (but hey, that's just a guess so no guarantees).



FWIW my '97 M3 is requiring a rotary, pretty aggressive products (e.g., Hi-Temp Extreme Cut), and a LC yellow cutting pad. Anything milder is a waste of time, although I can get by with an orange pad where the marring isn't too bad. But that's with a *rotary* and IIRC you're using a PC, which is a whole lot milder.



FWIW#2, product lines like Optimum and Meguiar's are good, as are many others. But there's nothing wrong with Menzerna and I dunno if trying something else will make any big difference. I'm *not* in favor of struggling to master products that don't work for you, but I also keep in mind the old adage "a poor craftsman blames his tools" whenever I think I can solve my problems by spending more money ;) IF you're finding a product hard to use that's one thing, but I somehow don't get that impression here.
 
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