After Polishing, less refective....normal??

G

GSteg

New member
My parent has a 1990 Ford Aerostar van that still has its original paint. It has never been detailed before until today. Here is what I did:





1. Wash with Meguiar's Gold Class shampoo

2. Clay the car with Clay Magic

3. Paint cleaner (step 1 of Meg. Deep Crystal)





after that, it was SMOOTTTHH. But there was no, or hardly any reflection. I had some step 2 Deep Crystal Polisher also. After I applied the polisher and then wiped away the haze, there was almost no reflection. Seems as the only thing the polisher did was get rid of the reflection.



Is that normal? I would think that the polisher should make the surface more reflective. Unless I thought wrong?



Another thing. After deciding it wasn't a good idea to apply the polisher, I applied some Meguiar's Gold Class paste wax to one part of the van and then next to it, Meguiar's NXT tech wax. After an hour, I wiped both dry and went from a distance. Yet, I had very little reflection (not clear reflection).



seems like the wax did nothing to the paint. What should I do?



Here is what the side looks like after the waxing:
 

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I'm not familar with the Meguiar's Deep Crystal system so I can't comment on that particular product. But, if it is a heavy polish that is meet to remove more serious imperfections, then they can sometimes leave a haze on the paint.



I also think Meguiar products are meant to be fully worked out so the abrasives can diminish. Not sure if the Deep Crystal system is like this though.



Do you have any milder polishes that you can give a try?



Also, some vehicle's just don't get a good reflection even after you remove the oxidation. Has to do with paint color as well as paint quality. I'd say the reflection in the picture doesn't look too pad for the color of the paint you have. You won't get a mirror like reflection out of that color like you do with black.
 
I dont have much experience with the 1-2-3 system but I think that even a mild chemical/light abrasive (if any) polish like step 1 and number 2 should produce some shine...are you doing this by hand or by machine? Was there oxidation coming off on the towel when wiping it down?

*I* would try a different polish or glaze depending on the condition of the paint. *I* would pull out the VM or PWC and try that. Or a polish of choice if there was marring that needs correction, then the glaze, then the wax.
 
what does oxidation look like on a towel? lol. I'm a newbie at detailing so forgive my noobieness :p





I was thinking of using Meguiar's ColorX instead, but then all that hard work will just be stripped out by the ColorX. lol



Not sure about paint quality, but the hood has some nice reflection to it, just wished the rest of the van would have at least the same.



I did the polish first by hand, and then by machine, but it didn't make any difference.



What are some good but cheap polishers/cleaner/whatever that will help me? I've spent too much with my other stuff and all i want was a good reflection. lol.



Thanks :)
 
Well did anything show up on the towel that didnt resemble the polish that you put on?:D

What kind of polisher are you using? Sometimes they do not create enough friction to effectively work a polish.

A "cheap" polisher in my mind is the PC. you can get a nice set-up for around $160 ish with a few pads and backing plate.

Some nice polishes that *I* like with the PC is PB's SSR line,(thanks Wifehatescar for making me buy more products :D)

Umm Meguiars DACP,SFP,#9 can be found locally if you look around at bodyshops or some autozone type places.

Hi-temp products (topoftheline.com is one source for getting them) are great, inexpensive products...but some people think they smell bad. Maybe try their polish/wax 1 step product i'll post the link in a minute...
 
GSteg said:
My parent has a 1990 Ford Aerostar van that still has its original paint. It has never been detailed before until today. Here is what I did:





1. Wash with Meguiar's Gold Class shampoo

2. Clay the car with Clay Magic

3. Paint cleaner (step 1 of Meg. Deep Crystal)





after that, it was SMOOTTTHH. But there was no, or hardly any reflection. I had some step 2 Deep Crystal Polisher also. After I applied the polisher and then wiped away the haze, there was almost no reflection. Seems as the only thing the polisher did was get rid of the reflection.



Is that normal? I would think that the polisher should make the surface more reflective. Unless I thought wrong?



Another thing. After deciding it wasn't a good idea to apply the polisher, I applied some paste wax to one part of the van and then next to it, Meguiar's NXT tech wax. After an hour, I wiped both dry and went from a distance. Yet, I had very little reflection (not clear reflection).



seems like the wax did nothing to the paint. What should I do?
Click to expand...



I've used the Crystal Polish 1/2 combination on my wife's CRV topped with Meguiar's Gold Class liquid. It turned out very well and very shiney. I used my PC for the Crystal polish combination, using a cutting pad with #1 and a polishing pad with #2. I applied and removed the Meguiar's Gold Class liquid by hand.



The finish was increasingly reflective after each step. Since your finish was not reflective even after the first polish step, I'd guess there was a problem with that step for you.



I looked at your photos. Was the finish that non-reflective before you started or did it look like that only after polising with Deep Crystal #1?
 
Assuming that the paint is 14 years old, and has never been detailed before, the look you have may be the best you can do...
 
i applied the polish and about 30 seconds later, i wiped it away.



perhaps i need to get some stronger cleaner such as rubbing compound? There is still slight oxidation that i can't get out using the step 1. The hood is fine though. Just the sides that aren't as reflective. Paint is smooth and all that, just not glossy/reflective.



Perhaps I applied the polish wrong?



I spread the polish around in a small area until it looked like it was all gone, then i wiped it dry. Am i doing it correctly?
 
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