Is D300 The Most Versatile Polish For A Newbie?

P

peacemaker

New member
Hey guys,



Ever since I got my Candy White 2011 VW GTI (DD, not garaged), I have been spending lots of time researching and cleaning it. I live in an apartment, so detailing is very tough for me. I either go to the local coin op for a ONR wash, or I wait for a weekend where I drive to visit friends/family an hour away. My friend has a nice open garage w/ many tools at my disposal (notably a GG6).



I attempted to detail 1.5 months ago, but failed to do it properly. I didn't use the correct pads (used a hand applicator pad) and was using a AIO Polish w/ Sealant (Poorboy's). End result was basically a sealed car. Fast forward several washes, bird poo, bugs, tar, natural elements, and I am noticing some light marring under certain angles in sun light.



Winter is approaching and I want to protect the paint. I would prefer to correct the paint properly and then seal it. From my research, it seems like Meguiars D300 + MF Cutting pad would be a very versatile product for me. It appears to be forgiving and extremely effective with a DA. Given my living circumstances, I would think an Opti-coat 2.0 or Aquartz Titanium PPF coating would be best for a more permanent solution.



Do you agree that the above combination is the most versatile and cost effective method to correct & seal my car? Comments/advice/suggestions are welcome.
 
I think D300 is much too aggressive if you want to be versatile. I would go for HD UNO if you want a compound that will give you some cut but also finish well. With D300 you will very likely need to follow up with a polish, whereas the UNO will finish just fine.



Also Opti-coat and Aquartz are fine products, but make sure that you do a REALLY good job getting the level of correction you want, because once you put one of these coatings on the vehicle it will be a difficult process to go back and fix any problems.
 
I can't speak to the D300 and MF pads, but I've had fantastic results as a beginner to machine polishing with 5.5" Buff & Shine pads and HD UNO and HD Polish (our sponsor here-just click on the 3D logo above) on our 2007 Passat and 2012 Golf. The B&S pads (same as HD Pads) have recessed velcro which I find to be an extra margin of safety when polishing next to protruding objects like mirrors etc. HD UNO and Polish are very beginner friendly--long working times, no dusting and very easy to remove (no heavy oils to mask marring). I found I needed orange pads on the 2007 as there was more marring and green pads and HD Polish on the new Golf. Keep in mind most VW paint is hard so you usually need a firmer pad and or more aggressive polish. If your paint only has minor swirls you might be able to get away with just the HD Polish.
 
I'm going to echo Mark's comment on having to follow up d300 with a polish. I am a new to detailing with only 10 cars under my belt and my 2009 VW GTI is a dd (no garage). The paint is very hard. I tried ultimate compound with ok results. D300 knocked out all swirls and scratches that wernt felt by my fingernail fairly quickly. I did have to follow up with a polish to remove the haze, which wasn't too bad. There is a bit of pad cleaning, after each section and maybe switch pads after half of the car due to saturation. D300/D301 was designed for fast correction for businesses who have a fast turnaround. If it's just for your car, I would try HD UNO and various pads. I haven't used UNO, but I have used their polish and wax which are amazing.



I am by no means a detailer, just a hobby that has managed to drain my wallet..... Often.



Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2
 
I use to have a 2008 VW GTI, black magic metalic, it was my daily driver for over 4 years. VW paint is hard, and that's not a bad thing. The Megs MF system or just D300 on something like an Lake Country orange pad will work great. I think of D300 as M105 lite, great polish without the dust. You should be able to finish LSP ready with the MF pad, just take it easy, use compressed air to clean after each panal. If you want to follow up with a softer pad, try the LC white.



I've never tried the coatings so I can't comment. I used Blackfire Wet Diamond for years (still do), it gave me a solid 4-5 months of protection here in central NC, granted we aren't in the heavy snow belt. But it's the slickest sealant I've ever used and the only thing that worked on those dull GM white trucks I get from time to time.



I know ONR is probably the main thing most used and talked about but after years of not going down that road, I decided to give Duragloss no rinse wash a try, after all, it's made here in NC and I like to support the locals when I can. I liked it, it's (IMHO) not for really nasty cars , but I wouldn't use any onr type product on those either, go to the touchless first and then do a rinseless wash at home, then hit it with BFWD again.



Congrats on your GTI, it's a fun car and a hoot to drive.
 
Thanks. Appreciate the comments. Although, there does seem to be an obvious bias towards the site sponsor, HD. Not saying it's not a good product, but it does appear to be more expensive than similar popular Polishes.



Do you think that my Poorboy's World Polish w/ Sealant will be able to act as a finishing polish? It has no abrasives, just chemical correction (and a layer of protection). If not, it looks like I may need to look into a different product. I'm really looking for a one step correction.



@Mark, thanks for mentioning that note about the opti-coat. Since I only have a few details under the belt, I think I will be better off just using a less aggressive sealant.
 
Megs300 for 32 oz is around $34 where as Uno is $30 for 32oz. If you want a 1 step try 3D Speed or Optimum Hyper Polish(spray) or even give Chemical Guys Blacklight a try.
 
Hm... okay, so I've read a little more on HD Uno and it seems like it is very versatile and what I'm looking for. Which pads should I buy for it? I have light swirls/marring on my car. It's super tough to spot bc of the color, but its there.



Also, the rear hatch has some really odd specks all over it.
 
[quote name='peacemaker'] Although, there does seem to be an obvious bias towards the site sponsor, HD. Not saying it's not a good product, but it does appear to be more expensive than similar popular Polishes. QUOTE]



I don't think anyone here would recommend 3D products if they haven't used them and had good results. Pricing seems to be low compared to most other detailing products plus a little goes a long way with HD Polish and HD UNO.
 
I appreciate all of the input so far. I have done some more research on HD Uno and it appears to be a good candidate for a one step process. I have also stumbled upon Menzerna Power Finish. So for foam pad applications, I have the following on my list:

1) HD Uno

2) Menzerna Power Finish



I'm assuming both of these are good for beginners and are pretty forgiving. Do you have any pad suggestions to use these with? I'm thinking of going with Orange and then finishing w/ black.
 
On VW paint you should be able to finish down to lSP ready with UNO on an orange pad if used properly eliminating the need for Power Finish. However, you really need to have other pads available (more aggressive and less aggressive) because you need to do a test spot to see exactly what your paint/condition needs for proper correction. I believe Power Finish has allot of oils and is difficult to remove--perhaps others will chime in. If you really want to do a 2 step why not just use HD Polish or even HD Speed?

BTW-If you're only planning on caring for your car alone you don't need 32 oz bottles of HD products--one 16 oz bottle of UNO should be able to do at least a half dozen.
 
I would really prefer to do a one step since I don't have my own garage. I have read folks using Menzerna Power Finish as a one step as well. I will have to play w/ the lighting in my friend's garage to really spot the swirls. I tried last night with an LED light @ night, no luck.



Which pads should I keep on hand then? My friend has black, blue, white, and red. I was going to purchase at least an orange.
 
If you're going to use UNO I would guess based on my experience with my VW's that you'll need to use orange pads, but you'll need at least 4 especially since you want to complete this polishing in a timely manner. With less than 4 you're going to have to stop, wash and dry the pad etc. It's important to "clean your pad on the fly" but you really need to have at least 4 pads to do the entire car even with cleaning on the fly. You need to do a test spot to use the "least aggressive method" to correct your car. You could try the white pads first, then move up to the orange if they are not aggressive enough. The black and blue are mild pads for finishing. The red is for applying LSPs. You've got to do a little reading to use UNO properly and in general how to use the polisher if you are new to this.
 
Thank you for the response, I appreciate it. I will definitely research how to use UNO properly. From what I've read on pad cleaning, a simple brush should work to clean out the pores.



If I can get away with using the white pads, do I also need four of these? At which point do you know you need to change the pads?



My to do list right now:

*Research UNO application

*Research pad application

1) Nail down proper lighting in the garage to highlight swirls properly

2) Section off a test panel/area

3) Start with least aggressive pad and check results (should I also test the orange or just try white first?)

4) Begin polish with the best pad while cleaning on the fly



Depending on how long it takes me, I may break this up into multiple sessions. Approximately how long do you guys spend on one section (2'x2')?
 
Based on the condition of your paint from your other post I would guess you'd need 4 white pads also if that's the way you end up going. I use a towel and/or a denture brush from the Dollar Store to clean on the fly. This might help Pad Cleaning During and After Polishing – Detailed Image



Random thoughts from posts on this forum on using UNO:

HD UNO,yellow/orange foam speed 5/6 (depending on the paint) to cut

No more than 4 pea sized drops. while the machine is off, spread the drops around the 2x2 area. Go to work

2 drops afterwards per 2x2



How to finish down with Uno?



Make slow and steady movements. Start with white, then move up to orange if you need more cut. Apply 2-3 pea sized drops on the outside edge of the pad>>work it into a 2X2 area at speed 3/4>>turn up speed to 6(to correct) and apply firm pressure moving very slow with overlapping passes. Keep your pad clean and don't overwork the area. Once you think you're done, use less pressure for a couple of passes. When using a DA machine try finishing on 3 or 4 then do a 50/50 with a finishing pad (if you like) to determine if there's any improvement as move forward from there if needed.

In general the softer the pad, the less product you want to use. If you polish with a pc, use hard pads like orange or yellow to level paint.



If you can't find all the info you need on the forum send a PM to Thomas Dekany for more help.



Don't rush -- it takes time to do this--I think you'll need at least a good 8 hours to do this maybe more if you're new to machine polishing--don't forget you have to tape off areas that could be damaged before using any polish.



Perhaps others can add some additional info here!!!
 
peacemaker- Some sorta random thoughs follow:



-I'd *always* plan to do a two-step polish, though I do appreciate where you're coming from

-Anything that'll correct hard clear will be tough to get a nice final finish with

-I can't quite finish out to my satisfaction with Uno (Audi clear). May be (probably?) user-error but that's how it works for me

-Doing a final polish with a nonabrasive/chemical product probably won't work out and I wouldn't bother trying

-I don't work 2' x 2' areas, that's much too large for me

-With non-diminishing abrasive products, I need a *lot* of pads, even though I clean them quite effectively/often

-Multiple sessions work well IME, less chance of getting tired/sloppy or trying to rush things
 
Again, thank you for all of the informative feedback, you guys are really great. I am learning a lot.



@pwaug

*The rest of the paint is not like that. The rest of the paint has some swirls in it. I tried to take a photo of it, but I couldn't get one that came out good. However, I do feel like it can't hurt to have 4 pads on hand.

When do I know I should move onto a new/fresh pad?

*I guess I was under the impression that a one step process would involve literally one step w/ the DA. You're suggesting that I start with the white/orange at speed 5/6 and then finish off w/ a white pad at a lower speed, did I follow you correctly?

If I can't avoid a finishing phase, then I feel like I should just buy a proper finishing polish--this will @Aeat up way more time than I wanted.



@Accumulator

*Do you recommend that I use a diminishing abrasive product (given my skill level)?

*Realistically, if you were in my shoes, what would you do here (1 step, 2 step)? Which products/pads would you use?
 
peacemaker said:
@Accumulator

*Do you recommend that I use a diminishing abrasive product (given my skill level)?

*Realistically, if you were in my shoes, what would you do here (1 step, 2 step)? Which products/pads would you use?
Click to expand...



I think I'd try to gradually get into this..aiming for "much better" as opposed to "perfection". But I would two-step it.



I'd try the Uno, and their final polish too even though that'd make it a two-step deal. Honestly, that might be overall better other than the cost, trying to do it with merely Uno, or otherwise trying to distill it down farther, just might not work as well (time/effort/etc.). The final "finishing passes" go quick and easy.



Hard for me to say exactly what you'll need as the Uno, by itself, might work great for you; I just don't know but I'd rather err on the side of caution and *not* have you get stuck without what you need. Note this also means having *MORE* pads than you think you'll need. With nondiminishing abrasives, which yeah I *do* think are good for your situation, you can go through a lot of pads.



So...I'd orange pad/Uno to correct things to an acceptable level. Then I'd do a finishing polish on a milder pad. Then I'd do Collinite or FK1000P.



BTW, I'll come right out and say that I'm not advocating Uno/etc. because of 3D/HD's involvement with this site. I resisted trying Uno for a while and was pleasantly surprised how well it worked for me (even if I can't finish with it) and now it's my go-to; I only use M105 when I really need it. I fully expect their finishing polish to be great otherwise I'd *never* recommend something I haven't tried...I'm that confident. Hey, if you try it and decide that you hate it, well... PM me ;)



I'd use the FK1000P because it lasts a long time, protects great, and sheds dirt great in the wash. Others don't like the look and I can understand that. I used it on GMC Granite Metallic and initially thought it looked "wrong" (I can be picky about this stuff too) but I got an incredible number of compliments (complete strangers rushing up to me in parking lots!) and ended up deciding it was fine.
 
Fantastic, thanks for that. I don't mind spending a few extra bucks to make sure I do this right the first time. I just feel bad that I have Poorboy's Polish w/ Sealant sitting around as well as P21S Concourse Wax (brand new). Seem's like neither will be good for my situation.



I am really looking for a permanent or great sealant. I was eye balling some Menzerna Power Lock (someone selling used). Figure, use a quality sealant until I can opti coat it. I have also read so many great things about Collonite.



How many pads should I purchase of each color (4 orange/4 white?). How do I know when to switch to a new pad?
 
I can only relate my findings based on someone new to machine polishing for the past 10 months on 2 VWs--Accumulator has allot more experience than I so heed his advice.



Based on my experience on my 07 Passat in Granite Green which is a medium green/grey that had not been polished since purchased in 06-difficult to see the light wash induced marring--UNO on an orange pad--4 passes with moderate pressure on speed 6 on GG6 with 5.5" pads and 2 passes on speed 4 with light pressure will create a LSP ready finish--I only mentioned switching to another pad if you wanted to for finishing purposes, but I didn't need to.



On the 012 Black Golf I just used HD Polish on a green pad (since the paint was new) 2 passes on speed 4 with light pressure created a fantastic finish.



You can tell when you need a new pad as it starts to take longer to achieve your results, but to keep it simple I used 4 pads in 2 sets of 2--after a couple of sections (cleaning after each section) switched to pad 2, then back to 1 then back to 2 (cleaning often) for one half of the car then went on to the second set of 2 pads for the second half of the car--this allowed the pads to cool since I was using them on speed 6



BTW--make sure you get FLAT pads--no dimples, waffles etc. to be most effective. As Accumulator mentioned I'm only recommending HD products because as a beginner I decided on them after extensive research and have had excellent results from day one.



If you wanted to you could do a finishing step (after UNO) using HD Speed on a black pad (should only need 2) --this would add a coat of sealant as well as a final finishing step--then top it with Collinite 845 for a very durable finish for a car outside 24/7--I've never used Collinite, but it is widely recommended for 6 months of protection in the winter.
 
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