Meguiars RX, any comments?

S

Si00

New member
I have many questions to ask, please have patience with me and know im a NEWBIE to the detailing world...Here goes.



I plan on detailing my car here within the next week. I've owned this car (RED) for 3 years now and its been detailed only once, late last summer. I want to use consumer products that i can readily buy at any Autozone, Walmart, etc.. I already have my 2 buckets, Many left over Meguiars products from last summer, and plenty of Royal Velvet towels i bought for a bargain.



Last summer when i detailed the car i went onto Meguiars website and had them do a Meguiars RX for my car. They suggested these, in order..



1. (WASH) Megs. Gold Class shampoo & Conditioner.

2. (PREP) Megs. Scratch X, but instead i bought Megs. paint cleaner.

3. (POLISH) Megs. deep Crystal system polish

4. (WAX) Megs. gold class clear coat wax.

5. (MAINTAIN) Megs. Quick detailer.



I was VERY pleased with the results, and got quite a few props for my hard work. ALL was done by hand. Some of you guys might be saying "i'd never use those products on my car" but since i didn't know NOTHING about the detailng world, i assumed Meguiars would be a good place to start.



Heres a few questions for you guys...



1. Do i have to wait any amount of time before starting the next process...? I.e, cleaner then polish, polish then wax..etc.



2. Should i be using a sealer or glaze..? The RX did not mention anything about using it...



3. Would two coats of wax (one after the other) benefit the car or would it just be a waste of product...?



Upon reading some of these boards, i relize i don't use "high end" products, i would eventually like to move on and start using Klasse, Megs. PRO line, etc., but for now i'd like to get use to detailing with the my lower end products i have left over from last year. I never thought i would get into detailing, but the few detailing shops around town are pretty shady, some..., well lets say have gone out of buisness, so i might as well learn this art myself and save some money. Im VERY impressed with the wealth of knowledge people seem to have on these forums....I must admit its a little confusing, but nonetheless, very impressive. Please feel free to comment or answer my questions, any and all comments welcomed..Thanks guys,



~Oscar
 
Yes, a clay bar might be helpful. You probably don't need to use the cleaner step more than a couple times a year if that. But I imagine it is pretty mild if you wanted to use it more often. I guess if I were you, I'd use the polish whenever I felt like it, but definitely try it after the cleaner or a claying. And slap on some Gold Class often. I'd say probably once a month. Meg's has some more durable products like #26 and #20 and MPPP, but Gold Class really is one of the best looking of Meguiar's protectants (I've never used #20, though). It just doesn't last that long. #26 is a good alternative as it has a nice depth to it and is more durable than GC. You could probably top #26 with GC for some extra shine (the cleaners in GC are pretty light).



If you like the consumer stuff, just use it until you use it up. Then get some pro stuff (or non-Meg's stuff if you decide). Or if you start to get tired of it, step up to some pro stuff like #9 or SFP or Hand Polish. Meg's prep products are really great. Their waxes/sealants aren't bad and are a good value if price is a factor. You can probably find #9, #7, #26 and maybe #20 at local consumer shops. Plus, I'd be willing to bet there is a Meguiar's distributor near you if you can just find them. They will have all the pro stuff (and you can always order direct from Meg's. Their shipping costs are pretty reasonable).



That RX is ok, but it seems to be limited to a certain subset of Meg's products. It is a decent starting point, though, and a decent guide of what sort of steps you might need to take.



Welcome to obsessive detailing. :wavey
 
Flyby....Yes, thanks for the comment, i was debating on buying a Clay magic bluebar, since the car has ever been clayed, i will definately use it this time. I just hope my local Autozone carries it.



Some people are against mixing products, i guess if i can find some MSG or S100 i can use with my Meg. products..?



Oh, i wil be using Meg. applicator foam pads to apply products, and a RV towel to wash and dry the car. I ran across (local Walmart) a sheepskin mitt, (inside was leather) it looked and felt really good, is this a recommended mitt. I also seen the Viking brand, but instead of saying 100% cotton it said "clean" or something to that effect.



Heres my plans....



1. Bug and tar remover where i see it being needed. Rinse thouroughly with water.

2. Dawn dish soap to wash the car, either with the sheepskin mitt or a RV towel.

3. Dry car, using RV towel

4. Clay the surface (using Megs. shampoo and water as Lubricant). Wipe off residue with RV towel.

5. Wash using the GC shampoo.

6. Dry car, Using RV towel

7. Paint cleaner

8. Polish the car.

9. Use a sealant or glaze

10. Finish with GC wax. 1 coat.



WOW :( thats alot of steps...! By the looks of things i'll have 4-6 hours, maybe more, of detailing ahead of me. This is just a guesstimation off my last years detail job, without the clay and the SG step.



What ya guys think, does this sound fairly right..?
 
Si00 said:
1. Do i have to wait any amount of time before starting the next process...? I.e, cleaner then polish, polish then wax..etc.



2. Should i be using a sealer or glaze..? The RX did not mention anything about using it...



3. Would two coats of wax (one after the other) benefit the car or would it just be a waste of product...?
Click to expand...
Hello Oscar, welcome. :wavey



I'm going to answer some of your questions in reverse order for a reason that will become clear as your read:



2) Meguiar's Step 2 Deep Crystal Polish is a GLAZE :rolleyes: One thing that bugs me is when a manufacturer uses the word "polish" when they really mean "glaze". When people hear the word "polish" they think abrasive polish, but to Meguiar's, a "polish" just means "glaze". That's why they didn't seem to mention it. I know a couple people that didn't buy Step 2 because they didn't think their car needed "polishing". It's the same type of product as the mentioned Phase 2 Mothers Glaze, but there is a lot less feedback about how good the Megs equivalent is. I say if you have it, just use it.



Whether you want to substitute the glaze (which fills and hides defects) with a more durable polymer sealant is up to you, but you may not want to use Gold Class wax over it if you do. Try searching on this subject to find out a ton more. If you wax regularly it shouldn't be a big advantage to use a polymer base though.



1) If I were doing a traditional glaze/wax routine I would wax as often as I want, but glaze less often (maybe once a month or whenever I feel it needs re-glazing). Glaze seems to strip waxes so you're almost starting over again.



3) Most people suggest 2 coats of wax a few days apart to get both even coverage and an attempt to apply more product. With some products whether you're actually layering more wax on one after another is a subject of debate however.





If your car is 3 years old and has been infrequently detailed you may want to use a product such as Meguiar's #9 swirl remover to polish out any swirls you may have. Some people have used Scratch-X instead. Both of these are more abrasive than the way Step 1 cleaners tend to be. The Step 1 is probably too mild to reduce any swirling you want to get rid of and tends to just be a waste of time. Many Autopians do a swirl removal-glaze-wax type of routine. HTH
 
Ooops, looks like you've posted again! :D



Mixing products is perfectly okay, as long as you know what each product does and what it really is (which is kinda the same thing).



I would pick out a soft sheepskin mitt myself. Too many issues have arisen with chenille mitts being "real" or not I think.



1. Wash car,dry.

2. Use tar remover where needed.

3. Clay.

4. Rewash/rinse if you used car wash, but if you just use QD to lube move on to next step.

5. Use swirl remover or paint cleaner depending if you have swirls to remove or not.

6. Use Deep Crystal Step 2 Glaze

7. Wax



I would budget a whole day for this operation, with steps 3 and 5 taking the longest I think.
 
Actually that prescription they gave you was not that bad, good call with substituting the scratch-X. I totally agree with everyone on the clay bar recommendation. The step 1 cleaner should be ok assuming you don't have much damage to the paint (swirls, oxidation, etc.). If you want to step up your gloss I would suggest changing the polish and the wax. You can easily get the Meg's #7 show car glaze($8) or the Mothers Glaze, this will really add some depth and shine. Your GC Wax is shiny, but it lacks any depth and doesn't last long (one week or one rain). The best solution is to pick up some S100($15) at your harley dealer, or get some meg's #26 ($9), in fact you can add a little bit of the GC to the #26 to give it that shine that the GC has.
 
thomasfl said:
Actually that prescription they gave you was not that bad, good call with substituting the scratch-X. I totally agree with everyone on the clay bar recommendation. The step 1 cleaner should be ok assuming you don't have much damage to the paint (swirls, oxidation, etc.). If you want to step up your gloss I would suggest changing the polish and the wax. You can easily get the Meg's #7 show car glaze($8) or the Mothers Glaze, this will really add some depth and shine. Your GC Wax is shiny, but it lacks any depth and doesn't last long (one week or one rain). The best solution is to pick up some S100($15) at your harley dealer, or get some meg's #26 ($9), in fact you can add a little bit of the GC to the #26 to give it that shine that the GC has.
Click to expand...



Thanks for the comments guys, it's all starting to make sense now.



Is the S100 a wax then..? Why is it better than GC wax? Is it a liquid or paste? My GC i use is paste. How long before applying another coat of S100, as opposed to GC?



Would i have to add some GC to this produt or jut the Meg's #26, if i buy the Meg's. By "adding" do you mean mix them together or apply a coat of GC over the #26?



So let me get this right, the Meg's #9 swirl remover will replace the Meg's paint cleaner i have, if i use this approach?



When applying all products, removing, and buffing out, Does back and forth motion on hood, trunk, roof, mean from wheel to wheel motion (left to right standing in front of car) or up and down (windshield to front bumper)....? Did i make sense? I know the sides of the car i'll do a up and down motion. Kinda long figure 8's.
 
I used to swear by Meguiar's RX and their products. It made my car look good, but I've moved on.



S100 Carnauba Wax is a paste wax. I would stick to just S100 because the GC has some cleaning ability and will probably remove some of the S100 if applied over it. S100 not only looks better, but lasts longer. I hated how GC never seemed to last after ONE wash. I haven't tried the S100 yet, but based on the reviews everyone on the forum has given, it's an incredible product (I'll be trying it out soon).



#9 will replace the cleaner you already have.



You will usually go in a windshield to bumper fashion on horizontal panels and up and down (roof to bottom) on vertical panels.



Hope this helps! :wavey
 
Here is what I do, A-Z:



-Spray wheels with P21S Wheel Cleaner

-Spray it off with a hose

-Use an MF to get any leftover brake dust

-Tires with 3M Tire Dressing and EagleOne swipes

-Wash car (any car shampoo is fine, such as Meg's GC, or whatever) with a sheepskin wash mit, going in the direction of the airflow (front bumper to windshield, etc.)

-Clay and use a good QD as a lube

-Reshampoo to get all the lube and clay residue off

-Dry carefully, patting spots dry, with a Big Blue MF Towel

-PC and yellow cutting pad with Meg's DACP (TWICE on trouble spots) to remove all swirls and minor scratches)

-PC and white polishing pad with Meg's #9 swirl remover

-PC and 2nd white polishing pad with Meg's #7 show car glaze

-P21S wax applied with a foam applicator, wiped off with Pakshak MF Towels

-Windows with Stoners (up and down outside, back and forth inside- so you know where any streaks are).

-Pop a cold one

-Stand back and admire



Then every 3-4 months redo the paint cleaning process (DACP, #9, #7), as necessary



Every week, shampoo the car with your Meg's GC, dry carefully patting dry with Big Blue MF, then spritz with Pinnacle Crystal Mist and a PakShak towel. Windows and wheels and tires as needed.
 
My routine is a wash and wheel clean (Saves me turning the hose on the car more than I have to) , dry it off or clay it if your going to.



I usually rinse off the clay lube with fresh water and and dry, depends how much claying I guess.



Then its straight in with the purple pad and DACP folowed by Megs machine glaze on a yellow pad, topped by S100 by hand.



Finally round all the trim to dress it and remove and wax marks and a QD to pick up and bits you missed.



It actually should only take you a coupla hours as long as you have a PC.



I did a Land Cruiser (aka the USS Enterprise) inside and out in 3 1/2 hours. :)

Damn those things are HUGE.



I was beat afterwards, but I was on a deadline :(
 
jcattarulla said:
Here's what you get when you are done:



http://www.autopia.org/forums/showthread.php?threadid=20460
Click to expand...



Wow, that looks awesome!



Smoker i do not have a PC....It'll all be done by hand. When i get more comfortable with detailing, down the road, i'll have to buy one.



I'll be looking to buy some S100 wax, Meg's #7 show glaze, and some #9 Swirl remover...



Does the lint that cotton towels drop ruin or scratch your detail job..? Or is just a nuisance having to buff with these a lint pieces floating around? Anybody...?
 
nuisance mainly. i got to use my new MF's today, and the lack of lint was just great. although i still used cut up cotton towelettes to apply black to black and other stuff that would stain/ruin my Mf's......but at in the end there is less lint:D
 
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