Meguiars Compund/Polish/Wax put to the test

[Qxxx4]

PLEASE dont freak out by the swirl marks....I have a really good DSLR camera and it really made them stick out! They are not that bad in person. My QX4 looks mint compared to most on the road paintwise. I got it in 2007 and waxed it twice a year and used proper wash methods, the swirl marks that were already on it were for sure from a previous owner who never waxed or used proper wash methods. I already clay barred and waxed it back in april...check out the results











The compound makes the biggest difference...it helped a bit with swirls and significantly removed hazing, the polish really make the colour darker, and the wax just gave it a nice glassy finish and obviously gives me a barrier of protection. I used the wax on my mustang but its too new for the other stuff, my qx4 was perfect to test the stuff out on!

[zach7685]

wow

[Qxxx4]

The trick is to not apply any of the products with a buffer, do it by hand using clean foam wax applicator pads and wiping off with microfibre towels. Do everything in an up and down or side to side motion...no circles. The meguiars stuff gave me better results than mothers clay bar and i think its as close as you can get to new paint without wetsanding.

Learning how to properly wash a car...like using two buckets, proper soap, shade, and washing one panel at a time from top to bottom will reduce swirling, and lots of wax multiple times a year! Unfortunately my infiniti was used for 7 years before me so i have to deal with previous owners abuse.

It takes a long time, the compund is the hardest part its stubborn stuff. What i am doing is a few body panels after every wash. First wash i did hood bumper fender and driver door (all 3 steps), today i did rear door, quarter panel, hatch, rear bumper, tommorow i will finish up and continue to make my qx4 as stock and new as possible and start over! I got rid of my rims and system, i plan on doing everything over with different style this time. Looking for more off road tires and wheels and considering making my own sub box and enclosing an amp in the rear storage compartment overtop the spare tire. Itll be a long time though!

[miamiheat3332]

I agree with Qxxx4, i do all compound, polish, wax etc by hand, no machines, and it turns out perfect.

@Qxxx4 - You say the meguires gave you better results then mothers clay bar, ( not being an ahole, just pointing this out if you dont know ), clay bar is used to lift all the contaminants off the paint and such PRIOR to applying compound, polish, etc. Meaning if you just clay bar'ed and waxed it wouldnt give you the same results obviously as compound and polish are made to "fix" the paint.


Edit: Also for anyone interested in keeping their cars paint protected really well, look into something called "Klasse Sealant Glaze"

looks like so:

Costs about 18-20 bucks when i bought it 2 years ago.

What its used for is basically lets say your giving your car the "works" meaning clay bar, compound, polish.

Now before you apply the wax ( which is optional after using this but i will explain it further below ), you would apply this sealant glaze just like any paste wax, allow it to dry, then wipe off.

Sealant glaze gives it a more glassy finish to the paint, and it forms i think something called an acrylic bond or film ( dont quote me ), but depending on how many times you apply it, one coat lasts like 2-3 months, if anyones interested the way you apply multiple layers is apply, wait for dry, wipe, apply more again, wait till dry wipe etc. 2-3 coats will last longer. This is a great option for the winter if your lazy to wax your car or dont have a garage.

Now carnabua wax gives the car a more "warm" finish vs sealant glaze, now to get the best of both worlds, and keep the sealant glaze coat on there for even longer, after you apply it, apply wax like you normally would ( let the sealant glaze dry for a couple hours even after wiping down, or sometimes can give hazy finish ), and after each wash keep applying wax like you normally would.

I have been pretty busy lately but i have a coat of sealant glaze on the pathy, which had a coat of wax on top also, about 6 weeks ago, and i normally clean it often but strapped for time lately, after multiple rain storms, drizzles, etc, etc, after those 6 weeks even though its dirty, it still shines and water is beading like no other, and it retains a better look then my other cars with just a wax, after dealing with the dust, drizzles, rain etc.

And one LAST thing i will add, waxing takes a long time and its a pain in the a** with normal paste wax, i used to use it alot, till i came across Turtle Wax ICE line.

Hands down best products i ever used for certain things, the ICE interior detailer works on leather, removal of stains, plastics, vinyl etc, and leaves it looking GREAT, and its quick, spray and microfibre wipe down.

And onto the ICE Spray synthetic wax, at $8 a bottle its more expensive then Meguires "quickdetailer" and california gold spray detailer, but those are mostly for after a normal coat of wax is on and dont compare to this.

I have replaced normal paste waxing ever since a year and a half ago on all the cars when i tryed this, it lasts LONG, i mean after 3 weeks through rains etc, water still beads,

Its amazing quick to use, wax your whole car in 10-15 minutes no BS. Wash the car, spray onto paint, and get 1-2 clean microfibres for the whole car, and your done in no time, then i just do stuff like tire shine, wipe down wheels, glass, and headlights/foglights/tailights with Meguires PlastX, and black trim peices with tire shine or back to black, and im done detailing my car in 1hour vs normal paste waxing ALOT longer.

[Qxxx4]

Well put miami! I usually use the quick wax spray after every wash to keep the coat of wax somewhat strong. Even just using that before i noticed a difference in paint quality on tbe qx4.

As cor the clay bar i meant for visual results, i know its a cleaner but most people are under the assumption it will solve everything

[Turbogst]

Why would you not want to apply any product with a buffer? It's faster and you get better results if you know what your doing. It's all about the type of pad , polish and speed. Not to be rude in any way but to me it looks like your paint has a film on it almost the way glaze will leave your paint if you apply too much. It doesn't have that crisp clean look. Glaze hides more than it fixes.

I recommend Menzerna polish with at least 2 coats of Klasse topped with a nice wax.

Here are some pics of my work to show what I mean

[yngw13]

thanks for posting....I used Turtle wax Liquid claybar and it works out fine to take out all the dull look...using Meg ultimate compound after I saw it unecessary after claybar...but I might retry it on the rear door hatch soon...I just use Eagle spray wax...no polishers ...echo on using manual labor

[BoostMyQX4]

This is a great thread because i need to do my black scion, i haven't done it since last year and its ruff, i will definitely will have to clay the whole car because i can feel it just by hand not to mention the plastic bag trick.
I did use Meguiars on our QX4 but then again it is gold so i didn't have to go crazy on it, but the scion is black and i know i will need to put some elbow grease on that lol

Thanks guys for the suggestions, keep them coming.

[Qxxx4]

I guess you are right about the buffer, but the circular motion really could reduce the results. You have to be absolutely sure no debris gets on it or else it will swirl into the paint. The pics you posted are mint but my paint was already swirled when I got the car 6 years ago, There is no film on the paint since I just used a light polish/wax back in april I do not use it in excess, this meguiars stuff made it look blacker than I've ever seen it, but I really doubt it could get any better unless I wetsanded the paint.

That klasse stuff looks like it does a great job, I may invest in a real buffer in the future...all I have right now is a 10" SImoniz orbital that I got on sale a few years ago, the pads that came with it are junk, there is a 1 inch foam piece and then it has terry cloth covers.

[Turbogst]

[quote="Qxxx4"]I guess you are right about the buffer, but the circular motion really could reduce the results. You have to be absolutely sure no debris gets on it or else it will swirl into the paint.

Unless the car is dirty you not going to mess it up if you do it right. Here are some examples.

car comes in with bad swirls and scratches and the guy just wants them gone. Throw on some Menzerna intensive polish with a medium cut pad , wax and your done. If you use the right combo you won't create swirls . You also need to lube up the pad before you start so your not dry buffing.
I like Menzerna because it doesn't create dust and if you use the right product you don't have to follow with another polish.
For 90% of people this combo will be awesome for.

If you want the best way, do above but with a higher cutting pad to get out all the flaws. Doing this more than likely will create holograms in the clear. So, go and put on a very light cutting pad with a final polish this will get it all out and JEWEL the paint. Your paint will never have looked better. If your thumb nail catches a scratch it is there to stay but everything else will be perfect. You could try to wet sand the left over scratches out but being a older vehicle and unless you have a paint depth gauge I wouldn't risk taking my clear off.

Now if you told me you just bought a brand new chevy truck I'd tell you to wet sand it, they have so much orange peel it isn't even funny lol

Doing the by hand method will never come close to how the above looks.

Any questions hit me up I have been detailing for over 18 years and have a but load of customers with 100k+ cars that will drop it off and just tell me to make it perfect.

I almost forgot after I polish a car I always use denatured alcohol on a microfiber towel to take off any residue left by the polish before sealant or wax.

[Qxxx4]

Great advice! Where do you get your pads and buffers from?

[Turbogst]

You can look around for this for a better price but if you have never really buffed before I would get this http://www.autogeek.net/flex-orbital-polisher.html

It's safer than a rotary starting out so you can't burn the paint unless you try too, just remember to always keep it moving. This would be my second choice http://www.autogeek.net/dual-action-polishers.html

Both are excellent and will get the job done, then flex has a lil more power so you can get the job done a lil faster. Both offer packages that come with assorted pads.

[Qxxx4]

Thanks, i think ive seen those on "my classic car" the tv show

[Turbogst]

Yea they have been on there a few times. The owner from auto geek shows off a few toys every time.

[Chuck Tribolet]

This would be my second choice http://www.autogeek.net/dual-action-polishers.html

I've got that Porter-Cable and it's GREAT.