Ult Fast Finish - the whole car or one panel at a time?

[Don M]

Today I put yet another application of UFF on the Camaro. Like usual, I applied it to the entire car, then wiped it off. While doing it today, it occurred to me that in the videos and the instructions, they go one section at a time, applying then immediately removing the UFF and I started to wonder if I should change my method of application to doing one or 1/2 panel at a time then removing the UFF.


I was also wondering if there were any benefits to leaving the Ult Fast Finish on that extra time, or am I just hurting myself and making it harder to remove (not that it's difficult to remove)?


Too, how much should I be spraying on the applicator for each section? I don't use the supplied MF cloth, I use a round, microfiber covered sponge to apply it. In the videos, I'm seeing people (in the Meguiar's videos too) spraying - what I consider - to be quite a bit of Ult Fast Finish on the applicator towel, so I started using a bit more and while the water behavior is excellent using a bit more & 24 hours have passed, it's now more than just a simple 'wipe' to remove - still not difficult, but more than just a light wipe. How many towels should it take to remove the residue left by the Ult Fast Finish from a car the size of a Camaro?


I know, I sound like a newbie, but I'm starting to really like Ult Fast Finish and I don't want to start hating it because *I* am doing it wrong.

[Pats300zx]

I do the whole car then wipe off any streaks or residue. Give the UFF more time to flash.


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[vobro]

I do the whole car at once also, I work small sections and now that's it's warmer out its very easy to control streaks/high spots while you're applying. I just knock the high spots done with the applicator and very rarely have to go back, if you see a stubborn area after its dried just knock it down with more UFF.

[Legumes]

I would just use it panel by panel as directed. Almost any wipe on, wipe off product I've used became significantly more difficult to remove if I did the whole car first. That's especially true if applied outdoors or in direct sunlight.

[gspam1]

I don't think there is a benefit to letting it sit (say overnight). If you're getting good results by doing the whole car at once, then I wouldn't over think it. As temperatures get hotter, or if you're working in the sun, then you might look at wiping it off after each panel. Go with what works for you.

[Don M]

I would just use it panel by panel as directed. Almost any wipe on, wipe off product I've used became significantly more difficult to remove if I did the whole car first. That's especially true if applied outdoors or in direct sunlight.

Ever since I recently "discovered" that using a low-nap microfiber cloth to apply the Ult Fast Finish, I've been going panel by panel. I find that it's just as easy (actually easier) and I get better results (fewer missed spots) when removing the residue this way.



I don't think there is a benefit to letting it sit (say overnight). If you're getting good results by doing the whole car at once, then I wouldn't over think it. As temperatures get hotter, or if you're working in the sun, then you might look at wiping it off after each panel. Go with what works for you.


By giving it time to sit, I was referring to maybe 15 - 20 minutes while I coated the rest of the car, but like I said above, I've learned that coating a panel using a microfiber cloth and immediate removal with a clean microfiber actually works best.

BTW, I work in the garage (minus any lights - the electrical line to the garage got cut ... GRRRR) so I deal more with trying to see what I'm doing rather than having the sun bake everything (including me).

[Mike Phillips]

Today I put yet another application of UFF on the Camaro. Like usual, I applied it to the entire car, then wiped it off.

While doing it today, it occurred to me that in the videos and the instructions, they go one section at a time, applying then immediately removing the UFF and I started to wonder if I should change my method of application to doing one or 1/2 panel at a time then removing the UFF.






As a person that worked for Meguiar's and also wrote a lot of copy for them, I can tell you that sometimes directions are written for the lowest common denominator among us.

By applying to a panel and then wiping off you reduce the potential for someone with zero skills or experience to run into a problem.

If you have a tiny bit of skill and experience you can apply to entire car and then wipe off. That's how I would do it.


:)

[mengelhardt]

I've been using a Meguiars round foam applicator to apply the UFF and I do my whole vehicle before going back and removing it.

I've found the foam applicator doesn't absorb as much product as a MF applicator or MF towel does during the application.

I still use a MF towel to remove the excess and the final buffing.

I Love UFF!!! I'm glad I grabbed 3 bottles when it was on sale for under $10.

[Don M]

As a person that worked for Meguiar's and also wrote a lot of copy for them, I can tell you that sometimes directions are written for the lowest common denominator among us.

By applying to a panel and then wiping off you reduce the potential for someone with zero skills or experience to run into a problem.

If you have a tiny bit of skill and experience you can apply to entire car and then wipe off. That's how I would do it.


:)

Thanks Mike, I don't know where my head was at, I must have been having a 'Bubba' moment. Partly it was because I applied too much UF to the car using the microfiber covered foam applicator and left some NASTY streaks and high spots (not visible in my unlit garage) when I applied it to the whole car. But since then, I switched to the mf cloth application method (as demonstrated) and I can get ample amounts of UFF on the paint WITHOUT the streaks and high spots.



I've been using a Meguiars round foam applicator to apply the UFF and I do my whole vehicle before going back and removing it.

I've found the foam applicator doesn't absorb as much product as a MF applicator or MF towel does during the application.

I still use a MF towel to remove the excess and the final buffing.

I Love UFF!!! I'm glad I grabbed 3 bottles when it was on sale for under $10.

I'm starting to love the stuff too. I think the microfiber covered foam isn't the greatest applicator for this stuff and in my case, I'm hardly spraying any UFF onto the microfiber cloth and getting a solid, EVEN coating that still flashes well. And going panel by panel just lets me make sure I don't miss any spots when I'm wiping it off. How many microfiber cloths do you use to remove the UFF after it has flashed? Sometimes when I'm wiping off the UFF, I see some residue appear when I reverse directions while wiping, makes me want to get another towel to "rewipe" the whole car just to be sure.

[mengelhardt]

I'm starting to love the stuff too. I think the microfiber covered foam isn't the greatest applicator for this stuff and in my case, I'm hardly spraying any UFF onto the microfiber cloth and getting a solid, EVEN coating that still flashes well. And going panel by panel just lets me make sure I don't miss any spots when I'm wiping it off. How many microfiber cloths do you use to remove the UFF after it has flashed? Sometimes when I'm wiping off the UFF, I see some residue appear when I reverse directions while wiping, makes me want to get another towel to "rewipe" the whole car just to be sure.

I don't use the microfiber covered foam applicators, just the plain foam applicator (foam only). Using the foam applicator, the UFF goes on pretty thin. After it flashes, there isn't a whole lot to remove, so 1 or 2 towels is plenty. For my wife's Highlander, I can get by with a single towel for removal, but my crew crab truck usually takes two.

I use the korean edgeless mf towels for buffing.

[Eldorado2k]

As a person that worked for Meguiar's and also wrote a lot of copy for them, I can tell you that sometimes directions are written for the lowest common denominator among us.


That's interesting to find that out, Mike. 1 of the things that has always stood out to me since day 1 was how Meguiars did a great job of providing simple straight forward directions that would lead you to the desired results. Man I never knew you were behind some of those instructions on the labels! Props!

In all the years and Meguiars products I've used, IMO the directions have only been a bit questionable twice, maybe you can provide some info on 1 of them? Because I've always wondered about it...
Question: Is there someone with authority who's behind keeping 100% Terry Cotton towels as a recommendation on the labels still to this day? [I've always wondered if it was Barry himself who just loves the old school and prefers his good terry towels sometimes] Or is there a story behind 100% terry towels remaining on the directions to this day?

Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with using 100% terry towels if that's your preference, whatever works for you. But I'm sure alot of people would be a bit surprised to find cotton terry towels recommended on the current labels.

The only other questionable thing I can think of [and I'm sure alot of you guys already know] is the dilution marks on the Detailer bottles. Here's an example showing their inaccuracy.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170706/ae2e6571ba9cf93a7391da7e315da341.jpg

... But that could be the bottle manufacturers fault so it's not too big a deal. I make my own dilutions :)

Anyways, I've always appreciated how Meguiars seems to do a great job of crossing their T's and dotting their i's when it comes to putting their official word out there.. It shows professionalism. Still to this day you can see the same level of professionalism whenever you read 1 of Mike's articles, proofread and spot on in every way. Detailers appreciate those sort of details. :)

[Legumes]

Question: Is there someone with authority who's behind keeping 100% Terry Cotton towels as a recommendation on the labels still to this day? [I've always wondered if it was Barry himself who just loves the old school and prefers his good terry towels sometimes] Or is there a story behind 100% terry towels remaining on the directions to this day?


The terry cotton towel blurb is likely kept around for the people that still use them as their primary detailing towels. I'd almost guarantee a lot of older consumers still use them just because that's what they're accustomed to. I used terry cloth up until around 2005. Before that year, microfiber wasn't all that commonly available in chain stores around here.

[Eldorado2k]

The terry cotton towel blurb is likely kept around for the people that still use them as their primary detailing towels. I'd almost guarantee a lot of older consumers still use them just because that's what they're accustomed to. I used terry cloth up until around 2005. Before that year, microfiber wasn't all that commonly available in chain stores around here.

Yea I understand that, but you'd sort of figure that in order to achieve swirl free results from a product such as Ultimate Polish, the last thing getting in the way of it should be the towels, that would be frustrating and unnecessary considering how widely microfiber is used for detailing these days.

Not to mention the fact that it's not exactly easy to find superior quality cotton terry towels these days.

[ski2]

Not to mention the fact that it's not exactly easy to find superior quality cotton terry towels these days.

And if you do find them, you need to be careful of the thread used to finish the edges as it will create swirls in most cases.