stjohnson
10-19-2008, 11:10 PM
Hello, I'm looking for any advice regarding what I should and should not purchase from people who have some experience. I'm not an expert detailer, but I am an avid auto enthusiast. I just bought a new M45 and already (3 weeks in) I'm noticing swirl marks in my dark pearl blue slate finish. Very annoying! But needless to say, I've been perusing the AutoGeek store and forums and have come up with what I think I need to safely remove the swirls and maintain a year after year glossy finish.
And before I go any farther, I know there are religious debates on rotaries vs. dual action, and brands of products. I'm not so much looking to ignite that sort of discussion, but rather, I'd like guidance on the right products to fit my needs.
1.)
So, tool wise, I'm pretty sold on the XC 3401 dual action polisher. I know it's pricy, but being a novice, I don't want to go the rotary route. And this one seems to be getting very good reviews. In the hands of a pro it's most certainly an impressive tool. Which means in my hands it should be very safe and effective. And I don't want to cut corners here since this seems to be the cornerstone of a good detail.
2.)
Now a point of confusion. Pads and backers. I have a new car, don't have oxidation, just light swirling. Do I need to concern myself with multiple pads or kits with all of these pads?
3.)
Product wise, I like what I've read about Menzerna Intro Kit. But to be honest, I don't think I need the Intensive bottle. Probably would only use the final polish. Does this raise any flags to anyone? The car is only about 2 months old, so the swirls are what you would imagine a terry towel would do after a few passes.
After that, I see that AG has a link to Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant 3.0, which seems logical. So I've added that to my cart as well.
4.)
But to apply, would they both ( Menzerna and Wolfgang) use the same pad? Once applied, do you use the polisher with a clean pad or cover to remove? Or just remove by hand with a microfiber towel or two?
5.)
Also, while I have your attention, I see lots of posts and videos of people with taped off headlights or trim. Do I need to do this? I'd think that polishing and waxing these elements would be a good thing.
6.)
The last thing that I can think of is regarding microfiber towels. I just picked up a set of about 6 from the store the other day. I used a fresh one out of the pack to wipe down the dash of my car and wipe some haze off of the covers of the speedo and tach., etc. But upon closer inspection, this left swirl marks on the plastic! I'm dying over here!! I thought I was doing a good thing using a fresh/new microfiber towel, but still, I left swirls on my guage cluster. So this leads me into my microfiber towels question, are some better than others, and why? Would I risk this swirling on my newly polished exterior in the same way that I caused swirls on interior plastic? Is there some product/lubricant that I should always apply to microfiber towels before using them on interior glossy components?
Any pro tips are very welcome. And thanks for the help, I know this was a bit wordy.
Oh, and one other thing, polishing takes off a bit of finish, right? So next year when inevitably there will be some additional swirl marks that will need to be removed, and I go and re-polish again, am I actually going to be removing more and more paint every year? Is this a bad practice to get started in? My thought is that the swirl marks are actually in the wax or clear coat. But even still, removing them each year seems to be a thinning proposition that you wouldn't want to do even remotely regularly. What's the real story?
And before I go any farther, I know there are religious debates on rotaries vs. dual action, and brands of products. I'm not so much looking to ignite that sort of discussion, but rather, I'd like guidance on the right products to fit my needs.
1.)
So, tool wise, I'm pretty sold on the XC 3401 dual action polisher. I know it's pricy, but being a novice, I don't want to go the rotary route. And this one seems to be getting very good reviews. In the hands of a pro it's most certainly an impressive tool. Which means in my hands it should be very safe and effective. And I don't want to cut corners here since this seems to be the cornerstone of a good detail.
2.)
Now a point of confusion. Pads and backers. I have a new car, don't have oxidation, just light swirling. Do I need to concern myself with multiple pads or kits with all of these pads?
3.)
Product wise, I like what I've read about Menzerna Intro Kit. But to be honest, I don't think I need the Intensive bottle. Probably would only use the final polish. Does this raise any flags to anyone? The car is only about 2 months old, so the swirls are what you would imagine a terry towel would do after a few passes.
After that, I see that AG has a link to Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant 3.0, which seems logical. So I've added that to my cart as well.
4.)
But to apply, would they both ( Menzerna and Wolfgang) use the same pad? Once applied, do you use the polisher with a clean pad or cover to remove? Or just remove by hand with a microfiber towel or two?
5.)
Also, while I have your attention, I see lots of posts and videos of people with taped off headlights or trim. Do I need to do this? I'd think that polishing and waxing these elements would be a good thing.
6.)
The last thing that I can think of is regarding microfiber towels. I just picked up a set of about 6 from the store the other day. I used a fresh one out of the pack to wipe down the dash of my car and wipe some haze off of the covers of the speedo and tach., etc. But upon closer inspection, this left swirl marks on the plastic! I'm dying over here!! I thought I was doing a good thing using a fresh/new microfiber towel, but still, I left swirls on my guage cluster. So this leads me into my microfiber towels question, are some better than others, and why? Would I risk this swirling on my newly polished exterior in the same way that I caused swirls on interior plastic? Is there some product/lubricant that I should always apply to microfiber towels before using them on interior glossy components?
Any pro tips are very welcome. And thanks for the help, I know this was a bit wordy.
Oh, and one other thing, polishing takes off a bit of finish, right? So next year when inevitably there will be some additional swirl marks that will need to be removed, and I go and re-polish again, am I actually going to be removing more and more paint every year? Is this a bad practice to get started in? My thought is that the swirl marks are actually in the wax or clear coat. But even still, removing them each year seems to be a thinning proposition that you wouldn't want to do even remotely regularly. What's the real story?