Megs MF system: had great results in the fall, want to spruce it up post-winter

[Wes8398]

Last fall I completed my first paint correction (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/showthread.php?t=42663) with the Meguiars Microfiber DA system. Thanks to this forum and it's members, I was very happy with the results. Unfortunately a few months of salty, crappy Ontario winter conditions appears to have taken its toll on my work though, so I'm looking to spruce it up. Apparently my work in the fall wasn't quite as good as I thought, as many of the defects I thought I had removed were actually just covered up by 'fillers' that the MF DA products must have in them. Even with a good coat of Col. 845, the road salt exposure over the winter seems to have eaten away those fillers and exposed some swirling, etc.

All that being said, what would you guys suggest for my spring spruce up? I don't particularly want to buy any more products, so I'm wondering what I can do with what I've already got. I'm wondering if I should do the whole process again, or if maybe I can get away with skipping the compounding stage.

What are your guy's opinions on doing something like using the finishing wax on a cutting disc, or the cutting compound on a finishing disc? Pointless? Or might it be worth trying? If you think it might be worth trying, what kind of arm speed and pressure would you suggest?

Thanks a lot!

[opie_7afe]

have any foam pads with different product? or just the microfiber system? if just the microfiber system can do a couple passes with the d301 then clean paint with paint prep and apply your wax/sealant/coating of choice. i do a test spot first, if not then do the cutting and polishing again and remember to clean surface with a paint cleaning chemical after cutting/polishing to check your work especially if your going to use 845 anyways.

[Superior detail]

I recommend doing the process over again. Especially if it has been beaten up all winter. If the process is too tedious, seek a pro's help. As for trying to cut corners by using a compound with a finishing disc or a polish with a cutting disc, this isn't really how the products were developed to be used, but thats not to say you wouldn't see a result. You will see the best result if you use the pads and the products as they were intended. Many detailers have a different technique to the way they use their tools or even in the way they use certain products. As a standard, a typical paint correction process will include but is not limited to:

1.Wash
2.Clay
3.Compound polishing
4.Finish polishing
5.Sealing/Waxing/Coating

In this order, to skip a step is only cheating your vehicle of a perfect finish.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

Jaeson Lane
Superior Detailing
858.349.3135
Superiordetailingsd@gmail.com
www.superiordetailing.webs.com

[Wes8398]

Thanks for the input so far. The car wasn't exactly "beat up" all winter, as we only had a couple snowfalls and it was somewhat mild. They did put salt down a good number of times though, and my area is using a new formula that is calcium based, which I've hear is WAY more corrosive than the previous road salt they used. Although I tried to wash by hand in my garage (with a rinse-less wash) through the winter, I did use DIY coin-op wash a few times (no brush, just the wand), and that new salt didn't even budge with just the wand being used. :S Only an actual wash at home would take that crap off. Unfortunately no matter how careful I was or how often I rinsed my (high quality MF) wash mitt, I could feel the stuff 'dragging' across my paint while washing. I think this contributed to the defects I'm seeing now. I also stand by my feeling that the Megs MF products have fillers in them too though; so that these defects were never actually gone to begin with.

As for products I have, I obviously have all the Meg's MF stuff (with extra pads, etc. The only other stuff I currently have is a few HydroTech finishing pads for the 845 application. With the money I have tied up in all this stuff, I'm only interested in doing the best I can with what I've got right now. Once I use all this stuff up, I'll definitely entertain some different products. At this point, only having done this one single 'correction', I have a hard time placing much/any blame on the products. It's likely all user-error. And I'm ok with that. I knew there'd be a learning curve.

[embolism]

I'd get some blacklight and use it with your crimson or tangerine hydrotech pads

if all you've got is the MF system, some 845 and a few hydrotechs you're way behind man, get some more orders in quick so you can have a closet full of products like the rest of us!

[crxman2010]

Last fall I completed my first paint correction (My first DIY correction - My 2006 Caddy CTS-V - Auto Geek Online Auto Detailing Forum (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/showthread.php?t=42663)) with the Meguiars Microfiber DA system. Thanks to this forum and it's members, I was very happy with the results. Unfortunately a few months of salty, crappy Ontario winter conditions appears to have taken its toll on my work though, so I'm looking to spruce it up. Apparently my work in the fall wasn't quite as good as I thought, as many of the defects I thought I had removed were actually just covered up by 'fillers' that the MF DA products must have in them. Even with a good coat of Col. 845, the road salt exposure over the winter seems to have eaten away those fillers and exposed some swirling, etc.

All that being said, what would you guys suggest for my spring spruce up? I don't particularly want to buy any more products, so I'm wondering what I can do with what I've already got. I'm wondering if I should do the whole process again, or if maybe I can get away with skipping the compounding stage.

What are your guy's opinions on doing something like using the finishing wax on a cutting disc, or the cutting compound on a finishing disc? Pointless? Or might it be worth trying? If you think it might be worth trying, what kind of arm speed and pressure would you suggest?

Thanks a lot!

I would say what you have would work just fine, exactly what I did with the wife's car last winter Megs MF system and Collinite 845. If I was to think you were missing something, it would be a straight polish you could finish with without a sealant/wax in it like 301. This being just for the sake of extending the life of the Collinite. Well the combo did work great for me D300/D301, once I run out of D301 I would replace it with something like M205 or Optimum Polish II so that you can finish out and not worry about D301 reducing Collinite's durability.

As relates to Meguiars MF pads, cutting and finishing I believe are the same, only difference being the density of the foam backing.

Do a test spot with your MF pad and D300 and follow it up with Pre-Wax Cleaner or IPA to see what kind of condition you are leaving the paint in. Try adjusting your technique to get it as good as you can with D300, keep your arm speed on the slow side and start out with heavy pressure (15 lbs? usually recommended) and decrease it through the passes so that at the last pass the weight of the machine is the only pressure.

If you cannot get the paint where you want it with D300 (pretty likely with black paint), follow up with D301 and use the previous suggestion to hit it with Paint Prep or IPA to strip the wax off after you do this part to inspect the condition of the paint. If at this point you still want more, you will likely have to look into some different products. You might just find that your paint has finished beautifully and the defects you are seeing now are a result of washing a black car. :D