1st Use of Griots Garage DA Polisher

[mgmoore7]

Today I used it for the 1st time on my '98 Isuzu Hombre (Chevy S10) which has been my daily driver and do-it-yourself companion for the last 16 years. I have taken better than average care of the finish but wanted to take it to the next level.

Thanks to all of the help here, I have learned much and believe that my results were very good.

I used Meguiars Ultimate Compounds, Polish and Wax with Orange, White and Red pads.

Swirls were not as much of a issue for me were larger surface scratches although there were plenty just did not seem as extreme as many pictures and videos and other cars I have seen. No matter, the swirls that were there are gone now and most of the scratches too. I think I would need to use something more aggressive for some of the scratches that I did not even know were there.

My process was a follows and I am not sure if I should change anything because it worked well. I did not clay because I clayed just a few weeks ago.

1. Rinse
2. Cover in Suds (best I could with what I had for a sprayer)
3. Rinse
4. Two bucket wash with Megs Gold Glass wash
5. Iron X hood. Did not do the rest as it did not seem to do much. That stuff is nasty!
6. Cleaned wheels with Megs All Purpose with separate bucket
7. Dryed with Megs Water Magnet (will need a few more of these for sure with my larger cars)
8. GG DA with Megs Ultimate Compound
9. GG DA with Megs Ultimate Polish
10. GG DA with Megs Ultimate Wax
11. Polished wheels with Mothers Mag and Aluminum Polish. It was easy and a very noticeable improvement.
12. Tire Wet
13. Cleaned exterior windows with Megs AP 10:1

It took me 6-7 hours. Could have taken more time but I did not spend as much time on the bottom half of each side and could have spent more time on some scratches.

IT LOOKS BETTER THAN IT HAS IN MANY YEARS. I have had it since it was new. More work could be done to get rid of more scratches but I am not keeping this much longer and am getting a babied and immaculate '05 F150 Lariat in about a month.

I did not realize that the Ultimate Wax was not a wax and began to worry because it was going on so thin and did not look like a wax. A little searching hear revealed that it is not really a wax and is thin.....

Next is my Excursion. That is probably 2 times the area.

THANKS EVERYONE. I have buried myself in this forum and youtube over the last few weeks prepping for this. Got to love the Internet (most of the time).

Matt
Tampa, FL

[Matt@FourAcesMD]

Today I used it for the 1st time on my '98 Isuzu Hombre (Chevy S10) which has been my daily driver and do-it-yourself companion for the last 16 years. I have taken better than average care of the finish but wanted to take it to the next level.

Thanks to all of the help here, I have learned much and believe that my results were very good.

I used Meguiars Ultimate Compounds, Polish and Wax with Orange, White and Red pads.

Swirls were not as much of a issue for me were larger surface scratches although there were plenty just did not seem as extreme as many pictures and videos and other cars I have seen. No matter, the swirls that were there are gone now and most of the scratches too. I think I would need to use something more aggressive for some of the scratches that I did not even know were there.

My process was a follows and I am not sure if I should change anything because it worked well. I did not clay because I clayed just a few weeks ago.

1. Rinse
2. Cover in Suds (best I could with what I had for a sprayer)
3. Rinse
4. Two bucket wash with Megs Gold Glass wash
5. Iron X hood. Did not do the rest as it did not seem to do much. That stuff is nasty!
6. Cleaned wheels with Megs All Purpose with separate bucket
7. Dryed with Megs Water Magnet (will need a few more of these for sure with my larger cars)
8. GG DA with Megs Ultimate Compound
9. GG DA with Megs Ultimate Polish
10. GG DA with Megs Ultimate Wax
11. Polished wheels with Mothers Mag and Aluminum Polish. It was easy and a very noticeable improvement.
12. Tire Wet
13. Cleaned exterior windows with Megs AP 10:1

It took me 6-7 hours. Could have taken more time but I did not spend as much time on the bottom half of each side and could have spent more time on some scratches.

IT LOOKS BETTER THAN IT HAS IN MANY YEARS. I have had it since it was new. More work could be done to get rid of more scratches but I am not keeping this much longer and am getting a babied and immaculate '05 F150 Lariat in about a month.

I did not realize that the Ultimate Wax was not a wax and began to worry because it was going on so thin and did not look like a wax. A little searching hear revealed that it is not really a wax and is thin.....

Next is my Excursion. That is probably 2 times the area.

THANKS EVERYONE. I have buried myself in this forum and youtube over the last few weeks prepping for this. Got to love the Internet (most of the time).

Matt
Tampa, FL

We want pics too! =)

[jamesboyy]

Sounds like you had a fun journey, and I like everything you did
Though I think you should look into a foam gun also may I ask how did that 10:1 apc work out on those windows??

[mgmoore7]

I thought I posted the pics. Here they are although not the greatest. :)

[Matt@FourAcesMD]

Looks really good from what I can see! Nice job!

[mgmoore7]

Sounds like you had a fun journey, and I like everything you did
Though I think you should look into a foam gun also may I ask how did that 10:1 apc work out on those windows??

Yeh, I already put a foam gun in my wish list on amazon, although for general upkeep I am planning to use a rinseless method.

I wondered if the Megs AP 10:1 would work and it seemed to. I used a MF. Sprayed on the MF, wiped clean and flipped to polish/dry. Something else would probably be better but it was handy and I was mostly trying to get the bits of wax off the windows.

[dad07]

I thought I posted the pics. Here they are although not the greatest. :)

your right not very good pics.........but that's ok your process looked very solid and as long as you had fun and enjoyed what you did its all good!!!!

Nice Job!

[mgmoore7]

your right not very good pics.........but that's ok your process looked very solid and as long as you had fun and enjoyed what you did its all good!!!!

Nice Job!

Thanks, I knew they were not going to turn out well. On one side the sun was full and the other was shaded.. Another time.

[jamesboyy]

Yeh, I already put a foam gun in my wish list on amazon, although for general upkeep I am planning to use a rinseless method.

I wondered if the Megs AP 10:1 would work and it seemed to. I used a MF. Sprayed on the MF, wiped clean and flipped to polish/dry. Something else would probably be better but it was handy and I was mostly trying to get the bits of wax off the windows.

I like your plan of attack for upkeep on your vehicle, that's also nice pick up truck too as for your picture taking yeah it don't have the depth that some are looking for but as long as you took a picture/documented your work that is what matters, and youll get better in picture taking in time

[mgmoore7]

I like your plan of attack for upkeep on your vehicle, that's also nice pick up truck too as for your picture taking yeah it don't have the depth that some are looking for but as long as you took a picture/documented your work that is what matters, and youll get better in picture taking in time

Kind of funny and sad since I am somewhat of a amateur photographer but have never taken pictures of vehicles "with intention" and I was short on time and using my phone.

[Flash Gordon]

I bet you sleep good tonite. That's a lot of work!

[ShaunD]

Good results for 6-7 hours on a 16 yo truck. Did you dry the truck before spraying Iron-X on it? Otherwise it would be dilluted and also may run off the panel. Did the 10:1 APC leave any residue? I would think it would at least need to be followed by a damp(from water only) MF to remove the residue. Guess if you get suds on the glass next time you wash it you know it left a residue. Did you hit the headlights with UC?

[mgmoore7]

I did dry the truck before using Iron-X. It definitely worked some but since I am selling this truck within a few months and the cost, and how caustic it was, I decided to save the bottle for my white excursion.

I used the 10:1 APC again yesterday for interior window cleaning just to further try it. Yes, it did leave a residue but not much and less than many window cleaners I have used. I just buffed it off. My wife just uses soda water with nothing else. Just takes a little more muscle if really dirty.

I did the headlights with Meguiar's Two Step Headlight Restoration Kit. It worked great and made a huge difference. I have used other products in the past for this but this was so much better.

[BobbyG]

Detailing is a lot of hard work, don't let anyone fool you. Detailing is also very rewarding and satisfying if you take your time and it's done correctly. The more you detail the greater the knowledge yielding finer results...

Very nice work! :props:

[PreludeVTEC01]

Great turn around!! Welcome to the detailing club!! :)