These are the products I currently have to work with, how should I use them?

[eb2phkingood]

white 2000 pontiac trans am ws6. I have never done anything other than power wash the car and run the car wash wax on after followed by a shamois whipe down. Well I decided I wanted to polish and wax the car since it has never been done. My dad has several products he has let me borrow, Id like to use them if possible rather than buying new/ different brands. Here is my list of items:
1) 3M car wash soap
2) duragold 501 Marine/RV polish (heard its actually great stuff for white cars)
3) meguiars nxt 2.0 liquid wax
4) meguiars scratch x 2.0



So my question is: is this the correct order of events to use this stuff: ??
1) rinse car
2) wash car with 3M soap diluted to correct amount
3) rinse car again
4) dry car with shamois
5) scratch X on and wipe off
6) duragold 501 on and wipe off
7) nxt 2.0 wax on and wipe off

or should I be leaving out step 5? Overall the white paint is probably a 9.5 out of 10. No scratches, chips, dings, nothing. However, it has sat outside for the past 2 months and will continue to do so for years to come most likely. Thanks in advance for all the help and suggestions!

[natewood70]

Sounds like a decent procedure.... 9.5 out of 10... You have no swirls, or spider webbing when you look underneath the son or parking lot lights at night??

My typical procedure (and others) goes like this:

1. Wash Wheels and Tires
2. Wash Body
3. Dry
4. Clay
5. Correct/Polish
6. LSP (Last Step Product) this could be a sealant, wax, or both.... in your case, the nxt 2.0

[BobbyG]

So my question is: is this the correct order of events to use this stuff: ??
1) rinse car
2) wash car with 3M soap diluted to correct amount
3) rinse car again
4) dry car with shamois
5) scratch X on and wipe off
6) duragold 501 on and wipe off
7) nxt 2.0 wax on and wipe off

or should I be leaving out step 5? Overall the white paint is probably a 9.5 out of 10. No scratches, chips, dings, nothing. However, it has sat outside for the past 2 months and will continue to do so for years to come most likely. Thanks in advance for all the help and suggestions!

Washing with a good quality car wash is always important. 3M makes some quality products so follow their directions.

Shammy's were the tried and trued favorite of yesteryear but with the advent of Microfiber towels the new Waffle towels work superbly and inflict little to no damage to the finish.

Meguiar's Scratch X

"SCRATCH X 2.0 removes oxidation, blemishes, light stains, and surface contaminants. Perfect for a specific trouble area, or on the entire car. " This is a great over the counter product that does a decent job at minor corrections making the finish ready for wax.

I'm not familiar with Duragold 501 but the way you've described it, it sounds like a wax.

Meguiar's NXT 2.0 is another decent over the counter product by Meguiar's and should be applied after the Scratch X to protect the finish.

[jbgrant]

It sounds like you need to skip the scratch-X and learn to clay your car instead. Unless it has spent 10 years under a car cover in a garage, it needs to be clayed very badly. If you notice a lot of swirls under a direct light source (very fine clear coat scratches from washing, driving, birds, etc etc etc) then take a few hours to read up on basic polishing techniques here at autogeek before buying anything and decide if that's the direction that's right for you.

[eb2phkingood]

Sounds like a decent procedure.... 9.5 out of 10... You have no swirls, or spider webbing when you look underneath the son or parking lot lights at night??

My typical procedure (and others) goes like this:

1. Wash Wheels and Tires
2. Wash Body
3. Dry
4. Clay
5. Correct/Polish
6. LSP (Last Step Product) this could be a sealant, wax, or both.... in your case, the nxt 2.0

Well i'd say a 9.5 out of 10 is actually an understatement. But i'll check closer tonight. The car only has 15,000 miles and is 11 years old. Spent all 11 years in a climate controlled garage. Now it has been replaced in the garage with a more expensive vehicle and thus will most likely be sitting outside for a while.

[natewood70]

Well i'd say a 9.5 out of 10 is actually an understatement. But i'll check closer tonight. The car only has 15,000 miles and is 11 years old. Spent all 11 years in a climate controlled garage. Now it has been replaced in the garage with a more expensive vehicle and thus will most likely be sitting outside for a while.

Cool! If it's in that good of shape you may not even need to polish it.... Just put wax on it after you wash and dry!

Take a look at this and scroll through:

SHINE IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT! Shelby Cobra meets the Microfiber DA system!

That paint is 9.5+ and that is an UNDERSTATEMENT.

Sitting in climate controlled environments are nice, but that doesn't account for many things:

Road Conditions
Type of rain
Bird droppings
How it was washed
etc....

If you take a close look at the paint tonight and see some swirls, etchings, or anything that doesn't look like a flawless mirror image of a reflection in direct light, we will do our best to steer you in the right direction of getting it to that 9.5+ mark!!!!

[Old Tiger]

If you mean DuraGloss 501 that is a terrific Marine All In One Polish & Sealant. Try it without the Sratch X or NXT. You can extend its durability with DG 601 but it is very durable on its own!