Recent content by imported_Indy YZF

Ive got a meguiars finishing pad, plus 2 lake country light cut and a couple of lake country polishing pads which I used this afternoon. It occurred to me as I soaped, massaged, rinsed, and rung out one of the polishing pads that perhaps this isnt the best way to keep these pads going.. Ringing...

So how do you guys apply the vinyl/rubber protectant? I've got Hyper Detailer at home, but when I spray it, I still have to touch with cloth to get the excess droplets. I usually only hit the plastics and can't get the nooks and crannies as good as I want. Any way to speed this up?

Ive got a bottle of this stuff which Ive used before, and remember liking.. I dont know if it lasts the full 5 mos like it says on the directions, but it seems to last as long as the non spray waxes, and is good quality. My question is this. Im planning on doing a surface prep followed by...

Anybody else surprised to see the old standby, Meguiars, being discontinued at the Autopia store?

I own a bottle of Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine. On websites, it appears to be blue.. But the stuff in my bottle is beige in color.. Does this color change happen over time? Is that why its not blue any more? Is its effectiveness impacted?

Do any of you guys do your polishing outdoors? Maybe because my car is white, while I find the sun to be a good way to spot buffer trails/holograms, I find I cannot see fine clearcoat layer scratches and alot of swirls unless Im indoors under some lights.

I have one of those Mar-Hyde pen shaped magnetic paint thickness gauges. It shows that IVe got between 6 and 7 mils of paint on my various BMW surfaces, so whether its accurate or not, I think the results are at least reasonable. But, about the accuracy. I realize that people dont feel they...

In alot of threads, folks talk alot about 'customers', etc. It got me thinking, does anybody have any idea what portion of the contributors and readers of these threads are Pros vs Amateurs? Im just curious. Always nice to know what the population comprises before we address them!

The white paint on my '99 M3 is showroom level shiny, and has been garaged for most of its life. However, over the years Ive occasionally gotten 'trapped' on parkways behind load baring trucks that tend to scatter bits of their sand and gravel loads over anything behind it for miles, or Ive...

Does anybody use Wool pads with their Porter Cable anymore? Does wool have any relevance in modern polishing technology when we're using a Porter Cable to drive it? Does it only have relevance when used with a Rotary?

For those of us who wander from autopia and then return, we are beseiged by new products and their acronyms. Is there an Autopia Glossery or listing of product Acronmyms to help us out understand the lingo?

Im going to be polishing my hood sometime soon, and I plan to finish it off with Optimum spray wax. I cant seem to get over the old-fashioned notion that spray waxes are the weakest of them all, which is the connotation they used to have.. I realize that Optimum spray wax is the exception, and...

The list of polishes on my shelf, from strongest to weakest is: 3M IMPERIAL MICRO FINISHING COMPOUND MEDIUM CUT 39001 MEGUIAR’S BODY SHOP PROFESSIONAL DUAL ACTION CLEANER POLISH MEDIUM CUT #83 MEGUIAR’S MIRROR GLAZE FINE-CUT CLEANER #2 (rotary only) POORBOY'S SSR2.5 3M FINESSE-IT II...

I own an Alpine White, supercharged, '99 M3 with 71k miles on it. Despite its age, its a beautiful car, and is in excellent condition. Im a meticulous detailer, but I live in a hirise condo, so bringing out the Porter Cable is not quite as simple as if I had my own private garage.. We park in a...

Is there a difference between conventional 'modeling clay' and the stuff detailers use? I have 4 bars of this stuff called Prang Modeling Clay.. it says on the box, 'Remains pliable-it wont dry out...' I use it to measure hood clearance between it and items in the engine bay.. But I was just...