Am I on the right track?

[dman533]

Hi guys,

I'm a first timer and a newbie at detailing. I just purchased a PC 7424 and pads from Lake Country. I'm working on a 2007 Infiniti, off white which i just purchased. The finish has some fine scratches but they're not swirl marks i think they may be from car washes.

Anyway I want to get these scaches /marks out of the finsh and I'm getting confused with all the information that's out there. I thought I'd start by claying the finish then use the Meguire's #9 swirl remover but should I use the Lake country grey pad or the white pad that came with the 7424. I though my next step would be to glaze the finish with Meguire's #7 with either the grey or blue pad from Lake Country. My third step would be to finish with NXT 2.0.

I also understand that Meguire's #9 and #7 have fillers and dont' really take the scratches out but fill them.

My question is am i using the right products with the right pads or should I have bought the white pads from Lake Country as well?



Dennis

 

[Accumulator]

Hi guys,

I'm a first timer and a newbie at detailing. I just purchased a PC 7424 and pads from Lake Country. I'm working on a 2007 Infiniti, off white which i just purchased. The finish has some fine scratches but they're not swirl marks i think they may be from car washes...

Welcome to Autopia! I'm not sure how hard Infiniti paint is, so any advice that follows will be very general.

I thought I'd start by claying the finish then use the Meguire's #9 swirl remover but should I use the Lake country grey pad or the white pad that came with the 7424. I though my next step would be to glaze the finish with Meguire's #7 with either the grey or blue pad from Lake Country. My third step would be to finish with NXT 2.0.

I also understand that Meguire's #9 and #7 have fillers and dont' really take the scratches out but fill them.

My question is am i using the right products with the right pads or should I have bought the white pads from Lake Country as well?

I think I could make a very good argument for using a *slightly* more abrasive product like Meguiar's #80 Don't overestimate how well the #9/#7/NXT 2.0 combo will work. But anyhow...



The gray and blue pads aren't *IMO* all that well-suited to #9. Note that on most paints even a regular white LC polishing pad won't have any functional cut in-and-of itself, especially when lubricated with products (and especially with oil-rich product like we're discussing), and the white pad's more porous nature is more to my liking with products like #9. There's lots of "stuff" in #9; the mild abrasives, the fillers, and the Trade Secret Oils, and so this product can load up a "tight" pad (i.e., one with small pores) like the LC gray/blue pretty fast.



I even prefer polishing pads with glazes/"pure polishes" such as #7 in most cases. The LC gray is so tight that it has hardly any porosity, and the Meg's #7 is also a pretty "heavy" product and IME that's not always a happy combination.



The potential problem is the pad loading up/caking with product. Not the end of the world as you can stop and clean the pad, but a hassle nonetheless.



Also, you may very well find #7 easier to use by hand. For that matter, you might be a lot happier with #3, #81, or my fave #5. All are functionally similar to #7, all work fine by hand or machine, and all are more user-friendly than #7 (not that I'm bashing #7, I've used it for decades). #5 isn't quite as "rich" but it *is* about the easiest product of its type you can get (of all these products, #5 is the one that can be allowed to dry completely before you buff it off). #3 is a bit more foolproof than #7 by machine and #81 is kinda in-between #5 and #3 IMO.



The NXT2.0 oughta work fine with either the gray or blue pad, dunno if you'd ever notice any difference.



But if you're gonna use the PC, I'd *REALLY* give some thought to using #80 instead of #9. #80 is very user-friendly too, and you could just do #80 then NXT (no pure polish in between) and it'd turn out very nice. The #80 is so gentle that IMO you don't need to worry about its abrasiveness compared to #9.



Sorry for the hard-sell on the other products, but I hope I at least addressed your pad/product question. Hope things turn out well whatever you do.

 

[dman533]

First off THANKS for the reply,

I did the car this past weekend just using the glaze #7 and the grey pad. Like you said there was very little difference in the scratches. However the finish has much more shine and depth now as opposed to before.



Since by trade I'm a Health Inspector a perfectionist by nature let me be sure I understand what your saying. Use #80 and either the LC white or perhaps the orange pad is what I should try to get those light scratches out. Correct?

 

[Accumulator]

I did the car this past weekend just using the glaze #7 and the grey pad. Like you said there was very little difference in the scratches. However the finish has much more shine and depth now as opposed to before...

#7 is a very nice glaze, but glazes are really only a superficial "makeup" type of product. They do a little filling and leave a lot of Meguiar's Trade Secret Oils on the finish. This makes for a decent, if temporary, improvement in the overall appearance, but doesn't really address the problem IMO.

.. let me be sure I understand what your saying. Use #80 and either the LC white or perhaps the orange pad is what I should try to get those light scratches out. Correct?

The #80 (despite it's Speed Glaze name) isn't so much a glaze as a mildly abrasive polish. The abrasives will diminish (if not completely remove) the scratches.



IMO the #80 is so mild that using it with an orange pad isn't a good idea; the orange pad is fairly aggressive and would be better matched to a more abrasive product. I up the product before upping the pad, if you get my meaning.



See how the #80/white works, and don't hesitate to do multiple passes/applications. Generally, I'd advise to a) have reasonable expectations, don't aim for perfection, b) get a feel for how the PC works with mildly abrasive products like the #80, c) consider replacing the ~5-6.5" pads with 4" pads (and a suitably sized backing plate) if you want to do more serious correction as the smaller pads are a whole 'nother ballgame.



#80 is worked until it changes from greenish-brown opaque to nearly clear sorta-translucent. Don't keep going until it's dry. At the sorta-clear point its abrasives have broken down and the remaining product residue can be buffed off. DON'T USE EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF PRODUCT. Think of it as using just enough #80 to keep the pad lubricated. Clean the pad frequently so you don't get caked up #80 residue built up to where it clogs the pores of the pad. #80 is, IMO, a great product to learn with, but it is pretty mild so remember that "realistic expectations" bit

 

[dman533]

Thanks again,

The LC white with the MeG # 80 the next clear weekend in have I'll give it a shot, that tip about when to stop buffing was excellent too. what about the 50/50 isop alcohol and water solution to get the residue off. Does that work with # 80?

Dennis

 

[Accumulator]

.. what about the 50/50 isop alcohol and water solution to get the residue off. Does that work with # 80?

Dennis

It works in the sense that it'll undo any concealing, but I wouldn't do it. Let the #80 conceal some stuff and just top with something that is compatible with it.



The "uncover all concealing!" thing that you read about here isn't always the best approach, at least not for normal people doing normal cars in a normal way



Unless you use too much (or way too little) product, or work it way too long or not long enough (primarily the former), the #80 residue oughta buff off easily.



The stuff it leaves behind looks nice, sorta along the lines of the #7, so just buff the residue off, leave the trade secret oils/etc. on there, and wax over top of them.



NXT 2.0 looks good over #80, I used that on my pal's Jaguar showcar and, while it doesn't have perfectly marring-free paint, it sure looked great (lots of compliments at the show even if it wasn't anything special by Autopian standards).

 

[dman533]

I can't tell you how much I appreciate the information, I'll be ordering the LC white pad and possibly the orange. I'm also going to lookminto the 4 inch pads and backing plate. I'm sure I'll be getting parking lot dings and stone chips from the Parkway traveling I do.

Dennis

 

[Accumulator]

.. I'll be ordering the LC white pad and possibly the orange. I'm also going to lookminto the 4 inch pads and backing plate...

Glad to be of some help.



For use with the orange pad (and just generally when #80 isn't aggressive enough), you might look into their #83. It's not my fave but it's quite popular and the #83-then-#80 is a good way to get a bit more aggressive without overdoing it. That progression is tried-and-true but you *gotta* break the #83 down sufficiently or it'll lead to headaches.



You could always get even more aggressive than that if necessary too

 

[dman533]

I just ordered the pads and the MeGuires #80 I'll be trying the combo out on my next clear weekend.

What about windows, I used Rain-X but it leaves a residue that I found hard to get off any suggestions.

Dennis

 

[Accumulator]

What about windows, I used Rain-X but it leaves a residue that I found hard to get off any suggestions.

Dennis

While some people really like glass treatments, I don't.



I just keep the glass clean with the regular use of window cleaners.



You might try claying the glass, and you can use abrasive polishes on it if necessary; they won't abrade/remove marring on glass (glass is too hard for that) but they will often clean it up. Meguiar's has recommended the use of #4 Medium Cut Cleaner (a pretty harsh product to say the least) for this.