just bought a cyclo curious on pad/polish? i did search

[Mrnewgui]

yes i didnt search and i ended up finding tons of people with diffrent cars colors and years and different applications. so my question is what polish should i use? i am leaning on the optimum polish with a yellow pad. i have minor swirl marks and minor scratches so its not like i need anything too aggressive. the car is a 2005 subaru.

thank you for any help!

i heard about you guys through the vw forums!

 

[Mrnewgui]

oh yeah! i will be topping with the klasse twins and P21s! forgot sorry!

 

[carlsson]

In my limited (3 months) experience with the Cyclo and for a short while with Optimum polish, I found that the OP didn't do much in the way of correction of moderate swirling. With any of the pads. I've got all of the Double Precisions, except wool. To be fair, I never tried the Optimum Compounds though, so I'll not diss the Optimum polish line. I use the ONR and love it.



I've since moved on to try Meguiars #95, #83, #80, and Menzerna FPII, and found that they work pretty well, again in my limited experience. There's so many products/brands out there, it borders on the absurd. The Cyclo does seem very friendly, in that I think it would be very difficult to do much damage in any way, while you're learning.

 

[Accumulator]

Mrnewgui- Long-time Cyclo user here (over 20 years).



If you use the yellow cutting pads or the orange compounding pads, be sure to follow up with the green (or blue or white) pads. The yellow/orange don't leave all *that* great a finish no matter what product you use with them.



I always do best by fixing the marring, getting things seemingly perfect, and then doing some final burnishing with the white pads and a very mild polish. Yeah, it really does make a difference



The Cyclo isn't all *that* fussy about products, but it does *NOT* work well with KAIO, it flashes that product too fast resulting in a very tenacious residue. Also, I'd never use it to apply KSG, it'd result in far too thick an application.



I dunno which products I'd recommend as my favorites via Cyclo for correction like your Subie (and for use before Klasse) were discontinued a while back and are now hard to find (3M PI-III RC 05933 and PI-III MG 05937). The 1Z High Gloss, which I *DO* really like via Cyclo is probably too mild for what you're doing, but it might do the job :think: I'd probably lean towards something like Hi-Temp Heavy Cut (much milder than it sounds) followed by the 1Z High Gloss.



Oh, and I sure wouldn't top the KSG with any wax until you get at least four (better yet, six) layers of KSG on there. But then I've quit topping KSG with wax altogether as I like to just keep adding KSG as needed. I used KSG on my last Subie ('02 WRX) and it worked out great, even used it on the black plastic trim.

 

[efnfast]

I've had really good luck with



orange Meguiar's 83

green Meguiar's 83

then wax



and also now



orange (or green) SIP

white OPM

then wax

 

[dsms]

Look into Gloss It polishes for the cyclo. So far with my cyclo gloss it has been able to achieve great correction. The polishes are very easy to work with!

 

[Mrnewgui]

Look into Gloss It polishes for the cyclo. So far with my cyclo gloss it has been able to achieve great correction. The polishes are very easy to work with!

i have heard good things about gloss-it. curious what ones i would need for minor correction. send me a PM with somemore info! thanks!

brady

 

[Mrnewgui]

i think i will just get the kit from gloss-it. do i use the mico-fiber pads for buffing? curious what all i should tape off? everything? please help me im relativly new at this

 

[imported_themightytimmah]

I'd go with 1Z's Ceramiclear line (black bottles). Most of the polishes I've tried via Cyclo have produced less than perfect results (106ff, Presta, Ultrafina come to mind). Last time I broke out the Cyclo I ended up using Klasse AIO on green pads with pressure to remove light marring.

 

[Accumulator]

I'd go with 1Z's Ceramiclear line (black bottles).

Those work well for me via Cyclo, but there's a limit to what the 1Z Pasta Intensiv can correct with foam pads. I think it'd work better with the wool pads that Cyclo sells (made by Edge/Presta) but it'd also then require a follow-up with the green foam.

Last time I broke out the Cyclo I ended up using Klasse AIO on green pads with pressure to remove light marring.

Heh heh, see...I no sooner say not to try that than somebody else says how it worked fine for them

I've had really good luck with



orange Meguiar's 83

green Meguiar's 83

then wax

That's another interesting example of something that works for somebody! I always find a final polish with milder pads adds a lot after using the green ones, and #83 never finishes out all that nicely for me.

 

[Accumulator]

i think i will just get the kit from gloss-it. do i use the mico-fiber pads for buffing? curious what all i should tape off? everything? please help me im relativly new at this

Tape off anything you don't want to get polish on. For me, that's usually just the clear anodized trim on Audis, but if the polish you're using stains trim you might oughta tape that off too.



I've used MF bonnets to remove LSP residue, but they can load up fast if you use a bit too much product. Buff off the polish residue before it's completely dry (I'd do that by hand with a soft, plush MF towel).

 

[Mrnewgui]

ok so it has been a long time but i have ordered my products i went with the kit from gloss-it. i got the evo cut evo polish and the extreme cut. i also bought the double sided pads green/white and yellow/orange. just had some questions. i am going to use the yellow pad with evo cut and see if i get the results i want after using alcohol/water wipe down. but then my questions are do i need to follow up with evo polish with a white pad? and then the klasse? i guess im just kind of confused on all the steps? thanks for all your help! i will post pics after i do it. planing on april 20th i have a 3 day weekend!!

 

[Accumulator]

ok so it has been a long time but i have ordered my products i went with the kit from gloss-it. i got the evo cut evo polish and the extreme cut. i also bought the double sided pads green/white and yellow/orange. just had some questions. i am going to use the yellow pad with evo cut and see if i get the results i want after using alcohol/water wipe down....

Noting that I've never used the Gloss-It stuff, I don't know if I'd try the yellow pad first :think:

but then my questions are do i need to follow up with evo polish with a white pad?

Or maybe the green and *then* the white. I would *NEVER* expect the orange, let alone the yellow, pads to leave a ready-to-wax finish and even the green ones usually leave a finish that could still be improved upon (although we did get by OK with the green when those were all you could get). Yeah, that's just a rehash of what I posted previously but you still seem inclined to expect the yellow pads will leave a ready-to-wax finish and that's simply unrealistic. Even on the hardest clear, orange/yellow pads simply don't leave that nice a finish; it might look OK to some people, but once you've refined it with something more gentle it'll look a whole lot better.

..and then the klasse? i guess im just kind of confused on all the steps?

I suggest you do your best to figure everything out before you try it. Have clear expectations so you'll realize if/when something is/isn't working right.



You'll need at least one milder combo follow-up after whatever combo you use for the aggressive correction. (OK OK that's the last time I'll say that.)



Aggressive combo then milder combo. Then maybe an *even milder* combo. (OK, that really *is* the last time...) Then the KAIO. Then the KSG. I wouldn't do the Klasse via machine but then again themightytimmah said it worked OK for him (if it does *NOT* work OK for you, well, told ya so ).



Don't switch to the KAIO until the finish is as close to perfect as you want it.



I'd be hesitant to top the KSG until you get plenty of layers on there, and FWIW I don't top it at all as I'd rather just add more from time to time.

 

[Mrnewgui]

hey thanks for your help yes i have heard BAD storys using the cyclo for klasse..figured i would top klasse twins with p21s. thought i would do it all by hand...so what do you think i should try a yellow first? i dont have any real deep scratches just a few swirls...i will follow up with green then white...thanks again for all your help!

 

[Accumulator]

..figured i would top klasse twins with p21s...

Eh..I still think

I'd be hesitant to top the KSG until you get plenty of layers on there, and FWIW I don't top it at all as I'd rather just add more from time to time.

..so what do you think i should try a yellow first? i dont have any real deep scratches just a few swirls...

I'd try the orange first with your most aggressive product.

 

[autoconcierge]

For a guy just starting out, the one product you will have real results with in the Gloss-it range will be the one step polish. You will be able to use this one product with all the pads in the kit and have protection as on step has gloss finish in the product, for more serious marring use the orange pads and move down the list to the finer grade pads.



You will be able to do some pretty amazing stuff with the Cyclo without the risk you will incur with rotary correction until you make the jump to the next step, and you can still top with P21S if you desire.

 

[Mrnewgui]

just to clarify the steps...

thorough wash with dawn

clay

rinse again to get all the detailed off

polish with the combo that gets the best results

wipe with 50/50

polish again with a milder combo

wipe with 50/50

polish again with a milder combo if necessary

wipe with 50/50

rinse again

KLASSE AIO

wait 8 hours i think?

KLASSE SG

wait 8 hours

ANOTHER SG

wait 8 hours

top it with some P21s

stand back and droolllll

please correct me if i am missing anything!? thanks again for all your guys help! ill have to take lots of pics!

 

[Accumulator]

Mrnewgui- I wouldn't bother doing the IPA wipe before the KAIO as that'll clean things up by itself and there shouldn't be any marring left to be hidden by the time you switch to your milder polish.



No need to wait between AIO and SG, just go right from AIO to the SG.



I'd want more layers of SG on there than that, but that's just me. Make sure you want to top it before you apply that wax

 

[Mrnewgui]

Mrnewgui- I wouldn't bother doing the IPA wipe before the KAIO as that'll clean things up by itself and there shouldn't be any marring left to be hidden by the time you switch to your milder polish.



No need to wait between AIO and SG, just go right from AIO to the SG.



I'd want more layers of SG on there than that, but that's just me. Make sure you want to top it before you apply that wax

okay good that will save me some time! i was planing on maybe 4 or 5 coats of SG? can i buff that off with the white pads? or should i just use a microfiber? i have also heard different story's about leaving it on and waiting for it to dry or wiping it off right away similar to tha AIO..i do know that less is always better with the SG but its always a little tuff to get off!

thanks again!

 

[Accumulator]

okay good that will save me some time! i was planing on maybe 4 or 5 coats of SG?

More is better IMO. I doubt you'll see any appearance improvements after 4 but the more you do the longer it'll last.

can i buff that off with the white pads? or should i just use a microfiber?

I'd use MF. I've experimented with LSP buffing via foam pads but I think MF is better.

i have also heard different story's about leaving it on and waiting for it to dry or wiping it off right away similar to tha AIO..i do know that less is always better with the SG but its always a little tuff to get off!

I do it both ways- I W-O-W-O when applying to plastic trim and I let it sit when applying to paint/chrome/etc. IMO the longer it sits the easier it buffs off (I've experimented with as long as 3 days).