Need some advice choosing a polish

W

w.neurauter

New member
Hi Everyone,



A month or so ago I ordered some ZPC for my 03 black mustang. I've tried every possible tip from this site and am just not happy with how it finishes out. I've got the haze that everyone talks about with it, although the paint feels great to the touch.



So I was thinking of either going with Menzerna IP for the moderate swirls and then FP for the rest of the car. The other product I'm interested in is the Optimum compound and polish. I've never read a bad thing about either product so I was hoping you guys could give some advice on what might work best for my specific application. I've just got some light swirls and marring for the most part, some spots cold be considered moderate.



I like the long working time of the optimum stuff that I've read about but I've also read that nothing finishes out on black like menzerna. I'll be using an orbital with a blue 6.5" LC finishing pad and orange pad if necessary.



Thanks in advance for your help
 
w.neurauter said:
Hi Everyone,



A month or so ago I ordered some ZPC for my 03 black mustang. I've tried every possible tip from this site and am just not happy with how it finishes out. I've got the haze that everyone talks about with it, although the paint feels great to the touch.



So I was thinking of either going with Menzerna IP for the moderate swirls and then FP for the rest of the car. The other product I'm interested in is the Optimum compound and polish. I've never read a bad thing about either product so I was hoping you guys could give some advice on what might work best for my specific application. I've just got some light swirls and marring for the most part, some spots cold be considered moderate.



I like the long working time of the optimum stuff that I've read about but I've also read that nothing finishes out on black like menzerna. I'll be using an orbital with a blue 6.5" LC finishing pad and orange pad if necessary.



Thanks in advance for your help
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I use Optimum polishes most of the time. I would suggest that, if you are going this route, to get the Hyper Compound and the Polish.



The Hyper Compound has more bite than the OC, but still finishes down very well. OP for the final finishing.



I have never tried the Menzerna polishes, but the are considered hard to beat around here.
 
Hi,



Thanks for the reply. I agree with getting all three, the hyper, compound, and polish. Anyone else have experience with both menzerna and optimum with a recommendation? I'll probably try to get an order in this weekend.



Thanks
 
I don't know how your paint compares to mine on a recent Audi, I would guess that my clear is harder than yours. However, I do have experience with optimum and menzerna and found that the optimum compound left a LOT of haze on my white car. The compound and polish also worked extraordinarily slowly for me. I just got menzerna SIP and 106FF, and the SIP worked very quickly for me and finished down worlds better than the optimum compound did, LSP ready for me. At $30 for the SIP with a nice pad I don't think you can go wrong... On black you may want a finishing polish, but I don't have enough experience with that to give advice. Word on the forums is that 106FF can't be beat, but it is expensive.
 
dshreter said:
I don't know how your paint compares to mine on a recent Audi, I would guess that my clear is harder than yours. However, I do have experience with optimum and menzerna and found that the optimum compound left a LOT of haze on my white car. The compound and polish also worked extraordinarily slowly for me. I just got menzerna SIP and 106FF, and the SIP worked very quickly for me and finished down worlds better than the optimum compound did, LSP ready for me. At $30 for the SIP with a nice pad I don't think you can go wrong... On black you may want a finishing polish, but I don't have enough experience with that to give advice. Word on the forums is that 106FF can't be beat, but it is expensive.
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What he said. :)



Use a 4" orange LC pad with the SIP, then a green LC pad for the 106ff. You should get very good results.
 
On black finishes I alway follow ZPC with Menzerna FP or ZAIO using a finishing pad. Too increase the working time of ZPC one can just spritz the pad with a neutral QD (Z6 or Meg's Final Inspection).



Hope this helps.
 
bjackson8 said:
I use Optimum polishes most of the time. I would suggest that, if you are going this route, to get the Hyper Compound and the Polish.



here.
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I would suggest getting the Menzerna nano polish (it's for ceramic clear coats but can be used on standard coats, too). It cuts really well (since it's designed for super hard paints) but is also very fine (so it polishes up very nicely w/out haze) and you can therefore achieve different results using different pads w/out having to buy multiple products. I don't think anyone will claim that you can go wrong w/ Menzerna polishes.
 
That's great advice, thank you all for the replies. So maybe instead of going with the 3 optimum polishes I'll go with Menzerna SIP and FP. I assume the SIP falls in between Hyper compound and the regular optimum compound but finishes down nicer?



Thanks again
 
If you're going w/ 2 then do the SIP and 106FF (it finishes up nicer than FP). Whether it's worth the extra cash for the 106FF over FP for that slight advantage is another question.
 
w.neurauter said:
That's great advice, thank you all for the replies. So maybe instead of going with the 3 optimum polishes I'll go with Menzerna SIP and FP. I assume the SIP falls in between Hyper compound and the regular optimum compound but finishes down nicer?



Thanks again
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You got the SIP part right, but you may want to consider the PO106FF (AutoGeek calls it "Nano 106ff" or some such) instead of the Final Polish. It's more expensive and worth every penny.
 
So are you guys using SIP for major repairs or for regular compounding? After reading its description it seems like it is pretty abrasive and might be overkill for what I need. I guess it's still a good idea to have some around though. Just wondering what type of correction most of you use the SIP for. Thanks
 
I know the description of it makes it sound pretty harsh, but SIP is actually pretty mild stuff. It's not nearly as aggressive as Power Gloss. I'd describe it as a "medium polish with good correction abilities that finishes down to near final polish quality". When used with a PC, it's even milder.
 
That makes more sense and now I see why so many of you use it. So going with the 10ff and SIP is worth the price difference from going with the optimum line? I know it only ends up being $35 difference but I've spent so much on stuff already every additional purchase hurts that much more. Above and beyond I want the job to turn out right both on my car and any cars I do in the future so if you say so I'll get the menzerna. Sorry to be such a pain, I'm sure you all know how I feel about the slippery slope of spending on this stuff.
 
No worries, man, I feel your pain... I've spent a bit of money on detailing supplies lately, too. :)



Optimum is great stuff. I have their entire polish line. But with a PC, you'll get better results using polishes that are meant for very hard clear coats even if you're not using them on a really hard clear coat.



Post up some pictures when you're done!
 
Sounds good thanks. I'm actually going to be using a rotary. I have a pc but not the patience for it when the rotary is so much faster. I'm still thinking the SIP and 106ff is the way to go. I'll just use a less aggressive pad with it.

Thanks again, I'll be sure to post pics once I can finally get this right.
 
Nothing finishes better than ZPC in my opinion, but I use rotary and maybe that makes a difference. Many products finish as good as ZPC, but it is as good as any finishing polishes out there. Very similar to FPII except it doesn't have the oils so it doesn't work as long. But then again many people also prefer other stuff then menzerna with a pc too. Maybe products with a lot of oils are better to use with a PC?
 
i'm actually using a rotary, not a pc. It's not leaving marring or holograms, just the cloudiness that others have described when using it as well. I know that z-5 is supposed to take it out but I'd rather not rely on a sealant to fix any haziness.
 
SuperBee364 said:
What he said. :)



Use a 4" orange LC pad with the SIP, then a green LC pad for the 106ff. You should get very good results.
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Hello again Superbee! I just order my 106ff and can't wait to try it! I had a question: Have you ever gone straight to the Vintage after 106ff? Or do I need to use the HD Cleanse first?
 
So just to tripple check before I order anything. Now that we know I'm using a rotary and not a pc does the same hold true for the SIP and 106ff being that much better than the optimum stuff? I'm having a tough time wrapping my head around $50 for 32oz of polish. I do tust you however and if you say it's worth it I'll give it a shot.

Thanks
 
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