New here... which polish(es) to use?

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fivepointoh

New member
I've been reading the articles and forums here for some time now but am still undecided on which polishes to use with the 7424 I just bought. I'm leaning towords Meguiars' products since they're pretty inexpensive and available locally, plus they've worked well for me in the past.



My own car & a couple friends cars I'll be doing have some fine swirl marks and oxidation, pretty typical of older paint that has been rarely (if ever) polished correctly. I was thinking I'd go with #83 DACP as a first step, as I've seen some good results with it online. I thought my white paint was in pretty good shape until I was wetsanding around a touch up and the area came out several shades brighter.



I can't decide what polish to use after DACP, though. # 80 Speed Glaze, #9 Swirl Remover, #82 Swirl Free Polish? I don't really understand the differences between these products I guess. I would be using it as my first step in future detailings, as well as the first step on newer vehicles. Something that I can top with wax without using a separate glaze would definately be preferred.



Sorry if this is a repost or a bit of a noob question, I just haven't been able to find a clear explination of which product would be preferred for my application. :xyxthumbs
 
fivepointoh- Welcome to Autopia!



I'm not a huge fan of the Meg's polishes, but I'll try to explain a little about the ones you asked about.



You're right about needing a follow-up product after #83, at least in most cases. I'd pick the #80 as a) it has enough cut to do the job but isn't *too* strong, and b) it's very handy to have on its own for less severe marring.



The #80 sounds like just what you're looking for. It leaves "trade secret oils" and fresh-paint-safe polymers behind, eliminating the need for a separate glaze step. It has a good form of abrasive, one that will remove minor marring but polishes down to a ready-to-wax finish at least 99.99% of the time.



The #9 and #81 are milder, often *too* mild unless you're using them by rotary. The #81 is the stronger of the two and its abrasives are more geared towards clearcoats (not that most people would notice any difference). But IMO both are inferior for most people, most of the time, compared to the #80.



FWIW (and just my unsolicited $0.02), the #83 can be a bit tricky for people to get good, consistent results with, at least without some experience with the product. I myself prefer 3M's PI-III RC (pn 05933), which was recently replaced (with Perfect-It-3000 rubbing compound) but is still commonly available. I use this for almost every detail that involves any significant marring. It's very user friendly and much milder than it sounds. Just something to consider before you get the #83.
 
Thanks a lot for the advice, it sounds like #80 would be ideal.



What don't you like about the Meguiars products?



I'll have to look into the Perfect It... I'm not totally stuck on Meguiars, just trying not to spend too much money on expendable products at the moment. Anything that's easy to use with the PC would definately be preferred, though. Are there signifigantly better choices in the same price range?
 
I find variable results with #83 not because it is a poor product but seems more related to its use with a PC. #80 is a good and easy to use product although I might be tempted to use something like Klasse AIO as well.
 
Maybe I should broaden my search a bit... it sounds like #83 might take some time for me to master?



After more reading up I also noticed that certain products are advised not to be used in sunlight. This is kind of an issue for me since I don't always have much in the way of a shaded area to work in.



Are the Meg's #80, 3M Perfect-It-3000, and AIO suitable for use under sunlight, or should I be looking elsewhere? Keeping in mind something easy for a new user and relatively inexpensive?



BTW, if it makes any difference at all I will probably be using a selection of Propel pads, and finishing with Meg's #26, at least until I finish off the bottle.



So many choices... Thanks for all the advice. :)
 
fivepointoh- I just find other brands of polishes easier to use. There are some (like the PI-III stuff and 1Z) that I can recommend to newbies and *know* that they'll get good results right off the bat. I don't have that confidence about the Meguiar's stuff. The #80 *is* an exception, however. It's pretty easy to use and most people get good results with it.



I can't really help with matters of pricing and use in sunlight, but IIRC the SSR line of polishes from PoorBoys are OK to use in (reasonable) sunlight.
 
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