As for the Meg's DC system, it is always nice to see what Meguiar's has to say about their products...
Step 1 - DC Paint Cleaner -
â€Â¦non-abrasive paint cleaner
. That would make this product similar in function to Klasseâ€â„¢s AIO and Poorboyâ€â„¢s Pro Polish. Not exactly the same in performance, but similar in function.
It safely removes road grime, surface contamination, light oxidation, swirls and light scratches to restore damaged and dull finishes.
I will disagree that a non-abrasive product will remove swirls and light scratches. I also have never used it to remove oxidation (even light) so I canâ€â„¢t address that.
Deep Crystal System Paint Cleaner prepares all paint finishes for polishing and waxing.
Step 2 - DC Polish -
â€Â¦pure polish specially formulated for dark colored cars. The formula creates a dazzling, high gloss finish by conditioning and nourishing the paint, making dark colors darker and reflections deeper and more clear. It is that extra step necessary to create the ultimate, wet-look show car shine.
Just last year, I reacquainted myself with the DC system steps 1 and 2 since they had been sitting neglected on a lower shelf. For OTC products they perform quite well. The Step 2 Polish in particular leaves a well prepped surface with a very glossy appearance.
In comparing the Step 2 Polish to #80 and #9, as it has already been mentioned, #80 has diminishing abrasives. In fact, I found those abrasives to be a bit less aggressive than Meguiarâ€â„¢s abrasive chart would imply. As Meguiarâ€â„¢s described, I found the DC Polish to have minimal (if any) abrasive nature. The #9 product has been a disappointment for me. Now given the choice to use #9 or the DC Polish, I would reach for the consumer product every time. If I had to choose one of the three products, I would probably choose the #80 as it will provide the ability to remove more defects than either of the other two, and it finishes out quite nicely as far as gloss.
I have never used ScratchX, but again referring (and deferring) to Meguiarâ€â„¢s product description and claimsâ€Â¦
ScratchX
Guaranteed to be the most effective way to remove fine scratches and swirls from automotive paint by hand, ScratchX removes light surface contaminants, oxidation, and blemishes while it enhances paint color and clarity. ScratchX is not a âہ“cover upâ€Â� and will not cause additional scratches to your paint surface.
EDIT Oops, I'm a bit slow on my response.