[focusedRS]

Hello friends,

After years of half ass washing my RS, I believe it is time for a paint correction to get the swirls out. I have never detailed a car before, but would like to try and tackle it myself. There is also a 3M clear bar on the front bumper, hood, and side mirrors that I am not sure how to address. I currently have:

• Meguiar's Gold class
• Meguiar's Ultimate Polish
• Meguiar's Ultimate compound
• Meguiar's Ultimate Paste wax
• Meguiar's Iron remover
• Chemical Guy's Heavy duty clay bar and lubricant spray
• 50 pack of MF towels

I assume I would need a DA rotary tool to remove the swirl marks. I was thinking something like this to begin with: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JDK8JV...olid=2HYPRYJYMGVW4&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Although I'm not familiar with the speed settings or requirements of the device to get the desired outcome. I also have no idea what kind of pads I am supposed to buy. Can someone point me in the right direction? I just want to remove swirl marks and get that mirror smooth finish. At some point later down the road once I get the hang out things, I would like to apply ceramic myself as well.

 

[Focus112]

I would recommend the Dual Action polishers from chemical guys. You can get them that comes with the 3 pads necessary as well as different levels of compounds and polishes. I would also definitely do the clay bar first. You can do a lot of damage if you don't know what you are doing, but your car is blue which will make is much easier than say black.

 

[Focus112]

Hello friends,

After years of half ass washing my RS, I believe it is time for a paint correction to get the swirls out. I have never detailed a car before, but would like to try and tackle it myself. There is also a 3M clear bar on the front bumper, hood, and side mirrors that I am not sure how to address. I currently have:

• Meguiar's Gold class
• Meguiar's Ultimate Polish
• Meguiar's Ultimate compound
• Meguiar's Ultimate Paste wax
• Meguiar's Iron remover
• Chemical Guy's Heavy duty clay bar and lubricant spray
• 50 pack of MF towels

I assume I would need a DA rotary tool to remove the swirl marks. I was thinking something like this to begin with: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JDK8JV...olid=2HYPRYJYMGVW4&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Although I'm not familiar with the speed settings or requirements of the device to get the desired outcome. I also have no idea what kind of pads I am supposed to buy. Can someone point me in the right direction? I just want to remove swirl marks and get that mirror smooth finish. At some point later down the road once I get the hang out things, I would like to apply ceramic myself as well.

Id get this:

TORQX Random Orbital Polisher Kit | Chemical Guys

Find professional auto detail supplies for high quality car care like TORQX Random Orbital Polisher Kit at Chemical Guys!

www.chemicalguys.com

 

[nwnerd]

I'm not sure that you can use iron remover on PPF. I would definitely check into that before trying it.

The aggressiveness of the compound and clay would concern me. You always want to start with less aggressive & work toward something more aggressive. Some of the heavy duty clays out there can mar paint pretty badly if you're not careful.

You may also want to do some reading about sealers vs waxes. I discovered Wolfgang's products a few years ago (due to this forum) & I still find it unbelievable how easy it is to use their deep gloss sealant. They've got spray sealants that are even easier to use & last just about as long (usually around 6 months). I won't go back to paste wax, between how much more difficult the on/off process is & how much more often you have to do it.....sealers are the future.

You may want to read up on Autogeekonline, they have lots of good articles on this topic. I've had a Porter Cable for a while, lots of people like the Flex DAs. Also, you'll get better results with the right sized pad matching up with your DA. There's a trend of moving to 5" slim pads for most consumer level DAs.

Great article here on getting started.

There was also a great article that he did called "slim is in" where he talked about why smaller thinner pads work better with these DAs, but I can't find it at the moment.

My own personal list that I work from that are specific to paint correction:

• Porter Cable DA
• Lake Country backing plate and pads
• Nanoskin prep sponges (instead of clay)
• Meguiar's Gold Class wash (can be used in a foam cannon)
• Wolfgang DGP 3.0, Wolfgang Finishing Glaze, Wolfgang TSR 3.0

I haven't felt the need for anything more aggressive than that. I don't use iron remover for the reasons above, I've read that it's not safe on PPF. I usually skip the finishing glaze if I've used the swirl remover, or just use finishing glaze for a light polish if I'm not using the swirl remover. Either way, that step comes prior to applying the DGP sealer. As I said, Wolfgang has a lot of spray sealers that are even easier to use so once I've finished with the DGP that is on my shelf I will probably move to one of those.

Even if you don't use Wolfgang, there are a lot of products out there that are far easier on/off than some of the things on your list & will last a lot longer. JMHO

 

[focusedRS]

Great info thank you. That DA was actually also on my wish list as a potential purchase. I'll read up on the article you posted!

 

[nwnerd]

Couple of other tips that I just thought of:

I tend to like buying my supplies from Autogeek instead of Amazon. You can usually find a 15-20% coupon & by the time you apply it, your order may actually be cheaper than buying from Amazon. And you have a better shot at getting the right stuff.

The other tip is that Harbor Freight carries MF towels & they frequently have a coupon for their 4-pack at .69 per pack - crazy cheap. I have a HF not far from here, & over the winter I stocked up on them very affordably. Just FYI.

 

[focusedRS]

Wow Mike Phillips is actually only 15 minutes away from the parent's house. Might pay the shop a visit in the near future!

 

[GmpaJimj]

Study, read, study more, re-read.
If you don’t you’ll end up wasting a lot of time, and your garage will look like the car care section of Pep Boys.
I...wouldn’t know what that’s like, mind you. (cough cough)

 

[SenderPiggins]

2nd Autogeek. They own half my bank account.

You should buy more pads unless you like running to the sink 4-6 times a panel. Also if you have compressed air it helps since you can blow out the pad, otherwise you'd have to run it dry in a bucket to get the water out. Distorts the foam pads and wrecks the backings.

Iron remover is fine on PPF, at least in my experience. I've used Sonax, IronX, and TriX. I like TriX cuz it works both tars and iron.

I also second using a softer clay bar, at most you want to go medium grade on since the paint is quite soft. The nanoskin I had marred the paint.

I prefer to blow dry instead of towel dry, but just make sure your towels are color coded. You don't want to be using a towel from a previous stage on a newer stage. Of course, this depends on the level of detail you're striving for.

 

[nwnerd]

@SenderPiggins that's good to know on the iron remover & PPF. I've never tried it because I was chicken based on what I'd read. Plus I don't think that I really need it, since my car is a garage queen that rarely sits out in the elements for very long.

And totally agree on having a lot of pads on hand. Another good post by Mike on that topic: LINK

 

[SenderPiggins]

@SenderPiggins that's good to know on the iron remover & PPF. I've never tried it because I was chicken based on what I'd read. Plus I don't think that I really need it, since my car is a garage queen that rarely sits out in the elements for very long.

And totally agree on having a lot of pads on hand. Another good post by Mike on that topic: LINK

I tried it once but only because I was doing a decon on other panels that were about to be wrapped and had some left over. I couldn't care less about my film; once I have the spoiler wrapped I'm not even going to bother washing the car ever. lol

 

[timsemeryuk]

As a second option check out Obsessed Garage in Lady Lake Fl. They've got some good options as well. I really like SONAX Cutmax compound and SONAX Perfect Finish polish, and I've found that on my Shadow Black I can polish it in one step with SONAX PF and Rupes yellow pads.

I'd stay away from rotaries, it's quite easy to burn clear coat off sharp, raised body lines and panel edges with these machines. The Porter Cables are quite nice for personal use, but there is also the option of larger orbit Dual Action machines. These have a longer throw / orbit and the idea is you can correct the paint faster (or more aggressively, if this is what you want to call it) per rotation of the machine because of this larger orbit compared to the smaller orbit Porter Cable and Torqx polishers. The importance of this is up to you, just wanted to point out another option. If you've got the dough, Rupes machines are pretty top notch. If you aren't interested in this, try the Rupes knock - offs like Shine Mate, MaxShine, Griots, Adams polishers. These should be around the same price as a porter cable, but will be a bit more than the CC Torqx.

Regarding pads, IMO Rupes yellow polishing pads for polishing are the best. They're quite versatile, can cut decent, and finish really well. Sounds like what your looking for in this situation is to put a machine to the paint and get a decent, scratch free result in one step - generally called a one step polish. I've always used Rupes yellows for this exact reason as they have a really surprising amount of cut ability for a polishing pad and leave a great smooth finish. Whatever you do, don't get sucked into thinking you need tons of different pads for different levels of cut and finish, you don't. You'll be fine with a compounding pad, a polishing pad, and maybe an ultra polishing pad. If your unsure, and willing, buy a few different branded pads to see which you'll like the most. You're extremely lucky to be in Florida as there are a lot of car care companies down there, so you can probably just walk right up to them and buy everything you need, maybe even get help from some serious pros.

If you don't want to one step and want to take the time to compound the car, the Rupes foam blue compounding pads are great, along with the Blue wool pads. I'd prefer the foam pads as they're a bit smoother feeling, but the wool pads cut a bit more. Follow with the Rupes yellow pads to polish. Don't be afraid to compound, DA's are uber safe on paint. Just don't compound the car once a month and you'll be fine, lol.

Regarding liquids, SONAX Perfect Finish is awesome, smells kinda funky. It's pretty oily, cuts and finishes well, will allow you to one step the car, and wipes off super easy. As far as I know Meguiar's Ultimate compound and polish are based off of their professional M105 and M205 liquids, which at this point are outdated. Not saying they're bad or undesirable, but there's just stuff with more modern abrasive technology on the market that is less fussy and funner to work with. If you're compounding before polish, I'd recommend SONAX CutMax for the same reasons, but tons more cut for correction. If you want something nice smelling, the Rupes DA compound and DA polish are the best smelling liquids I've ever used.

Not sure about the Meg's Iron Remover, but I'm certain you can use CarPro IronX on PPF, as long as it doesn't dry on the car or is used in the sun. even if it dries, just rewash it with your soap and you should be fine. If this step is troubling you feel free to skip it, it isn't as important as claying the car to get all the gunk'd up crap off.

Regarding claying, I'd recommend the Nanoskin Autoscrub fine grade. you don't have to worry about dropping it, folding it, and I've never had marring issues. Any clay lube will work. This is the most important step for paint correction, so just pay attention to the sections you've done, stay methodical and organized, and check your work frequently. The Autoscrub works pretty fast.

With all that said:

Gold Class
Meguiar's Iron Remover / IronX / Opt Ferrex
Nanoskin Autoscrub and whatever Clay Lube
Your machine of choice
Rupes Blue / Yellow pads
SONAX CutMax / Perfect Finish (or Rupes DA compound and polish if smell's important)
MF Towels
Your Wax or Coating of Choice

If your planning on one stepping the car, you probably won't get every defect out and I'd recommend any wax. I use Meguiar's M27. If you want to go in and compound the whole car and polish it to get most defects out, I'd recommend a coating. Don't be afraid of coatings, they're nothing difficult. I'd recommend Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light + Gtechniq Exo V4. Gtechniq CSL pretty much wipes on and off, and Exo follows it after a few hours. Just make sure you read up on proper prep, application, and curing for coatings as it's a bit different than waxing a car.

Make sure you set aside money for maintenance washes to keep the car looking as good as after the wax. Welcome to the obsession, lol.

Good luck!

 

[SenderPiggins]

@timsemeryuk brought up a lot of good points but I have a difference perspective of a couple of them (not saying they're correct, but just my view)

If you used tar and iron remover the claying is just insurance.

The entire point of the clay is to remove contaminants that can catch on the pad and cause additional scratches, and iron and tar remover is MUCH more effective at that task while being easier to use. So my advice is the opposite: if you had to choose clay or chemical decon, I'd go with chemical without a thought. Claying an entire car is also tedious work (nanoskin makes it a bit easier, but there's a downside).

That said if I'm doing a job on paint, I still follow up with medium or light clay just as a precuation. I like nanoskin but it's black and you can't tell if you're actually picking up anything.

But the most important part is you shouldn't polish without decon. You'll end up chasing your tail.

I also don't recommend wax anymore; ceramic coat is the way to go, but if unwilling sealants are the better alternative. Wax tends to catch metal, and every time you run a towel over that you're just picking up deposits with your towel and putting scratches elsewhere. But if you insist on wax, nothing is better than Collinite 845.

For compound and cutting I prefer 3D compounds. Although, I still recommend Meguair's M-labeled products for most people (M105 & M205).

It is also import to not clay your car after a ceramic coat, as that will remove the ceramic coat.

But this from someone who's a little (ok a lot) anal about some (ok a lot) of things.

 

[nwnerd]

@timsemeryuk What do you think about using Gtechniq on wheels? Brake calipers? I've seen it being pimped on Motortrend TV, but it seems to be legit & I've wanted to try it. But what I'd really like is something that would make the wheels easier to clean up & maybe even repel some of the brake dust. Thoughts?

 

[JamoRS]

@timsemeryuk What do you think about using Gtechniq on wheels? Brake calipers? I've seen it being pimped on Motortrend TV, but it seems to be legit & I've wanted to try it. But what I'd really like is something that would make the wheels easier to clean up & maybe even repel some of the brake dust. Thoughts?

Just been through this ordeal.
I put new pads in mine last week, got rid of the horrible, dusty, factory pads.
While doing this, I cleaned and coated all of my calipers and inside and out of all the wheels, will be bedding the pads in this afternoon so will report back on the dust situation.
I used Mothers CMX and put 2 coats on everything.

 

[SenderPiggins]

@timsemeryuk What do you think about using Gtechniq on wheels? Brake calipers? I've seen it being pimped on Motortrend TV, but it seems to be legit & I've wanted to try it. But what I'd really like is something that would make the wheels easier to clean up & maybe even repel some of the brake dust. Thoughts?

There are (supposedly) slightly different formulations for different applications. CarPro sells a DLux that's for wheels and trims but I couldn't tell you what's actually different.

There IS however a difference between the DIY coatings and the commercial coatings. Those are baked on with IR lamps and last much longer under harsher conditions.

That said, I think it's still worth coating wheels if you care about it. The thing with ceramic coatings is they prevent brake dust from embedding in your paint in the first place, so should be easily rinsed off. a bottle of DLUX is like 30 buck and you could probably do 4-5 applications so might as well get one and try it.

 

[Zackp14]

Funny that this thread comes up! about a month ago a friend and I did full paint correction and ceramic coat on the RS. Holy **** was that a lot of work and time. I now understand why shops charge so much to do this kind of work. In total it was about 9 hours of wash and correction with 2 of us consistently working, non stop. In total it was probably around 14 hours of work. Here's exactly what we did/used.

3D One Hybrid cutting/polishing/finishing compound.
Chemical Guys - V32 (For real deep scratches in some parts)
Hex Logic - Orange Cutting Pads
Hex Logic - Black Finishing Pads
Torq X Random Orbital Polisher
Gtechniq - Panel Wipe (To clear any previous waxes/residues)
Gtechniq - Crystal Serum Light (For all body panels & plastics)
Gtechniq - EXO v3 (For gloss and water/dirt repellency on top of the CSL Ceramic)
Gtechniq - Crystal Serum Ultra (For wheels and brake calipers. Must be accredited to buy this one)

Of course the prep process before even starting to correct was like 3 washes with Chemical Guys' Mr. Pink Soap to strip any waxes that I had on the car. We also did full clay bar and iron remover between each wash