You would think that with all the time I spend around washes my van would look real nice. The problem is I take it through a lot of automatic washes testing them after I fix them. My surface (well the van's, not mine) now has that fine marking when you see it at an angle, and generally looks dull. What is a relativelt simple two step process to clean it, and then put on a kick butt shine? I'm looking for something I can get locally. I do have a single speed buffer but am not well versed in actually using it. Not looking to start a detailing business or end up with a show car, just a nice shiny one.Thanks in advance.
OK, I know I should know this....
- Thread starter mac
- Start date
soapy
Senior Member
Most automotive paint supply stores will carry polishing compounds for paints. 3m is a very common brand. FOr a show quality shine you would buff the paint in at least 3 stages using finer and finer compounds with different foam pads. For what you are looking for I would get the finest compound of polish and use a finishing foam pad to initially buff the paint.This will take out most of the fine scratches but not all of the deeper ones. It will also remove very little paint and be pretty safe for an inexperienced buffer. The paint will look great but won't have protection until you wax it.
smokun
Consultant - Rainmaker
Another one-word option: BARTER
Surely you're exposed to many operations that offer express waxing. Simply trade a proportionate share of your services... for theirs.
Plan on doing so every month for a while, and then... every other month. Your vehicle will look fine... and so will your bottom line.
Or, if you insist on doing it yourself, use a quick single-step polish & cleaner wax. Use an orbital or by hand. (If you want to use a buffer, invest in what I feel is the greatest tool in the past decade: FLEX 3401 dual-action variable-speed buffer that eliminates the need for a high-speed rotary
). No, you won't be ready for a Concours d' Elegance... but you will gain back the image you seek.
You can tweak the vehicle's appearance with a spray & shine (Meguiar's Final Inspection or like versions) just like the guys at the car shows.
Surely you're exposed to many operations that offer express waxing. Simply trade a proportionate share of your services... for theirs.
Plan on doing so every month for a while, and then... every other month. Your vehicle will look fine... and so will your bottom line.
Or, if you insist on doing it yourself, use a quick single-step polish & cleaner wax. Use an orbital or by hand. (If you want to use a buffer, invest in what I feel is the greatest tool in the past decade: FLEX 3401 dual-action variable-speed buffer that eliminates the need for a high-speed rotary
). No, you won't be ready for a Concours d' Elegance... but you will gain back the image you seek.You can tweak the vehicle's appearance with a spray & shine (Meguiar's Final Inspection or like versions) just like the guys at the car shows.
pcb
Leprechaun Car Wash
If you want great easy results look at the Meguire's microfiber DA system. The results are fantastic for the time and effort. If you have a DA polisher it's a piece of cake.
MEP001
Well-known member
I wish they still sold the Rain-X liquid hand wax. I bought a car that was pretty badly scratched up from nylon filament rollovers, and one good hand waxing completely removed them. Aside from nicks and blemishes it looked like a new paint job. If all it did was fill and hide the scratches, it's lasted a good five years because I haven't waxed it since and it still looks great.
I used the "Color Match" wax on a black company truck that looked like it had been washed with an SOS pad, and it did an amazing job of removing the scratches. The color match part is a joke - it doesn't fill and hide deep scratches like they show on TV, it's just for people too lazy to clean it out of crevices because it dries similar to the color of the paint rather than chalky white.
I used the "Color Match" wax on a black company truck that looked like it had been washed with an SOS pad, and it did an amazing job of removing the scratches. The color match part is a joke - it doesn't fill and hide deep scratches like they show on TV, it's just for people too lazy to clean it out of crevices because it dries similar to the color of the paint rather than chalky white.
Mep you did not remove any scratches, what you did is remove left over residue from bristle machines that had too little lubrication during the wash cycle. The nylon bristle will slough off onto the paint if not used with a good lubricating soap. There is no miracle wax that will remove scratches with a hand wax.
WOW, I wonder why Ecolab/ Blue Coral did not take advantage of this fantastic product. It would make all other waxes and polishes obsolete. Imagine never having to use a buffer again. All this accomplished by just a simple hand application. Sounds almost too good to be true. What is that old saying about something being too good to be true?
Some times what appears to be scratches from filament brushes are really marks made on the finish we used to call "brush blush" years ago. This is caused by not lubricating the brushes with a good soap. While they may look like fine scratches they are not - they are marks. If that is the case a good hand wax would remove them.
The fact that they are on the mirrors and glass as well only reinforces the point that they were not scratches. Automotive glass is far harder to scratch than paint and I don't think that any carwash filament, cloth, bristle or foam could scratch it.
To repeat what has already been said, poorly lubricated nylon will leave residue on the car that has the appearance of fine scratches.
....continuing the thread hijack .... PCB, you mentioned the microfiber pad system from Meguiars. Does it really do a better/faster job than the foam pads? How does the durability of the pads compare to the foam? I am thinking about giving it a try.
Steve mentioned the Flex 3401. I agree, it is a very versatile tool, definately worth having in a detailers arsenal. Not something you want to purchase for a do it yourself job but very valuable as a pro's tool.
To repeat what has already been said, poorly lubricated nylon will leave residue on the car that has the appearance of fine scratches.
....continuing the thread hijack .... PCB, you mentioned the microfiber pad system from Meguiars. Does it really do a better/faster job than the foam pads? How does the durability of the pads compare to the foam? I am thinking about giving it a try.
Steve mentioned the Flex 3401. I agree, it is a very versatile tool, definately worth having in a detailers arsenal. Not something you want to purchase for a do it yourself job but very valuable as a pro's tool.
pcb
Leprechaun Car Wash
The pads seem to be holding up well. I haven't had any problem with the pads breaking down prematurely. The only time you might have a problem is with the Flex 3401. Jason Rose of Meguire's recommends to use the finishing pad with the Flex to cut down on the grabbing.
Just a little background, Jason Rose wanted a system that would provide the closest possible results to a rotary with a DA polisher and speed up the process. The cutting pad along with the compound is a fairly fast cutting system, but the key is you can't mess it up. You will achieve results close to that of a rotary, but you can train alot more people to use a DA than you can a rotary. It's not for perfection detailing, but for daily drivers it is hard to beat in my opinion. Also, after the cutting step you will notice that the paint finish will have most defects removed and will take very little time on the finishing step. The second polishing pad and product is a very very light polish with the sealer wax in it. You really just need to lay it down on the surface. You don't have to go over the same section very long. Once you put the second product down, let it haze and remove it and your done with the car. It also wipes off very easily even if you don't wait for it to haze.
The biggest thing is you don't have to mask off all the trim. It's very low dusting, if any at all, so that helps big time. Just a key, when using the first step, work it slow and overlap your passes by 50% and go over it a few times. After you are done with one section use an air blower to spin the pad and fluff up the fibers. You can then go over the section with the pad just like it is and it will bring up a little more shine. When using the pad for the first time be sure to put enough product on it to prime it good. You won't get good results if you don't prime the pad enough. After priming the pad, a few drops will take care of the next section. Sorry for the rambling and I hope this helps. I think you will be pleased with the ease of use and results of the system.
Just a little background, Jason Rose wanted a system that would provide the closest possible results to a rotary with a DA polisher and speed up the process. The cutting pad along with the compound is a fairly fast cutting system, but the key is you can't mess it up. You will achieve results close to that of a rotary, but you can train alot more people to use a DA than you can a rotary. It's not for perfection detailing, but for daily drivers it is hard to beat in my opinion. Also, after the cutting step you will notice that the paint finish will have most defects removed and will take very little time on the finishing step. The second polishing pad and product is a very very light polish with the sealer wax in it. You really just need to lay it down on the surface. You don't have to go over the same section very long. Once you put the second product down, let it haze and remove it and your done with the car. It also wipes off very easily even if you don't wait for it to haze.
The biggest thing is you don't have to mask off all the trim. It's very low dusting, if any at all, so that helps big time. Just a key, when using the first step, work it slow and overlap your passes by 50% and go over it a few times. After you are done with one section use an air blower to spin the pad and fluff up the fibers. You can then go over the section with the pad just like it is and it will bring up a little more shine. When using the pad for the first time be sure to put enough product on it to prime it good. You won't get good results if you don't prime the pad enough. After priming the pad, a few drops will take care of the next section. Sorry for the rambling and I hope this helps. I think you will be pleased with the ease of use and results of the system.
MEP001
Well-known member
Believe me, I know what that looks like. I've been in this industry almost 30 years. These scratches don't cover the mirrors and windows, they're only on the center of the mirror glass and on the side windows near the mirror where the filament is whipped around with greater speed. I also had someone drop off a box for me who thought I said to set it on my truck when I said to set it beside it - she set it on the hood and slid it across. Maybe the wax didn't actually remove those scratches either, but it did enough to make them invisible to the naked eye.rph9168 said:
I know that to be true, and I've argued the same point myself more than once. I don't think the filaments themselves made the marks, I'm sure grit did.DavidM said:
I never said they were deep or severe scratches, nor did I ever try to claim that it wasn't still a lot of work to do it by hand.norton said:
Kevin James
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Geezz MEP why be so argumentative? Give it a rest for cry’n out loud. No one cares if you’ve got scratches in your paint or your glass. I learned many years ago to never take any of my vehicles to a car wash so I won’t have paint or glass damage to deal with.
This is the detail section right? 3 detailers explained the filament problem but what would they know. Mep has to be right even though he does not have a detail shop or do it on a daily basis. I just hope Mac is able to get his vehicle polished in the shape he wants. Look forward to hearing from Mac.
Well the best laid plans of mice and men soon go asunder. Was all set to do my van over the weekend when the AC went out on the way home. So my choice was to have a nice shiny van with no AC and temps in the 90s, or take it to the shop and shine it next week. Will post before and after pictures then. You detailers ahve beengreat with your tipd on how a relative novice should do this. My local detailers were much less forthcoming with advice.
Waxman
Super Moderator
I recently started applying Mothers (non cleaner) paste using an air-powered random orbital polisher and a 6" black foam waffle pad. The results are stunningly awesome and fantastic. For a car you don't wish to buff with a rotary machine, try my method. Doesn't remove scratches but creates a deep shine and lasting protection.
Forget all the advise above and take the car to a professional detailer and let him fix it for you.
That is the best advise you can get. Don't try to do it yourself you will just screw it up using the wrong tool, pad and chemical. Plus not having the expertise to use any of these elements.
As they say, " you get what you pay for....."
Just some well intentioned thoughts on the subject.
Bud Abraham
That is the best advise you can get. Don't try to do it yourself you will just screw it up using the wrong tool, pad and chemical. Plus not having the expertise to use any of these elements.
As they say, " you get what you pay for....."
Just some well intentioned thoughts on the subject.
Bud Abraham