Meg's 5 stp Paint care cycle- Question

[StageaGirl]

Hi all,

I have a black paint job similar to the BMW in the 5 Step Cycle thread.

What I need to know is after step 2 (cleaning/preparing) do I wash the car again? or go straight on to step 3??

I intend on using a clay bar and with the QD, do I wash the car again before applying a swirl remover in step 3??

Mike Phillips if you are reading this, would you mind listing the products you used on that BMW??


Thankyou,
Kylie

[grover]

Some people do wash after it and some don't. Personally, I don't. The process is long enough without washing the vehicle again. Also, if I just cleaned the paint with claybar and QD, or a paint cleaner, what would I need to wash off?

My 2 cents. Maybe someone can chime in on why they like to wash after that step.

Take care.

[Murr1525]

I dont wash after claying. I actualy just keep the car wet after washing, and dry after claying, but that is beside the point.

This isnt the exact same black car, but here are the links you will want to read. The How-To thread just used a green BMW instead. And then there is an orange Lotus in the machine application threads, just in case you are interested.

But if you are working by hand, then the black and green BMW's are going to use the same idea.

Suggested Products for Taking Care of a New Car

What it Means to Remove a Scratch

How To Remove Swirls By Hand

How to remove a defect by hand with ScratchX

Recommended Products - G100a Dual Action Polisher

Using the G-100 to remove swirls with the Professional Line

[farmboy]

I don't wash after claying my vehicles. I wash and dry/ clay/ #80/#21. I just tried #21 for the first time and it is great stuff. I never thought I'd use it, but the 16oz bottle changed my mind!

[TH0001]

I'm with Murr...

1) Wash and rinse
2) Clay
3) Dry
4) Buff

The swirl remover you are using is going to remove anything the clean or qd left behind...

[dude]

Th0001 - would claying when the car is wet result in the water residue drying on the paintwork instead? Usually, after I wash, I try to dry the car immediately, since I am concerned about water spots once it dries..

[Murr1525]

Well, you do have to tailor the process to your environment.

I do not have hard water, and if I stay out of the sun, or at least hot sun, then any spot where the water may dry is easily wiped off when drying, or using the follow-up cleaner, cleaner/wax, etc. Also, this technique will use a bit more water, since you are rinsing the car a few extra times.

However, if you have real hard water, if you can only work in very hot sun, or if it is real hot in the shade, if you have to cut back on your water use, then you are probably better off washing/drying, then claying and wiping off QD with a MF towel as you go.

[dude]

Hi Murr, thanks for your reply. Note that your replies are always very informative, and much appreciate it.

I did ask in another thread what 'hard water', 'soft water' meant, and would appreciate it if you or anyone could help me understand this better.

[TH0001]

Originally posted by dude
Th0001 - would claying when the car is wet result in the water residue drying on the paintwork instead? Usually, after I wash, I try to dry the car immediately, since I am concerned about water spots once it dries..

I do all my work in doors or under a canopy. This prevents the water from evaporating quickly and lessens the the chances for water spotting. After I wash, I clay in sections. So I saturated the hood with detail spray, then clay. Then I will dry the hood. I move around the car in this fashion. Then onto the next section, drying each section after I am done claying. If I was doing this outside, I would dry the car before claying, but then it is difficult to clay in the sun, IMO.

Hard water is water that has a lot of minerals in it. Soft water is water that is close to pure water. Water itself doesn't leave water marks, the minerals left behind from the water evaporating do. So hard water is likely to leave marks, wear as soft water will not leave as many (or if the water is pure) or none at all.

[Guiser]

I also use the QD to clay and work a section at a time. Before I move on I dry the area with a MF towel and check the results for smoothness. Each section should be clean and free of surface contaminants after this step at which point you can move on to the cleaning stage. Personally, I have never found it necessary to wash again as going over the whole car with QD and clay removes anything I might have missed the first time around.

Oh, I also dry before claying (wash, dry, clay, dry), it gets hot in California

- Ben

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Meg's 5 stp Paint care cycle- Question

Originally posted by StageaGirl


Mike Phillips if you are reading this, would you mind listing the products you used on that BMW??


Thank you,
Kylie

Nikken Finishing papers to remove RIDS (Random, Isolated Deeper Scratches)
M84 Compound Power Cleaner/W-7006/Rotary buffer
M83 Dual Action Cleaner Polish/W-8006/Rotary Buffer
M82 Swirl Free Polish/W-9006/Rotary Buffer
M80 Speed Glaze/W-8006/G100 Dual Action Polisher
NXT Tech Wax/W-9006/G100 Dual Action Polisher x 2


Just one half of the hood took about 6-8 hours to remove each scratch and restore a show car finish. After the Bimmerfest show, the car was brought back to Meguiar's and we did the other half of the car and the other half of the hood took about the same amount of time.


Here's a partial recount of the story copied and pasted from this thread; read the entire thread for the context of the portion copied and pasted below.

http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/sho...&threadid=3720

Originally posted by red vette
thanks Mike,
My mistake,yes I have been using scratch X for awhile now on all my vehicles,not having any luck though removing a couple light scratches,cannot be felt with finger nail,but repeated tries with ScratchX still has not removed them,any idea's?

John

Hi John,

If repeated applications of ScratchX is not removing the scratches in your finish, this tell me two things.

• 1) Your paint is very hard
  2) It will require a machine applied Professional Line product to remove the scratches.

The way I usually remove is with an advanced technique that I call Feathersanding, which requires the use of Meguiar's Unigrit Finishing Papers and a rotary buffer.



Experience helps a little too! Below are some pictures from a Side-by-side, before & after demonstration I did for the 2002 Bimmerfest in Santa Barbara. First I used a rotary buffer to buff out one half of the car and remove all of the light scratches. Next, I took little postage size stamps of Nikken Finishing Paper and sanded each individual scratch till it had been removed. Next, I used a compound to remove my sanding marks. The results were a scratch-free flawless finish on a 1991 e34 BMW M5.

How To Remove Random Isolated Deeper Scratches using the Feather Sanding Technique

Before



I compounded the entire finish before starting the below process to remove the shallow scratches and expose the deep scratches.


Process


























Random, Isolated, Deeper Scratches, (RIDS), can be removed, but it is an advanced technique that takes skill, patience and the right products to accomplish successfully. (A little luck helps too!)

Do you own a rotary buffer and do you know how to use it?

[dude]

Originally posted by TH0001
I do all my work in doors or under a canopy. This prevents the water from evaporating quickly and lessens the the chances for water spotting. After I wash, I clay in sections. So I saturated the hood with detail spray, then clay. Then I will dry the hood. I move around the car in this fashion. Then onto the next section, drying each section after I am done claying. If I was doing this outside, I would dry the car before claying, but then it is difficult to clay in the sun, IMO.

Hard water is water that has a lot of minerals in it. Soft water is water that is close to pure water. Water itself doesn't leave water marks, the minerals left behind from the water evaporating do. So hard water is likely to leave marks, wear as soft water will not leave as many (or if the water is pure) or none at all.

Thanks very much for the detailed information. I learn many things every time I visit the forums....

[StageaGirl]

Sorry Mike, I have to do all this by hand

Today I spent 6 hours on my car...

I used...
NXT Generation Car wash.
Quik Clay and QD
Scratch X
Deep Crystal Polish
Deep Crystal Carnauba Wax

I had a huge scrap on the bonnet as you can see here...


I will get an after photo of that tomorrow in similar light but the problem I have is the smudge look on the car:


What did I do wrong? What has caused this? I buffed off the wax with one Meguiars Terry Towel, then went over with a clean one and again with another clean one... Nothing I do removes this oily, smudgy look

[Zet]

Hm, it's a bit hard to see in the picture, but it looks like there's also a lot of scratches in the after pic?

Does the smudgy film change appearance if you wipe it with a finger or a piece of cloth/towel? Have you tried wiping the area with QD and a microfiber? Or you could also try washing the area again.

How did the finish look after the previous steps, like after ScratchX?

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by StageaGirl

but the problem I have is the smudge look on the car:


What did I do wrong? What has caused this? I buffed off the wax with one Meguiar's Terry Towel, then went over with a clean one and again with another clean one... Nothing I do removes this oily, smudgy look

Try this,

After washing the car or wiping the area clean,

• Step 1 Clay the area if needed. Feel the paint with the palm of your bare hand and make sure it feels smooth like brand new glass, if not clay the paint.
  Step 2 Apply ScratchX with a clean foam applicator pad to a small section, (about a foot squared), and work it in really well. Wipe if off after you work it in as paint cleaners do not need to dry.
  Step 3 Polish with a pure polish if you have one, like Deep Crystal Polish. Apply, work in and then wipe off without letting this product dry also. This is an optional step and you can skip it and go to the next step if you like, it depends on how great you want your paint to look.
  Step 4 Apply a thin coat of wax, work it in well and then allow it to fully dry before removing. Use the Swipe Test to determine if the wax is dry.
  Step 5 Remove the dried wax using your softest, clean polishing cloth. If you applied a thin coat and let it fully dry, it should wipe off very easily.

This process works on everything that can be worked on. Take your time and learn how to make one small area look good. Once you master this process then you can tackle the entire car.

Post back here your results.


How to tell when a Meguiar's wax is ready to remove - The Swipe Test