Newbie ... great site. Couple of Questions

[Newsjeff]

I'm so glad I found this web site. I've been surfing it for hours now, and I have learned a lot. I still have a long way to go it seems.
I bought a 2002 Ford F-150 4X4 last month. I'm getting ready to add a lift, new rims and new tires. I've been washing it every week since I bought it.
Just a couple of quick questions. The truck had swirls in the paint when I bought it. I waxed it once, but they didn't come out. Here's what I'm thinking of using on my truck, in order.

1) Wash using NXT Generation® Car Wash.
2) Quik Clay Detailing System.
3) Scratch-X
4) Deep Crystal System Polish.
5) NXT Generation® Tech Wax.

Am I on the right track? There are many diffrent opinions out there.

I've always used a paste wax. Maybe I should wait for the NXT Generation® Tech Wax to come out in the paste?

Lastly, is EXTRA All Surface Cleaner what I need to clean my engine?

[AutoNova]

WD-40 works well to clean engines or simple green, I use Meg's Super Degreaser

[jfelbab]

You're on the right track for a really nice looking finish. I'd use a citrus cleaner like Orange Blast for the engine compartment followed by CD2 Engine Detailer WD40 leaves things oily which attracts and holds dust and dirt. I use EXTRA for carpet and cloth upholstery stains.

Welcome to the forum.

[Newsjeff]

One more thing ... well two more

Do you guys think it would be better to use Scratch-X or #9 swirl remover? You cannot see the swirl marks in the picture I posted, but you can really see them in the sunlight.
Also, what's best to use to remove both the polish and the wax? I was looking to buy some micro-fibre fishing cloths for this??
OK, three things:
What's best to get the water off my truck after washing?

[jfelbab]

I'd use the ScratchX. I think microfiber towels are the best for removing most polish and wax products. I also recommend a waffle weave microfiber for water removal. They work a lot better than a chamois or cotton towels.

[Mike Phillips]

Hi Jeff,

Welcome to Meguiar's Online


I took the liberty of cropping and resizing your photo to a discussion forum friendly size and then uploading it into your gallery.

Your Gallery on Meguiar's Online

Here are some tutorials on working with images in the vbulletin discussion forum environment.

How to put pictures into your posts


Tutorials on how to crop, resize, upload and insert your pictures into your messages

How-to Crop your photos before uploading them to your gallery

How to resize your photos using Easy Thumbnails - Free software!

Step-by-Step Picture-Posting HOW TO

I share this with a lot of people, it's no big deal but usually anything over 600 to 700 pixels wide will force people to horizontal scroll and when they have to do this they can't see the entire picture at once, so it's kind of pointless. I resized your original picture to 600 pixels wide.

For removing swirls, ScratchX works better by hand. #9 Swirl Remover 2.0 works best for removing swirls when applied with a rotary buffer because it's really quite non-aggressive.

Mike

[Newsjeff]

Thanks, Mike and others

Thanks for the help with the photos, Mike. The pic of my truck looks much better now that you scaled it.
I'll be sure to look at the links you posted for the next time I upload a pic. Hopefully, it will be one with my truck lifted and sporting new tires and rims.
And that shiny Meguiar's reflection.
It's very nice to have found this site.
Thanks for the info, everyone. My online shopping cart at Meguiar's is now up to $76 and climbing.
It's great to nave a new hobby.

[Don]

If the engine is very heavily coated in grease/gunk, WD-40 is great as a first step (PB Blaster is better though). It will break down the grunge better than any other degreaser since it will actually penetrate the grease unlike water based degreasers. Once the heavy cleaning is done with the WD-40, then switch to the 'standard' engine cleaners to remove the film left by the WD-40.

PS: I hose down (literally) the engine compartment, door jambs, hood underside and trunk lips with WD-40 in the late fall as a protective measure against salt (plus a 'booster' soaking about 1/2 way through the winter). Make for a real mess to clean up in the spring, but my Neon had zero rust on it after 140,000 miles.

[Newsjeff]

Getting ready to start on my truck

I just spent about $100 on Meguiar's products and other detailing supplies. Here's what I bought:
NXT car wash
Quick Clay Detailing System
Scratch X
#7 Show Car Glaze
NXT Tech Wax
A pack of 5 small, MF towels
One 6.5' MF towel for drying my truck
Orange Blast for cleaning the engine.

I have a few quick questions about using these products. Remember, I'm doing everything by hand to start.
1) I have a terry cloth/sponge mitt for washing my truck with the NXT wash. Which side should I use? I wouldn't think it matters.
2) Should I apply the Scratch X with a round, foam/terry cloth applicator or a MF towel? What should I use to remove the Scratch X?
3) #7 polish. This is the one I'm most confused about. I'm thinking I should have bought the Deep Crystal Polish instead. First, should I polish the whole truck at once or work in sections? Everything I've read gets me more confused.
What should I use to apply #7? As far as removing the polish, it seems I should go over the truck twice with a terry cloth towel and once with a MF towel.
4) After I clean my engine with Orange Blast, what should I use to make my motor SHINE? Maybe I should have bought the CD2 Engine Detailer from the start.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Getting ready to start on my truck

Originally posted by Newsjeff
I have a few quick questions about using these products. Remember, I'm doing everything by hand to start.

1) I have a terry cloth/sponge mitt for washing my truck with the NXT wash. Which side should I use? I wouldn't think it matters.

There are two camps of thought on this, but in the end it will come down to personal preference. One thing about the terry cloth side is that the terry cloth offers a nap, (small little cotton loops), that will trap abrasive particles into itself preventing the abrasive particles from coming directly into contact with the finish. Again, your preference.

2) Should I apply the Scratch X with a round, foam/terry cloth applicator or a MF towel? What should I use to remove the Scratch X?

Apply the ScratchX with a round, foam applicator like I show below following the directions outlined in the below how-to article,

How to remove a defect by hand with ScratchX

3) #7 polish. This is the one I'm most confused about. I'm thinking I should have bought the Deep Crystal Polish instead. First, should I polish the whole truck at once or work in sections?

It depends on your skill level, if you're just starting out, then apply to a section at a time and remove. If you are confident in your skill level, the you can apply to the entire car and then remove. The thing about Meguiar's pure polishes you need to remember is that a thin coat is just as effective as a thick coat and easier to remove, and Meguiar's polishes, (whether a cleaner/polish or a pure polish), do not need to dry before removing. After you have applied and worked-in the product, immediately remove the product. Don't try to remove it all at once, instead, remove most of it and work around the section you have applied it to, and then come back and remove any remaining residue.

Everything I've read gets me more confused.
What should I use to apply #7? As far as removing the polish, it seems I should go over the truck twice with a terry cloth towel and once with a MF towel.

Apply the #7 with a clean, soft foam applicator pad and then remove with either a clean, soft 100% cotton terry cloth towel, or a microfiber polishing cloth and I find the best combination is to make your first pass with a terry cloth towel, (high quality), and your second and even third passes with microfiber polishing cloths.

4) After I clean my engine with Orange Blast, what should I use to make my motor SHINE? Maybe I should have bought the CD2 Engine Detailer from the start.

Try this after cleaning the engine compartment

Meguiar's New Detailer Line



This is a basic how-to on using two products from Meguiar's New Detailer Line to degrease an engine compartment and restore a new-car look.

Engine Before


Engine After




Mike

[Newsjeff]

Thanks, Mike

Yov've been a great help. Thanks for your time. As soon as it warms up here, I'll be starting on my truck. That might be late next week. I'll post some pics when I'm done.
If I go ahead and use two coats of NXT Tech Wax, how long should I wait between coats? I can do two coats back to back without waiting, right?

[jfelbab]

While you can do two coats back-to-back, IMO, you will get better results if you wait 12-24 hours in between coats.