UC vs SwirlX vs UP

[EagleNester]

All other variables being equal, is SwirlX closer in cut to UC or UP? Is it like a "slightly less aggressive UC" or a "slightly more aggressive UP"? Or is it simply in the middle? I realize it does not contain polishing oils. But all three do employ SMAT.

[The Guz]

Re: UC vs SwirlX vs UP

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums...t-surprise-you!

UP would be next to M205.

[time007]

Re: UC vs SwirlX vs UP

i used swirlx by hand. didn't see any benefits.....if i were to use it again, i guess i would use a machine.

[drumdan]

Re: UC vs SwirlX vs UP

i used swirlx by hand. didn't see any benefits.....if i were to use it again, i guess i would use a machine.

It works well with a machine.

[EagleNester]

Re: UC vs SwirlX vs UP

So, one might say ScratchX is slightly more abrasive than UP but without the polishing oils. Would that be a correct statement?

[The Guz]

Re: UC vs SwirlX vs UP

Scratchx would closely resemble ultimate compound.

[EagleNester]

Re: UC vs SwirlX vs UP

So, one might say ScratchX is slightly more abrasive than UP but without the polishing oils. Would that be a correct statement?

I meant to say SwirlX in the above question.
"So, SwirlX is very slightly more abrasive than UP but without the polishing oils". Correct?

[The Guz]

Re: UC vs SwirlX vs UP

If you are looking for a polish I would recommend M205 or UP. M205 would be more versatile and can do some amazing things. It would be the only polish you really need. I own both M205 and UP and I use M205 a majority of the time.

[EagleNester]

Re: UC vs SwirlX vs UP

Guz- I Can't remember if I already asked you over on AG... Have you used Menz 2500/4000 combo? I picked up the 8oz bottles along with the UP. Will probably get 205, as well. I thought I'd just try them all. Might as well figure out what I like right away, as I think I'll be doing this for a long time.

[The Guz]

Re: UC vs SwirlX vs UP

I haven't used those. The only products I have used from Menzerna are SF4500 and the newest formula SF3800. SF3800 is less oily than the previous formula SF4500. I use it to refine the finish after M205 and get the most gloss out of the paint.

I have used 3D HD Polish, Ameridepth, Pinnacle Advanced Finishing Polish. Pinnacle is great stuff but it is expensive. It is a diminishing abrasive. Ameridepth is pretty good but it doesn't have as much cut as M205. It is also a diminishing abrasive. I have yet to try the replacement IAT3000 which I heard good things about it. HD Polish to me is ok. I was expecting it to be a bit better. It has less cut than M205 and for me it dusts a tiny amount. More than M205 does for me. UP is a great polish but for me I like the versatility of M205 over it. I also found UP to be a little to oily for me. I just picked up another bottle of M205 at harbor freight taking advantage of the 25% off coupon they had.

Once you find the right combo you like, you will be set. But it's good to have options because not every product works for every vehicle. Especially if you start doing this for other people.

[Top Gear]

Re: UC vs SwirlX vs UP

I'd recommend Detailer D302 along with the other choices. M205 and UP are near enough identical, with a very mild abrasive and silvery hue - so mild as to be non-abrasive in my experience. UP is based on or closely related to M205, is easy to find, inexpensive, and is as versatile as any polish can be. D302 is closer to a pure polish, but has a darker finishing hue, so there's at least a noticeable difference between Ultimate Polish/M205 and Detailer D302. I've use both, depending on the situation at hand, but D302 is now my regular choice.

As for Ultimate Compound, SwirlX and ScratchX, you'll find very little practical difference between them. They all have some degree of polishing oil for finish, along with a medium abrasive and a bright or silvery hue. UC comes in a larger bottle and is easier to find, and is really a gold standard in all-purpose fool-proof compounding. I love UC, but for my paint, UC is just far too mild, which means for harder paint and/or tougher defects, UC still requires a lot of passes and patience to do what amounts to a tiny degree of actual compounding, even with MF pads and putting my back into it. Detailer D300 is a similar strength compound, but with a richer, darker finish than UC. I've moved on to M101, which is a whole step or two stronger than UC, with a rich, neutral, waxable finish. M101 is expensive and hard to find, though.

If I have lots of time, I'll follow M101 with a mild pass of D300 to darken the finish into the blue range of the Detailer Line, then D302 to soak in polishing oils, and then D301 wax for the sexiest "blue-black" I've ever seen. However, since D301 is a cleaner-wax, and because M101 and D300 also have some form of polishing oil, I've found that I rarely need to do four full steps (probably also because I'm so vigilant at maintaining the finish day-to-day). Most of the time, say for at least a year, I can just do mild "re-corrections" with D301 wax, applied as if it were a polishing step.