Newbie Questions

[laxdad]

I am a bit of a newbie to all this, so please bear with me. I have 2 vehicles, want to try NXT line, have a few questions:

1) First vehicle is brand new 2004 Toyota Highlander. Do I need to do anything before washing and applying NXT Tech Wax? At what point do I need to add steps (prep / polish / etc.). Once the tech wax is applied, does future surface prep remove the wax?

2) 2nd vehicle is 2004 Camry about a year old, not really been taken care of properly. Paint still in good shape but has swirls, surface scratches, etc. Please recommend products for each step. Thanks so much.

[Rockpick]

Re: Newbie Questions

Originally posted by laxdad
I am a bit of a newbie to all this, so please bear with me. I have 2 vehicles, want to try NXT line, have a few questions:

1) First vehicle is brand new 2004 Toyota Highlander. Do I need to do anything before washing and applying NXT Tech Wax? At what point do I need to add steps (prep / polish / etc.). Once the tech wax is applied, does future surface prep remove the wax?

First and foremost, welcome to meguiarsonline.com! We're very glad to have you aboard.

The questions that you have asked are very good ones and I'll do my best to answer them as completely as possible but, be reminded, I'm on my lunch break right now and my time may be limited by this Subway Sandwich I have in front of me...... hahaha!

The Highlander sounds as though it's in pretty good shape by the tone of your post. I'm assuming that it has no swirls and the finish is in great starting shape. I would suggest to utilize a clay bar prior to beginning your process as I've never seen a new vehicle that didn't have some sort of fallout on the paint. Fallout ranges from rail dust to over spray with everything in between. Clay will remove these contaminants from the surface of the paint and allow a more true, clear optical result once you've applied your NXT.

Future surface preparation can remove wax. It all depends on what you're doing in my opinion. For example, if your surface preparation requires you to remove some swirls prior to beginning, the polish that you use will either be chemically aggressive or abrasively aggressive and thus, will remove whatever is on top of the paint. This is a necessary evil in order to achieve a more clear, vibrant finish.

You and only you will know when it's time to add additional steps to your vehicle as you will need to assess it each time prior to application. Run your hand across your finish before and after you do the clay step. You'll feel the difference. The finished product should feel like glass; clean, smooth glass. If you have swirls, another product may be necessary to remove those to achieve top-end results.

2) 2nd vehicle is 2004 Camry about a year old, not really been taken care of properly. Paint still in good shape but has swirls, surface scratches, etc. Please recommend products for each step. Thanks so much.

Naturally, having not seen this vehicle with my own two eyes while standing over it, I can't give you the 'solution' but, I think I can get close based on what you've described.

First, I'm assuming that you're applying all of the products by hand.... if so, here's what I'd do if it were mine and in the shape I think its in...

1. Wash with a high-quality car shampoo like NXT Car Wash.
2. Dry the vehicle with high-pile 100% cotton towels or a Microfiber Drying Towel.
3. Clay the entire vehicle (removes the stuck on contamination that washing alone doesn't remove -- sap, tar, bugs, etc)
4. Wash again
5. Dry
6. Apply Meguiar's #9 per the exact directions on the bottle.
7. Evaluate. Did it remove the swirls to your satisfaction? Only remove them partially?
8. Reapply #9 to deal with additional swirls if necessary.
9. NXT (2 coats allowing a minimum of an hour between coats).


Of course, that's a very abbreviated version of a simple wash/clay/polish/wax procedure but, I think you get the gist of the solution.

If you should have additional questions about any of the aforementioned steps, please feel free to post back within this thread and someone will be along to help you out in short order!

Again, welcome to meguiarsonline.com!

RP

[Mike Phillips]

Hi laxdad,

Welcome to Meguiar's Online

Good questions!

For the Highlander, Meguiar's recommends that you always Evaluate the Surface after washing to determine what your car's finish needs to look it's best. You evaluate your finish with both your eyes and your sense of feel. Being a brand new car it should be in stellar condition, but go ahead and inspect for swirls, scratches, etchings from acid rain and bird droppings. If you see any of these types of things, you will want to address them with a paint cleaner. Next, feel the surface of the finish with the palm of your clean hand. Try to see if you feel tiny little bumps on the horizontal surfaces. If you feel anything at all, then this means your car's finish has bonded contaminants and you will want to use a clay bar to remove them before applying any wax.

Once you have evaluated the finish, then performed any surface prep necessary, then you are ready to apply the Tech Wax. Meguiar's recommends two thin coats, versus one thick coat for uniform coverage and maximum protection and beauty.

For the Camry, the quick and easy way to restore the finish on this car in one step would be to use Meguiar's new ColorX . ColorX is a powerful and effective cleaner/wax that will clean, polish and protect in one step.

Here is a before and after using ColorX by hand on the extremely neglected finish of a 1986 Ford Bronco II

1986 Ford Bronco II - Extreme Makeover

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/gallery/data/500/2016BroncoFinished.jpg

If you follow the steps that were used to restore the finish on this Bronco to you Camry, you should experience similar results.

If you want to use a multiple-step process, such as using a dedicated paint cleaner, a dedicated polish and a pure wax, we can show you how to do that to.

Mike

[laxdad]

Thanks for all the help, much appreciated. The products can be a little confusing at first, as some of them are discrete cleaners, polishes, and waxes, then there are other products that are various combinations of the above. Is there a listing and comparison of these products somewhere on this web site? Also is there a listing of the various cleaners from most to least abrasive. I still have a steep learning curve to climb here. Again, thanks!

[Rockpick]

Originally posted by laxdad
Is there a listing and comparison of these products somewhere on this web site? Also is there a listing of the various cleaners from most to least abrasive.

Unfortunately, I don't think that either of those items exist. You can, however, surf over to www.meguiars.com and see each of the products and a brief description about them.

The questions that you've asked are tough because, even if there were such a chart or listing, it's tough to tell someone that something is better to use in a certain situation than another product. For example, if you were trying to work on stubborn swirls on a non-catalyzed painted surface, it may be different from what someone would prescribe to work on a catalyzed finish.

Also, several of the polishes in the Meguiar's line are better suited for some environmental conditions. For example, one product that is more 'oily' than another product may be more suited in a dry environment like Arizona whereas a similar product, with similar abrasive characteristics, may be more suited to a 'wetter', more humid, environment because it dries a little quicker. There are OODLES of variables.

Meguiar's has a wide array of products for just this reason; specificity. Some work really well on certain items and some may not work as well.

The great thing about the majority of the Consumer or 'G-Line' products is that they are formulated for the masses and not so much for specific environmental conditions or for a certain paint variety. These products, like NXT, are sold nationwide and have been tested within these environmental variables as well as more variables than we can even begin to list.

RP