Does a Pure Polish/Glaze really add anything to a perfectly prepped panel?

[RaskyR1]

A little debate came about when discussing pure polishes and glazes on another forum. The debate was as to whether they actually added anything to a paint, on a panel that has already been polished to perfection?

I say yes....even my girl saw a noticable darkening to the paint when I did a test panel.


Mike, can you add the poll? for some reason it didn't work for me...

[Mike Phillips]

Does a Pure Polish/Glaze really add anything to a perfectly prepped panel?

Did I do that well enough?

Let me know if you want to change or add more options to the poll.

Also, it's set up so you can vote for more than one option.

Just to note, as this topic has been discussed to death in the past, on a brand new car, applying a pure polish won't result in a dramatic difference and it shouldn't because the paint is BRAND NEW! (Something lots of people seem to not think of).

Pure polishes also create a more dramatic effect on older paints, not brand new paints and especially single stage paints as they are more porous and the polishing oils are more able to penetrate into the paint and that's when they bring out the richness of clarity as well as add depth.

Modern clear coats are pretty dense and don't absorb well until they become worn and more opened. (Do a search using the word interstices) Also note that Meguiar's ALWAYS has stated that polishing with a pure polish is an OPTIONAL STEP. You don't have to do it.

How's that?

[RaskyR1]

Re: Does a Pure Polish/Glaze really add anything to a perfectly prepped panel?

LOL...looks like it wasn't just me.

[akimel]

Re: Does a Pure Polish/Glaze really add anything to a perfectly prepped panel?

A little debate came about when discussing pure polishes and glazes on another forum. The debate was as to whether they actually added anything to a paint, on a panel that has already been polished to perfection?

I say yes....even my girl saw a noticable darkening to the paint when I did a test panel.

Golly, Rasky, if your gal saw a difference, who are we to disagree?

[RaskyR1]

Re: Does a Pure Polish/Glaze really add anything to a perfectly prepped panel?

Thanks Mike! I've read a few of the threads in the past.

[Nappers]

Re: Does a Pure Polish/Glaze really add anything to a perfectly prepped panel?

Good question.

I used it on our Yukon, didn't notice a huge difference, but on the '66 Dodge D100 of the boy's with S.S. paint, it realliy looked nice.

[akimel]

Re: Does a Pure Polish/Glaze really add anything to a perfectly prepped panel?

Surely a categorical yay or nay is out of place. Surely one must examine the matter on a case-by-case basis. Clearly a number of people do believe that a pure polish or glaze can help paint look better in some situations; otherwise, they wouldn't buy and use the stuff.

[Carfire]

Re: Does a Pure Polish/Glaze really add anything to a perfectly prepped panel?

I said yes, because the point of a polish is to add gloss.

[OhioCarBuff]

Re: Does a Pure Polish/Glaze really add anything to a perfectly prepped panel?

I have been buffing my family and occasionally a friends car with meguiars products since '97 and will say beyond a shadow of a doubt that when you do an extra pure polish step it adds extra pop. The level of extra pop varies from car to car though, it may make a 1% difference on a 1 year old car, but say you were buffing a 5 year old car with the typical amout of neglect it would make a much bigger difference.

I remember the first time I used #7 on my black trans am 12 years ago I was absolutely blown away by the extra richness it added, in fact that's what got me hooked on Meguiars!

[OhioCarBuff]

Re: Does a Pure Polish/Glaze really add anything to a perfectly prepped panel?

One more thing I'll add, I don't know if it's true or not, but my observation from years of buffing is that the older clear coat paints responded to the pure polishes more then the clear coat paints they use today. I have had a number of cars from the 80's with origional clear coat paint and from what I recall they faded similar to the way a single stage would have and would respond to the pure polishes very dramatically. In fact my black trans am was a 1987 model with original clear coat paint, it had really low miles and was garaged when I had it so the paint was in excellent condion, but it would fade and respond to a buffing and pure polish way more dramatically then the new cars now

[Asphalt Rocket]

Re: Does a Pure Polish/Glaze really add anything to a perfectly prepped panel?

This is a very interesting thread.

[akimel]

Re: Does a Pure Polish/Glaze really add anything to a perfectly prepped panel?

I have noticed that appreciation of glazes/"pure polishes" varies from one detailing forum to another. Some forums seem to like them; others don't. For example, many folks over at Detailing World also believe that glazes (whether traditional glazes like #7 or polymer glazes as Danase Wet Glaze, can make some (not all but some) paint surfaces look wetter or glossier. For example, Dave KG (our "Kickin' Griffin"), a highly regarded British detailer, recently suggested that Megs' #7 can add more to a dark paint than even an elite wax like Swissvax's Best of Show:

I have and very much like Swissvax BoS ... lovely smelling wax, may add a little extra wettness but in honesty nothing that you wont see on a well prepped surface and certainly not as much as something like Megs #7 will offer a solid dark colour.

I do not know how to explain these differences in perception from individual to individual, from internet forum to internet forum. Certainly these differences are not simply a matter of "buffing experience" or "detailing knowledge" or even "age." I suspect that, at least partially, we "see" what we want to see. Is it a duck or a rabbit? We are all looking for ways to make our cars look just the tiniest better. I personally want to believe that glazes and waxes can make a difference, no matter how small, so I imagine that I will subconsciously try to persuade myself that I do see a difference. And who knows, maybe there really is an objective difference ... or maybe not. On the other hand, those who are convinced that prep is everything may well persuade themselves that a glaze makes no difference at all. And who knows, maybe they are right ... or maybe not.

A blind glaze test, analogous to Dave KG's wax test, might prove illuminating, but I can't imagine anyone ever organizing and pulling off such a test.

So I will continue to apply #7 to my black Luthien, believing that it makes the car look just a little bit wetter ... and I will continue to do so until I don't want to do so any longer. I'm a romantic, not a scientist.

Cheers,
Al

[CarbonBlack]

Re: Does a Pure Polish/Glaze really add anything to a perfectly prepped panel?

I don't know!


-Nick

[OwnerCS]

Re: Does a Pure Polish/Glaze really add anything to a perfectly prepped panel?

I'm really happy and excited about the results I get with a mix of Meguiar's products. My Nighthawk Black Ridgeline's hood paint was gone to be with the dead before I found a way to revive it... It was heavily scratched and cracked up.. Also the front had been keyed once..

To repair the problem, I set aside the money to have it repainted.. As a last ditch effort before I sent it to the body shop, I used a mix of ColorX and Mirror Glaze #2 Fine-Cut Cleaner, naturally ScratchX and some 1200 with the Ultimate Quick Detailer to lubricate the paper and the buffer pad.


Sure the process was multi-step. But I had a finish that was, by most accounts, beyond recovery.


I agree that a final polish step adds that extra sparkle. After I buffed the finish and removed the problem areas with a 1800 RPM buffer, applied and hand rubbed application of #2 Fine Cut Cleaner, before sealing it up with Tech Wax and a final rubdown with the Ultimate Quick Detailer. You can see the difference that final hand polishing step helps to create a perfect mirror finish.

[akimel]

Re: Does a Pure Polish/Glaze really add anything to a perfectly prepped panel?

Check out this new thread at Detailing World. Clearly there are a number of folks out there who believe that #7 adds something "extra" to a well-prepped surface.