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Pictures from Meguiar's June 17th, 2017 Detailing 101 Class
Summer day here in Irvine, CA and a great day for a crash course in car care & detailing. This group was super passionate, and at the end of the day I felt like I answered 200+ questions!
We started with our classroom portion of the day which runs from 8:30 to 12 noon. We talk a little about the history of Meguiar's & also our different product lines (Consumer, Pro Mirror Glaze, Pro Detailer, Marine/RV, Mirror Bright) and the information behind the different lines. For example, we actually didn't have a "consumer line" until 1973 with the introduction of Cleaner Wax. Prior to 1973 Meguiar's developed products for the Professional Market & user, for those working in auto factories, repair shops, custom paint shops, dealers etc. A important note I like to mention is that Meguiar's "Professional" Line does not necessarily mean that it is superior to our consumer line. Our "Professional" Line products are designed for users in professional environments. For example, users in professional environments are often working with a rotary machines and are working on variety of paint types like fresh paint in a body shop. When our R&D is formulating a product, the characteristics of the product are adjusted based on the intent for the product & the user who will be using it.
After lunch it was time to work in the garage to demonstrate some of the techniques we just discussed. We used this 2014 Mazda Miata owned by one of the class attendants.
Below are some BEFORE pictures of the condition of the paint. Plenty of swirls present for us to remove.
We first used our Quik Detailer Mist & Wipe along with our Supreme Shine Microfiber Towel to allow us to safely remove the light dust present on the car so we have clean working surface.
After wiping the dust off, it was time to evaluate for any above surface contaminants by physically feeling the paint with our hand, to inspect if the paint feels rough. It did not feel too bad, and some would probably determine it felt smooth, but in our experience it did not feel completely smooth, so we knew there were a small amount of contaminants on the paint which should be removed.
Time to clay with our Smooth Surface Clay Kit. It's quite simple. Clean & cool surface. Flatten the clay into a palm size wafer shape. In a small section mist the paint with the provided Quik Detailer Mist & Wipe, which is used as the lubricant for the clay. Gently work the clay across the paint to remove contaminants. Once smooth, wipe off Quik Detailer after each section. After every panel or so, fold and kneed the clay exposing it to a clean side. Don't drop the clay, and ensure there is Quik Detailer spray on each section worked on, and you will be good to go : )
It is tough to tell in this picture but if you zoom in or look closely, you can see the hue of brown contaminants removed from the vehicle hood.
After using our Smooth Surface Clay Kit, we inspected the paint under proper lighting to evaluate for below surface defects. In other words, see how many swirls & scratches are in the paint! If light is not reflecting back the defects at your eyes, it is tough to see them. Remember to use proper lighting when working on your own car.
Direct sunlight is one of the best ways to expose the true condition of the paint.
Our first attempt was Ultimate Compound/MT300 DA Polisher/4800 OPM/DFC5 Soft Buff Foam Cutting Disc/4 passes in section/moderate pressure/moderate arm speed.
The above combination brought us to about 90% corrected. Wanting to work our way closer to 100%, we adjusted our technique slightly, but not by switching product or pad.
We adjusted to 5800 OPMs, slightly more pressure, and slightly slower arm speed and the below picture was our results. The only other defects left in the hood (not pictured) were some random isolated deep scratches (RIDS) (usually physically contact type scratches). This left us essentially with two choices, step up to a more aggressive product or pad for the whole car, or perform another pass of the same combination we were using. Since there were so few RIDS, and it did not take us long to go pack with another pass where they were located, we chose to go the route of using our same combination of pads/products, and just perform a second section pass. Overall, this approach is the least invasive.
We virtually zero haze we skipped the Ultimate Polish step and went straight to applying a coat of our Ultimate Liquid Wax. It is also important to not that Ultimate Liquid Wax has polishing oils & conditioners in the product, making the Ultimate Polish step even more optional.
Finally we threw a coat of Ultimate Fast Finish on, which is currently Meguiar's most advanced paint protectant offered. More information on Ultimate Fast Finish can be seen the this article: Using Meguiar's Ultimate Fast Finish.
Time to roll the car out into the sun to admire our work!
Thanks to everyone for coming out and being such a fun class! Feel free to contact me with any questions. Nick
Summer day here in Irvine, CA and a great day for a crash course in car care & detailing. This group was super passionate, and at the end of the day I felt like I answered 200+ questions!
We started with our classroom portion of the day which runs from 8:30 to 12 noon. We talk a little about the history of Meguiar's & also our different product lines (Consumer, Pro Mirror Glaze, Pro Detailer, Marine/RV, Mirror Bright) and the information behind the different lines. For example, we actually didn't have a "consumer line" until 1973 with the introduction of Cleaner Wax. Prior to 1973 Meguiar's developed products for the Professional Market & user, for those working in auto factories, repair shops, custom paint shops, dealers etc. A important note I like to mention is that Meguiar's "Professional" Line does not necessarily mean that it is superior to our consumer line. Our "Professional" Line products are designed for users in professional environments. For example, users in professional environments are often working with a rotary machines and are working on variety of paint types like fresh paint in a body shop. When our R&D is formulating a product, the characteristics of the product are adjusted based on the intent for the product & the user who will be using it.
After lunch it was time to work in the garage to demonstrate some of the techniques we just discussed. We used this 2014 Mazda Miata owned by one of the class attendants.
Below are some BEFORE pictures of the condition of the paint. Plenty of swirls present for us to remove.
We first used our Quik Detailer Mist & Wipe along with our Supreme Shine Microfiber Towel to allow us to safely remove the light dust present on the car so we have clean working surface.
After wiping the dust off, it was time to evaluate for any above surface contaminants by physically feeling the paint with our hand, to inspect if the paint feels rough. It did not feel too bad, and some would probably determine it felt smooth, but in our experience it did not feel completely smooth, so we knew there were a small amount of contaminants on the paint which should be removed.
Time to clay with our Smooth Surface Clay Kit. It's quite simple. Clean & cool surface. Flatten the clay into a palm size wafer shape. In a small section mist the paint with the provided Quik Detailer Mist & Wipe, which is used as the lubricant for the clay. Gently work the clay across the paint to remove contaminants. Once smooth, wipe off Quik Detailer after each section. After every panel or so, fold and kneed the clay exposing it to a clean side. Don't drop the clay, and ensure there is Quik Detailer spray on each section worked on, and you will be good to go : )
It is tough to tell in this picture but if you zoom in or look closely, you can see the hue of brown contaminants removed from the vehicle hood.
After using our Smooth Surface Clay Kit, we inspected the paint under proper lighting to evaluate for below surface defects. In other words, see how many swirls & scratches are in the paint! If light is not reflecting back the defects at your eyes, it is tough to see them. Remember to use proper lighting when working on your own car.
Direct sunlight is one of the best ways to expose the true condition of the paint.
Our first attempt was Ultimate Compound/MT300 DA Polisher/4800 OPM/DFC5 Soft Buff Foam Cutting Disc/4 passes in section/moderate pressure/moderate arm speed.
The above combination brought us to about 90% corrected. Wanting to work our way closer to 100%, we adjusted our technique slightly, but not by switching product or pad.
We adjusted to 5800 OPMs, slightly more pressure, and slightly slower arm speed and the below picture was our results. The only other defects left in the hood (not pictured) were some random isolated deep scratches (RIDS) (usually physically contact type scratches). This left us essentially with two choices, step up to a more aggressive product or pad for the whole car, or perform another pass of the same combination we were using. Since there were so few RIDS, and it did not take us long to go pack with another pass where they were located, we chose to go the route of using our same combination of pads/products, and just perform a second section pass. Overall, this approach is the least invasive.
We virtually zero haze we skipped the Ultimate Polish step and went straight to applying a coat of our Ultimate Liquid Wax. It is also important to not that Ultimate Liquid Wax has polishing oils & conditioners in the product, making the Ultimate Polish step even more optional.
Finally we threw a coat of Ultimate Fast Finish on, which is currently Meguiar's most advanced paint protectant offered. More information on Ultimate Fast Finish can be seen the this article: Using Meguiar's Ultimate Fast Finish.
Time to roll the car out into the sun to admire our work!
Thanks to everyone for coming out and being such a fun class! Feel free to contact me with any questions. Nick