I picked up a new Black 2010 Infiniti 37x last year and from the dealer it already had very fine swirls so to minimize the swirls I’ve been using the 2 bucket wash method with ONR. Recently a dog added some very minor scratches to the driver’s front door so I’ve been doing a lot of reading on the subject of car polishing etc.

So I’ve decided to do it myself and invest in some detailing products/tools which I’ll have for many years. So far this is what I have on my shopping list:

- Meguiars Smooth Surface Clay with ONR

-Griot's Garage 6" Random Orbital /w 25 ft. power cord. (I’ve done much reading and chose this over the Porter Cable 7424XP)

From heavy to light cutting polish this is what I’ve decided to go with so far:
- Meguiars M105 ( w/ Orange Pad)
- Ultimate compound (NOT SURE what pad to use)
- M205 (w/ White Pad for cutting and Black/Gray Pads for polishing)
- SCRATCH X 2.0 (NOT SURE what pad to use)
- Menzerna Top Inspection

I’ll start off with SCRATCH X first and if that doesn’t remove the scratches and swirls then I’ll go with M205 and so on.

For extra shine I’ll use the Menzerna Finishing Touch Glaze (NOT SURE what pad to use) and finish off with Menzerna Power Lock Polymer Sealant (NOT SURE what pad to use).

How does the Menzerna PO106FA compare to the polishes I have listed above?

Also, can I use an ordinary LED flashlight to check for paint imperfections or do I have to get a specialized swirl finder LED light?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Regards,
Tony

 

I'd stick with just 105(orange pad) and 205(white pad), that will get rid of all the problems you have and bring back to a solid shine. Glaze(black pad) then sealant(blue pad). I'd skip the compound and scratchx.

PO106FA would replace your 205. Best bet is to stay with the same line of polishes, so if you go Menzerna also replace the 105 with SIP(PO83). Everybody has their favorite, you'll just have to try them to see what works best for your in terms of finishing times, dusting, etc.

Top Inspection: great product, but nothing you can't do from an alchohol mix for a fraction of the cost.

Personally I wouldn't recommend FTG as your glaze, I have used it with limited success. Hands down best glaze I've used is Chemical Guys EZ Glaze. Easy to use and smells so good you'll want to drink it as you work.

As for lights, invenst in a standing dual halogen light. You can get them for ~$30 at Home Depot. Provides light and shows swirls all in one.

 

Tony,

Great questions. I'd be happy to help and I also highly recommend using our detailing guide for more step by step instructions.

Wash/Dry
Most swirls come from the washing and drying process so make sure you use good technique (see our Detailing Guide) and use quality products. If you need to upgrade your materials check out these three package deals:
DI Packages Washing and Drying Starter Package | Detailed Image
DI Packages Washing and Drying Advanced Kit | Detailed Image
DI Packages Foamaster II Advanced Kit | Detailed Image

Clay Bar
You are all set here

Buffer, Polishes and Pads
Use the M105 with an orange pad or a cyan pad
Use the M205 with a white pad or a tangerine pad
I'd skip the Scratch X

Here are two great kits you may be interested in with the corresponding pads:
DI Packages Porter Cable 7424 XP, Meguiar's Polish and Hydro Pads
DI Packages Porter Cable 7424XP, Meguiar's Polishes and Hydro Pads Basic Kit

I love the Menzerna polishes as well, they are tied with the Megs polishes as my favorite. However the Megs ones cost far less which explains a lot of their popularity on top of great performance.

Menzerna Top Inspection Spray
It's a great product to use that removes any oils left behind by a polish, however if you are using a glaze after don't bother. Glazes have similar oils so it's somewhat a waste of time. Use the Menzerna Top Inspection Spray if you want to skip the glaze and go straight to a sealant.

Glaze
Menzerna Finishing Touch Glaze (FTG) with a black pad is my normal combo.

Sealant
After applying a glaze or even if you skip the glaze it's critical to use a sealant for maximum protection. Sealants are very durable and provide a great shine. I highly recommend the Blackfire Wet Diamond with Polycharger or the Menzerna Power Lock Polymer Sealant. Both will protect for about 4 - 6 months and look great! Apply this with a blue pad.

Lights
I highly recommend the Brinkmann TuffMax Dual LED Pivot Spotlight so you can easily see surface imperfections. Check out this article if you want to learn more about them - Using Handheld Lights for Paint Inspection: Brinkmann LED vs. Xenon – Detailed Image

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Greg @ DI

 

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Your advice has been great! Yesterday I picked up a 1000 watt standing halogen work light with 2 halogen bulbs, on sale for $29.

So this is my newly refined list:

- Meguiars M105 ( w/ Orange Pad)
- M205 (w/ White Pad for cutting)
- Chemical Guys EZ Glaze (w/ black pad)
- Menzerna Power Lock Polymer Sealant (w/ blue pad)
- Alchohol Mixture

So I'll start off with the M205 Polish and if it doesn't get rid of the defects, I'll then go to M105.

So for Pads, how many of each pad do I need for a complete detail job and which kind of pads are best for Black Infiniti paint, eg. CCS Lake Country Smart Pads or Hydro-Tech Pads? Anything special I need to do to ‘prep’ or ‘season’ the pad before using?

Also, I have 3M protective film on the front of my car, would this be a problem with using the polishing machine and polishes?

Thanks again TheIvoryG



Hi Greg @ DI, thanks for you excellent feedback and I see you guys offer some really good packages; however, do you ship to Canada?

Regards,
Tony

 

I agree with TheIvoryG's post. What you posted is essentially my main arsenal now, with the difference in pads. Ive used the LC orange and white for awhile and they are pretty good pads. Ive been doing some reading on the hydro tech pads which are supposedly better with the Megs line because they keep more polish on the surface of the pad. Since the Megs line is recommended that you prep the pad first with polish, the reasoning I have read for the hydro tech over the regular LC pads makes sense to me.

For the M105 and M205, I would recommend at least 2 pads. So 2 orange/cyan and 2 white/magenta.

For the sealant, blackfire also seems to be a popular one, but Im sure you would see good results with the power lock. I currently only use 1 blue pad and use it exclusively for sealant. When you are putting on sealant, the car is completely clean and you dont need much sealant to do the entire car. And since it doesnt gum up the pad, Im able to do an entire car on 1 pad only. So Id only get 1 blue.

I dont use glaze and havent found it to be needed so I cant comment.

One VERY important thing to pick up is the Snappy Pad Cleaner. This will ensure that when you are done with your pads, they will be cleaned properly and able to be re-used again and again. Pick up like 10 of them. Seriously. Everytime I use a pad it always goes into a bucket with snappy pad cleaner afterwards.

So:
2 orange/cyan for M105
2 white/magenta for M205
1 black for glaze
1 blue for sealant.

If you are picking up a package where there are pads included and you need to add an extra pad, add another black for use with the M205. Once you get all your scratches out with your first detail and just need to do your yearly "maintenance" polishes, if you car is in good shape, you might just need a very light combo of M205 with a black pad to give it some shine before you glaze/sealant.

You said you are already using the 2 bucket method, which is great, but make sure you have grit guards in at least your rinse bucket. And you probably also should have some good microfiber towels to clean the car off with...... and some cleaner to clean the microfiber towels.

Good luck and happy detailing.

 

Glad to hear the info was helpful. Unfortunately we do not ship directly to any international address at this time. If you would like to use a drop shipping company like bongous.com they will give you a US address that you can have packages sent to and then forwarded to you. You can also potentially have it shipped to friends or family in the US, if that is an option for you. If you have any other questions please let me know.

 

<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <wontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0pt 5.4pt 0pt 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0pt; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> Hey philter25,

Some more great info so I’ll be going with the hydro-tech pads. I’m thinking of getting them in 2 sizes; 6.5 inch pads with a 6 inch backing plate and 4 inch pads to use with a 3.5 inch backing plate.

In regards to the 2 bucket method, I’ve been using grits guards in both buckets, and I even add an ounce of ONR in the rinse bucket just of extra precaution and 3 ounces in the wash bucket. As for drying, I have several of those Guzzler Microfiber Towels which works quite well.

Since I have 3M protective film on the front of my car, would this be a problem with using the polishing machine and polishes?

Regards,
Tony

 

What is the equivalence of these pads in Hydro-tech pads for the black and blue pads. I know that:

orange pad = Hydro-tech cyan pad
white pad = Hydro-tech tangerine pad

but what about:

black pad = Hydro-tech ?
blue pad = Hydro-tech ?

Regards,
Tony

 

Crimson.

The hydro tech pads are like blends of pads. The cyan one has almost the cut of yellow,but finishes down nicer than an orange. So its like an extended range orange.

The tangerine has about the same cut as green, and can finish almost as nice as black. So its like an extended range white.

The crimson pad would be for finishing products, such as waxes or sealants. So its your blue equivalent.

 

Hey philter25, TheIvoryG,

Here's my complete shopping list now for the pads/polishes, tell me what you think I can add to it:

3 X Lake Country Hydro-Tech 6.5 Inch Foam Pads 3 Pack - Cyan, Tangerine, Crimson

1 X Lake Country Hydro-Tech 4 x 1.5 Inch Foam Pads 3 Pack - Cyan, Tangerine, Crimson

3.5" Dual Action Flexible Backing Plate

Meguiars Mirror Glaze #105 Ultra-Cut Compound 32 oz. New D.A. Version

Meguiars Mirror Glaze #205 Ultra Finishing Polish 32 oz.

2 X Snappy Clean Pad Cleaning Powder 12 pack

Foam Pad Conditioning Brush

Meguiars Smooth Surface Clay Bar Replacement 3 Pack

Chemical Guys Extreme EZ-CREME


Regards,
Tony

 

- As long as you have a buffer with a 6" backing pad for the 6.5 inch pads, looks like a good kit.

- Id probably just add a sealant/wax to use with the crimson pads. I have no experience with the EZ-CREME so I wont comment.

- If you do go with the glaze and a sealant, I would get different pads for each of them. I typically only use 1 pad per product. I'll clean and re-use my cyan pads multiple times, but I will only use M105 on them. You can pick up a regular blue pad to use with the sealant and keep the crimson with the glaze if you choose to use both.

 

<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <wontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0pt 5.4pt 0pt 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0pt; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> Philter25,

Yeah I have a 6” backing plate to use with the 6.5” pads, and a 3.5” backing plate to use with the 4” pads.

I’ll have 3 sets of Cyan, Tangerine, and Crimson 6.5” pads which I will dedicate to each type of polish/glaze/sealant.

Thanks again for all your help!

Regards,
Tony

 

A little tip, since you are going with M105, M205, EZCreme Glaze, and a sealant, correct?

After I finish with a pad, and use snappy pad cleaner on it and dry it, I put it in a ziplock bag, I think one of the gallon sizes fits perfectly. (it will keep dust off the pad, but make sure the pad is 100% dry before putting it in the ziplock bag)

For the cyan, you are probably only going to use M105 on them, so you are fine. For the tangerine, you are probably only going to use M205 on them so you are fine. However, for the 3 crimson, you will probably only need 1 crimson pad to put a coat of sealant on your entire car, and ditto with the glaze. Therefore, I recommend using the ziplock bags and getting a sharpie and writing SEALANT on one bag, and GLAZE on the other bag so you can remember which crimson pad to use with the sealant, and which one for the glaze.

And truthfully, 3 sets is probably overkill, unless you plan on polishing a lot. I currently only have 2 cyan for M105, 2 white for M205, 2 black for PO85RD, 1 green for power finish, and 1 blue for sealant. and I have 2 crimson sitting in the bag to replace a black or blue once it gets worn down.

You could be more than set with just 2 cyan for M105, 2 tangerine for M205, and 1 crimson for glaze, and 1 crimson for sealant....... unless you are going some really bad shape cars and are going through pads like crazy. Ive never needed more than 2 pads with the same polish for a single car/truck/SUV and when I do my Black G37S, its in very good condition so I only need 1 pad to do the entire car.