rlmccarty2000
New member
- Dec 23, 2013
- 2,002
- 0
Rupes 15, Megs microfiber finishing pads, and CarPro Essence is what I use prior to coating application. If I’m not coating, I use Menz 3500 on a Rupes yellow pad.
Keeping a well maintained car looking it's best: chemical polish or abrasives?
- Thread starter rhavyn
- Start date
Rupes 15, Megs microfiber finishing pads, and CarPro Essence is what I use prior to coating application. If I’m not coating, I use Menz 3500 on a Rupes yellow pad.
DaveT435
Active member
- Jun 23, 2012
- 3,982
- 0
This would definitely be a great experience for you. This is a generous offer it could save you from buying things you don't need, or don't work. Also I'm sure you could pick up a lot of knowledge.
A very nice offer Lim
- Thread starter
- #23
Lim, thanks so much for the offer, if you don’t mind I’ll send you a PM
The Guz
Well-known member
- Jun 17, 2013
- 8,787
- 66
Hyper Polish is a good polish. Versatile like M205 based on the pad used.
Other polishes you may want to consider are Sonax Cut Max if you need a compound, Sonax EX 04-06 for a polish or Sonax Cut & Finish for a one step compounding polish. All 3 work great. Gyeon Polish is nice. Not as much cut Hyper Polish or EX 04-06 but it works well. Sonax and Gyeon are available in 8 oz bottles which is nice.
Not necessarily. With proper washing and maintenance one can do fine with a sealant.
- Thread starter
- #25
For the moment I don’t seem to have much choice in the matter. Most of the coatings I’ve seen require a pretty extended cure time and I don’t have access to a garage. I’d have to take my car to someone to get a coating done and I’d prefer to do my own work if possible.
Thanks!
Awesome offer Lim!
I would look into your washing technique and the products and methods you use. Cause the necessary to polish comes down to how you touch your paint and the products that touches it. The use of multible wash mitts or mf wash towels to be used with not haveing a rinse bucket. But when needed take a fresh one out of the wash bucket instead. Use the old rinse bucket to place the used ones in it.
One thing I always do is a prewash. This is to get the loose dirt off and some of the abrasive dirt that clinging on the paint. So I get the paint as clean as possible before touching it. Griots Garage BOSS foaming system that has just been released and I think AGO will soon be offering. Is a great way to go with in what they recommend to use it as. Have a look at the video with Q&A on the system. You can use it with the prefered PW or with a garden hose.
The quality and the gentle approach with the wash media like mitts and or mf wash towels. Is also very important they don't scratch your paint up with them. Maintain them thoroughly with washing them after every use and inspect them before you touch your paint with them. Then with a great lubricated car soap it will be a save washing with the possibility to marring the paint as low as possible.
Then you have the drying part of the washing session. If you want the safest method you have the blow dry it with a master blaster or leafblower or another the like. When it comes to mf drying towels the most effective ones is the GG PFM towels or the like them Gyeon Silk Dryer. The waffel weave towels I use on the glass only and maybe the wheels. I don't feel like WW towels is safe enough on the paint to handle the dirt if you missed any or if it some how came any loose dirt with the wind on the paint. And wash the drying towels separate from other mf towels. The use of drying aid I feel is optional if you use a quality drying towel there is no need IMO to use it. And it could mess with the drying towels effectiveness in the longrun too. It's important to not let the drying towels dry after you used them if you use drying aid.
If you have this dialed in the need of a lightly finishing polish yearly would be the only needed to handle the maintance indused marring. Then if you get RIDS or other marring and scratches that's out of your control. You may be bedded to spot correct those defects. The products and combos you listed is a good base to start with and see what the test spots tell you. Menzerna has a even less abrasive ultra fine polish sf3800. But with your BMW and combo the sf3500 with the least aggressive pad is a perfect option. It could be good to have both the medium cut polish pf2500 and the one step compound fg400 at home for spot polishing if you need a more aggressive approach.
The protection is also an important thing to look into. Coatings are being more user friendly and you have awesome coating lite options too. They do have a little different kind of maintance method than the useally wax and sealant. But the protection it gives is rewarding in the end I think. You could get to 2 years of protection before a light polish is needed again if your situation suits it. Then you have the toppers of different kinds that extend the longevity of your LSP.
Some thoughts and opinions from me. And there is only a right way for you to decide about which way to go with all the options available. You have got some solid recommendations on here that is great.
/Tony
I would look into your washing technique and the products and methods you use. Cause the necessary to polish comes down to how you touch your paint and the products that touches it. The use of multible wash mitts or mf wash towels to be used with not haveing a rinse bucket. But when needed take a fresh one out of the wash bucket instead. Use the old rinse bucket to place the used ones in it.
One thing I always do is a prewash. This is to get the loose dirt off and some of the abrasive dirt that clinging on the paint. So I get the paint as clean as possible before touching it. Griots Garage BOSS foaming system that has just been released and I think AGO will soon be offering. Is a great way to go with in what they recommend to use it as. Have a look at the video with Q&A on the system. You can use it with the prefered PW or with a garden hose.
The quality and the gentle approach with the wash media like mitts and or mf wash towels. Is also very important they don't scratch your paint up with them. Maintain them thoroughly with washing them after every use and inspect them before you touch your paint with them. Then with a great lubricated car soap it will be a save washing with the possibility to marring the paint as low as possible.
Then you have the drying part of the washing session. If you want the safest method you have the blow dry it with a master blaster or leafblower or another the like. When it comes to mf drying towels the most effective ones is the GG PFM towels or the like them Gyeon Silk Dryer. The waffel weave towels I use on the glass only and maybe the wheels. I don't feel like WW towels is safe enough on the paint to handle the dirt if you missed any or if it some how came any loose dirt with the wind on the paint. And wash the drying towels separate from other mf towels. The use of drying aid I feel is optional if you use a quality drying towel there is no need IMO to use it. And it could mess with the drying towels effectiveness in the longrun too. It's important to not let the drying towels dry after you used them if you use drying aid.
If you have this dialed in the need of a lightly finishing polish yearly would be the only needed to handle the maintance indused marring. Then if you get RIDS or other marring and scratches that's out of your control. You may be bedded to spot correct those defects. The products and combos you listed is a good base to start with and see what the test spots tell you. Menzerna has a even less abrasive ultra fine polish sf3800. But with your BMW and combo the sf3500 with the least aggressive pad is a perfect option. It could be good to have both the medium cut polish pf2500 and the one step compound fg400 at home for spot polishing if you need a more aggressive approach.
The protection is also an important thing to look into. Coatings are being more user friendly and you have awesome coating lite options too. They do have a little different kind of maintance method than the useally wax and sealant. But the protection it gives is rewarding in the end I think. You could get to 2 years of protection before a light polish is needed again if your situation suits it. Then you have the toppers of different kinds that extend the longevity of your LSP.
Some thoughts and opinions from me. And there is only a right way for you to decide about which way to go with all the options available. You have got some solid recommendations on here that is great.
/Tony
minirips2
New member
- Apr 12, 2018
- 53
- 0
SWETM is right on point, here. What you wash and dry dark cars with is critical, as is technique. For me, it seemed like no matter how careful I was, I always ended up with some micro scratches from the drying process. I scored one of those Big Blue drying towels, and I now use the blotting method to dry. It's been a game changer for me. It only takes a few minutes longer to dry my car that way, but the results are soooo worth it.
Eldorado2k
Well-known member
- Nov 9, 2015
- 14,566
- 697
This is what I use to wash black paint and not instill swirls.
I think I’m a bit different than most when it comes to the drying though. While I do have a wide array of quality drying towels, I put almost no worries into the drying process and if my best & softest towels aren’t available, I don’t have any less confidence in the rest of my drying towels and I don’t blot with any of them. I prefer “matador” style or just plain wipe dry and never worry about instilling swirls. I’ve never had a problem with the drying.
