Max Shine on Dark Metallic Paint

[erichaley]

i like Menz SF4500 on dark colours.

here is my black ram polished with 4500 and Opti Guarded.

here are shine shots...with that mirror like reflection youre speaking of.





and here is flake shot...this was with OPT finish polish...i foudn the Menz worked better on the Dodge paint FWIW.

Very nice!!! That's exactly what I mean!

 

[kxlexus]

Primo,
Beautiful truck! That is exactly the way I want my truck to look

 

[WRAPT C5Z06]

Menzerna FG 400 is not a one-step product. It is a heavy-cut compound, similar to M105. Menzerna PF 2500 is more of a one-step product...

If the paint is hard and light in color, I wouldn't hesitate to use FG400 as a 1-step.

 

[ArkayoDeetayo]

While I'm not disagreeing with what you say (it's a common statement afterall), I question why anyone would stop at FG 400 when a finishing polish can provide a much better polish. Todd Helme posted a comparison between M105 and FG 400 over at Autopia. Although both products finished out nicely with a finishing pad (jeweling), neither was perfect. To me, finishing with FG 400 is like finishing sanding with 100 grit sandpaper. Sure, it may look fine, but it could look so much nicer if you finished up with 3000 or even 5000. While the finer grits do remove paint, much like the finishing polishes would, it seems like so much is being left on the table. That's the way I see it anyway.

You are totally correct, and I agree. Notice after my statement about using it as an 1-step, I said if he preferred, he can use an even finer polish after that (which I had in mind of PO85RD) but like I said it is based on how much time the OP has and how much work he is willing to put in. Perfectionist like you and me, we go that extra step to squeeze every last drop of shine out :dblthumb2::dblthumb2:

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

While I'm not disagreeing with what you say (it's a common statement afterall), I question why anyone would stop at FG 400 when a finishing polish can provide a much better polish.

It comes down to personal preference is why. Some people aren't as anal about how their car's pant looks as other people. Some people want good, not great.

I've seen a lot of people that used M105 or UC and then went right to wax. Hey, if it looks good to them and they're happy, I'm happy.

I used it as a one step on this light colored 1957 Chevy Belair, this is a $45000.00 car purchased at the West Palm Beach Barret-Jackson auction and in my eyes and more important the owner's eyes it looked great. In fact, the owner, a car collector told me he's never owned a car with as nice a finish as the one I created on his 1957 Belair.

New Menzerna FG 400 - One-Step Show Car Makeover

Menzerna Fast Gloss 400

Chemically Strip Paint
For my LSP I'm going to use GTechniq EXO and per the manufacturer's instructions the paint needs to be chemically stripped to remove any and all polishing oils, or any other substances that could affect the bonding of the EXO Hybrid Coating to the paint. For this I'm going to use Wurth Clean-Solve and a clean, soft microfiber towel.

GTechniq EXO
After I carefully prepped the paint by chemically stripping it I then applied the GTechniq EXO using a clean, soft microfiber towel.

Coat and Wipe One Panel at a Time
After applying the GTechniq EXO to a single panel I would then carefully use a clean, soft microfiber towel to wipe off any excess. You only want to work one panel at a time because if you have any excess product on the panel and you don't wipe it off soon enough it will dry and harden and become difficult to wipe off.

Had some cloud cover but you can still see a high gloss, swirl free finish...

That's not to say that if "I" owned that car I would have performed a seconded and perhaps third polishing step as that's "my nature". And in fact, that's what we did on my own daily driver here at AG.

1987 Chevy 4x4 Monster Truck "Before & After" Pictures

At the same time, here's a two-step I did on a black car...




Testing Out Chemical Guys Black Wax - 1964 BLACK Catalina



Third Test Spot = Orange 6.5" Hybrid Cutting Pad
Next I taped-off a dedicated section to perform my first Test Spot using the Orange 6.5" Hybrid Pad.

Paint Correction Tip
Anytime you think you might be moving the side of your buffing pad into a curved section of paint, be sure to prime the sides of the pad also to provide both lubrication and abrading ability.

The right side of the tape line is the before side...

The left side of the tape line is the after side. With the orange pad I'm easily seeing 95% plus correction so this is the pad I'll use for the rest of the car followed by the white pad with Menzerna SF 4000 and then I'll machine apply the Chemical Guys Black Wax.

Waxed...

Super soft microfiber towels and microfiber gloves ready to go...

Finished...

So I agree with you that it's always better to follow a compound with a polishing step or two using less aggressive products and pads, Menzerna FG 400 is top quality, cutting edge compound capable of incredible results especially compared to the compounds that were available just a few years ago...



Abrasive technology is continually improving and that's making all of jobs easier, (the labor part), while making it easier than ever to get professional results by just about anyone...

I've seen more new products introduced in the last few years than in all my life in this industry...

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

If the paint is hard and light in color, I wouldn't hesitate to use FG400 as a 1-step.

If it works for a person, and on the car they are working on, that's what matters most.

You are totally correct, and I agree.

Notice after my statement about using it as an 1-step, I said if he preferred, he can use an even finer polish after that (which I had in mind of PO85RD) but like I said it is based on how much time the OP has and how much work he is willing to put in.

I agree and well written post. Very good wordsmithing...

:xyxthumbs:

Perfectionist like you and me, we go that extra step to squeeze every last drop of shine out :dblthumb2::dblthumb2:

And that's because you two, like many of us including myself think like I describe here...


The Mindset of a Professional Detailer

The Mindset of the Professional Detailer

:dblthumb2:

 

[ArkayoDeetayo]

If it works for a person, and on the car they are working on, that's what matters most.





I agree and well written post. Very good wordsmithing...

:xyxthumbs:






And that's because you two, like many of us including myself think like I describe here...


The Mindset of a Professional Detailer

The Mindset of the Professional Detailer

:dblthumb2:

thanks for the support Mike. We all learned from the best, your Autogeek video tutorials. Before I watched them or learned about Autogeek, I didn't know the difference between a swirl and a squirrel! Amazing how much you can learn in a couple of years. To be truthful, I actually learned about them from you, because I followed you initially from the Meguiars forums and the news that Autogeek hired you, then I too moved to Autogeek and never went back to Meguiars online.