New....did I miss anything or important step?

[Samuelv7]

Hello,

1st time here. I’ve recently decided that I wanted to see just how good the dark blue paint on my 2011 charger can look.
I ordered the Meg 100 mirror glaze speed cut because I got a good deal on Amazon. Also I had a few things in the garage already soo did a bit of mix/ matching.

As of today, I can see my reflection so well I that I actually see the details in my arms tattoos pretty clearly. But....I have a feeling it’s not as crystal clear as it could be.

So, here’s what I’ve done so far. Keep in mind this is my first attempt ever at show quality shine.

1st - Washed of course
2nd - clayed with Meg clay bar kit. Was so bad actually used all three bars and the whole QD bottle.
3rd - Meg 100 with orange pad on rotary. Went pretty slow...but got it done.
4th - Wipe down with some shine armor. (I know, a lot of marketing...but pretty solid as QD)
5th - NXT 2.0 on green pad light pressure to work it in. Dry, and remove per instructions.
6th - after 24 hours, Shine armor wipe down and applied 2nd coat of NXT by hand. Dry, wipe off.
7th - another 24 hours and one last coat of NXT by hand including windows. Dry, wipe off.
8th - A little dust settled so being that had no more shine armor, I did a quick wipe down with some good guys hybrid spray wax.
Now again, in my poorly lit garage the shine looks amazing to me so far. However my reflection isn’t what I would call “mirror crisp”.. It’s raining today, so it may be the weekend before I can get it into the sun.

Ive tried issuing a flashlight....but all I can really see are the metal flakes and pearl shining brightly.

I live in the Pacific Northwest so longevity is pretty important...but I’m just tired of her looking old and tired lol.
Ideally, I would like to see show ready clarity before I pull her out again.

Im happy to go get a product to top it all off if there are any suggestions....or, ugh....completely start over if I missed something.
Any immediate thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

[The Guz]

I would recommend incorporating a polish of some sort after the compounding stage. That will add more gloss and refine the finish.

And yes that will remove the protection you have already put on.

 

[Samuelv7]

Yes...,I toyed with the idea of using a dedicated polish after the M100....but was honestly more worried about doing damage to my clear coat.
I hoped the NXT as a polish/sealer, would have been enough....but you are probably right.

So, I guess I have to ask then do I need to strip everything with say...a dawn dish wash or can I go at it straight away with the polish followed by NXT?

 

[Maxreed241]

Hello,

1st time here. I’ve recently decided that I wanted to see just how good the dark blue paint on my 2011 charger can look.
I ordered the Meg 100 mirror glaze speed cut because I got a good deal on Amazon. Also I had a few things in the garage already soo did a bit of mix/ matching.

As of today, I can see my reflection so well I that I actually see the details in my arms tattoos pretty clearly. But....I have a feeling it’s not as crystal clear as it could be.

So, here’s what I’ve done so far. Keep in mind this is my first attempt ever at show quality shine.

1st - Washed of course
2nd - clayed with Meg clay bar kit. Was so bad actually used all three bars and the whole QD bottle.
3rd - Meg 100 with orange pad on rotary. Went pretty slow...but got it done.
4th - Wipe down with some shine armor. (I know, a lot of marketing...but pretty solid as QD)
5th - NXT 2.0 on green pad light pressure to work it in. Dry, and remove per instructions.
6th - after 24 hours, Shine armor wipe down and applied 2nd coat of NXT by hand. Dry, wipe off.
7th - another 24 hours and one last coat of NXT by hand including windows. Dry, wipe off.
8th - A little dust settled so being that had no more shine armor, I did a quick wipe down with some good guys hybrid spray wax.
Now again, in my poorly lit garage the shine looks amazing to me so far. However my reflection isn’t what I would call “mirror crisp”.. It’s raining today, so it may be the weekend before I can get it into the sun.

Ive tried issuing a flashlight....but all I can really see are the metal flakes and pearl shining brightly.

I live in the Pacific Northwest so longevity is pretty important...but I’m just tired of her looking old and tired lol.
Ideally, I would like to see show ready clarity before I pull her out again.

Im happy to go get a product to top it all off if there are any suggestions....or, ugh....completely start over if I missed something.
Any immediate thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

I'm with The Guz on the polish. I would suggest Meguiar's M205, pretty good polish I have used. Meguiar's just released their M210 if you want to have the latest and greatest.

As far as prepping just wash and then use the polish, it will strip off the previous waxes and add gloss.

If you are looking for longevity, I would suggest something like Collinite 845 or 476. Or for more protection, a ceramic coating.

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