BryanH
New member
- Jan 9, 2013
- 152
- 0
Last weekend I detailed my mom's 1995 Camry which she has owned since new. It hasn't been garaged for the past 5 years so it definitely needed some attention.
Remarkably the hood only needed M205 to achieve a very good level of clarity. The roof and trunk, on the other hand, were the worst areas and were very hazy and dull. It seemed clear to me they would need heavy correction.
Nonetheless I started with a less aggressive method than I anticipated I'd need. Pinnacle ASR or Meguiars UC weren't getting results. So I went for my strongest ammo, M105 on a MF pad, and it was most troublesome. I had two problems:
1) Sometimes it would leave behind thick deposits (think of small bird dropping size) of product. I had to saturate the deposits with QD and use a MF towel with elbow grease to remove them.
2) Often the M105 would seemingly absorb into the paint before it had an opportunity to work. It left behind streaky white trails that wouldn't come off. Buffing the area with a MF towel felt exactly like no product had gone down at all - as if the paint was freshly clayed - and no M105 would come off with the towel. I applied more 105 by hand to help "pick up" the old 105 in order to try something different on that section of paint.
I tried to mix M105 with a QD spritz on the panel and got the same results more or less. So I took a break, thought about it for a while, and the best I could figure was that in some way the paint was so dry that it wasn't the right time to use M105. :dunno:
It took me a while to figure out but I came up with a new (to me) 3 to 4 step process to finish out the paint.
1. Pinnacle ASR on a foam polishing pad. This stuff has always seemed to run "wet" to me so in my head it seemed like it would nourish or prep the paint in some way.
2. M105 on a microfiber pad (now it works!)
3. UC on a foam polishing pad (Optional, depending on how an area finished after M105)
4. M205 on a foam polishing pad
Four steps... that seems extreme for a car where 90% correction would be plenty good for the owner. But that's what I had to do to get the job done on these areas.
I'm very much in the 'hobbyist' category as I tend to do 1-2 detail jobs per year. Lately it seems like I'm presented with challenges like this more often than I used to be, so I'm thinking I may be missing something basic or something important. It might be a good idea to head down to the next Detailing 101 class at Meguairs HQ. It looks like those are done for the year.
Meantime I ought to do more research on indicators - signs that you're using the wrong amount of product, the wrong DA speed, the wrong product, etc. In theory I think I understand what's going on. In practice I can find it tricky. I seem to have the best luck with M205 since it's so so easy to work with. M105 gives me fits 90% of the time. And others are in between.
Most of the other panels came out fine with UC and M205. I then finished the car with two coats of Menzerna PL (4 hours apart).
Even the local insects like a good smooth surface with minimal defects.
Not the most exciting car or color but it was a satisfying job nonetheless.
One of these days I'll get to my own cars...
Remarkably the hood only needed M205 to achieve a very good level of clarity. The roof and trunk, on the other hand, were the worst areas and were very hazy and dull. It seemed clear to me they would need heavy correction.
Nonetheless I started with a less aggressive method than I anticipated I'd need. Pinnacle ASR or Meguiars UC weren't getting results. So I went for my strongest ammo, M105 on a MF pad, and it was most troublesome. I had two problems:
1) Sometimes it would leave behind thick deposits (think of small bird dropping size) of product. I had to saturate the deposits with QD and use a MF towel with elbow grease to remove them.
2) Often the M105 would seemingly absorb into the paint before it had an opportunity to work. It left behind streaky white trails that wouldn't come off. Buffing the area with a MF towel felt exactly like no product had gone down at all - as if the paint was freshly clayed - and no M105 would come off with the towel. I applied more 105 by hand to help "pick up" the old 105 in order to try something different on that section of paint.
I tried to mix M105 with a QD spritz on the panel and got the same results more or less. So I took a break, thought about it for a while, and the best I could figure was that in some way the paint was so dry that it wasn't the right time to use M105. :dunno:
It took me a while to figure out but I came up with a new (to me) 3 to 4 step process to finish out the paint.
1. Pinnacle ASR on a foam polishing pad. This stuff has always seemed to run "wet" to me so in my head it seemed like it would nourish or prep the paint in some way.
2. M105 on a microfiber pad (now it works!)
3. UC on a foam polishing pad (Optional, depending on how an area finished after M105)
4. M205 on a foam polishing pad
Four steps... that seems extreme for a car where 90% correction would be plenty good for the owner. But that's what I had to do to get the job done on these areas.
I'm very much in the 'hobbyist' category as I tend to do 1-2 detail jobs per year. Lately it seems like I'm presented with challenges like this more often than I used to be, so I'm thinking I may be missing something basic or something important. It might be a good idea to head down to the next Detailing 101 class at Meguairs HQ. It looks like those are done for the year.
Meantime I ought to do more research on indicators - signs that you're using the wrong amount of product, the wrong DA speed, the wrong product, etc. In theory I think I understand what's going on. In practice I can find it tricky. I seem to have the best luck with M205 since it's so so easy to work with. M105 gives me fits 90% of the time. And others are in between.
Most of the other panels came out fine with UC and M205. I then finished the car with two coats of Menzerna PL (4 hours apart).
Even the local insects like a good smooth surface with minimal defects.
Not the most exciting car or color but it was a satisfying job nonetheless.
One of these days I'll get to my own cars...
