Hi all! I'm looking for recommendations on giving my vehicles the "wow" factor & looking for your opinions on which product(s) to do so. I own a flex 3401 with lake country hybrid pads (orange,light blue, white, black, & red) also have a griots 3". My product arsenal consists of the blackfire stuff that came with my flex when I ordered it as a kit. I also have the meguiars ult compound & polish which seems to work pretty good but I want to kick it up a notch now. For wax I have 845 & Meg's gold glass for now but am open to suggestions here as well. The vehicles I own are a white 3/4 ton dodge diesel, white grand am g/t & an amber colored chev tahoe. I recently detailed the tahoe & was pleased with the results, but I know there's more potential there that I want to unlock. I've called the tech line 2 times, talked to 2 different people & got 2 of their recommendations which was optimum finish polish, & the 3D HD polish. So let's hear what works for you! I can't wait to hear your "recipes" that give you the results that make you smile! I'm open to anything! I'd post the 1 reflection shot of the tahoe, but being a newb I'm not sure how! Lol Thanks in advance! Feed back please
Taking it to the next level of shine
- Thread starter MN Ranger
- Start date
AlPap
New member
- Mar 6, 2009
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I like Rupes UHS Easy Gloss. It's easy to work with and gets out fine scratches and swirls. I follow this up with Wolfgang Fuzion. I have a Rupes buffer and love how it works. I'm a hobbyist , not a pro, and this system makes my black Porsche glow. Will be doing my car soon when it warms up here in the northeast. Good Luck.
Breese147
New member
- Dec 28, 2014
- 452
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Meg's #9 and Meg's gold class carnubua waxView attachment 34042View attachment 34043 finishing polishes will help out greatly!
trekkeruss
New member
- Nov 25, 2013
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I'm not a pro, but I think detailing is a lot like photography. Getting better at it is mostly due to learning the craft, and not what equipment being used. Like photography, a lot of amateurs think that buying a better camera will make them a better photographer. But it doesn't work that way...and you can bet that Mike Phillips can use inexpensive tools and products and get the finish your looking to achieve.
You have arguably the best DA polisher money can buy. You have every grade of pad. You have excellent compounds and polishes from Blackfire and Meguiar's. You have waxes that many people swear by. What's left? Maybe you have gotten the best shine out of your trucks and don't know it because you think you're not qualified to make that assessment. Or maybe your missing a step or technique that would indeed help. I don't know.
My vehicle is a light color and hides swirls and scratches very well. So other than the DA, pads, and polishes, I need good lighting and eagle eyes to look at the paint after each step.
You have arguably the best DA polisher money can buy. You have every grade of pad. You have excellent compounds and polishes from Blackfire and Meguiar's. You have waxes that many people swear by. What's left? Maybe you have gotten the best shine out of your trucks and don't know it because you think you're not qualified to make that assessment. Or maybe your missing a step or technique that would indeed help. I don't know.
My vehicle is a light color and hides swirls and scratches very well. So other than the DA, pads, and polishes, I need good lighting and eagle eyes to look at the paint after each step.
Don M
Active member
- Jan 8, 2010
- 2,254
- 14
:iagree: You have a good set up, work with what you have until YOU know there is nothing more you can do with those combinations. Instead of trying 1,000 different products, work on your TECHNIQUE. Mike Phillips has awesome TECHNIQUE, that's why he can make a silk purse out of a sow's ear no matter what machine or products he's using.
Audios S6
Active member
- Oct 12, 2011
- 1,634
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As others have already said, the tools and products you have are very good. This sounds like either an issue with technique of expectations.
Amber, Tan, champagne, whatever you'd like to call is not going to shine the way a black car can. Don't get me wrong, it can look very good and if you think there is potential there, go for it. Just manage your expectations. I have 2 silver cars and they look better than 95% of the cars on the road, but a well done black, blue or red will put it to shame; but you'll never see the rock chips and minor swirls in a silver car either.
That said, to get the most out of lighter colored cars, I tend toward acrylic sealants to get a little boost. 845 is a good alternative though.
3D polish is also very good, but there's no need to be chasing the best product right now. Focus on the technique. Work on your test spot until you get it where you happy. When you're looking at incremental improvement, you may have to do an entire panel to stand back to see the true difference.
Amber, Tan, champagne, whatever you'd like to call is not going to shine the way a black car can. Don't get me wrong, it can look very good and if you think there is potential there, go for it. Just manage your expectations. I have 2 silver cars and they look better than 95% of the cars on the road, but a well done black, blue or red will put it to shame; but you'll never see the rock chips and minor swirls in a silver car either.
That said, to get the most out of lighter colored cars, I tend toward acrylic sealants to get a little boost. 845 is a good alternative though.
3D polish is also very good, but there's no need to be chasing the best product right now. Focus on the technique. Work on your test spot until you get it where you happy. When you're looking at incremental improvement, you may have to do an entire panel to stand back to see the true difference.
- Thread starter
- #8
Thanks for the replies so far! They are all very much appreciated! When I got home yesterday from work I found that my kids had been playing with the hose & sprayed moms Tahoe! Water spots galore!! I washed it, then dried with my cobra waffle weave & they were still there so I sprayed it with the vinegar & water solution that has been talked about here, worked great! I then re-polished with blackfire finishing polish, then topped it with the Meg's gold class. Looked pretty darn good for a hobbyist! I see on the BOGO there's pinnacle xmt finishing glaze. Anybody have experience with it? Could that be my missing link that I'm searching for after the polish? Maybe I am looking for something that cannot be achieved, but I'm sure there's always something different that can make things look better! I think I figured out the posting of a pic so I enclosed my finished product of the hood. It was getting dark out, but the reflections & depth looked pretty good for a guy without much experience. Thanks again for you comments! :dblthumb2:
trekkeruss
New member
- Nov 25, 2013
- 1,072
- 0
When you compound and polish, the goal is to level the paint as much as possible. Compound is a course leveling, and polish is a finer leveling. There are, of course, different grades of polish, just as there are different grades of sandpaper. So in theory, an extra fine polish will level the surface just that wee bit more and make it shinier. Some people call that extra polishing step "jeweling."
As for the LSP, do you want warm? Deep? Glassy? I personally don't see much difference between waxes, sealants, or coatings, but others do. Of course durability comes into play; a so-called show car finishing wax might be "better," but it also might only last a few weeks.
hey man. Do you just have the 21 or do you also have a mini for hard to reach places. Trying to figure out if a mini is imperative or not
Rsurfer
Well-known member
- Jan 26, 2007
- 14,159
- 26
rops:
Roger T
New member
- Jan 21, 2014
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Mike Phillips, here on the Autogeek forum, has written about using Menzerna SF 4500 as an ultra fine finishing polish to "take it to the next level". Mike says this is a product that should be in everyones arsenal.
You might want to read his article to help you with your decision.
Roger T
You might want to read his article to help you with your decision.
Roger T