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first question is, do you guys prefer a bufffer or doing it by hand. Second question what types of products do you prefer. And lastly, the last time i polished and waxed my integra and my BMW i had massive imprefections, kinda like swirl makrs but like an un even shine in direct sunlight or under the lights at night. Looks great in the shade tho. How do i aviod the uneven finshing. It looks terrible in the sun. I need help, i want my car too look good.
__________________ 1994 325is 5spd black/black
"Straight lines are for fast cars, turns are for fast drivers!"
I like to use a buffer because it really saves time. The key with using a buffer and avoiding imperfections is using new or clean polishing/waxing pads whenever you polish and wax your car. Also, when you remove the polish/wax, be sure to use a clean (and soft!!) terry cloth towel or microfiber towel (I prefer microfiber but they are a bit more expensive). When you remove, be sure to take of the wax/polish in a circular motion, and turn the rag over every so often and use a clean section. Also, I always pull the car out into the sun to check that I have removed all of the wax before I proclaim it done, if you miss a spot and let it sit in the sun it will most definetly cause imperfections.
Meguires products are generally considered the best by most people, and no matter what, steer clear of turtle wax. You get what you pay for, and if you go cheap the results will be less than satisfactory. I know DuPont has a new wax out, however I have never used it but I am planning on trying it, it has teflon in it and is supposed to keep contaminents off the paint longer.
Oh, the more coats of polish you put on, the better, the polish is what will give the car a deep wet look, and the wax will protect it.
I used Zymol today and did it by hand. Yes a buffer can be quicker, but you will probably will have spend all the time u saved taking it off the molding. If you have a big car or SUV with alot of area, id biff too, but my 328 is small enough to do by hand.
wax.... i get......but ive never polished a car... is polish seperate from wax? i always thought it was the same thing! haha shit i gotta polish my car it seems
i use gold class meguires ... what polish should i get and what is the most i should polish my car (2-3 times at once?)
__________________
1992 318i, Jet Black, Manual
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Clay bar the car after a good wash and remove contaminants embedded on the clearcoat. (Done once or twice a year)
Polish using a swirl remover/polish using a DA Polisher. This is when you will remove or hide the swirls and add oils to the finish to make the color brighter and bring out the shine. (Twice a year)
Seal using an acrylic sealant to lock in the shine. Several layers should last you a few months. (Twice a year after polishing)
Wax applied on a properly bonded and sealed finish will add even more gloss and shine. make sure to use Carnauba only wax (preferably paste wax) and not the "Cleaner Wax". (Every 2-3 months)
I do this routine twice per year on my Silver Acura as I live in NE and the finish goes thru winter with no problems. The proven combo I use is Mother's Claybar System, Poorboy's SSR polish, Klasse AIO and Sealant Glaze and topped off with P21S/ S100 wax.
Besides the products available OTC, there are far more superior products available online which can give better results and sometimes even easier to use.
As far as buffers, stay away from the cheap locally available "orbital" types, they would probably introduce more swirls on the finish as they use bonnets instead of foam pads. Meguiar's DA-100 Polisher (Porter Cable 7424/7336) is the one of the good ones out there and is not too expensive. If you take the appeance of your finish seriously, then you should consider investing in one of these.
first question is, do you guys prefer a bufffer or doing it by hand. Second question what types of products do you prefer. And lastly, the last time i polished and waxed my integra and my BMW i had massive imprefections, kinda like swirl makrs but like an un even shine in direct sunlight or under the lights at night. Looks great in the shade tho. How do i aviod the uneven finshing. It looks terrible in the sun. I need help, i want my car too look good.
Bleier325: If you invest in a Porter-Cable random orbital and the correct foam pads, you can remove the swirls easily without risk of paint damage. Here's an example of swirls I get from the auction.
I typically spend 12-14 hours detailing a BMW for the shop owner. But, you can use the process described by vicman: Clay-Polish-Seal-Wax. With a porter-cable, you will use 2 pads: polish foam pad and a good product is Meguiar's #83 followed by a finish foam pad. A decent product that is widely available is Meguiar's NXT liquid wax.
Here's the swirls removed on the 540i
Holler if you have questions. I typically do 2 cars per week.
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