Building a Meguiars Kit!

[LOWAU]

Originally Posted by Panda

After reading this post a couple of days ago I went out and bought that Meguires Clay stuff.

This stuff is the bomb. It deadset leaves the paintwork as smooth as glass.

When I was standing there reading the box I was trying to figure out HOW CLAY COULD POSSIBLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE. When I had finished cleaning my car though, I didn't care how it works, all that I care about is that it DOES WORK. Bloody unbelievable result.

I was sure to wash the car well and then used Meguires Paint Cleaner, because my one concern is - what if you pick up some grit in the clay?

Well worth the $35 IMO

Panda

I also bought the Meguiars quik clay pack.

My paint was a bit rough to the touch after 6 years in the SUN (car hasn't seen a garage). I just thought that's as good the paint is gonna get be with regular polish and wax.

WOW what a difference the clay made, all this yelow/brown build upcame off with the clay and the paint is now as smooth as glass.

If your paint is rough to the touch, BUY THIS STUFF! You won't regret it.

Originally Posted by back2thefutura

Hey Reece let me know how the Terry Towel goes - i still find it a bit of a weird thing to use.

The terry towel feels fine, ill just have to use it and find out...

Ill post up a pic to try to show how good it comes up...

Originally Posted by LOWAU

I also bought the Meguiars quik clay pack.

My paint was a bit rough to the touch after 6 years in the SUN (car hasn't seen a garage). I just thought that's as good the paint is gonna get be with regular polish and wax.

WOW what a difference the clay made, all this yelow/brown build upcame off with the clay and the paint is now as smooth as glass.

If your paint is rough to the touch, BUY THIS STUFF! You won't regret it.

Do you use the clay in the same way you would wax a car?

[Sundeep]

Yeah I don't get what this clay shit is. I might go down to Autobarn and have a look.

I gave the EL a good wash yesterday and then hit it with the Turtle Wax shit and then Meguiars Gold Class. MMmmmmanannnnn what a difference! Looked like it had just been delivered by the dealer!!!!

So I've got my kit done! Might have to buy some clay stuff but.

Sundeep

[Sprint_ED]

i generally buff the whole car down with scratchx with a motor hand buffer, then go over with wet look wax, that does the treat

OK, I was about to wax the ute when I noticed it said you should use paint cleaner before applying to remove dirt, resude, other waxes etc. Is this necessary, or should I just wax it anyway??

[LOWAU]

Originally Posted by hambo_12

Do you use the clay in the same way you would wax a car?

You make sure you car is clean and still wet, then you just rub the clay over the wet paint untill it feels smooth. The kit also comes with a quick detail spary which you spary to help keep the clay wet and it also cleans aswell.

Then you just polish and wax after that.

[SVR73]

Originally Posted by LOWAU

You make sure you car is clean and still wet, then you just rub the clay over the wet paint untill it feels smooth. The kit also comes with a quick detail spary which you spary to help keep the clay wet and it also cleans aswell.

Then you just polish and wax after that.

If your paint is smooth or even slick and is in good condition, go ahead and seal or wax the finish
If not then do clay it however I recommend that you do it quickly but lightly, don't rub or scrub

Only use paint cleanser occasionally and don't polish so often.
Polishing every three months is overkill. Instead use ultra fine products first like vanilla moose, paint cleanser, clay, quick detailers and hand glazes.

So I can use the sealant even without the paint cleaner, just make sure I wash it good before hand...

[Panda]

Originally Posted by hambo_12

So I can use the sealant even without the paint cleaner, just make sure I wash it good before hand...

You can pretty much start or finish at any point, so long as you have washed it first.

For example, you could polish and nothing else, but since you haven't used the paint cleaner, the polishing may not be as good. Also if you don't wax it the polish won't last as long.

Panda

stoopid question, is paint sealent the same as wax??

[SVR73]

Originally Posted by hambo_12

stoopid question, is paint sealent the same as wax??

No, they are totally different
They are both forms of paint protection but here's the diff

Wax - carnuaba natural and synthetic (silicone polymers)
Melting point 180 F
Sits on the paint and provides one to four months protection
Pro's - easy to apply and remove, 0-30 mins bonding time, great shine with carnuaba's, carnuba's can be applied over top of sealants
provide excellent depth and wetness to paint
Con's - won't last as long

Acrylic, super polymer, ceramic and polymer sealants
Melting point 800+ F
Given from 15 mins to two hours and up to 24 hours, will bond to the paint and cure, then becoming a rock hard protective layer between paint and the elements
three to 12 month protection in most cases
Pro's - better protection, great shine and decent depth, can be layered for increased depth
Con's - lacks real depth and wetness, must wait 24 hours between coats

[MRJUCY]

Zaino sell an accelerator for their sealant so you can do up to 3 coats in 24 hours

thanks for the helpful info. So, if I use the sealent, then use wax, that is the way to get the best protection and shine?

[SVR73]

Originally Posted by hambo_12

thanks for the helpful info. So, if I use the sealent, then use wax, that is the way to get the best protection and shine?

Yep that's right
I've known about Zaino's booster for many months. Being a member of the world's #1 detail site provides me with updates on new products
Am not a zaino user however and prefer to let them cure naturally

[richo77]

Quik Clay is awesome stuff everyone agrees including me.

What I dont know how Megs Aus and retailers justifies the asking price of between $35 -45 cos I saw it in Walmart (equivalent to Big W) in the US 2 months ago for 9.99(US)!

They've definately cornered the market here at the premium end and personally i'd love to see some of the lesser known brands such as Poorboys more widely available to give them a run for their money.

[SVR73]

Originally Posted by Nathan Richards

Quik Clay is awesome stuff everyone agrees including me.

What I dont know how Megs Aus and retailers justifies the asking price of between $35 -45 cos I saw it in Walmart (equivalent to Big W) in the US 2 months ago for 9.99(US)!

They've definately cornered the market here at the premium end and personally i'd love to see some of the lesser known brands such as Poorboys more widely available to give them a run for their money.

It's gonna happen mate, with me, wax it, eclipse and concourse car care slowly but surely bringing in the latest products from the states, meguiars will face stiff competition eventually
No chance of removing them from the market completely but their market share will be attacked

Quik clay is good but it's only poly clay. I find that type of clay to be sticky and leaves more residue than traditional clays
Instead of paying $35-$45 for the container of clay and lubricant, get yourself a blue or red clay magic bar at $40 which is 200 grams, twice to three times the size of the quik clay and then get a 3.78 - 5 litre container of quick detailer and every time you have half emptied the 500ml - 1 litre spray bottle, fill it back up with purified water

Will last a lot longer and save you heaps

[BomberXR]

Originally Posted by SVR73

It's gonna happen mate, with me, wax it, eclipse and concourse car care slowly but surely bringing in the latest products from the states, meguiars will face stiff competition eventually
No chance of removing them from the market completely but their market share will be attacked

Quik clay is good but it's only poly clay. I find that type of clay to be sticky and leaves more residue than traditional clays
Instead of paying $35-$45 for the container of clay and lubricant, get yourself a blue or red clay magic bar at $40 which is 200 grams, twice to three times the size of the quik clay and then get a 3.78 - 5 litre container of quick detailer and every time you have half emptied the 500ml - 1 litre spray bottle, fill it back up with purified water

Will last a lot longer and save you heaps

Where do you get these blue/red clay magic bars from?.....Sounds much better value than the Quik clay

[SVR73]

Originally Posted by BomberXR

Where do you get these blue/red clay magic bars from?.....Sounds much better value than the Quik clay

I actually sell those at a discount to ford forums members.
If you cut the block into two or four pieces and shape into square the size of your palm, then if you drop a piece you still have others to use as if you drop it you must throw it out

And you can either shampoo the whole car down and then clay or use quick detail spray on a dry car as lubricant

[BomberXR]

Originally Posted by SVR73

I actually sell those at a discount to ford forums members.
If you cut the block into two or four pieces and shape into square the size of your palm, then if you drop a piece you still have others to use as if you drop it you must throw it out

And you can either shampoo the whole car down and then clay or use quick detail spray on a dry car as lubricant

Cool, how do I go about obtaining a couple of blocks then.... :

[Dark Horse]

Originally Posted by back2thefutura

Hey Reece let me know how the Terry Towel goes - i still find it a bit of a weird thing to use.

Terry towels make a bloody good mess when it comes to working the wax in for instance. I prefer the microfibre towels. Much much better.

I found the terry towel excellent when waxing... Although I havent used a microfibre one to compare with...

[b2tf]

Originally Posted by Dark Horse

Terry towels make a bloody good mess when it comes to working the wax in for instance. I prefer the microfibre towels. Much much better.

Yeah I thought they might, ive bought a pack of 2 Terry Towels and I found it rather difficult to wax with them!

[SVR73]

Originally Posted by BomberXR

Cool, how do I go about obtaining a couple of blocks then.... :

If your car is white, you'll need the red bar, all other colors only use the blue
You can do either one of the following

Send money order or cheque to

Dream Machines
Matthew Gibb
PO BOX 369
Virginia
South Australia
5120

or direct debit

BSB # 633-000
Account 110985017

Cost each is $40 dollars and $10 dollars for postage all over australia

are these polishers any good they are on special at hs for 40 bucks

http://www.ryobitools.com/product/pr...t=1&toolcat=30

[SVR73]

I doubt it. Polishers like that do not have the torque to do the job. It may be better than the ones seen at supercheap's but it's a 10 inch pad and won't be easy to manouvere in certain areas

For around $150 - $200 you can get random orbitals that will do a superb job
The rotary I am updating to soon is $450 wholesale and reduces torque and speed when you put pressure on the paint (albeit moderate) otherwise you will burn or eat through more paint. It speeds back up with no pressure as well.

[MRJUCY]

If all you want to do is apply wax & save some time those cheap type orbitals could be useful but if you want to do some polishing or want a really good result you'll be disappointed unfortunately

[bscampbell]

I picked up a Meguiar's microfibre polishing cloth (see pic below) and microfibre chamois last week (20% off at AutoBarn).
Are these items OK?
Can the microfibre polishing cloth also be used as the drying cloth instead of the chamois?
From what I've read the microfibre cloths are better than chamois' for drying because they don't scratch the paint.

I currently use Meguiar's NXT generation tech wax and car wash...both are great!

My white BA also has some fine scratches on it as well as water marks that don't wash off.
What's the best option here? A clay bar? If so, which is the best value for money?
I'm not sure if I can bring myself to pay $50 for a red clay bar, but then if it's not much more than the 'others', then I guess I will!

My XF's paint is a little tired and is thinning in quite a few spots, and has the trademark variations in colour that go with many silver paints.
What can I do to gently rejuvenate it, short of a respray?

[xr8 007]

i didnt wanna start a new thread on this,,,BUT has anyone had any problems with the meguiars range?? I've spone 2 the company on many occasions and already know me on a first name bassis (they most likely call me BALLBreaker!!!!!! lol), asking them if there stuff is clear coat safe and they assured me it was!! it just throws me off when there is no indication on the new products like the teck wash and wax and the clay bar which i must do!! anyone have any issues with the clay bar!!!??

[SVR73]

The #9 meguiars swirl remover doesn't remove swirls. It only fills and hides them and is far too fine to remove any. They will come back after a couple washes.
You can either shampoo the car and clay with the shampoo on it or wash and dry and then use quick detailer on each panel and rub the bar over and wipe with an MF

To get rid of all swirls by hand is impossible. You can remove up to 60% with alot of work
However with a rotary, PC or orbital, you can do it with two steps.

Wash & clay
cut or cleanse paint
swirl mark remover (choose the grade (either ssr 3, 2.5, 2 or 1) that you need and then finish with #1
finishing polish
enhance paint (clearkote vanilla, raspberry and yellow moose or by themselves if your in a hurry)
Seal with either acrylic, ceramic or super polymer sealer (2-4 coats is great)
Wax - concourse wax is my choice

That of course is my method for the ultimate finish, some cars may require only paint decontamination, cleansing, minor swirl mark removing and sealing