pROCEDURE TO RESTORE PAINT?
- Thread starter wikdsvt
- Start date
mustangmike6996
Club Member
Wash
Strip wax (can be done during the wash, called strip wash).
Claybar
Compound/polish
Wax.
I'm assuming it's a base coat /clear coat
What kind of polish/compound do you have or plan to use? What about polishing machine? Rotary or DA?
Strip wax (can be done during the wash, called strip wash).
Claybar
Compound/polish
Wax.
I'm assuming it's a base coat /clear coat
What kind of polish/compound do you have or plan to use? What about polishing machine? Rotary or DA?
wrath
Club Member
I wash.
I use Cyclo No 7 Auto Polish (by hand). It was a little better when Dupont still owned it but it still works very well. Cuts a little faster than Meguiars Ultimate Polish but cleans better.
I use Corrosion Technologies Rejex sealer (normally used on airplanes).
I haven't found better for the amount of labor required to get better than average results.
You can go faster with more chemicals and power tools but I don't know if you get any better results.
If I had to deal with some thin paint I'd probably clay bar it but in reality I haven't used clay on anything in 15 years. I'm lazy I guess.
I use Cyclo No 7 Auto Polish (by hand). It was a little better when Dupont still owned it but it still works very well. Cuts a little faster than Meguiars Ultimate Polish but cleans better.
I use Corrosion Technologies Rejex sealer (normally used on airplanes).
I haven't found better for the amount of labor required to get better than average results.
You can go faster with more chemicals and power tools but I don't know if you get any better results.
If I had to deal with some thin paint I'd probably clay bar it but in reality I haven't used clay on anything in 15 years. I'm lazy I guess.
AutoRoc
Club Member
YouTube Meguires M105/M205 combo. It's an aggressive compound/fine compound to remove heavy swirl and then polish. Follow with whatever wax you love. My paint wasn't bad so I just did the finer M205 and it removed whatever fine swirl I did have from regular passes through auto washes over the winter. I used an orbital. Goodluck! Keep everything clean. Claybar before doing any of it if you are feeling energetic.
Wrath probably knows his shit, but Meguires is just easy to find. I'll look into that sealer!
Wrath probably knows his shit, but Meguires is just easy to find. I'll look into that sealer!
Last edited:
wrath
Club Member
M105 is more of a rubbing compound. It is easy to get out of control and in many cases it will dull the finish which scares a lot of people. Since it cuts pretty fast, you really have to pay attention to seams/high spots/transitions and if using power tools... a few seconds of space cadeting it and it's a lot of misery. If you have a lot of swirls/heat/orange peel in the paint you can quickly get them out with M105.
Then you need to finish it with a polishing compound. M205 *appears* to have less oils/crap to keep the cut material suspended than the Ultimate Polish. M205 is faster but you have to pay more attention and you have to start clean more often.
The Meguiars Ultimate Polish is good enough for everything, but I like Old No 7 better. Old No 7 is more forgiving (and doesn't dry out as fast).
The only time I really use M105 (or any other rubbing compound) is if I block sanded first.
I'm mostly looking for "it looks nicer than fresh off the assembly line" and not show car quality. There are way better and way more labor intensive (and expensive) ways to get better results. Few people really notice so why bother?
Rejex is just a polymer sealer. It wipes on and wipes off. You can use a machine or do it by hand. I do it by hand. It doesn't fully cure until about 12 hours after you remove the haze which seems strange to most people. If you've used Meguiars NXT 2.0, it is actually easier than that. It lasts nice for about 3 months and at 6 months you can tell it's still there.
A $6 bottle of Old No 7 or $11 bottle of Meguiars Ultimate Polish will do a couple cars. A bottle of Rejex at around $20 will do about 4 cars. I usually cheat and use Scott white painter's paper towels (they're soft like toilet paper) for polishing and sealer application. Use microfiber towels to remove the sealer.
Then you need to finish it with a polishing compound. M205 *appears* to have less oils/crap to keep the cut material suspended than the Ultimate Polish. M205 is faster but you have to pay more attention and you have to start clean more often.
The Meguiars Ultimate Polish is good enough for everything, but I like Old No 7 better. Old No 7 is more forgiving (and doesn't dry out as fast).
The only time I really use M105 (or any other rubbing compound) is if I block sanded first.
I'm mostly looking for "it looks nicer than fresh off the assembly line" and not show car quality. There are way better and way more labor intensive (and expensive) ways to get better results. Few people really notice so why bother?
Rejex is just a polymer sealer. It wipes on and wipes off. You can use a machine or do it by hand. I do it by hand. It doesn't fully cure until about 12 hours after you remove the haze which seems strange to most people. If you've used Meguiars NXT 2.0, it is actually easier than that. It lasts nice for about 3 months and at 6 months you can tell it's still there.
A $6 bottle of Old No 7 or $11 bottle of Meguiars Ultimate Polish will do a couple cars. A bottle of Rejex at around $20 will do about 4 cars. I usually cheat and use Scott white painter's paper towels (they're soft like toilet paper) for polishing and sealer application. Use microfiber towels to remove the sealer.
mustangmike6996
Club Member
"a few seconds of space cadeting'
Is that a new term for zoning out? Because that's hilarious.
Is that a new term for zoning out? Because that's hilarious.
mustangmike6996
Club Member
A couple other opinions/tips:
I found a FB page called Obsessed Garage that has some very knowledgeable people and they have tried pretty much every chemical known to the industry.
I stumbled across a product called Bead Maker, made by P&S. I bought a gallon for $35 from Amazon, it came with some pretty nice edgeless microfiber rags from The Rag Company. Bead Maker is a spray on-wipe off product that helps repel water and makes a pretty slick finish. It is a pretty good bang for the buck.
I tried it after I used Meguires Hybrid Ceramic Wax spray. I liked the product but it was a bit easy to streak. You wash the car, spray it on then hose it off. Even application is key to limit the streaking. It did keep a nice shine for a few month and repelled a lot of water after rain storms.
I found a FB page called Obsessed Garage that has some very knowledgeable people and they have tried pretty much every chemical known to the industry.
I stumbled across a product called Bead Maker, made by P&S. I bought a gallon for $35 from Amazon, it came with some pretty nice edgeless microfiber rags from The Rag Company. Bead Maker is a spray on-wipe off product that helps repel water and makes a pretty slick finish. It is a pretty good bang for the buck.
I tried it after I used Meguires Hybrid Ceramic Wax spray. I liked the product but it was a bit easy to streak. You wash the car, spray it on then hose it off. Even application is key to limit the streaking. It did keep a nice shine for a few month and repelled a lot of water after rain storms.
