stewartg Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 I guess I would need to know what your paint concerns are before I can really tell you one way or the other. You won't be removing any swirls by hand no matter what product you use, so if swirls are your concern then you can save yourself some work and just wait till you get a machine. I don't know what type of paint issues you have on your car, but that purple bottle Meguiars shit doesn't work well for anything really. It won't get water spots off, it won't do much for any amount of oxidation, it won't remove bird shit etching, it won't get rid of bug stains... It is really just a product that people can buy and feel better about not neglecting their cars, but it really doesn't work. If you want to explain what you are trying to repair on your paint then we can probably recommend something that will work better, but in over a decade of professional detailing I've never found a paint cleaner available off the shelf that I would suggest for use. They are all very disappointing and ineffective. I agree with you on the "purple bottle Meguiars shit" polish, but have you tried the "purple bottle Meguiars shit" paint cleaner with a porter cable? I was simply amazed with how effective it was. Also, scratch-x WILL remove scratches and swirls by hand, but it's not very efficient or inexpensive to do the entire car with it. I see Megs largely as the Starbucks of detailing products. No matter where you are you can find it, the pricing is fair (not cheap), and results are consistent and predictable. Now, get outside of the bubble, and there are a million other brands that excel in certain products which put Megs stuff to shame in different price ranges. Catch is, you have to know where to find it, wait 2 weeks for the vendor to ship it, then try to figure out how to use it. Duraglass and Optimum are the names I trust most, but I will forever have Scratch-X and Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner in my arsenal. Their clay doesn't suck either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCDetails Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 I use scratchX all the time for paint swap removal from door dings and the like, scratches from bushes, polishing headlights, etc. I agree that it is not something that you want to use on the whole car. I keep telling people that it is called ScratchX and not SwirlX. Meguiar's has many products for professional use that will remove swirls. ScratchX is basically #85 Diamond Cut in a tube. That is not something I would want to use on the entire car. lol Meguiar's has some pretty nice stuff, but it isn't always the stuff you find on the shelf. There are the three grades of products we have to remember. Consumer Grade are the maroon bottles that you find on the shelves. Enthusiast Grade are the things like NXT and the higher priced products that aren't available everywhere. Then there are the brown bottle Professional Grade products that you get from paint supply shops or online. Most of the Enthusiast grade products are only available online too. That is where you'll find all the boutique products like Zaino, Wolfgang, and stuff like that. Meguiar's has their foot in the game there, but their bread and butter is the Consumer and Professional Grade products. The only Meguiar's stuff that I buy on a regular basis off the shelf is the Odor Eliminator, NXT, and Quick Detailer. Sometimes if I find a gallon of Gold Class wash on the clearance rack I'll pick that up too, but everything else has a reasonable replacement that I can get in larger quanities for less usually. Oh, and the Gold Class waxes are really good too. I would include them in the Enthusiast Grade products. So anyway, I don't want my purple bottle bash to make it look like I don't like Meguiar's. lol On the contrary... I love the stuff from them that I use. The only thing that has really ever managed to totally disappoint me is their clay. Everything else has been what I expected it to be. _________________________________________ “Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.” O C D E T A I L S . C O M OCDETAILS BLOG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackinches Posted February 7, 2008 Author Share Posted February 7, 2008 i don't have any major scratches or swirls, i'm just looking for a good paint cleaner. i'm wondering if my paint color has changed or faded. so meguiar's paint cleaner won't do much for me then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCDetails Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 Nope. If you are driving an '05 or newer then there isn't much chance that applying a paint cleaner by hand is going to do much. Especially if it has been waxed a couple times since it was built. It may very well benefit from a clay and polish job, but anything that you are going to use by hand isn't going to have much affect on anything that isn't seriously damaged. _________________________________________ “Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.” O C D E T A I L S . C O M OCDETAILS BLOG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackinches Posted February 7, 2008 Author Share Posted February 7, 2008 i see. well i was planning on stripping the wax off soon. i guess this accelerates my plans for getting a detailing machine. i need to start looking for a good starter kit. any recommendations on products? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewartg Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 Don't be completely discouraged to try out a all in one product, just don't be discouraged when the car doesn't come out looking perfect. It should still help to add some gloss and protection. Not having a polisher is not a reason to forget about washing and waxing, you can still preserve that paint for many years. If you want to take the step up to polishing the car and getting it to look its best, my favorite kit is http://autogeek.net/optimum-porter-cable-kit.html. EDIT: I use edge 2000 pads right now, and haven't actually tried the ccs pads, but I have some new ones sitting at home waiting for my spring impreza detail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniStiGuy Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 I only use my Edge pads. I don't touch the CCS pads... lol they are just stacked in my detailing plastic tub. OEM HID's Rx330 Retro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iyalla Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 I love the look of the newer Flex XC3401 DA everyone is gushing about. I might sell my little used PC to get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCDetails Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 I may consider that one, but I got sucked into the UDM hype too and that was a pretty sad excuse for a machine. It is no more effective than a PC and it has a host of glitches that make it undesirable. I'll have to do a little more research on the FLEX machine to see if it is somthing that would benefit an enthusiast. I still stand by the PC as one of the best choices for a detailer of any skill level, but there are definitely other choices that vary in effectivness, risk, and price as you gain experience. _________________________________________ “Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.” O C D E T A I L S . C O M OCDETAILS BLOG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackinches Posted February 9, 2008 Author Share Posted February 9, 2008 let us know ocd. i'm looking forward to your line of products as well. that way i'll know i'll be getting quality products. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iyalla Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 I may consider that one, but I got sucked into the UDM hype too and that was a pretty sad excuse for a machine. It is no more effective than a PC and it has a host of glitches that make it undesirable. The UDM fiasco is what makes me hesitate with the Flex. I'll be using my PC a lot more this summer so i'll wait Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCDetails Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 I talked to Dwayne at Autogeek.net on Friday and I asked him about it. He said it was an awesome machine. You know how the PC will let you spin the pad when it is turned off? And you know how if you put a little bit of pressure on it while operating the PC it will stop spinning even though it still orbits? The FLEX is gear driven in both aspects, so it is impossible to spin the pad when it is off. I can see that being a little more risky than a PC as far as potential paint damage, but random orbitals are still much safer than a rotary. The biggest drawback of this machine would be the size and weight making it a little awkward to manuver around the car. I think I'm talked into it and will be picking one up for the start of the detailing season. Anyone in the area is more than welcome to come to the 6th Annual OCDetails Spring Cleaning Event and check it out. I'm working on a way to make this year's event go out as a webcast. I'll have video of the goings on at any rate, so be sure to keep that in the back of you mind. _________________________________________ “Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.” O C D E T A I L S . C O M OCDETAILS BLOG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iyalla Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 ^Awesome OCD look forward to it if you get it on the web! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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