Cone_Killa

Just picked up an '05 last week, it's red, and I see some swirls (dealer car wash probably) and water spots (from sprinkler at dealer?), I'd like to get rid of that! On my old car (silver) I've had success using Meguiar

FearlessFife

[QUOTE=Cone_Killa,Nov 2 2005, 11:40 PM] Just picked up an '05 last week, it's red, and I see some swirls (dealer car wash probably) and water spots (from sprinkler at dealer?), I'd like to get rid of that! On my old car (silver) I've had success using Meguiar

JWN6264

I had the same thing with my 2005 NFR. I did the Mequiars 3-step and am very happy with the results. I have an old random orbit buffer that I've been using for 10 years, but I want a Porter Cable for Christmas!

MikeyC

Meguiar's makes good products. There are others that are better, but Megs products definitely work. If you have dealer installed swirls you'll get the best result with a buffer. I would recommend you get a DA a/k/a orbital buffer. Do not get a rotary buffer. A rotary buffer would be way more aggressive than you need for a like new car and takes skill to handle without damaging your car. The most popular orbital buffer is the Porter Cable either model 7424 or 7336.

wanabe

welcome to the car and to this site!!!

great advice above...
and i second the motion on the porter cable- you really do not want to polish by hand, cause if you do it right your arms and hands will be useless for several days after!!

by the way, as fearlessfife mentions, there are many of us anal guys here who always drive cars that look better than showroom perfect... and we are here to help you keep your car looking however you choose to have it look (we know that not everyone is like us).

pretty amazing to me that the dealer would water spot a car! i hope the spots have not cratered (etched the paint)- of the problems you mentioned the spots are what would bother me the most. i would vinegar those babies right now!

here is a great article on water spots and swirls for your reading pleasure!
http://www.bettercarcare.com/articles.php?articleId=15

Cone_Killa

Thanks everyone for the great advice! I've been doing the 3 steps process for some time, I get great results for $15!

So no one sees a problem with using cleaner/polish/wax on a brand new car? I believe the car was on the lot for about a month and I picked it up last week.

rtmpaul

I have the same question -- my car probably sat on the dealers lot for two months or more and I am not sure whether they waxed it or not when they prepped it for me because it did not have the slick feel that I am used to getting. I see minor swirl marks too and figured I would just go with a single step cleaner wax. Sounds like I need a PC and some time....

Cone_Killa

I actually took the car back to the dealer to have it detailed since it was very late at night when I bought it. I made sure I mentioned the swirls and water marks and the detail guy told me I wouldn't know it was there when he got done with it! Well, guess what, it was all still there! Looks like I'll be doing some cleaning and waxing this weekend!

Cone_Killa

update... spent the weekend cleaning/polishing/waxing the S! That was a lot of work! It looks and feels much better but there's still work to be done!

Here's what I did, wash the car, then used Meguiar's cleaner (step 1) by hand. It helped a little, specially with the water spots, but not that much and I was too exhausted Saturday! Sunday I went to Lowe's and picked up a PC 7336 SP and picked up some foam bonnet from local auto parts store and some Meguiar's Swirl Remover 2.0 and went to work! I had to use what was available to me locally cuz I wanted to get it done over the weekend! I tried to follow the instructions to properly polish the car and it seems it did a better job than what I did Saturday. I then waxed the car and quit! It looks great and feels extremely soft to the touch, however, I can still see the swirls and some water spots! But nowhere near where it was before. My fault for getting a red car! It was so much easier on my silver car!

Now I need to invest in some pads for the PC and the right polish/wax to do the job right! But I'm a little confused on what I need for the PC, it came with a waxing pad and some pad for sanding. Can I use any of those with the CMA pads or do I need a different pad/plate? Once I have the right pads and plate what products should I order? Many mention Zaino, I have no experience with their products. What do I need to get that would work with the PC 7336 and will get rid of the swirls and water spots and provide good protection?

So many options out there, it can get pretty confusing!

Thanks in advance for any help!

MikeyC

Wow! You've asked the same loaded question that everyone who's new to car care asks. "What products should I buy?" This is a very tough question to answer because what products you should buy depends on three things:

1) How much time you're willing to put in
2) How much money you're willing to spend
3) Brand preference

No one can really answer the "what product" question except you. My suggestion is to surf some detailing websites like Autopia and Detail City. Read about the details that people have done and likely their opinoins and results combined with your personal preferences will allow you to make a decision on what to buy. If you don't like what you bought then go back to the drawing board and try something new. I've been experimenting with products since I was sixteen and have yet to stop. There's always something new to try.

As far as pads go, there are many different brands. I suggest you try to get one of each type which is usually 4 or 5 pads. This way no matter what you need to accomplish you have the right pad. Get some pads with velcro backing and also buy a velcro backing plate. This will allow you to quickly change the pad on your PC.