Cripes, sorry about the length of this but I've been wondering these things all week long! Here you go RockPick, some questions about Meguiar's stuff..

(By the way - I tried to use Meguiars.com's FAQ to answer many of these but it wasn't up yet. Also, I ordered a catalog from them while I was there so that might help me out too)

So, I've been to all the local places looking for the products mentioned on this site (oh yes, I've been taking notes) and I'm starting to get an idea of what to put in my arsenal. I like the positive reviews and selection of Meguiar's stuff, but I'm also a little overwhelmed by all the choices. Between the 5 or so places I've been to, they all seem to carry a slightly different selection of products.

So, question #1 is - what are the primary differences between the so-called consumer line and professional line of Meguiar's products? Such as, what's gold class vs. professional like? For instance, I bought a cheap bottle of Meguiar's Gold Class Vinyl & Rubber protectant at Target for use on the dash & door panels. However, at Napa today I saw Meguiar's Professional Vinyl & Rubber Cleaner/Conditioner #40 (oy – all these numbers) So what's the diff between these two?

Similarly- Advanced Auto Parts carries the 3-step "Deep Crystal" products (#1 - Paint Cleaner, #2 - Deep Crystal Polish, & #3 - Carnauba Wax) So question #2 is - what would their "professional" counterparts be (if any?) and what would be the advantage of them?

#3 I'm interested in the Citri-Gel mentioned on this forum as a great wheel/engine bay cleaner, but can't find it locally and the search at Meg.com only showed a 4 gallon case at $75.96 - anyone been able to find this in a single gallon? Might just go with the eagle stuff since it's cheap and available.

#4 (The BIG question) Here's the deal - I've a slightly used ('02) black F150 that does have some wax already on it from the dealership or previous owner. (I have no idea what kind) It does have some slight scratches on the tailgate, and it does have some slight swirl marks. Before I had come to this forum, I just picked up some Meg's Gold Class Liquid Clear Coat wax at Target. That was the point (when I saw so many different products on the shelf) that I decided I wanted to do a little research and found this forum. I'm wanting to get a good opinion of what I should do and in what order. Here's what I have in mind to do, largely thanks to the research I've done with this forum:
• Claybar to strip wax/contaminants
• Meg's Gold Class Car Wash Shampoo/Conditioner
• Scratch-X for the scratches (Is this a one-time application or will I need to reapply Scratch-X often for the same minor scratches?)
• Meg's #9 to remove swirls (seems highly recommended for this purpose)
• Meg's Gold Class Liquid Glass Clear Coat Wax for protection. <––This one I'm unsure about. Is there something better you would recommend (and sorry, no Zaino at this point please, I'm trying to shop local) Should I go with the #26 Hi-Tech yellow wax instead? What about cleaner waxes? Do they do anything different that I'm not already doing with the other products?

With those products in mind (or whatever is recommended) what the hell is the order of application? Wash, claybar, wash, scratch-x, #9, and GoldClass/#26? Does that sound about right? Am I supposed to be using a polish in there somewhere, or does one of these products cover that already? Also, what of the above products would I use on the windshield (after cleaning with stoners) to help bead-off the rain?

Have I asked enough questions to last you through the weekend yet?

Ok, that's it for now. Again, sorry for the length but I did try to do some research before I asked. I may sound hopeless now, but I'll get better at this with your help!

Thanks crew!

 

I'm on it... response to follow...

 

I'll wait and see if RP leaves anything for me............ but I doubt it!

 

You really asked for it now, get ready for a book…




However, being fair, RockPick is very well informed on the various Meguires products and he won’t steer you wrong…

and neither would Boss_429

 

First, I had to snip out some of your original text because, when I attempted to post my response the first time, I was too long by almost 4 THOUSAND characters. I'm going to break it out into two responses....
__

Don't forget that Meguiar's 1-800 number is also a help line. If you need answers fast (and during fairly normal business hours), they're VERY sharp.



The consumer line vs. the professional line:

The consumer line is designed with the weekend warrior in mind that wants a cheap and effective product to achieve better than average results. The consumer line is typically made with a little lesser quality ingreidient, including significantly more silicone in some products versus the professional line where only top notch ingredients are used to cater to the enthusiast. This type of person DEMANDS stellar results each and every time. Plus, you'll notice that many of the Pro products mention "Body Shop Safe". This probably doesn't mean much to you but, that means that they are silicone free so, they can safely be used within body shops and not hamper the adhersion of paints/sealants.

Think of the consumer line in 2 catergories or levels. There are 'GOLD CLASS' products which are generally considered to be the top of the line CONSUMER product from Meguiars and then there's everything else.

BTW: I don't care much for #40. It attracts dust pretty bad.



Again, Deep Crystal is considered to be a good product but falls short of Gold Class. They're all quality products but, they don't have quite the level of quality ingredients. The 3-step process is considered to be a VERY good product that, again, simplifies the process of oxidation removal, pure polish, and wax. If you have a very new paint job (which most everyone here does), you are probably wasting your time with step #1 in my opinion. Paint cleaners are designed to remove some stuck on contamination but, it's primarily dealing with any oxidation that your paint may have.

The professional counterparts to this system would be: Mirror Glaze #9 (maybe something with a little higher degree of abrasion) or Premium Paint Cleaner (a Medallion series product - Medallion is something new with Meguiars and further hazes the whole professional vs. consumer question - I include this as a Pro. product), Mirror Glaze #7 (Show Car Glaze - A pure polish with no abrasives), and Mirror Glaze #26 (Premium Yellow Carnauba Wax). When I refer to Mirror Glaze, that is the professional line of Meguiars products.

So...

Step #1: Medallion Premium Paint Cleaner or Mirror Glaze #9 (swirl remover)
Step #2: Mirror Glaze #7 (Show Car Glaze)
Step #3: Mirror Glaze #26 (Premium Yellow Carnauba Wax)

Every finish calls for a different, unique plan in most professional's opinion.



I don't know much about the Citri-Gel (Boss_429 is your go-to guy on this question). I can, however, tell you that you can buy it from premiumautocare.com by the single gallon.

I've never tried the Eagle stuff. Can't comment there.



Continued in next post...

 

Black... ahh, the hardest of all colors.

First, let me mention that what you use to dry, wax, remove wax, polish, apply wax/polish etc... needs to be a quality piece of cloth. I would recommend microfiber as it's properties are least likely to further blemish your finish. Let's face it, if you look at a black paint job the wrong way you'll scratch it. Microfiber comes in all different levels of quality too. From what I've seen to date, you pay for what you get. AKA: spend a little more and get something a little nicer than off the shelf at Wally Hell. (get them from premiumautocare.com - I have three MF towels from them (the big blue ones) and they are nothing short of AWESOME). I also have the MF waffle weave drying towels from Meguiars. They're a pretty good find too. Super soft 100% cotton terry will never leave my aresonal but, it's rapidly being used less and less.

Sorry, I wandered off topic there...

To critique your methodology and step by step process.

1) Clay. This will remove stuck on contamination and a small amount of oxidation (which you really shouldn't have to worry about much considering that it's an 02). It will NOT however remove much wax from my experiences and reading.

So, with that in mind, you might want to go with a dish washing detergent (Dawn is my choice) to remove the wax on your vehicle. It is just about as caustic as it comes and will remove nearly all wax on the vehicle.

2) Gold Class Shampoo. My choice as well. It's fairly cheap, widely available (I buy it by the gallon at Target) and does a great job. One important thing to remember is to not use too much. Just like anything on the earth, too much of a good thing is bad. By utilizing too much shampoo, you could make your mix a little bit too caustic and manage to strip wax (of course, at this point, you have no wax on your truck but, remember this for the future).

3)Scratch-X. I've never tried it honestly because I've never run across a scenario to use it. My understanding is that it's more abrasive than the Mirror Glaze #9 (Swirl Remover).

My suggestion is to attempt to use several coats of #9 before trying the scratch-x. You always want to use the least abrasive product first and then work upwards to achieve your goal.

4)Meguiars #9 (same as Mirror Glaze #9): Great product in my, as well as many others, opinion. Follow the directions to the 'T' and be prepared to utilize several coats. Many people fail on this step because they don't work the product until it nearly dries. This is VERY important in achieving success with this product in my opinion.

5)Gold Class (GC) Wax or #26. My suggestion is to go with the #26. I've heard that the GC gives an outstanding shine but falls VERY short on protection. I can, from current and past experience, tell you that #26 is a fairly durable product and, when used in several layers, can provide a level of protection that is unsurpassed even by synthetics in my opinon. Granted, it will fail faster than a synthetic and will require more maintenance (continued application). I love #26 and have around 8 coats on my truck right now. I don't do this all in one weekend either... I gradually build it up and keep it maintained. One weekend I might do two coats, the next, one, the next two. Etc... Environmental conditions will dictate how long your individual wax will last. My strategy has always been to overdo it when it comes to painted surface protection.

Cleaner waxes are called 'cleaners' because they contain either a chemical additive to aid in removing oxidation or something abrasive to act as a polish/swirl remover of sorts. Again, this is to minimize a weekend warrior's time spent on waxxing his soccer mom mobile. Individual steps, as described above, are much more effective and will yield better results.

I use #26 on my windows all the time with excellent success. I've since stopped using rain-x and similar products because I find that I simply don't need them.

You're leaving out one more important product. A maintenance spray detailer.

I, as well as several others here, would recommend the Meguiars Final Detail (part of the Detailers Series of products). Again, you can buy this by the single gallon from premiumautocare.com.

Use this product often to wisk dust off the surface and leave a nice 'pop' of a shine behind. Again, make sure you're using a quality microfiber to do the swabbing.

Meguiars Quick Detailer (available at Wally Hell and others) isn't a bad product either in my opinion. The FD just adds a considerable amount of 'pop' versus the other detailers manufactured by Meguiars.



Here's how I'd approach your vehicle. Of course, I've never examined your finish but, I suspect that you're in pretty good shape...

1) Wash with dawn to remove other various waxes/polishes. Don't freak out when you're done, this will make the finish look somewhat dull.

2. Clay. This removes the stuck on contamination and gets your paint ready for more application. You'll notice that the primary areas that need clay are typically roof and hood (as they are the most exposed environmentally). You may or may not need to clay the rest of your vehicle. To test, run your bare hand along the dry surface. If you feel a BUNCH of bumps and hard spots, you may need to remove them with clay. If you don't feel these and the finish is generally 'glass-like' you probably don't need to bother with an abrasive product like clay.

As a side note, cut your clay bar into two pieces. This way you'll be covered when you drop a piece. Once a piece of clay hits the ground, it's trash. Period. No exceptions.

I'd try to minimize claying your vehicle, as it's black. You're going to create some small problems (a streak or a small scuff) when you do clay but, be aware that they can be dealt with in later steps.

3. Wash again with dawn. Full rinse and dry.

4. Deal with blemishes. If they are bad enough to warrant Scrath-X, pull it out. Otherwise, attempt to remove them with area specific applications of #9.

5. #9 the areas where swirls are a concern. This may take mutiple applications. Be patient.

6. #7 Show Car Glaze. This is the polishing step and will aid in a deep shine once you've removed the blemishes. Don't forget microfiber....

7. #26. Do two coats the first day and then allow it to sit in the sun for a few hours. This will really make it 'pop'. You'll notice even more difference after a day or so...

8. I typically follow up here with a dust down with Final Detail. Not only will this help the 'pop' but, you'll find those small places where you neglected to remove wax.

9. Pray it doesn't rain because you have officially made a huge offering to the rain gods.

Oh yeah, before all the polishing/waxxing starts, I'd recommend doing your tires (if you want). A good number of us are using Gold Class Endurance from Meguiars and LOVE it. (me included - I use the high gloss).



HAHA! No problem. Glad to help. I think this might be the single longest post I've ever seen on www.f150online.com though. HA!

Feel free to post additional questions and comments. I'm sure that there will be a few other guys with opinions on my procedures but, I welcome them... I think I'm pretty close on what I've said but, I might have missed the boat somewhere.

I hope this helps!!!!

RP

 

Okay... it's open game on Rockpick now...

Feel free to rip on me...




RP

 

Ok, one question, you did save this to a file, right? You know for future reference...

Impressive, very well laid out, informative, yet crisp, great information without being a novel, well just about a novel, but nonetheless a great information resource.

I give it a 9 out of 10. Sorry, I had to deduct 1 point for failure to provide adequate pictures to add more depth to the presentation, otherwise it would have been a 10.

If you were to add a few nice pictures of the depth you have achieved to your truck to the aforementioned (there’s that word again) I would reconsider my scoring…

 

I'm happy with a 9...

I guess I could bolt out to the garage and take a picture of my detailing shelf and get all the products mentioned in the 'aforementioned' post in one snap shot without having to rearrange anything (multiple bottles of several products mentioned).

That Final Detail is an awesome product... I'm glad to have added it to my aresonal... I can't say enough positive about it.

RP

 

Ahhhhhhhhhh................ I'm not reading all that........... I'll just wait for the book to come out!

Well done RP!

Oh yea, the Citri-Gel! An excellent non-caustic all purpose cleaner. Extremely thick, and because of that, it has great "hang time". It works great on tires and wheels. I would thin it down considerably before I use it in the engine compartment though!

 

Thanks man...

 

This is exactly why I go to this site whenever I get a chance...people willing to take the time to help others that they have never met. I have asked a few questions on this site and have always received the help I needed. I'm still learning and will hopefully be able to help fellow members in the future.

Hey RockPick, I've been using Meguiars based on what I have read on this site. Your answers to Graphic's post have helped me out greatly. Just want to say thanks to you and all of the other members out there that take the time to help!!!!!

Fred

 

Wow RockPick - Thanks man! I can't thank you enough for taking the time to write all that! Really!

Being a total newb, this sure makes me feel confident about keeping my new toy looking healthy.

And a big thanks to everyone else on this board, because cruising all your posts has taught me a LOT! Previously, I had absolutely no idea where to even begin (The last time I did anything more than an automatic car wash on my vehicle was to put a single coat of Turtle Wax on my Daytona about 5 years ago...that Daytona is now sitting in the back of the shop with it's paint flaking off like a shedding snake!)

I felt like I was almost there and ready to give 'er the first round of cleaning/waxing but wanted to clear up those pesky doubts and questions I had in the back of my mind. Glad I did, as I'm sure it will save me wasted time and money. It's one thing to ask the schmoe behind the counter at AutoZone (no offense to any AutoZone employees from Iowa who may be reading this thread) and it's quite another thing to have the opinion of someone who understands my love for this very expensive new toy. (And to have such a detailed response by the time I got home from work...you don't get that kind of help in most places)

So again, a big thanks to RockPick for the personalized instructions and to everyone else for all of your input.

Now, I'm on to make a few online orders and wait for Christmas in November

 

More than happy to have helped...

You'll get my invoice in the mail. HAHA! Just kidding!

Feel free to ask any additional questions as they may come up... I can't take credit for the Meguiars knowledge that I have stored in my melon of a head... I've learned almost everything I know from here and from a couple of other detailing forums.... and I'm far from knowing it all.

I guess you could say that I just enjoy doing this stuff...

There are alot of great people that will go way out of their way to help people with questions that they may have... I'm simply returning the favors that have been paid to me over the years.

RP

 

Did I call that one on the money or not? Damn I'm good