How To: 3 step: clean/swirl remove/wax (Newbie Friendly) - Honda Prelude Forum

yohan420 · 09-06-2003, 12:28 PM

By popular demand, here's my How To guide in ridiculous detail for those people who asked me what "EXACTLY" I did to achive the below restored finish on my car ::NOPRUNE

Now My car was in pretty decent shape, a tad of rust in the wheel wells, swirls and light scratches EVERYWHERE and noticeable, especially roof and hood. The driver side on the rear quarter panel from the around the window to the back of the car was faded, not glossy, looked like ass. Made me feel like my car was mariah carey style because I only wanted to show off half of it

I have NEVER done a wax on my car like this ... So I went to www.meguiars.com a while ago and they have an online thing that tells you what producs to use ... I went to Part Source and bought this: (when I asked for tips, the guy said doin it by hand, i agreed ... he said patience... lots and lots and lots of patience.)

On the left, A pack of 8 Terry Cloth Towels (Just like the bath towels you use in a Hotel-That , is terry cloth.) The big towel on the blue towel everything is sitting on is what I dried my car with after the wash.
Then, Step #1, Deep Crystal System Paint Cleaner.
In place of Step #2 polish, I used #9 Swirl Remover/Polish.
and Step #3, Deep Crystal System Wax.

Now they have what I think are Higher End products that are a couple more bux/bottle and they are that beige color but I think they are preferred to be used w/ a orbital polisher

Here's what I did:

I went to the car wash and used the pre-soak, I had been on the highway and to the mountains so there was lots of dirt/bugs on my car. Chips all over my car as well from rocks etc. Other faded parts.. the "pinkish" parts need to be repainted, no quick-fixing those-just happens over age. I let the soak sit there a bit then blasted it all over w/ soap. The problem areas for dirt, all along the bottom of the doors, behind the wheels, front bumper, back bumper license plate I always go in really close w/ the pressure washer, usually I start at the roof and work down .. basic stuff. I washed out the foam brush and went all over my car .. I'm cheap, so I keep washing after the suds stop coming out if they are still plentiful on the car so I can get more life out of my coins

... Then, the rinse and pressure wash wax .. then I went outside of the wash and dried off my entire car w/ the terry cloth towel (big blue one in the pic) .. This should be regular maintenance for EVERYBODY ... so now the goods:

I went home, parked in my garage and closed the door a good way because I didnt want dust getting in .. Unfortunately my rents are in BC and they took the keys to my moms sebrings so I had a small work area

..

*** NOTE! - The directions say to do this in the shade, you can really do this outside the car wash if you want .. overcast day should be ok if its not too hot.. the reason is this: I parked in my garage, it was like 10 o'clock at night, totaly dark out .. the hood was still warm ... nothing buffed on or off correctly because of the heat .. make sure the ENTIRE car is cool when you do this! ( I probably have to re-do my hood.)

The directions for the solutions say apply to 100% CLEAN TERRY CLOTH TOWEL, then rub with circular motion with another 100% CLEAN TERRY cloth towel. I stress the 100% clean especially for buffing.. Good thing I had 8 of these. (You could use a lot more .. I could have used easily another 4 - but I cheated..) And also to work on one section of the car at a time .. My sections were one fender at a time, roof, trunk & spoiler, rear bumper, front bumper, one door at a time, and rear quarter panels from half way up the roof to the tail light/bumper.

First, I took the #1 Deep Crystal System Paint Cleaner, I folded my terry towel and put a bunch of the paint cleaner on the rag. I rubbed the terry cloth against the car and spread out the liquid over the roof (where I started) and rubbed an rubbed and rubbed and rubbed in circular motion, after a while it gets all hazey, there is no amount of rubbing to tell, it just rubs on and gets a bit harder to rub in ... then I took a nother clean towel and rubbed it off ... voooooom .. my hand whisked accross my car leaving the cleanest paint .. I think the paint cleaning system is like the "clay bar" approach that will take off every bit of dirt the car wash missed... so do this all over your car. On the rear quarter panel where the paint was ugly a lot of red/pink started appearing on my towel ... but it was starting to get glossy .. I definately like seeing that ... rubbing/buffing is the same process for all 3 compounds I got ..

There is nothing special to do, it doesnt turn color or change consistency which was my biggest worry .. putting on too much/too little, not rubbing it long enough, hard enough, leaving it on too long and wrecking the paint .... just apply in circles until its hazey and a thin even layer is everywhere and then use a clean towel and buff it off .. it comes off very very easily.

This is a before shot::

Gross huh?

And after ONLY the paint cleaner:

Not bad. I was happy with just that ... it had gloss again!!

keep readin, theres a better final pic.

Anyways, Step 2 ... Swirl Remover ...
This sh!t is TOUGH to rub in .. If I were to go back and do this, I'd buy an orbital buffer.. they recommend it on the bottle for a reason. Now if your new and want to get a machine buffer, I recommend orbital .. it rubs in circles like you would with your hand, rotary buffers go in a cricle like an electric toothbrush and can really fu(k up your paint if you do it wrong.

Swirl remover, put on a cloth, and rub ... REALLY REALLY hard .. for a long time ... I really didnt get rid of much for swirls on my car, a couple areas I rubbed extremely hard pushing down all my weight on my arms until it was hard to rub it into the car some more, when I buffed it did make a different, it wont get rid of the swirls entirely but reduces them somewhat ... it didnt take out any light scratches for me .. however, had I buffed longer and used an orbital buffer I bet I would have yielded incredible results.

And then ... Wax! Definately the best smelling of the products I bought ... I felt like Karate Kid .. Wax on, Wax off .. I sh!t you not, this is seriously the procedure just like that scrawny lil kid used on all those classics in the movie.

The directions said "Let dry into a haze" .. So I worked half the front of my car, hood, fender, bumper .. and then started buffing it from where I started ... carful you have good stance when you start buffing because I almost fell into my car ... that wax makes the car sliippery with a clean terry cloth towel.

And that is what I did ...

More images here:
http://www.imagestation.com/album/?i...09&mode=invite
Anything with an aMVC filename is the before pics ... then the middle ones up to the above picture are the swirl/paint cleaner steps .. and the end ones outside are the day after I waxed it.

So now, theres no reason NOT to wax your car .. you know how, its easy, nothin to fear ... goto the store buy some towels and wax, wash the bish and do it!