
Originally Posted by
grovlet
^^ Both are staples in my detailing cabinet. Clear Cut is a new product but I've used it on several vehicles and it's a game changer in terms of compounds. I no longer will be going to M101 or M105 for cutting. It finishes out nearly perfect too.
Here's a 2009 G8 that was hammered. Corrected with Clear Cut then hit with Essence as a polish and base coat for the Ceramic Coating.

Originally Posted by
BozMan-S4
I’d say at max there are fine scratches and swirl marks, nothing major and nothing id call deep or gouging.
Then all you'll need is a polish. If you're a newbie (in a good way) I would suggest keeping things really simple. Grab 5 Medium Cut pads. If you're using a regular consumer grade aka sub $150 polisher, use the Lake Country thin pads. Thicker ones won't rotate as well on lower power units. Meg's Ultimate Polish is available anywhere and is great stuff. The only catch is you'll need to an IPA wipe down after if you're going to ceramic coat the car. Otherwise, you can move to any sealant right over it. Wipe-down wise, I recommend CarPro Eraser. It's worth the money as it is far less prone to micro marring vs typical home grown IPA solutions. Here's a couple vehicles that were in a simliar condition as yours and polished out with Meg's Ultimate Polish.
Vehicle 1, Even
my wife's Lincoln was done with Megs. AZ Member right here brought me
his S4 too.
I personally would clay it by hand. I'm not a fan of orbitals for claying as you have less control over movement and pressure and thus they are more prone to introducing marring. Use a standard synthetic clay mitt and a small pale of VERY soapy water. Far safer than clay lube and a buffer. I like Nano Sponges and mitts and use them all the time without issue. Soap wise, I use CarPro Reset day-forward but I love Meg's Gold Class for my clay lube. Super slick and concentrated. Available locally too.
I’m willing to spend days in the garage doing it right, so not looking for the fastest but a little balance of “easier” due to my experience level would be great but not necessary. I want the best product and I’ll try to live up to it via application.
Depending on your buffer, it won't take days. You're new so it could take 8-10hrs but no more than that.
Here's what I recommend:
- Wash / rinse but don't dry. Move right to Iron X
- Iron X Chemically decontaminate the car and then rinse.
- Grab a small 1 gal bucket, gold class and a nano sponge and do the entire car. You'll finish in 20 minutes. Use a light touch and keep the area soapy and lubed. Rinse often to clear the debris removed and check the results. Don't let soap dry on paint.
- Dry the vehicle. Key to drying is to NEVER use a completely dry towel. Always use a damp towel. Day-forward you'll likely use a drying aid/lube, especially if your car is black. I use a leaf blower as it will ensure you get all the water out of the seams and joints vs ending up splattering that all over when you're using a buffer.
PM me if you have any questions. Happy to help.
Here's Brilliant Black once corrected:
Image 1
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Here's
my wife's vehicle with Gyeon Syncro on it. Awesome product and my go-to for 3 layer applications including their Skin Top-Coat. Here's a
handful of images of my Infiniti which is Wearing 3 layers, two of them being CarPro Cquartz and then their Gliss Top-Coat.
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