Polishing my car

[Miles1]

Originally Posted by amagalla

I was recently asked how I got my car so clean.



That kind of cleaning only happens once a year, if that.
You need to get a good polisher (not the ones from Sears). Here is a link to a good one (no affiliation with this site):
Porter Cable Polisher

This is probably the best value out there. Make sure you get a variety of good polishing pads, and a good polish. There are some kits on the Autogeek site that package the Porter Cable with some pads. I like the $229 kit. I use a lot of Meguiars stuff. I start with the Meguiars 105 polish then move to either the Meguiars 205 polish or Meguiars Ultimate polish. Then apply your favorite wax.

Here is what I typically do:

1. wash the car
2. clay bar the car to remove surface contaminants. This is important. The car should feel smooth as glass at this point
3. Polish: Meguiars 105 on an orange pad(for deeper swirls)
4. Polish: Meguiars 205 on a white pad(for light swirls)
And/Or
5. (Optional) Polish: Meguiars ultimate polish on a Grey/Black pad
6. (Optional) Klasse Sealant/Polish on a blue pad
7. P21S Carnauba wax (easy on, easy off)


The Meguiars 205 and Ultimate polishes are very similar products. The 205 has more micro-abrasives to remove light swirls; the Ultimate has more oils for a deeper shine. Sometimes I need one and not the other. Sometimes I need both.

Here is a good video on how to polish your car:
Polshing tips

Good luck

Tony

Hello Tony,

Thanks for the informative write up. It took me awhile to get the equipment and products to try and duplicate your results. This was my first practice attempt using a polisher and was highly satisfied with the results. I sort of went a cheaper route and just used the white pad that came with the polisher. I did a one stage polish with Meguiars Ultimate Polish. I initially started polishing in sections and in the end got lazy. Next time I will be more patient and try different pads with multi stage polishing. Not as good as your results but a noticeably difference from before.