NXT Info and Protection help Please

[Euro2005]

Hello,

What does everyone think ? I hope some can help or give an opinion.

I've found out that Maguire's NXT has mild solvents in it to help clean, and the best way to use it is -
1st - Wash the car.
2nd - Polish with NXT.
3rd - Leave it for a week to bond and make protective surface
4th - Very mild wash again.
5th - Final coat of pure Carnuba Wax.
Doing it this way you don't take to much "off" using NXT to often .

I've also read that aeroSpace 303 products are very good for protecting the interior, has anyone tried them ?

I know seatcovers are a bad risk, explosions, insurance etc, and not worth it (I have searched and read every post in this forum so far on the subject) , but I still need to protect the seats (ivory cloth) and make them more comfortable for my 81 year old Father.
I saw some very nice luxury sheepskin throwovers that don't have any sides or back at all, and I'm pretty sure and hope there would be no risk with these.

Thanks for any opinions, I would really like to know what others think about the 'throwovers'. :confused:

[aaronng]

I reckon the throwovers, if they cover just the front of the seats, should be fine. But of course, ask the dealer first to be sure.\

What I do for my polish is:
1) Wash the car (NXT wash)
2) If watermarks are present, polish with Klasse AIO
3) NXT
4) Carnauba wax

I do it this way because the carnauba wax doesn't have cleaners, so it shouldn't take off the NXT. Looks great!

Haven't tried those leather protectants in my car. I figure that it won't work too well with out dashboard because it seems that it is made from recycled material and feels like it would soak up the protectant.

[h22a accord]

-wash car
-clay the car
- polish with NXT

all done, come back and do it in a months time if you are keen.

you guys are right, carnauba wax doesnt have any cleaners in it, it is a pure wax.

a pure wax which is designed to be applied over a freshy polished paintjob.

ie, u use a 3 step method, 1) a paint cleaner 2) a sealer/glaze (which is a pure polish with no protective characteristics) and 3) wax.

for instance, if u were to just carry out steps 1 and 2 the car would look great but only for a very short time as it only takes at the very least a few hours of uv light to deteriorate the polish u have just applied but if u wax after the wax will leave a tough long lasting protective coat.



NXT is totally different, it is a polish and a protectant all in one...yes, you have solvents in there to clean and u have synthetic polymers to protect it...... it lasts alot longer than pure wax ( i have tested it myself- i used NXT 3 months ago and the water still beads the same as when i polished it. I have used the meguiars yellow wax and it doesnt last as long.)


now, for a start i think that applying carnauba over NXT is both a waste of time and money.

carnuaba wax is a very "heavy" wax, meaning, it leaves a thick coat of protective wax on your car and if not removed completly before you use it again will result in "wax build up" which in turn causes the paints DOI ( distinction of image ) to suffer. the wax build up is also succeptable to waterspotting, this waterspotting will happen even if u chamois your car religiously.

The spots wont be sitting on the paint, they will be sitting in the wax and no amount of polishing is going to remove them, you can only de-wax the car by using a dewaxing agent so u can start with a "clean slate"

eg, u wash, u NXT then u wax, 2 months later, u wash, and then u NXT but you are not actually polishing the paint, you are simply applying the NXT on top of the layer of wax......then u wax AGAIN.....nooooooooooo! not good.


IMO u are better off just using NXT.



sorry for my rant, im a detailer lolz.

[D16Y]

Some carnuba waxes do have cleaners in them, eg. mothers cleaner carnuba wax

[raziel]

meguiars have a technical helpline 1800 804182
they should be able to help (but I would tend to agree with h22a accord , putting wax over the nxt polish doesn't seem right )

[|N|]

while we r here... i ve got swirls/small scratches all over my car,... how to get rid of them?

[D16Y]

Have You Used Megiuars Scratch X, Meg. Swirl Remover Or Even Nxt Gen Wax?
...they All Work On Light Swirls/scratches

[|N|]

i tried scratch x and ntx....ntx is alrite... but still doesnt cover the swirls... and scratch x made it WORST..........

[D16Y]

Oh And I Forgot To Mention If U Use Nxt Gen Wax, Wen The Wax Wears Away, The Swirls Will Appear Again Lol, So U Prolly Better Off Using Meg. Scratch X, Meg. Swirl Remover, Or Meg. Pro. Fine Cut. If Thats Too Much Work 4 Yah Just Take It To A Detailer Lol.
Oh N If U End Up Using One Of The Cutting Compounds, Use Nxt Gen Or A Decent Carnuba Wax After It ;)

[D16Y]

LOL WHAT scratch X made it worse?! wtf ahaha

[|N|]

but would any car detailer get rid of the swirls for good?

[D16Y]

any decent detailer should get rid of em fo good. lets see what h22a has to say tho...

[aaronng]

Did you use scratchX the right way? You have to apply it to a cotton applicator, and rub it in until it turns from white to a colourless oily film. You'll also start to get a squeaky sound. Then you add more scratchX onto the applicator and repeat 2-3 more times. Very tiring. You should use an orbital buffer or those rotary orbital sanders with a polish pad if you are doing a whole area such as the bonnet. To apply scratchX properly by hand, I totally kill my arm doing a 10x10cm area. And I'm the guy who spent 4 hours straight washing, claying, paint cleaner, polish, klasse and nxt'd my gf's car. That's 6 steps and 4 layers of product that need proper buffing! No way can I believe that anyone can use scratchx over a whole panel by hand and not make it worse. It's made for application by machine, unless you are fixing a small scratch thar covers a small area. Also, if for some reason you have to leave your scratchx halfway, rub till squeaky and then wipe it off. NEVER let it dry!!! You're guaranteed to scrstch it if you do. Meguiar's website has instructions on how to use scratchx properly. Forget about the instructions at the back of the tube.

Oh yeah, from experience, if you can feel the scrarch with your fingernail, don't bother using scratchx, send it to the pro detailers and might even need a respray. I use touchup paint and langka if it is not in an obvious area.

[|N|]

Did you use scratchX the right way? You have to apply it to a cotton applicator, and rub it in until it turns from white to a colourless oily film. You'll also start to get a squeaky sound. Then you add more scratchX onto the applicator and repeat 2-3 more times. Very tiring. You should use an orbital buffer or those rotary orbital sanders with a polish pad if you are doing a whole area such as the bonnet. To apply scratchX properly by hand, I totally kill my arm doing a 10x10cm area. And I'm the guy who spent 4 hours straight washing, claying, paint cleaner, polish, klasse and nxt'd my gf's car. That's 6 steps and 4 layers of product that need proper buffing! No way can I believe that anyone can use scratchx over a whole panel by hand and not make it worse. It's made for application by machine, unless you are fixing a small scratch thar covers a small area. Also, if for some reason you have to leave your scratchx halfway, rub till squeaky and then wipe it off. NEVER let it dry!!! You're guaranteed to scrstch it if you do. Meguiar's website has instructions on how to use scratchx properly. Forget about the instructions at the back of the tube.

Oh yeah, from experience, if you can feel the scrarch with your fingernail, don't bother using scratchx, send it to the pro detailers and might even need a respray. I use touchup paint and langka if it is not in an obvious area.

i did let it dry up b4 wipin it off... damn ...
i guess i ll just take it to the pro. but ll ntx it tmr... see how things go ...
thx guys:wave: all comments were very helpful...

[aaronng]

now, for a start i think that applying carnauba over NXT is both a waste of time and money.

carnuaba wax is a very "heavy" wax, meaning, it leaves a thick coat of protective wax on your car and if not removed completly before you use it again will result in "wax build up" which in turn causes the paints DOI ( distinction of image ) to suffer. the wax build up is also succeptable to waterspotting, this waterspotting will happen even if u chamois your car religiously.

The spots wont be sitting on the paint, they will be sitting in the wax and no amount of polishing is going to remove them, you can only de-wax the car by using a dewaxing agent so u can start with a "clean slate"

eg, u wash, u NXT then u wax, 2 months later, u wash, and then u NXT but you are not actually polishing the paint, you are simply applying the NXT on top of the layer of wax......then u wax AGAIN.....nooooooooooo! not good.

IMO u are better off just using NXT.

sorry for my rant, im a detailer lolz.
I agree 80% that carnauba over nxt is a waste of time.Hehe. But that last 20% comes from the carnauba wax making the shine from nxt even deeper! I didn't believe it. I'm an nxt user, and my friend is a carnauba user (AU$45 for 275g!). We keep pestering each other to use each other's product of choice. In the end I gave in, but put carnauba over nxt. Looks better than carnauba alone! Protection-wise, I agree it waterspots very very easily. Put carnauba only for looks, not really for protection!

If I have carnauba on, I cannot apply anything else until I clean off everything that was on before (using the klasse). You're right, subsequent applications of NXT over carnauba TOTALLY messes up the look. If anyone is going to repolish without taking off the previous applications, then nxt alone will be better and more convenient, as you don't have to worry about the previous wax on it.

[|N|]

so any proper way for using ntx wax for best result???
or just wax on let it dry and wax off??

[aaronng]

so any proper way for using ntx wax for best result???
or just wax on let it dry and wax off??
Make sure the car is clean of dirt/dust/mud/pollen. Then you can use the applicator sponge or an applicator that you prefer, wet it with water and then squeeze as much water out as you can. This avoids the sponge from gripping the paint and your hand flying off, sending your fingernails to the paint. hehe. Put nxt on the applicator, fold it to spread it on the sponge, and then apply to the car. Rub it in, let the motion work and don't press down on the sponge too hard. Leave to dry for 45-60 minutes. Then buff off with your favourite buffing cloth. I like microfibre, but they get saturated so quickly that I need more than 1 piece. Cotton nappies are supposedly good too.

I usually do the bonnet first, then the roof, boot, doors, front bumper and finally rear bumper.

Don't apply too much, just a nice thin layer is better. This is because when you buff it off, there will be an excess residue if you had earlier applied too much NXT. Looks like an oily film and it is a pain to get off!

[|N|]

Make sure the car is clean of dirt/dust/mud/pollen. Then you can use the applicator sponge or an applicator that you prefer, wet it with water and then squeeze as much water out as you can. This avoids the sponge from gripping the paint and your hand flying off, sending your fingernails to the paint. hehe. Put nxt on the applicator, fold it to spread it on the sponge, and then apply to the car. Rub it in, let the motion work and don't press down on the sponge too hard. Leave to dry for 45-60 minutes. Then buff off with your favourite buffing cloth. I like microfibre, but they get saturated so quickly that I need more than 1 piece. Cotton nappies are supposedly good too.

I usually do the roof bonnet first, then the roof, boot, doors, front bumper and finally rear bumper.

Don't apply too much, just a nice thin layer is better. This is because when you buff it off, there will be an excess residue if you had earlier applied too much NXT. Looks like an oily film and it is a pain to get off!

thx...:thumbsup:
i think i m goin to do that now...
rite now

[h22a accord]

aaronng, i wet the applicator pad and squeeze it out just like you lolz.

As for removing swirls...the steps you use depend on the severity of the swirls.

for minor to moderate swirls on a dark car i would first wash the car, then clay the paint, then using a rotary buffer with a soft foam pad and 3M machine glaze ( swirl remover) i would buff the entire paintjob, then i would wash the car with a mild cleaner and hot high pressure water to blast off the mess i made with the splatter from the product. dry off the give the paint coat of NXT.

the heat and friction combined with the swirl remover removes the swirls, it doesnt simply cover them up.

look out for my how to restore a very scratched and swirly neglected paintjob on a mercedes CLK 320 coupe in the appearance section of the forum very soon!!
pics will be included.

[aaronng]

aaronng, i wet the applicator pad and squeeze it out just like you lolz.

As for removing swirls...the steps you use depend on the severity of the swirls.

for minor to moderate swirls on a dark car i would first wash the car, then clay the paint, then using a rotary buffer with a soft foam pad and 3M machine glaze ( swirl remover) i would buff the entire paintjob, then i would wash the car with a mild cleaner and hot high pressure water to blast off the mess i made with the splatter from the product. dry off the give the paint coat of NXT.

the heat and friction combined with the swirl remover removes the swirls, it doesnt simply cover them up.

look out for my how to restore a very scratched and swirly neglected paintjob on a mercedes CLK 320 coupe in the appearance section of the forum very soon!!
pics will be included.
Hi h22a! I'm looking for a good rotary buffer. My friend bought one of those GMC orbital buffer ($30 or so only I think) and the motor went with a big bang while he was using it! What would you recommend? I've read that a rotary needs skill to use, while the random orbital doesn't put enough heat and friction to polish out swirls. I've heard of people in the US using PC buffers (Porter Cable) since it is somewhere in between a rotary and random orbital but I think that is just the brand. Do you know what type of buffer is this PC buffer? Otherwise, what brand would you recommend? Thanks!

[h22a accord]

Hi h22a! I'm looking for a good rotary buffer. My friend bought one of those GMC orbital buffer ($30 or so only I think) and the motor went with a big bang while he was using it! What would you recommend? I've read that a rotary needs skill to use, while the random orbital doesn't put enough heat and friction to polish out swirls. I've heard of people in the US using PC buffers (Porter Cable) since it is somewhere in between a rotary and random orbital but I think that is just the brand. Do you know what type of buffer is this PC buffer? Otherwise, what brand would you recommend? Thanks!


haha, yeh, not a big fan of the GMC buffers. cheap shit basically!

The porter cable buffer is a brand name but basically it is a rotary buffer
http://www.coastaltool.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/a/port/7424_car_buffer.htm?E+coastest

Im not sure what RPM the PC buffer is capable of or if it is variable or not.

I think it is important for buffers to be variable for obvious reasons.

I have a dewalt buffer, its variable speed from 1000-3000rpm and is a good large size for a good comfortable grip. http://www.enotalone.com/tools/B00004RHIP.html

The best feature of this buffer is that it is very torquey, it wont slow down if u push hard on it to generate heat at a slow or fast speed.

I usually glaze at a speed of around 1300-1500rpm,

a dewalt buffer is around $400 plus u need a velcro backing plate..$50-$60 trade price plus a glazing pad $30 trade price.


kind of dear but you u get what u pay for and if you were to buy a buffer it would last forever, i swing off mine alot everyday and like all power tools the brushes wear out but they are only 40 bucks to replace each time.
I use pacer pads with a pacer backing plate.
www.pacer.com.au (http://www.pacer.com.au/)

besides, a buffer makes you strong lolz, your arms will absolutlely kill after you use it for about 5 mins ahha, but u get used to it.


I guess it does require skill but its best to practice on your mother in laws car first teehee.


best bet is to take your time, get a "feel" for it and watch out for plastic and rubber tirm, it can be melted quite easily if u are not careful ( i usually have a spray bottle of water handy to spray on these parts to avoid friction on them.) lso dont get complacient with a buffer, always hold it with a firm grip and concentrate on what your doing, it only takes a second to damage your car or hurt yourself. watch out for bonnet protectors, number plates, mudflaps aerials etc etc.

hope this answers your questions.

[aaronng]

Thanks heaps h22a! You reckon Bunning's warehouse has the Dewalt in addition to those cheap ones? Just saved your post into a text file. Good info that I will need. Off to read all the links you posted too! Thanks again!

[|N|]

i just wish h22a live in syd

[h22a accord]

haha, well, my precious girlfriend lives in sydney and i have been there 3 out of the past 4 weeks for weekends.

[h22a accord]

Thanks heaps h22a! You reckon Bunning's warehouse has the Dewalt in addition to those cheap ones? Just saved your post into a text file. Good info that I will need. Off to read all the links you posted too! Thanks again!


not sure if bunning seel it but if u can locate a shop that sells dewalt gear they will either have one in stock or get one for you.

[aaronng]

Just got back from Bunnings. No Dewalt there. Even the GMC that my friend had (and still wants one after blowing the first up!) is not sold there anymore.

[Euro2005]

Have a look how to perfect shine
http://autopia.org/kb/index.php?page=index_v2&id=26&c=16

[SSML]

h22a:
Do u wash application pads after use? and if u do, how to wash them?

[|N|]

h22a:
Do u wash application pads after use? and if u do, how to wash them?

yea i want to know this do...

i was told to soak them in warm water??? is that true???

[aaronng]

I use warm water, and liquid laundry detergent. Put the pads in and squeeze them. Let the soap soak back in and squeeze again. Keep repeating and you'll see the foam disappearing and the soap water not slippery anymore. Pour it away, make more soap water and repeat, until the soap water stays slippery in your hands and then rinse out.

[|N|]

I use warm water, and liquid laundry detergent. Put the pads in and squeeze them. Let the soap soak back in and squeeze again. Keep repeating and you'll see the foam disappearing and the soap water not slippery anymore. Pour it away, make more soap water and repeat, until the soap water stays slippery in your hands and then rinse out.

sounds like its gonna take quite a long time thre

[aaronng]

Not really. Takes about 1 minute of squeezing, then it is time to change water. Otherwise you can let it soak overnight, but it's not as effective as the squeezing, and technically, takes more time. Hehe

[PNR888]

I waxed my car with NXT wax this evenning with help my brother(SSML). This is the first time I use it. it is great. And we tried the trick h22a suggested (wet the application pad first), it really made the job easier. Now my Euro is as shinny as it can be. Thanks to all the people who have contributed info in this forum.
BTW, NXT smells very nice too.

[|N|]

thx aarong... i ll do that tonite...