Hi Guys,

I have a black truck that has some swirls and such. It's a 2004 and I wax every 3 months or so but I have never polished. I'm getting ready to remove the swirls and need some advice on what to use.

My buddy who has a black BMW swears by Menzerna Polishes. I was going to get a bottle of #9 Swirl Remover but he claims that Menzerna
will do a better job on Black paint. I did some research and it looks like the two polishes have pretty much the same "cutting" ability with maybe the Menzerna being just a bit more "agressive"
Menzerna is about 5 bucks more a bottle that the Meg's but i'm willing to give it a shot if it's better.

Anyone ever used Menzerna Final Polish II and can give thoughts?

Thanks

 

I haven't used this particular Menz product but, let me say this...

Menz products are VERY respected amongst the masses. My hunch is that these two products are a bit different in style though... you see, #9 is more of a 'filler' product. This, as has been discussed, is not a bad thing but, rather than removing swirls (and it does remove some) it'll 'fill' them to reduce their appearance.

Menz, I believe, is an abrasive polish with some fillers (but not as much as #9).

Here's my suggestion... try both. #9 is pretty cheap (about $10) and the Menz is a little more (probably, what? Closer to $20?). Use them per the recommendations on the bottles and let us know... Wish I could give you a bit more help but, I simply don't know that product very well...

You may try autopia.org or detailcity.com for more info on Menz.

 

I liek the Menzerna polish .. in a nutshell, I find it has more cut, and I think it does a better overall job than the #9, but #9 is a little more forgiving for the hobbyist, due to the more abundant fillers RP mentioned.

Either one will do a good job for you. another Meg's product that I like for Black is #82

how are you planning on applying, hand or machine?

 

I think I will pickup both and give them a shot. I'll report back with the results though probably wont be for a couple of weeks.

One question though, if the Menzerna is more agressive and actually removes swirls vice just covering them up will continued use damage the clearcoat. I know this sounds like a stupid question but if the clear isn't very thick (few mils at most) if you use a product that actually removes some of the clear will you eventially remove all your clear?

I'm just wondering if something that fills the swirls is better for your clear or am I reading too much into this?

 

It's a very legitimate question...

With very light abrasive action (like the polishes in question), you're A-O-K with continued use.

 

Well last weekend I finally got around removing the swirls on my truck. As most of you know Black has to be one of the worst colors for swirls and my paint was pretty much a mess. It looked good from a distance but close up and in the bright sunlight it was trashed. I decided to try both the Menzerna Final Polish II and the Meguiar’s #9. I had to order the Menzerna and figured I would pickup the Meguiars at my local VIP as I’ve seen it there before. Of course, when I tried to pickup the Megs I couldn’t find it anywhere (should have ordered that also). So, this won’t be a comparison between the two but a review of the Menzerna.

Victim: Black 2004 F150 with what I would call moderate swirls. I’m embarrassed to say it but while I have waxed it about ever 6 months or so I have never polished it. I live in an apartment complex and it’s hard to find water to wash it much less anything else.

Supplies: Menzerna Final Polish II, Porter Cable, Pads, micro fiber, Meguiars NXT, etc.

I started by washing, drying and then I broke out the PC and Menzerna. I will say that this is the first time I have used the porter cable and all I can say is WOW! Why didn’t I find one of those years ago? It sure beats tired arms and I’m convinced that the machine did a better job than I could have done by hand. The Menzerna applies easy and comes off even easier. After working it with the PC there wasn’t much residue to remove anyway. It seemed to just disappear as it was being worked in leaving a flawless shine. All in all it looks really good. I still have a few places where I still see swirls especially under florescent lighting but I’m convinced that it has more to me being “new” to the PC and with more experience I’ll get better results. It could also be that I’m at the limit of what the Final Polish II can do and need to go to the Menzerna Intensive Polish. I’ll be honest that at this point I don’t know if I feel comfortable using a “stronger” polish when what I used really came out well.

I topped it all off with a coat of Meguiars NXT and it really pops. The pics are in my gallery but my camera doesn’t do it justice. A few of my coworkers have commented how it looks.

Pros: Really easy to apply and work with.
Just a bit more “cut” than #9 but not to aggressive
Stays “wet” long enough for a beginner to use

Cons: Price (it was around 16 bucks for a 16 oz bottle plus shipping)
Availability(if you run out you can’t pick it up at the local parts store)


Bottom Line: I think it was worth the money. I’m really happy with how it turned out and I like the compliments I’ve received on it. It’s an easy product to use and the results were fantastic.

 

Nice review... just curious, what pad were you utilizing to apply it with the PC?

 

Thanks for writing this. It's exactly the kind of thing I need. (also have a black truck) I do have a couple of questions though.

How much of the bottle did you use on the truck? Would you have ordered 2 bottles if you knew how much you were going to use or how well the product worked?

What model of Porter Cable are you talking about? I have seen the name in this forum many times but not the model.

How long did it take to polish the truck?

 

The model Porter Cable is the 7424 or the 7336. Same machine, different counterweight. -- either will work fine.

Another option, with a full lifetime warranty is the G-100 from Meguiar's... which is a 7424 but with that lifetime warranty.

 

Porter Cable makes some rock solid equipment, I have had a jig saw with the same motor as the 7424 for years and it has not given any problems at all. Granted it hasn't had the continue use that the 7424 will subject to, but based on my knowledge of Porter Cable's reputation and that it will not be used in a commercial environment, I chose just to purchase the unit at Lowes. Their cost was about $102.00 and came with the sanding backing pad which I can also utilize.
As to the counterweight issue, I think it has been discussed by several folks on MOL and determined to be a non-issue at speed setting 5 and below. But, if the counterweight is an issue for someone the optional counterweight can be purchased separately (about $10).
Here is the thread on MOL that discusses the counterweight issue.

 

Aaron j,

Sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you but I just got back into town. I'll try to answer your questions. I'm using a PC 7336 that I picked up awhile back from Lowes Home Center. I think I paid around 100 bucks for it and so far I really like it. It seems to be build pretty well.

I used about 1/4 of the bottle. I don't think I would have ordered two bottles. I'm thinking that for my use and how well the product applied one bottle will last me for awhile.

I spent about 3 1/2 hours working on the truck but that included washing, detailing, drinking, BSing, etc. The PC really helped cut down on the polishing/waxing time and I can't imagine ever doing it again without it.

I get most of my stuff from properautocare.com. I used a couple of their white polishing pads and a couple of their red finishing pads. I don't think that they make the pads themselves but source them from an outside vender. Either way I've been happy with not only their customer sevice but the products.

Hope this helps

 

From what I see that pic in your gallery home looks pretty nice! I bust my azz on my black WS6 Trans Am to make it look good but have never used the
Menzerna polish before. I might check into it.