I think you want to get a white (mild, least aggressive) clay bar.

Here are the links with alll the questions and answers.

Here at F150online

Detailer's Café 1

Detailer's Café 2

 

Your paint isn't dead - it's just sleeping. (Stolen shamelessly from Monty Python.) In fact, your paint is much like what I revived on that 1997 F150 and what Old Dogg did on his truck. The solution is patience, products and practice. You're on your own for patience, but you have some of the right products available. Pick up some Meg's Soft Buff Polishing pads for your Makita. Although not as aggressive as the PFW pads, they'll probably keep you out of trouble - and they're what I used on that F150. As RR said, the Meg's 105 & 205 combination is tough to beat.

As for practice, read the Sticky here or head over the Detailer's Cafe. There's lots of good information you can read before ever touching your car. One helpful hint is to pick up a junk hood or trunklid from a body shop and play with that first. The most important things for your first effort will probably be:

- Keep the speeds slow - like around 800 - 1000 RPM
- Keep the machine moving slowly with the pad flat
- Too much or too little polish will hurt you. (Easy to tell both)
- Tape off creases, joints, etc. because they're easier to burn through on
- Don't try to get it perfect with the first product (105) because the second (205) will help get you there
- If you're still nervous, start with a lower part of a panel first because they're less visible. Learn there, then move up topside.

Remember, post pics. We're all counting on you! Good luck!

 

Looks like I have some reading to do. Thanks for the info

I am going to head out to the detail shop and see if they are open I forgot yesterday that they might not be open today on Good Friday. If I can't get ahold of any products today, I'll spend the day reading and tackle it tomorrow, I don't want to clay the car and then have to let it sit again because it's gotta sit outside.

I am going to start with the hood, as it's the worst off and I have a cowl hood going on the car in a little while anyway if I mess it up.

I am pretty good in the patience department, I would spend a full 20hrs detailing my sled.

 

Sounds good, and before I forget, let me give some credit where credit is due here. Although I've been taking good care of my vehicles for over 40 years, I only recently really began to learn what true "detailing" is. And, I'm learning that from fine folks like RollingRock, RockPick and Boss429 - just to name a few. They've been absolutely awesome at teaching me new techniques and improving my game. But, I'm nowhere near any of those guys and that doesn't seem to bother any of them one bit. For that, I'm eternally greatful - and so should everybody here.

 

Amen.
I could to add many more to the list with RR and RP but esf and hwm3 have given me quite a bit of knowledge and encouragement also. When they speak I listen.

 

I too am very greatfull for the knowledge that is shared on this site. I thought I knew how to keep my stuff clean, but I'm not even close to a few on here.

I wasn't able to get my hands on M105 and M205 today, the shop was closed. It's supposed to be open tomorrow, so I'll try then. I did find one place that was open and picked up a Meg's Blue clay bar, wow that things expensive, I hope it goes a long way! I was also able to pick up two W-8000 Soft Buff Polishing pads.

My DA came with some polishing pads and I have another Buffing padfor the rotary, what the best way to clean the foam pads?

Also I have that bottle of Fine-Cut Cleaner (number 2), is it good for anything I need to do? It seems like something that would be used as a last step before wax, but I'm not sure.

Thanks again, I really look forward to learning more and more about detailing...I do love cleaning stuff for some reason

 

I clean my pads immediately after use by soaking them in a bucket of warm water and either Dawn Dish Soap or Murphy's Oil Soap over night. After they've soaked nicely, I rinse them out in the sink with lots of warm water. At this point I also spray on some Pinnacle Pad Cleaner and rub it in. It tends to remove anything the other soap didn't get.

After a good rinse in clear water, I squeeze most of the water out, then blot the pad many times in a large towel. This gets almost all of the water out. I then let them dry naturally or heat a heat duct.

 

Giving them a quick spin on your buffing machine of choice doesn't hurt either. That's the last thing I do before I set them aside to dry.

 

Thanks, That's what I thought, but I wasn't sure if dish soap would be a no-no.

I'll make sure they rinse out the pads really well and dry them as much as possible before letting them sit.

I just learned alot by going through the sticky again (went through it a couple months back) and getting on Detailers Cafe and doing some lurking.

 

Hey bud-- I see you're in Vancouver... I know its a drive to the Seattle area, but I'd be more than willing to help you out with this project. if you're interested, my email is below:

firefighter.bmfd@gmail.com

FWIW, I wrote the sticky at the top of the page a year or 2 ago, and I've got a decent bit of SS paint experience... I just haven;t posted in a while...

 

Thanks alot for the offer, I sent you an email.

I'll head out in a little bit to source out the M105 and M205. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

Well I'm not having much luck getting my hands on M105 and M205. the place I thought would stock it, doesn't have any and I can't even see it in their Meg's catalog they order from.

Any ideas, I am going to Seattle next week for a couple of days and if someone knows any stores that might carry it, I'll have a look.

Thanks

 

Would M85 work? The autoparts store carries it.

 

Thanks for the kind words, T. I certainly appreciate it. Like you guys, I pick up information nearly every day at various sites. It's kind of easy to learn who you should pay attention to and who you should skip over...

Then again, opinions are like rear exits -- we've all got them.

 

That is a BEEFY cut compound that can *really* cut through some gunk in a jiffy. I'd compare this product to the 'old school' Turtle Wax compounds that some can still buy in a tube at their old Napa or similar...

I spiritfully call this product, Liquid Sandpaper.

#85 is ABSOLUTELY, with NO EXCEPTION, a rotary-only product. I'd try harder to find M105. Surely someone can snag you a bottle...