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New Meguiar's products

        Meguair's has some really terrific new products which those of 
you not addicted to Zymol might want to check out.  These are the
"Professional Line," and you won't see these in auto parts stores.  Even 
auto body supply stores don't seem to carry some of them. I get mine at
Exeter Garage in Seattle (206.622.9800).
        The new products are based on different abrasives than the
old product line, which used diatomaceous clays. The new ones use silica,
giving them a white color instead of the reddish hue of yore. As before, the
abrasives break down during use, so it is like using an ever-finer sandpaper
on the finish, an approach which yields the most satisfying result with the
least possible amount of work.  Mechanically, I think the silica is finer
than the clays were, but perhaps break down a bit more slowly.
        The best new product is "Swirl Free Polish" (the new products do not
have the traditional, confusing Meguiar's product number, but the mfg. number
for a 32 oz. bottle is M-8232). Despite being called a "polish", this
stuff actually also cleans (there is a tradition of misleading naming to
respect, after all), and is *much* less aggressive than No. 2, which had
been the first-line cleaner of choice. Used with tan "Finishing Pads"
(W-9000), it seems to remove far less paint doing its job than did No. 2,
and can be followed directly by Medallion with- out an intermediate
polishing step. And, it's spatter is easier to clean up than is No. 2's.
For those of us who keep our exteriors in pretty good shape, this is the
best Meguiar's product to ever come along.
        Swirl Free Polish's hand counterpart is called "Hand Polish" (mfg. no.
M-8132). Use on ridges, edges and places that can't be reached with a polish-
ing pad. It takes a lot of effort compared to machine polishing, so if deep
cleaning is needed you might want to first try the DA Cleaner
Polish (below) or No. 2 by hand, followed by Hand Polish.
        For deep machine cleaning, try the new "Dual Action Cleaner Polish"
(mfg. no. 8332). This product swirls a whole lot less than No. 2, in
part because it is usually used with the Finishing Pad instead of the more
aggressive yellow "Polishing" pad (W-1000) which was typically used with
No. 2. If more aggressive cleaning is needed than DA Cleaner Polish with a
Finishing Pad can provide, you can use it with a more aggressive pad, such
as the maroon "Cutting Pad" (W-7000). In other words, try a more aggressive
pad before going to a more aggressive compound (for example, No. 1 Machine
Cleaner). Follow the DA Cleaner Polish with a Swirl Free Polish step. On a
challenging car I recently detailed, which literally changed color as the
dirt deep in the paint pores was cleaned out, the only places I resorted
to No. 2 (with Polishing Pad) were rocker panels and an area that had been
rubbed in a parking lot encounter (the latter requiring repeated sessions
so as not to overheat the paint).
        Kudos to Meguiar's for adopting a velcro attach scheme for the pads
(excepting the small Polishing Pad (W-6000). This saves some time and consid-
erable inconvenience.
        The last new product you should have in your arsenal is "Overspray
Clay." This clay is expensive (about $30), but one block should last a
lifetime or two. Use it on stubborn raised imperfections in the paint (gener-
ally foreign matter that won't wash or gently polish off, such as overspray or
tree sap). Simply spray on some No. 34 ("Final Inspection") as a 
lubricant, and slide the clay over the spot once or twice. The
imperfection is removed with no damage to the paint!
         So now a car's paint can be detailed with maybe four Meguiar's
products in your inventory (plus pads) instead of the eight or so it took
previously. It's a step in the right direction; I doubt we'll ever have
one product that does it all (Zurtle Wax, anyone?).

Th.B. Nast
"I am not on the Meguiar's payroll, nor could they afford to hire me."