Reddit mentions of Meguiar's M20508 Mirror Glaze Ultra Finishing Polish, 8 oz

I would have taken more photos but I didn't set out with the intention of making a post; however, when I saw the results I knew I had to.

Like I said, this mini van only set me back $300. But just because it's a cheap turd doesn't mean you can't take some pride in it and at least put a ribbon on it.

Anyways, I'll add some more details left out of the post.

First I mixed up regular ole dish soap and water and grabbed some 1000 grit wet/dry sand paper, dunked it in the solution and let it soak while I taped off my headlights. I don't think you have to let it soak, but that's what I did. Once I finished taping off the lights, I started wet sanding and just redunked as needed for adequate lubrication.

Now I've read some posts on here about people saying it's easier to see when you're done sanding if you go in one direction for a certain grit and the opposite in another so you can see sanding lines. I didn't do that either. I just sanded it til I felt it was smooth and/or had been doing it for a couple minutes; up, down, left, right, circles. Whatever. It worked out for me.

Repeat exact same procedure for 2000 grit wet/dry sand paper.

Now, if you've never done this before you might start to get nervous, because at this stage your headlights look (somehow) even worse than when you started. Fret not my friend. Patience is a virtue.

Now I have a DA polisher, but these headlights are narrow. So I opted at just purchasing a generic named 3" backing plate, drill adapter and pad combo set off amazon. Some of the reviews said it wasn't the greatest. But that was fine by me. I just wanted them for this headlight. Those reviewers are wrong. I think they were thinking you could do an entire vehicle with these 3" pads. The pads and backing plate were high quality and for that price, even if they weren't I wouldn't have been all that upset. I highly recommend these.

I used the two flat top oranges pads for this project. First I used M105. Polished til it "flashed" then buffed it off with a microfiber towel. Switched to my other orange pad and polished with M205 following the same procedure.

Then I stood in awe of how great they came out. Did a wipe down with isopropyl alcohol, and two coats of collinite 845 that I applied with some cheap microfiber applicators for future uv protection.

Then I went and excitedly rushed my girlfriend outside to see. She was impressed but decidedly less than me.

Also, while I was doing this, a man approached me and asked me how much I'd charge to do his car. I talked with him a bit, and informed him that for the price I would charge to do his one car he'd be better off doing some research, buying his own supplies and just learning a new skill. He thought about it and excitedly told me he already had a drill and that he decided he'd do it. He went on to say he was also going to do not just his car, but also his mom's car and his girlfriend's car. He wrote down everything I said! Haha,I hope his come out as well as mine!

Edit: formatting/spelling

I was also a beginner at the beginning of the year. I went out and bought [Meguiars 105] (https://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-Mirror-Glaze-Ultra-Cut-Compound/dp/B003LMGDHI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496750162&sr=8-1&keywords=meguiars+105), and [Meguiars 205] (https://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-Mirror-Glaze-Finishing-Polish/dp/B003LMJP4Q/ref=pd_sim_263_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B003LMJP4Q&pd_rd_r=YK6JBJ416NKY6325PPQG&pd_rd_w=WZ6u4&pd_rd_wg=LD9ed&psc=1&refRID=YK6JBJ416NKY6325PPQG), a [chicago electric DA from harbor freight] (https://www.harborfreight.com/6-in-57-Amp-Heavy-Duty-Dual-Action-Variable-Speed-Polisher-62862.html?ccdenc=eyJjb2RlIjoiODkwMjE0MTgiLCJza3UiOiI2Mjg2MiIsImlzIjoiNDkuOTkiLCJwcm9kdWN0X2lk%0D%0AIjoiMTE0NDYifQ%3D%3D%0D%0A), and ordered [orange and white hex logic pads from amazon] (https://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys-BUFX-102-HEX5-Hex-Logic-Medium-Heavy/dp/B0040MI9H0/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1496750285&sr=1-1&keywords=hex+logic+pads). This will be a good start. Get these things, should cost between 120 and 150 for all of it depending on where you buy, and that DA goes on sale quite often, looks like it's currently down to 49.99, so now would be the time to buy. I started off doing my Formula and then did my Sierra, and now have had a few other people come to me for correction and have a pretty good grasp on what I'm doing.

1. Watch tutorials by Junkman2000 on youtube.
   
2. Use the right size pads for your backing plate. The DA listed above comes with a 6" flimsy backing plate, and you should replace it with a 5" so it is smaller and easier to work with. Mark your backing plate as well, so if you push too hard, you'll see it stop spinning. Good for figuring out how much force you SHOULD be using.
   
3. Take your time, and work at it slowly, you will have results.

Go to Amazon and order this (I like Meg's products),

• Harbor Freight DA
  
  
• Meg's Endurance Tire Gel
  
  
• Meg's Ultimate Protectant
  
  
• Meg's Ultimate Liquid Wax
  
  
• Meg's APC
  
  
• Rag Company's Borderless Blonde
  
  
• Rag Company's Waffle Weave
  
  
• Hex Logic White Pad (3)
  
  
• Hex Logic Orange Pad (2)
  
  
• Hex Logic Red Pad (2)
  
  
• M105
  
  
• M205
  
  
• 3M Auto Tape
  
  
• Mother's Wheel Brush
  
  
• ABN Woolies
  
  
• Trim Brush
  
  
• Chem Guys Wash Mitt (2)
  
  
• Mother's Clay Bar Kit
  
  This should run you about $345 for everything and have you setup to take care of your car for a long time. You can find a 20% discount code online for harbor freight to bring the price down $55 for the DA. Go to home depot and buy a couple buckets and you will be good to go.
  
  Edit: To add, I went to Lowes and bought a cheap inline sprayer for my hose and it works fine for foaming up the vehicle, plus it only costs $5.
  
  Edit2: If you are going to downvote me please post why you don't like my recommendation.

Yup, Ultimate Polish will work just fine, but if you're going off Amazon anyway I'd go with M205. It's basically the pro version of UP and has slightly more cut but finishes extremely well.

And yeah, you'll need to rewax after, but make sure you're using an IPA spray first to remove the oils so it bonds well! Which Youtube video watch before, btw?

Meguiars 205, HD Polish, McKee's 37 Fast Polish, Menzerna 3500 come to mind. And honorary mention for HD Speed (All In One or Polish + Sealant) since it's not just a polish but is soooooo good.

This won't make it look perfect, but it will improve it a LOT.

First you need to gently clean it up best you can. I would use this stuff, but any polishing compound or liquid rubbing compound should work. Don't rub hard with this stuff, just light pressure your only trying to clean it up and give yourself a good surface for the touch up paint.

https://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-G18116-Clear-Polishing-Compound/dp/B006FUT154/

Next get some touch up paint for you car, you can get your cars paint code from any Subaru dealer if you give them your VIN number. You can get the touch up paint from either a Subaru dealer, online, or someplace like Auto Zone.

When touching up the paint less is more, so try to use very little paint and multiple coats.

After the touch up paint has dried then use something like this and just keep polishing it and slowly it will begin to blend in better and better.

https://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-Mirror-Glaze-Finishing-Polish/dp/B003LMJP4Q/

Again this isn't the best fix possible but is probably the most affordable fix for the quality you'll end up with if you do everything correctly.

You don't rinse off glazed wax. You wipe it off with about 4 or 5 microfiber cloths and if any dried that you discovered later, some quick detailing acrylic spritz and a microfiber rag will remove it.

I used to own a 16 year old black volvo. It looked like this.

http://i.imgur.com/5gFUa.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/vV9UrIf.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ohPul7n.jpg


The trick to black cars (or really any color) is that it's not simply a matter of washing and then wiping on some wax and wiping the glazed wax off. It doesn't work that way.

It should go without saying, all of this should be done with paint that is cool to the touch. Do not do anything in direct sunlight unless it's cold outside. You do not want to be working with warm/hot paint.

Anyways, your wash mitt doesn't remove the dirt that is in the microscopic pores of the clear coat. You have to use paint cleaning claybar and a claybar lubricant spray to get that. I really like the pinnacle clay.

Once you go over the car with the clay, depending on the condition of the clearcoat (major scratches or minor swirls) you need to use an orbital buffer with the appropriate softness polishing pads and more or less gritty polishing compound. This will smooth out swirl marks and remove any oxidized rain drop marks and stuff like that.

Don't be afraid of damaging your paint/clear coat. Unless you get a heavy cutting compound for deep scratch removal, the orbital buffer and sponge pads can't damage it. If your paint is in pretty good shape (minor swirls) Meguiars ultra finish polish should be all you need and works really well and isn't super expensive.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003LMJP4Q/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Once that's done, you can use either a nice caranuba wax or a polymer acrylic sealant. I really like the Werkstat Jett Acrylic because it doesn't dry all thick and cakey and hard to remove.

Also, one trick I use is to avoid the dried wax/acrylic on plastic molding and trim pieces is to use blue painters tape on the edges. Tape off the badges, logos, etc. Getting dried wax off injection molded plastic can be a pain.

Wax will typically only last about 3 months and acrylic will last 6 or more months. Keeping the car in a garage and limiting exposure to the elements can prolong this. You can apply wax first and then a coat or two of acrylic if you want.

After each wash, use something like blackfire wet diamond or sonus acrylic spritz (I've used and enjoy both) to help preserve the acrylic sealant.

One thing worth noting is that when you wash the car just before you plan to polish/wax, use dish washing liquid as it will efficiently strip off any remaining wax/sealant left on the clear coat.

This is just the tip of the iceberg and car detailing is a very deep rabbit hole but doesn't HAVE to be expensive. A good polisher like a porter cable or griot's garage random buffer is a great investment and much cheaper these days than what they used to be. If you decide to get one, the cobra cross groove pads are great and you will need about 4 of them as they will collect a lot of dirt during the process of polishing so use one per side of the car.

I've gotta say, that's less than encouraging. The only folks I know that regularly use both a rotary and 3M products are body shops or car dealers. And they are not generally known for being great detailers. 3M products actually kind of suck compared to more modern options.

As someone else mentioned, the Meguiar's M105 and M205 would both be good products (M105 is a first-step, more abrasive polish, M205 a finishing polish to take out any marring left by M105). You can get 8oz bottles on Amazon for about $10/ea. They're easier to work with, dust SIGNIFICANTLY less, and work better than the 3M products. Plus, you can get them in 8oz bottles vs. 32oz bottles.

http://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-Mirror-Glaze-Ultra-Cut-Compound/dp/B001O7PNW8/

http://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-Mirror-Glaze-Finishing-Polish/dp/B003LMJP4Q/

https://smile.amazon.com/Meguiars-Mirror-Glaze-Finishing-Polish/dp/B003LMJP4Q/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1462198514&sr=1-1&keywords=m205&linkCode=ll1&linkId=0d2bd2ea6afed7cc4b86a9a1c1afb05f&sa-no-redirect=1

Wax will just cover it up, if you want to remove the scratch you need to rub it out with polish. I've had some success with Meguiar's M105 cutting compound + M205 swirl remover. Keep in mind, polish is actually an abrasive so don't go overboard. If you just rub it by hand you should be safe. Links: M105, M205, but any brand should work similar.

I wrote a small guide on machine polishing, you can find it here:

[Guide] The Getting Started into DA Polishing

I really like my Lake Country pads, but I've heard good things about other brands like Hex Logic. If you can get LC pads, pick up Orange(compounding), white(polishing), black(waxing).

For a compound, I always suggest
Meguiar's M105/Meguiars M205.

Always try the least aggressive method first, so polish before compound, then move to compounding if you were unsuccessful with just polishing.

I like Collinite 845 for wax, but there are plenty different brands out there to try out.

A Porter Cable is a good polisher, and it will definitely save you time while detailing.

Am I on the right track? I am currently looking for all the products I need to completely detail my car. I know there is no way I could purchase all of these at once, so I am planning on purchasing the major ones first and adding the others over time. I have spent almost two weeks researching on everything I need to do. There is so much information and so many opinions that it is hard to find a definitive answer on what I need.

> Wheel

Wheel soap:

• Meguiar's Non-Acid Wheel & Tire Cleaner D143
  
  Wheel cleaner:
  
  
• Sonax Wheel Cleaner Plus
  
  Tire dressing:
  
  
• Optimum Opti-Bond Tire Gel
  
  Wheel wax:
  
  
• Collinite Liquid Insulator Wax #845
  
  > Paint
  
  Paint soap:
  
  
• Meguiar's Gold Class Car Wash Shampoo & Conditioner
  
  Paint soap addition:
  
  
• Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine
  
  Leaf blower:
  
  
• Worx Turbine WG520
  
  Clay bar:
  
  
• YGDZ Auto Detailing Magic Claybar
  
  Dual action polisher:
  
  
• Heavy Duty Dual Action Variable Speed Polisher from Harbor Freight
  
  Backing plate:
  
  
• Astro 5" PU Velcro Backing Pad
  
  Pad:
  
  
• Lake Country 5.5" CCS Orange Polishing Pad
  
  
• Lake Country 5.5" CCS White Smart Pad
  
  
• Lake Country 5.5" CCS Black Finessing Pad
  
  Compound:
  
  
• Meguiar's M105 Mirror Glaze Ultra-Cut Compound
  
  Polish:
  
  
• Meguiar's M205 Mirror Glaze Ultra Finishing Polish
  
  Sealant/wax:
  
  
• Collinite Liquid Insulator Wax #845
  
  > Interior
  
  Carpet cleaner:
  
  
• Adam's Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner
  
  Dashboard cleaner:
  
  
• Nextzett Cockpit Premium or Meguiar's Ultimate Interior Detailer
  
  Leather cleaner:
  
  
• Nextzett Cockpit Premium or Meguiar's Ultimate Interior Detailer
  
  Leather conditioner:
  
  
• Lexol Leather Deep Conditioner
  
  Glass cleaner:
  
  
• Rain-X Glass Cleaner
  
  There are a bunch of other tools not listed here, but the ones listed above are the areas I am most concerned about.
  
  > Other Concerns
  
  I am still anxious about spraying water in my engine bay, so I decided to use a spray bottle with soap and water and a microfiber towel to wipe down the engine bay while it is still decently clean. Can I use diluted Meguiar's D143 or will I have to purchase Meguiar's D101 instead? Can the Optimum Tire Gel be used on the black plastics of the engine bay, as well as the other black trims of my car?
  
  I want to protect my interior, in addition to cleaning it. I am very confused on what product I need to use to protect my dashboard from the sun. The same goes for the leather seats, where the creases are forming. I have been using a conditioner (although I am unsure of the exact name) to slow down the crease formation. Should I use the same product for both the dashboard and leather seats (with Lexol Conditioner on top of that)? I have heard of Leatherique Leather Rejuvenator/Prestine Clean, but I am unsure of when I should use that.

Been looking to detail my car, and while I am still getting my stuff along with trying to find the time to do it.. I've started to come up with a couple of questions.

1. Is it safe to use a magic eraser on the exterior / interior of my windshield + other glass on the car? Or would getting a drill adapter to polish the glass be a better option? Is there anything I can use to seal and protect the glass after cleaning it?
   
   The windshield has it's fair share of micro pitting and surface knicks (not cracks). And since a magic eraser acts as a very fine sandpaper I was thinking that it could possibly help to smooth out some of the pitting and knicks just to make these spots less noticeable when light hits it at certain angles.
   
   ​
   
   

2. What is the best product / way to darken the pillars on my doors and seal them?
   
   Currently they are not that faded, but id like to keep them up before they get to that point.
   
   ​
   
   
3. When I do detail the car I am planning to polish the car with Meguiar's M20508 Mirror Glaze Ultra Finishing Polish then use Meguiar's G18216 Ultimate Liquid Wax to protect it. What sort of pads or applicators do I need to apply this stuff?
   
   I have microfiber towels for cleaning and buffing but not sure what type of applicator pads to use.
   
   ​
   
   Also, any recommendations on a good / reliable, but repetitively inexpensive shopvac?
   Not looking for one with a bag or anything, just something for cleaning out the interior as those dam gas station vacuums are not worth 2$ for 4 minutes when you cant even get under the seats..
   
   ​
   
   Thank you for any and all feedback!