should I stick with the rx the meguirs site gave me???

gold class car shampoo & cond.
gold class clear coat prep&swirl reducer
deep crystal system polish
gold class clear coat wax
quick detailer...


should i use the clay bar after the clear coat prep & swirl reducer???

any opinions/tips greatly appreciated

Thanks

Happy Holidays

You can certainly follow the RX and do well. What I'd recommend for your car would depend much on a visual inspection, how much time you would like to spend, materials available, etc.

Stick with the Gold Class Shampoo as a first step. The clearcoat prep is a very good product for very light swirls. If you have a bunch of oxidation or some medium-deeper swirls then you are better off with the Mirror Glaze approach. If this is the kind of project to "get the finish back on track" or something like that then I might use the time tested combo of #9, #7, #26 or Gold Class liqid wax, then #34 (aka Quick Detailer) as needed. The last car/time I had to do a major finish fix on (any car that I get for the most part) here is pretty much what I did....

-Wash with Gold Class shampoo.

-Next apply/remove Meguiar's Mirror Glaze #9 (multiple times until swirls/acid rain damage are gone). Multiple coats of apply/remove work much better than one or two coats of buff your brains out applications. The 2 step removal process of terrycloth "quick once over" followed by diaper-cloth final cleanup works best AND fastest in my experience.

-Go over the car with a clay-bar (the meguiar's bar can be a bit soft for really stubborn stuff) Use the #34 (same stuff as Quick Detailer) as the spray lubricant. Work a panel until you can feel no abrasiveness/imperfections/etc. Keep turning/kneading the clay periodically to keep a clean/fresh surface on the paint. Keep the surface wet with spray lubricant or the clay will smudge on the paint and be a PITA to remove. Once you have the finish super smooth just buff with a terry.

-Next you will polish. The swirl remover got rid of the dead paint and swirls (things IN the paint), the clay got rid of things ON the paint, now you will deep clean the paint in one last step prior to waxing. Apply Meguiar's Mirror Glaze #7 (Show Car Glaze) to a panel then remove. Repeat the apply/remove cycle until no more black residue comes off on the removal rag. When you have done that to all panels you should just about be able to shave in the finish. The removal process of terrycloth quick once over first, then final cleanup with a diapercloth works great here as well.

-now you have the finish truly looking amazing with the hard work you've done. If you have a trailer queen showcar this would be where you stopped. The final step is to wax the finish. You can use the Mirror Glaze #26 but the newer Gold Class liquid wax works as well or better and is easier to remove. Once you have the car waxed with Gold Class or #26 you are pretty much done.

-a final check of crevices and stuff to make sure you have removed all the wax and whatnot is probably in order. An extra rag and a few Q-tips should get you through that. Use the #34/Quick Detailer as needed to get off bird droppings, de-dust (only very light dust though), etc. You will also want to #34 the car after the next time you wash it.

Hope this helps...Lee