Best I have used

[lbsky]

Those of you looking to remove swirl marks and put a glass like finish on your Sky should try Turtle Wax Rubbing Compound, for medium to heavy oxidation and scratches This stuff is the best I have used. I use a buffer and this really smoothes out the finish.

[Forever Young]

I'm always looking for hints on keeping "Skylish" looking great. Does anyone have any suggestions for the scratches on the XM faceplate?

[Celt03]

Originally Posted by lbsky

Those of you looking to remove swirl marks and put a glass like finish on your Sky should try Turtle Wax Rubbing Compound, for medium to heavy oxidation and scratches This stuff is the best I have used. I use a buffer and this really smoothes out the finish.

FYI for the detailing novices:
Rubbing compounds should only be used on rare occasions because if it is used too often it will take off your clearcoat and then start taking off your paint. We have seen people do that exact thing.

[Celt03]

Originally Posted by Forever Young

I'm always looking for hints on keeping "Skylish" looking great. Does anyone have any suggestions for the scratches on the XM faceplate?

Check out this thread:

Scratches on Radio Faceplate

[skybuy]

i've been using ICE for a year now and my black sky is always gleaming.

rubbing compound will ruin your finish if you use it too much.

[MidniteBlues]

Originally Posted by skybuy

i've been using ICE for a year now and my black sky is always gleaming.

rubbing compound will ruin your finish if you use it too much.

Bought a bottle of that stuff and was disappointed with its performance. After 6 weeks, maybe 2 months, it lost its "beading" on areas facing the sun, example, hood, trunk, and on the roof. Also noticed after application and it rained a few days later, particularly on the Sky, it left running marks around areas like underneath the door handles for example. It is a joy to put on however, easy and quick and 1 shot, and many swear by it, that is why I tried it. Never the less, I was disappointed, I'll go back to the products I was using. At least I only have to apply it every 6-8 months, or 2 times a year..

As for rubbing compound, our cars are to new and the paint to fresh to be using such a harsh item on our cars. RC is more for faded oxidized paint than new cars IMO. They do have a 1-2% compounds, but on our cars, that should be a at this point. There is much much better products than that stuff to remove swirl marks and minor surface scratches IMHO.. So I recommend staying away from that stuff..

[mriley61@earthlink.n]

Originally Posted by Forever Young

I'm always looking for hints on keeping "Skylish" looking great. Does anyone have any suggestions for the scratches on the XM faceplate?

I have been using Brasso (brass polish) on plastic for years. I have restored glasses, cds, dvds, microwave front plates, and now my Sky faceplate. Use a very small amount, a very soft cloth, and don't rub very hard. In fact, I would recommend trying it on a CD first to practice your technique. It's worked great for me. Best of luck!

[lbsky]

Originally Posted by MidniteBlues

Bought a bottle of that stuff and was disappointed with its performance. After 6 weeks, maybe 2 months, it lost its "beading" on areas facing the sun, example, hood, trunk, and on the roof. Also noticed after application and it rained a few days later, particularly on the Sky, it left running marks around areas like underneath the door handles for example. It is a joy to put on however, easy and quick and 1 shot, and many swear by it, that is why I tried it. Never the less, I was disappointed, I'll go back to the products I was using. At least I only have to apply it every 6-8 months, or 2 times a year..

As for rubbing compound, our cars are to new and the paint to fresh to be using such a harsh item on our cars. RC is more for faded oxidized paint than new cars IMO. They do have a 1-2% compounds, but on our cars, that should be a at this point. There is much much better products than that stuff to remove swirl marks and minor surface scratches IMHO.. So I recommend staying away from that stuff..

I am not talking about a abrasive harsh rubbing compound. This stuff has no silicone and is safe for all clear coats. I know you can not use compounds with abrasives, this would do more damage than good This has the "nanotechnology" instead. They have two kinds, one for light and one for medium swirls. It really is more of an agressive polish than a rubbing compound.

[TulsaSky]

So they are using Star Trek Voyager technology?
7 of 9 was Borg and she had Nano's instead of blood, yea I know to much trivia
But you will be assimilated Resistance is futile

TulsaSky

[Celt03]

Originally Posted by lbsky

I am not talking about a abrasive harsh rubbing compound. This stuff has no silicone and is safe for all clear coats. I know you can not use compounds with abrasives, this would do more damage than good This has the "nanotechnology" instead. They have two kinds, one for light and one for medium swirls. It really is more of an agressive polish than a rubbing compound.

I think you may be referring to either Turtle Wax's Premium Polishing Compound OR Premium Rubbing Compound.
It is NOT a good idea to use either of these often. They may be "safe for all finishes" but they will still eat off that clear coat & paint if you use it too often.
Go talk to a good detailer and tell them what you are doing - they will probably try not to choke as they hand you the name of an auto paint shop cause at some point in the future (more near than later) you will be needing it along with your checkbook.
But hey - you just go for whatever trips your trigger.

[MidniteBlues]

Originally Posted by lbsky

I am not talking about a abrasive harsh rubbing compound. This stuff has no silicone and is safe for all clear coats. I know you can not use compounds with abrasives, this would do more damage than good This has the "nanotechnology" instead. They have two kinds, one for light and one for medium swirls. It really is more of an agressive polish than a rubbing compound.

If your talking about this >> Turtle Wax - Premium Rubbing Compound

Or this >> Turtle Wax - Premium Polishing Compound

No thanks... Nano technology or not, I would not use either on any of my cars.. I still think it is to harsh.. Especially if all you have is "minor" swirl marks.. But hey, what ever works for you is OK with me.. It is after all YOUR car...

[skybuy]

Originally Posted by MidniteBlues

Bought a bottle of that stuff and was disappointed with its performance. After 6 weeks, maybe 2 months, it lost its "beading" on areas facing the sun, example, hood, trunk, and on the roof. Also noticed after application and it rained a few days later, particularly on the Sky, it left running marks around areas like underneath the door handles for example. It is a joy to put on however, easy and quick and 1 shot, and many swear by it, that is why I tried it. Never the less, I was disappointed, I'll go back to the products I was using. At least I only have to apply it every 6-8 months, or 2 times a year..

As for rubbing compound, our cars are to new and the paint to fresh to be using such a harsh item on our cars. RC is more for faded oxidized paint than new cars IMO. They do have a 1-2% compounds, but on our cars, that should be a at this point. There is much much better products than that stuff to remove swirl marks and minor surface scratches IMHO.. So I recommend staying away from that stuff..

i ice the car once or twice a week, easy on and off, and washes really clean the next time. but i am in so cal. and we have dry heat mostly all year with a allot of desert dust, so i have to wash my black sky almost every day....... but i get to drive with the top down on the beach, what could be better...........

[MidniteBlues]

Originally Posted by skybuy

i ice the car once or twice a week, easy on and off, and washes really clean the next time. but i am in so cal. and we have dry heat mostly all year with a allot of desert dust, so i have to wash my black sky almost every day....... but i get to drive with the top down on the beach, what could be better...........

Once or twice a week? Wow, way to frequent for me .. I bath my car/truck(s) if they're lucky once or twice a month. Gets detailed twice a year, thats it. Like I said, we have guys down here that swear by that ICE stuff, that is why I tried it, performance wise however vs the stuff I use is no contest at all, not very good for time either, and the running marks it left after raining of course turned me off.

Of course in your environment is totally different parameters than ours down here.. Here we get a natural wash, (rain) occasionally, sometimes for days at time, always humid, even in winter, and in the summer blazing hot occasionally.. Oh yea, we also can travel along the beach down here, there are some stretches that the ocean is even visible.., but our views around here is no where as pretty than California's IMO.. Here the only mountains we have are called buildings and condos..

[gadget]

I like to use plain old Mother's Carnuba paste wax. Takes a little work but lasts a long time. I tested a bunch of different waxes once on my truck and motorcycle and overall it was the best one I found to hold up against high pressure washing and the elements. I wax maybe twice a year if I drive the vehicle a lot.The sky get's hand washed so Mother's will probably last even longer on it. the best thing is to keep from trashing the paint in the first place I'm always carefull to look over my microfiber towels for debris

[lbsky]

Originally Posted by MidniteBlues

If your talking about this >> Turtle Wax - Premium Rubbing Compound

Or this >> Turtle Wax - Premium Polishing Compound

No thanks... Nano technology or not, I would not use either on any of my cars.. I still think it is to harsh.. Especially if all you have is "minor" swirl marks.. But hey, what ever works for you is OK with me.. It is after all YOUR car...

yep, I am talking about the premium rubbing compound For some reason you guys think that I am talking about doing this on a weekly basis, which would be a little on the silly side. I have gone over the care twice, mainly because the idiot at the dealor put some good swirls on it when they preped it. Once a year would be good enough, if you are looking to remove swirl marks, maybe not even that often if this car is not your daily driver and you do not have to wash it all the time All I have done is use this to remove what the numbnuts at the dealorship did, and then wax it with Meguiars NXT. My car is midnight blue and it looks as good as it can get. Having said this, you can wear the clearcoat off with any product if you keep rubbing or buffing long enough. I am pretty sure if the people at Turtle Wax say that it is ok for clearcoat finishes then it will be ok

[KentuckySky]

Originally Posted by skybuy

i ice the car once or twice a week, easy on and off, and washes really clean the next time. but i am in so cal. and we have dry heat mostly all year with a allot of desert dust, so i have to wash my black sky almost every day....... but i get to drive with the top down on the beach, what could be better...........

Hey skybuy. You mentioned desert dust which caught my eye. I can't use ICE and I'll tell you why. I live on a gravel road and used ICE this summer. Car looked great. However, after driving down the road for a mile, I looked like a powdered donut. It was awful! The ICE product attracted that gravel dust like you wouldn't believe. Don't you have that same problem with the desert dust? Maybe that's why you have to wash so much. Just a thought.

[lbsky]

Originally Posted by KentuckySky

Hey skybuy. You mentioned desert dust which caught my eye. I can't use ICE and I'll tell you why. I live on a gravel road and used ICE this summer. Car looked great. However, after driving down the road for a mile, I looked like a powered donut. It was awful! The ICE product attracted that gravel dust like you wouldn't believe. Don't you have that same problem with the desert dust? Maybe that's why you have to wash so much. Just a thought.

california duster is great for taking off the dust

[jesselyons2002]

I use the turtle wax rubbing compound. This stuff sucks. Leave the finish, dull and full or marring. Had to follow up with Menzerna SIP and Then Menzerna 106ff to get my finish back.