Question 1

What is the difference of this vs. the Ultimate Compound vs. M205 Polish?  On a newer car -what should be used?

Accepted Answer

First, you don't say whether you're using a machine or applying by hand. Machine might not require as aggressive product.

Second, it all depends on the surface condition. Always try the least aggressive, i.e. Ultimate Polish/M205 first. If that doesn't remove swirls, etching, etc., drop down to Ultimate Compound/M105. Then, refine surface with UP/M205 and follow with a pure wax such as Meguiar's Ultimate or my favorite, their NXT 2.0.

Meguiar's Ultimate Compound is the 
consumer version of M105 Ultra-Cut Compound. Their Ultimate Polish is the same to M205 Ultra Finishing Polish.

Both M105 and M205 are slightly more aggressive that their consumer counterparts. It's also my understanding that Ultimate Polish has more polishing "oils" than M205.

They all use Meguiar's Super Micro Abrasive Technology (SMAT). Simply put, they shouldn't induce scratches/marring if properly applied.

Also, if you're investing this much labor, you should remove the bonded contaminants that seem to be present on most brand new cars with a Clay Bar Kit.

You'll be blown away at how smooth and clean the surface gets. It's safe, fast and is the foundation for a properly detailed surface.

Question 2

Ultra-cut vs fine-cut vs medium-cut and  vs  Ultimate compound:  which one cut the most and the least?

Accepted Answer

I used Meguiar’s “Swirl Remover #9” on my ’07 Escalade with white diamond tri-coat paint. This WD3C is notorious for it’s beige appearance taken on with age. Mine was really ugly and I’m not sure if the intense solar heat in Arizona and Texas, where the vehicle has spent equal halves of it’s’ life, or the air pollution it has been exposed to contributed to the discoloration. (Most likely there is a just a problem with this coating GM put on the vehicle) Owners much farther north report the same problem with their Cadillacs with the same coating. I used the #9, a brand name random orbital buffer and an orange applicator pad. I’m not a professional so it seemed starting with a fine formula would be a good starting point. The #9 compound did make a very noticeable improvement with favorable lighting but in direct sunlight it still has the beige appearance, perhaps not as intense as it was prior to the buffing/polishing. At night or on cloudy days the finish appears much whiter. My final step was using the same machine and a black pad to apply Super Hard Shell wax and it is wonderfully shiny plus the water beads up on the surface as good or better than anything I’ve ever used. I had a ’02 Suburban that was Shasta White when I first bought it and remains just as stark white when I saw it yesterday. BTW, the #9 did a good job of removing some minor scratches but only lessened the deeper ones. The finish did not have any swirl marks so I can’t testify how well #9 removes those but I believe it would be very effective unless the person who made them buffed the car out in Phoenix during a haboob.

Question 3

why I still got swirls using a xp7424?

Accepted Answer

First make sure you wash and clay bar the car. Then use one dime size of m205 per square foot so in a 2 foot by 2 foot area which means you need four dots of product. Then with your xp7424 make 5 passes at 4 seconds per foot. Set your speed to 5 and use a white Lake Country pad. If you go too fast you're not doing much work. Each pass mist one squirt of water. At the end wipe with a microfiber towel. If the swirls still exists then you'll need something stronger like m105 with an orange Lake Country pad. Same process applies with m105 then you'll need to repeat the same process and finish with m205.

Question 4

how does this compare to the Meguiars G17216 Ultimate Compound? Which should I buy with my new Porter Cable Polisher?

Accepted Answer

Answering for future folks who come across this.. If you have an older car that hasn't been well cared for and has a lot of swirls and scratches, the PC 7424xp and M105/205 combo is the way to go. I tried the G17216 with a Orange Hex logic pads with my 7424xp and was not pleased with the results. At all. To many fillers and crap in 17216 and it left a lot of the deeper scratches and swirls behind. Picked up the 105 and much happier with the results, deeper swirls and most but all of the deepest scratches are gone.. It cuts well and with the 7424 you would have to TRY to damage your paint.If you have a newer car and just fine swirls on the clear coat. Then I suspect the G17216 would be fine. But for the deeper swirls and scratches I wouldn't waste your time with anything but M105.

Brand	Meguiar's
Grit material	Aluminum Oxide
Grit type	Light , Ultra Fine
Item dimensions L x W x H	41 x 210 x 91 millimeters
Item weight	0.55 Pounds
Material	Polymers and Resins

Meguiar's M20508 Car Polish, 8 Oz

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