I had gone to Shamokin about a week ago and had all sorts of "backwoods pinstriping". With a blue X, you get all sorts of scratches. Did the Meguiars 3 Step today. Like the first day I saw her... SO impressed. I did the 3 Step and before that I did the Gel Soft Wash. (Using the powerwasher at home helped with the mud factor) It took from 12:30-4 to finish everything.

I have to agree the three step process really made my X shine. I had a small "pinstripe" down the side of mine and it is virtually gone now. Gotta love it.

Told ya, Nick!

I washed the X yesterday with dishwashing soap, to remove all the wax and the few swirls it had, along with a little backwoods pinstriping.

Starting with a clean canvas, I applied step 1, 2 then 3. The thing looks brand new, no swirls, no stripes, nada. Unbelievable. Of course, I spent a total of SEVEN hours yesterday, detailing the truck... Not a sign anywhere that I was off-road... Hehehe.

Of course, applying a product three times and removing the same - for a total of SIX total wipedowns of the entire truck... Holy Jesus, my arms are shot.

I agree. That's the longest workout my arms have seen in a long time. (Keep your comments to yourselves- pervs. ). The powerwasher was a big help. I also used the Gel Soft Wash to wash everything down. Then did the steps. I found that #1 and #3 were the ones I had the most problems with, in that they didn't as readily come off. #2 was by far the easiest. Well worth the $25 for supplies however!

Sounds like the polisher/buffer manufacturers can expect some new customers.

dave and xtoy - it just gets dirty again

Well, ya gotta figure, you don't use step #1 all that much, #2 a little more... But #3 is really the only one you need to apply regularly. Depends on how much abuse the truck gets, I guess. Hehehe.

I forgot to add washing down the X, and drying it off with a chamois... That's EIGHT rub downs.

Jeez, I wish I got as much play as my truck!

Meguiars 3 Step System & Soft Wash- $25.00
Terry Cloth Towels- $3.99
Sore Shoulders- Free (but painful)
Beautiful looking X- PRICELESS

Don't forget the "Back to Black" for all the plastic and rubber bits and "Endurance" for the tires... A month or so of maintenance-free trim.

Yeah, I need to get that crap off the composite trim...

Well based on this thread I went out and got the three step. First time i've ever waxed a car and I must say it looks great! Step 1 seemed to take out my clear coat scratches. Step 2 didnt do much (my car's only a month old so its still nice and shiney), and of course step 3 was a nice finishing touch.

I have a couple questions though. How often do i need to reapply this stuff (my arms hope not very often =)? Also, how do you get the wax off the plastic parts?

Thanks for answers, and for the advice on using this product.

it depends on how anal you are about your cars appearance and protection. Some do it once a week, while otheres do it a couple of times a year. It also depends on where you live, if you have a lot of chemicals or acid rain hitting your truck, do it more often.

For getting it off the plastic, try Armorall CLEANING wipes, or peanut butter. Theres a few threads in the history on this one.

Here's something to consider. Boarderphreak had a REALLY good post about this subject not too long ago. Keep in mind. The Cleaner step is probably the most "harsh" towards the paint. I think that's going to be a twice a year thing. The polish about every 4 months and the wax after every good washing... Something to think about... And for the Cleaning Wipes- Got'em. It came off... mostly...

I'm reading all these posts about the 3 step process (I use it too), but have one question: Have any of you ever heard of a thing called an orbital buffer?? What's with all of this sore shoulder stuff? I suggest hittin the local Wal-Mart or Sears and getting one. Your arms will thank you. The only rubbing I do is near the trim or in/around the nooks and crannies. It's such a breeze using the buffer and will take you 1/2 the time vs. rubbing by hand. Just make sure to buy a bunch of extra bonnets when you get a buffer. I think I got my buffer and bonnets at Sears for like $30 or something. Well worth the price.

There's something to be said about putting manual effort into something. You just get this warm fuzzy feeling inside when you look at a job well done. And done by hand... Tools? We don' need no stinkin' tools!

IMO, you get better results, albeit slower - in doing it by hand. With a machine you risk swirls and burning into the paint layers if you're not careful and/or skilled. Besides, doing it by hand is less stressful to your paint since you only go over any given spot a few times - whereas with a machine, you're rotating at several hundred, if not thousand RPMs.

Besides, one only does all three steps if the paint really got beat on. Most of the time, you only really need the wax, with an occasional polish step and even less frequently, the cleaner. The more often you wax, the less you need the other steps.

It all boils down to how anal you are about your truck's appearance and your own personal diligence. Me, I'm a 'Phreak...

P.S. Thanks, Dayspring!

Just did my three step process this weekend with Back 2 Black and Tire dressing. My baby is absolutely beautiful.

I washed her down slowly with dish soap to get the grim and old wax/polish off.

I washed her again with Soft Wash Gel to make sure I didnt miss anything.

Applied the ScratchX, then the polish, then the wax. All by hand and it took for freaking ever to get everything done but now my silver ice X is a MIRROR.

The process did a great job getting the Arizona Pinstripes out, and her paint looks just as good as I did when I bought her, almost exactly one year ago.

Xavier -
A lot of work - you bet!
But here's the good news, you may only need to wash and wax to keep things looking good. Polish if needed and spot apply the scratch remover when necessary.
I'd suggest you try a detailing spray such as Final Inspection after washing - it will allow you to avoid waxing as often.

dave and xtoy - more time to drive

[ 10-23-2001: Message edited by: DaveDatsun ]