Meguiar's Three Step

[elemental]

Just got the three products today... going to do it when it's cooler out tonight... Just wonder how much you guys get out of each of the bottles? How many applications?

Also, and tips or tricks to perform when using them? Or are they pretty much fool proof, thanks.

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[blaznasn]

u dont really need to use that much out of each bottle, just a little dab on whatever ur using to wipe for each section, just read the directions on the bottle, it should say.

[djerickd]

From Consumer Reports

Waxing a car is drudgery enough, but imagine doing it three times in a row. That, in effect, is what Meguiar's Deep Crystal System and Mothers California Gold Ultimate Wax System demand of their users.

Each "system" consists of three products, each requiring a separate application. Meguiar's ($19.35 for the set) includes a cleaner, a polish, and a wax. (Meguiar's, alone among these manufacturers, makes a distinction between a polish and a wax.) Mothers ($19.85) is similar, but with a "sealer and glaze" as the second stage.

Since you can buy the three products separately, we scored just the third stage--the wax--in the Ratings. Both ranked quite low overall. But we also tested the complete systems to see whether they offer any advantages over the one-step products.

As with conventional polishes, you must still wash the car first. Throw in a little vacuuming and you can easily spend from dawn to dusk applying the three stages. Needless to say, we scored these products poor for ease of use.

The two systems made the finish gleam, but no more so than did the best one-step polishes. The Mothers also showed very good durability, while the Meguiar's was only fair. Both proved excellent at removing grime and oxidation, but they were only marginally better than the best one-step products. The systems didn't stand out in our scratching and hazing tests; results were worse than when we used the third step alone.

The three-step products did give the paint a deeper, richer appearance, making the black test panels look blacker. That could be significant if, say, you compete in car shows. Otherwise, we don't think these products are worth the trouble.

[elemental]

ok, that's nice djderickd, but i already have them and there's no point in you telling me this, i'd be able to decide if it's worth it AFTER i use them, and i asked things relating to how to use them, not a review of the product. i see alot of this on the board, ppl ask questions and others discourage them by posting this kind of thing in the thread. plus, anyone who complains about having to wash the car before you do something like this doesn't really inspire me to heed the warning.

and blaznasn, the reason i ask is the polish and wax i don't remember saying how much to use, the cleaner said to apply liberal amounts but that's quite vague. does that mean the whole bottle? half? what?

[blaznasn]

well what i do, i just put a dab (like a dime or knickle size dab) on your sponge or towel or whatever, wipe it on in circular motions and that for me usually covers about the size of a door, you can see though, as u apply it when u need to put more on the towel. Also do it in the shade like in your garage, but turn on a light, that way you can see any spots you missed.

[blaznasn]

oops my bad i did it again....sorry....by liberal they mean like dont be stingy, so just gob it on there, thats what they mean, i did that when i first started using meguiar's but then it tried just using it my way, works just as well. But when they say liberal that means they want you to put a lot on, not necessarily half the bottle, but really coat it u kno? Its hard to explain, but yea i hope i helped u
goodluck.

[elemental]

yea, cool thanks, car's paint is in really bad shape right now. it's a 98 after all, and the previous owner didn't take special attention to keeping up with cleaning it and stuff. you helped. thanks. i'll have to do it later tonight, too bright/hot outside right now to wash it (water spots and whatnot).

[djerickd]

I used to use the products on my show truck, and yeah they gave good results but its BACK-BREAKING and a lengthy process. I've had the same results with a one step wax/polish, Well it's pretty straight forward just apply and wipe off (I forgot the exact directions). You should get many uses out of the bottles if you don't apply too much. I only applied a small coat of each of the products, since the more you use the more you have to wipe off. But one tip was to have alot of towels and applicators (one for cleaner, one for polish, one for wax) I hope it works out for you.

[elemental]

Thanks. And what is the name of this one step product? After I use these tonight I'll see if it's worth it.

[djerickd]

Zymol, hell I even like plain ol' turtle wax.

[djerickd]

Oh I'm a big fan of clay too. It removes every lil thing off the paint.

[gtguy]

As the Consumer Reports folks said, "the three-step products did give the paint a deeper, richer appearance..."

But yes, to do a car properly, factoring in washing also, will take you about three hours. Whew!

Use three different applicators, and three different removal towels. Personally, I'm getting a nice orbital machine. I've had it with taking years off my rotator cuff every other month.

You should use about a quarter-sized (not two dimes and a nickel...bwahhaha...I crack myself up) dollop on the applicator for each panel. If it's a nice cotton terry applicator, that dollop will go farther and farther as it gets saturated. Back off of the application accordingly.

Here's how I work my car: roof, hood/lift gate/left side/right side. I do a complete three-step on each panel, just so that I can have that sense of accomplishment. Hey, it's psychological I know, so shaddap!

After I finish the whole car, I pull out my cotton towel that I call "softie," and buff the whole car, taking care to look for any wax residue. The nice thing about the Meguiar's stuff is that it dries clear, but it's good to get it off anyhow.

I imagine a clay bar will do the same thing as the paint cleaner, in case you're a man of the earth instead of chemicals.

They last...well, the three bottles that I have took me through two jobs on my Legacy GT, now two jobs on my WRX. There's still a lot left.

Good luck, and they work really well. The polish and wax come off really, really easy after you use the cleaner. I did my Legacy right before I traded it in, and that car looked fan-freakin' tastic.

Kevin

[elemental]

hehe, i ... started too late last night i guess, took a while for the first step after i washed it... plus i had to go get some more terry cloths... it's nice and smooth now, should i wash it again today before i polish to make sure no dust/dirt gets smashed in there or is that not necessary?

nix that question, just dusted the car with a buffing pad to get the towel junk off it... polishing it now... for waxing though, is it good to 'bake' it? or no? leave it in the sun while the wax is drying to get it harder... or does that make for more work and less actual use? thanks

[wieger54]

No!! Don't bake it!!! All the waxes that I've used say not to. I use the three steps from Meguiars also. I even use the clay bar. It takes practice and patient with it. After you do all that stuff was your car again, but with Zymol car wash. It's little harder to dry the car afterwards. You can't use the Cali water blade. It really brings out the blue in my car.


mike...

[elemental]

finished step two, gonna cool down and then go back at it, im supposed to wash it afterwards? hmm, k

[djerickd]

Don't wash it afterwards.

[elemental]

it is a pita, but i got nothing much to do over summer, besides read a few things and a unix class, trying to chill out as much as possible before senior year, which i know is going to get me with all it's applying and testing and whatnot... but thanks guys, almost done, just need to let some wax dry and buff it.

[Zero-sen]

I used Mothers 3 step a few years ago on my Celica, I have not used them scince. After all that work I just didnt get the shine that I ass-u-med I would get. It should be called Mother *^#@!$ Just my humble opinion

[Overtime]

I used to use the 3-step deal religiously. Pre-wax cleaner once every few months, then glaze and wax every week. It's not hard to apply like some waxes and it's fairly cheap. The shine you get if you do it right is also very nice, though it goes away quickly.

If all you want is a quick one-wax-and-done every 3 months, I'd say 3M cleaner wax... or if you're even more merciless on your paint and you bring it through the automatic car wash, a few coats of Liquid Glass. Of course you won't be getting the best shine, but if it looks good to you, who cares?

[elemental]

heh, well, finito, but my whole driveway is shady and i have NO gas, well i have some, but i donno if i have enough to get to the station, going to have to get someone to come with me in case it runs out on the way (live in a residential area, gas stations are close but not very close). it is shinier than before... will have to wait until i wash it to see how well the wax beads the water and whatnot, from what i can see, it's not worth quite that much work. and i will probably use the 1 step once the bottles run out but it certainly has some rewards (the three step). so yea, cya.

[elemental]

also, the paint quality of the cars isnt that good, my dads car has a dark metallic blue and when it reflects things, they are right on. our cars, there is distortion either coming from the paint or the straightness of the sheet metal, if you were to hold a paper up with dark black straight line, the edges would not be straight. it kind of has ... i donno, seems as if the sheet metal is not perfectly smooth and invokes a 'texture' of sorts. So yea, i'd prefer it if it wasn't like that, but i guess nothing's really gonna help short of a paint job or something.

[RidinLow]

It should be called Mother *^#@!

I have the Meguiar's Deep Crystal system. I only use step 1 (paint cleaner) for oxidation or scratched paint. IMO, clay works better and is safer for removing tar and getting the paint glassy smooth.

Step 2 (polish) doesn't seem to do anything for my WR Blue WRX (or my Arctic Gray 325i or the green CL), but I use it anyway... not sure why.

Step 3 (wax) is decent and long lasting if you use the paste version. The liquid one just sucks and doesn't last very long at all.

[elemental]

actually now that you talk about scratching, i see less of it as well as swirls (black car=lots of them) on my car... i wasn't really thinking about it, but i guess that's what's supposed to happen.

[Verist]

I have used Meguiar's three step system and I have had good results in the past. I say use what you like and don't judge a product on consumer reports on alone. I lost a lot of respect for them when they compared cookies. How the hell can they tell me what tastes the best to me?

Regan-

[elemental]

bwahahaha
compared cookies... ahhh, funny
ive never really read consumer reports anyways, and i agree you should try it yourself, since this is the first time im doing something like this, i really dont have much to go on, and next time ill try something else to see if it works for me, thanks all