I'm looking to clear and protect my daily driver. I've been using mystique to wash, and hydro as a spray on wax, and slick as qd. I'm thinking of clay, Amigo to prep then BG to protect, but I don't have an orbital polisher. Are there instructions somewhere on how to apply Amigo and BG by hand? What types of mf towels or foam applicators to use to apply? TIA

 

I enjoy waxing by hand a LOT more than using any sort of buffer. I think it allows you to really get to know your car, especially the little scratches that are bound to form. BG is so soft you won't have to use any real pressure to put it on or take it off.

If you go this route, be sure to use a decent MF applicator. Be sure to spray it with something like Meguiars quick detail mist before you wax. Since the car is so small, doing it by hand doesn't really add a ton of time.

To buff, I use a high quality MF towel that has never been used for anything but waxing. This is where you really get to know your car, and if you are picky, you will ensure no wax is left befind!

Be sure you treat your arches and all the black plastic \ rubber with Black WoW or whatever you use BEFORE you start your waxing!

Gluck!

 

yep, especially Amigo and BG (per hmmm's comments) i would probably just do the entire car without RO.

RO's are effective for polishing and speeding up wax applications but unless you're a pro going against the clock, take your time and enjoy the process.

 

I'll second that request for tips/advice for doing it by hand... i'm a detailing newbie too.

 

Agreed. I wax my MINI by hand. Amigo is good by hand also.

 

What type of MF towels/applicators are best for Amigo & BG? Something I could get from DP or OG? And what type of towels to remove/buff the BG?

thx for all the advice

 

I really like using the MF Skinnys that DP sells for Amigo. Any good MF towel can be used to remove Amigo as well, I have found it to be a very forgiving and easy product to work with.

 

I include a large microfiber sponge applicator with every bottle of BG purchased from me. I will post a video on using BG and Amigo soon although in this video, I machine applied Amigo with a PC, and BG'd by hand. I like the sponge because it absorbs enough product to cover a large area at once and that's important for BG since it dries to fast, you usually don't have enough time to reapply over the same area without removing what you already put down.

Monster Fluffies work great for removing BG, although I love the MF Starfish Mitts since I can use both front and back, and turn it inside out for 2 additional sides of wiping.

Richard

 

damn it, always turns into an advertisement with you OG. jk

is that sponge the same sponge you used to apply Nero on the doors?

 

Haha! Yes!! It's the same sponge..I think, lol. The brick sized rectangular blue microfiber sponge.

Richard

 

hahaha. that sponge is quite flexible.

 

Thanks Richard! I actually purchased some BG from you the othe rweek (in time to still use the NAM coupon) and you did included the mf sponge applicator - I was wondering what it was for! I was hoping you'd include an applicator for the BW I got too, but I think you just use a mf skinny?

On a tangent, am I suppose to cut the laminate on the BW card along the curved paper edge?

Looking forward to your video so I have a better understanding of how to apply Amigo & BG.

Thanks!

 

Thanks for the order! The laminated trim card curve is for 1st gen MINI owners, and not necessary for R56 owners. It conforms to the arches and the R56's are different and easier to apply BW on. I don't include an applicator for BW because there are a variety of applicators that work well and it's really personal preference. I like the MF Skinny's though.

I'm working on the video right now. I'll post it soon.

Richard

 

Wait, you're working on a DIY video on how to cut cardboard? Dang...

 

Hey Richard,

Did you ever finish the video applying Amigo and Banana Gloss?

 

no, he's still working on the cardboard.

amigo is a no brainer. just place a dab on you applicator pad and work it into the paint. you dont even need to press hard at all. it spreads very easily like warm butter.

dont need a thick amount either. just enough to get a haze. then wipe off. i did it in sections (by panel).

should be the same for BG. i hear that polymer/wax dries very fast.

 

Sorry for the late reply, ok here is the video. YouTube is still processing it right now so it might look a bit blocky. I uploaded it as an HD video clip but at the moment, isn't playing as HD during processing.

 

Why the QD spray beforehand? I've got the skinny MF pads from DP but that's the first I've heard about pre-spraying the pad. What's your thinking behind that? If I'm missing a good pointer, I want to know

 

The only rationale I can think of is he is assuming the paint hasn't been already cleaned before waxing. I.e. you always want to wax a clean surface only. But if you're polishing with Amigo, then following with BG, I think using a QD in between would be detrimental.

 

I would think that introducing a QD into the process would interfer with each of the waxes (or polymers) from doing what they're suppose to do.

 

Exactly.

 

Hey Octane Guy,

When do you decide to buff with Amigo vs. Swirl? I've used swirl a couple of times on different cars for heavy swirls, and it gives a great finish. Do you just go with Amigo for very light swirls because swirl is too aggressive? Obiously Amigo adds a bit of depth as well to the darker colors.

Thanks!

 

Answering your question is very simple once you understand ALL the polishes in the Prima line.

Listed from Most Aggressive to Least

CUT
SWIRL
FINISH
AMIGO

I normally polish to improve surface defects. However like in the video, I didn't have the time to polish out the defects, so I chose to use Amigo's filling and gloss/color enhancing properties. Then seal with a wax.

If I'm polishing a dark or rich color, I ALWAYS use Amigo before going to wax.

If I'm polishing a light color (white or silver) then Amigo is optional and not usually something I will use before going to wax.

Swirl is never too aggressive for me. I use different techniques.

Besides the obvious of choosing different pads..white, orange, or yellow (least to most aggressive), using a slightly or more worn pad will also affect the aggressiveness. Using a slightly damp (with water, i.e. after washing it) will cut down on the aggressiveness. Also if you polish say with an orange pad with Swirl for several minutes and have broken down the polish, following the residual polish using a white pad can give you additional polishing in a less aggressive fashion.

It all depends on what and how you are polishing. For me, I usually use both a rotary buffer and a random orbital buffer. I use the exact same pads and polishes. Many times I will polish with the rotary using a white pad and Swirl, then finish off the polishing using the orbital using that same white pad and existing polish.

Again, it's all about technique.

I don't really use CUT or FINISH. I absolutely love SWIRL and AMIGO.

Richard