What is the Solo System?

A professional one-liquid system for both compounding and polishing that combines cutting-edge associated tools designed to produce swirl-free, world class results. The one-liquid, Cut & Polish Cream, comes in gallons and quarts. A secondary label to stick on dispenser bottles is available on request.

The components of the system are as follows:

M86 Cut & Polish Cream (32-ounce and gallon)

Simple, one liquid system for both compounding & polishing
Advanced Unigrit™ Technology delivers level cutting and swirl-free polishing
Specifically designed for paint and body shops
Safe, VOC compliant formula

W66
"Easy Buff" Rotary Backing Plate 5.75 inch / 14.6 cm

Safely contours to curves and body lines
Distributes pressure for smoother buffing
More forgiving, less swirls

WWHC7
Wool Heavy Cutting Pad 7 inch / 17.8 cm

100% wool, 1" twisted fibers for faster cutting
Effective removal of sanding marks & defects
Color coded buffing pad, burgundy for "heavy cutting"
Flat pad design expands cutting area to reduce buffing time

WWLC7
Wool Light Cutting Pad 7 inch / 17.8 cm

Unique 1" fiber blend for less aggressive, safer cutting
Color coded buffing pad, yellow for "light cutting"
Flat pad design expands cutting area to reduce buffing time

WDFF7
"Diamond" Foam Finishing Pad 7 inch / 17.8 cm

Ultra-soft foam technology removes light swirls and holograms
Delivers revolutionary, swirl free performance
Smoother buffing action "less chatter" with diamond pattern foam

WDFP7
"Diamond" Foam Polishing Pad 7 inch / 17.8 cm

Soft foam technology removes moderate swirls and holograms
Delivers revolutionary, swirl free performance
Smoother buffing action "less chatter" with diamond pattern foam

Why the new rotary backing plate?

The new "Easy Buff" Rotary Backing Plate is technology borrowed from our OEM Polishing System used at the car factories. As an alternative to a hard backing plate, this cushioned backing plate distributes pressure for smoother buffing and minimizing swirls. The combination of this backing plate, the specially engineered buffing pads, and the Cut & Polish Cream…all work synergistically to produce swirl-free, world class results.

The current Mirror Glaze W65 or W64 rotary backing plates can work with the new Solo System buffing pads, but without the benefits of the more forgiving W66 "Easy Buff" backing plate. We recommend twisting off the centering pin if you plan to use the W65 or W64 backing plate with the Solo System buffing pads.

How are these new wool pads different?

The Solo System wool pads specifically designed to work with the Cut & Polish Cream and the W66 "Easy Buff" Backing Plate. They are flat vs what could be described as a "dish pad", like the shape of many wool pads…including our own W4000 wool pad. The flat pad design expands the cutting area to reduce buffing time compared to curved wool pads. When used with the W66 backing plate, the user can use our new flat wool pad to buff up to the edge of panels and actually "feel" where the edge of the pad is while keeping the pad flat to the surface. With curved pads, the user is often tempted to tip the pad or buff passed the edge of the panel in order to buff in this sensitive area.

These new Solo System wool pads are 1 inch pile length. Most wool pads in the industry are 1.5 inch or longer. The longer length is not needed for defect removal capability but exists to provide the user with a soft cushioned buffing feel and to provide a safety against "burning edges." Our 1 inch pile removes defects more effectively while the W66 backing plate provides the cushioning needed for safer buffing.

Color coded; our Solo System wool pads are colored for easy recognition. Burgundy for "heavy cutting" and yellow for "light cutting."

How are these new foam pads different?

Both new foam pads have a "diamond" pattern cut out in the buffing surface of the foam which delivers a smoother buffing action. The user will experience "less chatter", meaning less of a "grabby feel" or "pad-hop" that is sometimes felt with softer foam pads. Since the diamond pattern is cut into the surface of the foam and not convoluted, you get the benefits of a flat pad but with a smoother buffing action.

The yellow "Diamond" Foam Polishing Pad is the same yellow foam as our proven and trusted W8000 pad.

The black "Diamond" Foam Finishing Pad is a new foam that has the cell structure of our yellow foam but is softer foam than our W9000 pad. You can think of this new black foam pad as being less aggressive than our yellow foam and more aggressive than our tan foam, but leaving just as good a finish as our tan foam.

Why 7 inch size pads? Aren't 8 inch and 9 inch pads the more common sizes for the body shop industry?

All other things being equal, a 7 inch diameter buffing pad will swirl less than an 8 or 9 inch pad. A 7 inch pad is easier to use than a larger pad. Additionally, given the trend in car design…with more contours, grooves, and body lines, a 7 inch pad is easier to negotiate these areas compared to a larger buffing pad.

What does a one-liquid system mean?

Current practice in body shops is a multi-step, multi-liquid polishing process. The Solo System means you use the Cut & Polish Liquid for the first step compounding (removing sanding marks) and you use the same liquid for the second step polishing (removing the swirl marks.) You simply switch pads between steps.

Who is the Solo System for?

It is specifically designed for paint & body shops in the automotive refinish industry. Within this segment, there are a variety of user expectations. Shops that finish with higher grades of paper (1500 grit DA or finer), and are looking for a simple, state of the art technology, So1o may be the answer.

On the other hand, shops that are using lower grades of paper (1500 grit by hand or coarser) and gritty "rocks in a bottle" compound technology; Solo may not suit them.

While some shops will continue to use a multi-liquid process, including ours, there are many shops that will welcome the benefits of our new "one-liquid" option.

Where can I get the Solo System?

All the components are widely distributed in automotive paint supply stores, detail products suppliers, and some auto parts stores with paint departments. They can also be purchased on our website and our 800 Customer Care line. The Solo System is not likely to be found in retail chains or mass merchants.

How is the system applied?

The method of application is for Rotary buffer. See the Solo System Application Bulletin for details.

What does Advanced Unigrit Technology mean and what does it have to do with M86 Cut & Polish Cream?

"Unigrit" is a feature that describes the size and distribution of the particles on our Unigrit Finishing Paper…With that said, the benefits of "Unigrit" are the uniform marks left behind by the paper.

With that said, "Unigrit" refers to the mechanical particles in M86, which is a very unique type of aluminum oxide. It is very uniform in shape, size and hardness. This makes them "Unigrit" allowing a very "level" cutting action. We have never used this type of abrasive alone in any of our other cleaners or compounds and it represents an advance in our Unigrit technology.

Does M86 Cut & Polish utilize a diminishing abrasive?

Two answers; the short answer is no. Relative to our other cleaners and compounds, M86 does not readily exhibit diminishing abrasive type characteristics. This "Unigrit" type M86 abrasive is tiny, consistent in shape/size, and "cuts" much longer than a "true diminishing abrasive." The consistency, uniformity, and duration of the "level cutting action" is the key to the systems ability to remove paint imperfections without utilizing our tried and true micro diminishing abrasive technology.

The other answer is yes, this abrasive does reduce in size. However, it does so at a much slower rate than any of the other abrasives used in our cleaners & compounds. Therefore M86 is similar to our Unigrit Finishing Papers in that it cuts longer, but will eventually break down. The M86 abrasive cycle is much longer/slower allowing these tiny uniform particles to do "level cutting", which also creates the high gloss in the polishing stage.

So which is better…diminishing abrasives in M85 & M84 or the new "Unigrit" abrasive technology in M86?

Meguiar's has pioneered and been teaching, preaching, using diminishing abrasives in our cleaners and compounds for decades. In fact, we have shunned the approach of traditional or harsh non-diminishing abrasives for just as long. The new M86 Advanced Unigrit Technology does not negate any of that. The Solo System does not automatically replace any of our current multiple-liquid processes, but is a supplement to our existing product offering.

Diminishing abrasives are especially useful in multi-liquid processes. Diminishing abrasives are used in our cleaners & compounds, as well as our cleaner/polishes...but not the same type. The abrasive set used in a cleaner/compound is not the same (size, shape, hardness, type) as the abrasive set used in a cleaner polish. The type/s used in a compound, for example, are designed to remove sanding marks and severe defects. The type/s used in a cleaner/polish are designed to remove a swirl mark or other less severe defects. Both are diminishing abrasives, but different types for different purposes.

Conversely, we found that our true micro diminishing abrasive technology didn't lend itself well to a one-liquid system designed to do both compounding and polishing. A different type of abrasive is needed for the Solo System to work as well as it does, a unique abrasive cycle that could meet the challenge of taking one liquid and removing different types of paint defects (severe and fine) by changing the pad used.

So which is better? The abrasive type in M86 is best for a one-liquid system. The abrasive set in M85 & M84 is best for their role in a multi-liquid system. Both systems achieve incredible swirl-free high gloss results.