Product Review: Menzerna SF4500
by Eric Schuster
I will never finish another black car without using this stuff! Simply put, it’s super easy to work with, easy on, easy off (to an extent). The initial wiping will take care off most of the polish residue, but there will be some left on the paint needing to be cleaned off after. Instead of wiping to no end, just leave it on there and come back with either IPA or CGEZCG and remove the remainder.
Its a super fine polish designed to enhance the gloss ten fold and remove only the slightest micromarring (pad dependent here). It’s a “jeweling polish”, not an abrasive one. If you use meguiars 205, or menzerna powerfinish as your middle step, expect great things from Menzerna SF4500 for your final polish step!
Here is a picture of the difference. For those black cars, I haven’t used a better finishing polish. Usually, my middle step is Powerfinish and, sometimes, I can stop there, but not on black cars. While powerfinish looks good, check out the difference it makes on this Ferrari paint:
(top part with SF4500, bottom part not)
Would it be visible the difference in gloss if i use SF4500 after PO106FA on soft paint?
there is a subtle difference in 106 and 4500. darker and wetter.
Eric, How would you compare this to PO85RD?
SF4500 is PO85RD just the new labeling
Can you “jewel” this polish using a PC7424, or is that a trick mastered on a rotary?
I wasn’t aware they changed the name/label. In that case I retract my previous statement. PO85RD is the best finishing polish I’ve ever used and it is easy to jewel soft paint with a DA polisher/black pad.
Eric;
What pad and what speen did you use ( with a PC7424 I assume ) ?
Thanks !!!
I use speed 6 on the griots DA, or 6 on the pcxp.
I will never finish a black car WITHOUT using this product, hands down the best I have used!
So you said you wont do a black car without finishing with sf4500 (sf3800)
So does that mean you do 3 steps or still 2
Say if you use fg400 on a black car do you go sf4000 and sf4500 or jist fg400 to 4500
I know it all depends on the clear coat hardness. Lets call ot mediuim
I have a Griots DA and use there pads, but see from Todd, and you about using a microfiber pad for cutting and than a black pad for the finish. Are there pads like these that will work with my DA.
Thanks
You can use the same pads, you just might have to change the backing plates to the appropriate size. use a 5″ plate iwth a 5.5″ pad, or a 3.75″ plate with a 4″ pad. The pads are the same, there are not pads for the griots and pads for the pc…one in the same
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What pads do you recommend with this fine polish? Will blue and black suffice?
Hi Eric!
First of all, thank you for the review! I’ve been thinking of getting the SF4500 and your review helped me in deciding to purchase the product.
The result as you mentioned is really nice – tried it with LC HT crimson pad and also Meg’s 2.0 finishing pad, and liked the outcome very much.
My only problem is with wiping the product before applying LSP, it’s a tad difficult to remove.
The polishing process was Meg’s 105 w/ W8006 polishing pads on severely swirled parts, 205 on lightly swirled areas, then SF4500 w/ LC HT crimson pad & Meg’s 2.0 finishing pad (rotary).
Finally the polish residue can be removed after 2 IPA wipedowns. I’ve only been using the rotary for 1.5 months, and perhaps my technique is to blame. But it was raining when I was using the SF4500 (I don’t have a garage, just a canopy over my car). Can these factors contribute to the issue I’m having?
Best regards,
Ernesto
Sorry, I forgot to add that I live in a tropical country (Indonesia), hot days followed with rain is the common weather here. Actually the rain helps with the temperature and dust, but perhaps heat / dampness is also a factor in polishing / applying LSPs.
Best regards,
Ernesto
Hi, which of the Menzerna woudl you use to get rid of very fine swirl marks (small section to be done by hand) prion to SF 4500?
Just used 3800 on a black motorcycle prior to putting on a ceramic coating. Wow! The motorcycle had a 2 step correction 1 year ago, and needed to be “polished ” up a bit to remove small defects. 3800 is amazing.