Polishes.......

Kap142 · 11-22-2007, 03:15 PM

Just came off an unnamed site that suggested the following (and no I am not smoking crack) 1) clay bar, 2) wax, 3) polish 4) top coat. OMG

ya gotta be sh***in me!.

Love the clay bar and the results

, use a good quality paste wax

and usually follow it with a spray detailing (Flash Grape) as a final.

What do you guys do, and no I will not pay $30+ for farkin wax

Ken

OOps might need moved to the detailing section (the turkey made me do it)

Gary S · 11-22-2007, 09:12 PM

If a car is really bad the usual detail process is:
1. clay to remove contaminates embeded in the paint
2. polish to remove light scratches
3. sealant and/or wax for protection

The steps you need to take depends on the condition of your paint.

To me $30 for a great wax or sealant is a small price to pay especially when you compare it to cost per application and the cost of labor to apply it. If you apply it property (very thin) you should get about 10 details out of it. That puts the cost at about $3.00 per detail. I don't know how much you value your labor but even at minimum wage it comes out to a lot more then $3.00 per detail. Also a lot of the really good waxes and sealants go on and wipe off so easy it really cuts down on your labor.

To me making one of my cars look really great is worth a lot more then the small cost of a great wax or sealant to detail it. The cost of my labor to detail a car is aways a much greater cost in my opinion. Detailing a car right does make a difference.

Rich427 · 11-22-2007, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kap142

Just came off an unnamed site that suggested the following (and no I am not smoking crack) 1) clay bar, 2) wax, 3) polish 4) top coat. OMG

ya gotta be sh***in me!.

Love the clay bar and the results

, use a good quality paste wax

and usually follow it with a spray detailing (Flash Grape) as a final.

What do you guys do, and no I will not pay $30+ for farkin wax

Ken

OOps might need moved to the detailing section (the turkey made me do it)

Ken,

There have been a number of posts on the different "brands" of detailing products and if you ask a bunch of people on "brands", you will get a bunch of different responses. Find the brands or individual products that work for you and stick with them.

I used to be a big Zaino guy and loved the results, but there were a few issues that I did not care for in the Zaino line. I moved over to Adam's products when I found that I got similar or better results with an easier or quicker application.

As far as your first question, I don't think you wax before you polish. And I don't know what top coat means and this might be specific to a brand. When I do a total detail, I 1) clay bar - to clean the surface of the paint, 2) polish (if there are minor scratches, this is were I take care of them) - to enhance the shine/luster of the paint, 3) wax - to put a protective coating on the newly polished finish. I don't do all of these steps each time I detail the car. I only clay bar the car once or twice a year. Prior to a show, I will polish the car and then wax it. Once at the show I will then use a quality detail spray to keep things looking good.

I do have and use a Porter Cable random orbit buffer and I am quite happy with it. It helps out the old man's elbow and speeds up the application process tremendously. Well, that's what I do, but I am sure you will get a number of different responses. I just don't think anyone should recommend waxing before polish and I hope that was just a typo on their website.

Rich

gmjunkie · 11-23-2007, 07:02 AM

I use Liquid Ice Clay Bar and Liquid Ice Polish with Excellent Results!!Quick and Easy if you follow the directions!!And the Love Bugs don't stick to it bad after you have 2-3 coats on,Lasts Good Too!!

[u]See Post Here!![/U]

C5Rick · 11-23-2007, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kap142

Just came off an unnamed site that suggested the following (and no I am not smoking crack) 1) clay bar, 2) wax, 3) polish 4) top coat. OMG

ya gotta be sh***in me!.

Love the clay bar and the results

, use a good quality paste wax

and usually follow it with a spray detailing (Flash Grape) as a final.

I only use a clay bar about once or twice a year. It really depends on how rough the surface feels.

Next I use a polish , again not every time I wax. Maybe 4 times a year.

Finally I wax and I do this about every 6-7 weeks. This can depend on the wax. I use Meguiars NXT. I love the wax, but it's not known for it's durability. In January, Meguiars will offer a new version of NXT with more durability. I wax by hand.

I use a spray detailer once or twice a week. Meguairs Ultimate Spray Detailer.

http://www.meguiars.com/

Just remember a lot depends on the paint color, w/wo clear coat, and type (metallics) and with my techniques, I've never had a problem with being

Too Shiny

zzzona · 11-23-2007, 09:21 AM

FARKIN WAX.... Who makes that?

Kap142 · 11-23-2007, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by C5Rick

I only use a clay bar about once or twice a year. It really depends on how rough the surface feels.

Next I use a polish , again not every time I wax. Maybe 4 times a year.

Finally I wax and I do this about every 6-7 weeks. This can depend on the wax. I use Meguiars NXT. I love the wax, but it's not known for it's durability. In January, Meguiars will offer a new version of NXT with more durability. I wax by hand.

I use a spray detailer once or twice a week. Meguairs Ultimate Spray Detailer.

http://www.meguiars.com/

Just remember a lot depends on the paint color, w/wo clear coat, and type (metallics) and with my techniques, I've never had a problem with being

Too Shiny

Thanks Rick, I basicly follow the steps you take. I too. Like Meguairs products. Goldie shines greatly already was just seeing if another approach might be an improvement.

She doesn't look too shaby now.