5 steps for me.
1. wash with meguiers gold class soap.
2. claybar with mothers claybar
3. polish with turtle polish
4. wax with meguires next tech wax.
5. use car as a mirror. lol
polish fills in the cracks after you clean the paint and gives you the super smooth surface that you are looking for. then you put the wax over that to protect the polish and the paint.. Polish is also what gives your paint depth.
__________________
Ryan
2001 Prelude EBP bought - 11/27/00 ; sold - 10/4/05
2005 Black Sapphire S60R bought 10/4/05 ; sold 06/12/09
2009 Dark Cherry Honda Pilot EX-L w/RES bought 6/12/09
Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass. Life is about learning how to dance in the rain
Some polishes have fillers, but the purpose of it is not to fill - but to level the surface of the paint. There are abrasives in there to smooth out the surface so you get rid of marring, swirls, etc.
If you want an easy and simple way to get your car looking great, go with the Meguiar's or Mother's 3-step line. You can find it at any Autozone, PepBoys, and probably Walmart as well.
Ok, i'm no super expert, but i've been washing cars since i was 12. I fell in love with my mom's Bmw 535i and wanted 2 keep her white beast gleaming so i washed and rewaxed every weekend lol I know totally overboard but hey, i was a child. Of course i went in 2 the other extreme, i bought myself an orbital buffer and would buff the crap out of cars using rubbing compound at 1400 rpm lol Luckily i only did that too my friends beaters..... lol
SO anyways, after practicing summer after summer, i think i've become one of the best in my group of car loving friends.
First, i use Meguires car wash, hand washing the whole thing with a soft cotton sponge, never let the damn thing touch the ground, it'll pick up some bits of leaves or dirt which will scratch up your paint.
I dry with a California water blade followed by one of those synthetic super shamis, the absorber.
After i know the car is dry, i use Mother's step one wax & oxidation removal formula on a random orbital buffer. On areas that may seema lil extra dirty, i get in there with a hand applicator and give it some extra time with extra material. Then i use one of those super soft terry clothes to wipe it all off. I tried using a claybar...but it doesnt satisfy me, perhaps i'm using it wrong, but i'm still learning.
Here is where i use the buffer. I go over the car, especially looking at the trunk, cuz usually my baby sisters will scratch up the paint throwing their back packs into the car and what not, and i look for really damages areas of the finish. I use 3M finishing compound and a buffer at 1200 rpm and work those scratches out as best as possible.
Now i move on to Mother's step 2 swirl and scratch filler, random orbital buffer, fresh bonnet, and fresh micro fiber cloth 2 remove it.
Finally i use Zymol wax to finish it off. I've tried a bunch of off the shelf products at Autozone, and i did my experimentation mostly between the ages of 14 to 17, since then i found that Zymol keeps the car, in my opinion, i guess what i will call the waxiest. It stays on, keeps the water beading off, and lasts a good couple months b4 i reapply it.
This is my secret formula, perhaps its not the best, pm me if u've got some tips, which i charge my parent's and relative's doctor colleages 50 bux a wash for
I honestly think that if you use a orbital buffer you will never find a claybar satisfying. The buffer has more speed and surface area to get the job done better IMO. I have a PC and love using the thing, when I have the time. I do wish I wasn't so anal about it when i do it then it wouldn't be an ALL day project for me.
__________________
Ryan
2001 Prelude EBP bought - 11/27/00 ; sold - 10/4/05
2005 Black Sapphire S60R bought 10/4/05 ; sold 06/12/09
2009 Dark Cherry Honda Pilot EX-L w/RES bought 6/12/09
Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass. Life is about learning how to dance in the rain
- have a lot of MF towels. costco sells packs of 20 for $7
- try different brands. turtle wax and meguairs aren't the only ones out there, but others get expensive.
- i prefer by hand, even though i have an orbital. the cheap ones won't help you at all. the more expensive ones wiht two heads work well if you know how to use it correctly.
- remember light coats of everything. you want it transparent. one of the biggest mistakes are when people go heavy on the wax and are left with the visible wax swirls on their finish.
- clean towels. if you drop your applicator, polish, or buffer towel, use a new one.
1. water, should be clean. don't use a nozzle. just let a steady stream pour down from the top. same for inital wetting and for washing soap off.
2. wash with any good car soap. use a clean wash mit, wool or microfiber.
3. dry with a california drying blade or a mf towel. avoid the leather chamois.
***the following should be one time deals, not everytime you detail***
4. paint cleaner if you want to, and rewash if u want to.
5. claybar if you want to. if you're car is clean and you're good about keeping it that way, you shouldn't get much if anything off.
***
6. polish. should not require heavy buffing. 1 coat is enough.
7. glaze. just a light coat too, and no buffing. this is where the shine comes from. more coats the more luster you'll get. plus you can let the glaze sit for longer, even over night, and wipe off. wait 1 hour minimum after each coat to wipe off. 4 hours bettween applications to allow curing of the glaze.
8. seal it all in with a good wax. 1 light coat.
- wash your car every week religously. follow with a wax once a week if you can. twice a week if not.
- polish and glaze once a year
this is the practice i follow. NTPOG guys can attest for my mirror finish. works for my black car. should work well for all colors.
my cars oxizied and i have buffed i and polished it and it still goes back. what can i do to keep it looking new besides painting(which i will eventually)
hmm isnt it bad to put on many layers of wax? or does it not matter? and be careful when using the orbital buffer =)..speaking of which i havent detailed my car for a long time lol...got lazy
my cars oxizied and i have buffed i and polished it and it still goes back. what can i do to keep it looking new besides painting(which i will eventually)
Paint doesn't last forever, and by your sig I'm assuming you have a red car. Red is one of the worst colors to have, not for the looks but for longevity. It'll turn pink as it fades and oxidation occurs a lot. You basically just have to keep up the polishing every so often, and make sure you protect with a sealant of some sort.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dknydiep
hmm isnt it bad to put on many layers of wax? or does it not matter? and be careful when using the orbital buffer =)..speaking of which i havent detailed my car for a long time lol...got lazy
You can never have too many layers of wax. Unless there are cleaners in it, wax is layerable and often enhances the shine and deepens the look as you put more on. There's different ways to apply wax like spit-shine, curing time etc, but it doesn't hurt to put more on.
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