Cleaning And Maintenance Of New Es350

[detaildoc]

detaildoc, just an update. I bit the bullet and ordered my first detailing supplies. Thanks for all your help...you da man! Here is the list below (I combined some things into the autopia buy to get the 15% off of $150 or more...gee did I say $150...omg, my wife is definitely going to kill me...plus I used her credit card...oh well, one or two more nights in the doghouse! ha ha). :cries:

I decided I am going to do the sealant as you can see (Ultima Paint Guard Plus)...but I am not ready for the clay yet. Plus, I am going to do my wife's car first to test all this out (see where I am going with this....show her how nice her car will look...of course I want to screw up her car before I touch my baby..what's a few more days in the doghouse OR I can get out if I pull this off!!!!!) :whistles:

Pinnacle Wheel & Tire Kit

Bucket w/Grit Guard

Ultima Paint Guard Wash

Lowes Grout Sponge

Sonus Vision Glass & Plastic Cleaner

Cobra Microfiber Glass Towel

P21s-100 Carnauba Wax

Microfiber Towels - Pack of 3

Sonus Der Wunder Drying Towel 2-pack

Sonus Cockpit Cleaner Bundle

Ultima Interior Guard Plus

Ultima Detail Spray

Ultima Paint Guard Plus

Thanks again for all your help (and just so you don't worry, I never mentioned your name!!! She would find you!)..haha. Hey if you see any issues here, don't hesitate to yell and correct me!!! Didn't start on the cars yet!

Wow! That reminds me of my first purchase. That is a great list. The only thing I would leave out is the Cobra MF Glass Towel as it lints too much. Also, for applying the P21s 100 it is better to use a foam applicator, I use this one: http://www.autopia-carcare.com/vk-101.html. For the Ultima Paint Guard Plus, I recommend 3 coats, 12 hours apart (so I usually do this starting Friday,keeping the car in my garage until done). Also, do not use the detail spray to clean your car between washes as doing that will cause swirls on your paint. It is better to use quick detailing sprays right after you wash and dry your car to remove any water spots and add more gloss. The Ultima QD is alright, but I prefer Fk 425 http://fk1usa.com/products-consumer.htm as it leaves an incredible gloss. What will you be using to clean and protect the leather? Let me know how it all works out and post some pics.

[detaildoc]

One other ? for detail doc if you do not mind. For all the cleaning is it ok to do it on a new car? or how soon before using sealants or wax should one wait?

I am doing it to my new car (bought it in Dec but with the winter here in PA, could not detail it)....however, I would have done it to mine if it brand new and was in the summer.

I read alot of people like the California duster....I just don't know though....with all I read about using the proper car wash, and sealant and use microfiber towels all to avoid scratching, I would think the CA duster would scratch the paint. But again, I am not the expert. I hope detaildoc can help or SW03ES...they are "da men"! B)

by the way, I will try to attach my excel spreadsheet to this. now please, a disclaimer here, I don't own stock or don't do this for a living so it is just what I put together for me since I don't plan on making detailing my life (plus I am not going to do it every week....can't with the job and life....). So for your use only and use it at your risk (gee, I feel like I am a NFL broadcast here...."...without the expressed written consent of the NFL..ha ha). Ooops, can't upload it; I guess we can upload an excel spreadsheet here...sorry!

You are learning quick. YES, ANY DUSTER WILL SCRATCH THE PAINT, ESPECIALLY LEXUS PAINT.

[detaildoc]

One other ? for detail doc if you do not mind. For all the cleaning is it ok to do it on a new car? or how soon before using sealants or wax should one wait?

You should not have to wait. Cars that come straight from the dealer are still exposed to the elements and are not always protected with high quality wax or sealant or even any at all. Most of the time the dealers just apply a glaze to give it shine and hide the swirl marks that are already on the paint from all the hosing down and drying of the car at the dealer. Think about it this way, do you really think the dealer will be waxing or applying a sealant every month on 100's of cars they have there to keep them protected? No way! When you take delivery of the car, it appears really clean, but that is just surface appearance. First thing I did was wash it and clay it, and the clay came out pretty dirty even though it was a new car. Apply some wax or sealant now.

[JGTNewLexusOwner]

One other ? for detail doc if you do not mind. For all the cleaning is it ok to do it on a new car? or how soon before using sealants or wax should one wait?

You should not have to wait. Cars that come straight from the dealer are still exposed to the elements and are not always protected with high quality wax or sealant or even any at all. Most of the time the dealers just apply a glaze to give it shine and hide the swirl marks that are already on the paint from all the hosing down and drying of the car at the dealer. Think about it this way, do you really think the dealer will be waxing or applying a sealant every month on 100's of cars they have there to keep them protected? No way! When you take delivery of the car, it appears really clean, but that is just surface appearance. First thing I did was wash it and clay it, and the clay came out pretty dirty even though it was a new car. Apply some wax or sealant now.

Hey detaildoc, again, thanks for all the help. One other question, I have bought everything except the clay kit. But, the more and more I read (and your last post here got me thinking), I am thinking maybe I should clay before I use the paint sealant my first time (should be next week). Is the Meguiars clay kit at Wal-mart/OTC ok to use or should I go back and buy from autopia or pinnacle...etc. the cost is about the same without more shipping. Remember, I am in the doghouse for spending all this money...however, I don't want to screw up buying something cheap! Thanks for an answer on this "latest" question!

[detaildoc]

Remember that you should only clay if you plan to polish later by machine (such as with the Ultimate Detailing Machine or Porter Cable). If you are not going to polish then I would definitely skip the claying, as claying will result in swirls on your paint. I have not used Meguiars clay, but I do know they have different ones and one of them is way too abrasive and I would not recommend it for a Lexus. To be on the safe side I would use either the Sonus Green Clay or Clay Magic (blue). If I remember correctly, your car is pretty new, so the Sonus Green Clay will do the job. It is very mild and even though it will still induce some swirls on your paint they will be very light and will polish out easily. If your car is more than one year old, get the Clay Magic, which you can also get from Autopia. BUT DON'T CLAY IF YOU ARE NOT READY TO POLISH BY MACHINE YET.

[JGTNewLexusOwner]

Remember that you should only clay if you plan to polish later by machine (such as with the Ultimate Detailing Machine or Porter Cable). If you are not going to polish then I would definitely skip the claying, as claying will results in swirls on your paint. I have not used Meguiars clay, but I do know they have different ones and one of them is way too abrasive and I would not recommend it for a Lexus. To be on the safe side I would use either the Sonus Green Clay or Clay Magic (blue). If I remember correctly, your car is pretty new, so the Sonus Green Clay will do the job. It is very mild and even though it will still induce some swirls on your paint they will be very light and will polish out easily. If your car is more than one year old, get the Clay Magic, which you can also get from Autopia. BUT DON'T CLAY IF YOU ARE NOT READY TO POLISH BY MACHINE YET.

You are da man! I need to get you some Bud Light!! haha. Whew! Thanks. Yes, my car is new (Dec) with about 3000 miles on it (you have a good memory). It has gotten very dirty over the winter here so I am looking forward to detailing it next weekend. Thanks again!

[rjt65]

thank you all. feel like a real novice here (I used meguir products, nufinish wax/sealant, armor all, mr clean car wash- thought it worked good the cleaner and filter that made the rinse not spot with no towel needed-thoughts on that?)

l had it hand washed (with boars hair brushes) due to 2 days of rain after i bought it and I found a bunch of minor scratches on it I could not see previous. annoying the !@#$ out of me.

DO you think I have to clay and polish it ?

Or a wash, Sealant an carnuba wax should take care of the slight surface scratches?

As my puchase list is below, u see i have no polish nor clay. So worst case if i just wash, seal and wax ( do i have to wait a day between seal and wax?) first than do clay and polish another week, would that work or be harmful?

And I used the California duster on a charcol black stanza, dark blue ford expedition and gold sand Maxima sSE no problems--y would it scratch a black Lexus? no clear coat?)

My list so far (still need bucket)

VK-101—foam applicator from autopia – 2.99$ for carnuba

Ultima Autospa Microfiber Applicator (for guard) $6

Ultima Autospa Dual-Foam Interior Applicator $6

sonus der wunder mf mitt

Sonus Glass Bundle

P21s-100 Carnauba Wax - WAX

Microfiber Towels - Pack of 3 -

Sonus Der Wunder Drying Towel 2-pack – t

Sonus Cockpit Cleaner Bundle -

Ultima Paint Guard Wash

Ultima Paint Guard Plus

Ultima Interior Guard Plus –

Sonus leather cleaner and conditioner –

Ultima Detail Spray plus -

Thankess SAis once again for thoughts here

One other ? for detail doc if you do not mind. For all the cleaning is it ok to do it on a new car? or how soon before using sealants or wax should one wait?

You should not have to wait. Cars that come straight from the dealer are still exposed to the elements and are not always protected with high quality wax or sealant or even any at all. Most of the time the dealers just apply a glaze to give it shine and hide the swirl marks that are already on the paint from all the hosing down and drying of the car at the dealer. Think about it this way, do you really think the dealer will be waxing or applying a sealant every month on 100's of cars they have there to keep them protected? No way! When you take delivery of the car, it appears really clean, but that is just surface appearance. First thing I did was wash it and clay it, and the clay came out pretty dirty even though it was a new car. Apply some wax or sealant now.

[JGTNewLexusOwner]

Wow! That reminds me of my first purchase. That is a great list. The only thing I would leave out is the Cobra MF Glass Towel as it lints too much. Also, for applying the P21s 100 it is better to use a foam applicator, I use this one: http://www.autopia-carcare.com/vk-101.html. For the Ultima Paint Guard Plus, I recommend 3 coats, 12 hours apart (so I usually do this starting Friday,keeping the car in my garage until done). Also, do not use the detail spray to clean your car between washes as doing that will cause swirls on your paint. It is better to use quick detailing sprays right after you wash and dry your car to remove any water spots and add more gloss. The Ultima QD is alright, but I prefer Fk 425 http://fk1usa.com/products-consumer.htm as it leaves an incredible gloss. What will you be using to clean and protect the leather? Let me know how it all works out and post some pics.

Regarding the leather, I was going to use the cockpit cleaner (it does say you can use it on leather). However, I was not sure if that would protect it or not (on my Bonneville I used to hand rub in Meguiars leather conditioner)....I also was thinking about the Sonus or Lexol bundle.

On the glass, yep, I was worried about that on the glass since I think you recommended a Sonus or Der Wunder towel....I think I bought this to get to a certain % savings on one website (gee, I spent this much, sometimes I go nuts with trying to save money where I can...oh well). I really plan to use this on the outside panoramic roof but we will see. Hey, as you can see, I am just learning!

[detaildoc]

Wow! That reminds me of my first purchase. That is a great list. The only thing I would leave out is the Cobra MF Glass Towel as it lints too much. Also, for applying the P21s 100 it is better to use a foam applicator, I use this one: http://www.autopia-carcare.com/vk-101.html. For the Ultima Paint Guard Plus, I recommend 3 coats, 12 hours apart (so I usually do this starting Friday,keeping the car in my garage until done). Also, do not use the detail spray to clean your car between washes as doing that will cause swirls on your paint. It is better to use quick detailing sprays right after you wash and dry your car to remove any water spots and add more gloss. The Ultima QD is alright, but I prefer Fk 425 http://fk1usa.com/products-consumer.htm as it leaves an incredible gloss. What will you be using to clean and protect the leather? Let me know how it all works out and post some pics.

Regarding the leather, I was going to use the cockpit cleaner (it does say you can use it on leather). However, I was not sure if that would protect it or not (on my Bonneville I used to hand rub in Meguiars leather conditioner)....I also was thinking about the Sonus or Lexol bundle.

On the glass, yep, I was worried about that on the glass since I think you recommended a Sonus or Der Wunder towel....I think I bought this to get to a certain % savings on one website (gee, I spent this much, sometimes I go nuts with trying to save money where I can...oh well). I really plan to use this on the outside panoramic roof but we will see. Hey, as you can see, I am just learning!

You can use the cockpit detailer on the leather, but I recommend the Sonus leather cleaner and conditioner as these are dedicated products and will do a much better job of cleaning the leather and protecting it. I prefer the Sonus over Lexol for our cars.

[rjt65]

Ok gods of detailing Heard from another car fanatic that Zaino products are gr8 to use (Polish, clay etc)

http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc

Also the eagle never dull for tail pipes? http://www.autogeek.net/eo1046.html

thoughts?

[SW03ES]

I use a california duster, but only after breif driving after a wash, or to remove surface dust from sitting after a wash. Anything more serious (pollen, etc) I'd pass.

[JGTNewLexusOwner]

Ok gods of detailing Heard from another car fanatic that Zaino products are gr8 to use (Polish, clay etc)

http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc

Also the eagle never dull for tail pipes? http://www.autogeek.net/eo1046.html

thoughts?

Uh oh, another acronym....GOD - gods of detailing!! I am more of a NOD....novice of detailing! I heard Zaino is good also. I heard it is more for those that have machines like UDM or PC and I am not to that stage yet. I want to do mine by hand. I am not trying to make my car a show vehicle!! Don't know about tail pipes! I don't think I am touching mine!

[detaildoc]

Ok gods of detailing Heard from another car fanatic that Zaino products are gr8 to use (Polish, clay etc)

http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc

Also the eagle never dull for tail pipes? http://www.autogeek.net/eo1046.html

thoughts?

Many of the Zaino products are great, but others not so great IMO. When it comes to Zaino, people either love it or hate it, but Zaino followers are hardcore. I love their Z8 Grand Finale spray. I use it as a topper product and it add more depth to the finish. The Z16 for the tires is a good product as well. The Z2 and Z5 sealants (for some reason they call it polish, but they are sealants) are also very popular amongst many, but I am not one of those fans. In my opinion, Zaino sealants look too plastic and applying them is an absolute pain in the rear. I prefer Ultima Paint Guard Plus as it has a deeper, more reflective look with less of the plastic look of most sealants (especially Zaino) and it is super easy to apply. A lot of people also like their leather cleaner and conditioner (Z9 and Z10), but I don't. To me, the scent of those products is too strong and they smell like an old leather mitten, definitely far from the leather scent of Lexus. The only product in their line that is applied by machine is the Z-PC, which is their polish, everything else is applied by hand.

[JGTNewLexusOwner]

Hey detaildoc, you are the ninja of detailing!!! (I would have put a superman with a cap there but couldn't find that emoticon)!

[rjt65]

Don't you think a G.O.D is higher than a ninja?

Friggin rain every day since I bought the new car.. I am getting -off. My supplies should arrive Friday, cant wait to clean and shine it up this weekend!

Got my first 80 mile drive for a meeting today, loaded up the system with 6 Cd's and lookin forward to my first long cruise .. I am a lovin it, and no (fingers crossed here) problemo's yet.

quote name='JGTNewLexusOwner' date='Apr 1 2008, 09:59 PM' post='299826']

Hey detaildoc, you are the ninja of detailing!!! (I would have put a superman with a cap there but couldn't find that emoticon)!

[detaildoc]

Don't you think a G.O.D is higher than a ninja?

Friggin rain every day since I bought the new car.. I am getting -off. My supplies should arrive Friday, cant wait to clean and shine it up this weekend!

Got my first 80 mile drive for a meeting today, loaded up the system with 6 Cd's and lookin forward to my first long cruise .. I am a lovin it, and no (fingers crossed here) problemo's yet.

quote name='JGTNewLexusOwner' date='Apr 1 2008, 09:59 PM' post='299826']

Hey detaildoc, you are the ninja of detailing!!! (I would have put a superman with a cap there but couldn't find that emoticon)!

You guys are too funny. I'm just a detailing enthusiast. Rjt65, which Lexus do you have?

[detaildoc]

thank you all. feel like a real novice here (I used meguir products, nufinish wax/sealant, armor all, mr clean car wash- thought it worked good the cleaner and filter that made the rinse not spot with no towel needed-thoughts on that?)

l had it hand washed (with boars hair brushes) due to 2 days of rain after i bought it and I found a bunch of minor scratches on it I could not see previous. annoying the !@#$ out of me.

DO you think I have to clay and polish it ?

Or a wash, Sealant an carnuba wax should take care of the slight surface scratches?

As my puchase list is below, u see i have no polish nor clay. So worst case if i just wash, seal and wax ( do i have to wait a day between seal and wax?) first than do clay and polish another week, would that work or be harmful?

And I used the California duster on a charcol black stanza, dark blue ford expedition and gold sand Maxima sSE no problems--y would it scratch a black Lexus? no clear coat?)

My list so far (still need bucket)

VK-101—foam applicator from autopia – 2.99$ for carnuba

Ultima Autospa Microfiber Applicator (for guard) $6

Ultima Autospa Dual-Foam Interior Applicator $6

sonus der wunder mf mitt

Sonus Glass Bundle

P21s-100 Carnauba Wax - WAX

Microfiber Towels - Pack of 3 -

Sonus Der Wunder Drying Towel 2-pack – t

Sonus Cockpit Cleaner Bundle -

Ultima Paint Guard Wash

Ultima Paint Guard Plus

Ultima Interior Guard Plus –

Sonus leather cleaner and conditioner –

Ultima Detail Spray plus -

Thankess SAis once again for thoughts here

One other ? for detail doc if you do not mind. For all the cleaning is it ok to do it on a new car? or how soon before using sealants or wax should one wait?

You should not have to wait. Cars that come straight from the dealer are still exposed to the elements and are not always protected with high quality wax or sealant or even any at all. Most of the time the dealers just apply a glaze to give it shine and hide the swirl marks that are already on the paint from all the hosing down and drying of the car at the dealer. Think about it this way, do you really think the dealer will be waxing or applying a sealant every month on 100's of cars they have there to keep them protected? No way! When you take delivery of the car, it appears really clean, but that is just surface appearance. First thing I did was wash it and clay it, and the clay came out pretty dirty even though it was a new car. Apply some wax or sealant now.

Nice list of supplies. Adding a wax or sealant does not get rid of the swirls. If you have swirls, then you would need to polish. In fact, I would not recommend adding a sealant if you have a lot swirls because sealants really highlight the underlying paint structure. This is one of the great things about sealants because they really make your paint stand out and the flakes pop; however, they will do the same for swirls if you have not polished. If the swirls are not so bad, you might be able to get away with it. Do you have a pic of your car and the swirls/scratches? To add a sealant you really need a well prep surface. If your car is brand new, they might not be so bad, depending on how the dealer washed it, but from my experience, most cars from dealers already come with a bunch of swirls. If you are going to add both a sealant and a wax, I would do the sealant first. If you are using Ultima Paint Guard Plus, I recommend 2-3 coats 12 hours apart, then 12 hours later (this is the curing time for that sealant) you can add the wax. Absolutely ditch the boars hair brush and never dust your Lexus with the California duster. The swirls and scratches will definitely show up even more on a dark color car. Remember, Lexus clearcoat and paint is one of the softest around, so you have to be extra careful.

[detaildoc]

One more thing for you guys. If you are not ready to clay and then polish, I recommend you get the Sonus Paintwork Cleanser and apply it with a foam or Microfiber applicator. This will also do some cleaning of your paint to get rid of contaminants and will leave the paint really slick.

[JGTNewLexusOwner]

Thanks detaildoc. Got all my stuff and each time I thought I would start after work this week....I got delayed and got home after dark....darn! But it should be in the next week or two. I am starting with the sealant (Ultima Paint Guard Plus). Thanks for the tip of doing it 2-3 times because I was going to do one coat (wait 12 hrs) and then put on the P21S-100 carnauba wax. I now will plan on 2 coats! (I don't see any swirls - but it is dirty even though I did hose down my car at a car wash (just water/soap spray). Thanks again.

[JGTNewLexusOwner]

Hey rjt, great to hear it! Have fun and let's compare pics of the cars when we are done! Hopefully, it will get nice enough for us to "get r dun"!

[rjt65]

Hey was a typing a mssg and it got lost i guess .....so sorry if this is a duplicate.

DDOC: I have a Black Obsidian w black interior- ultra lux package with panoramic roof, ML stereo, mouldings-- PS -Someone (maybe DDOC) said that the LX black have no clearcoat. think this is the same as JGT?

Is it ok to drive the car after doing a sealing? I am hard pressed to leave it immobile for 24 hours. So I can wash, seal than wait 12 hours, seal again drive than wax next day?

My swirls were not really much, seemed like a few surface scratches but they seem gone now(or hidden). Became noticeable after a custom hand wash (boars head brushes they claim) but than after another few days rain and spots i cant see scratches. or hopefully they were just smudges.

So i think a wash, seal seal and wax will let me know if i need to polish. I don't have the polish or machine so would have to wait anyway.

here is another ? - how many MF towels should you have to do all this? (one for glass, one for all the various sealents and wax's) Do you wash them after every use?

cheerio

[detaildoc]

Thanks detaildoc. Got all my stuff and each time I thought I would start after work this week....I got delayed and got home after dark....darn! But it should be in the next week or two. I am starting with the sealant (Ultima Paint Guard Plus). Thanks for the tip of doing it 2-3 times because I was going to do one coat (wait 12 hrs) and then put on the P21S-100 carnauba wax. I now will plan on 2 coats! (I don't see any swirls - but it is dirty even though I did hose down my car at a car wash (just water/soap spray). Thanks again.

You're welcome. Three coats of UPGP seems to be the magic number for this product to produce amazing results.

[detaildoc]

Hey was a typing a mssg and it got lost i guess .....so sorry if this is a duplicate.

DDOC: I have a Black Obsidian w black interior- ultra lux package with panoramic roof, ML stereo, mouldings-- PS -Someone (maybe DDOC) said that the LX black have no clearcoat. think this is the same as JGT?

Is it ok to drive the car after doing a sealing? I am hard pressed to leave it immobile for 24 hours. So I can wash, seal than wait 12 hours, seal again drive than wax next day?

My swirls were not really much, seemed like a few surface scratches but they seem gone now(or hidden). Became noticeable after a custom hand wash (boars head brushes they claim) but than after another few days rain and spots i cant see scratches. or hopefully they were just smudges.

So i think a wash, seal seal and wax will let me know if i need to polish. I don't have the polish or machine so would have to wait anyway.

here is another ? - how many MF towels should you have to do all this? (one for glass, one for all the various sealents and wax's) Do you wash them after every use?

cheerio

Yes, all Lexus Obsidian lack clearcoat. What is JGT? When I do the Ultima, I usually do it during a weekend when I am not planning to use it for 1 1/2 days, that way I don't have to worry about washing it again. For the Ultima, you only really need one MF. Apply all 3 coats of Ultima without buffing. Wait until the 12 hours after the last coat, then do the buffing. You will need approximately 2-3 to buff off the wax. You will also need 1 - 2 for the QD. I have about 10 MF's so that I don't have to wash them after each use.

[rjt65]

JGT = JGTNEWLEXUSOWNER---He who started this thread (and thanks yet again for him sending me this link and for all the help from u on this stuff)

Dang sounds like i need to go back and order some more mf towels.

Hey was a typing a mssg and it got lost i guess .....so sorry if this is a duplicate.

DDOC: I have a Black Obsidian w black interior- ultra lux package with panoramic roof, ML stereo, mouldings-- PS -Someone (maybe DDOC) said that the LX black have no clearcoat. think this is the same as JGT?

Is it ok to drive the car after doing a sealing? I am hard pressed to leave it immobile for 24 hours. So I can wash, seal than wait 12 hours, seal again drive than wax next day?

My swirls were not really much, seemed like a few surface scratches but they seem gone now(or hidden). Became noticeable after a custom hand wash (boars head brushes they claim) but than after another few days rain and spots i cant see scratches. or hopefully they were just smudges.

So i think a wash, seal seal and wax will let me know if i need to polish. I don't have the polish or machine so would have to wait anyway.

here is another ? - how many MF towels should you have to do all this? (one for glass, one for all the various sealents and wax's) Do you wash them after every use?

cheerio

Yes, all Lexus Obsidian lack clearcoat. What is JGT? When I do the Ultima, I usually do it during a weekend when I am not planning to use it for 1 1/2 days, that way I don't have to worry about washing it again. For the Ultima, you only really need one MF. Apply all 3 coats of Ultima without buffing. Wait until the 12 hours after the last coat, then do the buffing. You will need approximately 2-3 to buff off the wax. You will also need 1 - 2 for the QD. I have about 10 MF's so that I don't have to wash them after each use.

[detaildoc]

JGT = JGTNEWLEXUSOWNER---He who started this thread (and thanks yet again for him sending me this link and for all the help from u on this stuff)

Dang sounds like i need to go back and order some more mf towels.

Hey was a typing a mssg and it got lost i guess .....so sorry if this is a duplicate.

DDOC: I have a Black Obsidian w black interior- ultra lux package with panoramic roof, ML stereo, mouldings-- PS -Someone (maybe DDOC) said that the LX black have no clearcoat. think this is the same as JGT?

Is it ok to drive the car after doing a sealing? I am hard pressed to leave it immobile for 24 hours. So I can wash, seal than wait 12 hours, seal again drive than wax next day?

My swirls were not really much, seemed like a few surface scratches but they seem gone now(or hidden). Became noticeable after a custom hand wash (boars head brushes they claim) but than after another few days rain and spots i cant see scratches. or hopefully they were just smudges.

So i think a wash, seal seal and wax will let me know if i need to polish. I don't have the polish or machine so would have to wait anyway.

here is another ? - how many MF towels should you have to do all this? (one for glass, one for all the various sealents and wax's) Do you wash them after every use?

cheerio

Yes, all Lexus Obsidian lack clearcoat. What is JGT? When I do the Ultima, I usually do it during a weekend when I am not planning to use it for 1 1/2 days, that way I don't have to worry about washing it again. For the Ultima, you only really need one MF. Apply all 3 coats of Ultima without buffing. Wait until the 12 hours after the last coat, then do the buffing. You will need approximately 2-3 to buff off the wax. You will also need 1 - 2 for the QD. I have about 10 MF's so that I don't have to wash them after each use.

When you wash your MF's do not use powder detergent. I recommend you wash them with Woolite Original (liquid). Do not use bleach or fabric softerners. Wash them in warm or cold water and hang them out to dry. Try not to put them in the dryer, but if you have to, dry them in low.