SW03ES Posted December 2, 2003 Posted December 2, 2003 Here are the latest pics of my car detailed with DACP ( Meguiars #82 Dual Action Cleaner Polish, a medium cut abrasive cleaner) and a yellow pad (cutting pad) (to remove some marring on the trunk lid and rear bumper caused by someone brushing up against the car over Thanksgiving) GEPC (P21S Gloss Enhancing Paintwork Cleanser, a final polish with some very mild abrasives) with a white pad, EX (Poorboys EX Sealant with Carnuaba) applied by PC with a grey pad (finishing pad), and one coat of Collinite 476s wax applied by PC with a grey pad. I plan to at least do one more coat of the 476 (I would have today but I was out of towels!) then may top with P21S wax. The pictures aren't as sharp as some, my one megapixel digicam is showing its age. I plan to give my fiance a 5 MP one for christmas (shhh), I'll enjoy that too ;) This is just an overall shot I always take of the car after a detail: This is a right rear quarter shot. I was trying to capture the way the sun creates a burst of red on this color. The Collinite had the interesting effect of bringing out the gold flake in the paint, so under parking lot discharge lighting it has a real bronze tint that the EX didnt give it. Very cool. This is a reflection shot of me from the hood. Never done one, just thought I should ;) This is the same shot, just this time with a flash. The flash was an accident but I like how it shows the way this color explodes when light hits it. Please, post comments!
Matthew_McNally Posted December 2, 2003 Posted December 2, 2003 wow Steve - great job mate - looks fabulous. when did you say you were coming around to do mine?
SW03ES Posted December 2, 2003 Author Posted December 2, 2003 Hey if you wanna pay the airfare, you got it! :D
blake918 Posted December 3, 2003 Posted December 3, 2003 She looks simply outstanding; excellent work Steve :D .
93lexuses Posted December 3, 2003 Posted December 3, 2003 Very Nice Steve. :D The color looks so cool when the sun hits it.
gav_logan Posted December 4, 2003 Posted December 4, 2003 Steve, ur car looks awesome... 1 very jealous ES owner here!
acf Posted December 4, 2003 Posted December 4, 2003 Steve, curious why you would follow the 476 with the P21S wax? Also, I assume polish is also affected by washng a car with dish detergent so it would be advisable to repolish at next wash? And the 476 is just a wax (albeit a damn resilient one B) ) so thats why you "sealed" first? Ya know, I consider myself a pretty smart guy but just when I think I got this car care thing down, I get blindsided by a curve ball!
SW03ES Posted December 4, 2003 Author Posted December 4, 2003 Well, the 476 is so durable that your probably dont have to seal the paint first. You certainly can and that will only add to the protection. The Poorboys EX isn't appreciably more durable than a good wax anyways (3-4 months) so I more applied to because I like the way it looks. I did a comparison side by side on two panels both polished with the P21S, one with EX and 476 and one with just 476 and they looked identical. Probably the EX was wasted time in this application. As for topping it with the P21S, every wax and sealant has a different look and highlights certain aspects of the paint others do not. The 476 is not regarded as "good looking" a wax as the P21S but it is far more durable. The car looks quite different in person with the 476s than it does with EX or P21S (both of which look similar) I actually really like it, and I like it more every time I see it. Its all a matter of preference, and thats part of the fun of detailing is trying all of these different combinations in an attempt to find what you think looks the best on a particular car. Adding the P21S also serves the purpose of adding a sacrificial layer that would be destroyed by contaminants and washing leaving the 476 untouched underneath. The P21S would have to be applied weekly or by weekly on this car during the winter. There is however some debate whether or not you can layer different waxes on top of each other like you can layer a sealant, some feel that the waxes just all mix together instead of forming specific layers. I may not go the P21S route now since I like the look of this 476 and I dont want to risk the durability factor. As for polishing, you should always polish before waxing. However when using a sealant you'll have to strip the oils before applying it or it wont bond. Without a machine probably there would be no point in polishing with a rich polish like P21S before sealing.
pOLo 67 Posted December 4, 2003 Posted December 4, 2003 Nice job Steve...Makes me want to trade my white lexus in for a dark one... :D .
acf Posted December 4, 2003 Posted December 4, 2003 Good deal, well I think all the ultra-positive Collinite reviews have convinced me. Gonna order me some shipping-charge-free 476s and let her loose! :P
SW03ES Posted December 4, 2003 Author Posted December 4, 2003 Sure just rub the free shipping in my face! When you get the Collinite don't follow the instructions that say let it haze first. If you do it'll be terrible to remove. The best way to work with the product it to apply it to an entire panel, spread it around well then wipe it immediately off while its still wet, then it'll be real easy to work with. I applied it with my PC but its just as easy to do by hand.
acf Posted December 5, 2003 Posted December 5, 2003 Ok thanks Steve, will give that a shot. So it'll still "bond" well enough if buffed wet? Sorta related here...as far as touchless automatic car washes go, do you think they're all pretty safe to use in a pinch other than the fact that they'll remove most wax pretty quickly?
SW03ES Posted December 5, 2003 Author Posted December 5, 2003 Yeah I know some folks who've aplied it both ways and say it doesn't make any difference in durability. You could apply two coats just to be safe. I let it dry on one panel just to see, and dry it is IMPOSSIBLE to remove... As for the touchless carwash you mean the gas station type where nothing but water touches the car? No problem in the winter I run the car through one of those once a week. Thats a big reason why I got the Collinite, because in the independed lab test it lasted the longest in an automatic wash, 12 washes. The problems in a wash like that isn't the pressure its the detergent soap. My Poorboys EX only lasted 5-6 weeks using the touchless wash, supposedly the Collinite should last much longer. Be warned though the touchless wash won't COMPLETELY clean the car, and it wont do much of anything for the wheels or the under carriage. So here's what I do during the winter. Every week: Run through touchless wash (vacuum interior) Drive home Spray on Poorboys Spray and Wipe (a cleaning spray safer than a quick detailer, can also be used on glass. The whole spraydown and dryoff takes maybe 5-7 minutes) Dry with a MF towel Every other week (only if its been snowing and the roads are salty) Stop at the spray booth (down the road from the touchless wash) and spray off undercarriage and wheel wells. Run through touchless wash (vacuum interior) Drive home Spray on Poorboys Spray and Wipe (a cleaning spray safer than a quick detailer, can also be used on glass. The whole spraydown and dryoff takes maybe 5-7 minutes) Dry with a MF towel Before you dry the car after a touchless wash (the air dryers in the wash are fine) you've got to lubricate the towel with something like the S&W. After that it will look completely hand washed. Its a good deal, I dont get soaked washing the car in the cold and in 15 minutes of outside time for me (vs 45 to an hour for a hand wash) it looks great. Clean wheels with terry towel and Poorboys spray and wipe.
99lsguy Posted December 18, 2003 Posted December 18, 2003 Steve, Very nice! Your knowledge, expertise, and passion is unsurpassed If your ever in the KC area, give me a shout! I'll buy you lunch and we'll talk LEXUS the whole time!
SW03ES Posted December 18, 2003 Author Posted December 18, 2003 My knowledge and expertise are surpassed I promise, but I'm happy to share what I've got! Same goes to you if you're in D.C. ;)
VBdenny Posted December 23, 2003 Posted December 23, 2003 Hey Steve, Your ES looks incredible! Man what a shine, you even got a "see yourself shine" in the reflection. Nice looking camera by the way! Denny
SW03ES Posted December 23, 2003 Author Posted December 23, 2003 Thank ya! The camera is actually really old, a 1 Megapixel lol. Its going to be replaced this christmas (shhh ;) )
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