What Should I Do First?

[SW03ES]

In my experience most of Griots products are relabeled versions of other products and are overpeiced.

[boaz65]

The lexuscarcare.com link doesn't seem to be working, can anyone help me out?

[SW03ES]

LexusCarCare has been taken down unfortunately, you can buy the same products at www.autopia-carcare.com

[boaz65]

LexusCarCare has been taken down unfortunately, you can buy the same products at www.autopia-carcare.com

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Thanks Steve!

[Flashjet]

Thats why I didn't sticky it, I want people to be able to ask questions ;)

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I have just received and used Zaino sealant and Supreme Seal from Wizards. I did half my SC 400 with the Zaino and the other half with Wizards to see which will last longer. They both look great and are about as easy to apply. The reason for the test is that the Wizards brand is much less expensive. Zaino stuff $50.00 Wizards $15.00. I can not tell the difference at this point in time.

Zaino said to use Dawn dishwashing soap on the car first. Then apply the sealent. I did. My question is about the clay. I don't get this part. I have never used clay or see what purpose it has. The Dawn removes the dirt and grease from the car and the sealent seals out the dirt. What is the deal with the clay? I know I must be missing something here. I also know you guys can fill me in.

Thanks,

Flashjet

[SW03ES]

Clay pulls out imbedded contaminants from the paint, thats all it does. Dawn, or any kind of polishing etc won't do that. Your car may or may not need to be clayed but it probably does, at least the horizontal panels.

The purpose of the Dawn is to make sure there aren't any oils on the paint before the Zaino is applied, its a matter of hot debate whether or not its actually neccisary.

The imbedded contaminants can be rail dust, asphalt particles, environmental fallout. Many people dont realize how rough the surface of the paint is until they clay it and see the difference.

IMHO claying is one of the biggest differences you can make for the health of your paint.

[Flashjet]

Clay pulls out imbedded contaminants from the paint, thats all it does. Dawn, or any kind of polishing etc won't do that. Your car may or may not need to be clayed but it probably does, at least the horizontal panels.

The purpose of the Dawn is to make sure there aren't any oils on the paint before the Zaino is applied, its a matter of hot debate whether or not its actually neccisary.

The imbedded contaminants can be rail dust, asphalt particles, environmental fallout. Many people dont realize how rough the surface of the paint is until they clay it and see the difference.

IMHO claying is one of the biggest differences you can make for the health of your paint.

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Thanks for the answer. Another question follows: If I have already used a sealent is it too late to clay? What should be my next steps to keep the finish looking the best?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Flashjet

[SW03ES]

No, the clay may or may not remove the sealant though, thats still a matter of hot debate.

Other than touching up the sealant every 3-6 months you should be set

[flash213]

Two questions.

1. The use of a product like Meguiars 83 for swirl removing should only be done with a PC?

2. I see two options for clay grade, fine and medium is there a prefrence?

I cant afford the PC this time arround so I have to do it by hand.So any other info for doing by hand would be nice Thanks for the great info.

[SW03ES]

You CAN use the 83 by hand but I wouldn't, I'd use something like Imperial Hand Glaze instead and follow with a wax.

As for the clay, get the fine grade. The medium is bodyshop grade for more serious overspray problems.

[ticman]

You CAN use the 83 by hand but I wouldn't, I'd use something like Imperial Hand Glaze instead and follow with a wax.

As for the clay, get the fine grade. The medium is bodyshop grade for more serious overspray problems.

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Steve,

About a year ago you gave me all the info on detailing. I took your advice and have been very happy. I just detailed my car--clay, polish then Poor Boy ez and used plexus on plastic and invisible glass on windows. The one product that I am out of is the one that I can't remeber the name--LOL a senior moment for sure.

It was for the dash (vinyl) and the tires. Was a hand spray bottle. Like amorall but much better per you. I tried search old posts but no luck. Any chance you might remember the name.

Thanks,

Mike

[SW03ES]

303 Aerospace Protectant?

[ticman]

303 Aerospace Protectant?

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darn--you're good. That was it. Thanks a million.

Mike

[SW03ES]

No problem ;)

[ticman]

No problem ;)

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Steve,

One more quick question. How soon after detailing a car can you add a second coat of Poor Boys product? or How long should I wait to add a second coat.

thanks again,

Mike

[SW03ES]

I would always wait 24 hours.

[BlkonBLk]

-Some sort of wax. We're following a carnuaba/hybrid system here as thats whats best to use if you're only working by hand. So something like Meguiars #26 Tech Wax paste, P21S, or Meguiars NXT, Poorboys EX or EX-P, Blackfire woul\d work well

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Excellent post. For those "run down to the store and get it" types (like myself), I have had excellent success using S100. It is made by the same folks who make P21S and it can be purchased at any Harley shop. It also cost about $10 less.

Enjoy.

[SW03ES]

Yep, its actually exactly the same wax as the P21S, just packaged and marketed for bikers.

[ZINFANDEL22]

Yep, its actually exactly the same wax as the P21S, just packaged and marketed for bikers.

STEVE excelant info ,can you tell me when doing these steps from clay to swirl removers to glaze and wax,is there a waiting period between certain applications? Such as zymol product I have some of these waxes actualt some are called glazes such as destiny or atlantique i believe. You made a coment as to zaino not being able to go over certain other waxes can you explain to me if these zymol products can be put over other polishes or sealants? If i used clay then the zymol polish then the wax I know this I can do but then I didnt apply any swirl remover so I am trying to figure out how to accomplish these steps with products that will adhear and work with eachother on a black car? I hope I havent confused you but you are the man to ask. I use caranuba waxes also so i may have one wax on and 3 weeks later put another product over it and maybe thats not a good idea . so please any info will be great....

[SW03ES]

There's no waiting periods. The reason you can't apply polymers like Zaino over glazes or waxes is that they need to bond and crosslink with the paint surface in order to be effective, the waxes and glazes inhibit that bond. Waxes and glazes simply stick to the paint finish and don't bond, thats why they don't last as long. They can be put over anything though.

You're also fine mixing and matching waxes. The wax is probably gone in 3 weeks anyways, especially on black.

[cfbrenton]

I have used clay bars, since I go over railroad tracks a lot. Until you clay bay your car, you have no idea how much contaminant is in your paint. After using it, it feels much smoother than it would otherwise, even after waxing, etc. Make sure you follow the instructions carefully, since if you don't you could accidently scratch your car.

[SWOOPS]

This was requested by a member in another thread. Another member responded that this would be difficult to do because everyone uses different products and he is right. But in all honesty there really is a set sequence of steps that are done when you detail properly. There is some variance in product usage, but not in the technique.

First of all I'm going to mention several different possibilities of products used for each step. You'll notice that most of these products are professional grade and probably will have to be ordered online. That is because in my experience the consumer products are just that, designed for consumers who don't know or care about having the best finish possible. Professional grade products give the experienced hobbyist and professional detailer greater control over what is being done with the paint.

Here are the ESSENTIALS you will NEED these to get started.

-Several Microfiber towels, I say 6, 3 small 3 big. I reccomend them from our site www.lexuscarcare.com or www.pakshak.com. MF will be mush less prone to scratch than cotton.

-Several 100% cotton bath towels, 3 or so. These will be used folded up to work in swirl removers and polish because they have more "bite" than MF. MF will be used for removal.

-Several foam and MF applicators, you can get these where you get the towels.

-Eagle one Tire Swipes for spplying dressing to tires

-A semi stiff brush for tires and wheel wells

-2 nice 5 gallon buckets

-Some sort of paint cleaner like Meguiars #9, #82 Swirl Free Polish, 1Z Paint Polishes (which work very well by hand)

-Some sort of polish like Meguiars #7, P21S Gloss Enhancing Paintwork Cleanser, #81 Hand Polish from Meguiars.

-Some sort of wax. We're following a carnuaba/hybrid system here as thats whats best to use if you're only working by hand. So something like Meguiars #26 Tech Wax paste, P21S, or Meguiars NXT, Poorboys EX or EX-P, Blackfire woul\d work well

-Glass cleaner- I reccomend Eagle One's 20/20.

-An all purpose cleaner like 1Z Cockpit Premium for the interior plastic and carpeting with a nice soft brush.

-Woolite and water dilluted 5:1 for leather

-A good tire dressing for the tires and the wheel wells after they are washed.

Things that would be NICE:

-A Porter Cable dual action polisher with 2 cutting pads, 2 polishing pads, and 1 finishing pad. Its tempting to buy a cheaper buffer from Sears or Pepboys or something but trust me when I tell you, if you want the best and safest results the PC is worth the investment. Cheap buffers (Waxxpro, Craftsman) have weak motors that bog down and cumbersome bonnet type systems that either remove too much or not enough paint. If you're gonna spend the bucks anyways, spend twice as much and get the right tool for the job.

-A higher cut compound for real swirl removal with the PC like Meguiars #83 Dual Action Cleaner Polish, Poorboys SSR2, Menzerna Intensive Polish

-A Bissel Little Green Clean Machine for cleaning carpeting

-Plexus plastic polish for all clear plastic

-Clay (ClayMagic or Mothers)

First clean the interior. Spray the all purpose cleaner on all plastic parts, agitate with the soft brush and wipe clean, use the woolite on the seats and wipe off with a damp towel. Vacuum the carpets well and spray the cleaner and agitate of needed. Pay attention to the nooks and crannys! Always do the interior first so you dont get dust on clean paint.

Now, nextthing to do is wash with a good carwash using a good Microfiber, Chenile or Lanswool mitt. Use two buckets, one with soapy water and one with clean for rinsing the mitt after each pass. Wash in straight lines only, never touch the paint in circles. Wash from the top down then do the wheels last as that is where the most grime is, you don't want to drag that up onto the paint. If its hot rinse each panel after washing it. Dont forget to scrub the wheel wells!

Next if you have the clay, clay now. Resoap each panel, clay, rinse until the whole car and the windows are done.

Now dry the car using your MF towels, use two towels again in straight lines until the car is dry.

Now, dress the wheel wells by spraying the protectant up inside them, then spray the protectant on the tire swipe and do the tires. I always do this before the next steps so it doesn't leave overspray on the car.

Now its time to start detailing! If you have moderate to heavy swirls and you have the PC start with it, the DACP and a cutting pad, only work 2'x2' sections at a time. Don't use too much DACP, 3-4 dime sized drops a panel is plenty. Make each section look its best before moving on. Use the PC at high speed (5 or 6) and use random overlapping strokes with moderate pressure until the product almost dissapears. The swirls will come out it just may take time. This stage could take hours so be ready for that but the results are worth it. Work your way around the car, when it stops working as well swap out the pad for a clean cutting pad thats why you have two. If the swirls aren't bad use DACP with a polishing pad instead in the same way.

If working by hand fold up one of the terry towels into 8ths, apply the #9 or #82 and work into the paint using moderate pressure. Again work 2x2 sections until almost clean and make each section look its best before moving on. This will not remove all swirls but thats left to later steps to hide.

If you used the DACP and a cutting pad then you need to go around with DACP and #9 or #82 and a polishing pad afterwards as DACP and a cutting pad will leave micromarring behind.

Next, polishing! If you have the buffer use a clean polishing pad and your polish of choice, use it like the DACP but you don't have to work it as long.

If by hand same deal, fold up a terry towel and go to town.

Now, stand back and admire the work. The paint should be perfect now, no swirls, smooth as glass, good proper color. This is where you look for areas of problems and do them again until it looks right.

Now comes the waxing! You can wax by hand or by PC with the finishing pad. Use straight lines and put down a thin coat. Wait depending on the instructions on the wax then buff off IN STRAIGHT lines with an MF towel. Layer and add coats as you see fit. Don't forget to wax the wheels.

Next is windows. Get your 20/20 and some paper towels, and newspaper. Spray the 20/20 on the paper towel until its soaked, then scrub it into the window. Next, wipe clean with the newspaper, inside and out all the way around. You can now wax the windows if you'd like but its not neccisary.

Now thats it, you're done, sit back and admire your work. Watch for missed patches of wax and wax stuck in creases and crevices. Congratulations!

Howzit

I am new to this whole forum thing and wanted to see if someone can help me with a detail issue. Is there anyway to eliminate deep swirl marks or can you only hide them?

[SW03ES]

You can eliminate them, but it will most likely require the use of a machine polisher.

[kpearson56]

This was requested by a member in another thread. Another member responded that this would be difficult to do because everyone uses different products and he is right. But in all honesty there really is a set sequence of steps that are done when you detail properly. There is some variance in product usage, but not in the technique.

First of all I'm going to mention several different possibilities of products used for each step. You'll notice that most of these products are professional grade and probably will have to be ordered online. That is because in my experience the consumer products are just that, designed for consumers who don't know or care about having the best finish possible. Professional grade products give the experienced hobbyist and professional detailer greater control over what is being done with the paint.

Here are the ESSENTIALS you will NEED these to get started.

-Several Microfiber towels, I say 6, 3 small 3 big. I reccomend them from our site www.lexuscarcare.com or www.pakshak.com. MF will be mush less prone to scratch than cotton.

-Several 100% cotton bath towels, 3 or so. These will be used folded up to work in swirl removers and polish because they have more "bite" than MF. MF will be used for removal.

-Several foam and MF applicators, you can get these where you get the towels.

-Eagle one Tire Swipes for spplying dressing to tires

-A semi stiff brush for tires and wheel wells

-2 nice 5 gallon buckets

-Some sort of paint cleaner like Meguiars #9, #82 Swirl Free Polish, 1Z Paint Polishes (which work very well by hand)

-Some sort of polish like Meguiars #7, P21S Gloss Enhancing Paintwork Cleanser, #81 Hand Polish from Meguiars.

-Some sort of wax. We're following a carnuaba/hybrid system here as thats whats best to use if you're only working by hand. So something like Meguiars #26 Tech Wax paste, P21S, or Meguiars NXT, Poorboys EX or EX-P, Blackfire woul\d work well

-Glass cleaner- I reccomend Eagle One's 20/20.

-An all purpose cleaner like 1Z Cockpit Premium for the interior plastic and carpeting with a nice soft brush.

-Woolite and water dilluted 5:1 for leather

-A good tire dressing for the tires and the wheel wells after they are washed.

Things that would be NICE:

-A Porter Cable dual action polisher with 2 cutting pads, 2 polishing pads, and 1 finishing pad. Its tempting to buy a cheaper buffer from Sears or Pepboys or something but trust me when I tell you, if you want the best and safest results the PC is worth the investment. Cheap buffers (Waxxpro, Craftsman) have weak motors that bog down and cumbersome bonnet type systems that either remove too much or not enough paint. If you're gonna spend the bucks anyways, spend twice as much and get the right tool for the job.

-A higher cut compound for real swirl removal with the PC like Meguiars #83 Dual Action Cleaner Polish, Poorboys SSR2, Menzerna Intensive Polish

-A Bissel Little Green Clean Machine for cleaning carpeting

-Plexus plastic polish for all clear plastic

-Clay (ClayMagic or Mothers)

First clean the interior. Spray the all purpose cleaner on all plastic parts, agitate with the soft brush and wipe clean, use the woolite on the seats and wipe off with a damp towel. Vacuum the carpets well and spray the cleaner and agitate of needed. Pay attention to the nooks and crannys! Always do the interior first so you dont get dust on clean paint.

Now, nextthing to do is wash with a good carwash using a good Microfiber, Chenile or Lanswool mitt. Use two buckets, one with soapy water and one with clean for rinsing the mitt after each pass. Wash in straight lines only, never touch the paint in circles. Wash from the top down then do the wheels last as that is where the most grime is, you don't want to drag that up onto the paint. If its hot rinse each panel after washing it. Dont forget to scrub the wheel wells!

Next if you have the clay, clay now. Resoap each panel, clay, rinse until the whole car and the windows are done.

Now dry the car using your MF towels, use two towels again in straight lines until the car is dry.

Now, dress the wheel wells by spraying the protectant up inside them, then spray the protectant on the tire swipe and do the tires. I always do this before the next steps so it doesn't leave overspray on the car.

Now its time to start detailing! If you have moderate to heavy swirls and you have the PC start with it, the DACP and a cutting pad, only work 2'x2' sections at a time. Don't use too much DACP, 3-4 dime sized drops a panel is plenty. Make each section look its best before moving on. Use the PC at high speed (5 or 6) and use random overlapping strokes with moderate pressure until the product almost dissapears. The swirls will come out it just may take time. This stage could take hours so be ready for that but the results are worth it. Work your way around the car, when it stops working as well swap out the pad for a clean cutting pad thats why you have two. If the swirls aren't bad use DACP with a polishing pad instead in the same way.

If working by hand fold up one of the terry towels into 8ths, apply the #9 or #82 and work into the paint using moderate pressure. Again work 2x2 sections until almost clean and make each section look its best before moving on. This will not remove all swirls but thats left to later steps to hide.

If you used the DACP and a cutting pad then you need to go around with DACP and #9 or #82 and a polishing pad afterwards as DACP and a cutting pad will leave micromarring behind.

Next, polishing! If you have the buffer use a clean polishing pad and your polish of choice, use it like the DACP but you don't have to work it as long.

If by hand same deal, fold up a terry towel and go to town.

Now, stand back and admire the work. The paint should be perfect now, no swirls, smooth as glass, good proper color. This is where you look for areas of problems and do them again until it looks right.

Now comes the waxing! You can wax by hand or by PC with the finishing pad. Use straight lines and put down a thin coat. Wait depending on the instructions on the wax then buff off IN STRAIGHT lines with an MF towel. Layer and add coats as you see fit. Don't forget to wax the wheels.

Next is windows. Get your 20/20 and some paper towels, and newspaper. Spray the 20/20 on the paper towel until its soaked, then scrub it into the window. Next, wipe clean with the newspaper, inside and out all the way around. You can now wax the windows if you'd like but its not neccisary.

Now thats it, you're done, sit back and admire your work. Watch for missed patches of wax and wax stuck in creases and crevices. Congratulations!

steve,

I am trying to follow all the above. I bought the Porter cable 7421. My question is, if I am following you correctly, I need the Mequairs #26 yellow paste wax, #83 DACP, #82 Mirror glaze. Do I read that I also need the #9 swirl remover?

[SW03ES]

Those products are just suggestions, you can substitute any products you like as long as they are similar in function.

If you have a PC, you shouldn't need something like #9. A good finishing polish will be fine.