I have found that rubber treatments such as "No-Touch" also make the black painted trim and black plastic (grille parts, etc.) nice and black as well. This is especially good for the bottom trim that is a plastic, such as on Hondas, etc. Use any cleaner to get it clean, then apply the no-touch and buff, it will be black and shiny.
Sorry this is so late compared to the original questions about Prolong posts 151-154.
A couple months ago, I used Prolong on my '94 white Camry and my silver metallic '94 F150. Both cars already had good finishes. White Camrys did NOT have clearcoat at that time. The Camry was treated with "something" by the dealer when new. I don't remember what it was, but they used the same brand stuff on the inside as well. Armor-somthing? No, not ArmorAll. Could just be their own name for PermaPlate (www.perma-plate.com) , I don't know. They told me it wouldn't need waxing !!! As for the F150, I'm quite sure there is a factory clearcoat.
First, I wanted to polish out surface scratches and stains, so for step 1, I used Meguiar's Polish all over with an orbital polishing wheel. Then I applied the Prolong according to their directions. Went on easy, comes off easy if you frequently use a fresh terry towel for removal. They suggest to remove immediately - no letting it dry to a haze. Not getting all of it removed did leave some crusty residue - mostly cause I didn't have the best light. The dried residue came off no problem with a fresh spot re-application of the Prolong.
The Camry looked "OK", no great improvements. But the F150 - WOW. I think the Meguiars got it half way there, but the Prolong makes it look "wet". It's been a couple months in the Oregon northwest, not much rain. But it's been through probably 15 high pressure no-touch car washes, and still looks awesome. I've been very impressed with the results so far.
Been thinking about one more application before the winter hits. If I'm still hanging around this site, I'll try to remember to give an update in the spring.
What could I use to polish transparent plastic (not sure how it's called exactly) covering the instrument panels on the dashboard. It has some minor scratches which are very noticeable under the sun light. Thanks.
I am somewhat certain that buried somewhere in this discussion is a recommendation for removing water spots from the paint finish. However, rather than reading through more than a hundred posts, I would like to ask if there is a somewhat easy way to remove surface water spots from a dark car's finish (black). The irrigation system at the place that I work, has been coming on during the day and spraying the first row of cars in the parking lot. Our water contains a high amount of sodium and as the water dries and bakes onto the paint's surface during the 90+ degree Texas heat and sunny days (even now in Oct.), I am noticing light outlines of water spots upon washing my car. I've tried removing the spots with a cleaner/wax product, which has removed about 60% of the marks but after 3 applications, I'm wanting to try something else. I've read some about claying cars but am somewhat reluctant to try anything too harsh on my paint's surface (don't want any surface scratches). Will clay products scratch the paint? What else can be used to remove these annoying water spots?
Hi: The minerals and impurities in the water can and will etch the paint if left on the surface. Clay will only remove what is on the surface, not what is in it. I would consider a mild abrasive such as 3M Imperial Hand Glaze. Follow directions. Rub in a back-to-front direction on the spots. Rub gently. Let the product do the work. Wipe off before it dries. Reapply as necessary. You will need to reapply wax over the areas as the 3M will remove it. Good luck.
The question regarding a good glass cleaner was posed a while back. I have started to use Meguiars Quik Detailer on my windows. It works great with no smears. try it!!!
Just bought a Toy Tundra. Want to get a few coats of wax on before winter. I am considering either using Kit carnuba I have on hand or looking at either similar waxes from Meguiar, Mothers, 3M, or The Wax Shop. Any opinions on any of these waxes? Since its new just plan to wash, spot clay if needed and wax.
If you can afford the time, I'd suggest claying the whole vehicle. When my truck was new I did not think it was needed, but did the whole thing anyhow. Water just seems to glide off and wax goes on and off so much more easily. You'd really be amazed at the difference the clay makes.
used the clay this weekend. Was skeptical at first, but after reading about it here, I decided to give it a try. The results were just great. Some of those waterspots did not go away. Everything else did. Smooth as a babys butt...followed Mothers directions. Finished off the Camry with 2 coats of carnaba. '96 model looks like new.
I just applied 2 coats of the Liquid Glass wax/polish to my 1997 Saturn (dark metallic green). The shine is the best I've ever seen -almost blinding in direct sun. Anybody know the longevity of this stuff? I plan to put 2 more coats on before the cold weather begins, and see how it lasts through the winter.
The best glass cleaner I ever used was just to put the windshield wiper fluid (any kind you buy at Pep Boys, etc.) straight into a pump bottle, then use it to spray the windows. Works MUCH better than Windex or other similar products and cheap as hell too, only like 99 cents for a gallon. Very few streaks compared to the Windex.
When I bought my Silverado in February I shined it with the Prolong sealant which I purchased from Wallmart. It produced an outstanding shine which has lasted a very long time thru repeated washings. I really like this stuff and intend to keep using it. I would be thrilled to think this stuff lasts longer than Z. Anyone else using Prolong with any success?
Hi: Prolong is one of the polymer sealants promoted by infomercial at the beginning of summer. If you thought it was a good deal at 20 bucks you'll love it now because Wal-Mart (at least in my area) has it at half price. It seems not enough people liked it. The boys of summer are gone. Good luck.
Here's what I do...started with Clay (used both the Mother's and Erazer. Erazer better) then used the Meguiar's polish and finished with Collinite. Man what a shine! My car has never been so red.
This wasn't my creation. Went to a site called AutoFanatics (.com) and aked them for suggestions. They put a program together and the results were right on. Never had heard of Collinite before but it was everything they said.
Where can I buy clay alone, I ran out of it. SO far I had clayed 3 cars with one package. I didn't recycled them cause I am afraid to scratched the paint. It was not time consuming and the finish is unbelievable. My family were opposed to clay any car from beginning. However, after I demonstrated on my car, they kept asking me to clay theirs. Better do them (clay & wax) before snow/blizzard/salt get on your car.
Has any one tried LIQUID GLASS? On the back of the can it reads, the surface should be 50 to 90 degrees. Why is that? when all other polishes say surface must be cool.
LIQUID GLASS then reads when finished, "baking" vehicle in the sun will bond LIQUID GLASS to the surface.
WOW! I said to myself, if someone can fit all those ingredients in one little can for about $18.00, I have to try this. Has anyone else tried this product? One thing I can say is that this is the easiest polish to take off. (Super duper easy)
If you have an older finish what would be the sequence for washing, polishing and claying. Seems to me the logical sequence would be wash (perhaps first with Dawn to strip old wax, then again with car wash shampoo), use polish to remove scratches, surface oxidation, then clay for final prep, then wax. Any comments? Should steps be spread out over a few days/week or can it be done all at once.
I'm trying to find out which wax is the best to use on my car. I have a light color car. Right now I'm using either Meguairs Gold Class wax or Meguiers Hi-Tech Yellow Wax carnauba wax. Also I'm Confused between polymer wax the carnauba wax. Which on is the best to use.
1. Dawn 2. Clay 3. Dawn again (to remove clay and lubricant residue) 4. Polish or glaze to remove scratches and further smoothing 5. Wax to protect paint - I find pure Carnuba the best so far fo gloss. 6. Gloss Enhancer Spray (3M, Eagle One or Meguiar's, etc.) for that really great shine.
I did this this weekend for my friend's dark green Accord, and she didn't recognize it later, it was so shiny! I placed the towel on the hood and it slid off!
To remove wax from plastic molding, try heating peanut butter in a microwave until it is soft and oily, then scrub the molding with the peanut butter using a toothbrush. Wash thoroughly afterwards. The peanut oil will soften the wax and the peanut butter acts like a mild abrasive to remove the residue.
I tried numerous products to fix my black plastic parts from showing wax residue, they only masked the problem and shortly became ineffective. The peanut butter works great and gets rid of the wax.
I have been fairly pleased with the "No Touch" and Turtle Wax 2001 foam tire dressing. The 2001 seems a little better.
1. Clean the tire well with a heavy-duty tire cleaner. You MUST do this to remove factory tire coating, dirt and road grease. 2. Spray on the foam. 3. Wait a bit, 'til it starts to dry, then spray a little more on a cloth and buff the tire. It will now shine nicely. Don't let it self dry. Despite what they say on the can, it gets too thick and blotchy. 4. Every month or 2, use the tire cleaner again to take off the buildup, dirt, road grease, etc. 5. Shine again.
Clay removes surface contaminants and smooths the paint to a glass-like surface. It is perfectly safe is used properly and is used by most car detailers. Go to www.erazer.com for the whole story. I used Mother's clay last time on our already smooth car, and it is even smoother. I could see the contaminants it removed! RECOMMENDED!
Perhaps this deserves its own topic, but... Of new cars/trucks, who has the best finishes that seem to really shine when waxed, less defects, able to maintain quality look over the life of car and consistency of paint quality from model to model. My votes are worse: GM; best: Honda. I am not including high end models like Lexus, MB, Acura, Cadillac and Lincoln because for 40+k it should be a mute point.
I've owned some high buck cars (BMW, in particular) and more bread and butter cars (Hondas and Toyotas). I have a grand prix currently and my wife has a Toyota Avalon. Subjective opinion, but I don't see a lot of difference in the finish on the grand prix and my wife's toyota. I certainly didn't notice a difference in the durability or the amount of "orange peel" effect between my pontiac and the Accord or BMW I used to own.
I think that most cars today have pretty good finishes on them. The kicker is how you care for them. As an example, when I got my Pontiac, I gave it a very good inspection at the dealership before I brought it home. No blemishes and a surprisingly small amount of orange peel.
My wife is not so critical. When she bourght her car home from the dealership, she had swirl marks on the car. I'm certain that the swirls were more a result of the toyota dealer's "prep", running it through their drive through car wash first (with those swirling nylon brush "thingies"). She still runs it through the dealer's "free" drive through car wash and it shows on the finish.
On the other hand, I brought my new car home not letting the dealer touch the paint. I dawned, clayed, dawned, Z1, Z2 when I got it home. My finish looks much better than hers and better than anything I've ever owned. I think it's because of the care I put into taking care of my finish and not the quality of the finish itself.
With today's paint advances and robotic application techniques, the manufacturer's can offer better warranties and GM will actually warranty cover "acid rain" damage on paint for at least 12 months.
Comments
Good Luck!
http:///autosupermart.com/bbs/
A couple months ago, I used Prolong on my '94 white Camry and my silver metallic '94 F150. Both cars already had good finishes. White Camrys did NOT have clearcoat at that time. The Camry was treated with "something" by the dealer when new. I don't remember what it was, but they used the same brand stuff on the inside as well. Armor-somthing? No, not ArmorAll. Could just be their own name for PermaPlate (www.perma-plate.com) , I don't know. They told me it wouldn't need waxing !!! As for the F150, I'm quite sure there is a factory clearcoat.
First, I wanted to polish out surface scratches and stains, so for step 1, I used Meguiar's Polish all over with an orbital polishing wheel.
Then I applied the Prolong according to their directions. Went on easy, comes off easy if you frequently use a fresh terry towel for removal. They suggest to remove immediately - no letting it dry to a haze. Not getting all of it removed did leave some crusty residue - mostly cause I didn't have the best light. The dried residue came off no problem with a fresh spot re-application of the Prolong.
The Camry looked "OK", no great improvements. But the F150 - WOW. I think the Meguiars got it half way there, but the Prolong makes it look "wet". It's been a couple months in the Oregon northwest, not much rain. But it's been through probably 15 high pressure no-touch car washes, and still looks awesome. I've been very impressed with the results so far.
Been thinking about one more application before the winter hits. If I'm still hanging around this site, I'll try to remember to give an update in the spring.
Prolong?
PermaPlate (dealer installed, 5 yr transferable warranty on new cars) ?
Z****?
I cannot find anything of substance at the PermaPlate web site www.perma-plate.com
I was hoping for some technical details on what makes their product better that others...
What would you recommend?
Thank you...
~Spyderturbo
The minerals and impurities in the water can and will etch the paint if left on the surface. Clay will only remove what is on the surface, not what is in it.
I would consider a mild abrasive such as 3M Imperial Hand Glaze. Follow directions. Rub in a back-to-front direction on the spots. Rub gently. Let the product do the work. Wipe off before it dries. Reapply as necessary. You will need to reapply wax over the areas as the 3M will remove it.
Good luck.
Terry
I plan to put 2 more coats on before the cold weather begins, and see how it lasts through the winter.
Prolong is one of the polymer sealants promoted by infomercial at the beginning of summer. If you thought it was a good deal at 20 bucks you'll love it now because Wal-Mart (at least in my area) has it at half price. It seems not enough people liked it.
The boys of summer are gone.
Good luck.
This wasn't my creation. Went to a site called AutoFanatics (.com) and aked them for suggestions. They put a program together and the results were right on. Never had heard of Collinite before but it was everything they said.
My two cents.
LIQUID GLASS then reads when finished, "baking" vehicle in the sun will bond LIQUID GLASS to the surface.
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: Aliphatic hydrocarbons, amino polymers, ultra-violet sunscreen inhibitors, moisturizers, conditioners, rust inhibitors, mild inert cleaning agents, aliphatic petroleum solvents.
WOW! I said to myself, if someone can fit all those ingredients in one little can for about $18.00, I have to try this. Has anyone else tried this product? One thing I can say is that this is the easiest polish to take off. (Super duper easy)
1. Dawn
2. Clay
3. Dawn again (to remove clay and lubricant residue)
4. Polish or glaze to remove scratches and further smoothing
5. Wax to protect paint - I find pure Carnuba the best so far fo gloss.
6. Gloss Enhancer Spray (3M, Eagle One or Meguiar's, etc.) for that really great shine.
I did this this weekend for my friend's dark green Accord, and she didn't recognize it later, it was so shiny! I placed the towel on the hood and it slid off!
Have fun!
Visit www.erazer.com/prod01.htm, www.autofanatics.com/autofanatics1/erclayprod.html www.dccarcare.com/clay.html or www.waxbytes.com/erazer.html to purchase Erazer "clay". If you have any questions, feel free to email me.
Thanks,
John
Try Zymol wax next time. Great wax and easy to use.
Pat
1. Clean the tire well with a heavy-duty tire cleaner. You MUST do this to remove factory tire coating, dirt and road grease.
2. Spray on the foam.
3. Wait a bit, 'til it starts to dry, then spray a little more on a cloth and buff the tire. It will now shine nicely. Don't let it self dry. Despite what they say on the can, it gets too thick and blotchy.
4. Every month or 2, use the tire cleaner again to take off the buildup, dirt, road grease, etc.
5. Shine again.
Good Luck!
I've owned some high buck cars (BMW, in particular) and more bread and butter cars (Hondas and Toyotas). I have a grand prix currently and my wife has a Toyota Avalon. Subjective opinion, but I don't see a lot of difference in the finish on the grand prix and my wife's toyota. I certainly didn't notice a difference in the durability or the amount of "orange peel" effect between my pontiac and the Accord or BMW I used to own.
I think that most cars today have pretty good finishes on them. The kicker is how you care for them. As an example, when I got my Pontiac, I gave it a very good inspection at the dealership before I brought it home. No blemishes and a surprisingly small amount of orange peel.
My wife is not so critical. When she bourght her car home from the dealership, she had swirl marks on the car. I'm certain that the swirls were more a result of the toyota dealer's "prep", running it through their drive through car wash first (with those swirling nylon brush "thingies"). She still runs it through the dealer's "free" drive through car wash and it shows on the finish.
On the other hand, I brought my new car home not letting the dealer touch the paint. I dawned, clayed, dawned, Z1, Z2 when I got it home. My finish looks much better than hers and better than anything I've ever owned. I think it's because of the care I put into taking care of my finish and not the quality of the finish itself.
With today's paint advances and robotic application techniques, the manufacturer's can offer better warranties and GM will actually warranty cover "acid rain" damage on paint for at least 12 months.