My favorite long-term trim protectant is Forever Black. I've been testing some on my car since October and its holding up well so I'm gonna treat all my exterior trim with this stuff.
I love this wax. Both the wax and the shine enhancing cleanser are about the two easiest products that you will ever use and S100 will match up against anything for a great shine.
Wipe on .... wipe off. It really is that easy. Put it on as thinly as possible (a little really does go a long way) and DO NOT let it dry or haze. Wipe it off immediately and you will be amazed.
Ive used One Grand Show Off before applying Blitz and of when using Zaino Sal reccomends using Z6 in between coats..Im not sure how much difference it makes but it does make applying the wax easier..Cant hurt!!
I don't QD before waxing or polishing as the wax or polish will remove the QD I just applied. Water spots should not be an issue as any wax or polish will remove light water spots.
If you want the added slickness to ease product application, just give your applicator a light squirt of QD instead. It will have the same effect.
Just my opinion. If you like to QD, no probs. It's not hurting anything, as Joe says.
I recently waxed my truck with P21s and no matter how hard I rubbed I couldn't remove the water spots. It is excellent wax, but has no cleaning abilities.
Then you have a more serious problem. Small dried water droplets leftover from the wash can be removed by any wax. But hard water spotting needs special attention and a wax won't touch it, as you've discovered.
"Spots" created by acid rain are even tougher to fix and are almost impossible to remove by hand.
So I guess it all depends on what kind of water spots you have. LMK if there's something I can help with.
You will love the QuikShine. Works in the sun without streaking. I recommend you use a little bit less than you have been using with other QD's. Best thing of all though is the shine it leaves.
I recently purchased a Dual Action Polisher, which I'm going to use to Detail a 1996 Camry that I'm getting ready to sell. After washing, my plan is to do the following:
1) Clay Bar 2) Meguiars #9 Swirl Remover 3) Meguiars Show Car #7 4) Meguairs #26 Wax
A few questions:
1) Is the Clay Bar necessary? Doesn't #9 also acts as a surface prep.
2) I'm afraid the #9 may not remove the swirl marks from my finish. Would additional coats of #9 be effective, or do I need to switch to something stronger at that point? If so, what?
3) Do I need to tape off any rubber trim before using the DA Polisher?
1. Yes, clay is needed because it easily removes surface contaminents without grinding off the paint. It's become a necessary step in a full detail job. In the past to remove surface crud you had to use an aggressive compound and a wool pad to get results; with clay, no more.
2. #9 is a light duty SMR and it's a good place to start. Work a small section and evaluate results. If its been many years since the car's been detailed it will likely need something more aggressive. I like the new 3M Perfect It III Machine Glaze. Use either/both products will a cutting pad. It's up to you whether you want to try several applications of #9 but I think you'll get better results using the correct products instead of trying to make the wrong one work.
3. Yeah, its smart to tape off trim. Use 3M "blue" masking tape as it does not leave a residue.
i just bought a 03 black honda pilot.. i'm looking for some tips on what wax? and products i could use to keep car paint clean and shinning nice.. thanks to all who post...
thanks for the info i will check it out.. can you tell me what wax you recommend for a black vehicle.. i'm looking for a wax that brings out a good shine and is not a pain in the butt to wax on or off... thanks
I've owned several black cars and have prepped many of them for shows. Without a doubt it's the hardest to get looking great and even harder to keep it that way.
Having said that black can look terrific as long as you have a regular maintenance program. I guess it really depends on how you want your truck to look and how much time & effort you are willing to keep it looking super sharp.
Like any color the key to a killer finish is all in the prep. If paint is prepped correctly most any wax or sealant will make it look great. Cut corners on the prep and even the most expensive products will be wasted.
The basic exterior detailing step I recommend are:
(1) Wash vehicle. Use a shampoo designed for autos, not a household detergent.
(2) Clay the paint. Detailing clay is becoming very popular as it quickly and safely removes surface contaminents. You can buy it at most any auto parts store. A couple great clay bars are made by Mothers and Clay Magic.
(3) Polish the paint. I've never seen a new car that did not need some polishing. This is the key part of the prep I mentioned. Do this right and the rest is easy. Two polishes I like are swirl mark removers from either 3M or Meguiar's and a fine finishing polish from P21S called Gloss Enhancing Paint Cleanser.
(4) Wax for protection. If you want to use a carnauba wax (they look best on black) P21S's wax is fantastic. I also like Pinnacle Souveran and Collinite. Carnaubas will last 60-90 days depending on your care and weather conditions. These top quality products are super easy to use; literally wipe on and wipe off.
All these products are available from numerous online suppliers. My favorite is http://www.properautocare.com . Great products and the best customer service. I buy 80% of my detailing stuff from them.
If all this work seems a little overwhelming I suggest obtaining a copy of this great detailing guide: Find it at http://www.autopia-carcare.com . The first 8 chapters are free but its certainly worth the $10 as it addresses caring for the entire vehicle, not just the paint.
Hope all this helps. LMK if you have any questions.
I've used them and they're great. Can't go wrong, really.
Claying is super easy. Just make sure you use enough lubricant on the panel you are claying. A mixture of soapy water in a spray bottle makes for an excellent lubricant. I think the $10 Clay Magic kit comes with lubricant as does Mothers. Either way it will work fine.
About the only clay I don't like is Meguiar's. It's almost universally disliked.
I'm looking for a good swirl removing polish/glaze...I recently tried Meguiars #9 with a DA Polisher with little success.
Bret recommended 3M Perfect-it III Machine Glaze, which I'm thinking of trying, but it doesn't seem readily available. I don't seem to be able to find it in any local auto-parts store...and even online I only find it sold by the case.
Products like 3M Perfect It III Machine Glaze and Meguiar's #83 Dual Action Cleaner Polish are a notch or two above the typical SMR in terms of cleaning power and aggressiveness. Both are made specifically for auto body pros and are not really targeted towards the average consumer. You can find them at auto body supply stores or online. Smallest amount is quart size - expect to pay $30-40 each for these polishes.
What kind of protection are you looking for? Since most are plastic you could use a typical dressing to keep it looking nice. There are dye products to restore the color to faded bedliners. But I thought bedliners existed to be sacrificed in order to protect the bed. Seems to me the sensible thing to do with a beat up bedliner is to replace it.
This may be slightly off-topic, but in the last few months I have noticed several paint chips on my hood and front bumper.
I read some of the posts on here concerning paint chips and looked at the carcaronline.com tutorial on paint chips, but that just seemed far too involved for me.
Mothers advertising a paint chip repair product that seems much simpler...has anyone tried it? Or does anyone have any other recommendations on repairing paint chips?
I just bought a new black Acura RSX-S last week and I have a question about washing and waxing. (I haven't had a black car for 8 years now, but I remember how hard my last black car was to keep clean. And once when I waxed my other black car from 8 years ago it left swirl marks. So I need a few pointers so I don't do this again.)
1. Can I use my pressure sprayer on the car? Will it hurt the finish? Or will it just strip off any wax that's on the car?
2. I was planning on using Zymol car wash & car wax. Will that be OK?
3. I usually use 100% cotton rags from Walmart for both washing and waxing. Is that OK?
Any advice will be appreciated. I plan on washing and waxing the car this weekend.
Yes, you can use the pressure washer if you'd like. A soft stream of water would be safer but the blast from a pressure washer would be helpful to clean wheels and wheelwells. High pressure can damage paint so I'd attached the fan nozzle and keep it 18-24" away from the paint.
The Zymol stuff is OK if you're referring to the products you can buy in a store. The retail Zymol products are actually made by Turtle Wax under a licensing agreement. The high end Zymol products can be seen at Zymol.com. If you want better quality products have a look at http://www.properautocare.com
Cotton towels are OK to wash and wax but there are better and safer products available. Black paint shows swirls very readily and poor washing techniques are usually the culprit. I highly recommend using two (2) 100% lambswool mitts or 100% cotton chenille mitts for washing. These are the softest wash mitts on the market. Use one mitt for the top 1/2 and the other for the bottom 1/2 so you do not drag grit and dirt all over the car. I'd also suggest using the 2 bucket method to wash your car - one bucket is filled with soap and water, the other with water only. As you wash, rinse out the dirty mitt in the water bucket and dunk in the soapy bucket. This method keeps most of the dirt in one bucket and away from the soap.
I stopped using cotton terry towels to dry and wax my car when I discovered microfiber. That ProperAutoCare.com link has tons of info on microfiber if you're interested. I use a big microfiber towel to dry my car, microfiber applicators to apply wax, and small microfiber towels to remove wax residue. I guarantee you that once you start using microfiber you'll never use cotton terry again.
Hope all this helps. Let us know if you have more questions.
If you're looking for a "one step" cleaner wax product, some of my faves are:
Eagle One Wet Meguiar's #20 Polymer Sealant Meguiar's Medallion Meguiar's Gold Class Mothers Reflections
Some of these are more durable, others leave a better shine but don't last too long. It all depends on how much work you want to put into the job and what you're willing to spend to keep your car looking its best.
There isn't really anything wrong with cotton towels, though microfibers do tend to be nicer. But, like anything, they have to be quality cotton towels (or quality MF's). I don't think the Wal-Mart rags would qualify. I'd be slightly skeptical of the 100% cotton claim, but I also don't use cotton that isn't made in the USA. You can buy some nice irregular cotton hand/face towels for pretty reasonable prices if you have outlets or something near you. Something like Fieldcrest or another quality towel name. Not something called "auto towels" or anything like that...
P.S. white is usually the best because it is easier to see dirt and such on it.
Just finished doing two of my cars("01" Black Corolla and "02" Blue Celica) with the Klasse all-in-one and the Klasse sealant. Before the Klasse I used Nu-Finish liquid. The Klasse AIO seemed to go on and come off easy enough but I don't think it cleaned as well as the Nu-Finish did. The Klasse sealant was not as much of a problem to remove as some had suggested on this site. As long as you use a small amount(1 oz. per car suggested by manufact.) and remove it with terry cloth as suggested. The over all appearance was a richer looking deeper appearance then achievable with the Nu-Finish, but the surface itself was not as smooth when done. A rag slid across the finished product slid much more easily on the Nu-finish vs. the Klasse sealant and AIO when completed. Now the real test will be the lasting effect of the application. I know Nu-finsh will actually bead and protect for a full year. The Klasse is untested by me for durability yet.
This is in response to the April 4 inquiry about Paint Chip Repair. I have had great success with the Langka paint chip repair system. It is simple to use, worth the reasonable price and is basically a home version of the system used by professionals. www.langka.com The system provides a way to remove the touch up paint blob without hurting your surrounding paint. Most of the time you cannot locate the old chip afterwards.
I just bought a new ride for the family and opted not to get the over priced dealer detail that would, "guarantee that I would not have to wax for the next five years", yea right. I live in Calif. and the van will be outdoors mostly. I purchased it this week. In recent years I have used mostly meguiars line on my other vehicles. I must say I am not up to snuff on sealants. I have always polished, then built up coats of carnauba. Every year I would start over and do the same. What would be the reccomendation for the exterior?
Also, the interior? Scotch guard the carpets and head liner. Lexol on the leather seats, 303 on the dash and other rubber?
This will be a kid mobile, but all my rides get washed twice a week sometimes more. Thanks for any help you may lend. I also use a Porter Cable 7424 polisher.
I personally use Griot's Garage car care products on my 2003 Black Honda Accord EXV6 coupe, as you know black is hard to keep clean. I use their clay with speed shine, I then use Best of Show Wax. Check out their web site at www.griotsgarage.com. Awesome stuff.
My two cars got their first test for beading today. We got rain. Looks like the Klasse All-in-one and Klasse sealant aren't going to bead like the Nu-Finish did. (Cost for Klasse-about$30.00 Cost for Nu-Finish-about $5.00) Go Figure!!!!
If you want a more durable product, but like Meguiar's, check out their #20 Polymer Sealant or their Medallion Premium Paint Protection. Of course, there are also a lot of non-Meg's products out there as well.
This is my wife's new ride and she will not be into waxing and maintaining the cars shine for more than the first few months. So a sealant protectant would be the best. Its a light color that will be in the sun alot. I have been to sites that sell detail products so I am familiar with many of the products out there. I guess my question is if you all had a car that would only get attention twice a year (besides washing) what would you put on the car. I know for most of you this is impossible to imagine. I am more familiar with polishing and top coating with several coats of wax to maintain a vehicle looking it best all the time. Time commitment not being an issue.
I want both beading and protection! Actually I think the both go hand in hand. Obviously when the beading stops and sheeting occurs it stops for a reason. And that is because the protection is deteorating or is not present anymore. I guess I was expecting too much just because of the big price difference between Nu-Finish and Klasse.
Comments
Check it out here: http://www.properautocare.com/fb-1k.html
BTW, depending on the look you want to acheive, you may still want to coat it with a water based dressing like you have been doing.
LW
Use a glaze or their Shine Enhancing Cleanser before it and your car will look great.
Joe
Wipe on .... wipe off. It really is that easy. Put it on as thinly as possible (a little really does go a long way) and DO NOT let it dry or haze. Wipe it off immediately and you will be amazed.
Seems it would:
-enhance cleaning
-remove water spots
-not remove sealants, e.g. Klasse, Blackfire, UPP, etc ...
Lw
If you want the added slickness to ease product application, just give your applicator a light squirt of QD instead. It will have the same effect.
Just my opinion. If you like to QD, no probs. It's not hurting anything, as Joe says.
"Spots" created by acid rain are even tougher to fix and are almost impossible to remove by hand.
So I guess it all depends on what kind of water spots you have. LMK if there's something I can help with.
I'm still working my way through the "learning curve".
Ordered Quik Shine by ClearKote last night. Will give a review when I get it.
1) Clay Bar
2) Meguiars #9 Swirl Remover
3) Meguiars Show Car #7
4) Meguairs #26 Wax
A few questions:
1) Is the Clay Bar necessary? Doesn't #9 also acts as a surface prep.
2) I'm afraid the #9 may not remove the swirl marks from my finish. Would additional coats of #9 be effective, or do I need to switch to something stronger at that point? If so, what?
3) Do I need to tape off any rubber trim before using the DA Polisher?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
2. #9 is a light duty SMR and it's a good place to start. Work a small section and evaluate results. If its been many years since the car's been detailed it will likely need something more aggressive. I like the new 3M Perfect It III Machine Glaze. Use either/both products will a cutting pad. It's up to you whether you want to try several applications of #9 but I think you'll get better results using the correct products instead of trying to make the wrong one work.
3. Yeah, its smart to tape off trim. Use 3M "blue" masking tape as it does not leave a residue.
Let us know how things go for you.
But you were definitely right about the swirl marks...2 applications of Meguiars #9 didn't seem to help at all.
Next time I'll definitely try some 3M products. Hopefully the swirls aren't so bad that I'll it buffed with a rotary buffer.
23 Telluride SX-P X-Line, 23 Camry XSE
They tested 46 different waxes independently and cover all the bases from cheapo stuff to really expensive.
The report also provides lots of great detailing tips and tricks to make your Pilot really shine. It's well worth the $$.
23 Telluride SX-P X-Line, 23 Camry XSE
Having said that black can look terrific as long as you have a regular maintenance program. I guess it really depends on how you want your truck to look and how much time & effort you are willing to keep it looking super sharp.
Like any color the key to a killer finish is all in the prep. If paint is prepped correctly most any wax or sealant will make it look great. Cut corners on the prep and even the most expensive products will be wasted.
The basic exterior detailing step I recommend are:
(1) Wash vehicle. Use a shampoo designed for autos, not a household detergent.
(2) Clay the paint. Detailing clay is becoming very popular as it quickly and safely removes surface contaminents. You can buy it at most any auto parts store. A couple great clay bars are made by Mothers and Clay Magic.
(3) Polish the paint. I've never seen a new car that did not need some polishing. This is the key part of the prep I mentioned. Do this right and the rest is easy. Two polishes I like are swirl mark removers from either 3M or Meguiar's and a fine finishing polish from P21S called Gloss Enhancing Paint Cleanser.
(4) Wax for protection. If you want to use a carnauba wax (they look best on black) P21S's wax is fantastic. I also like Pinnacle Souveran and Collinite. Carnaubas will last 60-90 days depending on your care and weather conditions. These top quality products are super easy to use; literally wipe on and wipe off.
All these products are available from numerous online suppliers. My favorite is http://www.properautocare.com . Great products and the best customer service. I buy 80% of my detailing stuff from them.
If all this work seems a little overwhelming I suggest obtaining a copy of this great detailing guide: Find it at http://www.autopia-carcare.com . The first 8 chapters are free but its certainly worth the $10 as it addresses caring for the entire vehicle, not just the paint.
Hope all this helps. LMK if you have any questions.
Since I have never used a clay product I was wondering if anyone had a preference for a first time user.
I priced a Clay Magic kit at Autozone for 9.99..., which is the cheapest I have seen compared to the online stores.
Thanks,
Chuck
Claying is super easy. Just make sure you use enough lubricant on the panel you are claying. A mixture of soapy water in a spray bottle makes for an excellent lubricant. I think the $10 Clay Magic kit comes with lubricant as does Mothers. Either way it will work fine.
About the only clay I don't like is Meguiar's. It's almost universally disliked.
Bret recommended 3M Perfect-it III Machine Glaze, which I'm thinking of trying, but it doesn't seem readily available. I don't seem to be able to find it in any local auto-parts store...and even online I only find it sold by the case.
What kind of dressing are you talking about? Something like Armour All?
And avoid stepping on the brakes if you are carrying anything in back. BRAKE, BRAKE, BRAKE, SLIDE, SMASH.
I read some of the posts on here concerning paint chips and looked at the carcaronline.com tutorial on paint chips, but that just seemed far too involved for me.
Mothers advertising a paint chip repair product that seems much simpler...has anyone tried it? Or does anyone have any other recommendations on repairing paint chips?
1. Can I use my pressure sprayer on the car? Will it hurt the finish? Or will it just strip off any wax that's on the car?
2. I was planning on using Zymol car wash & car wax. Will that be OK?
3. I usually use 100% cotton rags from Walmart for both washing and waxing. Is that OK?
Any advice will be appreciated. I plan on washing and waxing the car this weekend.
The Zymol stuff is OK if you're referring to the products you can buy in a store. The retail Zymol products are actually made by Turtle Wax under a licensing agreement. The high end Zymol products can be seen at Zymol.com. If you want better quality products have a look at http://www.properautocare.com
Cotton towels are OK to wash and wax but there are better and safer products available. Black paint shows swirls very readily and poor washing techniques are usually the culprit. I highly recommend using two (2) 100% lambswool mitts or 100% cotton chenille mitts for washing. These are the softest wash mitts on the market. Use one mitt for the top 1/2 and the other for the bottom 1/2 so you do not drag grit and dirt all over the car. I'd also suggest using the 2 bucket method to wash your car - one bucket is filled with soap and water, the other with water only. As you wash, rinse out the dirty mitt in the water bucket and dunk in the soapy bucket. This method keeps most of the dirt in one bucket and away from the soap.
I stopped using cotton terry towels to dry and wax my car when I discovered microfiber. That ProperAutoCare.com link has tons of info on microfiber if you're interested. I use a big microfiber towel to dry my car, microfiber applicators to apply wax, and small microfiber towels to remove wax residue. I guarantee you that once you start using microfiber you'll never use cotton terry again.
Hope all this helps. Let us know if you have more questions.
What do you think the best OTC wax is?
http://www.properautocare.com/whichwaxisbest.html
If you're looking for a "one step" cleaner wax product, some of my faves are:
Eagle One Wet
Meguiar's #20 Polymer Sealant
Meguiar's Medallion
Meguiar's Gold Class
Mothers Reflections
Some of these are more durable, others leave a better shine but don't last too long. It all depends on how much work you want to put into the job and what you're willing to spend to keep your car looking its best.
P.S. white is usually the best because it is easier to see dirt and such on it.
The system provides a way to remove the touch up paint blob without hurting your surrounding paint. Most of the time you cannot locate the old chip afterwards.
Also, the interior? Scotch guard the carpets and head liner. Lexol on the leather seats, 303 on the dash and other rubber?
This will be a kid mobile, but all my rides get washed twice a week sometimes more. Thanks for any help you may lend. I also use a Porter Cable 7424 polisher.
Classic Motoring sells most all of the good stuff out there. Lots of excellent detailing tips too along with product recommendations.