Tried out my new 'Clay Magic' bar yesterday on the front clip of the truck. Wow! what a difference. I thought my wax jobs were pretty good until now. Smooth as silk. Following it with Mequire's 3 step system that I've never used before either and I'm sold. I did replace the 3rd step with the 'Gold Class' just to be a little more ****.

First question, when I was using the clay I noticed that a small amount of brownish residue was showing up on the face of the clay after going over a section of surface. Is this normal? I have the Teal Blue/Green color (I've never quite decided if it's green or blue) so I can't figure where this brown is coming from. Is it from embedded dirt dirt coming out???

Second question, the bottle of clay lube that came with the kit may last for this session but definately not beyond as I have to do the matching topper as well. Do I have to keep buying new kits just to get the lube or can I use something else??

I've got about a dozen more questions to bother everyone with later on.

Thanks,
Russ

 

Comment, do not use Gold Class on a daily driver. It's longevity leaves a lot to be desired. If you like Meguiars, try their professional line, #26 High Tech Yellow Wax.

Ques 1: Yes, brown or black in the clay after use is normal. That is all the junk that used to be on your truck. Keep stretching and folding it over to a clean spot to prevent scratches. Once the whole thing is brown, black, or any other color from drit and grime, throw it away.

Ques 2: You do not need to use that spray solution. I do not even use a spray bottle. If you like the spray, just mix some car wash shampoo or even dish soap with water in your bottle. My procedure: a bucket, car wash mitt and soap as my clay lube. Wash the vehicle, dry, then clean bucket and get fresh suds and mitt. Get the soap on the car again, clay, then rinse by section.

Bring on the rest of your questions!

 

Not much to add to APT comments other than............. you can also just get another bottle of QD like Mother's Showtime, or Meguiar's Quik Detailer to use a lube for the claying, if you don't want to use the wash & clay technique!

 

Thanks APT!! I will have to try out the #26 wax. I must be easily impressed or something, I thought the Gold Class was lasting pretty good. I don't have any ironclad allegiance to Meguiars, it's just the first brand I've done any sort of study on. What do you think of their Medallion series??

OK, I'll ask the next couple of my questions (I've got a bunch).

The last time I went to a 'reputable' commercial carwash they used something on my tires that I guess was supposed to make them shiny. Unfortunately it ran down onto my rims and hardened and now looks like frozen snot. Any guesses how to get it off without permanently marring up the finish?? I think there is some sort of clear coat on the rims and I would like to try and not bung that up either. BTW, I NEVER, EVER go to car washes anymore.

My grill. It's the style that looks like a honeycomb and the paint (I'm assuming that it's painted, I suppose it could be black plastic) has faded(?) and I don't have a clue how to restore it. Is it a lost cause and I should either have it repainted or replace it with a billet? Seems a shame that I've gotten the painted trim around the grill looking really clean and the grill itself looks like crap.

I have a Rhino-Liner bedliner that got a little faded/chalky before I put the topper on the truck. Know of any products that will help with conditioning or finish quality? The stuff that the installer recommends is expensive, doesn't work very well, and oh by the way he's the only place in town that carries it, naturally.

Thanks for any advice
Russ

 

Russ,

APT hit the nail on the head with Gold Class (or at least that's how I understand it). Personally, I use #26 and have found it to be pretty good stuff. You're not going to get the longevity out of it that you would some quality synthetics but, it will provide a good level of protection and you should be pretty happy with the ease of application/removal.

Not sure on your wheels. I'm going to let someone else tackle that. One question though, how large are these spots? Have any pictures?

On the honeycomb. Unfortunately, it is plastic and I don't know of anything that will help bring the color back (as it is my understanding that they are painted plastic grilles). My only suggestion there is to check your local salvage yard to see if you can come up with one cheap in decent condition. If not, you may try contactin torrie@fordpartsnetwork.com . He'll give you a pretty solid deal on the part if he can get his hands around it. Be sure to mention that Rockpick sent ya... it might help the price a tad.

Like the wheels, I'm not sure what to tell you about Rhino. You might try contacting Rhino to see what they say since I thought they had a lifetime warranty on their product. Just a thought.

RP

 

To add to RockPicks post about the grill. I would think that if it is faded and before you try to buy another one that it might be worth a shot to find some quality paint for plastic (not sure what brand) and try painting it. It may come out looking great and save you a few bucks…

 

Gold Class in my personal experience lasts about a week. The first time I drive in the rain and re-wash, the reflectivety, shine, and gloss was gone. Tried another coat and same thing. I have an almost full bottle on my shelf.

I have not used any other Meguairs wax. Just what I hear about them. #26 is great, and I hear those die hard Meg users that try Medallian line are impressed. [cheapshot]That isn't hard to believe. J/K [/cheapshot] Most Meguiars products are good and availbility is too. Thus, the popularity.

Wheels, try a good non-acidic aluminum wheel cleaner and wash mitt, sponge, or towel. If that doesn't work, a mild polish like Meguiars BSP (Body Shop Professional line again) #9 should do the trick. Yes, almost every OEM aluminum wheel is painted metallic silver and also clearcoated. Thus, treat them like your other painted surfaces, except wheels get nasty brake dust which is usually more stubborn than the dirt that gets on the rest of the vehicle. Eagle One has a couple good (as in recommended by detailing freaks besides myself) wheel washes. The new orange bottle A2Z has a great reputation around the web, but I have not tried it yet. I use the Aluminum Wash and love it. Best wheel cleaner I have used. Both are cheap ($5) and availible at almost every auto parts store and some department stores such as Target.

Grill: Remove, apply a couple coats of enamal spray paint, dry and reinstall. Worth a shot if you are planning to replace anyway.

Can't help with the liner. I have a plastic Duraliner. Check out the bedliners forum for some assistance.

 

Thanks Guys.

I'm thinking you're right about the grill. Give it a go with re-painting and if it turns out looking like do-do then just replace it with some aftermarket one.

I'll have to give the Eagle One stuff a try. I saw it on the shelf at the Auto Zone and almost bought it. I'll stop by this afternoon and get some.

Guess I need to spend some time searching through the bedliner forum. At least the topper covers up the bedliner.

Not to start a pissing contest over who is best but if you all say that Meguiars isn't neccessarily the best then what do you consider to be a top line wax/paint protector?? I don't mind spending a few extra dollars to get the good stuff but I also don't want to get ripped off.

Last question for now. Has anyone heard of or purchased Onkyo(sp?) running boards?? I like the way they look and the boss is always giving me grief about having to hike her dresses way up or risk tearing them just to get into the truck. This is my next aftermarket upgrade.

Russ

 

Oh, man. I just heard a can being opened. I am sure everyone will come on and tout their favorite products, but don't fret. Great detailing results depend 90% on procedure and methods and only 10% vary by the particular brands of products used. There are many high quality products out there. Most people stay within a couple brands. Besides look, there are other reasons for choosing one brand over another. Ease of applciation, look, availibility are all up there wit some people having different priorities than others. The bottom line is use what you like and like what you use. Pictures on the internet ought not to convince anyone to change if they are happy.

BTW, no one said Meguiars was not the best wax. [cheapshot]Their slogan says quite the opposite.[/cheapshot] I just said I didn't use their wax. Maybe I don't use what I think is the best?

So, I'll give my plug. I use S100 wax and paint cleanser. It is argueably a rebadge of P21S products, at cheaper prices. It is availible at many motorcycle shops including Harley Davidsone stores. I use it because it is the easiest final polish and wax I have ever experienced (my experience is not that wide), I love the results, I can pick it up around town, and the price is reasonable ($24 for the pair). I also use Zaino in the winter months. I use Meguiars and 3M polishes for removing swirls. Stoners, 303 Products, and other brands too.

The only Onkyo products I have heard about (and I hear great things) are audio related. Sorry, maybe Appearance Products or Other Aftermarket will help.

 

There are multitudes of good waxes/polishes on the market these days which makes it good for us as end consumers. My personal opinion sways towards Meguiars Products but, more specifically, towards Meguiars Professional products (also known as Mirror Glaze products). I've used them for several years now and have never been let down by the results that they have yielded and I have a very high standard when it comes to something like this.

Another thing that I play into my opinion is that the customer service that Meguiars provides is solid. They're always glad to help and offer advice over a 800 number free of charge.

On the flip side of the carnauba side of things, synthetics have come a LONG way in a short time. The protection and longevity that products like Zaino, UPP, and others provide outlasts a natural carnauba based wax like Gold Class or Meguiars #26. Of course, the price is more expensive but, in your case, it might be the route that you want to go.

For me, waxing my vehicles is a chance to get out of the house and enjoy some time doing something that I LOVE to do. Thus, spending a little more time with application frequency isn't an issue for me. For you, it might be.

I want to further solidify the earlier statement made by APT and myself. Gold Class is a great wax if you're looking for an instant "POP" and not much durability. APT has used it and I trust his judgement but, don't let that sway your opinion of Meguiars products as this appears to be one of the few products that they offer that really doesn't live up to its expectations for several folks. I'm a die-hard Meguiars #7/#9/#26 user and have been nothing but successful using their system. I've tried Zaino and it was a fine product but, it had been placed on such a pedastool before I tried it that it didn't have any other way to go but down. It shined nice, and the protection was pretty good respectively but, it fell short of my expectations thus, I'm back with my old stand-by. Meguiars.

In short, you need to find the polish/wax that is right for you and suits your wants/needs/expectations. If Meguiars is your choice, great; if not, great. Find something that you like and stick with it.

RP

 

Oh, yeah. Don't want to mis-lead you about Gold Class. It is probably as good as any other product out there for the first few days. More reflective than most carnaurbas, similar to Zaino Z2. If I had a show car or garage queen, I would consider using it again.

 

Russ,

There are a lot of "top line" products! Much of it is personal preference. Some products look better......... or put better.......... look different! Some products last longer. Some products apply and remove easier. Some products are less expensive. Some products are easier to obtain (you can get them locally)!

As you can see, it all depends on the individual's definition of "better"!

Having said that here's a short list of some fine product lines, any of which would give you excellent results.

Poorboy's
Platinum (need a polish or two from somebody else)
Meguiar's
Mothers
Zaino (need a polish or two from somebody else)
Klasse (need a polish or two from somebody else)
Pro Wax

There are others too................. but those always seem to rank at the top of my list!

Hope this helps.

 

Along with a nice looking finish and shine is how often do you want to wax/polish? Some like to often others don’t. Do you have harsh winters that would prohibit the opportunity to apply wax to keep the paint protected?

That’s the reason I went with Zaino. It is a synthetic polish that has very good durability, more so then wax. It is not necessarily better as far as shine or protecting the paint finish itself because the others offer great protection as well but not necessarily as long and thus the question of how often do you want to wax/polish?

Living back here in New Hampshire the winters can be long at times and stay very cold prohibiting me from applying more coats of wax to keep the paint protected, not just from sun damage but things like road salt and grime.

From what I understand most good waxes, like Meguiars and others mentioned will indeed give you outstanding protection but not as long as something like Zaino would. Last winter I went 6 months with 3 coats of Zaino. Was only able to wash at the car wash and it continued to bead water until spring when I could apply more Zaino. People where I work swore I was polishing at least every other week because of the shine.

So the first question you need to answer is just how much time do you want to spend waxing/polishing and how long in between do you want to go. All the brands mentioned will fit the bill but it’s a matter of how often you want keep it up. It is a continuing maintenance to keep that paint finish in top condition and some like doing it more often then others and there is nothing wrong with either way you go…

The other nice thing about Zaino is you do not need to use a buffer with it. You will get an awesome shine and a buffer will not do anything to enhance it. Most other products you need to use a buffer to get the best possible shine, but there are a few like RockPick that can get a great shine without a buffer.

 

Hey, try "KRYLON FUSION FOR PLASTIC" you can find it in many colors at Wal-mart.
I have a "LUND SCREEN FRONT" I painted it and it looks pretty good. I also painted some interior pieces and they have yet to scratch or chip.
Just my 2c's

 

Well, I hate to keep bringing it up, but Gold Class did a decent job of protecting my paint. It survived a lime and lye dripping parking garage in Philly, and a month or two in Toledo during January and February after that. Not so much as a dull spot anywhere to be seen. The poor truck was covered in that garage junk, and they cleaned it off with lime away or some similar substance. I'm not sure I would try an extreme test like that again, though.,,,,98