Hey guys,
Well my well deserved pay check came and now I figure its time to do a very good detail job on my truck. I want to do a good job, but not spend a whole weekend per say.

Here is a list of things I think i need to do, but I dont know what order to do them in, or what brands to buy. Any info is appricated.

1- Car Wash (turtle wax car wash?)
2- Clay Bar (no clue)
3- Wax (mcguires?)
4- Polish (again, no clue)


I have the products for my wheels and interor, i just want my paint to have the new car shine again.

oh yeah, and a good product to get some scratches out of my silver paint, they are bout 5 - 11 inches long, but very very thin.

 

Are the scratches above or below the clearcoat? If you can feel it with your fingernail, then it's below the clearcoat.

I like to use Meguiar's products; they're reputable and superior to pretty much 'the rest.' Some guys like Zaino, others like Meguiar's...it's all a matter of preference really. But if you wanna start out right, go for Meg's.

1. Start with a car wash. Meguiar's Gold Class Car Wash works very well. Sudsy and good amount of lubrication for the surface. When you're done washing, you want to dry with a 100% microfiber towel (no terry cloth...) or a chamois like The Absorber. A good rule of thumb, is to take the nozzle off the hose and go on your whole vehicle with it; the water will flow evenly off on all sides, thus eliminating water spots. Water spots = bad! So, as soon as you rinse, you wanna dry.

2. Clay bars... I use Meg's Aggressive bar (the purple one). I know there's a less aggressive one, but, I think it's yellow. Anyway to see if your car needs it; after drying your car, slip your hand in a plastic baggie and place it on your paint. See if you feel any kinda bumps in the surface; if so, your vehicle has ground-in contaminants. That's ok though, the clay bar can remove them.

Get some Meguiar's Quik Detailer (just as a lubricant to your clay bar). Work in tiny sections at a time. Claying takes a WHILE, so you gotta be patient. Spray the Quik Detailer onto the paint, then with your clay bar in your other hand, start to rub the surface. It should squeak slightly. Just remember, keep up with the QD. When you're done an area, go back on it with a towel. As far as what kind of towel, microfiber is best, but you will be re-washing the car anyway so don't really worry.

You can even clay the windows/head/tail lights. If you wanna go there, that is. You'll notice some junk building up on your clay bar... make sure it fold it and re-stretch it out, just to avoid going over your surface with the stuff that it just pulled out. (It could scratch it).

When you're done claying, re-wash the car, then rinse, dry with REAL microfiber (not imitation crap) or a good shammy.

 

3. Polishing.. you can either do this by hand or machine. Machine would be the random orbital polisher OR the rotary buffer. For starters, use the random orbital polisher- aka 'PC' - "Porter Cable." Also called the 'G100-A' (Meguiar's name for it). Anyway, I suggest you start with the machine. You'll tire your arm badly if you choose to do it by hand.

As far as machine pads go... they come in Cutting, Polishing and Waxing pads. Cutting is more or less to give your paint more 'bite,' Polishing pads are for polishes, and waxing pads are very soft and just meant for that; waxing. Cutting pads won't hurt your paint, so don't be afraid to use them.

Meg's rule is, Use the least aggressive product to get the job done. Usually, in the Meg's professional series, #83 Dual Action Cleaner Polish (aka DACP) works well getting swirls out. If your swirls aren't too bad, opt for #80 Speed Glaze. I like setting my PC (ranges from speed 1 to 6) on speed 5 for DACP.

Or, skip the professional line, and try some of the consumer polishes. Like Cleaner Wax... I haven't tried that yet, so I can't say much about it.

As far as the scratches go, #83 should take them out or at least cover them up really well, if it's not below the clearcoat. You can also try some of Meguiar's Scratch X. Comes in a black tube. I would put Scratch X on a Polishing pad, then follow with your other polish.

If at any time you feel you need to put more polish on your pad, go ahead and do it, but don't over do it.

Polish your car in sections. Don't let the polish sit there too long, but make sure to work it in til it's very light/almost non-existant appearing on the paint! Meg's has Diminishing Abrasives, that continually break down through the heat of your machine. (That's why they work better with the power of the PC than your own human labour). Wipe your polish off with a Meguiar's Ultimate Wipe. Those work really well for removing polish and wax.

By this time your car will look great!! Polishing helps remove the ground-in dirt and swirls. Waxing can't do that alone.

4. Now's time for waxing. Use a top-notch wax, like Meguiar's NXT (liquid form). They got a whole slew of products so check them out, www.meguiars.com IMO, waxing is better applied by hand. It's not abrasive, so there's no real 'effort' involved. Waxing by machine just helps give it a uniform coating. Apply it with a Meg's applicator (usually yellow, or the green/purple one that comes with NXT). That's what I use.

Wax your whole car at once. Let it sit on there for about 15-20 minutes; making sure the oils have sunk in to the paint (that's why after you wax your car, the surface is so slippery-feeling).

It should be easy to remove with an Ultimate Wipe after the time has elapsed. Make sure to get all the wax, especially in the cracks and trim. Try not to get it on the black plastic trim, but if you do, it can be removed.

This should be a good 411 for you...

 

I tried the Meguiar's Gold Class wax and wasn't impressed. Sure it had a nice shine, but it took me 2 months to get all the white residue out of the cracks and crevices. Every time I looked at the truck, I found more. It was a total PITA to get off. It also stained all the plastic/ vinyl (bed rails, door handles, etc.). After one application I gave up on it and bought the NXT Tech Wax. It seems kind of thin, but it works great and is very easy to wipe/ buff off. It doesn't stain the vinyl either.

If you want Meguiar's Gold Class wax, I have an almost full bottle you can have if you want to come get it.

 

If you get it on the trim, you can remove it with #39 Heavy Duty Vinyl Cleaner, followed by #40 Vinyl & Rubber Cleaner/Conditioner. Or peanut butter does the trick

 

thank you so much Lariat!!!! I am going to be heading out PepBoys tomorrow after school and bringing ur reply printout with me to do some shopping!!!

 

NXT definately. Here are my personal thoughts. First wash with Meguiars wash. I've also used Blue Coral Carwash/wax concentrate and its much cheaper and works well. Rinse well then using a very high grade chamois <sp> or better yet a MF towel dry all painted surfaces well. Using clay the first time might be somewhat intimidating. Use the lube spray very liberally with the clay. RP and Boss 429 have mentioned using lexan or plexiglass to flatten out the clay which does help IMHO. While everyone here has there methods use what works for you. After many uses of the search button I've found that what many here have been through work well. NXT is the best product IMO and until RP or Boss find something better I'm sticking with it. One final thing, If you continue to hang around here you will find your wallet getting thinner daily

 

You're welcome Just as a side note, though, the professional series of Meguiar's can only be ordered via online or on the phone.

 

Excellent response FL!! If I may add just a little bit...

#83 really won't do much to "cover up" any swirls/scratches. You see, this is an abrasive polish that utilizes diminishing microscopic abrasives which actually remove a very minimal layer of clear coat in order to achieve a flat, swirl-free, surface. The polishing oils in the product may, in a very minimal way, do something to conceal but, really won't go a long way, reveal your problem again. Never cover swirls/scratches up when you can remove them.

NXT is a great product but, IMHO isn't the best thing since sliced bread. For a multi-purpose, all-in-one type of product, it does it's job and does it VERY well. Further, it's readily available at nearly all 'mart' style stores, automotive parts stores, and other locations and thus, it's a sure-fire winner for the automotive enthusiast. If you're like me, you like the opportunity to just run out grab what you need.... NXT provides a high-durability finish, deep shine, nice price, and easy accessibility. This makes it a all-around great product to me. I think it works great on lighter colors but, on a dark vehicle (black / red / etc) I really like the look of a carnauba wax but, the durability from a carnauba really doesn't match NXT. All a personal preference honestly... NXT is, however, an awesome all-round product. It is in my arsenal and is used frequently (and will be used this weekend to detail my neighbor's 96' Saturn).

Gold-Class is a great product but, I haven't had a chance to try it since they've 'tweaked' the formulation/packaging. Many folks complained of durability issues but none complained about appearance; at least that I saw. It does leave a white residue so, be ultra-careful when you're applying it to avoid trim and other parts that may have a problem. Personally, my stance is that if you take the necessary steps to not stain your trim, you'll save time in the long run because no trim is immune. A little tape or some added attention to detail will, IMO, ultimately pay off time-wise and, as always, think thin. Thin layers will always work out better than bulky thick layers... This is true with nearly all car care products IMO.

Like FL mentioned, least aggressive is always the best way to go. Often times, I'll go with a product that is lighter on the 'cut' and do two applications versus one with a heavier cut product. I find that I have a bit more control on how the detail progresses when I go this route. For this reason, I prefer a #80 Speed Glaze type of product versus a #83 DACP product. DACP, in my opinion, is difficult to work with on the PC; especially on dark paint. It's a great product and I buy it by the gallon but, it's only used for client's vehicles that have problems above what I think #83 will handle. You see, there are varying levels of abrasive qualities when you get into this type of product. #80 has less of a 'cut' than #83. #83, however, might be a bit easier to come by locally depending on your location. Again though, personal opinion... #83 is a great product.

FL mentions cutting pads in the response as well. While this is a great pad, Meguiar's doesn't regularly recommend this pad for use with the G-100 (PC) machine. Simply put, if you're utilizing the cutting pad with an abrasive product, the PC doesn't really have the ability to generate enough heat/friction/rotation to properly break the product down with this pad. In short, it's just not powerful enough. That's not to say that the polishing and/or finishing pads aren't adequate though... in fact, I rarely use a cutting pad on a client's vehicle as most, in my opinion, don't need them. I only use the cutting pad with a rotary buffer which is different from a PC.

Like FL, I like to apply my last step products by hand as there's less of a chance of reintroduction of problems in my opinion. There are waxes that do have a degree of abrasiveness to them; these are called 'cleaner waxes'. These either use a chemically aggressive ingredient or an abrasive ingredient. I use them and love them but, they're designed more to remove a bit of the blemishes (light swirls etc) and leave behind a protective layer of protection.

Most auto parts shops (ie: Pep Boys, Autozone, Kragen) sell a very limited amount of the Mirror Glaze (Meguiar's professional) line. You'll typically see #26, #7, #9, and maybe a straggler of something else... Much beyond that, you're going to have to find a paint and body shop or order online through a great website like Auto Detailing Solutions or Premium Auto Care.

Additionally, you can utilize Meguiar's Dealer Locater to find a supply house that carries what you wish to purchase. Always call the shop before showing up as I've found that, often times, the list can be a bit out dated.

RP

 

Okay, I'm confused...I've searched...is it necassary to rewash after claying? Most of the threads I've seen leave this step out.

 

Some do... some don't...

Common sense will have to play in here in my opinion.

If there is a lot of clay residue on the paint after you've clayed, I'd go ahead and wash. If not (and there typically won't be if you're using enough clay lubricant), I personally don't worry about the second wash.

So, in recap, it doesn't hurt a thing to do it and might be a good idea... but, it's probably not a 'end-all' if you don't.

RP

 

Alright RP thanks man! Dude this site is so cool. I just need to quit reading and get to work!

Thanks again.

 

No problem. Message board websites are certainly addictive.

 

like you're the only one...

 

Thanks RP

I like to wash after claying, just makes me feel like I'm washing any excess particles off. But it's optional.

I've had to order most my stuff off of the Meguiar's store website, and Proper Auto Care ( www.properautocare.com ). I got a good deal on my PC plus some pads. I can't seem to find the kit on that website, but there is no need to pay $225 for the DA Polisher Meg's is offering. You can order one from Home Depot or Lowes for much cheaper.. I was going to do that but then decided on the kit from PAC.

RP, or anyone who knows- you know the painter's tape? Could you use that on your trim or paint when polishing or waxing?