I just purchased a 07 black screw and want to keep it looking new. I have always washed and waxed my other vehicles with cheap wax. I bought some megs nxt and waxed the screw this past weekend, it looked hazy when I was finished. I called megs, they suggested I put on another coat of nxt. It helped but when a light shines on the tailgate at a certain angle it still looks hazy. Up until I joined this forum, I have never heard of claying or polishing a vehicle. I thought you just washed and waxed. Could someone point me in the right direction on what products and instructions on how to detail a black vehicle? Can you do it without a porter da or do need a da to obtain quality results? Help needed.
Thanks

 

I had the same problem the first time I used NXT on my old black F-350.

I was putting on too thick of a coat and not giving it enough time to dry thoroughly. You can probably get rid of the haze with some quick detailer and microfiber towels.

 

i always use NXT on my truck i have found the key is too not make it a thick coat just a light one, and start at one end of the truck and do the whole thing then go bac and take it off, that way by the time you get bac to where you started its dry and ready to come off, you might want to check it the first couple of times till you know how long it takes, i usually do two coats! click the pic in my sig and look through those pics for the clean ones

 

I had a bright red Ranger before my F150, and I too noticed if the coat was too thick it would get a haze. Dark colors tend to do that.

Try your best to spread the wax our evenly, and thinly.

As for claying, it's a "every now and then" step that helps to give an intensely clean and smooth surface. It is mildly abrasive, but not much if done correctly (in terms of harm).

Essentially, wash your truck VERY VERY well, and rinse the crap out of it. Find a cool, shady place and get to work. Work very small areas at a time. You can use supplied lube (and lots of it), or warm soapy water works great too (Don't use dish soap as it not only removes wax, but can break down the clay, stick with Meg's soap).

Just spray the clay bar, your hand, and the surface you are working. Then you want to work the claybar over the surface in repetitive motions. You should hear and feel some mild resistance...and as you go on it should go away- completely. Work the area until it is perfectly smooth. You will need to continue lubing... "more is less" when it comes to clay lube. Don't be afraid to keep it soaked.

Also, you want to keep "folding" the clay to keep it clean on the surface as you are essentially dragging it over the surface of your paint (enter the risk part). If done correctly it shouldn't cause any harm.

You also will want to cut your clay in either halves, or thirds and use small portions. Clay is like soap in a prison shower...it does its damnedest to jump out of your hand...and just like prison, you drop the clay, you're screwed. Throw it away (ALWAYS) if dropped.

Continue the process till she's nice and smooth. I then usually do another quick wash to get the residue from the lube off, and follow up with a wax.

Good luck!

 

You can remove scratches and marring by hand, but it's a lot of work. A polisher like a Porter Cable D/A makes it a lot easier. A rotary makes much faster work out of this, but the D/A polisher is a much safer tool to use for many people. Finish Kare www.fk1usa.com makes some very good products for working by hand if you have a lot of correction you want to do. If you just need to correct spots here and there, then look at the Meguiar's ScratchX product which you can find at most Autozone stores and in WalMart, etc. It's great for fixing small areas as long as it's used properly.

No matter how much you try to protect your finish, it's going to get scratched up unless your truck is a trailer queen for car shows. You can however greatly minimize the scratching and marring by improving your washing / drying techniques, tools and product choices.

Some basic things you can do to minimize scratches and marring is to...

* Use good quality car wash soap with excellent lubricity
* Use a good wash mitt such as a genuine sheepskin mitt (not synthetic) or a genuine sea sponge (not synthetic) or a high quality foam mitt, etc. With the sea sponges, you must thoroughly wash them before use because they’ll have sand in them, but they're one of many good tools to use for washing your vehicle.
* Use the proper towels for your vehicle such as a large waffle weave microfiber towel or a super plush & soft microfiber towel for drying, and dedicated microfibers for wax / polish removal and or buffing, etc.
* Most importantly is to use as little pressure as possible when working the wash mitt or towels against the surface.
* Use a wash bucket with a grit guard so that heavier particulate sinks to the bottom and doesn’t end up working against your paint. Using the two bucket method for washing is something to seriously consider, especially if you’re just learning all this.
* Make absolutely certain that the surface of your wash mitts and or towels you’ll be working against the paint are completely clean before putting them back on your cars surface. I prefer light colored towels that allow me to more easily see any particulate. If the towel isn’t absolutely clean, then fold it over and use a clean side or get another towel. If you drop a towel, simply get another and don’t use that one until it’s properly cleaned.
* Always wash your new microfiber towels before their first use. They’re usually not made in the cleanest of environments and you never know who they’re handled by before you get them. They may also be subject to environmental fallout throughout their journey, so make sure you wash them first before they’re used.
* Keep your towels in ziplock bags or in clean containers after they’re washed / dried.
* Before going gung ho on trying to polish your entire vehicle, tape off a small 2' X 2' section and see what it takes to make that section look good. Then once you have that figured out, carry over that process to the rest of the vehicle one section at a time. Don't try to work too large of an area when polishing.
* Some detailing clays are more abrasive than others, so make sure the clay you’re using meets your specific needs (do a test spot) before claying the entire vehicle. Make certain you’re using a good lube and enough of it when using detailing clay.

There are just a few simple tips to consider that may help you minimize future scratching and or marring. Check out the Autopia Learning Library for all kinds of interesting articles on detailing, including washing & drying your vehicle http://autopia.org/forum/guide-detailing You can also learn a great deal through the Meguiar’s web forums at www.meguiarsonline.com/forums

 

What qadsan said...

 

How do I get rid of the haze look?

 

After you wash, dry & clay, then polish. The polishing step will remove the haze. After your surface looks and feels perfect, then use the sealant and or wax of your choice.

If you're entire finish hazy, then tape off a 2' X 2' section with 3M autobody tape (green or blue). Figure out what process works to remove the hazing in this one section. Once you figure this out, then you can use this strategy to fix the other sections.

The haze could be caused by too much product or the improper use of a specific product (wax, sealant, overspray from another product, etc) or it could be due to the clear coat being scratched up from your towels or polish, or clay, etc. Get a small section taped off and polish that area by hand with a high quality polishing towel or foam pad.

If the haze is caused by too much wax and or sealant product applied to the surface, then apply that same product again to the suface, but this time thoroughly wipe & polish it off with a high quality microfiber polishing towel. The application of a like product and wiping it down real good with a polishing towel often helps to remove an excess amount of product that was previously applied. Hopefully this is what's causing your haze because its much easier to fix this than polishing out your clear coat.

If the haze is caused by scratching and or marring, then start with a product like Meguiar's ScratchX and see if that improves the clarity. You'll need a high quality polishing towel and or foam pad to work this product. You'll have to vigorously work this product against the paint with some passion until it's broken down and repeat this process a couple times before you see results. There's a very good tutorial on the Meguiarsonline web forum on using ScratchX, so check that out if you need to go this route.