6 Month Old Car: Detail Help

B

BocaCoupe

New member
I have a 2005 Diamond Graphite G35 Coupe that I have been washing weekly since I got it. I have only used Zymol Cleaner Wax once (about 2 months ago) and this weekend I was going to really detail the exterior.



I was going to do the following steps:



1) Wash with dawn

2) Remove any bug residues from front

3) Claybar entire car

4) Hand Polish (help)

5) Hand Wax (help)



Im wondering what polish to use on this particular application. It has very very fine swirls from hand washing but nothing major. I am not sure what process after the claybar would be the best. I guess I need a lighter polish and a good wax. I have terry cloths and microfiber towels.



Any help would be appreciated!
 
Do not use Dawn and use a quality shampoo like Meguiars GC. The clay will take care of impurities. If you are working by hand I would use a chemical cleaner followed by wax/sealer. As far as OTC products you could use Mothers pre-wax cleaner or Meguiars Step one followed by a good wax (I use Mothers FX or Reflections). Another option would be Meguiars ColorX followed with wax/sealer.

By the way, if you are serious about swirl correction you will end up wanting to buy a PC. Then there are a whole different line of products you could use as a polish.
 
BocaCoupe- I don't have strong feelings either way about Dawn. It's not gonna hurt anything but it won't strip wax any better than a strong shampoo mix. It won't have the lubrication of a good shampoo though and thus you might get more marring.



If you have swirls you want to eliminate or hide you will need the polish. I'd choose one that both eliminates (through abrasives) *and* hides since doing it by hand isn't all that conducive to perfect results. Used after the clay, you'll end up with clean paint too (so no need for a dedicated paint cleaner).



I'm not sure which OTC products will really fit the bill. Meguiar's #80 works OK by hand if you have the time, but you won't find it too many places. 1Z Paint Polish is another great choice but you'll have to order it online. OTC I guess I'd look for Mother's Power Polish. BTW, I chose these products specifically because you're working by hand.



I'd just use something from Collinite for the wax. Their 845 Insulator Wax is often available in autoparts/marine supply places. VERY long lasting.
 
BOCA -- as others have mentioned, if you're going to do this by hand I would stick to the OTC meguires and mothers product as they are formulated for use by hand. most of your "botique" products (in my never 2b humble opinion) work best with a PC or rotary. once you drop the coin for a PC you can test drive the poorboys, chem guys, even meg professional series products.



by adding the polish step you may get a little wetter look to your finish then top it off with your wax. try it, see how it ends up. if adding the polish step doesn't yield results worth the effort then next time (or at least until u get that PC) you can just skip it.



I also second using a good car shampoo rather than dawn, you're claying process is where you're going to get the biggest BANG for you buck/time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top