About to make a big purchase...

P

playinJ30

New member
I have two cars that are both nearly brand new paint, one is a show car coming straight out of the painters never seeing rain/sun/the elements.





My first question is, how strong of a polish would I need for a car that has no to minimal amount of scratching? I am planning on purchasing Poor Boy's polish products, unless someone has an emphatic stronger suggestion, so would I have need for an SSR 2.5 or not?



Second, I have been told that Menzerna Glaze is the best glaze on the market... truth?





Also, would it be counterintuitive to apply a glaze, then a sealant, then a carnauba wax?

I have read that applying glazes before sealants is not optimal, is this true?





I have many questions, but know that asking 1000 questions in one post is the quickest way to no replies.



THANKS IN ADVANCE! :2thumbs:
 
i as far as the glaze/wax/sealant thing....i would go with a sealant first, let that cure up for a week or two then do a glaze on top of that.....a glaze is going to give you a wetter look finish than a wax



but if this car is a show car...i wouldnt even bother with a wax or sealant, a glaze is gonna give you a ridiculous finish w/ little to no protection
 
a glaze and a wax dont bond to anything really....they just sit over the surface, this is why they offer less protection.....



is just my opinion really to get the paint sealed first to protect it, let that cure completely for a week or two, then when u want the nice wet look and shine throw a glaze on there.....
 
exactly!........that wax will remove the glaze when applied, and depending on the wax...the glaze will remove that also becuse neither actually bond to the surface....



you can glaze over the sealant though to get an extra wet look out of it...
 
sorry for the back and forth,





so for my daily car if i still want an excellent shine with a little more longevity, i should be looking at a sealant w/ a carnauba over it, and for the show car looking at sealant with a glaze on top?



I want the show car to be protected underneath, so it sounds like a sealant is a must... unless of course the sealant actually detracts from the depth and shine of the finish. I am planning on competing seriously for paint awards w/ this car in the import scene.
 
is cool!.....



yeah defenitely for a DD go with a sealant then a carnuba a few weeks later......



a sealant is gonna detract the look any more than a wax, and then glaze it to get that extra pop!



keep in mind if that show car is freshly painted you are not gonna want to seal, wax, or glaze it for about 3 months after it leaves the booth....that paint needs to cure before you can touch it.
 
I.A.S. said:
is cool!.....



yeah defenitely for a DD go with a sealant then a carnuba a few weeks later......



a sealant is gonna detract the look any more than a wax, and then glaze it to get that extra pop!



keep in mind if that show car is freshly painted you are not gonna want to seal, wax, or glaze it for about 3 months after it leaves the booth....that paint needs to cure before you can touch it.
Click to expand...





sorry, the sealant "is" or "is not" going to detract the look... middle sentence is a bit confusing.





Ya, i'm not planning on touching the paint for a few months
 
Quality sealants will not change or make any difference in appearance vs a Nuba, in my book. They're made to mimic Nubas appearance but withstand the elements much longer. They also apply and remove with the littlest of effort.

As far as using a Nuba and or Wax, I agree with the above. I dont really think they "stick" like Polymers, they tend to float on the surface. Especially the glazes. A glaze would be your best bet for the show car, if your "showing" and it remains away from the elements. It wouldnt hurt to have some protection underneath it though. So prep, nuba (Or Polymer) then at showtime, add some glaze.

As far as polishes........
has no to minimal amount of scratching
Click to expand...
im assuming theres minor swirls and/or scratches........2.5 is probably a little strong for your needs then. I would go with SSR2 if selecting Poorboys, or Optimum Polish. SSR1 is more of a maintenance polish for light cleaning. Doesnt have a whole lot of swirl removal capability.

Are you doing this by hand or PC (Porter Cable)? David has some great write ups on board here........
 
I haven't used Menzerna's Acrylic Jacket, but I expect it's a good product - many Autopians swear by Menzerna polishes. I have just started using Klasse AIO/SG (also an acrylic polymer) because of the claims of durability. I'm in the Northeast and winter presents challenges (like not being able to apply LSP in freezing weather).



For new paint, you should wait a couple of months or get advice from from whomever did the job depending on whether it was baked on or not. For either newer vehicle, you may not need to polish at all - a pre-wax (chemical) cleaner may be more appropriate than an abrasive polish.



Some folks like the pop you get with a Carnuba topper over a sealant glaze. The only 'trouble' with that is that you can layer sealant, but once you apply wax, you can only re-wax.

I kinda like the idea of being able to apply additional layers of sealant/glaze, but if you want more pop, it's a way to go.

Just put the Klasse twins on my ride and I'm liking the shine w/o carnuba, so I'm going to apply another KSG layer or two after washes in the next few weeks and leave it I think.
 
Here is the response i got to the notion of putting glazes on after sealants... tell me what you guys think:



"Putting glazes on as a last step is an exhausted train of thought that was used by some "old school" detailers. Let me explain why it is not an effective way to detail a car.



A glaze is essentially a finishing polish that has oil and clay fillers. It's goal is to cling to the dips and valleys in the clear coat, helping fill in imperfections. When you seal the car, the sealant will put an even coating on the vehicle both on top of the clear coat and in the imperfections. Since sealants typically do not have as many fillers (if any at all), like a glaze, those imperfections will still remain as you seal in the vehicle. If you put the glaze on top of a sealant there will not be any imperfections for the glazes fillers (clay and oil) to cling to as the sealant has already sealed in the imperfections. Also, you will be jeopardizing the effectiveness of the sealant and ruin its durability and protection. If you left your vehicle like this, the second it would rain or you wash it the glaze fillers will wash right out since there is no layer of protection to protect the fillers.



Think of the opposite. Use a glaze first so that the clay and oil fillers can fill in those imperfections, then seal it in with a sealant. For a more detailed explaination please view our How-To Section for a visual representation of your clear coat as you go through each step of the process.



As far as the look is concerned different products can give you different finishes. Sealants typically will give you a more reflective, mirror like look some even will give you a plastic type look. Waxes on the other hand, typically give you a warmer, deeper and glossy look. Almost the look of hard candy or the commonly used term "wet look". So depending on which look you are going for you can tailor your detail to get the results you are looking for.



To answer the questions regarding the two cars I would suggest the following.



Show Car: Wash / Dry -> Clay Bar -> Finishing Polish (assuming being a new coat it doesn't need a cutting polish to remove scratches and swirls) -> Glaze -> Wax



One of my favorite combinations for a show car look is ClearKote Red Moose Glaze topped by Pinnacle Souveran. The glaze will help fill in and hide imperfections and improve gloss and depth, and Pinnacle Souveran is our best show car topper wax, which really excels on darker colored vehicles. Click here for more information on this combo.



Daily Driver: Wash / Dry -> Clay Bar -> Cutting Polish (if needed) -> Finishing Polish -> Sealant



Glaze and wax would be optional on the daily driver as durability will be more of a concern. If you wanted to take the time to do all of the steps, the glaze would come between the finishing polish and the sealant and the wax would be the last step.



If you have any other questions or would like product recommendations just say the word.



Look forward to hearing back from you."







Just hearing a lot of differences in opinion and i'm trying to sort through it all
 
My perspective:

Think of the opposite. Use a glaze first so that the clay and oil fillers can fill in those imperfections, then seal it in with a sealant.
Click to expand...
Sealants wont adhere to surfaces which have a layer of oil on them..

When you seal the car, the sealant will put an even coating on the vehicle both on top of the clear coat and in the imperfections. Since sealants typically do not have as many fillers (if any at all), like a glaze, those imperfections will still remain as you seal in the vehicle.
Click to expand...
True...

VM or RMG do very little to hide imperfections, when a sealant or wax is used afterwards. The oils never set, and are wiped away with the sealant or wax application process.

Show car (If your not concerned with protection, or if its never exposed to the elements for prolonged periods): Wash, clay, light polish, glaze. The oils themselves wil provide very light protection from everything but U.V. exposure. If concerned about protection, add a sealant or wax, then add Glaze for fill value. Glazes will typically remove a portion of carnauba due to petro carriers, and to a lesser degree with polymer or acrylic sealants. Its my belief you cant have a glaze in the formula with decent protection.

Glazes will provide outstanding depth and color. In my opinion, its difficult to try to attain reflection/gloss with a product that provides so much depth due to oil content. You have to constantly wipe away product, and when all is said and done, youve probably compromised its filling abilities. They're really meant for show cars, who's condition is rather pristine, or for temporarily hiding minor imperfections. (a.k.a. used cars on car lots)
 
fromwhat i understand, doing a Full Molecular Jacket application afterthe Menzerna Glaze is acceptable and even optimal because the two were made to be used together, and have better bonding properties than say another glaze and some other sealant... maybe this is where the discrepency is?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top