Am i in teh right direction w/ this?

[gopedhead]

So far i've been readign up on how to detail my car and wax it. i've got it down to washing my car properly, i know how to do that, but i'm now trying to wax the exterior properly. I dont want to damage my paint and i want to make sure i'm waxing it the right way.



So far i've gathered many mixed ways to wash and wax a car that it just confuses me. i dont know which way to turn.



The couple of questions i have woudl help me alot.



1) i have a lot of tree sap and tar on my car and wanted to know if i shoudl just use bug and tar remover or should i go ahead the clay teh whoel car. i haven't waxed the car yet (still pretty new) and i'm almost positive that it's full of contaminants. should i use the clay on it?



2) Polishign the car is teh same as a cleaner? If not, shoudl i use a cleaner and a polish? i know meguires sells that 3 stage kit that includes the cleaner, the polish, and th wax (is this a good kit?) if not, what is better?



3) if i clay my car, shoudl i still use the 3 steps taht meguires says we shoudl use?



4) what type of wax is good? meguires liquid? paste? is there a reason why there is apast eor liquid or a spray?





So the order in which i woudl probably wash and wax my car woudl be as follows:



Wash car



Clay bar



Cleaner (meguires)



Polish (meguires)



Wax( meguires)



is there a sealant i need to use for the last step?





is there any brand thats better than others for these steps? are there other steps that people use to wax their cars? such as skipping the clay/claner/polish step alltogether and use it all in one? but i know i have sap and tar on the car that wont come off w/ washing it. so shoudl i clay it?



Thanks for all the help, i hope i didnt' drop a newbie bomb on you guys. thanks again.

 

[I.A.S.]

So far i've been readign up on how to detail my car and wax it. i've got it down to washing my car properly, i know how to do that, but i'm now trying to wax the exterior properly. I dont want to damage my paint and i want to make sure i'm waxing it the right way.



So far i've gathered many mixed ways to wash and wax a car that it just confuses me. i dont know which way to turn.



The couple of questions i have woudl help me alot.



1) i have a lot of tree sap and tar on my car and wanted to know if i shoudl just use bug and tar remover or should i go ahead the clay teh whoel car. i haven't waxed the car yet (still pretty new) and i'm almost positive that it's full of contaminants. should i use the clay on it?



2) Polishign the car is teh same as a cleaner? If not, shoudl i use a cleaner and a polish? i know meguires sells that 3 stage kit that includes the cleaner, the polish, and th wax (is this a good kit?) if not, what is better?



3) if i clay my car, shoudl i still use the 3 steps taht meguires says we shoudl use?



4) what type of wax is good? meguires liquid? paste? is there a reason why there is apast eor liquid or a spray?





So the order in which i woudl probably wash and wax my car woudl be as follows:



Wash car



Clay bar



Cleaner (meguires)



Polish (meguires)



Wax( meguires)



is there a sealant i need to use for the last step?





is there any brand thats better than others for these steps? are there other steps that people use to wax their cars? such as skipping the clay/claner/polish step alltogether and use it all in one? but i know i have sap and tar on the car that wont come off w/ washing it. so shoudl i clay it?



Thanks for all the help, i hope i didnt' drop a newbie bomb on you guys. thanks again.

everything you are doing looks like you are going in the right direction....



answers IMPO:



1) yes you should defenitely clay the car, but keep in mind clay leaves minor scratches tha need to be polished/buffed out



2) if u did a good job washing and claying the car there is no need to use any sort of cleaner..



3) not super familiar with Meguairs 3 step so.....on your own on that



4) i would basically stick with the normal liquid style....paste waxes are old school IMO and sprays you dont get great coverage with



for that last question, if u are waxing there is no need to use a sealant cuz that will strip any wax anyway...wax will remove wax, sealant will remove wax...what i might suggest is doing a paint sealant instead of wax....it will last MUCH longer and then u can still wax a few weeks down the road for added protection...

 

[the other pc]

Sorry to confuse you even further but I disagree with some of I.A.S.’s assertions.



I do agree with I.A.S. that you should definitely clay. I disagree that claying will leave scratches. Aggressive formula commercial clay will scratch. Mild clays won’t.



The term “cleaner� is used differently by different companies so there's room for interpretation on using them.



In Meguiar’s nomenclature washing removes loosely attached dirt laying on the surface, clay is used to remove above surface bonded contaminants (gunk stuck to the surface like sap) and cleaners remove contaminants and defects below the surface. So any product that removes stains, embedded dirt, swirls, scratches, etching, etc is called a “cleaner� by Meguiar’s.



If you have swirls, scratches, stains or oxidation you will need to use a cleaner after washing and claying. I prefer Meguiar’s ScratchX to their Deep Crystal “step 1� cleaner.



Meguiar’s uses the term “pure polish� to mean a beautifying product that adds richness and depth to the look of the finish. They use the term interchangeably with the term “glaze.� Other companies don’t. Most (but not all) other companies’ “polishes� have cutting and cleaning action. Meguiar’s calls that a “cleaner/polish.�



Pure polishes and glazes are optional. You don’t need them but they can look really nice.



Paste or liquid is a personal choice. Both work well. Meguiar’s paste and liquid formulas are identical and perform exactly the same either way. Most spray waxes are lighter duty and don’t last as long as liquids or pastes. Meguiar’s spray waxes are specifically designed as “boosters� to “freshen up� your regular wax in between normal wax jobs.



Sealants and waxes are meant to be either/or but many guys here like to use them together.





PC.

 

[gopedhead]

so if i do have tree sap and tar on my car, will i still need to use the clay? i'm not gettign a little scared about using the clay if the "cleaner' from meguires will take care of this.



is the three step process from meguires safe to use on it's own after washing? or is claying really needed, i've had the car for about 5 months and i'm sure there is sap on the paint that wont come off after claying. Will teh cleaner remove this? the cleaner seems to sound a bit less agressive on the paint.





Also, after the claying or cleaning or both together, shoudl i polish it then wax it? Is there a difference in the many liquid waxes that mcguires offers?

 

[the other pc]

so if i do have tree sap and tar on my car, will i still need to use the clay? i'm not gettign a little scared about using the clay if the "cleaner' from meguires will take care of this….

Yes, tree sap is stuck on the paint. Clay does a great job on crud that’s above the surface like that. Don’t be afraid to try clay. As along as you use a mild clay like Meguiar’s (white or blue, it’s Meg’s red that’s aggressive), Sonus, Mothers, Clay Magic (blue), etc you’ll be fine.



Cleaners can remove tree sap but it’s a lot more work. I think the risk of scratching is higher when removing tree sap with a cleaner because you have to rub so hard.

…is the three step process from meguires safe to use on it's own after washing? or is claying really needed…

Yes, it’s absolutely safe. But it won’t be as effective as when you clay first. If the clay won’t remove the sap the Deep Crystal “step 1� Cleaner won’t either.

…after the claying or cleaning or both together, shoudl i polish it then wax it? …

Your choice. You don’t need to use a pure polish but you might like the effect, especially if the car is a dark color. You can skip it and save it for another day if you like.

…Is there a difference in the many liquid waxes that mcguires offers?

Each has it’s own “personality.� The more advanced formulas last longer than the others. One may be easier to apply than another, etc. You won’t go wrong with any of them. Some have cleaners in them so you don’t need to do a separate cleaning step, others are just wax and should be applied to a pristine finish.



Since they’re easy to find over-the-counter I’d suggest either NXT or Gold class waxes if you’re using a cleaner and ColorX if you just want a cleaner/wax.







PC.

 

[gopedhead]

where can i find a website that carries a universal amount of car detailing products? many i've seen only carry a specific brand. I see people on this board using products from thsi site, that site, where do they all get them from? different sites? a store in their local area?



is there a place i can go to? i know pep boys or autozone dont have nearly as many products as mentioned here (rather the brand names) they mostly have meguires and mothers.

 

[the other pc]

Sorry, no such animal. Works the same way for most products in the world, just like the way you’ll never find a Honda, Toyota, Ford, Kia, Audi, Porsche, Mercedes, Hyundai dealer.





PC.

 

[Accumulator]

where can i find a website that carries a universal amount of car detailing products? many i've seen only carry a specific brand. I see people on this board using products from thsi site, that site, where do they all get them from? different sites? a store in their local area?

While I tend to cherry-pick the products I want from a scad of different sources, one place that has a lot of different brands (and great customer service) is Top of the Line .



The only local/OTC approach that's ever worked for me is going to autopaint/body supply places. They handle stuff from Meguiar's, 3M, Pro and others and can usually get whatever you want. Non-pros don't seem to go this route very often, but I've been doing it since I was a kid. The guys there might try to sell you something based on their best interests as opposed to yours though At least until they learn that you know what you want and all they have to do is sell it to you.