About a week ago I asked about applying products over an existing detail. The situation is, I did a thorough detail in April, and some swirls and marks are coming back. I tend to wax every couple weeks or so, and my finish is so slick that water droplets bead and dry as "dust drops". What I wanted to know was, do you have to strip the wax off first, or can you apply products on top of the wax (Souv Paste in this instance), and then reapply the wax?
THe answer: although you don't have to, IMO you should.
1) I washed with E1 car wash concentrate, dried with Absorber. Didn't care about little drops because of what was to come.
2) Clay; I tied a small area on the hood. The clay was totally clean. Tried a lower fender, same result. The car didn't need claying, I put the claybar away.
3) Tried a small area with IHG; it didn't really seem to do anything. It felt like it removed the wax, though. IMO the result was inconsequential and I tested no further, because the swirls I needed to remove were beyond IHG anyhow.
4) Broke out the PC and the Menzernas. Started on the hood with IP. What happened was, the product didn't "work" the way it does on a waxless surface; it seemed to gum up, to collect the wax in itself and not break down the way it should. It went to "dry" in less than a minute. When I was doing an area that was 4 horizontal passes and 4 vertical passes square, the IP would be "bunching" during the second set of passes. Water sprays helped a bit, but then the IP was less intuitive to use than it should have been; its action was less obvious. I nevertheless finished the car; the polish still worked, just differently, with occasional spritzes.
I tried DACP on some areas. It did seem to be less sensitive to the existing wax layer (more solvents?). But, I didn't do enough to really tell, and I'm not experienced enough with the product to judge and compare its action in the relative situations.
5) The followup with FP went exactly like it should have; no surprise, the IP most surely removed all the wax! As an aside, I am really impressed with FP, moreso than with IP. I'm not saying IP is bad, but I think that if there was no IP, I could get by with something else; DACP, maybe. But, when I see that glassy look FP gives the finish, under the halogen lights, I think that I am looking at something special.
6) I applied IHG. Question: I know it is Imperial Hand Glaze, but can it be applied with the PC anyhow? It sure would have made my life easier at 1 o'clock this AM.
7) Souv Paste. The secret (don't know if it's a secret, but here it is anyhow) to avoiding streaking with Souv is to remove it before it dries. If it streaks, wipe a little more over the affected area and remove that before it dries.
By then it was 2 AM. I shut the garage lights off, and did my nightly crossword puzzle by the glow given off by my car!
Anyhow, the answer: you can apply products over the wax, but there's no point to it. The ones I used still worked, but they gummed up and the job was harder. I would have been better off starting by washing with Dawn or a wax stripper. The total effort would have been less, but with the same number of steps.
You don't need pix, it's another shiny car. I did get 3 "WOW"s from total strangers, though.
Mosca
THe answer: although you don't have to, IMO you should.
1) I washed with E1 car wash concentrate, dried with Absorber. Didn't care about little drops because of what was to come.
2) Clay; I tied a small area on the hood. The clay was totally clean. Tried a lower fender, same result. The car didn't need claying, I put the claybar away.
3) Tried a small area with IHG; it didn't really seem to do anything. It felt like it removed the wax, though. IMO the result was inconsequential and I tested no further, because the swirls I needed to remove were beyond IHG anyhow.
4) Broke out the PC and the Menzernas. Started on the hood with IP. What happened was, the product didn't "work" the way it does on a waxless surface; it seemed to gum up, to collect the wax in itself and not break down the way it should. It went to "dry" in less than a minute. When I was doing an area that was 4 horizontal passes and 4 vertical passes square, the IP would be "bunching" during the second set of passes. Water sprays helped a bit, but then the IP was less intuitive to use than it should have been; its action was less obvious. I nevertheless finished the car; the polish still worked, just differently, with occasional spritzes.
I tried DACP on some areas. It did seem to be less sensitive to the existing wax layer (more solvents?). But, I didn't do enough to really tell, and I'm not experienced enough with the product to judge and compare its action in the relative situations.
5) The followup with FP went exactly like it should have; no surprise, the IP most surely removed all the wax! As an aside, I am really impressed with FP, moreso than with IP. I'm not saying IP is bad, but I think that if there was no IP, I could get by with something else; DACP, maybe. But, when I see that glassy look FP gives the finish, under the halogen lights, I think that I am looking at something special.
6) I applied IHG. Question: I know it is Imperial Hand Glaze, but can it be applied with the PC anyhow? It sure would have made my life easier at 1 o'clock this AM.
7) Souv Paste. The secret (don't know if it's a secret, but here it is anyhow) to avoiding streaking with Souv is to remove it before it dries. If it streaks, wipe a little more over the affected area and remove that before it dries.
By then it was 2 AM. I shut the garage lights off, and did my nightly crossword puzzle by the glow given off by my car!
Anyhow, the answer: you can apply products over the wax, but there's no point to it. The ones I used still worked, but they gummed up and the job was harder. I would have been better off starting by washing with Dawn or a wax stripper. The total effort would have been less, but with the same number of steps.
You don't need pix, it's another shiny car. I did get 3 "WOW"s from total strangers, though.
Mosca
