Black Rogue + Hot Temps + Chick=What to Use for a LSP? Optiseal, 1000K, or ??? Help!!

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globe9

New member
I have a 2010 Black Nissan Rogue bought new last March. It's now a year old and most people say it still looks brand new. I've learned many things from this forum and my Rogue has benefited greatly.

I'm looking for some new and better products to wax/seal the Rogue that won't kill me come Spring/Summer...I'm in New Orleans and it was already 80 degrees last weekend. My goal is shiny paint with excellent beading ability that will repel dirt and dust(or be easily hosed off since the paint will be so slick) and hopefully help to repel or prevent water spots(my nemesis in the summer...damn car drys on its own in like 1 minute). I'm ok with some light marring/swirls(I'd love a perfect car, but this is my daily driver and I'm a realist...I'm willing to do the best and most I can without spending 10 hours detailing on my own or $100's of dollars on products or professional detailing.



Right now my system is this: 2 bucket wash with microfiber mitt and Meg's Ultimate Wash. I wash the rims with a soapy MF(works good since I wash often enough that the brake dust/dirt doesn't stick), dry with a waffle weave mf. I then apply Meg's Endurance Gel on the tires. I know I should wash the tires, I just haven't gotten around to buying anything for them.

About every 3-4 months I've been waxing with Autoglym HD wax. I like it b/c it's very easy to apply. I like applying to whole car then coming back to buff off. I also like that I can use it on every surface on my car(rims, plastic trim, etc) and it doesn't stain. I find that it doesn't last very long however.



I've been looking into some other waxes/sealers lately and I've considered FK1000p, but then nixed it when I read that it stains plastics, emblems, etc. I'm too lazy to tape up everything beforehand.

I am now considering Ultima Paint Guard Plus or Opti Seal based on what I've read here. I have some questions though:



Can either of these be purchased at a store(Carquest, Autozone, Pepboys, Napa etc)?



Ease of use and application is my main concern. When it's 100+ degrees for 5-6 months with 90% humidity, the last thing I want to be doing is waxing my car, but it will need it. Which one of these, or is there something else, that will go on rather easily and quickly and come off the same while offering great looks and protection?



Please, all the advice, tips, help would be greatly appreciated. My friends already make fun of me for spending $35 on wax(they think Turtle Wax for $3 is great LOL) and they seem to think it's weird for me to be so into detailing my car since I'm a girl.
 
I would recommend two different sealants. I would recommend Blackfire wet diamond or Autoglym Super Resin Polish with Autoglym Extra Gloss Protection topped with the FK1000 and you will have great protection and looks.
 
Thanks for the reply.

Is the Blackfire Wet Diamond easy to apply? Do I have to buy this online or is it sold at a place like Carquest, Napa, Advanced?



I know I can get the AG stuff at Pep Boys. You suggest 3 products if I use the AG super resin polish--that alone has me leaning towards the Blackfire, but how easy is the AG stuff to apply?

I don't own a polisher, so everything is done by hand, so the easiest on and off is what I'm looking for.



Thanks again and keep the suggestions coming....I also picked up some Westley's Bleche White yesterday to clean those tires :)
 
globe9- This might be pointless, but I'd rethink the FK1000P. Yeah, it's *generally* best to keep it off trim (even thoug *I* use it on trim quite often with no issues), but that's easy to do when applying by hand. No need to tape anything off IMO. Just don't wipe it onto stuff that you don't want it on.



Autoglym's SPR is the same way, best to keep it off trim, but again, that's just not all that tough. And I do consider myself a "no trim staining products for me, life's tough enough!" kind of guy...I simply don't think those two are all that tough to use without that issue cropping up.



The point is, I'd be thinking about SRP topped with FK1000P. And if that's just a non-starter, no hard feelings :D



You might want to step up to a better shampoo, might find (as I did) that it helps reduce wash-induced marring. I'd consider Meguiar's Gold Class to be the minimum.
 
Thanks for all of the links and suggestions!



What type of shampoo would you suggest Accumulator? I don't mind switching to something else, as long as it doesn't cost like $30 or more for a bottle. I do have somewhat of a budget unfortunately. Also something that can be easily purchased locally(so Autozone, Pep Boys, Advanced, O'Reilly, Carquest, or Napa...that's about all we've got around here).



I am beginning to notice some holograms on the side panels and after googling removal, I have found that most links say holograms are the result of improper use of machine buffers or rotary polishers...well I have never used either so how am I getting holograms?



Also think it's time I went out and got a clay bar. I've never used one before, but see that most use one between the wash and the wax/sealant step. Is the Meg's clay bar ok? Should I buy something better?



On another note, my local Wal-Mart doesn't seem to carry the AG HD wax anymore(that's where I bought mine), but they do now carry Surf City car products. Are these any good?Pep Boys also seems to offer more "high end" brands as well and the Car Quest by my house offers Meg's professional series glazes and stuff. I'm not opposed to buying online, but would rather have access to some of the products I use locally.



Thanks again everyone. This forum is great even if it is making me even more anal about my car, which is getting expensive:lol1:
 
I'm going to suggest the Duragloss product line that could probably be obtained over the counter in your location at Carquest or Napa.



Car wash = DG Cwc #901 (slick and cleans very well)

Mild all in one polish/sealant = DG #101 (could actually be a stand alone lsp)

Lsp wax/sealant = DG #951 Aquawax (so easy to use and superior looks and durability)

Detail spray = DG #921 Fast, clean and shine

Tire/Vinyl dressing = DG #253 ( looks excellent and durable)



These products have ease of use, superior durability, have an excellent look and rank right at the top with all the boutique products without the associated high price tag. They can be bought OTC, at Autogeek or for the freshest batch, directly at Duragloss.com. Try them and you will not be disappointed.
 
globe9 said:
I am beginning to notice some holograms on the side panels and after googling removal, I have found that most links say holograms are the result of improper use of machine buffers or rotary polishers...well I have never used either so how am I getting holograms?
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Pre-delivery cleanup at some dealers involves a quick 15 minute once-over job with a buffer and whatever pad they feel like using. It varies from place to place and can create some heavy marring and holograms in the paint. My wife's Accord (Honda is known for having soft paint) was given this treatment before we received it and it's embarrassingly bad.



globe9 said:
Also think it's time I went out and got a clay bar. I've never used one before, but see that most use one between the wash and the wax/sealant step. Is the Meg's clay bar ok? Should I buy something better?
Click to expand...

Honestly if you do it right and use a good lubricant, the type of clay bar isn't a big deal - as long as you don't purchase one that's advertised as being aggressive. You probably don't need that.



globe9 said:
On another note, my local Wal-Mart doesn't seem to carry the AG HD wax anymore(that's where I bought mine), but they do now carry Surf City car products. Are these any good?Pep Boys also seems to offer more "high end" brands as well and the Car Quest by my house offers Meg's professional series glazes and stuff. I'm not opposed to buying online, but would rather have access to some of the products I use locally.
Click to expand...

Recent discussion on Surf City: What happened to all the excitement over Surf City products?



I recall finding many Meguiar's products available on Amazon with free Super Saver (or Prime, if you're a member) shipping. That might be a good alternative for you as well.
 
I'll echo the FK1000P comment. You said a few things that line up perfectly for that product - black car, in the deep south, want something that sheds dirt, cost effective, repels water spots. You'll get a huge tub of it that should last years. It is no more difficult to use than the AG HD that you have now (I use both.)



Shampoo - again I'll echo accumulator on the Megs gold class. I don't use that one regularly but it gets good reviews as one of the better locally available products. So does Duragloss but my local Napas never seem to carry it. Also make sure you use enough shampoo. A lot of people get so caught up "wasting product" mantra that they underuse. No harm for a lot of things, but when it comes to shampoo I'd use, at a minimum, whatever is recommended on the bottle and then splash a touch onto your sponge or wash mit. Extra shampoo = extra lubrication = fewer swirls.



Clay bar, same as others - anything OTC is fine, although the nod seems to go to Clay Magic which is available at Autozone. You'll get a LOT more for the same price if you buy this online though. If you are lucky and your local Advanced carries Griot's products (search the advanced website for your local stores), their clay bar is one of my favorites and its huge for $20.



Walmart closed out AG HD--it's not coming back. Another local one might have it at $20.



Holograms - are you sure this is a paint defect? Do you notice them all the time and in the same spot? If you do a wash with Dawn dish detergent or something and strip all of your wax, are they still there? I ask because sometimes I'll get "hologram" type things with AG HD wax and also with collinite 476 on black cars in the sun. If it seems to get better / disappear after you have stripped the wax it might not be a paint issue. You can check this out after you do a wash and clay. If they are definitely paint defects in small areas, you could treat them by hand before waxing.
 
Twop additional thoughts:



-Yeah, holograms are pretty common on dealership-prepped vehicles. Some degree of abrasive polishing will be required to remove them; I'd look into Meguiar's Ultimate Compound, Scratch-X v2.0, etc. No, the Autoglym SRP won't do it (too gentle by far).

-FK1000P holds up *VERY* well to car wash shampoo, so yeah..use a nice potent mix that'll really get things clean while having good lubricity. I don't really like Meg's Gold Class all that much, but it's not terrible and at least it's commonly available.
 
Alright, I'm over on Autogeek right now and my basket is getting pretty full:smile:



I've got the FK1000p in the basket, but now I'm reading the Klasse High Gloss Sealant and that stuff sounds pretty impressive as well. Is the FK1000P still better for my purposes?(black car, extreme temps, daily driver, hand application?) Also reading about the Klasse AIO polish. Can I apply this by hand for minor paint correction(small swirls, etc)? If I use the AIO, should I then apply the Sealant over it?



I apologize for all the questions. It's just that there are so many products out there and I want to use the best for me that I can afford, but sometimes after reading these forums my head is spinning.



Thanks again for all of the help!
 
I use Klasse AIO by hand with a foam applicator. I use it to chemically cleanse the paint before applying my LSP. Many people apply it by PC as well using a black pad I believe. There is no worthwhile cut in Klasse AIO so you won't get any correction using it. Stick with polishes and compounds for correcting.
 
lostdaytomorrow said:
.. Many people apply [KAIO] by PC as well using a black pad I believe..
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I find the black pad is a bit "tight" for KAIO, I greatly prefer a more open/porous pad even though that can suck up more product.
 
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