Detail questions

[99GrandAM]

Hi guys...I've been snooping around here for a few months now and I finally decided to register. I have always enjoyed detailing my car and I have to say my knowledge of car care has gained an incredible amount thanks to this forum. I have learned so many things and I am extremely thankful for it.



So basically in a few days I'm planning on doing a full detail to my car. This usually just included a wash, clay, and wax...but this time I wanted to add polishing to my list.



I have a good wash shampoo (Gold Class) and clay bar (Clay Magic), but I need help with choosing products for the last two steps. I'm pretty much staying with OTC products since I'm a high school student with not a whole ton of money to put into top of the line polishes or a PC (tho how I do dream of it...) and my car's not exactly nice like all the others on here (as you probably gathered from my user name). What I got to prepare myself with the polish is a kindof old 7" random orbital my g-pa gave me (only 1 speed, 3200 RPM) and a couple foam bonnets for it.



So, that being said, I'm kindof stuck what to get for the polish. Basically all I want to do is to remove as many swirls as I can with this setup and give the paint some depth (paint is a dark Emerald Green btw)...while staying OTC. I have ScratchX, but don't know if something else would be good? heard ColorX works rather nice? :nixweiss So, I would like some pointers here. As much as i'd like, I don't think I'm going to use any glazes here w/ the setup I have.



Alrite, now to the waxes. the only wax I have is some Mothers CG Carnauba Cleaner Wax...which probably is crap. I was looking around on here and got some differing opinions about NXT 2.0. I've heard that it's good for darker paints, but durability struggles? Also, I've seen Collintie 476s and 845 at the local Harbor Freight. didn't know opinions about that one either? Any other ones that I might have missed OTC worth taking a look at?



Sorry for the long post...any help would greatly be appreciated. Thanks!



PS- anyone wanting to see pics of the car from my past spring detail, type "GrandAm Owners Club" in google, click on the first link, and on the page click on the "GrandAm of the Week" picture, scroll down on the list and mine is the one on April 7, 2008. Click on the link and picture and it'll list a lot of pics of it. I would supply a link but it won't let me since I'm new.

 

[Accumulator]

99GrandAM- Welcome to Autopia!



If there's any way at all to online order your polish, I'd strongly encourage you to get some 1Z Paint Polish (sources: Home or Aloha & Welcome to Our Oasis for All Your Auto Detailing, Auto Detailing Supplies, Auto Detailing Equipment, Auto Detailing Products, & Auto Detailing Accessories for all your Automobile Detailing ). That stuff is uniquely suited to your situation (no "good" polisher) and will blow any OTC choices right out of the water, no foolin'.



If that's simply not an option, then...



The Scratch-X would take forever to do a whole car with, and the Color-X won't be strong enough IMO. If you can find some Mother's Power Polish you could try that, but I'd rather look in the yellow pages and find a local autobody/paint supply store. Go there and see what they have, it'll be a lot better than shopping anywhere else (I first started going to stores like that when I was your age, went with my *mother* who'd been buying wax/etc. there for years).



A store like that will have Meguiar's pro stuff, and their #80 Speed Glaze (don't worry about the name, it's a polish, not a glaze) is probably a good starting point..better than Scratch/Color-X, that's for sure. They might have other brands like Pro or Presta or 3M...it'll be like a candy store for a detailer and you'll love it.



But I'd still *MUCH* rather use the 1Z Paint Polish



The Collinite is the way to go for your wax. I'd go with the 476S paste, which I always use on at least one of our vehicles. 1Z + 476S is the way to go if you're working on a daily driver, let alone by hand or with that 7" polisher.

 

[99GrandAM]

Thanks for getting back to me Accumulator.

The Scratch-X would take forever to do a whole car with...

Yea, I know that first hand...I did my dad's whole car with the scratchX by hand and it took me FOREVER, by the time I got to the other side, I just worried about the big scratches. :hairpull

A store like that will have Meguiar's pro stuff, and their #80 Speed Glaze (don't worry about the name, it's a polish, not a glaze) is probably a good starting point..better than Scratch/Color-X, that's for sure. They might have other brands like Pro or Presta or 3M...it'll be like a candy store for a detailer and you'll love it.

I did see on here that a lot of people were saying to look for auto body supply stores and go there, so i'll have to check and see if one's around me. I'm sure I'd love it and I'd probably want to spend a ton of money in one...but i'd have to restrain myself. lol. But yea, I'll have to see if I can find any #80 if I can't order the 1Z online. Thanks for the suggestions!

The Collinite is the way to go for your wax. I'd go with the 476S paste, which I always use on at least one of our vehicles. 1Z + 476S is the way to go if you're working on a daily driver, let alone by hand or with that 7" polisher.

Yes, it is the only car I currently own so its a dd. I thought it was a good wax but just wanted to make sure before I bought any.



Also, a couple more questions:



I have watched a lot of videos of guys polishing an area on a car, but the thing I don't understand is when you guys know the polish is broken down all the way and you can stop polishing. I watch the videos over and over, but I don't know what I'm exactly supposed to be looking for to tell that the polish has broken down. I want to make sure I know so I don't leave holograms by not breaking the polish down all the way.



Lastly, I noticed that the bottle of lube that came with the clay is almost out...what can I use to use to fill it up b/c the clay itself is still good, but the lube is empty. I see people use QDs, I have bottles of Megs Quik Detailer...would that work???

 

[Old Pirate]

Try going to a Carquest or Napa auto store in your area and look for DuroGloss products. They are great OTC and work great.

 

[Bunky]

Lastly, I noticed that the bottle of lube that came with the clay is almost out...what can I use to use to fill it up b/c the clay itself is still good, but the lube is empty. I see people use QDs, I have bottles of Megs Quik Detailer...would that work???

It works fine. In fact that is what Meg's includes with their clay.

 

[Jscort98]

I'd grab the 476 too. I've used nxt 2.0 and the collinite beats it in durability and beading. I couldn't really tell a difference in looks. Get some foam applicators, put the 476 on thin and buff off the panel after you're done.

 

[99GrandAM]

Thanks for getting back to me guys!



So, the plan is to pick up some 476 and use that for wax...and I found a autobody supply that I'm going to stop by later today to look around.



...any suggestions about the polish breakdown question earlier???

 

[Accumulator]

I have watched a lot of videos of guys polishing an area on a car, but the thing I don't understand is when you guys know the polish is broken down all the way and you can stop polishing. I watch the videos over and over, but I don't know what I'm exactly supposed to be looking for to tell that the polish has broken down. I want to make sure I know so I don't leave holograms by not breaking the polish down all the way...

Working by hand or with a random orbital polisher, you won't get holograms, but you *might* get some hazing if you don't break the polish down all the way.

Telling if you've broken it down is different for some polishes than for others (e.g., the #80 turns from opaque brownish-green to transluscent/nearly clear when it breaks down). A general rule that oughta work well is to keep working the product until it's *almost* completely dry, but not quite. At that point it oughta wipe off cleanly and easily and will sorta dry the second you buff it off. That might sound weird but you'll see what I mean when you do it...just keep rubbing until it's almost dry.



One nice thing about the 1Z polishes is that you *cannot* really over-work them; you can just rub until they're completely dry and then buff off the light powdery residue. You can't do that with a lot of other products as the dried polish will cause scratches, but it works great with the 1Z stuff and is one more reason why they're just great for situations like yours.

 

[99GrandAM]

Thanks Accumulator, I understand a little better now.

...Get some foam applicators, put the 476 on thin and buff off the panel after you're done.

I have some MF applicators...will those work just as well or do i NEED foam ones?



Also, this is probably a really dumb question. I got the 476 today. When I apply it, does the applicator need to be damp when I scrape wax on it in the container or is the applicator dry when I do it? Sorry, this is the first time I'm using a paste wax...im just used to crappy liquid ones.



The "Guide to Detailing" says to apply in a back and forth motion instead of circles...I always thought (and have done it) that you apply in circles. Any reason for back and forth application instead of circles?

 

[Accumulator]

I have some MF applicators...will those work just as well or do i NEED foam ones?

The MF will load up with wax, but I dunno how much of an issue it'll really be. I prefer foam but I doubt it'll be a big deal.

Also, this is probably a really dumb question. I got the 476 today. When I apply it, does the applicator need to be damp when I scrape wax on it in the container or is the applicator dry when I do it?

This is one time when the directions are correct Use a damp applicator and redampen it as needed. It does make things go easier.

The "Guide to Detailing" says to apply in a back and forth motion instead of circles...I always thought (and have done it) that you apply in circles. Any reason for back and forth application instead of circles?

It simply doesn't matter. I find that going in overlapping circles makes for a generally more thorough/uniform application, but the real answer is to do whatever works best for *you*.



What *does* matter is that you not put the 476S on too thick. Let it dry completely before you buff it off. Don't try to layer it in one session, wait at least until after the next wash for a second application.

 

[99GrandAM]

What *does* matter is that you not put the 476S on too thick. Let it dry completely before you buff it off. Don't try to layer it in one session, wait at least until after the next wash for a second application.

I know that layering gives the paint more reflection/depth. Will layering provide noticeable results for reflections/paint depth a whole lot in my case with the 476? Would you recommend to layer in my case...if so how much?





I know you said to let the wax dry completely before wiping...would i be okay applying the wax to the whole car and then going back and taking it off, or is the 476 one that you have problems with removal if it sets too long?



I know Jscort said to apply to panel and wipe it off. I usually do the whole car and use the finger swipe test (sweep finger across applied wax and if none is left on paint after, then its good to remove) before I take all the wax off...should I just stick to this or is the 476 one you do panel by panel?



Sorry for all the newb questions...



EDIT: Well after three days of calling the ONLY autobody supply in my area w/out answer...I finally get an answer today, and they pick up saying "hello do u need something?" and I asked about polishes...their response is "we only do powdercoating...bye." The place is pretty run down...but I didn't think they'd b this much of a jerk to me. Oh well. Guess I'll just have to order all my polishes polishes online now.

 

[Jscort98]

We were all noobs once asking many of the same questions so don't feel bad.



I don't think you'll notice a difference if you layer it. I didn't. Put the first coat on and then after the next time you wash put another layer on a panel and see if you can tell the difference.



Since I started using 476 I put the wax on a panel and then buff it off right away. If you do the finger swipe you'll see that it is ready to remove very soon after you put it on. I did read a review on here for 476 and the guy said he forgot to remove the wax and came back the next day and wiped it off easily. As long as you put it on thin you should be able to do the whole car and then buff it off after.

 

[qwertydude]

If you're going on the cheap and otc I've had good results with turtle wax premium polishing compound, in the black squeeze bottle. It's very mild, if after testing you're not satisfied with the result you can purchase their premium rubbing compound. It's probably equivalent in cut to #83 but doesn't finish lsp ready like #83, although it is very close, follow with their polishing compound and you'll be golden. If you wanna cut down on tiresome labor use your cheapo 7", I've had my coleman 6" for 10+ years ever since I started detailing. A good tip is to always polish with a wool bonnet. Foam bonnets tend to bog too much and with a weaker polisher you need to keep the rpms up and not put a lot of pressure on the polisher. I've gotten near perfection with this and otc products, since it is on the weaker side as far as polishers go you pretty much always use wool pads to polish since they are more aggressive and don't bog like foams do on a weak polisher. As for a wax NXT will really make your car pop, durability is not the greatest so if you wanna durable wax on the cheap collinite is the way to go.



I've been doing this and even with my cheap chemicals and cheap polisher I went into mobile detailing for some time and made quite a bit of money on the side. I even came up with a spray detailer formula to help me along the way which I also sold to the people after I detailed, never had a complaint about my detailer either. Attention to detail and patience with a slower polisher is the difference, move the polisher very slowly and let it work. I'd use light pressure and move about a foot every 20-30 seconds, yes that slow. All the local pros were quite impressed with my results and when I brought out my rather limited chemical lineup and cheapo polisher their jaws just about dropped because I regularly had people with flawless to near flawless finishes which started with rather swirly and oxidized finishes.

 

[3puttjay]

I've let the 476S "cure" overnight without any problem. But like everyone says use extremely thin coats and you won't have any headaches. If you want to speed up your polishing step up to a PC, UDM, or a rotary. I never seemed to get any correction done from the 10" wen polisher that I pulled from my dad's garage. It wasn't until I got the UDM before I saw any results. I have 4 kids so time is a premium for me. I stepped up to a rotary to really get going. Now what it takes the UDM an hour to do takes the rotary 15 minutes. But once you have it polished it probably doesn't need much in the way of polishing for another year or two. If you have an Odd Lots near you, check them out. You can find foam applicators for $.79. Make sure you have plenty of multifiber towels. You can get them at Target, Walmart, K-Mart..... You can never have too many MF towels.

 

[99GrandAM]

Thanks Jscort and 3putt for the answers about the 476.



qwerty...I stayed away from the wool bonnets thinking they'd b too harsh...but you do make good points to use the wool ones. I'll probably get a wool one along with the foam one I have and test on my mom's really old ('91) van and see which works out better...before I touch my car with 'em.



3putt...trust me if I had the money, I'd already have a PC or UDM sitting in my garage right now...:sadpace: And I pretty much already have a shelf full of MF towels...so I think I'm good there



thanks sooo much guys for all your help!!! I'll for sure have more questions in the future.



I'll post a C&B eventually with the detail of my car (whenever I get a whole day off from work...which is rare)



Thanks again!