Glossier Finish: Layers of Wax or Redoing Polish/Wax Routine?

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fotodad

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Which procedure do you feel provides a better, glossier, wetter finish over a three to four month period when considering normal driving and weather conditions on a 2004 automobile:



#1 Doing the whole detail job from removing the old wax to clay bar to polish to wax then layering/reapplying the wax once a week.



or



#2 Each week simply redoing the entire detail job from the removal of the old wax to clay to polish to wax.



or



#3 Another suggestion of your own.
 
# 1 and # 2... Out of the question for a daily driver.. I must ask why would you want to re-do everything weekly?



Here's my # 3... Polish/AIO/SG, then weekly apply another coat of SG once a week for, say, 5 weeks... Then enjoy the heck out of it for 3 to 4 months. Bonus for wetness would be to apply the carnuba after 5 layers of SG !!!!
 
for #1, do you mean to clay, polish, and wax one time, then for the following weeks, just reapply the wax? if so, i do that plus a weekly wash (or whenever it gets rained on a bunch) followed by a wipe down witha good QD. i also don't do more than 3 applications of whatever sealant/wax i'm currently using.



but if anything, it all comes down to your prep work. :wavey
 
Definitely #1, but with a little more time in between waxings. Polishing and paint cleaning (if you are good at keeping the car clean) isn't required every time. You could do very well by deep cleaning and polishing once a year.



You should not, however, pile on a lot of wax in a short time. The most intense, and deepest wax finishes that I've seen personally have come from patient and meticulous care in slowly accumulating "layers", or deposits for naysayers, of a pure wax in increments of one or no more than two coats per session, over a period of 4-6 months. If you couple this routine with a liberal use of an excellent QD, then you can accomplish an astounding, deep and well cared for finish without signs of streaks, swirls or hazing that is common with having a lot of wax on your paint.



There are, of course, a myriad of ways of detailing, waxing and cleaning a car, depending on taste, usage, and products. IMO, the most impressive finishes I've seen myself have been accomplished with the technique I described above.
 
The gloss is produced by two things:



1) the absence of swirls and other paint defects,

2) the repeated application of a lubricated substance over a long period of time.



Frequent washing and waxing can do more harm than good; each time you take pad or cloth to paint you are creating the opportunity to introduce swirls. Proper technique is FAR more important than frequency or regimen followed.



What I did, and it worked, was this.



During the first year of addiction, I addressed the swirl and blemish issue maybe 4 times. During each session I started with a cutting pad strong polish (#83), moved to IP, then to FP. I then used #7 and followed with a wax or sealant (it didn't matter which one). I then waxed the car about every two weeks.



The second year, I addressed swirls in the spring, and again in the winter. During the mid-season I found that the lowly cleaner waxes are FANTASTIC for controlling swirl buildup with multiple washes. I waxed the car about every two weeks.



For the next couple years, I've concentrated on preventing swirl buildup and I've embraced the regular use of mild cleaner waxes rather then the pure waxes. I've probably waxed my car close to a hundred times in the last 4 years. I use #7 a lot, and I use a lot of products that are one step below "purist"; I use a lot of #20, new Gold Class, NXT, stuff like that.



I've addressed the swirl issue once in the last two years, about a month ago. The other day someone (a detailing professional for 25 years) mentioned that my paint looked like glass, and asked if it was a repaint (it's not, and it's a '97). What's happened over the last 4 years is that my wash and wax techniques have improved almost exponentially. I use between 6 and 10 applicators during a wax session. They're cheap, and you can wash them. Why not change them frequently? I use between 4 and 6 wash mitts; same thing. Same with drying towels. Why reuse a wash mitt when you can buy 3 or 4 more, and wash them out all at once at the end of a session? The only extra cost is the initial investment, and I think we all know that detailing tools are worth more than money; you can't dry your car or apply wax with a MAC card, after all.



Technique first, frequency second. Over a 3 to 4 month period, without question I'd hit the imperfections first, then use proper technique and a good cleaner wax every week or two, rather than repeated intense sessions.



This is what it looks like after using a cleaner wax called Ultra Car Care Super Finish; the car isn't just waxed, it's the same day but after about a hundred mile drive:



3620dscf0311-med.jpg






Tom
 
Yeah, I too find both approaches to be a bit much, and #2 sounds utterly impractical.



My#3- Get it the way you want it. Wash it (properly) when it's dirty. Refresh the LSP when it isn't as nice as you want it to be. Unless you're using something like Souveran under extreme conditions, you shouldn't need to add LSP every week.



If you wash it properly you shouldn't need to polish out any imperfections very often.
 
Mosca said:
The gloss is produced by two things:



1) the absence of swirls and other paint defects,

2) the repeated application of a lubricated substance over a long period of time.





What I did, and it worked, was this.





3620dscf0311-med.jpg






Tom
Click to expand...



:2thumbs: Nice car ! Great shine ! I use Zaino on my Daily driver and the combo of Z5 and Z8 keeps my car looking good... The maintenence procedures are determined by what products you are using. Your maintenance process rocks as shown by your vehicles condition- red no less !
 
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