Help a newb! What polish for UPGP?

A

Alphy

New member
I decided to browse around the 'net and learn alittle more about waxing before touching my new car. Im afraid of doing more harm than good to it during waxing(by scrathcing, etc)!



During my reading on here it looks like I want to go the sealant route more so than wax. The car already looks good enough for me, im more worried about protection and ease of use. The car will be garaged in the winter, but will be outside all summer. Its a dark grey/charcoal color, fyi.



I have the sealant products narrowed down to megs #21, zaino(Z5?), wolfgang DGS, and ultima PGP. Im leaning towards trying the ultima first, unless somebody has a compelling reason not to.



My next question would be: what to use to polish before applying the UPGP? Klaisse AIO seems mentioned alot, is that suitable? Other thoughts??



Im not so sure about claying. It looks like something that could turn into more bad than good.....maybe its just cause I have never done it. Looks like it has the potential to scratch...??





Thanks for any help guys! Remember, im new to this :) Im mainly in need of knowing what polish to try out and will work good with the UPGP.
 
Hey, what's it all about, Alphy? IMO you want to use this: Ultima Paint Prep Plus Pre-wax Polish if you're going to use the UPGP. Looks like all the Ultima stuff is on sale; don't forget to use your "Autopia" coupon code to get 10% off.



You might also want to consider the other WOWA (wipe on, walk away) sealants and their respective prep products: Zaino ZAIO/Clear Seal and Optimum Poli-Seal/Opti-Seal (which is generally the most economical, although the Ultima sale prices look pretty good). You'd probably be fine with the KAIO under any of them.



As far as the clay, stick with the Sonus green mild clay, be very gentle and use plenty of lube and you should be ok. New cars frequently have a lot of stuff stuck to them. Do a small section and check it after to make sure you're not making things worse as you feared.
 
The Ultima Paint Prep Plus Pre-wax Polish would replace the KAIO, correct? Is it a pretty mild polish?



Is it on sale through this site or a partnered site? I saw the page that had coupon for multiple sites through autopias partnerships. I havnt looked into what places actually sell this stuff yet :)



Thanks!
 
I wouldn't get to worried about claying. Just do as Setec suggested, if you order the Ultima Paint Guard Plus and Ultima Paint Prep Plus from Autopia Car Care - Top Car Detailing Supplies, Car Wax, Car Polishers, and Car Care Products, and some Sonus Green Clay. It is a very gentle clay as Setec said. So long as you use plenty of lubricant (any QD or a dedicated lube like Sonus sells, I think it is called Glyde) and you are gently gliding along the paint and not grinding it on the paint, you will be fine.



If you go to the How To section at the top of this site, it used to have a very good write up on claying that I am guessing is still there. Also go on to youtube, there are numerous videos on claying.
 
Yup, the secret to claying is plenty of lube...



The first time I tried I didn't use nearly enough because I was being cheap with my qd. and, well... let's just say it inspired me to learn the fine art of swirl removal.



It really is an important step that you should do though if you want to have your car looking its best. I've sold new cars for four years now and I've never seen one that didn't need claying.
 
Do I have to worry about getting either of these products onto non-painted plastic trim?



How big of a difference will I notice if I clay? Like I said....im happy with the appearance as is, is claying still worth any risk due to my inexperience?



Thanks!
 
Alphy said:
Do I have to worry about getting either of these products onto non-painted plastic trim?



How big of a difference will I notice if I clay? Like I said....im happy with the appearance as is, is claying still worth any risk due to my inexperience?



Thanks!
Click to expand...
You don't need much experience to clay. Small sections at a time with alot of lube. Knead the clay often and if you drop it, toss it. The condition of your paint will determine what polishes and pad you will need. Do an ipa wipe down after polishing and inspect in full sun. You can apply UPGP in about 10-15 mins. and walk away. Let cure for at least 12hrs. before applying another coat. I've had as much as 9 coats of UPGP (overkill I know), but it's so easy I just can't help myself.
 
Thanks guys.



Again...do I have to worry about getting either of these products onto non-painted plastic trim such as my side mirror shrouds?
 
Which are you talking about, the Ultima pre-cleaner? My best advice is to keep any "polishes" off textured or rubber trim. I haven't used that Ultima pre-cleaner, so I don't know. KAIO is usually fine on those surfaces, but occasionally not, so wipe it off right away. The WOWA sealants you can put over anything without any worries.
 
Then your saying to just put the UPGP on the trim as well? Will that make it shine, or should I use a trim product, such as ultima's(rather expensive) or 303, on the trim as well?



Thanks for taking the time to help me out!
 
Is this forum owned by the owner of Ultima brand?



Biased? Just curious if thats why ultima seems to be popular here.
 
I wouldn't call Ultima popular here. I think the most popular WOWA here is OOS, followed by ZCS, with Ultima the least popular. Most would consider them in the same ballpark of performance, and the popularity is based somewhat on brand loyalty but mainly on price. The sale prices of the Ultima (and I haven't done the math) certainly make it more attractive.



You are the one who brought up Ultima in the opening post of the thread, and I made you aware of the other WOWA products in the second post of the thread. I would consider the 3 to be much more alike than different.



To directly answer your question the owner of this forum yes, has a financial interest in Ultima. However, he doesn't push that brand nor discriminate against other brand discussion on this forum. Autopia is really not a captive forum in the way MOL is, and the Autopia forum existed well before the Ultima brand did, and even before the Autopia Car Care store, with which the forum owner is no longer affiliated.
 
Thanks SA. Wasnt trying to be harsh...ive just been on forums that were like that in the past.



The zaino is still tempting, but from my reading ultima looks like it will be a little easier to use?



Most threads I read favor ultima over the opti-seal, and I think I read that ultima was favored on darker colors as well. Read that ultima holds up better too. Thats why I crossed opti-seal off my list.



Im still unsure of what to put on my ford trim around windows and side mirror shrouds. Ultimas trim stuff is rather expensive.
 
I didn't think you were being harsh, it's a constant battle here to detect bias.



I don't think there's any difference in useability between the WOWA's, in fact I would bet they are all almost identical (products). I have only used the ZCS, but you can put it on anything, I consider that Ultima trim product as being a tire dressing first...besides, they tell you to put it on your wheels, too...and there are plenty of people that use OOS or ZCS on their wheels.



IMO pick by price point, the store you like, or the "personality" you like the best, you'll do fine with any of the 3, and again, IMO, you can use the paint product on the trim without spending any extra money. If the car is new, if you keep up with the WOWA product on the trim it should look new for a long time.
 
they are all slightly different - I have all 3 of them ;)



they all go on the same, and are all great products, so choice is very personal. Zaino is much more expensive though, so makes a less obvious choice unless you are a real Zaino fan. OOS or UPGP are my favourites but I also use Z-CS over Z-AIO :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top