I like what I have, want to do it again before winter

H

Hey Moe!

New member
Shortly after I got my '05 Focus ST (dark gray metallic) during the summer, I clayed, polished it with #3, and, because I got curious about IW, followed with two coats of it. I managed to find of the old formulation at a parts store.



I liked the result. The metal flakes stand out, and it looks very nice. Maybe not as nice as the black Focus I traded, but owning a black car and having a life may not go together.



I read this forum every day, and it seems that in this maze of product offerings, #3 is still used by some. Since I have it and IW, I was planning on using them again before winter.



I have a PC, and will use it for the glaze (have Sonus DAS pads). The finish has no swirling, or other defects, so I do not intend to use an abrasive polish.



I intend to wash, clay, wash again, polish with #3, and follow with the IW. I have good MF towels for all parts of the job.



My question is, will #3 remove all the "old" products before I begin again? Or, do I need to use another product? I read mixed comments about Dawn detergent for this job.



If need be, I would purchase other products. If I don't need to in order to get the job done, that would be great. For a little while longer, writing "divorce" checks is the order of the day.



I am open to any suggestions. There is a wealth of knowledge in this forum, and I thank everyone for sharing their expertise. My car (and my psyche) benefits from it.
 
If your current IW seems to be doing OK (beading looks the same, etc.) then I wouldn't bother with the #3 this time. I'd just assume that the previous #3 application is still sealed under the existing IW.



I'd clay *very* gently with the green Sonus clay, trying to *not* clay through the existing IW. Then I'd just add more IW to hold things until after winter. Then I'd redo the #3 as part of the spring cleanup.



I have 1Z WPS (not the same as #3, but sorta the same idea) under the #16 on my wife's A8, and I'm just gonna layer more wax (probably 476S) over it for winter and not really redo it until spring.



Using #3 now won't as much *remove* the existing IW as it will just *compromise* it. There aren't any cleaners (chemical or abrasive) in #3, but the solvents would probably be tough on the IW. If the solvents were *not* tough on it, the #3 would just sit on top of the IW and probably compromise further IW applications. So either way, I wouldn't use the #3.



Dawn won't strip a healthy coat of Collinite. Heh heh, the whole "wax stripping" reputation of Dawn is vastly over-rated; I've used it in *very* strong concentrations while experimenting with the stuff.



If you really want to start over with the #3, I'd get some kind of paint cleaner. Meg's Deep Crystal Step #1, Pinnacle PCL (probably my choice), P21s GEPC, etc. I would not choose one like AIO that leaves stuff behind because I'd want the #3 on bare paint.
 
Thanks for the advice! I was hoping that a Collinite fan such as yourself would answer my question, and I got what I was hoping for.
 
IW is Collinite's #845 Insulator Wax. It was originally developed for the electrical industry, but many have found that it makes a great car wax. There's a good review/discussion of the product in the Detailing Products Discussion section of this forum.
 
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