Nanowax as topper over AIO?

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dhilipki

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Hey everybody,



I just recently got into detailing and planning to do prep & detailing. My car is about 15 months old and paint is in ok condition; no major scratches but lots of swirls. I'm planning the prep & detailing as follows:



1. Wash

2. Clay - 3m Perfect-It clay (or) Mother's clay

3. Wash

4. 3M fine cut rubbing compound

5. 3M swirl remover for light colored cars

6. KAIO

7. EO NanoWax?



Are steps 1 - 6 ok? Am I missing anything in between?



I'm wondering whether using Nanowax as step 7 would be ok? Would it go well as a topper over AIO? Has anyone tried it before?



Thanks.
 
Hey hey hey!!! Welcome to Autopia :wavey



Overall, your steps are very well organized. Assuming you are using a PC or rotary, you might need a better "step-down" product after the 3M Fine Cut Rubbing Compound. I have been able to remove swirls with this product, but I have always gotten some *slight* hazing afterwards. I used Menzerna FPII to get rid of the haze, but I am sure that any lower mechanically abrasive polish will work. On a slightly related note, 3M swirl remover contains quite a bit of "fillers". It tends to hide imperfections by filling them in --> One or two washes and the marring is back.



Klasse AIO is an extremely versatile product. Great cleaner and leaves a nice finish. However in your setup, it will also "clean" off the fillers that are left behind by the 3M swirl remover, revealing any hazing or micromarring.



In regards to your actual question, Nanowax does contain some slight-to-moderate cleaner agents as well. It will remove *some* of the protection left behind by AIO while leaving its own protection. I don't think its strong enough to remove all of AIO, but I have verified some cleaning ability as it removed some previous layers of wax on my brother's car (gotta love test cars).



I hope this helps,

MCA
 
Thanks a ton MCA. Your reply is very "detailed"!



I intend to do most of the detailing by hand since I don't have a PC or rotary. What product would you recommend to use (by hand) instead of 3m swirl remover that would actually remove swirls and just not fill them in?



If Nanowax is going to remove some of the protection offered by AIO, would it be ok to skip one of these, for e.g., just stop at AIO or skip AIO and directly go for Nanowax?
 
No problem dhilipki.:xyxthumbs Just be sure to pass on your experiences to the next generation of autopians.



While it is possible to remove swirls by hand, you WILL be quite tired afterwards. What might take you 3-5 passes with a PC/rotary could possibly be 20-25 passes by hand (You would definitely get serious "rubber" arm after that workout). Removing swirls is a combination of polish and pad-type...most hand applicators do not have the "bite" to contribute to this overall process. As much as I hate to say it, you definitely need at least a PC for what you are trying to do. In the mean-time, you might want to try some Meguiar's Scratch-X. It was designed to be applied by hand for spot-duty, but there's nothing wrong with using it on your whole car (other than it's a little expensive for a medium-sized tube). Check out this link:



http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1516



In regards to AIO and Nanowax as your LSP, I would give a slight edge to AIO. I strictly use AIO as a prep-step before my final sealant/wax, but AIO does leave decent protection behind.



MCA
 
Thanks MCA! Not quite sure whether you saw my location. I can surely buy a PC but the issue is that I'm from India! Though I'm presently in the US on a short trip and will be going back, I don't think the PC I buy here will work in India because of the voltage differences (India is 240 volts and US is 110 volts). Given that, I think my steps now look like this (handwork still!):



1. Wash

2. Clay

3. Wash

4. ScratchX

5. P21S Paintwork cleanser or 1Z Paint Polish

6. AIO

7. Klasse SG



Hope that covers everything. I normally wash my car every week and use EO WAUD after I wash my car. Would using WAUD after doing the steps above enhance the longevity of the protection or, worst case, will it affect the Klasse layers?



On an interesting side note, I'm probably one of the few hundred millions of people who do so much of prep work on their own in India! No wonder my parents think that I'm crazy:D :p



Thanks for your prompt responses MCA!
 
While overall AIO is a better product than nanowax, depending on the color of the car nanowax might look "better". What is the color of the car?



Welcome to the forums by the way!
 
Welcome to Autopia dhilipki



In the UK PC owners simply buy a step-down transformer 240-110v.



As for polishing by hand, I can recommend Autoglym (SRP) and Sonus (SFX-2) as products which do work well by hand.
 
Thanks for your replies Alex & LoweJackson,



I will try to get a PC before I go!



Alex,



Mine is a light colored car and its a metallic beige.



Thanks

Dhilip
 
dhilipki said:
Thanks for your replies Alex & LoweJackson,



I will try to get a PC before I go!



Alex,



Mine is a light colored car and its a metallic beige.



Thanks

Dhilip
Click to expand...



AIO all the way. Personally, in a red or dark blue I would pick nanowax for look between those 2 products. Personal preference.
 
I'd try to get a 230V cyclo, if you can afford it. It should run on your native voltage, and it'll outrun a PC on a transformer by a significant margin. Shouldn't be too much more expensive than a PC/transformer combo, if you can find it.



If you're not going to be able to machine polish, try a very heavy glaze. Something like One Grand's glaze. That'll hide most of the marring, as trying to demarr by hand is absolutely miserable. Top it with a good LSP (Mother's reflections topcoat if you have to go OTC, or One Grand paste wax if you find someone who stocks the whole One Grand lineup.)
 
Thanks for all your replies folks. I've got my detailing steps sorted out and ready to go!



themightytimmah,



cyclo is actually more expensive (around 250-300 bucks) and for me, it would be too much of an investment into something that I will be using once or twice a year. Thanks for your replies however!
 
dhilipki said:
If Nanowax is going to remove some of the protection offered by AIO, would it be ok to skip one of these, for e.g., just stop at AIO or skip AIO and directly go for Nanowax?
Click to expand...



While Nanowax wouldn't be my first choice in a "final step product" There's nothing wrong with it. It just wasn't my favorite. I think you could run into the same issues with many of the alternatives. NXT for instance would likely give you the same reason for concern (though I've tried it with good results). AIO does leave some protection behind but seems to do a better with a topper. I'm sure that's why they market SG along with AIO for their 1-2 punch. If you are concerned about taking the AIO off look for one of the straight sealant products or waxes that don't claim to have cleaning ability. Wolfgang is a decent sealant that has worked well for me over AIO and Poorboys is worth looking at as well. ClearKote, Natty's and Stuf are all waxes that don't contain cleaners. I've use all of these and had good results. #26 has some cleaners but also has worked fairly well for me over AIO. The choices are almost too many to name with so many good products out there it's difficult to push just one. I've had excellent results with lots of products over AIO. In the end the process will determine your results. Good Luck!
 
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