Need advice on products

[charlieo]

I would like to list my paint-care process for you guys and ask a few questions. I need to point out that I'm not a fanatic, but I do like to take care of my car, which is a 2000 Black Civic (a daily driver which is always outside in the elements). I'm not interested in adding steps to the process, I'd rather cut one out if anything. I'm also set on the products I'm considering, I think they're all pretty top-notch/user-friendly products that can be used by hand application (the only way I know how).



Step 1) Once a year (maybe twice, but not likely) I go over the whole car with a deep-cleaning product. This is during my springtime major detail, generally. During the year, rather than clean the entire paint surface, I'll spot-check the car, and use this product only on bad stains/marring/etching that I notice. The product that I'm presently using is Scratch-X. It does a good cleaning job, but when it comes to bird-droppings or water spots, it only makes them a bit less noticeable. I'm considering either 1Z PP or UPP (both are supposed to be more aggressive than Scratch-X, true?) when the Scratch-X runs out. Can you remove etching by hand this way, or might the etching go so deep into the paint that, once you've removed it, you've removed clear-coat and possibly some paint as well? If I can't remove etching entirely, I can live with that, but I'd like to get a little more aggressive than the Scratch-X without doing damage to the finish. If I use 1Z UPP, does this require a milder polishing step before going to step 2 (AIO), or can I just follow the UPP with AIO? If another step is required, I won't use the UPP. I've been told that when used by hand, the UPP should be fine, a very effective but safe cleaner.



Step 2) AIO



Step 3) I've been using S-100 wax in summer and Collinite in winter, but I like the AIO and want to add SG into the line-up. If you had to follow AIO with either wax or SG, is it true that he protection offered by SG blows the doors off ot that which a wax can provide? How about appearance: I realize that I can follow SG with wax, but does most of the visual improvement come from the SG rather than the wax?



Right now, I'm thinking I can use 1Z UPP/AIO/SG, and topping with a wax is optional. Whaddaya guys think? Thanks for any help you can give, I appreciate it.

 

[JasonD]

Well, before I get into what products I would recommend using, yada yada yada, I must say that I would HIGHLY recommend buying a buffer of some kind, PC if it's at all possible. You do, indeed, have some great high end products that will make your car look brand new, but doing the job by hand is only going to get you halfway there, if that.



That being said, I have quite a bit of experience with 1Z polishes but only with using a PC. The UPP is very aggressive stuff and will probably remove all or at least most of the defects you are talking about, but by hand I don't know if you are even going to get the abrasives to break down enough to even do anything other than haze your paint. If you used a PC, you would indeed need to follow it with PP before your car really starts to shine and smooth back out, but by hand I really can't tell you what to expect.



As far as wax over SG, we only do it to achieve the deep gloss that only carnauba gives you and especially on a black car. If you hade a light colored car or a metallic, I'd say stick with SG but on black I really like wax over sg. The durability of a polymer sealant (like sg) will always be better than wax but the two actually look very different. Most sealant, IMO, look very very shiny but lack depth and gloss. This is the opposite for wax, so by combining the two we hope to get the best of both worlds, and for maintenace all you would do is throw on a coat of wax every 8 weeks.

 

[Accumulator]

I've never been able to get a ready-to-wax finish with 1Z Ultra, I've always had to follow up with PP. But both work well by hand and I'd get them both if going the 1z route. But I sure wouldn't plan to only use the Ultra, let alone on black. Sometimes its micromarring isn't so micro.



Sometimes PP doesn't leave a r-t-w finish either, be sure to work it long enough to fully break it down.



If you absolutely insist on only one polish, something that works well by hand is Meg's #80 Speed Glaze. Ift would probably be my first choice in the one-polish approach.



Something else to consider is 3M's PI-III MG (pn 05937).



The KSG does provide almost unbelievable protection. Several coats (or more, I shoot for six) will last an incredibly long time. Far longer than any wax (even Collinite). Wax toppers just add a sacrificial layer and make things look better.