new car - what to do?

S

steve259

New member
Hi everyone,

I haven't been around in while ... I just got a new sunlit copper Nissan Murano a month ago. I'm wondering what wax would be best for my needs. I usually use p21 or sovereign on my black bmw (garage queen) (tried Klasse twins once but had hazing problems that i couldn't seem to deal with) but have found that I really don't enjoy waxing like you guys do (i'd rather do other things with my time). i just want the best results possible with the least amount of effort. the murano is my everyday car so i need durability (i want to wax as little as possible) AND easiest application possible and still look as good as possible within those constraints.

What do you guys think?

thanks,

Steve
 
You may want to look in the direction of a sealant as opposed to a wax, in general they have better durability. I use Menzerna FMJ, its extremely easy to work with, very durable and looks fantastic. Its a little pricey but a bottle will last forever with your type of usage.

http://www.properautocare.com/menzernafmj.html

Have it on my black bmw in my gallery (in my sig below), its my daily driver.
 
If you don't like using SG than perhaps Zaino would work.I've been lucky in that it's been one of the few products that hasn't given me any problems in usage.I don't care for the mixing bottle thing but Zaino hasn't given me any streaks or haze in the couple of years of off and on use.I just tried EX-P and it seems easy enough to use but I don't know if it's going to hold up as long as something like Zaino or Klasse.
 
Not into arm aerobics, huh?



If you want an extremely durable shine with minimum effort, you might want to try Optimum Car Wax. It's a spray wax - easy as a quick detailer - but a full-fledged wax. It's a combination polymer sealant and #1 carnauba.



This is a new wax that was formulated in co-operation with paint manufacturers as a scratch-free system to be used on clear-coat paints. It contains a UV absorber, so with regular use (2-3 x a year) you don't have to worry about oxidation. You will need to use clay whenever there is environmental contamination though.



I've been using it primarily over Pinnacle Souveran for the UV protection (yes, I'm one of those serious sickos that like to play in the garage all day!) but I've also tested it alone to see what kind of shine it delivers and have been extremely pleased.:xyxthumbs
 
Thanks for the great feedback!

I'll probably give a few of them a try.

Just a few questions:

1) Where's the best place to get Optimum car wax?

2) Should i use the FMJ polish first? (well, obviously not on the new car, but i'm thinking about trying FMJ on my black bmw too - 3 years old - paint's in pretty good shape except when you put floressent light on it! lots of small scratches)

3) Where's the best place to get Wolfgang paint sealant. should a wax be used over it?

thanks again,

Steve
 
at www.premiumautocare.com



but there are plenty of places and there are links to sites that support Autpoia off the web page...good luck -



FMJ has a kit that is awesome and a much better deal. - the FPII (final poilish II) is still okay to use on a new car -
 
steve259 said:
Thanks for the great feedback!

I'll probably give a few of them a try.

Just a few questions:

1) Where's the best place to get Optimum car wax?

2) Should i use the FMJ polish first? (well, obviously not on the new car, but i'm thinking about trying FMJ on my black bmw too - 3 years old - paint's in pretty good shape except when you put floressent light on it! lots of small scratches)

3) Where's the best place to get Wolfgang paint sealant. should a wax be used over it?

thanks again,

Steve
Click to expand...



I think FPII would be great on the new car to get those surface scratches out. That mixed with the white or orange pad is my go to for small jobs. As groe suggested it should be fine on a new car, unless your using a rotary it won't dimish you paint much at all.

FMJ is a sealant used after polishing as a Last Step Product(LSP).

The kit that groe mentioned has both FMJ and FPII
 
mix the glaze in there :lol



it's awesome



kit has - car wash, FPII, Glaze, FMJ two MF applicators, two Viper MF towels and one white Polishing MF cloth -



approx 70 bucks not bad at all
 
Hi everyone,

well, i used the optimum car wax on my murano and it worked pretty well.



i then moved to my black bmw for more in depth work. i got the fmj kit and tried the polish this evening. i'm having hazing problems with it just like i did when i tried klasse before. i did it exactly the way the instructions said to do it - misted applicator and misted buff towel. i then tried dry applicator and dry buff towel. i then tried misted applicator and quick detailer on the buff towel and then dry buff ... etc. I tried every combination i could think of and still got hazing. and now i can't get the haze out. what am i doing wrong? what can i do? i'm getting pretty frustrated. i don't have the problem with p21s gepc and wax but i wanted to use something that lasted longer than straight carnuba since i don't seem to enjoy the process ...

Steve :nixweiss
 
Hi Steve,



I'm a bit confused. When you say you used the FMJ polish, do you mean the Menzerna Final Polish or the Full Molecular Jacket, which is a sealant used after polishing? It surprises me that a cleaner would leave a haze - usually that problem shows up when you are applying a wax or sealant. Of course, sometimes the product you use to clean the paint causes the wax to haze. I had that problem when using 3M's Imperial Hand Glaze because it has fillers to help hide swirl marks. It made my wax smear and haze. Is that what you mean happened to you? Did you use the final polish AND FMJ?



Terry will probably come up with a stategy for you, but if you are tired of fooling with it and are game to try something else, you might want to try Hi Temp's Lite Cut Swirl Remover. Not only is it alot less expensive than the imported products, but it does an excellent job removing swirls, removing oxidation and in general preparing paint for wax. I was never without it during my "professional days", a.k.a. detailing for the public. Top that off with a coat of Souveran, and you had a flawless, wet-look shine, especially on black and red - and, no hazing! I'll be glad to send you a sample to try out. Just let me know.



Alisa
 
Hi Alisa,

thanks for the response. yep, my bad there. its actually menzerna final polish causing hazing which makes no sense to me. i washed with dawn, used griot's quick detailer, and applied the polish and it hazed. and interestingly, 3m dark car swirl mark remover did it too. maybe its something in the quick detailer that's reacting with the other products (?)

i haven't hear from terry yet after he originally said he was stumped. which is not surprising. i am too.

note: i also had hazing problems with klasse and i didn't use the quick detailer before the klasse that time (?)

i seem to have problems other people don't :(



so i assume you're implying that the hi temp lite cut swirl remover would be a better (more aggressive) option than the gepc?



after paint prep, might i want to top with optimum first and then souveran (i'm assuming you tend to give sov the nod over p21s?) for longer durability?

Steve









Hi Steve,



I'm a bit confused. When you say you used the FMJ polish, do you mean the Menzerna Final Polish or the Full Molecular Jacket, which is a sealant used after polishing? It surprises me that a cleaner would leave a haze - usually that problem shows up when you are applying a wax or sealant. Of course, sometimes the product you use to clean the paint causes the wax to haze. I had that problem when using 3M's Imperial Hand Glaze because it has fillers to help hide swirl marks. It made my wax smear and haze. Is that what you mean happened to you? Did you use the final polish AND FMJ?



Terry will probably come up with a stategy for you, but if you are tired of fooling with it and are game to try something else, you might want to try Hi Temp's Lite Cut Swirl Remover. Not only is it alot less expensive than the imported products, but it does an excellent job removing swirls, removing oxidation and in general preparing paint for wax. I was never without it during my "professional days", a.k.a. detailing for the public. Top that off with a coat of Souveran, and you had a flawless, wet-look shine, especially on black and red - and, no hazing! I'll be glad to send you a sample to try out. Just let me know.



Alisa
 
alineal said:
Hi Steve,



I'm a bit confused. When you say you used the FMJ polish, do you mean the Menzerna Final Polish or the Full Molecular Jacket, which is a sealant used after polishing? It surprises me that a cleaner would leave a haze - usually that problem shows up when you are applying a wax or sealant. Of course, sometimes the product you use to clean the paint causes the wax to haze. I had that problem when using 3M's Imperial Hand Glaze because it has fillers to help hide swirl marks. It made my wax smear and haze. Is that what you mean happened to you? Did you use the final polish AND FMJ?



Terry will probably come up with a stategy for you, but if you are tired of fooling with it and are game to try something else, you might want to try Hi Temp's Lite Cut Swirl Remover. Not only is it alot less expensive than the imported products, but it does an excellent job removing swirls, removing oxidation and in general preparing paint for wax. I was never without it during my "professional days", a.k.a. detailing for the public. Top that off with a coat of Souveran, and you had a flawless, wet-look shine, especially on black and red - and, no hazing! I'll be glad to send you a sample to try out. Just let me know.



Alisa
Click to expand...



Can I get a sample?
 
Are you using a PC or by hand? FP is best used with a PC or better yet a rotary and finishing pad.

Do you have any Klasse AIO? If so try this by hand or PC and see if the hazing problem disappears.
 
Hi Steve,



Does sound like a strange condition! I would think that the polish would remove any quick detailer that had been applied, but it may be causing the hazing due to incompatability. I guess the only way to find out is to try the FPII immediately after washing.



The Lite Cut is more of a fine leveler than a polish. And, yes, it is stronger than the P21s paintwork cleanser. LC can remove 2000 grit swirl marks and fine spider webbing, along with oxidation. As far a waxes, I simply prefer the Souveran on a dark car as the results are beautiful. P21s is an excellent wax though.



I agree with Z28 - alot of cleaners & polishes can be applied by hand, but an orbital does a much more thorough job. As an example, when I first tried AIO by hand on a black car, I hated the way it streaked and hazed. I then tried it with my cyclo orbital, and the results were wonderful.



Let me know if you want to try the lite cut. And to all you other Autopians - yes I'll be glad to share :D
 
alineal said:
Hi Steve,



Does sound like a strange condition! I would think that the polish would remove any quick detailer that had been applied, but it may be causing the hazing due to incompatability. I guess the only way to find out is to try the FPII immediately after washing.



The Lite Cut is more of a fine leveler than a polish. And, yes, it is stronger than the P21s paintwork cleanser. LC can remove 2000 grit swirl marks and fine spider webbing, along with oxidation. As far a waxes, I simply prefer the Souveran on a dark car as the results are beautiful. P21s is an excellent wax though.



I agree with Z28 - alot of cleaners & polishes can be applied by hand, but an orbital does a much more thorough job. As an example, when I first tried AIO by hand on a black car, I hated the way it streaked and hazed. I then tried it with my cyclo orbital, and the results were wonderful.



Let me know if you want to try the lite cut. And to all you other Autopians - yes I'll be glad to share :D
Click to expand...



Thanks -

THOMAS DEKANY

10608 F KITTY POZER DR

FAIRFAX VA 22030
 
thanks for the responses.

i do everything by hand. i don't trust myself with using a machine. so it sounds like mazerna and klasse both will work much better with a machine (black car) (?) .. which means i will not be using them again. actually, i went ahead and used gepc, and though it didn't get out everything, it got out alot of the imperfections and left it looking like black glass. deep and liquidy. i am still a fan. i may try the fine cut next time i go through the process to be a bit more aggressive. what is the difference between a fine leveler and a polish exactly? would a fine leveler be more aggressive than a polish or visa versa?
 
Hi Steve,



Got your pm and read your response in the thread, so thought I'd just reply here. It's always good for discourse - someone else may respond, and you can always learn from other people. Of course, that can get confusing too, as evidenced by your statement that CCS says German paints (Glazurit by BASF) don't like polymer waxes. It really just amounts to taking the opinions and trying out the products yourself and seeing what works for you. That can get expensive - it sounds like you have tried alot of products - and that is why I offered to send a small bottle of the Lite Cut to save you some cash.



Anyway, my responses to your questions:



1.) Do German paints like polymer waxes? Larry at CCS is fond of saying that they don't, and I guess it's because he hasn't found a polymer wax that he feels does a good job. I haven't run into that myself. Optimum Wax definately works well on German paint. BMW's are all I have in my stable, and it works like a charm on them. In fact, since it is the only wax that has UV absorbers in it, I would highly recommend you put it on your M3 in addition to your Murano for UV protection. Put it OVER the Souveran or P21s. Just wait 24 hours for the wax to harden a bit, or use the Optimum next time you wash your car.



2.) Should you stick with the P21s ghpc rather than try the Lite Cut? I always advise people to use the least aggressive product that can get the job done. If the P21s gave you the results you desire, stick with it. It's milder, like Pinnacle Paintwork Cleanser, and Zymol HD Cleanse. Lite Cut would remove more swirls marks, but on a black car, alot of people choose just to live with some swirling & scratches. If you go with something more aggressive than LC, you will be removing the layer of paint/clearcoat that has the scratch. ghpc & lc both work well by hand.



3.) What is the difference between a leveler and a polish? A leveler is a friction type of cleaner (mechanical) that has clay particles that remove oxidation, swirls, & scratches. They can be fine, medium, or heavy cut. LC and Menzerna IP are a fine cut. In addition to having clay, they usually have a chemical cleaner too. A polish is used prior to the wax/sealant to burnish the paint to a high gloss. It usually does not have clay particles and is based on an oil matrix. Menzerna's Final Polish does have finely milled clay though, so it does remove some cobwebbing.



Hope this helps!
 
Thanks for the great response Alisa!

1) since i wanted to get the process completed over this long weekend, i plodded ahead and tried the optimum and it worked just fine on my german paint. OOPS, BUT i put it on BEFORE the p21s. should i also now put another coat of optimum OVER the p21s for the uv protection?



2) i got a response from Terry at properautocare.com and he said the menzerna glaze would take out any haze from the polish (he did a little experiment) so i might try that next time or the fine cut. but on the other hand, feedback from here DID seem to be that menzerna FP is better done by machine. so i may not ever use those products again. since i seem to like the p21s products i may stop searching for a better way. that may BE my better way. i may try the fine cut next time though to get a bit more aggressive. but on the other hand, the car IS black so i don't know if i want to do that now ...



thanks,

Steve
 
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