Wax, Sealant or Both?

For your personal vehicles, do you use Wax, Sealant or Both?

  • No wax, no sealant

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Spray wax only

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Carnuba only

    Votes: 3 4.7%

  • Sealant only

    Votes: 13 20.3%

  • Sealant + spray wax

    Votes: 4 6.3%

  • Sealant + Carnuba

    Votes: 28 43.8%

  • Carnuba + spray wax

    Votes: 2 3.1%

  • Sealant + spray sealant

    Votes: 12 18.8%

  • Other - Please specify

    Votes: 2 3.1%
  • Total voters
    64
E

enjoy425

New member
Hi! I'm new to the board and this is my first post.



I have a 2000 BMW 328i (black). It's just a little over a year old and it's never been waxed or polished because I am scared to have anyone do it (including BMW) and I've got no experience. The other night I looked at the trunk surface in a light and saw a whirlwind of swirls!!! Because I have no experience waxing a car, I am afraid that if I try I will make it look like how some folks do when they wax their own cars... you know, that 3-D hologram look... kinda looks like someone used a light brillo pad?? GASP! I've purchased a load of Meguire's products, including wax, polish, clear coat cleaner, etc... but I have never used any of them, out of fear!



Can someone tell me if I've purchased the right products for the care of my new car? (If not, please recommend) And please also, put me at ease as to the right proceedures I should follow in polishing and waxing my car. Finally, is it better to do it by hand or with a rotating buffer?



I feel like no one will ever take as good of care of my car as I would, so I really want to do it myself. The thing is, I just don't know the right way! Help! Thanx in advance.



Scared in NY.
 
Hi RRRize. Welcome to our family, which we hope you will make your family, if you have not already.



Sorry to hear about those swirls. Well, no need to fear. It is not rocket science and there are ways of handling most problems, ways that do not require advanced degrees in materials science.



I am sure the good-hearted people that frequent this forum will be happy to help you, but, first, I suggest you do a search on "swirls" "swirl removing" "polishes" buffing" "porter cable" (a brand of buffer), etc. There are many, many threads on the subjects you need to learn and you can find them by searching for them.



Then, if you still have questions, post them. I'd even suggest posting your newly found understanding and intended course of action, then the more experienced here can critique your plan, point out anything you got wrong, and give you any info you might have missed BEFORE you touch the car. Then, you can procede with confidence.



Best wishes.
 
gave you some sound advice. Read the archives and previous posts. Run the searches. Also visit www.autopia-carcare.com and read the FAQ's and Tips, helped me out alot by offering me the basics. Also the eBook is a good option.

Which part of Queens are you from? I have some family over there in Forest Hills (not sure of this one but is on the F train line the the 100's streets) and Rego Park.

Happy Detailing,
Jason
 
just save yourself all the trouble and hand your car over to jason, he'll fix it at the right price, besides he's the future of detailing you know :)
 
Its not all about price. Its all about watching someone go from a scared state of mind about detailing to achieving great results. There is nothing better than watching someone succeed, well some things may be better, but this is very good.



So, get confident RRRize, invest in some product. Finesse your technique on some other cars and then pamper your Bimmer.



Jason
 
Like the other guys say, read the FAQ and you can get some good info. You'll need to clay, polish then protect (Zaino or Klasse)

so read up first!! Good luck!!
 
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by JasonC8301 [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>gave you some sound advice. Read the archives and previous posts. Run the searches. Also visit www.autopia-carcare.com and read the FAQ's and Tips, helped me out alot by offering me the basics. Also the eBook is a good option.

Which part of Queens are you from? I have some family over there in Forest Hills (not sure of this one but is on the F train line the the 100's streets) and Rego Park.

Happy Detailing,
Jason [/b]</blockquote>
Hey Jason,

I grew up in Forest Hills. 67th drive and 108th street, my parents still live there. I went back in July, first time in 10 years, lots of changes on the blvd and Austin ST.
 
RRRize,



Since your car is black chances are there will always be some small type of imperfection that you can see. I have seen only a few black cars that have had "perfect" paint. They sit in the garage all the time, are not driven much and are pampered. And they were show cars, not daily drivers. I am assuming that your car is a daily driver, so chances that it will never be perfect. But, with the right products and methods, your car can look better than the day you bought it.



With that said, read the archives. Do a search for the topcis that you listed, there is tons of information about swirl marks and different methods of removing them. There is no reason to be afraid to detail your car, it is not difficult at all. Again, read the archives and post questions about anything you dont understand, or something that you could not find much information about.



Good Luck!! :up
 
I am only going to give you one bit of advice......soak up all the information/knowledge that you can from everyone here. My car is almost 4 years old, and I don't think that it has ever looked better thanks to all the help that I have gotten from the autopia family :D.
 
Glad you're here. I'm fairly new myself and mostly keep to lurking and learning (there is a lot of knowledge buried in the archives and in the "senior" members' minds.) There are great people here.



I am posting because I have been using Meguiars products for a while now with great results, but this is coming from an enthusiast detailer, not a professional one. The only drawback I have with Meguiars is that the protection does not last long.... which is why I will most likely invest and switch to Klasse when my current supply of Meguiars is gone. My truck stays outside 24/7 and I want better protection before this winter hits. If your bimmer is garage-kept, Meguiars may work wonderfully for you.



Hanging around here for a while, you may get some posts saying one product is better than others... yadda yadda yadda. True... some products ARE better than others, but find a combination of products that works well for you and stick to it. Everyone here wants to hear about your successes and failures, and most especially... PICTURES! :)



Here's a pic of my 1994 Ranger (with original paint) and the products I use. Don't be scared.... just have fun! Meguiars Three Step: 1-Cleaner, 2-Polish, 3-Gold Class Liquid Wax.
 
these are your choices

1. stay scared and leave the car alone

2. C'mon man you have a BMW! if I had one.... that thing would be incrdibly shiny :) don't be scared look around this place for great info you already have decent products to start with. Learn everything you need to know and spend a weekend on your car you won't regret it.



The only thing you should be afraid of is the addiction because I can promise if you do get your car looking great your going to start wanting more. ;)
 
Thanx guys!! I feel like I walked into a loving, caring family!! : )



Darbh, Jason, ShowroomLincoln, Rick K and graeme thanx for the welcome and the advise!! I will definitly be looking up the knowledge in the archives!



Jason and RAD21, I live in Jamaica Queens... not too far from Forest Hills. I am only about 7 minutes away and I shop there every weekend!!! Gap, Banana Republic... eat at Cabana, Uno's... LOVE THAT PLACE! And there are some really nice girls there too, so it's always fun!



Hey ZV, what Bimmer do you have?



Graeme, nice truck!! Keep it looking crisp! I will be posting my car real soon! Thanx for the advise man!



And DerekH, please don't get me wrong... my car looks real good, but I know it's time for a waxing. And trust me I am a fanatic when it comes to caring for my car otherwise. I handwash it myself at least twice a week. I have that down to a science and wouldn't mind sharing my personal tips on washing! I am truly addicted!! But in terms of the next step... waxing and polishing... I am just apprehensive cuz I wanna do it right!



Thank you all again for your warm welcome and your advise! I look forward to talking to you all REGULARLY from now on!
 
Hello and welcome!

If you have swirl marks, I would use an abrasive such as <em class='bbc'> 3M Perfect It-2 Swirl Mark Remover for Dark Cars[/i] to level your paint, reducing the appearance of the swirl. Then now that the major ones are gone, I would fill them in with a synthetic polymer sealant that such as Klasse and Zaino.

But before you go off and buy all these fancy, high-end products, I would recommend you to read threads from this forum, articles from www.autoint.com, so you know what exactly is your problem (and how to solve it,) rather than guessing what the surface misperfection is, and using a wrong product.

I would recommend all newbies to read this thread: http://autopia-carport.com/forum/showthread.php3?threadid=3092

And also this: http://autopia-carport.com/forum/showthread.php3?threadid=2107&highlight=patience

Most importantly, have fun with detailing! Enjoy!
 
I have to say that those 2 threads really hit a note with me.As i started researching detailing my new Maxima I got all different kinds of info with the usual big names...Meguiars/Lexol.etc..So I went right out and bought a whole bunch of sutff.($100+) Then I found autopia...and right away there was difference.....



It wasnt just about product names....the most expensive....the most well known....it was about why the product works.....how it works......or why it doesnt work for some people...on some cars....in different parts of the country.....amazing......so i'm starting slowly......while im reading all the archives i can about the exterior of the car....im doing hands on stuff with the interior of the car....for some reason its alot less intimidating to me.....and i noticed....like wolf and jason were saying......now im getting to feel more comfortable in what im looking at when i inspect my car everday......like how quickly i can quik detail the entire car after a rainstorm....and how after you do that a few times you develop a system and it just becomes second nature and not a chore to do........



what a rant!!!!
 
Great posts, all.



I would like to complement everyone for not immediately getting on graeme and telling him he should switch to Z or K.



I would like to complement graeme for pointing out to us (and showing us!) that good care, with any decent product, will produce a respectable result. Graeme -- well done on that truck! It looks great.
 
Hey there and welcome to our forum. One of the things that you should be aware of is that most of the swirls (probably 95 % since you don't wax or polish) come from the washing stage. So this is something that should be looked into a bit more carefully. One of the best ways to wash your car is to use a 2 bucket method. By this I mean you should have 1 bucket with water which is used for dipping your wash mitt in. This will help you remove much of the dirt and grit that can get caught in your mitt and cause the swirling and light scratches that you have on your car. It should also be noted that some mitts perform better than others. Stay away from all sponges when washing your car. They don't allow any place for dirt and grit to go and remain on the sponge's surface. This is what causes you swirling to occur. Many of us here use cotton chenille mitts or microfiber mitts which can be bought through www.properautocare.com. Some also like sea sponges or sheepskin mitts as well. Most seem to use chenille mitts though. The better ones are by Viking as they are 100 % cotton and can be bought at Autozone.

Anyway, the 2nd bucket is your soap and water bucket. This bucket is only used after you have cleaned your mitt in the rinse bucket. You should see a lot of dirt accumulating in that bucket. It's not a bad idea to throw out that water every few dips of your mitt and just refresh it with more clean water. It's also a good idea to use 2 mitts. You could then designate one mitt for the upper panels and the other one for your lower panels. If you just use 1 mitt, then always start with the upper panels first. Some of this info may be material that you already know. However, its always good to be reminded of these important concepts. Laters.
 
Thanks for the compliments! No one told me to switch because I beat them to it and mentioned in my post originally that I would probaly use K the next time anyway... see.... that was planned! HAHA! :p ;) Tried to cut them off at the pass!



Anyway... again, thank you and I agree that any number of good products can give great results. Meguiars, I have found wonderful to use, but they don't last long on my truck, which is why I am sitting here trying to find a way to tell my wife that I'm going to buy Klasse next time!



Keep it "clean"



:bounce
 
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