What happens 6(?) months from now...

B

Bebopp

New member
A question from a noob, haven't really seen a definitive answer so far:



I've put DG 601 and 3 x 111 on my new car about a month ago, and have applied AW recently. The paint is still beading well, very happy with durability so far. My question is, a few months from now, or whenever the 111 wears off, what should I be doing? Do you pros keep adding sealant on, or do you strip the whole caboodle and start afresh? Which is the better thing to do? It's new paint so I'm reluctant to use any polishing products (but I use clay). Are "cleaners" abrasive? Do cleaners take off any paint?



Sorry, that's actually a few questions! Cheers for any info.
 
Paint cleaners/cleansers like P21S Paintwork lotion; or Pinnacle's are non abrasive cleaners that will strip any product on the car and leave the surface fresh and clean.



With sealants; you generally want a fresh/clean surface to apply to so it bonds well.



Klasse AIO works as a great paint cleaner and light polish when used by hand or PC w/white pad.



Polishing via PC will not harm your paint; even with prolonged useage through the years. Removal of clear or paint is nominal compared to a rotary.
 
Bebopp said:
A question from a noob, haven't really seen a definitive answer so far:



I've put DG 601 and 3 x 111 on my new car about a month ago, and have applied AW recently. The paint is still beading well, very happy with durability so far. My question is, a few months from now, or whenever the 111 wears off, what should I be doing? Do you pros keep adding sealant on, or do you strip the whole caboodle and start afresh? Which is the better thing to do? It's new paint so I'm reluctant to use any polishing products (but I use clay). Are "cleaners" abrasive? Do cleaners take off any paint?



Sorry, that's actually a few questions! Cheers for any info.
Click to expand...



- You can either strip off the old stuff or keep applying AW every month. That's strictly up to you. I think eventually after awhile, the 111 will wear off completely. There's no right way to do it. I personally would strip it all off after 4-5 months and reapply a fresh coat; depending how often you use AW.



- Most cleaners do not have abrasives in them. Pinnacle Paint Lotion is a nice cleaner. And also p21s/S100 also have painter cleaners that do not have any abrasives in them.
 
Most of the time I just clay with Sonus green Ultra-Fine clay and add another layer.



Yeah, sooner or later you need to clean everything off and start fresh, but I bet most people will get some marring that needs polished out by that point anyhow.



Slightly pedantic correction: many paint cleaners like the PCL and GEPC are *VERY MILDLY* abrasive. Almost functionally nonabrasive, but not quite. Try using them on old school ss black lacquer (the doorwindow frames of my Jag, for instance ;) ) and you'll see what I mean. But no...they won't damage/thin your clear. Might micromar it if you have one of the new stupid-soft clears though.
 
What I suggest you do is to keep applying AW for another few months and then clay and prepsol it all off and then use this time to lift the quality of all your exterior surfaces a little higher.



Once you've resealed, use a PC or cheap orbital to apply the aquawax or other QD/spray sealant for the first month (microfibre bonnets)



This will over time increase the depth, wetness and overall gloss of the paint and actually fill in or remove any micromarring from washing



Doing it that way keeps the paint slick and for much longer than when you do it with a towel.
 
Thanks for the responses, I might add that I don't have a PC (yet?), been doing everything by hand.



mblgjr - So you think I should use a cleaner when the 111 wears off?



stiffdog06 - I did wonder whether I can just keep using AW to top off the 111, but it makes sense what you said that the 111 will wear off eventually.



Accumulator - Did you mean that you would just clay and add more 111? Also, I thought marring was caused by improper (dirty) washing techniques, so apart from two bucket washing, what else can I do to avoid this on a new car (Prius)?



Cleaning Fool and SVR - Do I really have to go to a PC, or can I just keep everything by hand? I'm very wary of the PC/orbital, simply because I haven't used one before and it might not be a good idea to experiment on my new car!



Thanks again fellas, you and this site are great!
 
Get a PC, it's a very cost effective tool that will aid in maintaining the appearance of your new vehicle!! In all reality, if you maintain your car well, the PC should be all that you need for sometime... After a while you will get some marring and/or scratches that you won't be able to deal with by hand. Pick up a PC, some polishes, a handful of pads and have fun!! I just got my WRX one month ago today and it was swirled up pretty good from the dealer. A PC would have corrected it easily, but I used my rotary to speed up the process...
 
jshillin said:
Get a PC, it's a very cost effective tool that will aid in maintaining the appearance of your new vehicle!!
Click to expand...



I need to look up more about using PCs... do you need to mask all the trim when you use it?
 
Bebopp said:
..Accumulator - Did you mean that you would just clay and add more 111? Also, I thought marring was caused by improper (dirty) washing techniques, so apart from two bucket washing, what else can I do to avoid this on a new car (Prius)?



...Do I really have to go to a PC, or can I just keep everything by hand? I'm very wary of the PC/orbital, simply because I haven't used one before and it might not be a good idea to experiment on my new car!
Click to expand...



**[Note that I've never used the DG 111]**



With every LSP I've ever used, you can get away with just claying and reapplying for at least a while. Some LSPS (e.g. Souveran) seem to deteriorate into something that oughta get cleaned off now and then, but those are pretty rare IME.



So yeah, I'd try claying with the Sonus green (dunno about how well other clays would work for this) and reapplying the 111. Do one panel and see how it turns out.



One bit of advice: refresh the 111 before it absolutely *needs* doing ;) I get by with just the clay/reapply routine for a long, long time because I stay one step ahead of things.



Washing without marring is, IME, very difficult. I use a foamgun and a *LOT* of care. There's a thread in the Hall of Fame forum where I discuss washing, IIRC the stuff that's relevent to daily drivers is on maybe the second page. The whole topic is too much for me to retype at present, but it involves constant lubrication and flushing (via foamgun) and gentle, interupted (no long sweeping motions that could result in long scratches) "jigglig" motions with your wash media.



Polishing by hand is tough. The only polishes I recommend by hand are from 1Z, and they leave wax behind (which I suspect wouldn't be compatible with your 111 but I dunno for sure). Using a PC/etc. is very simple and no, you don't *have* to tape trim, though some people find it wise to do so. I find it easy to keep the pads off places where I don't want them, but that's just me. Seriously, I've had people from teens to the elderly up to speed with PC/Cyclo in a matter of minutes, and a lady friend of mine with *zero* experience did her Lexus with my PC (and 1Z polish) all by herself with *no* instruction/coaching/etc., just common sense. There is *nothing* to worry about, that common sense is all that's required (but yeah, you do have to apply that and you do have to pay attention to what you're doing).
 
Well I find that a cheapo orbital or PC (I have both and a rotary) are really great for applying QD's and many other products



I'm pretty radical and find that I can keep my car swirl free and super slick all year long just with a wash and machine application of my favourite detail spray sealant (after the wash) as it fills in any new defects and locks in the fillers for several months



By hand the results of QD's are not quite as good, very slick but doesn't enhance depth or slickness as good as a machine
 
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