White vehicle waxing?

I

imported_rvitek

New member
First post! I'm a proclaimed newB!



Thanks for looking - I have a couple of questions regarding what is the best process for getting white vehicles up to speed? Most of the pictures on this site all feature dark color cars and they turn out beautiful! But, scratches and such are harder to see on white cars and I'm curious what all you pros do?



Here's what I'm thinking, tell me how close I am.



Dawn wash.

Clay bar.

Meguiar's #20

Meguiar's #26



I also have some #7 and #9, do I need to do this inbetween the Clay and #20?



I'll be using a PC, and microfiber towels.



Did I pick the right method for the money?



My two vehicles are a:



1999 White Diamond Cadillac SLS

2001 Whie Ford Explorer XLT



Thanks!
 
Welcome to Autopia. You have definitely found the right place.



The steps used to get white looking great are the same for any color. It's just that the results sometimes do not stand out as they do on dark colored cars. The upside for you is that your car doesn't show every little swirl.



Many Autopians who have light colored cars use polymer sealants as they reflect a bit more than carnauba-based waxes. The look is up to you, though. The product list you have is fine. Use the #9 with the PC and a yellow pad to remove any swirls, scratches, and light oxidation. Doing this work under flourescent or sodium lighting will highlight any rough spots.



So your steps are:



Wash

Clay

#9

Wash to remove residue

#20

#26 if you feel you want it



Good luck and be sure to post a few pics when you're done. If you have specific questions, just ask.
 
A tip that someone gave me was to do the trim, tires, and wheels really good. Thats what makes a white car stand out.



To Bret, would you wash off the residue off after #9 or Swirl Free Polish on other cars? I thought it had oils in it?
 
both of the cars I work on (mine and my gfs) are boths white. It is a real blessing to not have a little dirt that gets on your car on Monday make the work you did all weekend a waste. Also, I've only been able to see swirls in my car at a very few angles and only in gas station lighting - never in sunlight. It's great.



The steps bretfraz listed are fine. Even with polymer waxes, you don't get an extrordinary amount of depth (atleast I don't) but the clean and shine do seem to last longer.



In addition to the rims and wheels, try to get you glass extra clean by claying it too and using some Stoners or other glass cleaner on it. If you have a dark tint, and clean glass, it will really stand out and highlight the job you did on the paint.
 
Bret pretty much said it all. With the products you have I would recommend the same process. White can look really good when its done right. I would recommend you get your hands on some P21S carnuba wax as well. That stuff looks awesome on white. You may notice that #20 sort of "yellows" your car a little bit. That's just a side effect of that product I guess. If you want a polymer that looks really good then I'd suggest Klasse. I've always liked that on my car. Check out the link in my sig. White does have the ability to reflect like some of the darker colors. Not as well as Black, but what does? lol Welcome to Autopia!
 
FNG said:


To Bret, would you wash off the residue off after #9 or Swirl Free Polish on other cars? I thought it had oils in it?
Click to expand...



If you are going to apply a polymer sealant type product then, yes, wash off the residue prior to the sealant step. This is especially important when using Zaino or something similar.
 
My '02 Suburban and my wife's '97 Explorer are both white. I have had great results with claying,gepc and blitz on the 'burban and with claying,smr,ihg and blitz on the Explorer. Both finishes are smooth as glass and shine brightly.
 
Nice caddy! I have a 97 White Diamond ETC, I have found that 3m perfect-it paste wax really sets it off, even better than Klasse.



For most lighter cars, i think that Zaino woud also do wonders.:xyxthumbs
 
:xyxthumbs



You guys and gals are awesome! Thanks for helping me out and walking me through this stuff. Mad props to this forum for being so friendly!



Ok, I'm going with the Meguiar's route since I pretty much have everything. When it's all done, I'll try some of the other products out there. So, would I be wasting time/money in doing the #26 over the #20? From what it sounds, the #26 may not do anything better than the #20. Being that it's winter time in Chicago, I know the #26 won't last all that long so it's got me thinking to just save some time and not do it. Thoughts on that?



Oh yea, I can clay the windows? They are tinted in the XLT and I did find some Stoners at Menards - will the clay scratch it up?



And THANKS! for the props on the SLS. It's absolutely loaded (minus the adaptive learning seat ) and it's a wonder to drive. It's rated as the best stock ride on the market (for that year) and let me tell you, after a nice "smooth" ride in the truck, it's a pleaser to drive that Caddy around :)



I'll be sure and post before/after pictures.



Ya'll rock!



Ry.
 
you're claying the outside of the windows, so it's fine - it won't be touching the indoe where the tint is applied. clay helps a lot on glass and will make it smoother.
 
Thanks! I've got two white vehicles too. Great information! Claying windows? That seems far out, but I guess it's worth a try to see what it does.



:up
 
This has been really great advice on white cars. I find it surprizing that white is much easier to take care of than any other color. Part of it may be the paint pigments are harder, and part is that the temperature of the paint never gets as high. Carnaubas last much longer. And ironically dust and dirt show up less.



Unlike dark cars where depth and a wet look bring out the best, high reflectivity is the hallmark of a white vehicle. So a finish that is clear and brilliant make it stand out.



I haven't tried #20, but I have tried and like Meguiars #26, P21S, and 3M Perfect-It Show Car Paste. #26 on my white vehicles has a slightly less clear reflection. But it looks good on white. But for my money P21S and 3M Paste are amazing. P21S for ease of application and removal (Best for a garage queen), and Perfect-It Paste for durability and cost. Both put on a brilliant finish. To really get the best of both P21S and Perfect-It, put on a second coat a 1-3 weeks later and you will be amazed with the results.



By the way, the last car show I went to the dominant colors were black, red and surprizingly white. Of course they all looked great.
 
Oh boy - I finished up and I'm sore as all heck :)



I'll have some before and after shots in a couple of days (having home PC problems), so you can see how they turned out. All I can say, I've never done a clay bar before and I'm just floored at how good of a job it did!



Thanks for all the help, and be looking for my photos.
 
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