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Wax tips

5K views 40 replies 29 participants last post by  everycredit 
#1 ·
What do you guiys do to keep your car looking perfect. I bought some Meguires NXT and it works great. It gives the car a nice "wet" look without white powder residue. The only problem I have is after a few car washes its back to swirls and a dull shine at best.
Any tips?
 
#3 ·
#4 ·
Wsahing my cars is an all day event that most of you may or may not wish to do. First the vehicle is sprayed down with a strong stream of water to remove any road grime, then I get heated soapy water, I use ZEP's red powder soap. I use the sponge in one direction one time then back in the bucket to rinse and reload with soapy water. after she has been soaped down, she gets rinsed again. Not I will dry her with a microfiber cloth, if I find any place that catchs, I get out Meguires detailing clay and final inspection as a lubricate. The car then is clayed till I have a glass surface. Back out to be washed again and dryed. Now she is ready to be waxed. I use a carabu wax that is heated in your hand to melt and then rubbed into the car finish, a small section at a time, then buffed. Inbetween washings, I use final inspection by Meguires. If at anytime, I see bird poo on my car, it is removed immediately. This procedure is used all all of my vehicles, more so on the 06 Mitsubishi Evolution as they have crappy paint from the factory.
 
#7 ·
After a thorough wash and dry, I use Mother's swirl remover and follow up with Liquid Glass polish.
I had been a Zymol fan for a long time, but the Liquid Glass gives an amazing long lasting wet look shine with little effort.

Twice a year a go over each car with a clay bar to clean off contaminants.

Al. Wise
 
#10 · (Edited)
1) Strip the car down using Dawn dishsoap, then claybar entire car
2) remove/diminish swirls with Menzerna P085 professional polish
3) 3m Swirl Remover
4) Glaze (choice is up to you, I use Meguiars #9)
5) Glaze again (maybe even once more)
6) Top wax of your choice
7) Wash/dry car after wax to remove residue
8) Subsequent washes; Maintain top wax with Eagle one Wax as U dry (only if you use a carnuba topwax, synthetics will just repel it)


On my X5, Menzerna FMJ kit (it gets parked outside) which consists of Intensiv Polish, Final Polish, Finishing Glaze, then FMJ
 
#11 ·
Some good tips and products have been posted already, but I can give a few more. I highly recommend picking up a Porter Cable 7424 random orbital polisher with the velcro backing plate and some foam polishing pads. www.properautocare.com is a good place to pick this up for $150, as well as many other polishing and car care products.

People have their own favorite polishes and waxes-I have used MANY different products over the years, and the one that I still turn to the most are the P21S products from Germany. The P21S polish is about the easiest to use in my experience and gives awesome results-easy to apply and remove, zero white residue on black moldings, and gives superb depth to the finish. The P21S wax has the same properties as the polish, but it isn't the longest lasting wax on the market. However it is so easy to apply and remove that using it for a quick touch-up between washings is very quick and easy.

The P21S products are also marketed under the S100 brand and sold at Harley Davidson stores across the country. It is the EXACT same product in the same container, but in a different label and is a few dollars cheaper than you can find the P21S. Some of the car care products you buy at the BMW dealership are rebranded P21S, so you know they have to be pretty decent!

For products you can buy at the local Autozone, Walmart, and the like, I greatly prefer Eagle One-especially for their wheel cleaner and Wax As You Dry products. My favorite car wash soap is Meguiars NXT-it's hard to beat especially for the price. For interior vinyl protection, go with Aerospace 303 protectant-it has UV protection and doesn't leave a shiny finish. And for drying, its hard to beat a $10 Absorber that you can pick up just about anywhere.

I can go on and on, but that should give you a good start on your car care collection!
 
#12 ·
#15 · (Edited)
LEAFBLOWER!

I saw this idea somewhere, and it works GREAT: after you wash your car thoroughly, and before you dry it with a microfiber towel, blow it off with a leaf blower! Think about it: how do they dry your car at those "touchless" car washes?

Once you blow it dry, you won't even have to wring out your microfiber towel, and the car looks great.

Oh, and by the way, Zaino.
 
#16 ·
I saw this idea somewhere, and it works GREAT: after you wash your car thoroughly, and before you dry it with a microfiber towel, blow it off with a leaf blower! Think about it: how do they dry your car at those "touchless" car washes?

Once you blow it dry, you won't even have to wring out your microfiber towel, and the car looks great.

Oh, and by the way, Zaino.
Instead of a leaf blower I use the silikone lip from swizol for first drying.
... afterwards microfiber towel.
 
#17 · (Edited)
ONR
Clay
Optimum Compound
Optimum Polish
Klasse AIO
Optimum Opti-Seal








Topped it with poorboys blue after the pics....but it didnt make much of a difference :cheers:

Ignore the misplaced M5 badge yawnnnn previous owner issue :grrrrr:



NXT is a great readily available wax....just get the NXT 2.0 version...its MUCH better!
 
#19 ·
Its because NXT is full of fillers. In order to properly remove swirls, you will need at least a random orbit machine and polishes that actually cut. Proper car care is a multi-step process. I got my Porter Cable from coastaltool.com (http://www.coastaltool.com) for about $115 shipped. DO NOT buy from Griot's that place is a ripoff, its the PC repackaged for them. You also must learn how to effectively use it - pad combo's, products, etc. It isn't something you can just jump right into and do, there is a learning curve.

I use the PC with 3M polishes, and usually finish with Meguiar's #26 or Mother's. The process isn't rocket science, but it is a process. A full polish for me on most cars is about a 5-8 hour process, but the results are stunning!!

For about $250, you'd have everything you needed to maintain your car the right way.

If you want to blow your mind, go to http://www.autopia.org - those guys are insane when it comes to car care. Any questions...just PM me!!
 
#22 ·
Its because NXT is full of fillers. In order to properly remove swirls, you will need at least a random orbit machine and polishes that actually cut. Proper car care is a multi-step process.
Bingo. I was waiting for this answer.

There is simply no way around it- once the surface of the clearcoat has microscratches you will need to POLISH them out before using a topcoat wax or polymer.

The ugly truth is that many of the low end details will just slap down a filler laden wax and you'll think "Ohh, Ahhh- great detail for my $100, $200, whatever." Then, a few washes later, it is swirl city. Your 'detailer' will say "you used a rough towel" but the truth is they were never removed.

It is multistep process, and each step is designed to accomplish something- wash then wax, and leave out all the middle parts and it is not going to work in the long run.

There are a few pretty good threads here- Atomic80 had one, I did one ... Laidback and SoCalJD also have a few threads on detailing.

http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=692982

http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=59514


http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=105871

One comment on wax versus zaino- I really don't have much of an opinion! Zaino is pretty easy and works well for me, it seems to last longer than the waxes. The key, IMHO, is achieving an optically perfect surface BEFORE you put on wax, Zaino, NXT, etc, etc

Finally, I am exploring using ultrafiltered (RO) water in a sprayer to wash off the last rinse and avoid spotting and toweling... so far encouraging.

A

PS Griots is ultrahigh priced for what you get- a mixture of decent items and mediocre products with nauseating text to help sell it. I would NEVER use a clay bar in anything other than my hand.
 
#24 ·
Yes, absolutely, the key to a deep and lasting shine is to do a proper detail job.

Clay bar the entire car.
Polish the paint using orbital polisher (Porter cable or Griots Garage). There are a few very good paint polish out there. 3M swirl remover is great. I like Griots paint polish too. I've tried Meguiars polish and they are good too.

Then apply about 4 coats of Zaino. Very shiny and long lasting.
 
#26 ·
>>>

They're all pretty much the same. Make's all the difference in the world though. Even on *brand new cars*. I detailed a friends CLS the week he bought it. It *looked* showroom perfect, but I turned a blue clay bar black on the thing.

As Ard said (I think), prep work is the key. I'm a Zainos freak, and it requires some effort *the first time*, but any decent wax(P21S)/polish (Klasse) will require the same. However, once it's done, subsequent efforts will be *much* easier. I got caught out in a light rain last night, so my car's a little dirty. I've got so many coats of Zainos on it though that 10min with a damp towel will have it looking perfect again.
 
#27 ·
I can also recommend clay as a great first step. I use Clay Magic, which I think is still available at Wal Mart. Its a decent size bar (1/2 a bar should do one car) and doesn't fall apart (unlike the Mother's bar). Just be sure to keep the surface completely lubed with the spray they give you. If you run out, not to worry, you can use QD or even a combo of dawn and water. The idea is to allow the clay bar glide across the surface, not drag.

Any marring you get with the clay bar can be removed when polishing anyway, so I don't sweat it when I see those faint "sanding' marks. You clay bar users know what I'm talking about.
 
#28 ·
I can also recommend clay as a great first step. I use Clay Magic, which I think is still available at Wal Mart. Its a decent size bar (1/2 a bar should do one car) and doesn't fall apart (unlike the Mother's bar). Just be sure to keep the surface completely lubed with the spray they give you. If you run out, not to worry, you can use QD or even a combo of dawn and water. The idea is to allow the clay bar glide across the surface, not drag.

Any marring you get with the clay bar can be removed when polishing anyway, so I don't sweat it when I see those faint "sanding' marks. You clay bar users know what I'm talking about.
>>>

I just use water. Dawn will take off any wax or polish you've got on the car. This is fine if you're starting from scratch, but after putting *several* coats of Zainos on I just use water.

I recently got a *big* clay bar from a body shop. I'd stop by a local shop and see if they'd sell you some.
 
#35 · (Edited)
for me
1) wash with dawn
2) clay
3) wash w/ dawn again
4) meguiars #80 speed glaze with porter cable 7424 and Lake Country orange pad
5) wash w/ dawn again (i know, i know)
6) zaino Z-PC with Lake Country gray pad and porter cable 7424
7) wipe down and then zaino Z-5 PRO and ZFX
8) wipe down and hit with zaino Z-6
9) zaino Z-2 PRO and then wipe down
10) alternate Z-5 then Z-2 multiple coats
11) lots of beer and rest afterwards
12) occassional wash and then zaino z8
by the way all the washing with dawn after removes left over clay residue and then on step 5 removes "filler oils" left by meguiars product. zanio Zpc is just not abrasive enough and the meguiars won't let the zaino z5 and z2 stick, so hence all the washing.
www.autopia.org for more info than you can stand.
www.zainostore.com for ordering zaino
www.autogeek.net for porter cable 7424, meguiars, and pads
 
#36 · (Edited)
The only problem I have is after a few car washes its back to swirls and a dull shine at best.Any tips?
first tipe, stop going to the car wash... that is prolly the main source for the swirls to begin with.

any before/after pics? my process is typically an eight hour event... starting with interior ending on exterior trim.
 
#37 ·
no new pics yet, this is the process i did on my black tahoe except i did not use zaino zpc just the meguiars. i buffed the truck 2 times with different pads and it came out incredible. the paint was dull/oxidized, and had spiderwebs and hairline scratches all over it. unfornately i found out the "filler oil" problem first hand after a couple of weeks hand washing the truck. so as soon as i have a day or 2 too devote to the M i will post pics. it takes me a LONG time to detail a car. with the tahoe coming in as number 1 with 3 days in it, inside and out.
 
#38 ·
Wash 0: Examine paint, note major swirl (minor scratches) areas. Figure if scratch/major swirl can be buffed out. Wash with dawn soap, starting with top, sides, front, then back. Rinse well.

Clean wheels with Griot's wheel cleaner and rubber cleaner for tires. Use rubber cleaner for window seals and other rubber/vinyl components.

Dry with microfiber. Into the garage.

Note areas with bad swirl/scratches. Use Meguire's fine cut cleaner with hard foam pad on random orbital first. If good, finished. If bad, move to medium cut cleaner. If still bad, move to medium cut cleaner on rotary high speed buffer. If still bad, stop.

Spray trim with "adhesive/wax remover" by 3M. Clean with nylon brush.

Clay bar with Griot's clay with speed shine. Polish entire car with Griot's #3 polish. Apply Griot's paint sealant using soft (red) pad. Apply 3 coats wax (best in show by griot's). Use 3" random orbital for harder to reach areas. Hand polish hardest to reach areas.

Time: 8 hours

Subsequent washes: Wash car with Meguire's gold class shampoo. Clean wheels. While still wet, apply Griot's spray-on-wax, and dry with microfiber.

Time: < 1 hour
 
#39 ·
+1 NXT 2.0 !
 
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