Aaah shiny cars are so nice!

Whelan · 05-10-2005, 08:03 PM

Just detailed the exterior last night, worked on it from 8pm till 12am, hahaha.

I started out with a good scrub using Dawn to get all the grime and old cleaners. Then once the car was totally dry I used some Meguiar's Scratch X to get out the larger and more noticeable scratches, works like a charm.

I moved onto the Meguiar's Step 1 Paint Cleaner to get the car color to show through and to even the surface for wax.

Then came Meguiar's Step 2 Polish to give the car a wet shiny look and to give it layers so the fleck in the paint shows brighter.

Finally, Meguiar's Gold Class Liquid Wax, makes your car look like a mirror, locks in the past two steps to keep the paint clean. This is the only step that you let dry completely before taking off, the others is a rub and wipe. You can do the whole car almost before having to start wiping off sections and the shine and mirror effect is insane!!!

I drove on the highway today and when I parked at the office the bugs on the front and the dirt on the side literally fell off with no effort, man I love a clean car.

GoldieGoldie97 · 05-10-2005, 10:25 PM

hmm, i always heard dawn and other 'hand soaps' are a big no-no because they eat through the clear coat?

then again i'm the one who went out and got one of those neat 12 stage hose spray nozzles, with 'jet', 'shower', 'mist' and all that stuff

Artificialist · 05-10-2005, 11:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoldieGoldie97

hmm, i always heard dawn and other 'hand soaps' are a big no-no because they eat through the clear coat?

then again i'm the one who went out and got one of those neat 12 stage hose spray nozzles, with 'jet', 'shower', 'mist' and all that stuff

Yes, regular soaps are harsh on automotive finishes, and that is why it pays to spend $5 on a jug of carwash suds, one jug of them has lasted me over a year.

It qualifies as cheap protection, IMO.

Whelan · 05-11-2005, 02:23 AM

Well I only use Dawn once in a great while to strip everything off the car. My issue with carwash suds is that they are all starting to put all kinds of like wax type products in the wash so it doesnt really get the car down to bare bones.

Robert-sl2 · 05-11-2005, 06:28 AM

the absolutely best thing you can do to strip every last bit of contaminant off the surface of the paint is to use a clay-bar kit. I clay-bar my car atleast twice a year and the paint feels completely different!! It feels as smooth as a fresh paint job afterwards. They are a bit pricy (I think the las tone I bought was approx $8 ) but it does a better job than anything else out there. My usual process:

1. Wash
2. Scratch-X & Rubbing compound
3. Wash
4. Claybar
5. Wash
6. Color Enhancing Polish
7. Wax

It sounds like alot of work, but I get it done in an afternoon. I go through the whole process 2 or 3 times a year. I usually detail the engine at the same time.

Whelan · 05-11-2005, 07:49 PM

Id say two or three times a year as well for me.

The paint cleaner is a remarkable product from Meguiar's smooths the surface and gets the color back and the Polish Step 2 really gets that deep wet look.

The interior is next for me then the engine bay as well, Engines are hard the first time around but after that if you stay on top of it routinely it is very easy to work on.

Artificialist · 05-12-2005, 11:54 AM

What I do is wash my car with an automotive-specific soap, dry off using a bath towel, then following up with a microfiber cloth.

After that, I use Zymol liquid wax all over the car, and buff it out with a microfiber. Depending on how pleased I am with the results, I may go over it a second time.

I know when my work is complete when I can clearly see the metal-flake used in the paint of my car.

I skip putting chemicals on my tires because I'm getting new ones soon. However, I spray the wheels with a chemical blended specifically for that purpose. That chemical dissolves the brake dust quickly and requires no scrubbing.

On the interior, I usually use Turtle Wax platinum on the plastic surfaces.

scottyr94 · 05-13-2005, 02:43 PM

I found that the Meguiar's Tech Wax works wonders. I used it for the first time on my buddy's neglected 99 Jimmy(don't think it was waxed in over 3 years) and wow. I brought it back to him and he couldn't believe it, he though it was a new paint job. Removes the small scratches and evens everything out, and the shine and beading is insane. The idiot set a can or Pepsi on the hood while we were talking and it slid right off the paint was so slick. Left a few minor scratches so I grabbed the wax and a few minutes later the scratches were gone.

sandra123 · 05-23-2005, 02:31 PM

I didn't know you could wax a Saturn.

PurdueGuy · 05-23-2005, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sandra123

I didn't know you could wax a Saturn.

Saturns are painted, just like every other car. Only difference is that there is an additive in the paint so it will flex with the polymer.

Did a wash & wax on my car this past friday night (was up til midnight in a friend's garage). We used some 3M polish that they don't sell anymore (too high a VOC count) that works really well - if you rub long enough in one area, it will soften the clearcoat, which is great for smoothing out tiny cracks (just have to watch that you don't do it when you don't intend to

) Then we used some Meguiar's. I'll have to see if I can take some pix today.