I went with this order this time out:

1. Meguiar's NXT Generation Car wash
2. Quick Clay System
3. #9 Swirl Remoer 2.0
4. #26 Mirror Glaze Hi-Tech Wax
5. NXT and then NXT again

Love the results but wish I could have gotten a little more of a wet look. Any suggestion or help would be appreciated. By the way you can see my reflection in pic #2 eventhough I was all the way across the street. I think that was pretty cool. And you can also see some of the other trucks in my neighborhood in these pics, there are 12, yes 12 trucks visiable from my house. That is why I need help in getting the best possible results, I want to make them drool. LOL Like I said all help is very much welcomed.
Now for the pics

 

What do yuo think? What can I do to get more pop and a wetter look? Thanks for any help!

 

GB,

I agree, the truck sure looks pretty darn nice if you ask me. However, there are certain products that do give more wetness and depth. Don't get me wrong, NXT, and #26 are very, very nice products indeed.

Anyhow, the first thing I would have done, would have been to put the #26 "over" the NXT, and not the opposite. Two layers of NXT would probably remove the #26, or at the very least, the two coats of NXT would "overwhelm" the #26. As nice a product as the NXT is, it still has that "sealant" look which isn't quite as deep and wet as some carnauba's. Now, the #26 will leave a very soft, luxurious look. On certain colors, those characteristics of the NXT, and/or #26 will work great. On other colors, you might be able to get a bit more "POP"............ at least in my opinion.

Having said all that, here are some suggestions..........

For pure "wetness", it's hard to beat P21S, or S100. (S100 can be found in Motorcycle shops, and is less expensive)

If money is no objective, than Pinnacle's Souveran paste is the "King of waxes" (and is priced accordingly). Souveran is still my favorite carnauba. It leaves an incredible shine, extremely wet, and great depth. However, it also lacks durability.......... and for the price, that can be a big negative for many people.

My second favorite carnauba is Trade Secret.............. very, very close to Souveran, but priced better, and has a bit better durability. TS also tends to darken the paint a bit, which is nice on certain colors. It also leaves a great shine, and is very wet, with considerable depth.

I also like Pinnacle's Liquid Souveran. It is reasonably priced, and adds a great deal of wetness, and good depth. It seems to be more durable than the Souveran paste.

Poorboy's Natty's wax is another fine carnauba, and comes with a great price. It has excellent wetness, great clarity, and good depth.

Meguiar's #16 carnabua also has a great shine, and very good wetness. However, it lacks some of the depth of the others, and can be a bear to remove if not applied correctly.

There are some other fine carnabua's on the market! In the end, if you want truly great depth and wetness, you're probably going to need one. Sealants are great for durability, and a nice shine, but caranbua's still are #1 when it comes to "looks"......... at least in my eyes.

Hope this helps.

 

Boss has recommended some excellent products that are VERY well respected within the detailing community but, if I may make one suggestion before you go out and buy a new gammet of products. Switch your #4 and #5 steps around. In short, apply two coats of NXT and then top it with one or two coats of #26. On dark colors, I've found this combo to be VERY effective!!

RP

 

thanks a bunch guys, I will switching the #26 and NXT arounfd first, and if that does not get it then I will take up some of the other products suggested

 

The truck looks great from this perspective but, it's in the eyes of the beholder that matters most. I understand your frustration with wanting a 'wetter' look. I have experienced the same feel with other products I've tried out.

I hope that works out for you GB and be sure to let us know how the results turn out. If it doesn't work, I'd be interested in seeing PB's EX on that color (just as a suggestion/request).

RP

 

Just another quick question, if I wash my truck with the NXT car wash will it remove all the wax so I can start the process of waxing all over again? If not what should I should to remove the wax and allow me to begin fresh?

 

GB,

The NXT car wash won't remove any of the wax or sealant. I wouldn't worry about removing anything. You can go right to a coat of #26 over the existing coats of NXT.

 

I found this by reading some of RP's previous posts. But the NXT requires a "set up time"for the polymers to set-up. Optimum is 12 hours. I found that the NXT, once put on, taken off and left alone looks better in a couple of hours.

 

I find that to be true with several brands... Collinite was the most obvious by far.

 

I went with this order this time out:

1. Meguiar's NXT Generation Car wash
2. Quick Clay System
3. #9 Swirl Remoer 2.0
4. #26 Mirror Glaze Hi-Tech Wax
5. NXT and then NXT again:



The truck looks great but how long did all that take? I want to do mine but by around noon the driveway is no longer shaded and I shouldn't do this in direct sunlight should I? I guess I could always get the flashlight out and do it at night. Any ideas? BTW, didn't mean to hijack your thread.

 

I would suggest using the #7 Polish after the #9 and before the #26.

 

Detailing tip:

If you go with #7 Show Car Glaze, be VERY sure to apply in VERY even VERY thin layers.

It's a great product that has been around for years and years but, if applied to thick, it's a tad difficult to remove. I use it all the time.

RP

 

Thayer,

It took me quiet awhile to complete that process.
Washing appromixately: 30minutes
Claying (I spent alot of time on this to get it done right): approximately 2.5 to 3 hours

The other steps where greatly reduce in time due to the use of my PC. It will get even faster as I learn to use to more efficiently.
#9 : approximately 1.5 hours
#26 approximately 45 minutes

then the following day
NXT 45 minutes for each coat

45 minutes for tires and wheels

Total time around 7.5 to 8 hours over two days, done at a very leisurely pace by just me with no other help

It was very time consuming but I enjoyed doing it. By the way the suggestions by others here to use NXT before #26 was definetly the way to go. I did get a cleaner, wetter, better reflective appearance. I will post pics of the truck after I applied a following coat of #26 over what I already did when I get a little more time.

Hope this helps

 

Much more satisfying results after applying a coat of #26 over the NXT, got a little more of that wet look I was looking for. What do you think?