Ok. First off, I do NOT own an F150, but my Dad has a '93 F-250 and I must say that Ford trucks are an amazing truck (never had a tune-up done, never changed the plugs, etc. and the thing STILL turns over every morning ).

Anyways, what I do drive is a 1999 Chevy Cavalier Z24 with an 04 Cavalier LS Sport front end conversion. Well my car is half black (the 99 part) and the other half is white (the 04 front end). I have had the car for about 2 years now and I have always kept it as clean as I possibly could. Well needless to say the exterior is starting to show it's age. There are numerous swirl marks in the paint, the weatherstripping is showing cracking in it and wax buildup in the cracks, etc. But I still keep the car as clean as I possibly can. I do own a 3600 RPM handheld buffer/polisher (got it for christmas) and I have so many car care products my Mom thinks I have an obsession. Here's a list of what I currently have:

Mr. Clean AutoDry Car Washing System
Mother's 3-Step Wax System (Phase One, Two, and Three)
Meguiar's ColorX
Meguiar's ScratchX
Mother's Reflections Polish
Stoner's Invisible Glass
Mother's Back To Black
Meguiar's Tire Shine

I have some more stuff too but I can't remember what I have right now. Is there anything else I should get to get rid of the swirl marks/scratches? I'm going to buy the Mother's Clay Bar system tomorrow probably but any help/advice is greatly appreciated.

 

Hey cavvy... welcome to f150online.com. Families of F-series vehicles are always welcome here.

Now, let's see... it looks like you have a decent array of products so, let's take a stab at this shall we?

1. Wash. Obviously this is the most important part. Make certain to get the grit and grime off of the finish. Use good technique and develop habits when you wash so that you're not washing a wheel and then washing your hood or working on a door jamb and then going to your door panel. Simple things like this will minimize swirling and scratching as you don't have as much of an opportunity to scratch them.

2. Clay. Use the Mother's system per the instructions. Do the ENTIRE vehicle (especially if you haven't ever done this before). As a hint, cut the clay bar into two pieces. If you drop a piece, throw it away. No exceptions. One tiny piece of sand in the bar can spell disaster for your paint if it manages to get to it. By having a second piece, you don't have to curse quite as loud or as often when you drop your $10 bar on the ground. Trust me, it will happen. It happens to all of us.

3. Having not seen your finish, I'm going to err on the side of caution. I'm not familiar with the three step system from Mother's but I think it's safe to assume that it's a cleaner, polish, and wax correct?) If so, start with the cleaner. I'm pretty familiar with some machines but, you really haven't given me enough info on what you have other than how fast it'll spin. This is where something mechanical can be VERY handy but, not knowing exactly what you have, I can't recommend using it. (let me know brand, pads, bonnets, etc...). Use the cleaner a couple of times if necessary.

4. Scratch-X - Address the problem areas that the cleaner would not remove. You can do this all over the vehicle as well if necessary.

5. Dress Tires, dress trim.

6. Color-X - This is an 'One-Step' type of product that offers a mild amount of cleaning as well as a protective layer. You may apply two coats of this. Again, follow the instructions explicitly.

7. Mother's Carnauba (step 3). Use this as a topper over the Color-X. Two coats.

8. Admire.

Remember, any of the above processes can be utilized more than once during your routine. Pay special attention to details and don't get in a hurry. Dedicate a FULL DAY to doing this right the first time. You certainly won't have to give it a full day in the future but, initially, to get it back to par, you probably will.

Let me know if you have any other questions...

RP

 

OK thanks for all the info Rockpick. It's gonna be a nice day tomorrow here in Maryland (62 degrees and partly cloudy) so it looks like I'm gonna clean my Cav. I'm going to use your step-by-step process and see how clean I can get my Cav to shine. It needs a washing badly right now. I'll try to take some pics of it after I wash 'er and show you what my car looks like.

 

Good luck.

Snap a few before and after pictures if possible! I'd love to see how it works out.

Please let us know if we can help out any further... you'll be receiving my bill in the mail shortly. Please remit upon receipt. LOL!

RP

 

LOL. I'll try to get my digicam back form my friend tomorrow and see what I can do. If not I'll get the pics to you somehow (email or watever). Plus I'll take a pic of all of my car care equipment in a group so you can see how much of a car detailing nut I really am.