I was just reading the info over on Autopia. Nice read for a newb like me to paint care and detailing (my last 5 cars have all been beaters, until my Tejon!).

Since I have a black (and sweet) vehicle now, I'm learning about paint care / washing / waxing / etc. I've enjoyed a lot of the info here as well. I'm planning on doing another wash on my truck this weekend, weather willing, along with a Synwax treatment. The snow really hasn't hit here, but I'm just waiting

Well, now my question(s)... The Autopia site seems very informative with a lot of general things, but they (of course) push their own product line, along with P21S wax. Are Sonus products any good?

I may send some more pictures of my truck soon, because I'm noticing a lot more swirl marks as the days go by (picky picky) - and it's only been about 15 days . I'd like to make sure this truck looks nice and stays nice.

I'm currently using Meguiars Gold Shampoo, and I have some Synwax that I'll put on this weekend for extra protection before we get snow. I'm planning on buying some of the P21S carnuba to go over the Synwax. Applicators / towels / mitts / orbital polishers / etc. all have my head swimming. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

I have a side question on cleaner waxes (like Zymol). It sounds like they are akin to polishing compounds, but when should they be used? Are they good for door ding paint transfers? cars that haven't been waxed in a couple of years? new cars? what?

Thanks gang!

 

I've been wondering the same thing. They always talk about P21S, Klasse AIO, Sonus and PC's. It's their answer to everything.
I'm gonna pick up some Klass AIO and see what It can do.
I've always used Meguiras. They make great products in my opinion. But i'm gonna try some Klasse and see what happens.
It looks a lot easier than regular wax, lol. Wipe on and wipe off.
Anyways the cleaner wax is probably a little more abbrasive and will remove imperfections a little easier. I'd imagine this would compromise some of the shine.

 

Meguair's Cleaner Wax is one of the best products I've come across. This picture was taken after washing and only using Meg's C/W. Haven't even tried to shine it yet... If any one knows how hard it is to get a reflection from white paint, you'll understand.

 

Forgot to say that C/W is not abrasive. Will get out minor oxidation and small paint transfers. Also great for use instead of Rain-X.

 

Mike,

I have tried several of the Sonus products. While they are pretty decent, I haven't found anything special. To be fair, I haven't tried all their stuff. So, some of it may be excellent, but I really doubt it.

P21S is an exceptional carnabua that usually looks great over any product. I highly recommend it. On a side note, the motorcycle version of P21S (called S100) is a much better buy than the P21S.

Cleaner waxes are really not even close to polishing compounds. Cleaner waxes don't have abrasives to "really" remove swirls/spider web marks. Polishing compounds do!

I'll get back to you tonight on some product/detailing tool recommendations.

 

Sweet - look forward to hearing from you brother!

 

Mike,

Without going into a lot of detail, here are some recommendations...

Applicators - Get plenty of the Meguiar's foam applicators. Also, a couple MF applicators are nice for polishes and paint cleaners, as they are a bit more aggressive.

Towels - Get a few high quality waffle weave drying towels, and a bunch of high quality MF towels. Use only the best on your paint, and less expensive ones for other chores.

Mitts - Get at least a couple of the softest, plushest sheepskin mitts you can find. Again, quality matters. High quality 100% Cotton wash mitts are also good... but tough to find anymore.

Orbital Polisher - Get the PC 7424, or the Meguiar's version of the PC 7424 (called G-100). Same machine, Meguiar's just charges a lot more... but gives a lifetime warranty. If you are serious about the PC, we can give you some recommendations on pads/backing plate/kits.

Let us know if you need anymore recommendations, or more information.

 

Thanks Boss! That's a good start. atm, all I have is the Meg Gold shampoo, Meg Hot Wheels and the Synwax as I have been waiting for good recommendations on other products. I'm not sure where to find the best deals on towels/MF/mitts/applicators/etc. without getting crap, so I may just put an order on Meguiar's website. People seem to like their products...

Are these good combos: Synwax + P21S/S100 ; Synwax + Meguiar's #26 ; Meguiars Cleaner Wax + Synwax + P21S/S100/26 ? Something else perhaps?

I'll probably practice on my wife's car before I get too crazy with my own. I'm still learning - what I'm not so sure on yet is what schedule to use with each of these products... carnuba every ?3? months, Synwax every ?1? month, quick detailer spray after every wash?

I think I will invest in the 7424 eventually, not sure if I'm ready to jump right into it just yet.

Hey - what about dusters... do people actually use those? I can't help but think they'd just drag dirt around and scratch the finish.

Thanks guys and sorry for all the questions...

 

Mike,

There are a lot of good combo's out there. All of the ones you mentioned should work extremely well. However, the important part that you are missing is the prep work (claying, paint cleaning and polishing - this is where the PC really helps).

Trust me, if you get you paint smooth, clean, and polished to near perfection, you will have a hard time distinguishing between "most" combo's, as the prep will be about 90% of the "POP" in your paint.

With all that said, on a black vehicle (and most dark colors), I still like a high quality carnauba wax to be my final step. I think you will love the S100 or PS21, and the #26 is no slouch either.

On a couple of the dark vehicles that I detail, I'm very pleased with the following... PREP, then Synwax, then Mothers' new Top Coat, then Optimum Car Wax to maintain it.

The Optimum Car Wax is a spray wax (carnauba/polymer blend). In the past, I haven't been a big fan of spray waxes, but this one (and a couple other new ones) have changed my feelings. This spray wax goes on and off almost as easy as a QD (spray on/wipe off), adds considerable protection (for a spray wax) and really keeps the paint looking great!

I must admit, in my old age, I'm getting a little lazy, and those products are just so fast, and easy to use, that it's a pleasure to detail.

To answer some of your other questions...

As far as a schedule, it depends on how your vehicle is maintained, driven, stored, and the local environment. For example, if your vehicle is a daily driver, parked outside, and driven in an area with lots of "contaminates" (acid rain, manufacturing plants nearby, near train traffic, air traffic... Etc) you'll need to prep and re-apply products much sooner.

As a general rule, consider the following...

Do your prep.

Apply one coat of synthetic wax and wait 24 hours, or overnight.

Then apply another coat of synthetic wax (make sure paint is still clean/dust free - QD if you need too first)

Now, wait 24 hours or overnight again and apply a coat of your carnauba. (remove any dust or dirt)

Next, wait at least 24 hours (or after the next wash) and apply another coat of carnauba. Again, make sure the paint is clean.

After that, consider applying another coat of the carnauba once a month to six weeks.

After 3 to 4 months, start the process all over. If you are washing/drying/QD'ing your vehicle correctly, you should only have to do some "light" prep work before you start again with your synthetic wax... then carnauba.

Again, those recommendations are only "general" recommendations. After a while, you'll know what suits you and your vehicls best.

P.S. I'm not much of a fan of the "dusters", especially on black paint.

 

Great info Boss. Thanks again. My truck is a daily driver, garaged at night, and the only major atmospheric hazards I have is blowing sand when the Spring winds come, and the salt/sand they might put on the roads when we get snow. I live at high altitudes, so you can add extra UV to that list.

So, if I get you right this is what I should be doing is something like this:

1) Wash - using my Meguiars Gold or something like NXT; maybe something out of Meg's Prof line like #62?
2) Clay **Since I'm not sure how well this was taken care of earlier, I may have to clay a sizable portion of my truck the first go-round... feeling for rough spots on the freshly cleaned surface. Maybe it's worth going over the whole truck once to start??
3) Paint clean with ScratchX or Meg's 3-step system (#1).
4) Paint polish with Meg's 3-step system (#2).

** Could I combine steps 3 and 4 with Meg's Prof. Swirl Remover 2.0 (Meguiars #9)??

5) Synwax, repeat as necessary
6) Carnuba

Now once a week I wash/dry and QD. Every month add another coat of carnuba after that wash/dry and every 3-4 months start all over again. Here, I assume claying is only necessary on small sections - tar/bug areas.

Couple other questions (sorry - the more I learn, the more I think about):
**Is it fine to mix products like using NXT wash with Synwax or do they tend to work best with similar product lines?
**What should I do between now and when I pick up (and learn to use) a 7424? Just do it by hand? Is it worthwhile to put a coat of Synwax on without everything else in the meantime?

Thanks brother!

 

1. I would go with the Gold Class or the #62. Gold Class is certainly very good. However, I prefer #62.

2. I would go over the entire vehicle.

3. Clean the paint with step#1.

3.1 ScratchX is more an abraisve swirl remover. It's OK for working small areas, and only so-so with a PC.

3.2 Use the ScratchX or #9 here. When you get your PC, consider getting some of Meguiar's Speed Glaze to replace them both.

4. The step #2 is more of a glaze (no abrasives). I probably wouldn't use this under Synwax. Under a carnauba I would... not a synthetic wax. Although, Meguiar's claims that NXT works with their high oil content polishes. Probably because the cleaners in NXT remove much of the oils. Synwax also has cleaners, so it might clean up the oils and provide a better bond??????????

4.1 Yes, you can skip the paint cleaning if you use a good polish. However, I like the added step of paint cleaning, as it further burnishes the paint, and I believe it "cleans" the
the paint better, and allows the polishes to do their job easier, and better.

5. That will work.

6. Yep!

That sounds fine. Remember to add some wax where you touch up with the clay bar.

Mixing brands of car washes with other brands of polishes/waxes/sealants usually doesn't hurt. The one you mentioned should work fine. Zaino is one of the picky ones.

If you are serious about getting the PC soon, yes, I would just put a coat or two of Synwax on until you can do the prep with the help of the machine. Synwax goes on and off so fast and easy... it's not a big deal.

Hope we are answering your questions Mike. If not, keep them coming.

 

Yes, this is great!

What's your take on internal detailer sprays? I've never been a fan of things like Armor All since (I believe) it pulls plasticizers out of your vinyl and tends to make more of a mess out of the windshield as it evaporates. Are the newer detailers any better, or just more of the same?

Which tire/wheel products do you use? I've been using Meguiar's Hot Wheels, but even though it says it's a non-acid cleaner, it burns the nostrils just like one (I'm not a chemist, but I play one at work). I've been considering Meguiar's Endurance for the wheels - I don't want anything super high gloss - I think that looks silly, but that's just me .

Again - I appreciate the advice! I washed my truck again yesterday. I tried to keep it in the shade most of the time, but I have limited shade. Not sure how to remedy that... Well, thanks again!

 

I use them Mike. The three I like are Meguiar's Quik Interitor detailer, 303 protectant, and Poorboy's Natural look. The Meguiar's Quik Interior detailer is the best "cleaner" of those three, and leaves an extremely matte finish. The 303 and NL leave a nice satin finish and provide more protection. Sometimes I clean with the Meguiar's stuff, and then apply some 303 or NL to "spiff" it up a little.

As for wheel cleaners, I have tried a bunch of them, and always seem to come back to Eagle Ones A2Z (now called All Wheel & Tire Cleaner). Not that it's that much better than others, but it is readily available, inexpensive and works well. None of the "Spray & Rinse" product really work 100%. I always have to come back with my Boar's hair brush and scrub them a little.

On a side note, if you clean and protect the wheels with a good sealant, you won't need to use the harsh cleaners that much. Simply washing them with your car wash solution will keep them nice... and won't strip much of the sealant.

Like you, I don't like really glossy tires. My new favorite product is Mothers' FX Tire Spray. It is a water based product (a creamy lotion) that leaves the tires just slightly glossy. It is also as durable as any of the gels.

If you like gels, Endruance is a good one.

I also like Poorboy's Bold & Brite on RWL tires. The B&B has some cleaning ability that keeps the RW letters bright and clean while applying the product. Sometimes I use it just to go over the RWL's after using the FX Tire Spray.

You're welcome!

 

I have a little experience with the Klasse twins. I used the all in one and the sealant glaze last year once before winter. I found that the all in one went on and off very easily, but the sealant glaze was very tough stuff to use. It goes on easy enough, but dries very hard, and it takes some elbow grease to get it off. I used the Sonus der wonder drying and buffing towels, which I liked very much, but I have very little experience with any other brands.

If I knew how to put up pictures here, I would show you some....sorry :o

 

Awesome - just what I was wondering.

NXT All Metal Polysh? Synwax? I'm not sure what you mean by sealant. :o

OK - guess I'm still confused on 4 here. Are you saying either Meg's Step #2 then carnuba (#26 or P100/P21S) or step #2 and then NXT or Synwax?

Again thanks for all the advice from everyone. Gives me a lot of ideas on what to go for and what to buy. I'm sure I'll have some more questions when I get my PC - I'm trying to imagine using the PC around areas where there are not flat panels and such.