Hey everybody. I'm pretty new to detailing, my experience stops at meguiars 3 step. I hav a Black 2007, less than 2 weeks old, paint i still in great shape, but I'm looking for a product (or a few) that will bring out the deep look in paint. right now my truck just looks black and shiny, like every other clean black vehicle. any reccomendations?

 

there is too much "orange peel" in factory paint...and ford is about the worst...sorry to say...to flatten out a black paint and make it mirror would take alot of time and effort. there is clear on factory paint but not a whole lot to work with. from new is about as good as it gets and goes down from there...a finish on paint can only get as good as it is put down by the sprayer. for a car show shine would and depth would take a color sanding and three stages of coupond then a glaze and or finishing polish followed by a wax...very time consuming and expensive, this would almost no doubt call for more clear than factory put down.....

check this link...the upper is unfinished and the lower is finished...

http://www.systemoneproducts.com/CandyBluepic.html

i think this is what you are talking about in reguards to seting your apart from the rest. $500 for 8 oz of wax will not do anything to the surface like a cut and buff/colorsanding.

i dont sell or use this product...but it has good photos of what i am trying to say...

 

yes thats the look I'm going for. I noticed that there is a lot of orange peel in my paint, but I was hoping there was something I could do. thank you

 

short of repaint...not much...there is not much clear on factory paint and too much orange peel to sand it smooth...i have heard of some shooting a few layers a clear over the factory clear to build it up thicker then sanding down and starting with that....i dont have the stones for that...

 

From a post a few spots down https://www.f150online.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=285157

That looks pretty dang good for depth if you ask me.

 

You can get quite a bit of depth out of the factory paint but because of the orange peel it has it's limits. :o

 

You could have it cut and buffed but I would not mess with a new factory paint job that looks decent, other than waxing. Did you not notice the paint before you bought it?

 

I noticed the paint but I really needed a truck, this was the only STX I liked, and the FX2 I wanted was too much ($35,500)

 

... unless the OP is in the COLOR COAT. Respray is the absolute only fix.


My gut feel is that you're not looking to wetsand your entire vehicle and you're probably not looking at anything that is exceedingly difficult... correct?

You're probably also looking for long term durability and simplicity... correct?

 

thats 20x better than mine, what did you use?

 

you are correct.

 

all clean black paint clean looks great from 10 feet out...but to read a paper in it backwards...not going to happen with factory paint...i dont care what kind of wax you use...this will not happen. click below and choose your speed

http://shows.implex.tv/3MTV/Root/AAD/2676/preflight.htm




you can wax with what ever you want...yours looks the same as his. he wants better than factory....

 

Barring that you don't have any paint problems and you've properly prepped the paint (clay, swirl removal, etc)...

My course of action would be:

1. Wash with a quality car wash shampoo diluted to the correct rates.
2. Clay. Gobs of info on that here... a quick search will work wonders (basically, this is a step to help prep the paint which removes 'stuck on' stuff that regular washing doesn't get).
3. Polish for depth (again, pending your paint is swirl free). Try a product like Meguiar's #7 Show Car Glaze by hand. Hint: PUT IT ON THIN!!!!!!! It's a beast to remove when slathered on... trust me. Product is on the shelf at Pep Boys and most Auto Zones.
4. Premium Synthetic 'Wax' of some sort. There are lots of options out there like Meguiar's NXT, Mothers Synwax and several others. Follow the directions explicitly. Remove with a HIGH QUALITY microfiber towel after applying with a HIGH QUALITY microfiber applicator (or foam). All are available at your local 'mart' store. I'd recommend sending out for higher quality MF 'stuff'.
5. Premium carnauba-based pure wax. A product like Meguiar's #26, S100, 3M Perfect-It Paste or another high-quality carnauba (two coats). You can find some of these products locally (like #26). If you have a paint and body shop supply house near by, they likely have a stash of some type of quality product and can probably help steer you in the right direction.


When the finish seems to loose that alure, pop another coat of carnauba on it.

When your black paint starts picking up swirls and straight lines, it's time to start over again but then use a polishing product that is designed for swirl removal etc (like Meguiar's #80 or Poorboy's SMR).

Technique in washing, drying, and quick detailing will go WAY above and beyond the wax and polishing steps. In short, if you're not using proper technique, products, and, again, TECHNIQUES (and a boat load of common sense), you're doomed to thrash the paint.... trust me, black is the beast of all beasts in terms of color maintenance....

Does that help?

 

Yes, Thank you very much. I'll probably start working on it this weekend

 

The pic of the tailgate I used Mothers Reflections topped with Meg's #26.
Since then I've used Meg's #80,Meg's NXT and Meg's #26 (3 steps ) and it looks about the same.I used the #80 to get rid of some swirls.