washed and waxed today, thought you might like the awesomeness that is meguiars gold class. I used the products pictured below and a 7in right angle low speed orbital buffer, craftsman, costs about 30$. After i take the wax off i go over the truck again with a microfiber bonnet. It gets some wax i may have missed and polishes the wax very nicely.

Enjoy







this one is my favorite, being a 1999 it sure cleans up nice.

the rims, used mothers polish.

 

another pic

 

I dont mean to dog you, but there are a few modifications I would make to your process:

Notice the swirls in the last picture (look at where the suns reflection is in the paint)--I think this could be combated by a DA and a cutting pad + some good polish/glaze. It looks like the marring is pretty much in there, and step 1 is not going to be enough (unless you want to work it all day on each panel).

--I wouldnt remove the wax with a buffer- it tends to cause swirling as it tends to load very quickly, thus causing dry abrasion.

-- If you are going to do a final wipedown, remember to use a good QD: Dust will fall onto the paint in a short order of time, and it causes swirls.

I have never read the instruction on that aluminum/mag polish, but I would be willing to bet it os for bare metals. Your rims are cleared, so they should be treated just like paint. (Although admittedly, they do look fantastic.)

Dont worry-- I have made the same mistakes and worse in the past; it all stems from not having the knowledge base of a couple of years under your belt. So, not to rain on your parade (because I would be willing to bet you made a HUGE difference in the paint today), but there are a few things easily changed to yield a better result.

Also, did you clay? If not, I strongly reccommend it. If you have never clayed, you need to. Dont worry-- you will be thoroughly impressed at the feel of your paint...

And, just so RR or RP doesnt get to you first-- dont forget to dress those tires/wheel wells!

In all honesty, I thought it looked very nice until I saw the last pic... Keep on working hard, though.

Lastly, how many people complimented your trucks new appearence? I noticed that even when I was doing worse than that (ie: TW Polishing compound + wool pad...) people were AMAZED at the way the truck looked (when I was almost crying...) If nothing else, that is enough to make me feel better. Personal gratification only gets so far; others' compliments really make it worth it to me.

 

I know the Gold Class well. That is the wax I use and I love it. I use Meguiars 3 step , but substitute the gold class for step 3 and it works great. Nothing looks better to me than a freshly waxed red vehicle. I've kicked myself for selling my red civic more times than I can count. Let the Black lovers flame me, but Red shines up the best. Your truck looks good even with some years under it's belt. Congrats!

 

yeah i know its got a few swirls. but i keep that down to a minnimum when i remove wax, i use two terrycloth pads per panel(and flip the pad inside out half way through the pannel. yeah im sure i could have done alot better with a high speed polisher and some serious polish. im not attending any car shows anytime soon so i prefer to spend my days off enjoying the truck instead of cleaning it. as im sure you can tell in my favorite pic, no sworls. so i simply need to pay more attention next time and probibaly do what i did in warmer weather. I.E. something warmer than 50 degrees. as far as the mothers polish ive been using it for years on my rims, chrome etc. its mostly for bare metals yes, however 8 year old clear on the rims is exactly that 8 years of salt and brake dust which can really only be improved by that polish. new rims, no i would just prolly use a powerball and some more gold class on them.

ive gone the whole route with waxing and clay barring on other vehicles ive owned, yeah its really nice the way it comes out i cant argue that. but as i waxed today i noticed a few problem areas on the passenger side, scratches, rock chips and even a clear coat issue near the step at the front of the bed(its beginning to peel verry verry slightly underneath). but like i said more fun to enjoy half a days work than work all day and just park it in the garage.

but consider its been a NY truck all its life. then think about its a 99 with 56K miles on it. few surface scratches and whatnot but barely any surface rust underneath at all. and yeah i did make a huge difference in the paint today. applying the scrub alone used up 10 pads, they got so filthy so fast i had to change them.

but truly the best part of all is my buffer, its idiot proof. you can stand there all day in one spot and never burn the paint like you can with a "big boy" buffer.

 

I don't think you understand how a DA buffer works... DA is short for dual action. Basically, it operates like your Craftsman bumper, only better, and is more effective. However, a rotary buffer can burn a hole in your paint.

 

I hope Craftsman doesnt make bumpers...

Anyway, You can do a LOT with a D/A without fear of thrashing anything. They are not nearly as dangerous as a rotary. That is why we reccommend the G100 to everybody here: it is idiot proof, professional quality, and is VERY easy to learn.
I can understand this; however, I am one of those that considers the working on it the best part... Its therapy for me. I use detailing to blow off stress-- it allows me to relax and 'speak' to the car...I know, sounds loco, but its how I stay relatively sane (sometimes)...

whew! Even that is more aggressive than needed... If new, you should be able to easily do by hand. But, this doesnt matter-- they arent new...

I can definately understand what you mean about the rims and their age/condition. 8 years of crap building up = a bit of an aggressive removal... I kinda figured that this would be the case, but thought I would put it out there for you.

I think this would have been a LOT easier for you had you clayed this time... just a personal opinion, though. But, FYI, clay wont fix the rust or clear failures you mentioned. I dont know if you knew that, but just in case...

 

If they made bumpers, I'd have destroyed one of them too already...

 

HA!!! Yeah, you did a good number on that other one...Then again, I cant really talk... here's some of my moments:

I shot my Dad's F-250 SD with a 30-06 Remington in the hood. (I will explain after I write my English essay)

I ran my Mom's X-terra into a parked pole. (Although I am convinced it moved...) Again, I will explain later...

In my truck, I sideswiped a pole and scratched the right side, then after realizing I could either tear off my bumper or tear up more paint and metal, my buddies helped me lift the back end up and swing it around to free me...

And to think they trust me driving fire trucks...

In all seriousness, I drive safe (now). The last 2 are easy enough parking lot blunders that result from not paying attention. When I drive fire apparatus I pay attention...

Time to write a Kohlberg/Lord of the Flies/Heart of Darkness Research paper...due tomorrow...

 

Oh God... I remember doing all that crap. And as for hitting chit, my F-150 took a beating. I sideswiped a pole in it once, never got that fixed. Could have been much worse. Then there was the time that I was doing donuts and hit a curb. Aluminum cracks when its cold... :o

 

@ F-150Sport 03
you're not loco, thats why i waxed. that and the limited salt protection. I would never have found those clear coat failures had i not waxed today. depressing though they are, its almost normal for the crap they use round here to keep roads clear. I will probibaly go all out near the beginning of summer clay bar and a 5 step system sort of thing. u have a link for that buffer you're talking about? I really, honestly like terrycloth bonnets over "real pads" especially when im grinding hard on it to scrub.

@Zaairman
yah i know how a DA works, but thanks. im just a little extra cautious when it comes to stuff that will cost me $$$ to fix if i slip up. Thats why i have always used the craftsman buffer. safer and still looks hella good for a day until it rains lol.


as far as show quality detailing, i know i can do it. I ran a mobile detail shop with a buddy out of a ford ranger for about 2 years, great weekend job while in the army I just do not see the point much anymore for an 8 year old truck to eat up my 1 day off when its probibaly going to be a bombing target for the seagulls we have here, or the rain etc... lately im going for "good enough" on most things for this truck, until summer rolls around and i can get it repainted for the price of paint, hardner, and a large peppperoni with a case of beer.


though exhaust(flowmaster 44), brushguard, taillightguards and a roll bar are in my wintertime future.

 

Ouch, hard water spots, it's gonna take a little more than DC1 to get that out.

Looks good, I hope you're enjoying your new truck.






BTW unless you really like rust, I would never use aluminum polish on your chrome wheels again. Just a friendly tip, chrome doesn't like being polished more often than once or twice a decade, it's best to maintain the finish and wax.

 

i am loving the truck!
yeah i know thats not the best polish to use, but like i said, i had 8 years of crap to remove. who knows if the previous owner ever cleaned up the rims.