OBehave

Since my recent purchase of my GTS I have been searching,when it works,for various ideas and opinions on how to care for this paint and overall general appearance inside and out.If there is a specific thread about that very subject please point it out to me,if not why not document all the tips and tricks to make our 14 year old and older cars look their best.Various ways to clean the engine was just discussed on another thread by Malcolm and I suggested this on that thread.Any interest?? Ed

Marine Blue

Ed what would you like to learn about? I would be happy to review any specific subject in detail.

blitz928

First question for Afshin... What Paint sealant would you recommend for a Silver Metallic? After Claybar ,should one wax then seal, or skip the wax and seal?

Never have much luck in the Concours forum because most of those cars don't have 20 year old paint.

OBehave

Well I surely need to know how to handle touch ups on paint chips and small scratches and the like without necessarily repainting the whole car.Also detailing the engine and chassis.Products,and proper proceedures, tricks to either revive or preserve the appearance inside and out.I know it's alot to cover but using the search shouldn't need to take hours to sift through hundreds of threads to get an idea how other people detail say their engine compartment.

Marine Blue

Matt do you drive your car regularly and does it see rain? This will determine what is a better choice to protect the paint.

For sealants, Meguiars #20 works well as does Zaino Z2 but keep in mind that neither are designed to give you depth. Carnauba is a better choice if your after the best appearance. I would stick with one or the other, not both.

After claybar you should polish (2 Step Process) followed by Sealant or Wax.

Marine Blue

Can you post some current pictures of your engine bay. Detailed close up pictures will really help determine the best approach to cleaning.

I will dig up a post I did on touch up paint and post the link here. It's really not to difficult to get good results, the key is patience.

OBehave

Thanks,the pics will take awhile but will do!! Also,what is this "patience" and who sells it?

blitz928

The car is a driver so it will see rain, as well as hot florida sun, I currently use Meguiars Smooth surface Clay, usually followed by One grand Carnauba blitz wax. The reason why I inquire into sealers is for better long lasting paint protection in my climate.

What Polish would be a good choice after clay and before a sealant?

Mind you I do not clay bar everytime I wax, the car only will see clay every 3rd wax which is usually every 3-4 months

My current wax being carnauba is great but after 3 weeks of washes it is already broken down.

The car wash I use is either P21S or Meguiars Gold Class.

Randy V

Just an FYI that there is a Detailing forum here:

https://rennlist.com/forums/concours-and-car-care-86/

Several detailing experts participate on there daily.

Marine Blue

I've never used One Grand so I can't really comment but in general a carnauba will never last that long. Think of it as a soft barrier.

Right now I really like Meguiars NXT Tech sealant which not only offers good protection but also looks really good on lighter metallic colors. I've been using it on my DD's since version one came out a few years ago and I will continue to use it. I waxed my wifes honda about 5 months ago and I noticed that the beading reduced after 3.5 months. We don't wash her car to often so I'm not sure if additional cleaning will affect its performance.

Regarding the clay, you shouldn't need to use it nearly that often. Once a year is probably enough to keep it looking great. If you pick up contaminants on the lower cladding then just use a small piece and focus on those areas only.

Before recommending a polish I would need to know how you intend to apply it and how much you want to spend.

blitz928

Thanks for the tip on the clay usage, I'll keep that in mind.

As far as One Grand wax, Larry Reynolds of Car Care Specialties Recommended it to me 10 years ago and I've used it ever since, but I've been reading up on Sealers and thought it would be more appropriate for my car.

I've done all my washing and waxing by hand up to this point. The only polish I have experience with is 3M Imperial Hand glaze, but I find it difficult to use by hand quite stubborn to remove at times. Especially when outside temperatures are high. I detail in the garage so sunlight is not an issue but often I have to work when the outside temps are 80-90.

As far as a polish goes I don't want to spend in the stratosphere I am sure there must be good polishes for $15-30?

andy-gts

I have real good luck with the detailing instructions found on a cd sold by Griot's Garage...I don't use carnuba cause after a couple of coats the wax seems to build up...I must not be doing a good job of getting it totally clean. I was waxing q 1 month.

Marine Blue

I may be able to sell you some patience...but its going to cost you.

Here is the link to the touch up paint, feel free to ask any questions: https://rennlist.com/forums/928-foru...with-pics.html

You are already doing the most important things which is wash and wax frequently. One thing I would suggest is to minimize washes if the car hasn't been rained on. Use a duster followed by a quick detail spray wipe down instead. A sealant is a better way to protect the car so it definitely makes sense to consider one. The Meguiars is easy to use, looks great and protects well. Definitely worth a try. Zaino protects really well but IMHO it looks to shiny and you will loose some of the depth.

Most hand polishes will fill scratches with oils rather performing any paint correction. S100 makes an excelent hand polish which you should be able to find in any Harley Dealer for $15.00.

If you want to perform paint correction you will need a random orbital polisher and some polishing pads which will cost at least $150.00. Meguiars makes an excellent cleaner polish (#83) which costs around $32.00. This should be followed with a swirl remover #9 or similar which will cost about $19.00.

Griots products are very good.

What kind of build up problems were you getting with the carnauba and what kind of wax were you using?

blitz928

In my experience carnauba breaks down pretty quickly so build up hasn't been an issue, I'll sometimes apply 2 light coats at once and again 4-6 weeks later depending on how much driving/ weather the car gets in that period.

blitz928

Afshin are you using the liquid or paste Meguiars NXT tech wax/sealant?