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your recommendations for wheel and exterior polish please!
I'd like to polish up the rims on my car. The owner's manual states I should wipe them down with petroleum jelly - is that what I should do?
As for the exterior, I will give it a good wash and a clay bar. After that, what do you recommend? I'm looking for a "single step" solution - after washing and clay barring, I'm usually starting to get a little tired!
Pics of wheel and paint below...
Thanks!
All four are in similar condition
Car has been repainted in the past - I can see the tape lines around the windows.
You have painted phone dial wheels only the anodized S flat wheel need to be lubricated with Vasoline. You can polish and wax yours as well as respray if needed.
I'd like to polish up the rims on my car. The owner's manual states I should wipe them down with petroleum jelly - is that what I should do?
As for the exterior, I will give it a good wash and a clay bar. After that, what do you recommend? I'm looking for a "single step" solution - after washing and clay barring, I'm usually starting to get a little tired!
Pics of wheel and paint below...
Thanks!
If you're looking to do any major paint correction, I would consult with a few local professionals and get their opinion. It's hard to gauge what the condition of the paint is in the single pic.
As far as doing it yourself... You have a LOT of options these days. Every pro detailer is going to have their brand favorite (mines Shine Supply All-In-One) but, every person has different taste in what they're looking to achieve. All In One products are going to typically be temporary fix. They usually contain a bit of fillers to help level out the fine scratches in your paint and a wax or sealant blended in. So, you will usually get 3 months or less of optimal gloss and protection out of them. You would also be safe using a light polish like Menzerna 3500 or Shine Supply Classic Polish and a polishing pad at low speed (3-4 on the dial) on a Dual Action polisher. Follow that up with a high quality sealant and you're golden for 6-8 months before you need to reapply.
Paint correction and Ceramic Coating is absolutely the best bang for you buck as it produces much longer lasting results. But, on a budget or doing it yourself great results can be achieved with whats available in the polishing department these days.
As for your wheels... Before worrying about polishing the finish, I would go after all the embedded iron/brake dust I see. This is super easy to achieve at home with wheel cleaner that reacts with and removes iron such as Shine Supply Cool Guy, Sonax Heavy Duty Wheel Cleaner or Griots Garage Heavy Duty Wheel Cleaner.
I have found old clay bars work well to clean the wheels after using a wheel cleaner. However, I have never used a cleaner that reacts with iron. Must look into that.
Jim, I'm guessing not all early wheels were painted, as my '82 owners manual mentioned to treat them with petroleum jelly.
As I'm fairly new to "detailing", I ended up washing the car, clay barring, did a light cut with polishing compound, and hit it with a sealant. I had Meguiar's products on hand so I used them on the car. For the next time, I will buy a DA and better products, but for now I'm fairly happy with the results. I'll post pics after I tackle the wheels in my "82 5 speed" thread.
Nic, your site is excellent! After seeing your site and a few YouTube videos on nano coatings, I am sold hook line and sinker. When I go this route, hopefully I can send you some detailed shots of the paintwork and your could recommend the appropriate products from your site.
I hope to clay bar the wheels (and glass) over the weekend.
Last edited by Rocinante; 08-17-2016 at 01:11 PM.
Reason: added content
As JB shared, the owners-manual recommendation for the petroleum jelly applies only to the anodized manhole-cover style wheels. The later phone dials are painted, early ones hard to tell and varies. Regardless, the petroleum jelly is used to physically protect the anodized surfaces from road salt and other damaging contaminants. If your wheels aren't the anodized manhole cover style, the petroleum jelly is a waste. For the non-painted phone dials, use care when choosing a polish and sealant. For painted, use what you use on the rest of the body.
If you get tired from a wash and clay bar treatment, try the Griot's clay mitt. It's $50 and will out last you. After you wash your car, "wash" it again with the clay mitt. The suds works as your lubricant. There's no clay that left behind on clear bra lines, Porsche logos or black rubber trim. Its so much faster and better than a clay bar!
As JB shared, the owners-manual recommendation for the petroleum jelly applies only to the anodized manhole-cover style wheels. The later phone dials are painted, early ones hard to tell and varies. Regardless, the petroleum jelly is used to physically protect the anodized surfaces from road salt and other damaging contaminants. If your wheels aren't the anodized manhole cover style, the petroleum jelly is a waste. For the non-painted phone dials, use care when choosing a polish and sealant. For painted, use what you use on the rest of the body.
Sorry dr bob, I should have further clarified in my previous post that even though my owner's manual mentions the petroleum jelly, I am aware that my car has painted wheels. I understood JB's comment - I've already started to clean them, and I will clay bar and wax/seal them as well.
If you get tired from a wash and clay bar treatment, try the Griot's clay mitt. It's $50 and will out last you. After you wash your car, "wash" it again with the clay mitt. The suds works as your lubricant. There's no clay that left behind on clear bra lines, Porsche logos or black rubber trim. Its so much faster and better than a clay bar!
Thanks Andy, if it's worked for you then I'll consider trying it in the future. I've read some of your previous posts and you seem to know a lot about detailing!
The only reason I didn't try the mitt previously is that you can't fold the clay over (to expose clean clay) so I thought it would become like sandpaper after a few uses.
If you get tired from a wash and clay bar treatment, try the Griot's clay mitt. It's $50 and will out last you. After you wash your car, "wash" it again with the clay mitt. The suds works as your lubricant. There's no clay that left behind on clear bra lines, Porsche logos or black rubber trim. Its so much faster and better than a clay bar!
Thanks for the tip Andy.
Looks like a very interesting product.
Just looked on the web site and see that there is three models available.
"500 Super Fine", "501 Fine" and "502 Medium.
The paint on my car is quite good, which one would you recommend?
If you get tired from a wash and clay bar treatment, try the Griot's clay mitt. It's $50 and will out last you. After you wash your car, "wash" it again with the clay mitt. The suds works as your lubricant. There's no clay that left behind on clear bra lines, Porsche logos or black rubber trim. Its so much faster and better than a clay bar!
My first real test of the Nanoskin was with my 87. She must have spent a winter living in the corner of a body shop, covered in red overspray (could not see it, but you could feel it). Using a clay bar for that would have taken forever, the clay mitt make quick work of it.
As for what else I use, that's a long story. I've been detailing cars since I was a kid, my father was pretty obsessed with it too. Over the years I've tried just about everything, except the really exotic expensive stuff. Sorry, not paying $5,000 for carnuba wax just because it was hand molded by a naked virgins in the Caribbean.
Long story short I've come to the conclusion that Meguiars makes products that are on par with everything else on the market. The catch...they have a LOT of products from their consumer line, detailer line and pro line. I've used just about everything they have on the market.
For those of us with dark colored cars, the key is what you use to regular wash the car. Don't go cheap on the microfibers, only buy ones without a sewn in label and seam. Those sewing edges are a common cause of swirl marks.....
08-08-2016, 09:13 PM
your recommendations for wheel and exterior polish please!
