Dr_KarlB

All,
My car detailing has been a wash and wax with Kragen Zymol cheap stuff.

I would like to do something better.

I have a 2001 seal gray C4.

I did a search for Rejex and lots of folks seem to swear by this.

How do i prep the surface for this treatment ?
Wash with Dawn to clear off the wax... then what ? Ive no clue what a clay bar is or how to use one ? I dont have a whole day to spend so the "quickness" of Rejex appealed. Do i need a polish/cleaner of some kind.? It will all be done by hand so i dont want to have to go over things many many times.

The paint looks pretty good, but i'd like to make it much more glossy.

Am i on the right track ?

perfectlap

I don't spend allot of time cleaning my car these days so I have like to work quickly. No more than 20 minutes for a quick detailing. But like any professional detailer will tell you you have to at least once put in a proper preparation by removing the not so visible oxidation/pollutant accumulation your 2001 has picked up in five years. This one time prep session will triple your more frequent detailing results.

I would suggest trying Finish Kare's decontamination kit first or doing a top down clay bar followed by another wash to remove any dislodged ferrous particles and oxidation. Finish Kare's decon kit gets into the swril channels to pluck out contaminants, claying just removes them from the top surface. Maybe a once over with a swirl remover like Poorboy's SSR1 since your color is on the dark side of Silver.

As far as polishes and sealants all of the boutique brands will give you an excellent result. I've tried Rejex and it did a good job but I personally wasn't blown away enough to reorder. I like a slightly more concentrated formula and others are much easier to remove than Rejex. Anyhoo I defy the average enthusisast to pick out a car that has been polished and sealed with Klasse, Poorboys, Menzerma, Werkstatt, Optimum or Zaino. It would take a very very trained eye to tell the difference. Personally, I've started using Werkstatt prime polish and acrylic Jett trigger sealant for that seasonal session. Very small amounts produce a nice gloss.

For monthly waxing and weekly boosting I'm a big fan of the FK line and their anti-static/dust repelling qualities. I don't detail between washes but after a wash I use the FK 425 spray to boost the wax reflection and for less frequent monthly/bi-monthly waxing I use either Optimum SPray Wax or Finish Kare's Pink Wax. Basically ALL boutique brand paste waxes due an excellent job. But since using the FK quick sprays (post wash) I've noticed the car stays cleaner longer and rainfall actually keeps the car clean as the soils drip off the car due to the teflon like finish of FK 425 and FK146.

From yet another brand If you want a very glossy finish I would try Dura Gloss Aqua Wax its only $8 and give one of the glossiest finishes I've seen on silver and grey. I would top that with FK 425 as I got allot less dust in the days following then just leaving the Aqua Wax bare.





p.s. I just placed an order with detailcity.com they give a 10% discount if you sign up for the newsletter. Saves you some nickles on shipping.

Eric - Plug Guy

Since you asked about Rejex, I can attest to Rejex and its qualities, and that's why we sell it. I use nothing else on the Porsche.

Wash the vehicle with Dawn Liquid soap to strip the wax on there now. Check the paint to see its condition. If it has a lot of swirls, you will need to prep it with something like 3M Hand Glaze and/or 3M Swirl Mark Remover. If you are queasy about this stuff, get a pro to do it.

Once you have the paint in good shape, hit it with Rejex. It's very easy to apply and remove, and then leave the car overnight in shade or garage. Do the Rejex again after a week or so, then every few months.

Dr_KarlB

Thanks Eric,
Why would i be queasy about the 3M stuff ? Is it possible for me to screw it up really badly ? The Hand Glaze sounds gentle... well on the web site it does anyway.


FinishLAp,
Ive never used a clay bar... the Finish Kare stuff sounds pretty easy too... Is this all there is to it ?

Thanks

gota911

Karl - using a clay bar is not difficult. If you can run a bar of soap on your body, you can use a clay bar on your car. Most clay bars come with a spray bottle of lubricant that you mist on the car and then you rub the clay bar on the paint to remove contaminants. If you happen to drop the clay bar on the ground, don't use it again because it will pick up particles that could scratch your paint. After the clay bar is used, your paint will feel much smoother.

3M Swirl Mark remover or 3M Finesse-It II are good products to remove swirl marks.

Here is a link to Autogeek.net about the Porter Cable polisher. About a third of the way down the page there are 2 videos. The first video shows how to do "Light Swirl Removal" and the second on is for "Intermediate Swirl Removal." If is not that difficult to use the PC polisher and the results will exceed any amount of hand polishing. You could substitute different polishes, waxes, or paint sealants that you may prefer, like the 3M products mentioned above. Watch the video and then decide if you want do this. I would think with a little common sense, anyone could use the PC effectively.

http://www.autogeek.net/dual-action-polishers.html

Let us know if you have any questions, 'cuz we're here to help!

Dr_KarlB

After reading some posts on the 997 board about Rejex im really confused.
Someone said the sealants (like Rejex) wont stick to a Glaze because of the oils contained in the glaze?
So should i avoid the 3M hand glaze. ? I dont have bad swirl marks...
Would wash, clay bar then Rejex work ? I dont have a polisher and the paint is nowhere near bad enough for me to take big risks with me screwing it up.

Orient Express

You can apply Rejex over glaze, but the point is that the Rejex will bond to the glaze as well as the paint, so overall it will not last as long becuase the glaze will degrade and come off of the paint first taking the Rejex that has bonded to it as well.

Most folks with paint that is in good condition will wash, clay and then appply Rejex, and it will look great. If you paint has a lot of microscratches in it, then it is probably best to apply a polish/swirl remover to the paint before applying Rejex. The Rejex will not last as long, but it will address the micro-scratch lines that show up in low sun angles and add to the depth of the paint.

Dr_KarlB

OK,
Last question, honest....
So this weekend im going to wash with Dawn, use a Clay Bar (Clay Magic at the local store).... do i need to re-wash now ? Then apply Rejex... leave for 24 hrs in the garage and then apply another Rejex coat

So do i wash after clay or not ?

Thanks for all the help with this

Orient Express

here is a post that lays it all out. This is my post on my Seven Steps for a Stellar Surface.

enjoy

gota911

Gary – First let me clarify that I am not trying to be a smart-*** here. On the few occasions I have used glaze, it has been AFTER the polishing and before the protective sealant. However, I noticed you recommend applying a glaze and then follow it up with a final polish prior to applying a protective sealant.

That is the first time I had heard of using those two products in THAT order. I would have thought that the polish would remove the glaze you just applied. Is that not so? Can you elaborate on this for me please?

Orient Express

A very appropriate and good question.

The logic is that the micro scratches are first filled, then the polish levels out the glaze with the surface. Care should be taken in not overdoing the polish phase.

It is sorta like using Lanka for filling in paint chips. First the paint goes on as a blob, and then is leveled out with the polish.

I am sure that I will get grief from many of you on this, but it works for me.

I should add that I use a red soft orbital polishing pad instead of an orange one to make the polishing phase very gentle.

Does that help?

I would also note that while this method may give the smoothest (and deepest) surface reflectivity, it is not necessarily the longest lasting application of Rejex. This is because the Rejex will bond to both the paint and the glaze, and as the glaze degrades and ablates off of the surface, so will the Rejex that is bonded to it.

If longevity is the goal, then put on the Rejex first, then after cure time, apply glaze, and very gently level with swirl remover. But if you are not confident in your ability to apply the swirl remover (polish), then forego that step. Take a look at the surface in low angle sunlight after the Rejex and/or glaze to determine if swirl remover is even needed.

gota911

Gary, thanks for the additional info. I have not tried Rejex yet. I have been using Wolfgang sealant on my car for about 18 months. About two weeks ago I clayed, polished and sealed my car. I bought some P21s Carnuba wax earlier this week and want to apply a layer of that on top of the Wolfgang sealant. The next time I clay the car, I'll try some glaze prior to the final polish.

Dr_KarlB

Thanks to everyone for the advice and replies.
I washed, clayed and used Rejex this weekend and it looks awesome.
I didnt do any swirl removal as i couldnt see any anyway.
Now i may want to add some wax to the top to make it shine even more :=)
Does the second coat of Rejex add anything ?
The best part was to see my 3-year old wash his ride-on Boxster along side me on the driveway :-)

perfectlap

top the rejex with FK 425 after each wash and the Rejex will last three times as long. For a bit more "bling" $8 Aqua Wax Spray at NAPA stores (or online) provides one of the glossiest shines I've seen for such a low price. I would chase it with 425 to ward off dust rather than leaving it bare.

westlaker

Quck question...My black 997 is brand new. It was waxed by the dealer and the paint is perfect. No swirls or scratches. I was going to use Dawn to strip the wax off, then apply two coats of Rejex. Is using a clay bar a must? I don't see how I have much oxidation to remove? Can I just use Dawn, then apply the Rejex?