PJorgen

I'd like some suggestions on a simplified detailing regimen. I don't have the time that some of you guys do, but still want to protect my paint. I'm willing to give up a show-car quality look for less effort and time spent.

So, can you help me with the following:

What wax do you recommend for maximum protection from sun, polluiton, bird droppings, etc? I live in the SF Bay Area, so hard winters are not an issue. Car is garaged about 50% of the time.

What preparation should I do prior to waxing?

How often should I wax?

Anything else I should consider?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

2002 C4S, Seal Grey.

Stephenwz968

I would highly recommend a porter cable 7424, it makes things go a lot faster. Meguiar's or Lake County pads to go with it. I use almost all Meguiar's products-but others on the board use many different products and have great results. For the most time effective solution I would:

1. Wash with a good quality car wash.
2. Clay with a mild clay such as Meguiar's quik clay or clay magic using speed shine as a lube.
3. Polish with a strong cleaner wax (like meguiar's #66) on a polishing pad to remove scratches/swirls, remove with microfiber cloths.
4. Seal the finish with a wax such as Meguiar's #26, or a sealant such as Meguiar's #21.

autodetailingsolutions.com has a lot of good deals, so does autopia.com

good luck!

Steve

MoeMistry

Keep it simple...Clay, polish, and wax. I'd use Zymol Lehm Klay 2 and Lehm Lube. HD-Cleanse polish, and then use Zymol Titanium. The wax you'll have for about 13 years since 1 jar will do approx. 50 applications. Wash it regularly and apply a carnauba spray after every wash and the protection will last 3-4 months easy if garaged. There are other good products out there too; this is just my recommendation. But the system, clay, polish, wax is pretty much universal.

wetstuff

PJ: I'd say; how much effort+product required depends on how much preservation has been done since 2002..

The: Wash ... Clay ... Glaze ... Wax ..progression seems to cover the upper end...with maybe a clearcoat prep between clay and glaze if needed... All of which can be done by hand but leveling glaze and wax are done more easily/quickly with power.

Most people in the detailing forums like the Porter-Cable buffer but I've found the don't-expect-much tools from Harbor Freight to work just fine. My current favorite is a 4", 2500rpm air buffer kite that came with a couple of velcro'd foam and wooly pads and a vari-speed, 7" electric buffer - the later was $30?! Around a Porsche, I prefer the smaller, 4" tho'..

I've also tried almost all product brands, tending to avoid anything available in PepBoys, etc. My current favs are Jeff's products. German chemistry to go with German cars... Their Spray Carnauba is the easiest I've found to apply - getting any Carnauba level requires effort.

Your Seal will display a shine better than my Silver 997, so the effort is well worth it. This is the only pic of my Seal Box I have at the moment. Have at it.

j i m

perfectlap

little time?

two products:

From Optimum try their No Rinse. You can wash the car without a hose in five minutes, just drop an ounce or two into a bucket of warm water. I haven't used a hose other than to rinse out my wheel wells in nearly a year. It like a silicone lubricant that glides the dirt off your car. Just use a few towels and maybe a sponge for the really dirty areas(do these first).
I also suggest getting a wheel face brush from Meguiar's Gold Class line to clean your wheels with the left over water in the bucket. FIVE MINUTES. I buy it from detailcity.com

After the wash use Finish Kare's FK1 #425. It has anti-static elements that keep the surface like a teflon coating, very slick. Dirt rolls right off and it doesn't attract dust like most of the waxes I used in the past.
After a rain fall the car is CLEANER as the soil slides to the lower portions of the car. I use 425 on the dash and anything that is plastic. Works EXCELLENT on glass and wheels. FinishKareusa.com

and the most important thing, get the best towels you can buy. I buy from Poorboys by the dozen and only use mega towels with silkbinding and Poorboys Waffle Weave towel for drying after a wash is the best I've used so far, no snagged threads. A quick spray of tire dressing (matte black) like 1Z or Michelin tire dressing completes the 20 minute detail. poorboysworld.com


p.s.
the less you touch the paint the better. Don't ever touch the paint when its dry. Always spray the panel and the towel. Lubrication keeps swirls away. I learned this the hard way with a black car.

Jay H

There are lots of good suggestions here. I like the post above mine as well for a quick detail job.

If you really want a simplified cleaning regimen, I'd suggest washing the car at least once a week. If you don't care about the ultimate shine and just want protection, skip the clay and polish steps. I skip these steps on my daily driver cars a lot since I just don't have the time. My cars still look decent enough for driver's.

I use One Grand Blitz Wax on my daily drivers and it holds up pretty well. The spray type waxes can give good results and are the most time effective product. Or, find an easy to apply paste type wax.

There are many good waxes out there. Skip the 'over the counter' type wax that you can get at Wal-Mart or the auto parts store and get something nice from topoftheline.com or carcareonline.com. These more 'pro' products are more expensive, but seem to last longer and are better for the paint in the long run.

If you've got the time, wax the car once a month. Or, shoot for at least 4 times a year if you can. At a minimum, every spring and fall is mandatory. But if the car is washed quite a bit or has a lot of time exposed to the sun, twice a year may not cut it with the wax product you're using.

Good Luck!

Jay

perfectlap

Jay,
I disagree somewhat. I don't really see a big difference between the big commerical car wax companies like Meguiars and Mothers and the smaller more expensive brands. I have my personal preference for Werkstatt polishes and sealants but I don't feel it does an amazingly better job than the stuff you can get at Target.
There is a ALLOT of hype in this industry and considering you should only polish(clean) your paint seasonaly and wax(dress) your paint once a month I don't think the over the counter stuff is really any worse. And you shouldn't be rubbing on your paint that often anyway. Some people apply a fresh coat of paste wax every weekend, that's the worst thing you can do to your paint.

I like the No Rinse because its a bit more delicate than a full on hose and suds wash and there is less to dry, thus less contact with paint. After the wash a quick spray wax with a proper buffing towel is all you need to get back the just waxed look. Use anti-statics and you'll keep the debris from dulling the shine allot longer.

Jay H

Yes, I'll agree to what you are saying above. My point was that I've used some el'cheapo waxes in the past and they were just average in how they applied and got removed, etc., etc. I will also agree that I have one bottle of really cheap Mother's 'cleaner wax' that works great on some customer's cars who's owners just want a quick wash and wax and only want to flip me a few bucks for an hour or so of my work. They couldn't care less about how the car looks, just so that it gets waxed twice a year for protection (or most likely their own piece of mind that they are 'taking care of their car'). This cheap stuff seems to be just fine for these abused cars.

I guess my point was rather than experimenting with 4 bottles of cheaper $5 wax, maybe it's more cost and time effective to just buy that $20 bottle of wax from some recommended site and run with it.

However, if one wishes to spend the time and money trying the $5 bottles, more power to them. I guess the point of the thread was to do a quick detail and save some time...hence my post.

Thanks for the constructive criticism! Zero offense taken!

Jay

RickBetterley

"Use anti-statics and you'll keep the debris from dulling the shine allot longer."
You have no idea (actually, probably you do) how important that statement is for me. My black car is a dust magnet.
What do you sugggest for antistatic? I am using the Klasse AIO and Glaze.
Thanks

perfectlap

^my condolences....I had black daily driver for five years. I still have very well defined forearms from all that cleaning.
I used Klasse for years but the new eco laws have forced Klasse to change the formulation of their sealants. Klasse deny this but I've used other Klasse products (VLRP) that were changed and no one bothered to inform me before I ordered. I was not happy with the new formula at all. anyhoo...

After using Klasse I would use an acrylic Paste wax. I noticed allot more dust accumulation with bio degradeable waxes made from pure Carnauba like P21 and S100. But I guess if you use an anti-static last step product (LSP) it doesn't matter what's between the Klasse and teh LSP. Given that, I'd recommend either the VERY acrylic 1000P from FinishKareusa.com (applied in very thin layers) or Poorboys Natty's Blue for black. Use that once a month. After you buff that out restore the antistatic barrier with FK 425 spray also from FinishKareusa.com or ChemicalGuys.com also sell an antistatic quick detailer spray. If you want an anti-static with a little more cleaning bite between washes try FK 146, also with antistatic ingredients.
And don't try to dilute these products, I've tried so that the bottle would last longer but no dice. Something in the anti-static ingredients doesn't like being mixed with water. Incidentally I looked up FK's patent on the anti-static ingredient with the Patent Office and the inventor's name is Meguiar! hmm...

Jay, I agree on helping the smaller brands by buying from the little guy with an overall better product. I'm a strong believer in competition. That's why I don't like these product lines that don't mix well with other brands and you have to buy all your polishes,sealants,waxes and quick detailer from them. I don't beleive in giving all my money to one brand. I might use a dozen different brands through out the year, good for the consumer in the long run. I think bigger companies like FK are taking notice and keeping their shipping costs low($5) and their quantities/value also good for the buyer. Too bad smaller brands don't develop their own anti-static formulations, there's a market for it even if they have to cut a few cents in royalties to FK1.

p.s.
the antistatic thing isn't bunk. Recomended to someone who noted that they no longer had to move their car from the drive way when mowing their lawn. The FK 425 repelled the clippings rather than attracting them. I had a similar experience after applying pure Carnauba S100 on a windy day, 30 minutes later car was covered in dust. Sprayed the car down with 425 and 30 minutes later shine from the s100 was still there but no dust and debris.

uzj100

Per the FK site: Floyd Mequire is Mr. FK. He broke away and did his own thing in the 60s I believe

MoeMistry

[QUOTE=Jay

If you really want a simplified cleaning regimen, I'd suggest washing the car at least once a week. If you don't care about the ultimate shine and just want protection, skip the clay and polish steps. I skip these steps on my daily driver cars a lot since I just don't have the time. My cars still look decent enough for driver's.

Jay[/QUOTE]

Jay, claying and polishing is probably THE most important step not to miss. By waxing over all the contaminants in the paint, you're merely allowing them to damage your finish. From a protection point, you might be fine ffrom the elements. I would say you're better off taking about 15-20 min. tops claying on a routine basis, say twice a year, and polishing, another 30-45 minutes, then applying a liquid wax spray if time saving is important. IMHO, everyone places so much imprtance on the wax, when the prep work is probably 70% of all the work in regards to the appearance and long-term care of your finish. Wax merely protects the work you previously did. A good wax does enhance the appearance of the finish, but without the prep work, you're waxing dead paint, swirls, not to mention all the impurities that clay would remove.

Jay H

I agree completely that the polishing (and/or claying) step is a very important step in the whole wax/wash/shine procedure.

However, if you just want a very quick detailing job and time is of the essence, washing the car regularily and treating it with some spray wax is probably good enough. I guess we should have asked the original poster a few more questions as to how much time he has to spend on the detailing process, how long he intends to keep the car, etc.

For example, a co-worker of mine has a decent enough car that he just washes regularily and treats it with spray wax. He has absolutely zero time or desire for polishing/claying, etc. His car looks great in the parking lot and the paint isn't beat up (probably a good example of not rubbing on your paint too much!). He ain't goin' the concours any time soon (and I'm sure I could nit pick the car to death if I were to judge it at a show) and just wants his car a bit nicer than all the rest of the stuff out there. That process works well for him, the metallic paint looks great when he's got the car clean and he spends very little time on the car as opposed to what I do and maybe what others that enjoy cleaning their cars do.

Thanks for the good conversations.

MoeMistry

Yup..you're right about the maintanance. Once the initial full detail is done, the weekly washes and a liquid spray wax will probably make the car look great for many months.

PJorgen

Thanks to everyone who provided these great suggestions!

I agree about the prep work, as in just about any job, the key is good preparation. I'm a bit apprehensive about using a power buffer - isn't that a great way to screw up the finish if I'm not careful?

One last question - according to most web sites, 1 Grand Blitz Wax can't be shipped to California (where I live). What the heck is up with that?