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Store Bought Waxes Part II (No Zaino Posts)

3963 messages,  Last post on Aug 24, 2009 at 2:18 PM

You are in the Maintenance & Repair Forum.

What is this discussion about? Exterior, Auto Body, Paint, Coupe, Convertible, Hatchback, Truck, Sedan, Wagon, SUV, Van

Messages Page 396 of 397

#3944 of 3963 Re: New into Car Waxing! [moocow1] by tallman1

May 20, 2008 (10:07 pm)

Replying to: moocow1 (May 19, 2008 10:54 am)
For a new car, what would you guys recommend for the process? And what are some of the best new long term paint sealants out there?
 
I'm a big fan of the paint sealant from Griot's Garage.
 
You can visit my CarSpace page to see photos of the water beading after almost a year. I still haven't applied a new coat yet and it still looks just like the photos.
See more Car Pictures at CarSpace.com">

#3945 of 3963 Re: Advice needed [imidazol97] by fintail

May 27, 2008 (1:39 pm)

Replying to: imidazol97 (May 19, 2008 1:13 pm)
Well, the old car is now at a higher end detail shop. I tried to rub it out, polish it, and then wax it - my test panel (trunklid) showed virtually no change. The paint needs a machine polishing, something I can't give it.
 
The guy at the detail shop, who I believe was the owner, was impressed with how smooth and strong the paint on the car felt and looked. He wasn't worried about it not coming back to life, it seemed pretty routine to him. I won't have time to pick it up until late Friday or Saturday...should be fun. A little expense, but since the car got nothing but an oil change last year, I guess I can handle it.
 
This is also the first time I have ever taken one of my cars to a professional detailer - I have always done it myself in the past.

#3946 of 3963 Re: Advice needed [fintail] by tallman1

May 27, 2008 (5:56 pm)

Replying to: fintail (May 27, 2008 1:39 pm)
Looking forward to seeing how it works out!

#3947 of 3963 Re: Advice needed [fintail] by bretfraz

May 28, 2008 (5:20 am)

Replying to: fintail (May 27, 2008 1:39 pm)
While your Mercedes is being detailed, have a look at this one, an '83 240D that was pro detailed recently. Came out pretty nice.
 
http://www.autopia.org/forum/click-brag/107473-1983-mercedes-240-diesel.html

#3948 of 3963 Re: New into Car Waxing! [laurasdada] by moocow1

May 28, 2008 (1:57 pm)

Replying to: laurasdada (May 20, 2008 10:21 am)
Hmm I saw that zaino thread, figured I should start with the main one first. But I'll ask there as well for advice.

#3949 of 3963 Re: New into Car Waxing! [tallman1] by moocow1

May 28, 2008 (2:00 pm)

Replying to: tallman1 (May 20, 2008 10:07 pm)
Ooo, that looks really nice, I'm impressed. I'll have to look into that one.
 
What about maintenance between sealant applications? Do people just use standard car wash soap, rinse, and dry or is there anything else done?

#3950 of 3963 Re: New into Car Waxing! [moocow1] by tallman1

May 31, 2008 (6:35 pm)

Replying to: moocow1 (May 28, 2008 2:00 pm)
What about maintenance between sealant applications? Do people just use standard car wash soap, rinse, and dry or is there anything else done?
 
I use the car wash from Griot's but I'm sure others are just fine. I've found that using a good microfiber wash pad or mitt works well for me. Using the two bucket method is crucial, IMHO. You use one bucket with your soap and another for rinsing. That way the dirt comes off in the rinse bucket and doesn't get back on the paint. My soap bucket stays clean after I'm done no matter how dirty my car is. Having a good wash pad helps because the dirt comes off easily when rinsing.
 
After rinsing, I use one quality microfiber drying cloth to get most of the water off (some folks use a special squeegee) and then I use the spray-on wax from Griot's. I use another microfiber cloth to wipe that off. It doesn't take that much extra time and the wax really helps the sealant last for a year. It adds a nice shine too.
 
Of course, I get anal about cleaning off the door jambs and inside the trunk and hood areas too.
 
I just did my annual sealant application this past week so I'm all set for another year!

#3951 of 3963 Re: Advice needed [tallman1] by fintail

Jun 01, 2008 (4:46 pm)

Replying to: tallman1 (May 27, 2008 5:56 pm)
Well, I got it back the other day. The day after I took it in the guy who runs the place called me to say it wasn't coming along as well as he had hoped...apparently he and his crew just couldn't get the old paint to shine up like new paint. He expected better too, but I guess it doesn't look too bad...the only thing is that I can make it look just as good myself. The positive side is that he didn't charge me for much more than a wash, even though they did wax it. But he said he used several different polishes, including a very aggressive one, and it had nearly no effect. He was saying how the paint predating clearcoat was a factor, but I don't know. Anyway, here's how it looks now, not much different from before.
 
One view
 
Another angle
 
(pics are from yet another cloudy day, not much sun this year)
 
It has kind of a muted shine, but not the mirror gloss I had hoped for.

#3952 of 3963 Re: Advice needed [bretfraz] by fintail

Jun 01, 2008 (4:53 pm)

Replying to: bretfraz (May 28, 2008 5:20 am)
Clearcoat paint can really make a car look good.
 
I use Meguiars NXT to maintain my modern car, and it looks like new

#3953 of 3963 Re: Advice needed [fintail] by tallman1

Jun 02, 2008 (8:42 am)

Replying to: fintail (Jun 01, 2008 4:46 pm)
It still looks pretty good for its age.
 
And I'm a bit south of you in the Puget Sound area so I can relate to your concerns about lack of sun lately!!

Messages Page 396 of 397

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