Hi CarGIRL
If you back read on this thread you will see my post about turtle wax Ice polish and detailer.I got a silver sport fit 2 weeks ago and the ice does a great job.no worry about getting it on the black plastic or rubber IT DOES not LEAVE ANY WHITE RESIDUE.Really is great stuff.I hope this helps you out.
Jimrb66

 

eh not sure if i've posted but here it goes. This is the same process I use to do to my Lowrider paint jobs. The last time I showed a car in a car show was a 65 rag impala and it won 1st place in the paint class.
1st. wash the wheels then the car
2nd. dry with a microfiber towel or chamois shammy
3rd. clay bar the entire car, use some water when using the clay bar of course.
4th. wash the car once again when done and dry.
5th. the car will look scratched when done due to the clay bar taking off all the contaminents, paint will look not so bright.
6th. I use the meguiars three step, very easy to use, the less you smear on it, the better. Once again, microfiber applicator pads and clean microfiber towels to remove the wax.
7th. when done, I usually do not wash the car afterwords, if you want to you can, but its not a must. Your hand or finger will glide through the damn car when you're done. Here is a pic of the car I won 1st place with.

not the best pic of it... but will do.

 

This may be hard to believe, but after 22 years of new cars...the longest-lasting, best looking wax I have found....is....don't laugh is Raindance..liquid or paste, I perfer Liq. It looks great and lasts at least 6 months & thats liviing in Chicago..with all its tropical weather too !

 

try Griot's PaintSealant

also if off-the-shelf NuFinish

these are 2 polymer sealants that outlasts most.

but if you're going for appearance, i recommend carnauba.

 

Theres no sealant or wax that I would buy in a store that I would ever use on any of my own or my customers cars. If your looking for durability then Zaino Z2 is the answer. I use Z2 on my windows and I dont even need wipers. Rain rolls right off and beads water just like the paint. As for people having waterspots zaino also makes a glass polish that can easily be applied and removed by hand. This took off waterspots with almost no effort when I used it. Also zaino products do not like to be topped off with carnauba.

As for other sealants theres tons of options. Meguiars #21 is very easy to use and leaves a great shine on light colored cars. For dark color cars I use blackfire. Either one can be topped off with a carnauba.

Also no sealant or wax out there will remove swirls. There are several glazes that when applied will fill in the swirls and make it appear as they are gone. But of course it will fade in a couple of months and show the swirls again.

Just so everyone knows clay barring will remove any previous sealant or wax. Also if you clay bar without polishing you will have light scratches all over the car. Although clay bar only needs to be done usually about twice a year or so.

As for people not getting a good shine by waxing, your probably using a low quality wax or using improper technique. Obviously you will need a full paint correction to achieve the best look but that will take about 6+ hours and will need to be done professionally. Although if you give it a good wash with a good quality car wash soap and apply the right wax in VERY THIN layers youll be just right. Remember you should BARELY be able to see the wax as you apply it. Usually just wait a couple minutes till it hazes over and buff it off till all the residue is gone. Do 2 coats to ensure full coverage. Ive tried many waxes from the $20 ones to $500 waxes and believe it or not my favorite of them has to be P21S 100%. Costs about $50 and looks amazing on all colors.

 

P21S is still pretty pricey, although I've heard all kinds of good things about it.

I stick to Poorboys Natty's Blue wax. It makes dark colors look GREAT. Used it on my black 07 Mustang when I was into hardcore detailing, and now I use it on my BBP fit. Haven't used any <$30 wax that beats it in quality.

My old process used to be:

Wash
Dry
Poorboys EX sealant
Wipe
Poorboys Natty's Blue
Buff

As long as your paint is in good condition, a good sealant followed by a good wax is going to bring out the color and depth of the paint better than any wax by itself (and the sealant will provide months of protection) - this works pretty well with Klasse as the sealant as well, but I haven't used that in a long time.

 

That is also a very good wax. Best bang for the buck IMO.

 

Read all 14 pgs, but no mention of my issue.

New ORM Fit, out in the country.
100 yard gravel drive to a 2 1/2 Mile chip & oil road out
to the hard road.
No rain in a month, & they just oiled the roads this week.

Is there anything to help keep the windows clean. 1 trip
& you can write your name on the back window.

Also, what's the safest bug & tar remover? I don't want to
trash the paint before I can get the 1st coat of wax on.

 

There's really nothing you can do to KEEP a window clean, especially the rear window, its just dynamics. No matter what you use the rear of the car will always get filthy.

As for bug and tar removar, try to clean it as soon as possible so it doesn't eat into your paint. I don't believe in bug and tar removers and scrapping them off with a sponge, that will just cause more damage. Try to wash it as soon as possible and use a clay bar to get rid of bug gut residue and tar.

 

I've reading a lot of the threads in this part of the forums because it occured to me that I've had my GD3 for just over a year and I have never waxed it. Now, I'm a complete noob to such things as serious detailing, and I'd really like to know what I'm doing, both so that my Fit will look incredible, and that I won't make any mistakes. I do almost everything to my Fit on my own, and this is one thing that I know I'll enjoy and want to do well. Plus, my mom just bought a red GE8 and my sister's 08 Yaris always looks like crap!

So questions:

I know I'm going to clay bar. Once every six months? That sounds like it should be fine for me.

Wax or sealant? I've been reading a lot about both, some say to use both, some say to use one or the other. Many people say that they both provide different types of shine. I'd personally like the deeper shine. My Fit is Vivid Pearl Blue, and I'd like for it to pop. But will just using wax not last long enough? This part confuses me.

At what point do you need to polish/buff? And are they the same things? I'm scared to death of using things like a Porter Cable buffer, my dad had his 88 Suburban polished (or buffed?) when I was a kid and the guy burned the hood.

Also type/quality of wax. I don't feel like waiting for something to show up in the mail. Is there any major big box store that carries anything that is mid-level in price but offers good results? And I really need to make sure that whatever I use does not leave the white residue on anything. I hate that and it would simply upset me, yet I'm not going to tape my car.

Last thing: how long should I anticipate it taking? Right now when I wash and do the interior I tend to take about 3 hours. Should 6 or more hours be expected?

Thanks for any advice!

 

If your not willing to buy online you will not find any half decent products.

Claying every 6 months is ideal.

You will be better off by using sealant AND wax. Sealant is for protection and wax is for looks. Always best to use both.

Polishing should only be done when needed or every two years or so. If you buy a porter cable it is impossible to burn the paint since it is a random dual action. It is very easy to burn the paint with a rotary buffer. I still would not attempt to polish if I were a beginner to it. I bought junked parts from a junkyard and practiced on them. Find a true professional that has pictures of his work if you want a polish. Polish is what removes swirls/scratches/random imperfections. Look in my signature for pictures of what a full detail including polishing can do.

I can recommend very good products that are made for your color car that will make it look amazing for really cheap.

For a wash, clay, re wash after clay, sealant and wax it will take you around 6-8 hours depending on how long you let the sealant and wax cure.

 

It took me about 8 hours to wash, clay and wax the outside and clean the interior. Phew. I think she's due for a sealant + wax pretty soon, before the winter months make car care almost impossible (at the very least, unbearable)

Anyone recommend a good sealant that doesn't cost an arm and a leg and can be found at a store?

 

Meguiars NXT is probably the only half decent sealant out there. Gets 3 out of 10 in my book. I can't understand why people aren't willing to buy online considering how much cheaper and better the products are.

 

Well, if there really aren't any good products on the shelf out there, then I'm certainly happy to buy them online. Can you recommend something to me that won't break the bank? I've found there are SO many options its almost intimadating to start from scratch not knowing anything.

As for the buffing/polishing, I certainly won't be worrying about that for another year or so.

And thanks for the help!

 

The best spray on wipe off sealant is called Duragloss Aquawax, incredibly easy to use, looks great, and lasts a while.

Also there is Optimum car wax which is a spray on wipe off carnauba wax which is also easy to use and looks amazing. Not to mention even though it is carnauba it will stain plastic or trim.

Both of those products can be found on We Are Car Care -- Car Wax, Car Polish, Auto Detailing Supplies, Car Buffers & Car Accessories Store along with other great products and very informative articles.

For dark color and blue cars one of the greatest wax out there, definately top 3 in my book is poorboys natty blue paste wax available at poorboysworld.com it is very affordable and leaves darks and blues looking extremely deep and glossy. Also if you want to spend a little more for the best carnauba paste wax in the market get P21s 100% which is available at autogeek. Works amazing on all colors.

Also its a good idea to use quick detailer after every wash to add some extra protection/gloss. Also it'll remove any water drips or waterspots you missed while drying. This is one product I could recommend from a store called Meguiars ultimate quick detailer, comes in a black bottle. Works great after every wash or to remove bugs from the bumper after a highway trip. Works good on wheels and door jambs as well.
Make sure your only using microfiber towels and foam applicators!!!

 

Okay, so I'll probably be buying some stuff from autogeek within the next few days. My poor Fit looks horrible, we've got all these fires going on and it's just raining down ash. So I probably won't be able to do anything till next week or so.

I'll be getting the P21s 100% and Meguiars Quick Detailer. I'll be buying two new sponges and two new buckets, as well as a bunch of microfiber waffle weave cloths.

Two questions: Is there any particular clay bar you'd recommend? I'm sure my car really needs that level of cleaning.

Also, with the P21s, do I need to use a sealant after waxing with that?

Thanks for the help, I'm really quite a noob when it comes to this level of detailing!

 

Any clay bar will do. Most people say they're all the same. As for the sealant, it goes on underneath the wax. I highly recommend Duragloss Aquawax. Very easy to use and looks amazing. Can be found on autogeek as well. P21 on top of that will be straight sex!

 

Excellent. As soon as Los Angeles stops burning I'll be making my Fit look better than brand new! I'll probably end up spending over $100 on autogeek, but I'm sure it'll be worth it. And I'm also sure I'll have some more questions before I actually do it! Thanks again!

 

what do you all think of this? thanks

• Eagle One Wax As-U-Dry Spray Wax.
• It's the easiest way to wax!
• Eagle One's Wax-As-U-Dry is simple and quick.
• Just spray on your wet car and wipe to a brilliant shine!
• It leaves no white residue, streaking, or hazing and is safe for all painted surfaces, windows, bumpers, and moldings.
• The pure carnuba wax provides long lasting protection and leaves a high gloss shine!
• 18oz can.

 

I guess it could work, eagle one isnt a bad brand. But theres better alternatives. I dont believe in wax as you dry since the water will pretty much dilute the carnauba and go on your towel. Just dry and use a good spray synthetic like Duragloss Aquawax (my favorite product) or some Optimum Car wax.

P.S. Most online detailing stores accept the coupon code 'autopia' for usually 10% or 15% off.