Quote:
Originally Posted by imaginos
Thanks to all that responded. I have been checking out the other threads and have been learning a lot. I'm still not sure about whether its best to seal or wax. Waxing I know, sealing I do not.
|
There is no difference in the application and removal process from a sealant or a wax. The sealant is there for just that purpose, after you do all your prep work(wash, clay, polish) the sealant then creates an obvious protection layer. Sealants depending on brand last between 3-6 months. Wax's don't necessarily protect your paint as a sealant will.
With your choice of jet black you should definately read up on the new car prep, you picked a hard color to take care of. Depending on your budget for car care products you can do just about anything. You hear a lot of talk about Porter Cable Polishers(PC for short). The PC is used the apply polish waxes, which is usually a 2 step process. This step helps remove swirls, light oxidation and many other minor paint defects. I just got one and frankly the PC is a must! It also helps save your back and legs haha.
Here are the steps I took:
-Wash using Menzerma Auto Shampoo using a sheepskin mitt(you must have 2 different mitts at the least, 1 for the rims, 1 for the car)
-Dry; a good waffle weave MF towl or even "the absorber". Bloch dry, do not wipe dry. Wiping will cause swirling, even just after the wash.
-Clay the car. I used the Meguiars kit. Follow the steps on the box or on this forum. It's not as hard as you think it will be.
-Polish, step 1; Using the PC and a Orange pad(slightly abrasive pad to cut through swirls and such) and Menzerma Intensive Polish.
-Polish/buff, step 2; Using PC and a white pad(helps buff the paint and bring the shine back) and Menzerma Final Polish II.
-Sealant, this step seals in all the work you just did. I use Poorboys EX-P.
-Wax, this is just the icing on the cake. I use Poorboys Natty's Blue wax.
-Do the final touches. ie clean glass(I use Invisible Glass, amazing product), rainx if you like, clean plastic moldings(I use Aerospace 303), and I really suggest waxing your rims. You can use general wax or there are specific wheel waxes, I have Poorboys wheel sealant. Also clean the interior.
This can be all done in one day, just set aside an entire Saturday or Sunday. I bought all my products for just about $320 shipped to my door from Detailed Image,
http://www.detailedimage.com/store/ , I contacted George(name on the forum is 'Detailed Image') told him what I wanted as for my car care and he suggested all my items and helped me in how to use them.
I'd def. contact George or Picus and they'll be more then happy to help you. Or feel free to send me a PM with any questions.
-Garrett
Edit: Oh and please buy some good MF towls. Either from detailed image, or get Cobra MF towls(you can get them at autogeek.net) or Pakshack towls,
www.pakshack.com I learned not all MF towls are a like. Throw away the ones from autozone or use them as junk towls. A good MF towl will help keep your paint swirl free. I know you'll look at cobra or pakshack and think, "$40 for 10 MF towls!, This guy must be nuts." But think about it, you just spent all this time washing, claying and now polishing to help remove paint defects and swirls, and now your going to use a terry cloth towl thats been the all purpose towl used for everything but drying off after a shower or a cheap MF towl. All the work you just commited too will get ruined by not using a good MF towl to remove your waxes.
Plus you just dropped $40k on prolly one of the cars you always dreamt of owning, IMO only top tier products will be used on my car, and I think you feel the same since you started this thread.