Noobie Question - Is my polish/seal/wax job FUBAR?

[Trubble]

Friday I finally got around to polishing the car. I clayed her again, then used my new PC and M205 polish. I applied a sealant (Detailer's Poli-Coat) by hand with a foam pad, and that part of the effort seemed to go well too.
I then went right into applying caranauba wax. Blackfire Midbight Sun. By the time the sun went down, the car was looking absolutely stunning. (At least to my eyes) - those of you who compete and win "best of show awards" may find fault with the job I did, but hey, I'm just learning the fine art of detailing!

While I was working on other things today, I recall hearing that the sealant should "cure" for a day or so before wax is applied. :uh oh:

So that's my question - was all my work WASTED by applying wax too soon? Do I need to start over? The car looks great, but I'm anxious to hear what you all think.

 

[Gremlin85]

You might have compromised the integrity of the sealant by not letting it cure properly.

It might still work OK, but will not be optimal or give the best clarity either.

For better results and a longer lasting protection, it's best to strip it off and reapply.

 

[mavericks-03svt]

anytime you clean up your ride and make it better than it was before is not time wasted in my book. I am sure you spend all day doing this and if it were me, I would let it ride for a while and then strip and redo when you have the time and it is ready for a clean up again. I did this the first time I applied sealant/wax and it did not cause any problems for me. I used CG Jet Seal and it is pretty user friendly so I wasn't too worried about it. However, a month or so later I stripped it off and applied it correctly for a piece of mind though.

 

[Trubble]

anytime you clean up your ride and make it better than it was before is not time wasted in my book. I am sure you spend all day doing this and if it were me, I would let it ride for a while and then strip and redo when you have the time and it is ready for a clean up again. I did this the first time I applied sealant/wax and it did not cause any problems for me. I used CG Jet Seal and it is pretty user friendly so I wasn't too worried about it. However, a month or so later I stripped it off and applied it correctly for a piece of mind though.

Maverick, Gremlin -
Thank you both for your thoughts on this. As she looks really great, I think I'm leaning towards letting it ride - maybe strip and re-seal in the fall.

Thanks again, Guys!

 

[FromGTtoSVT]

my personal opinion is you'll be fine, results usually speak for themselves

don't get hung up on all the crap that surrounds detailing...it can get overwhelming if you let it

 

[Mach1USMC]

When all else fails follow the directions. Not all seals are the same or require the same time to cure- what did the directions on the product say? As far as your methods go, M205 is great for moderate correction and final polish. So depending on the condition of your paint (swirls, oxidation etc) you may not have needed anything more aggressive. At the end of the day if YOU are happy with it that's what counts.

 

[mnewxcv]

good feedback so far. There are 2 main reasons to detail your car. to make it look good, and to protect it. if it looks good, great. Now as for the curing of the sealant, right your product. Honestly, whenever ive delt with sealants, I dont allow an extended curing period before topping it with wax. While curing MIGHT allow a better seal, the fact that youve sealed and waxed, I wouldnt worry at all about your car being protected.

this is how I test for protection:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8DdGUQDSL4

you can see the hood beads nicely and immediately due to the wax, while the fender has no protection and basically puddles on contact. So every so often see if its puddling, and add protection if so.

 

[Trubble]

Mach1 -

I DO read directions, however sealant instructions were silent on the question I threw out here,

For now, am going with the advice several here have offered - the car looks great, and I feel she has a good coat of protection. Next application I'll try giving sealant a little more time. This ain't worth losing any sleep over...

As i said earlier, this was my first effort at clay/polish/seal and wax, and though it consumed a whole day, am glad I did it.

Thanks again all!

 

[luke1333]

Mach1 -

I DO read directions, however sealant instructions were silent on the question I threw out here,

For now, am going with the advice several here have offered - the car looks great, and I feel she has a good coat of protection. Next application I'll try giving sealant a little more time. This ain't worth losing any sleep over...

As i said earlier, this was my first effort at clay/polish/seal and wax, and though it consumed a whole day, am glad I did it.

Thanks again all!

bill car looks great for first time detail! once you start going for perfection expect it to take more then a day though lol i remember my 02 gt took me 30 hours to paint correct to the way i wanted. mach will get same treatment eventually

 

[Trubble]

bill car looks great for first time detail! once you start going for perfection expect it to take more then a day though lol i remember my 02 gt took me 30 hours to paint correct to the way i wanted. mach will get same treatment eventually

Luke -

Your Mach already looks showroom perfect. BETTER than showroom!
See you at the Cruise-In.

 

[luke1333]

Luke -

Your Mach already looks showroom perfect. BETTER than showroom!
See you at the Cruise-In.

haha thanks trubble! and check out mine i forgot to tell you about this late friday night haha


http://www.svtperformance.com/forum...a-Treatmeant-for-Mach&p=14332166#post14332166

 

[Mach1USMC]

Trubble - below is off of Autogeeks website. It doesn't give a specific time but it does say once it hazes over to buff it off. I wasn't trying to poke you in the eye man but I've yet to see a detailing product that doesn't have specific instructions.

Machine Application:

If your vehicle hasn't been clayed before, use DP Universal Detailing Clay to remove any embedded contaminants from the paint.
Apply DP Poli-Coat Paint Sealant using a foam finishing pad on your dual action polisher. Apply the wax in a 2-3 square foot area in a very thin, even coat.
Once the wax has dried to a light haze, buff the area with a clean Cobra Microfiber Towel.
Continue working section by section until the entire vehicle is protected.

Hand Application:
Use a foam or microfiber applicator to wipe a thin coat of DP Poli-Coat Paint Sealant over one section at a time. Allow the sealant to dry to a light haze.
Buff off the residue using a Cobra Microfiber Towel.
Maintain the gloss between washes with DP Final Gloss™ Quick Detailer.

 

[Trubble]

Mach1
Hey, No harm, no foul. I saw those words on the bottle, but my original question was about letting the sealer cure before applying wax.

I went right to waxing after sealcoat. Some advice I found on this site said "let it cure" but in my eagerness to get it done, I forgot that recommendation.
I think the car looks really great, but I know for the next application I will give the seal time to cure.
Thanks for checking in again. Good advice from the Autogeek site. Have seen some of their info and vids.

Where's your home port? Did you take American muscle overseas?

Bill
(Too many years keeping 'em flying at Wright-Patt...)

Trubble - below is off of Autogeeks website. It doesn't give a specific time but it does say once it hazes over to buff it off. I wasn't trying to poke you in the eye man but I've yet to see a detailing product that doesn't have specific instructions.

Machine Application:

If your vehicle hasn't been clayed before, use DP Universal Detailing Clay to remove any embedded contaminants from the paint.
Apply DP Poli-Coat Paint Sealant using a foam finishing pad on your dual action polisher. Apply the wax in a 2-3 square foot area in a very thin, even coat.
Once the wax has dried to a light haze, buff the area with a clean Cobra Microfiber Towel.
Continue working section by section until the entire vehicle is protected.

Hand Application:
Use a foam or microfiber applicator to wipe a thin coat of DP Poli-Coat Paint Sealant over one section at a time. Allow the sealant to dry to a light haze.
Buff off the residue using a Cobra Microfiber Towel.
Maintain the gloss between washes with DP Final Gloss™ Quick Detailer.

 

[Trubble]

Thanks, Luke!

Hey I forgot to mention, I won't be able to make Cruise-In Friday night. Previous commitment.


Bill

 

[luke1333]

Thanks, Luke!

Hey I forgot to mention, I won't be able to make Cruise-In Friday night. Previous commitment.


Bill

i just posted same thing in my thread. im working this friday to take off next friday to go golfing so hopefully next friday i will be there

 

[Mach1USMC]

Mach1
Hey, No harm, no foul. I saw those words on the bottle, but my original question was about letting the sealer cure before applying wax.

I went right to waxing after sealcoat. Some advice I found on this site said "let it cure" but in my eagerness to get it done, I forgot that recommendation.
I think the car looks really great, but I know for the next application I will give the seal time to cure.
Thanks for checking in again. Good advice from the Autogeek site. Have seen some of their info and vids.

Where's your home port? Did you take American muscle overseas?

Bill
(Too many years keeping 'em flying at Wright-Patt...)

With the wax you're still going to have good protection. As long as it's not an organic wax it should last a few weeks at least. Carnuba is great but it doesn't last very long at all.

Try JetSeal109 from CG. I've had great success with it.