School me on polishing pads

[coolcobramatt]

So Junkman how would you correct the paint on a white car? Ive never seen a white car SHINE the way a red or a dark color car does. Just curious how YOU would get there.

I had a pure white 335i that I started my paint correction "life" working on. Shine isn't something you can compare to red or black, that's apples to oranges. White is a color you can get a nice gloss with but an eye popper it will never be. That being said, there's something to be said about a freshly waxed white car. It has it's own way of grabbing attention.

As JM said the technique is the same. You just gotta look closer to see how well you are doing (i.e. swirl removal).

 

[Joe5.0]

I have a recently purchased Oxford White 03' that is in need of a good Wax/Polish. The car has a good amount of "Swirl" marks and deep scratches i would like to get rid of. I have not been able to find a good recomendation on a great Wax for "White" cars.

Any recomendations?

I used some Zymoil (Correct Spelling?) liquid cleaner wax from Autozone by hand with a Micro Fiber. Did not do much. A polisher of some sort is in my future.

Im looking far a Great Wax/Sealent for an Oxford White Cobra, to remove swirls, and protect.

Thanks!

 

[Junkman2008]

My friend, you have a lot to learn about the paint correction process, especially pertaining to wax. First, watch these 3 videos as they pertain to your wax question. Next check out the videos in this thread. That will start you down the rabbit hole to paint correction. It's not as deep as you think it is but from your questions trust me, you will benefit from those videos big time.

[video=youtube;eiIEHn-9qo8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiIEHn-9qo8[/video]

[video=youtube;0XGwQDVbOgo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XGwQDVbOgo[/video]

[video=youtube;qSOinuGu7Pk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSOinuGu7Pk[/video]

 

[inyadreems]

I have a recently purchased Oxford White 03' that is in need of a good Wax/Polish. The car has a good amount of "Swirl" marks and deep scratches i would like to get rid of. I have not been able to find a good recomendation on a great Wax for "White" cars.

Any recomendations?

I used some Zymoil (Correct Spelling?) liquid cleaner wax from Autozone by hand with a Micro Fiber. Did not do much. A polisher of some sort is in my future.

Im looking far a Great Wax/Sealent for an Oxford White Cobra, to remove swirls, and protect.

Thanks!

No wax or sealant will remove swirl marks on any color, some may mask and hide due to fillers, but that will be short lived. With white the key is to get it squeaky clean before polishing. So after an evaluation of your paint if you have tar spots and little orange specs from fallout you will want to use an iron remover and tar remover after you wash, then clay, compound, polish and protect.

Pics of my white 13 Durango RT

A little something I put together for customers, this is very GENERAL for those NOT familiar with detailing.

Detailing: To meticulously clean, polish and protect all parts of a vehicle from top to bottom, inside and out, utilizing special tools and products that would not normally be used by your typical car wash.

Maintenance Wash: General maintenance wash is for a vehicle whose exterior has been well maintained with polishes and sealants. This wash utilizes a gentle shampoo that will not strip wax or sealants and add gloss and shine.
Decontamination Wash: Decontamination wash is for vehicle whose exterior has been neglected and has above surface contamination and swirl marks. This wash utilizes a strong soap mixture to remove dirt and strip wax in preparation for removing the above surface contamination and swirl marks.

Clay Bar: used to remove above surface paint contamination, paint overspray and industrial fallout. Paint contamination is tiny metal shavings from rail dust, brake dust, and industrial fallout. Paint contamination can be felt as a "rough or gritty" texture on the paint's surface as opposed to the “smooth as glass” texture. After this process the paint is left clean and smooth and ready for either compounding or polishing.

Below Surface Contamination: Types of below surface contamination could be water spots, bird dropping etch, tar stains, and tree sap stains. These types of contamination usually occur when a vehicles paint surface is left unprotected from the elements and the contamination is not immediately removed. These types of contamination usually require a combination of chemical cleaners, compounds and polishes to remove and restore the paints appearance.

Swirl Marks: Swirl marks come from improper washing and drying techniques and automated car washing systems. Utilizing pre-rinse or pre-soaks, grit guards in wash buckets, clean microfiber mitts, air blower to dry and clean plush microfiber towels with detail spray to dry the vehicle, along with the proper pressure all reduce the possibility of instilling swirl marks.

Paint correction: the process of removing these defects from a vehicles paint finish through machine compounding/polishing. This process will produce the most dramatic and eye dazzling results, as each panel of the vehicle is polished until near perfection.

Paint Coatings: permanent and semi-permanent paint coatings, glass coatings, trim coatings and even wheel coatings offer far greater protection than a conventional car wax or paint sealant. Paint coatings are resistant to alkaline cleaners, road salts and other harsh chemicals that can find their way from the road to your vehicle’s delicate finish. Most paint coatings are resin or quartz based. A paint coating forms a much stronger, harder bond and thicker layer of protection, enabling them to last considerably longer than wax/sealants. Most paint coatings last a minimum of one year while others, are semi-permanent and only need to be re-applied every couple years.

Paint Sealants: Synthetic products, composed mainly of polymers, designed for long-term paint protection and easy application. Paint sealants last longer than carnauba wax, usually 4-6 months, and are resistant to the elements. The latest polymer technology allows paint sealants to give the same gloss, depth and shine of a carnauba wax.

Carnauba Wax: Carnauba is the hardest natural wax on earth and offers water repellency and UV protection. Carnauba waxes offer maximum shine, slickness and gloss. Topping a paint sealant with a carnauba wax will also extend protection 1-3 months.

 

[Junkman2008]

No wax or sealant will remove swirl marks on any color, some may mask and hide due to fillers, but that will be short lived.

Well it turns out that they now have correcting sealants for very MINOR damage. Not the best idea if you ask me but those products are marketed for professional detailers who want to get a job in and out the door with minimal effort. They are supposed to be used with a rotary, which is the only reason that I can see them working. A rotary can probably remove damage if you were to use shoe polish as hot as that pad gets.

By the way, I disagree with that carnuba wax description. But you probably know that if you have seen any videos where I talk about waxes.

 

[ViperRed91GT]

Glad this thread got back on track and the "rank" contest (retirees that still throw rank crack me up, and JM I'm not referring to you; I got your point immediately) is over. Anyone who is serious about detailing already knows who JunkMan is. Give me the man some respect for offering a free service, you might just learn something.

 

[inyadreems]

I have a recently purchased Oxford White 03' that is in need of a good Wax/Polish. The car has a good amount of "Swirl" marks and deep scratches i would like to get rid of. I have not been able to find a good recomendation on a great Wax for "White" cars.

Any recomendations?

I used some Zymoil (Correct Spelling?) liquid cleaner wax from Autozone by hand with a Micro Fiber. Did not do much. A polisher of some sort is in my future.

Im looking far a Great Wax/Sealent for an Oxford White Cobra, to remove swirls, and protect.

Thanks!

Yes forgot to mention that if you are interested in an all in one or AIO type product, Meguiar's D151 and HD Speed are very good AIO's. They offer minor to medium correction with polishing abrasives and decent wax/polymer protection for about 2-3 months. These products are great for production detailing or the enthusiast who just doesn't have the time for a multi-step process.

Well it turns out that they now have correcting sealants for very MINOR damage. Not the best idea if you ask me but those products are marketed for professional detailers who want to get a job in and out the door with minimal effort. They are supposed to be used with a rotary, which is the only reason that I can see them working. A rotary can probably remove damage if you were to use shoe polish as hot as that pad gets.

By the way, I disagree with that carnuba wax description. But you probably know that if you have seen any videos where I talk about waxes.

Rgr., AIO's have there place in detailing, not everyone is OCD about there cars like we are. If you have a better brief description for nuba's for the layman, PM me and I will adjust my definition. Thanx

 

[Junkman2008]

... If you have a better brief description for nuba's for the layman, PM me and I will adjust my definition. Thanx

Just the shine part. I have never and never will use a wax to create a particular look on paint because I am a firm believer that polishing is what makes paint shine, NOT waxes. I look at it this way. In order to make brass shine, you polish it. In order to make windows shine, you polish them. In order to make jewelry shine, you polish it. In order to make mag wheels shine, you polish them. In order to make leather shine, you polish it. The abrasive action of polishing is what removes the oxidation and surface defects, which reveals the true look of the item's surface. Applying a wax does NOT do this unless it is a AIO (which contains polish).

I have shown people countless times in videos and pictures how this is achieved. However, and I have put this challenge out there to the world via You Tube and a lot of detailing forums, no one has been able to show me through any medium where applying a wax to PERFECTLY PREPPED paint results in an increased shine factor. Some say that the change is so subtle that it can't be seen through pictures or video. To them I say, why attempt to use wax for that purpose when I can prove all day long and every time that polishing will DEFINITELY create that shine and it can clearly be seen through every medium.

That's how I feel about waxes and shine. Waxes are for protection. Polishing equals shine.