There should be a sticky for this stuff.

[samill2]

I'm seeing alot on this PC 7424 and Zaino. You guys should have a sticky in here or something. I bought my Mineral Gray '03 in March and I've never waxed her but do keep it washed. Only spray washes or Terry Cloth mitt and I dump the old water after each side washed. I also have one of those blue waxer things from Pep Boys that spins and rotates at the same time. I've used it before on other cars but wasn't too impressed with the results.

Here's my plan, please help me fill in the unknowns and correct the errors:

1. Wash 2x (Meguiars Deep Crystal)
2. Clay Bar (Meguiars Quick Clay)
3. Wash
4. [At this point I feel like an Englishman in China - I have no idea what swirl removers, polishes, waxes, or pastes to use or in what order]
5. Drive

Great plan, huh?

I want the car to shine! I'm willing to do the work to get it there (just ask my wife who complains about me washing it all the time) I just don't know what to do. Please help me before I ruin a good paint job. Thanks in advance. I will greatly appreciate any advice.

 

[spree]

First things first, trash that mitt. I haven't used terry cloth for anything on my car in years. They tend to scratch. You should use a sheepskin or microfiber mitt instead. For drying, you definitely want to use waffle weave microfiber towels.

You're going to want to go the synthetic sealant route on a Mineral Gray car to make the metallic flakes on it jump out at you. There's a lot of great sealants out there. Here's a few for starters that would work well on your car:

- Zaino Z2 Pro
- Four Star UPP
- Menzerna Full Molecular Jacket (FMJ for short)
- Poorboy's EX-P
- Optimum Car Wax
- Mother's Reflections Advanced Car Wax
- Klasse SG (nice, but difficult to remove)
- DP Premium Surface Shield
- Wolfgang DGPS

The list goes on and on...

Your process should look something like this:

- Wash
- Clay
- (either wash again or rinse the car) and dry
- Optimum Polish via Porter Cable (PC) with a polishing pad
- Your choice of sealant

That should do the trick. Nice and easy

 

[pj_rage]

Spree, are you using a microfiber mitt or sheepskin mitt yourself? I've been using sheepskin for a few years now, but I'm in need of a new mitt and I'm considering trying microfiber.

 

[mixxer]

i got the micro fiber one from autotopia is nice

 

[spree]

Spree, are you using a microfiber mitt or sheepskin mitt yourself? I've been using sheepskin for a few years now, but I'm in need of a new mitt and I'm considering trying microfiber.

I use both. Depends on my mood. Mainly microfiber though.

 

[trance_in_miami]

I use the Sheep skin for really dirty cars. & the Microfiber for lighty dirty cars. Problem with the MF mitt is that if you have hard water, it gets annoying & it wont be as slick becasue of the lack of alot of suds. :whine:

 

[pj_rage]

I use both. Depends on my mood. Mainly microfiber though.

Which mitt, in particular? Or are they all created equal?

 

[spree]

Which mitt, in particular? Or are they all created equal?

I don't have a favorite MF mitt. They're definitely not all created equal (that's like saying walmart MF = pakshak MF). You'll be fine as long as you buy it from a reputable source.

 

[trance_in_miami]

buy it from pinnacle & get free shipping & 10% off you should be fine. i bought two a while back. Very soft!

 

[nothingelse]

If you go with the Zaino make sure you wash your car with Dish soap the first time it removes the carnauba wax from the surface. This also helps the Zaino bond better with the paint. I highly recommend the Zaino I used to use it on my 00 Black GT. The first time I used it I took my car to the gas station right afterwards and I had a guy ask me if my car was new. That shit looked like glass. Good luck

Zaino Recommends.
1. Wash with dish soap
2. Clay using mixture of Zaino Car wash and Water
3. Wash again with Zaino car wash
After that you can start to apply the wax

 

[spree]

If you go with the Zaino make sure you wash your car with Dish soap the first time it removes the carnauba wax from the surface. This also helps the Zaino bond better with the paint. I highly recommend the Zaino I used to use it on my 00 Black GT. The first time I used it I took my car to the gas station right afterwards and I had a guy ask me if my car was new. That shit looked like glass. Good luck

Zaino Recommends.
1. Wash with dish soap
2. Clay using mixture of Zaino Car wash and Water
3. Wash again with Zaino car wash
After that you can start to apply the wax

Claying also removes old wax buildup. So does polishing. There's no reason to introduce dish soap anywhere in the process really....

 

[BigChiefSmokem]

Claying also removes old wax buildup. So does polishing. There's no reason to introduce dish soap anywhere in the process really....

I'm thinking of polishing pretty soon too...

So i can skip the dish soap to strip the wax off and go straight to a regular wash and clay bar then wash again and start the polishing process? I'm gonna SSR 2.5 then SSR 1 with a PC...

 

[spree]

I'm thinking of polishing pretty soon too...

So i can skip the dish soap to strip the wax off and go straight to a regular wash and clay bar then wash again and start the polishing process? I'm gonna SSR 2.5 then SSR 1 with a PC...

yes.

 

[nothingelse]

Claying also removes old wax buildup. So does polishing. There's no reason to introduce dish soap anywhere in the process really....

When you say polishing removes wax builidup what exactly are you referring to. :shrug:

 

[spree]

When you say polishing removes wax builidup what exactly are you referring to. :shrug:

I'm saying there's no need for Dawn when using Zaino. When you use Zaino, you want a clean surface on your car so that the Zaino will bond properly. They recommend Dawn to remove old wax buildup. All I'm saying is you don't need Dawn since both a clay bar and a car polish (a real car polish, not Z2/Z2Pro) will remove old wax buildup.

That's why I'd actually recommend Menzerna before Zaino. It'll basically strip your paint of any protection it had on there and create a perfectly dry surface for Zaino.

 

[coolcobramatt]

Allan...call me next time you get to Paducah and I'll help you get her polished up. Order some Pinnacle Body Cleansing Lotion and bring it with you. I have everything else you will need.

 

[samill2]

Allan...call me next time you get to Paducah and I'll help you get her polished up. Order some Pinnacle Body Cleansing Lotion and bring it with you. I have everything else you will need.

As usual - you're the man. Maybe next time I'm there I won't be spray-painting the toilet.