What Are My BEST Options?

[wannabesvt]

I have a '98 Bright Atlantic Blue Cobra and I am having trouble getting the shine that you guys are getting in all of the pics that I have seen.

I have used -Meguires Gold (full line of product)
- Mothers (full line of product)
- Mr. Clean Autodry
- Eagle One wet look (full line of product)

I have used a degreaser to get all the wax off and then clay-bar the whole car (as directed) then washed , waxed, and dried the car and quite can't get the shine that I am seeing everyone on here is getting.

What are some products and steps that I can use that will really make the color !POP! and glisten like it should?

 

[93Snake]

you want a nice pop..

purchase some Vanilla Moose Hand Glaze from Scott @ SMP, you can apply it by hand or by Porter Cable 7424, Apply some Meguiars NXT wait 24 hours and then apply either S100 or Poorboys Natty's paste wax or Meguiars #26 (my favorite) if you want I can give thorough (sp) instructions on how to apply everything... I strongly recommend purchasing a Porter Cable 7424 is you don't have one, makes life much easier when detailing trust me

 

[93Snake]

here's that combo on my mach 1, looks even better in person

http://community.webshots.com/photo/226117851/226122284CnenDk

 

[93Snake]

here is the write up I did for wannabesvt... I figured I'd post it up for everyone to enjoy :beer:, I'll post up another on how to wash and prep the car for the glaze/wax.

You'll need the Porter Cable 7424, You can purchase it here http://www.autogeek.net/poca746varap.html

that place is outstanding to order from the orders get to your door very fast

Now I'm not sure if you want to polish to remove swirl marks or not, if you do PM me back and I'll give you a walkthrough on how to do it, the list I'm going to give you now will hide swirl marks VERY well, Swirl marks are micro scratches.. these glazes and waxes fill in those microscratches to make them little to unoticeable.

Anyway here is how to get some beautiful gloss out of the gorgeous atlantic blue

You'll also need a 5 inch Backing plate for the Porter cable to attach the pads to, this is the one I use and have used for a year now and has been outstanding http://www.autogeek.net/damvp5.html

That backing plate attaches to the porter cable very easily you'll figure it out right away

Next you need a Meguiars Soft Buff Yellow Polishing pad measuring 6.5" you can get it here http://www.autogeek.net/mgw8006.html

the pad just attaches to that backing plate, it's got a velcro backing on it... so you don't have to worry about it falling off, those pads are the highest quality out there they won't rip or go anywhere

towels are next.. I use these cobra microfiber towels http://www.autogeek.net/pincobdetclo.html
there are plenty of good towels out there however, I've found for how good of quality these towels are and how well the towels are you can't beat it. The other towel I recommend is the one from Scott @ Specialty Motoring products. His towels are great quality and again are available at outstanding price http://www.specialtymotoring.com/

The first product you'll use is Vanilla Moose hand Glazer you can buy it here http://www.specialtymotoring.com/

This leaves a beautiful gloss and fill in swirls. Here's how you use it, Whip out the Porter Cable w/ that yellow pad, Apply an X of the product to the middle of the pad, You'll notice the porter cable has a little red dial that controls the speed, for a product like this you don't need to high of a speed, put it at 3.5. You always start the porter cable with pad flat on the car, or else your going to have product flying all over the place. Always keep the porter cable flat to avoid a messy cleanup... shut the Portercable off with it still on the paint or else it'll fling all over trust me. Now applying it... don't get wild, move at a resonable speed. A common thing I see people do is whip the porter cable around like it's a rag doll, take your time. Applying the product to the paint you can do as you like, Up or down- side to side... I like to use both. I've gotten the best results with vanilla moose by applying it to a panel... applying it to another panel then going back and wiping a panel with your microfiber towl. Basically do a panel-wipe a panel.There is no drying time with Vanilla Moose, so technically you can wipe it off right away but I personally like to let it sit for a minute.

You've done that take a break for a little bit and have a beer

Now the Sealant.. Poorboys EX-P sealant is a wonderful product
http://www.specialtymotoring.com/
The beautiful thing about sealants is that they give a very nice gloss and they last longer then your typical carnuba wax, I suggest applying this product by hand using one of Specialty motorings blue microfiber applicator pads. Apply it exactly like you'd apply any other car wax, You don't need to do the little circles thing anymore. I've had better results applying in back forth/motion. The Trick to getting the most of EX-P is time, I've applied it with buffing right away and with letting it sit for 20-30 minutes. I must say you'll be much happier with your results by letting it sit for 20-30 minutes. The Main thing I noticed was how much "wetter" the car looked. Again buff with another microfiber towel, I dedicate towels to waxes/glazes/polishes it's a good habit to get into... not neccessary but IMO sounds obssessive but trust me if you ever decide you want use an abbrassive product on your car to remove swirl marks this is a must, you don't want cross-contamination.

Ok the Last step let all that cure to the paint for 24 hours, don't drive the car or else you'll have to wash it all over again. Even if there is no noticeable dirt to the naked eye you've still picked up dirt and contamination from the road which is no good. Before you start this last step you need to take a microfiber towel and a quick detail spray, doesn't matter which one just go around and before you wax each panel wipe it off with the quick detail, this way any dust or anything that has gotten on your paint from sitting will be removed, Yes sadly dust can create swirl marks. Now this part is up to you, The only requirement is that it has to be a Carnuba Wax... The ones I use are S100, Meguiars #26, Pinnacle Souveran<< you can get all those from the autogeek link. I also use Natty's paste wax which is very good and you can get it at the specialty motoring link. On Dark colors pinnacle souveran an outstanding gloss and depth.. but it's also 50 bucks a jar so thats something you have to consider. My personal favorite is Meguiars #26, it's like 11 dollars a jar and smells like bannanas. The downfall to carnubas is that they do not last long, but they give a look that the sealant can not achieve. Therefore if your looking to keep a outstanding gloss all the time I recommend applying it once a month after a good washing. Here's how to apply, if you use #26 it comes with a nice foam applicator pad that works very well. I can't remember on the other as I haven't used them in quite awhile.. if they don't again I'd use either a foam applicator pad or one specialty motoring's blue microfiber applicators. You want to apply the carnuba with a nice thin even coat... again I recommend the back-forth method for applying. Let the carnuba wax dry to a haze and the buff off with a microfiber towel. After you've done all this crack open another beer and enjoy the gloss of your beauty

 

[93Snake]

One last thing I have no vendor/brand bias.. The products I listed I've been using for a long time and have given me results, the vendors I've dealt with on multiple occasions and have provided fast shipping and good customer service. I'd be more then happy to test and write a review for any product supplied to me :beer:

 

[Bonefish]

Nice notes...where does the SSR come into play? Before I assume what is above? Can you help me with those details?

 

[spree]

Nice notes...where does the SSR come into play? Before I assume what is above? Can you help me with those details?

SSR comes after you clay and before you polish. It's pretty logical if you think about it...the clay removes any particles that are stuck in your paint, the SSR clears out your swirl marks, the polish "freshens" up the paint a bit, and the wax/sealant protects it.