Question for Racer 5, or anyone about detailing...

[kingvitamin]

I've been using Zymol cleaner/wax so far, but think once the weather warms up, I would like to try the Meguiars 3 step process. After I use the Cleaner, if I did 2 or 3 coats of polish instead of one, would there be any difference? I want a deep wet look, but want to use products that I can easily get around here (Meguiars). I'm pretty happy with the Zymol, but want the "wetter" look. Any help/opinions greatly appreciated.

 

[Racer 5]

GLAZING is what gives you depth and that "wet" look. All wax does is protect~~~ sealers are the KEY to shine!! One coat of wax should be sufficient, have never felt the need to do 2 or more. Make sure you apply wax after glazing ~~ your paint is wide open to oxidation/contaminates. Glazes/Sealers I reccommend are Mothers, Meguairs, Liquid Ebony(my favorite!!). Hope this helps.

 

[kingvitamin]

Thanks, but what's the difference between glaze and polish? And, would multible coats of glaze give it a deeper look?

 

[20ESGUY]

The difference is, or should be I should say, that a polish contains no carnuba wax what so ever. Some companies try and pass glazes on as polishes. The polish is a finer version of the cleaner wax in that it smooths out the imperfections in the paint surface while at the same time adding the oils back into the paint. The oils are what gives it the "wet" look and the smoothness of the surface is what aids in the refectivity of the paint. A glaze is another form of surface smoother but contains small amounts of carnuba for protection. I personally use the Meguairs products. The combo of #1 cleaner wax, #2 deep crystal polish, #7 show car glaze, and gold class wax work extremely well for me. I don't recomened usin the cleaner wax more than twice a year really, takes off too much of the clear coat if you do it more than that.

 

[cjstringer]

I got the Meguiars 1,2,3 setup. How often is too often for 2&3 if you only want to do 1 twice a year? Really don't want to screw up the paint.
Thanks in advance..

 

[C Rae]

www.zainobros.com
check it out the best stuff out there

 

[DooMer_MP3]

Ok, I know I touched on this before, but didn't quite get all the info I wanted. My car has many small hairline scratches (only noticeable in direct sunlight), and they are very shallow. I waxed my car in November before the winter, but was told wax will do nothing to fix these blemishes. So can anyone tell me the procedure to get rid of these? I assume after washing I need to:

1) Get the old wax off somehow...
2) Use something (polish? glaze?) to smooth out these small blemishes.
3) Apply fresh wax.

If someone could fill in 1 & 2, I'd be grateful. I do not want to go nuts here. I mean, I love my car, but don't want to spend 8 hours on the thing doing multiple coats of everything. I don't have the time or arm strength . I just want to get rid of the blemishes and move on.

ALSO, what step would the dreaded swirl marks come from? How do you prevent those, or fix them if they occur? Thanks everyone!

Chris

 

[cjstringer]

Well, as for #1&2 of yours, I bought the Meguiars Car wash, and #1,#2,#3 bottles from Autozone. I did the wash (Meguiars big bottle of general car wash) to get all the winter crap off the car. The #1 bottle (I think this wash car wash wax like stuff)did a real good job bringing out a bit more of the shine, but left the swirl marks. The #2(I think this was the polish) got rid of the visible swirls and really brightened it up a ton. This should fix most of the main issue you addressed in your Q. The #3 is the Carnuaba(sp?) wax. Really good to finish it all out. Looked good for about half a day, then it snowed. Wasn't supposed to. *&^(^$%( dumbass weathermen.
Anyway Hope this helps. Just throwing in my experience.

 

[Newf]

Doomer_MP3

The glaze should work from what Racer 5 was telling us before. But, if you want, you can take it to any decent autobody shop, and they can do a process called wet sanding. This process is amazing. And Cheap too (Although waxing will still be cheaper). I've seen them get some really nasty scratches out using it and it last forever as it isn't a paint or wax of any kinda. It doesn't take any time at all to wet sand something.

laterz

Oh, and since I'm posting in this thread, is mothers or meguiars a better product? or is this just a matter of opinion?

 

[Racer 5]

Guys ~~ I have been extremely busy the last few days and have not been able to answer any posts. Thanks to everyone else for providing insight to the questions asked.

 

[Racer 5]

Just a few points I would like to make.

Glaze DOES NOT contain any carnuba~~will not protect your car's finish. You must wax after you glaze.

I use mothers, people swear by Meguirs, I think both are good, use what's available/cheapest. Only advantage that Mothers has is there line-up is more extensive.

To reduce amount of swirl maks from washing Please use the softest bristle brush you can find, clean car with strokes, not too much back and forth scrubbing. If you car is that dirty, consider washing it more frequently. No Sponges, I know some people will disagree here, but believe me. My car is black (Worst to keep clean and hide swirls), had it since August and the finish still looks showroom~~~use a soft brush. And keep the hose with you as you wash~~surfaces must be lubricated before you go stroking~~~the car I mean

Small sratches or scuffs in the clearcoat are easy to make dissapear. Some clay bar work, and some Liquid ebony, or other type of glaze should remove them. Wet sanding is an extreme case. However, it may be worth considering if the scratches are rally stubborn, and won't go away with the clay bar/glaze. Do not try to wet sand at home unless you are somewhat fimiliar with paint surfaces and techniques.

CJSTRINGER, you will only need to do step 2 maybe 3-4 times a year. The paint is still new, should not have that much contamination yet. Step one maybe 1-2 times. Waxing(#3) should be done once every 2-4 weeks depending on the integrity of the coat. An easy trick to tell if you car needs wax~~ if water beads on your car are about the size of a nickel when it rains or when you wash.

Once again sorry for the delay in replying.