Well winter is coming, and I have so many bottles of stuff in my backyard... I was wondering if anyone will give me some feedback on what im going to do.

Step 1 - wash with meguiars car wash shampoo
Step 2 - Dry the car up
Step 3 - Apply clay magic on the whole car
Step 4 - Use Rubbing Compound to get rid of swirls and minor crap
Step 5 - Use Klasse All In One
Step 6 - Use Klasse SG
Step 7 - Use Klasse SG again
Step 8 - Use some kind of carnuba wax. (S100 or Turtle Wax Carnuba Wax)

Its gonna take so many hours and lack of social time, but i know this is worth it in the long run.

Do any of you guys know if I can do this? will i hur tmy paint if I use so many crap on the car?

 

Define Step 4 further. If you mean using Rubbing Compound all over the car...that wouldn't be a good idea. You should use some type of polish instead.

Bob

 

Your list looks good. I'll agree with SilverBelle, use the least aggressive polish you can for step 4. I would think your finish is in pretty good shape, given you have a 2K3.

 

I would wash again after you clay to ensure there is not any residual lube left. As far as step 4, will you be applying by hand or pc? That will make a big difference in helping you determine which products you can choose from and the results you will get.

 

So after step step three which is clay, I should rewash with the shampoo again?

For step four im just going to do it by hand, and Im not going to cover the whole car with it, just some parts of the car.. Yeah im just going to go pick up some polishing compound instead of the rubbing compound.

Well I appreciate the advice, this will be my weekend project. thanks

 

[/QUOTE]
So after step step three which is clay, I should rewash with the shampoo again?


yes

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...Im not going to cover the whole car with it, just some parts of the car..

Why short change yourself? The better you prep your car, the better the final result. If your going to purchase and apply the polish, APPLY THE POLISH. I would strongly recommend applying by pc if you can afford it. It makes the application of the product easier and faster with BETTER results. It just went on sale at Lowes for $99. plus the cost of pads. I'm not sure how long it will be at that price. The Autopia store has a pc and pad kit set for $179 and you get 10% off if you d/l the ebook and get the discount code.

 

For the polishing, I'd recommend using a more aggressive one on the bad spots(like you said) and a very mild polish on the rest of the car. I did this with my 2k2 when it was about 1 year old. I didn't think it needed a lot of attention, but I was amazed at how much better the finish looked (much deeper).

I use the Menzerna polishes...Intensive (more aggressive) and the Final (less aggressive) Applied with a PC. Then the AIO, SG and wax. See my home page for pics....and post yours when the project is complete!

 

Damn thanks bluesbrekr/silverbelle/snadman.

I was wondering what other brands of polish compound are there besides Menzerna? I spent 40+ bucks on klass and 15 on S100.... I dont want to spend another 30 on polishing compounds.

 

The AIO is not an agressive polish at all. You'll want to get one that's more agressive. Should be less than $30. I'm not familiar with a lot of brands other than Menzerna, though....

 

What kind of rubbing compound are you using?

 

My favorite polish for light swirls is Meguiars Swirl Free Polish (#82). If something more aggressive is needed, I always go to Meg's DACP (#83) by PC. #82 can be used by hand, but a PC will give better, faster results. No, you won't mess up your paint if you use the products properly, but I'd stay away from "rubbing compound".

If you'll be polishing after claying, washing after claying isn't necessary. Especially since you'll be using Klasse AIO. The polish and/or AIO will remove any clay residue.

Keep in mind that prep work (clay and polish) is more important than whatever final product you apply. Polishing will mean the difference between having a clean looking car and one that literally "pops" at you. The polishing step can not be stressed enough.

I haven't used Klasse SG, but if I remember right, it is a polymer/sealant. These usually need up to 24 hours, depending on environmental conditions, between coats (or application of your carnauba topper) to fully cure. This is something else to think about while planning time needed.

What I usually do is break the car up into sections, such as horizontal and vertical surfaces. Splitting it up would let you wash and clay entire car, then polish and wax (Klasse SG) horizontal surfaces one day. Then wash entire car, polish and wax verticals the next and apply second coat of SG to horizontals. On the third day, wash entire car and apply second coat of SG to verticals, and carnauba to horizontals. And so on. Doing it this way will also only take several hours a day instead of beating yourself for 8 plus hours all in one day (depending on how quick you can proficiently detail). A lot of people try to tackle too much at once, get tired, and lose interest in doing a very good job.

You didn't mention wheels (rims get treated like other paint), tires, glass (I clay, polish, and RainX mine), door jambs (treated like other paint), engine bay (paint, rubber, metal polished), and a complete interior detail. Don't forget the little things like cleaning/dressing trim, removing excess wax/polish from cracks, polishing headlights/tail lights, cleaning wheel wells, etc....

Hope this helps. You can check out www.autopia.org for other opinions/procedures from pros and serious enthusiasts. But be careful, because detailing can become an expensive, time consuming sickness that currently has no cure.

Dave

 

True, this.

 

A couple of swigs of Z2 every couple of weeks keeps my condition under control.

Bob

 

Heres how I do mine:

1. Wash
2. Clay Bar
3. Rinse
4. Dry
5. Swirl Remover
6. Polish
7. Wax
8. Wax

I dont dry off before claying because leaving some water on the car helps lube the clay bar along with the spray lube they provide.

 

When I did mine a few months back I did:
Step 1: wash
Step 2: dry
Step 3: clay with mothers and used the spray included
Step 4: wax with mothers california something wax

Should I do more steps? I was extremely happy with my results but if something would make it look better then I'm all for it. Pics are on my webpage of what it looked like after this 4 step process. I would appreciate any advice here. Thanks

 

Rain-X the wheels....that's a damn fine idea!