I found my dad's old bottle of black turtle wax polish. I was wondering if I should wax the car before or after polishing it? I already washed it but I use the Armor all Wash+Wax solution. It doesn't take a detailing genius to realize that its not the same as a real wax job. Will it effect the polish?

/confusing

 

No it wont and it should be applied before the wax but to get best results follow the 5 step process.
1st wash
2nd clay
3rd paint cleaner
4th polish
5th wax (2 coats)
Also you should try meguiars product, for more help go here http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums...&threadid=7304

 

I will be using polish on my Maxima this weekend. I've never used polish and I have a few questions.

1. Is it worth polishing by hand or is a rotary the only way to go? I don't have a buffer and honestly I'm afraid to use one.

2. Is Meguiar's # 7 polish a good polish to use?

3. After polishing can I follow it up with any wax or is there a special wax I should use?
I'd really like to try the new NXT 2.0.

 

I polished by hand and it came out great. Its gonna require a good amount of work and energy though, you really have to put some power into the buffering. I'm not sure about your 2nd question and I think any wax is fine.

 

#7 is a glaze meant primarily to enhance the gloss of your paint and to fill in and hide your scratches and swirls not correct them. I hear it's good stuff though and looks especially good on darker colored cars but I think it can be a bit finicky. I've honestly never tried it as I prefer to use Menzerna's Finishing touch glaze or Danase's Wet Glaze but if you do use it, be sure to top it with a wax because it won't last long if you don't. Oh and any wax will be fine so I say try the the NXT and see how you like it.

I have used Meguiars #6 (Cleaner wax) by hand before and it made my car look pretty decent for a while.

 

VTonmymind - Thanks for the suggestions. Is it true that it's not a good idea to use a cleaner wax after polishing because it can strip the polish? I thought I read somewhere to use a wax without any cleaners.

 

Well, I guess it depends on what kind of polish you are using and how the company has decided to define that polish.

Typically, #6 or a similar AIO product will not strip a true polish because it has no fillers, waxes, sealants or protectants in it to strip. However, some polishes do contain fillers or sealants and in that case the #6 will most likely strip it (the protectants in the polish that is) In my opinion it's fine to use a cleaner wax especially if you want to keep things simple and don't have a lot of time on your hands. You can also fire a layer of your NXT 2.0 over it to make it look even better.

So what polish are you thinking of using?

Oh and I recommended the #6 because it is an All In One (polishes, cleans and protects) in one easy step and can be applied by hand. It can also be found around town if your doing it up this weekend. I would have recommended either Autoglym's Super Resin Polish (for dark colored cars) or Klasse AIO (for lighter colored ones) because they blow the Meguiars out of the water but they can only be found online.

 

after clay magic i use klasse sealant and glaze, and the result is phenomenal, better than any wax i'd used in the past

 

I was thinking of using #7 polish and following it up with a couple of coats of wax. But I didn't see #6 until you mentioned it. Will the #6 which is one step for everything provide as deep of a shine as using #7 polish then waxing?

 

Well, #7 is really a glaze that has no abrasives in it and is meant to give you a deep wet look. Topped with a wax (which you basically have to do to ensure it's look and durability) is gonna look pretty good. Damn good I bet and most likely better than the #6 straight up. Thing is, if you're looking to get rid of some swirls it'll only cover them up and they'll be back once the wax and glaze wears off. The #6 on the other hand is meant to get rid of light swirls. It's looks pretty good straight up, but looks even better when topped with an additional layer of wax. As to which one will look better, I dunno since I've never tried the #7 to compare them together. I'll take a guess though and say the #7 because of it's filling properties.

IMHO though, for that #7 to look really good, you should find a dedicated polish that is meant to clean and correct first. So Polish, Glaze then wax. Say the #9, then the #7 then your NXT 2.0.

They also have a 3 step system that people seem to like a good bit and it consists of a Paint cleaner, polish & wax.

 

Thanks so much for all your help VTonmymind. Fortunately my car doesn't really have many swirl marks so I think I might try the #7.

 

Yeah man, no problem. Have fun doin it up.