I just wanted to see how people wax there cars and what products they use, I have done it by hand and with an electric buffer. Which do you like better?

 

At first I was using the Mequire's 3 step system, cleaner, polish, and wax. You put them all like the wax and then buff em out, my arm would be dead tired by the end of the process, and with me being pretty close to being dehydrated. The outcome was well worth it though. Now I use Meguire's Gold Class Clear Prep Conditioner/Cleaner and the Gold Class Wax, this combo also brings out a great shine, also done by hand. I might go back to the 3 step system when my Gold Class stuff runs out, the cleaner works better than the Gold Class Prep for cleaning the paint. I have an electric buffer, but I have not had the nerve to try it on the Max.

 

Products: Zymol, Blitz, Ardex, Meguires, Griot's, are all good. I use a Porter Cable random orbital buffer, I wouldn't recommend using a rotary buffer unles you really know what your doing. ANY buffer is unnecessary, since doing it by hand is gentler and will have the same effect, but it's too much work...especially with a daily driver.

 

If you're gonna use Meguires, use Show Car Glaze and Yellow Wax #26. These are MUCH better than the 3 step system.

 

Maguires is the only stuff I use. I used to work in the auto detail business and this is all we used. I personally do all of my machine work (cleaning & polishing) with a Milwaukee 8" variable speed buffer with a fine wool pad. You have to be super careful with the speed and dryness of the pad or you'll burn the surface. The end result after using the Maguires 3 step process is eye-popping. I always wax by hand...usually 4 or 5 coats. Random Orbit buffers are OK for applying wax, but that isn't really the hard part anyway. They aren't really suited to do polishing or cleaning of oxidized surfaces, so it is kinda worthless. Doing cleaning and polishing by hand is also useless since the Maguires products are heat-activated, and break down from a cleaner to a polish with the head from the rotating wool head. I also really like foam pads on the machine, but they are super expensive.

Spence

 

I disagree about the random orbitals. They're much less agressive than the rotary buffers (less heat) but they're also much much safer (almost impossible to burn paint). You definitely have to make a few passes with the things to really make a difference or get out scratches or swirls, but I would rather take my time anyway. Most of the time you shouldn't need agressive polishing of your paint...you just want to clean it and maybe remove some swirls with a glaze...

 

Experts, I need some help.

My car has been into a shop because I needed a new hood. After I got the car back, noticed that my car's paint surface (except the new hood) became scratchy !! I took a detailed look, and there are tiny pink stuff all over my car. You cant tell if you're more than 1 feet away and the car looks ok, but when I touch it, I feel the pink dust. And on a certain spot on my car, there was a very visible pink blop, like someone spilled some paint.

What is this??? I cant get it out. I even handwashed my car, but I cant get this pink dusk to wash off. If I use my fingernail and scrach a spot, I can see it coming off though...
What should I do?? Is it ok to just take the car to a detail shop and get it waxed ?

 

i just wanted to know, is it a good idea to buy a buffer for doing wax jobs. I usually apply ike 3-4 coats of wax when cleaning my car(usually stays clean for 4-5 weeks depending on weather) and by the time i apply 2 coats, my arm is dead. i usually have to break for a while than go at it again. I wanted a buffer so i can cut my time down. From reading ths thread and a couple of other ones, it seems like people were hinting that buffers can dammage the paint, is this true? For me, a really thorough detailing job takes about 3-4 hours includind wash and 4 coats of wax, thorough cleaning of interior, engine cleaning and some other stuff. The longest part of my car cleaning process is the wax job. A buffer would help me cut out at least 1.5 hr of labor. is a buffer worth it guys, its like 40 bucks at pepboys. PLEASE HELP
TIA

 

I think that you just need to get in better shape and proceed as usual with the hand rubbed wax It does the best job hands down. When I was working at places that made money doing detailing, we never used a machine to wax....that is my retired professional opinion

Spence

PS: Rotary buffing isn't agressive unless you want it to be, or don't know how to do it. It is the only method for making show-car quality paint jobs. Ever wet sanded your paint job? That does a nice job too (Don't try unless helped by somebody who REALLY knows what they're doing). Combine that with the rotary buffing and polishing and your paint will honestly look like that seen at SEMA.

 

Take it back to the place where you got the work done and ask them what the hell that stuff is and let them know that it wasn't there before you brought it to them. The sooner the better.

 

I like Autoglym. Use the Super Resin Polish (gentle and removes light swirl marks), and then the Extra Gloss Protection (leaves a SMOKIN' shine). If your paint is in bad condition, you can start with the Paint Renovator (more abrasive than the Super Resin), but be careful.

Do it by hand - did you ever see the Karate Kid? Wax on - Wax off....

 

I don't know man, I've known pretty smart people who burned their paint using rotary buffers. I mean, you're right, they didn't know what they were doing...but considering that a large number of people on this site don't even understand the difference between cleaner wax, wax, and polish, I would have a hard time recommending a rotary buffer. I have a compressor at my house, but I have never really felt the need to go for anything more aggressive than the random orbital. Depends on the car and paint too...the guys who detail Ferraris and Lambos (at least around here) don't use any power tools at all...the paint is too thin on those cars to use anything that aggressive. You can get the same finish you get from a rotary with a random orbital or by hand...you just have to work a LOT harder! Classic car guys usually don't like power tools either. Not saying you're wrong about anything...just MHO.

@Magikone69 - If you want MY opinion, then buy a buffer. You want to get a RANDOM ORBITAL buffer...not an orbital or rotary buffer. The random orbital vibrates around while it rotates...it does not just spin. Using that and foam pads (I like the ones from http://www.griots.com) I have found it all but impossible to burn my paint. There are people who say you can be more aggressive (like NastyNissan) and there are people who say you should never use power tools. Personally I have found the random orbital to be a good compromise of safety and speed...YMMV.

 

If i use a buffer should i use it to apply the wax or to take it off. Also how long should i wait for the wax to dry before removing it and how big of sections should i do? I appreciate any suggestions. Thanks

 

Thanx for the help guys, i think im gonna go with the buffer you recomended. P.S. i am still in decent shape shape, i used to play HS football and am used to the push ups, weight lifting and all that ****. i think waxing your car is just like extending your arms out to your side and keeping them level. even if you are in great shape after a while you'll feel the burn. and its not the waxing that actually wears out my arm, its the fact that my arm isnt in a comfortable position when doing the doors and stuff. but i was thinking, sure you can burn the paint if you force the buffer down on the car or add an extra amount of pressure. If i just hovered the buffer lightly over the car not adding to much pressure would this be safer. and when you say burn the paint, do you mean like causing discoloration due to actual friction causing heat, or is it just a saying.
TIA guys

 

SOUNDS LIKE YOU GOT SOME OVER SPRAY ON THE PAINT MOST LIKELY FROM THE PAINT BOOTH VENTILATORS...YOU CAN POLISH IT OFF THE HARD WAY AND MOST LIKELY GET SWIRL MARKS OR YOU CAN DO IT EASILY WITH A POLISH CLAY...(CLAY MAGIC//MEGUIRES ARE GOOD ONES) IF YOU USE IT, BE SURE THE PAINT IS COOL AND CLEAN OF LOOSE DIRT...USE LOTS OF THE LUBE(VERYLIGHT SOAP WATER) AND RUB UNTILL IT IS SMOOTH. THE CLAY TAKES THE OVER SPRAY OFF IN 1/3 THE TIME IT TAKES TO POLISH IT OFF!!!

AL V

 

this may sound stupid but is there a thread or a link to a site that tells in detail how to clean and wax my car? i have a superblack and there are tons of little blemishes and nicks and scratches as well as some swirls...when should i use touch up paint and when should i try some of that stuff that gives the paint back its old color stuff...anyways i'm clueless so any help would be appriciated...links or threads...?

 

should i use the buffer to apply or take off the wax? And how big of sections should i do at a time

 

I got some really good info on scratch repair from this forum:
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....scratch+repair

check out the links from kryplex and SMX.



The best detailing info I've found so far has been from Autopia

 

You Make Me Vommit? I dunno I was just bored

 

LOL. Your Mileage May Vary.

You can check my homespage for some instructions on how to clean and wax your car, although the instructions are out of date. Here's the short version...

- ALWAYS wash the car first..."I washed it yesterday"...WASH IT AGAIN!.

- Dry the car with a chamois. Don't use cotton towels...this is one error on my website. I was getting swirls even using 100% cotton towels. A guy at the Auto-Body supply shp recommende3d "The Absorber". It works very well, much better than "real" chamoises.

- Use Polish and/or a cleaner like Zymol HD Cleanse to clean the paint. Polish removes wax, oxidation, and clearcoat/paint. Use it to get rid of "problems" with your paint. Don't overdo it, but use it to get the paint looking good. If you ahve scratches/swirlsa cleaner is optional, polish is not. If you don't have any scratches or swirls (lucky bastard) then just use a non-abrasive cleaner. Just keep applying and buffing until the paint is how you want it.

- Wax. Never Polish without then waxing. Polish does not provide any protection for the paint and in fact REMOVES any protection that might have been there. How long do you let the wax sit? It varies IMMENSELY between waxes. Some waxes you do a section then buff it as soon as your done. Other waxes like Zymol Carbon need to sit for a while (half hour) or they are impossible to get off easily. Make sure to buff thoroughly to avoid streaks. Always apply a THIN coat of wax. Did you hear that? THIN!!!! I mean you should be applying wax until the pad starts to get dry and not spread wax to new areas, then put a LITTLE more on the pad. Appling thick coats of wax does nothing to make anything look better/be protected more....it only makes you have to buff more to avoid streaks. Use multiple coats of wax to build up protection.

You can use a buffer for pretty much all "application" steps...i.e. you can apply the wax and polish with the buffer, but buff off the wax and polish by hand. I use a buffing pad to give my car a final buff after the coat of wax, but you have to use 100% cotton towels (buy damaged ones from Bed Bath and Beyond...they're big and fluffy and good) to get the wax off. Have plenty of towels on ahdn because towels covered with wax will not buff right and will leave you with steaks.

One day I will update my website with newer info.

 

Didn't feel like reading everything but I use the Porter Cable nuffer because it fills in all the tiny holes by having the pad spin two way at once. I do 2 coats of Mequires (i think it's #26 or somthin like that) mirror glaze and then at the end I do gold class wax. Allow 24 hours for each coat to try to get the best out of it!!

 

Glaze = Light polish. If you are allowing the glaze to "dry" for 24 hours, you are letting your car go unprotected for 24 hours per coat. There is no reason to wait after using the glaze, or even to use a second application of the glaze if you do not have scratches or swirl marks. In fact, if your paint is in good shape, just apply another coat of wax over the old one. In any case, wax right after you glaze, it will only help you.

Good choice on the Porter Cable, but I am surprised that you guys just rush *****-nilly into using these products without investigating what they do first. After seeing how my car looks right now after this winter and after so many chips and fading on my hood, I can't claim to know everything about detailing, but I did check out what a "Glaze" a "polish" and a "wax" were before using them on my car...

 

Yeah but the wax is liquid and needs to dry inorder for it to work correctly. can't remember where it was but it was in this web site somewhere www.properautocare.com

 

Any wax you use should be allowed to sit between coats...if that's what you mean...definitely. Even with solid waxes it's usually better to apply 1 coat at a time. Maybe I misunderstood...I thought you were letting the glaze sit for 24h. If I misunderstood my bad!

 

Where can i buy some Chamois. And some one please answer my dam question. Should i use the buffer to apply or take off the wax?

 

aahhh, now I know There are too many abbreviations running around these days and it can be kinda hard to tell.

The absorber is a great product - just make sure that you rinse it out when you've used it and wash it every now and then. I jumped on the fad-wagon and started to use microfiber towels to dry my car. I've got to admit that they also do a great job and I'm never going to use those 100% cotton towels to dry my car again.


Magnum658
You can buy the absorber (and chamois) at Walmart and auto part stores. If you are looking for microfiber towels, I've found it better to get it online. Vapor Clean Products and Pakshak were two online sites that had a pretty good deal on some towels. I also found a good deal for a set from ebay that I wound up getting. Sorry I can't answer you hand or buffer question but I've always been doing my polish and wax jobs by hand and it comes out great but it is time consuming. I already planned on getting a buffer so I'm going to see how that goes next time I get the chance to wax my car.


ps...why is the portercable buffer so expensive? Is everyone saying that the $30 dollar special at my local store is no good and the porter is the only way to go or is there a cheaper alternative?

 

Here is a link to a detailing guide that was made by SVTNate on ClubSi. This is the ultimate guide to detailing it. I have used these methods and am enjoying amazing results.
SVTNate's Car Detailing Guide

 

Autozone or any auto part store will usually have absorbers.

Read the damn post you quoted and you'll find the answer. I love how people get all ****ed and presumtuous. Everyone here is giving you free ****ing advice here G. You quoted my entire post and obviously didn't read it since your "dam" question was answered in the last paragraph. Here it is AGAIN...


I use a buffing pad to give my car a final buff after the coat of wax, but you have to use 100% cotton towels (buy damaged ones from Bed Bath and Beyond...they're big and fluffy and good) to get the wax off. Have plenty of towels on ahdn because towels covered with wax will not buff right and will leave you with steaks.

So, no, using a buffing pad to take the wax off doesn't work well. Use 100% cotton towels. You can give your car a final buff with the pad, but you ahve to use towels to wipee off the haze..the pad will get clogged with wax too quickly.

 

DAMN good response.

 

@gotmaxwiltravel: I've wanted to try those microfiber cloths for a while. I just can't stand how they fell on my hands (shudder) but I bet they do a good job and are probably GREAT for preventing swirls because they pick up and hold any irt that's left.

The Porter Cable buffer is expensive because a.) It's porter Cable and porter cable makes good tools and b.) because it's random orbital. I don't know if there are any $30 specials that are random orbital...most of the ones I have seen just spin. If you can find a random orbital one for cheap, or if you think you know what you're doing enough to avoid burning your paint, go for it! I have the Porter Cable and have been extremely happy with it though. It's a wel made tool and seems like it should last a long time. I also like the design of it...it's easy to work with and hold on to.

EDIT: Sorry about my typing...lots of ahve's in there...I'm like retarded today.

 

WAX??? Whats that??

 

You are right about those MF towels they catch you off guard when you touch them at first but you get used to it. If the main thing about the buffer is the random orbital function then I'll do some searching to see what I find. I'm on a budget, so two bones for a buffer is too much for me right now.