Need advice

[PokerMunkee]

I've been leasing cars for the past 5 years, so never cared to even wax them. lol.  The mag chloride ate up the chrome on my '12 Sonata bad due to my neglect, so I'll be much better with my SHO.  Love it, want to keep her looking new for years to come.

I bought a Meguiars PC 8 years ago when I had my black Magnum R/T and used it a few times to get the swirls out. 

I don't want to do anything crazy.  Just a good wax.  I don't have 4+ hours to detail my car anymore due to business traveling and needing to spend time with my young family.  I'm so out of the loop on what's the best these days. 

Is there a wax I can get at the local stores that will give me months of protection?  Should I use my PC or just go by hand?  What's the best tire shine these days?

Want my SHO to look good and be protected, especially this winter.  What do you guys recommend?

 

[panther427]

I use prima epic wax when I cleaned up the car after clay bar. Not to expensive and looks great with hand application and lasts a long time. 

 

[BiGMaC]

Poker...
As far as the tires I prefer Black Magic Tire Wet.  It comes in a tube as a gel and is actually a wax for your tires.  It still looks wet and black through 5 or 6 pressure washes and doesn't attract dust or retain brake dust... Following instructions there is no sling even at ambient temps in excess of 100o

As far as paint, wheels, plastic, and glass... I had my car coated with CQuart Finest..... I don't wax anymore. I love it.  You can have it professionally done for $250 or so, or do it yourself for about $125. If professionally applied CarPro warrants the coating and you paint for 2 years.  I love it.... It's 10x as thick as the car's paint, rates on the Moh's hardness scale, small chips and scratches are minimized plus repair easily, and is SPF 80 for your car.

Here's a link to the original job Wills Amstutz did on my car:
http://www.autopia.org/forum/topic/132346-phoenix-detail-2013-sho-taurus-partial-repaint-water-spots-cquartz-finest/
Here's a link to the 6 month update:
http://www.ecoboostperformanceforum.com/index.php/topic,2351.msg34077.html#msg34077

You can get a great looking car with Adams products if you like working on your wax every couple of months, but true Carnuba melts off cars at 160-180 degrees so is not practical for a DD in Phoenix... Use the advanced products instead.

 

[crash712us]

I use Meguiars ultimate spray wax. Doesn't leave any white residue, just spray it on and wipe it off. And use Adams detail spray after washes. It might not be the best stuff out there but I wash and wax my car several times a year.


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[SHOdded]

The first time out detailing you should take your time, setup the vehicle paint for the detailing sessions to come.  This means, correct what you need to in the first detailing session (after washing/decontaminating and claying, at a minimum).  Quality microfiber cloths will help your results AND speed your effort.  If you use a product like Iron-X, that will take off any iron contamination in the paint/wheels.  A product like Tar-X or Tarminator will remove any organic matter clinging to said same.

Try to get the best lighting you can so you can identify the defects and whether they have been corrected.  I recommend open direct sunlight for defect identification, not so much for actually working on the car.  There are halogen or LED worklights you can get from Home Depot or Harbor Freight if you want to invest in that.  But a bright, handheld spotlight will work also.  You already have experience with your PC, so that should be fine.

Long lasting protection usually means a sealant of some sort, whether it is Collinite 845/915 etc. or something more professional like GTechniq, OptiCoat or CQuartz etc.  You can also get great results from Sonax Polymer Net Shield, should last a few months like you are looking for.  Getting rid of bird droppings/treesap etc. as soon as it happens will also prolong the life of the LSP (last stage protection).

Supplies can be purchased online from many sources including amazon, adams, autogeek, autopia, detailers domain, autoality, carpro-us, etc.  The more common product lines like meguiars, mothers etc can be found in chain auto parts stores like autozone, advance auto, etc.

HTH.

 

[ShoBoat]

I have had good experiences with Zanio and Adams products. Zanio have good sealers and last a long time. Adams have a more complete line up. And their new cyclo works wonders at paint correction. As stated above take your time. And ensure you have cleaned your paint (clay bar, dawn wash) before you apply any waxes or sealers for the first time. It's worth the added effort. 


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[black99lightning]

I'm lazy and use Adam's Buttery wax.  Great shine and easy to apply and take off.

 

[BiGMaC]

Gotta echo ShoBoat and Manu... Regardless of the product you use the trick is a good paint decontamination and correction before applying if you want the best shine, depth, and reflectivity of the finished job.... Even on a brand new just delivered car.  Every little scratch makes the paint surface irregular.... You want the paint surface smooth.

 

[elund126]

I don't want to do anything crazy.  Just a good wax.  I don't have 4+ hours to detail my car anymore due to business traveling and needing to spend time with my young family.  I'm so out of the loop on what's the best these days. 

Is there a wax I can get at the local stores that will give me months of protection?  Should I use my PC or just go by hand?  What's the best tire shine these days?

Want my SHO to look good and be protected, especially this winter.  What do you guys recommend?

Alot of the products the guys are recommending are great products. I've been detailing cars on the side for about 5 years. I've used many different products. Some are good, others are crap.

From what I read from your post, you probably won't spend too much time on the finish on your car.

If you just want a decent product that you can pick up at the store, you should try Meguiars Ultimate Wax, or Duragloss products. Mequiars you can pick up at Walmart, Duragloss is sold at various auto parts stores. If you are just looking for protection, then these waxes will work. If you want it to sparkle, you will have to polish it first, then wax, or sealant.

 

[BiGMaC]

Meguiar's ultimate is a good LSP.... If you use it follow the directions.  It's use is different than others and ther is a learning curve.  It can look streaky.... Quick no pressure wipe with a damp MF towel will fix that.

 

[Lanson]

For prep, well, you'll have to get down and dirty as much as you dare.  Once the swirls, holograms, and other imperfections are gone, then you can use:

Zaino

or my recommendation for most situations, Jet Seal.  Also, I like redoing and perfecting my paint every few months or better, but I've heard good things from the Optimum products for longevity. 

Meg's Ultimate is in my cabinet, but I don't think it lasts very long.  Longer than a Carnauba, sure.  But Jet Seal is a good 6 month sealer (not a wax), and is easy to apply and remove.  Also makes a good substitute for Rain-X, IMO. 


Zaino is a good, long lasting product that benefits from layering.  I used to be a major Zaino fan, but found that Chemical Guys products give me a big bang for my buck.  It isn't cheap but it does prove to be a good product as long as the base layer is blemish-free and ready to go.  Zaino has very little in the way of prep products, so consider them the Last Step Product (or LSP as it goes.)

You would do well to order a gallon of V7 from CG.  This is a spray sealant / detailer / waterless wash / drying aid product that is a magic-worker for many things.  If you dislike doing your car up all the time, you could use this to maintain what you've got from wash to wash.