Wash it, wax it, then polish it with I beleve it is prestone Ice polish. And why would you say you cant see the shine on a silver car?
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So whats your secret shine?
I figured I'd fire up a topic and see what everybody's technique is of cleaning their car and see if I can learn anything. Plus I just tried a 5 stage technique that worked beautifuly.
I'll start off with what I did for this whole weekend.
First I took the car to a quarter wash and got all of the crap off my car.
Second I pulled it in our newly heated garage, with heated floors. Don't want the tires getting cold haha. Since I don't live on a dirt road or come close to anything like that I prepped the car with Meguiars Quik Detail and got everything off it all dirt and contaminents.
Third I went around the car again with a clay bar using quik detail for the surface, man as clean as I kept my car I didn't believe the amount of crap the bar picked up.
Fourth I got the 20yr old miluwakee buffin wheel out. I went around the car with meguiars color x with a wheel. I shined a dual halogen light on the area I was working so I could remove halogen scratches (i went the whole 9 yards.)
Fifth I went around the car again with Meguiars tech wax and did the same halogen light technique.
The results are AWESOME. There are slim to nil halogen scratches on the car now, paint feels better than new. My car is silver so its really hard to see the reflection but if you get close holy crap. Also, the car looks like a white silver now when its overcast out. Pretty cool.
When I find my camera I will put up pics.
So whats your method?
I'll start off with what I did for this whole weekend.
First I took the car to a quarter wash and got all of the crap off my car.
Second I pulled it in our newly heated garage, with heated floors. Don't want the tires getting cold haha. Since I don't live on a dirt road or come close to anything like that I prepped the car with Meguiars Quik Detail and got everything off it all dirt and contaminents.
Third I went around the car again with a clay bar using quik detail for the surface, man as clean as I kept my car I didn't believe the amount of crap the bar picked up.
Fourth I got the 20yr old miluwakee buffin wheel out. I went around the car with meguiars color x with a wheel. I shined a dual halogen light on the area I was working so I could remove halogen scratches (i went the whole 9 yards.)
Fifth I went around the car again with Meguiars tech wax and did the same halogen light technique.
The results are AWESOME. There are slim to nil halogen scratches on the car now, paint feels better than new. My car is silver so its really hard to see the reflection but if you get close holy crap. Also, the car looks like a white silver now when its overcast out. Pretty cool.
When I find my camera I will put up pics.
So whats your method?
1 - 8 of 8 Posts
Well, when I actually had the time and facilities it went like this:
Wash every week, occasionally using the pressure washer to get at the suspension and those good things
Twice a year, it got a claybar treatment, then the entire line of Meguiar's Deep Crystal thrown at it. Then, every couple of months, I'd throw a coat of Gold Class (paste) on it.
Nowadays, I'm lucky to get it washed every couple of months, waxing is a tri-annual thing. I've just gotten tired of trying to maintain the shine when everything is working against me (mother nature, college dorm parking lot, Ford's paint, etc., etc.)
Wash every week, occasionally using the pressure washer to get at the suspension and those good things
Twice a year, it got a claybar treatment, then the entire line of Meguiar's Deep Crystal thrown at it. Then, every couple of months, I'd throw a coat of Gold Class (paste) on it.
Nowadays, I'm lucky to get it washed every couple of months, waxing is a tri-annual thing. I've just gotten tired of trying to maintain the shine when everything is working against me (mother nature, college dorm parking lot, Ford's paint, etc., etc.)
Any maintenance is good maintenance
I've used meg's fine cut cleaner as a prep right after the clay bar and I've used Meg's step 2 polish after that and then turtle wax with a buff. I learned that I need to wet sand and reclear coat with touch up paint in places and a couple of tiny dents removed too to undo the scratches. I'm lucky my previous owners took great care of the car. I try and use as many different kinds of products as I can. But really you only need a clay bar some light scratch remover and your choice of wax, with a buffer. That is pretty good maintenance if you just stick with that. Its not show car level but your doing more than 90% of people out there. My plan is to keep the original paint as much as possible. My color is evergreen frost. Ill post pics sometime
I've used meg's fine cut cleaner as a prep right after the clay bar and I've used Meg's step 2 polish after that and then turtle wax with a buff. I learned that I need to wet sand and reclear coat with touch up paint in places and a couple of tiny dents removed too to undo the scratches. I'm lucky my previous owners took great care of the car. I try and use as many different kinds of products as I can. But really you only need a clay bar some light scratch remover and your choice of wax, with a buffer. That is pretty good maintenance if you just stick with that. Its not show car level but your doing more than 90% of people out there. My plan is to keep the original paint as much as possible. My color is evergreen frost. Ill post pics sometime
i thought meg's was the **** but after the full zaino treatment nothin compares to it.trust me you gotta strip all your work off...i.e.like 10 coats. starting over was not easy, but i gave it a go and what a difference, but to each there own. zaino is pricey.i received the starter kit as a gift.like all of you i do the palmolive treatment, bar, rewash, prep etc. it's all in the elbows lololol.
for me its 3m perfect-it 3000 buffing compound w/ white pad
followed by 3M swirl mark remover w/ black pad, both on a rotary buffer.
i feel that a real buffer with real compound makes a clay bar look like a waste of time and effort. and i do use both professionally.
all this with no wax. ever. just clean, flat, shiny paint. i do use a quick detail spray to get the light dirt sometimes.
followed by 3M swirl mark remover w/ black pad, both on a rotary buffer.
i feel that a real buffer with real compound makes a clay bar look like a waste of time and effort. and i do use both professionally.
all this with no wax. ever. just clean, flat, shiny paint. i do use a quick detail spray to get the light dirt sometimes.
for paint maintenance i use all meguires stuff
clay bar
machine polish
synthetic polymer sealant... stuff lasts for months unfortunately you can only buy it buy the half gallon...fortunately i used to work for an autobody jobber and i get it for cost
clay bar
machine polish
synthetic polymer sealant... stuff lasts for months unfortunately you can only buy it buy the half gallon...fortunately i used to work for an autobody jobber and i get it for cost
Hey whats your paint code? And do you have any idea where u can get paint in that colour to fix scratches?Wash it, wax it, then polish it with I beleve it is prestone Ice polish. And why would you say you cant see the shine on a silver car?
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