I have never detailed my 95 Black Coupe, and I wanna do it right so here is my plan. Hopefully this is done in the right order so please tell me if this is right or wrong.

1. Wash car in shade with Dawn to remove old wax and dirt.
2. Dry car completly
3. Use clay bar with lots of clay bar lube, small sections.
4. Polish after clay bar.
5. Use wax of my choice.
6. seal with Poly sealer.

Is this the right order??? '

Thanks,
Cruizer

 

I would use either the wax or the sealer, but not both...IMHO

 

1. Wash car in shade with Dawn to remove old wax and dirt.
2. Dry car completly
3. Use clay bar with lots of clay bar lube, small sections.
4. Polish after clay bar.
5. Use wax of my choice.
6. seal with Poly sealer.


I dunno about using Dawn though.... I would use a good soap that was made for paint and not dishes


Who's Clay bar? What wax do you like?

A friend got me hooked on Adams and it does wonders on black paint (he has a C5 and a Caddilac XLR, both black). My friend wins shows 90% of the time.

My car is blue and never looked this good EVER!

Here are a few pictures: (sorry I like to show it off)

 

Are these all Zaino products? If so I believe there is a step buy step proceedure in closed with the kit. otherwise it looks correct, unless my last brain cell has failed me.

 

Personally I would add these (*):
1a. * use mineral spirits to remove any tar, bug residue
1. Wash car in shade with Dawn (*I like antibacterial soap, leaves no residue and suds like you won't believe) to remove old wax and dirt.
2. Dry car completely *using microfibre towels
3. Use clay bar with lots of clay bar lube, small sections.
4. Polish after clay bar, finish with swirl remover
4a. * Wash car in shade
5. Use wax of my choice.
6. seal with Poly sealer.

 

1. good
2. no me, just rince good, since you're doing the clay bar next
3. I use clay bar with car wash soap (not dawn) for good lube
4. Was after clay with car soap and rinse
5. wax/polish for final
6. Buff to high shine.

 

I don't know what brand products you use but Vinnie is correct...you need to wash again after using the clay bar...you should not need to wax and then seal if you use one of the new products...

FWIW, here is my method...

Wash with dawn
Clay bar
Wash with dawn
Wax with Meguire's NXT (Sealer/polish)

I do this once a year...in between I wash with Meguire's car wash, dry the car and then hit it with Meguire's Detailer after every wash...every quarter I wash the car and use the Meguire's NXT Booster polish...I should use the booster once a month but my car is used for drag racing 95% of the time so no biggie...good luck

 

Pennstatefootball, nice car, I dont blame you for showing off that blue vette, nice car/

Cruizer

 

I'd throw the Dawn out. Replace it with a quality car wash, say Meg's NXT wash, Duragloss Wash, Zaino's Car Wash, etc.

-Wash
-Dry with quality microfiber(Megs, Pakshak, Danase)
-Clay with a good clay(I like Claymagic Blue, Sonus, Megs)
-Wash again
-Polish with a good polish(Optimum, Menzerna, Megs)
-Use a good wax or sealant(Zaino, Duragloss 105, Meguiars NXT)
-Use a nice topper(Aquawax, Abrasive free carnuba[like Natty's Blue], Z8)

If you really want to get scratches out you have to be experienced with a nice rotary polisher or infinitely patient with a Porter Cable 7424(or 7336) random orbital polisher. However, DON'T jump into a rotary without practice or you can cause serious damage to your car. Vette paint is extremely hard.

Good Luck!

 

Here's my car, which follows this process about every year or so:

-Wash with Duragloss or NXT wash using the two bucket method.
-Dry with Vroom microfiber or Cobra MFs.
-Bluemagic Clay w/ Lube and then Meguiar's Detailing Spray when lube runs out.
-Wash Again.
-Polish with Meguiar's 84, 83, 80(depending on need).
-Duragloss Polish Bonding Agent, wait a few minutes, then Duragloss 105 Total Performance Polish.
-Do a second coat the next morning of the TPP.
-Top With Duragloss Aquawax.

Weekly, I wash and Aquawax.

 

REad all the posts and then went to work after trip to Parts Pluss.

I found a kit that had the clay bar, lube and 4 0z of wax, the brand name was mothers. Also brought some poly selant.

washed and dried car.
used clay bar with lube
wiped off
put the wax on one panel at a time
then put the poly selant on.

After I washed and dried the car water spots every where, said "OH My". Then I realized that I should have got spot remover but I live on a farm and town is about 20 minutes away. Said "oh Well" and started the process. AFter using the clay bar on one panel, no water spots left, going pretty well so far. My K9 partner decided to help, he was walking around in the dirt, rolling in the dirt, then he decided to walk up to the car and give hisself a good shaking, dust and dirt all over the car REWASH

WASHED THE DOG TOO and he decided he had enough and left to go do his dog thing somewhere else.

Finished one half the car and the car came out pretty well, actually real well except for the hood. The top, front quarter panels shine like a diamond in a goats ***, the hood did not quite come out as good as the quarter panels and the top. I am going to finish the rest of the car tomorrow and then rework the hood. If the hood does not come out perfect I am going to a body shop where I have a buddy at and see if he can buff it out to a super shine like the rest of the car.

Lesson learned, Mothers is a good product, gonna try Adams or Zwatchyou call it next time.. Wash the dog first then get out the flea spray, at that point he will go to find some dog business away from me.

Thanks for all the advice,


Cruizer

 

I

1. Wash car in shade with any soap.
2. Dry car completly with a rubber shami
3. Use clay bar with the hose running lightly and rub down the hole car
4. Use bug and tar remover to remove any other stuff
5. Use Zymol or MOthers wax.


Move to int, and condition seats

 

Wash
clay
wash
polish of choice
and/or
Wax of choice

 

I usually apply the same procedure as others have stated but I'm attaching a site that outlines the issue around clay bars and possible damage it can cause. Keep in mind I'm not promoting anyone's site or position but I did find it an interesting read.

http://www.bugmanweb.com/c6/c6files/clayarticle.pdf

 

80srule: i followed ur procedure in one of thread u told me, so i did.

wash car first with soap,
used turtle ice liquid clay,
washed again with just water,
now wax with zaino (bought at vette show).
buffed it with hand,

lot a work, man i was tired at the end, but when i used liquid clay, lot a dirt came out, felt really good about it. here is the pics:





thanks for th advice.

 

I see that some people do not like to use Dawn detergent! This is NOT a good idea to use if you are just needing to wash the car.

The reason for using Dawn is to remove what wax is on the car and any other petrolium based crap that is on the paint. It basically gives you a clean slate to start with. The detergent will not hurt the paint, just whatever is on it. Most car wash detergents are designed to NOT remove wax and sealers that are on the paint. This is why it IS recomended to use Dawn when doing a detail on a car.

Just FYI for what its worth.

Phil

 

Thanks Phil...I should have explained that in my post...I use the Mequire's NXT car wash other than those times I am going to clay bar...that's when I beak out the Dawn...

 

Just another FYI about the use of a poly based sealer and a natural wax, like carnuba.

The guys over in the detail section can explain it...I just know because I asked over there about what order to do things...there is something about the poly stuff can't bond if wax is there first. They say that the poly sealer, synthetic stuff, goes on first. They say the poly stuff has a "hard plastic" look that some don't like. They say if that's too "cold" looking for ya then use a good carnuba over it to make it look "warmer".

They say that if you do the wax first the poly will come off at the next wash.


Tom

 

What did you wash the dog with?

 

I use Turtlewax carwash and water, thats it. No waxing.