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ok I'm FINALLLLY able to get to getting the cars clean! Now my question is that before I had a PC I would use Wolfgang's polish enhancer then sealant. Now I have a new product that I'm not sure when to use it. The steps I go through are:

Wash

Clay

Wash

Wolfgang Swirl Remover

? Wolfgang Finishing glaze

? Polish Enhancer

Sealant

Nap

Wait ~8hrs and Sealant again.

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All I have to say is that I love my PC! I used my wife's '98 Pathfinder that hasn't been waxed for maybe 4 years (before we were married) and never had any TLC for my guinea pig and the results are amazing. Now maybe she'll listen to me when I say it's time to wax the truck.... Um doubt it.......LOL
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As expected, received my PC today and I immediately tried it on my wife's Avalon, which has not been waxed in years, and was quiet happy with the results. Will try it on my LGT tomorrow.

 

Also, since I got Edge 2000 pads, I removed the counter weights from PC, good or bad?

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As expected, received my PC today and I immediately tried it on my wife's Avalon, which has not been waxed in years, and was quiet happy with the results. Will try it on my LGT tomorrow.

 

Also, since I got Edge 2000 pads, I removed the counter weights from PC, good or bad?

 

Not a good idea. Put it back. The counterweight is specific to the size of pad you are using. If you don't have the right one, or if you remove it entirely, then the machine will vibrate way way too much and will get really uncomfortable really fast. I'm not sure what harm it could have on the Edge pads, but I know you don't want crazy vibrations running through center mounted disc pads like that. It can tear them up. Put the counterweight back on.

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Not a good idea. Put it back. The counterweight is specific to the size of pad you are using. If you don't have the right one, or if you remove it entirely, then the machine will vibrate way way too much and will get really uncomfortable really fast. I'm not sure what harm it could have on the Edge pads, but I know you don't want crazy vibrations running through center mounted disc pads like that. It can tear them up. Put the counterweight back on.

 

I put the counter weights back and noticed that it says that it should only be used with 5" pads but I'm using 6" Edge 2K pads. Any issues there ?

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ok I'm FINALLLLY able to get to getting the cars clean! Now my question is that before I had a PC I would use Wolfgang's polish enhancer then sealant. Now I have a new product that I'm not sure when to use it. The steps I go through are:

Wash

Clay

Wash

Wolfgang Swirl Remover

? Wolfgang Finishing glaze

? Polish Enhancer

Sealant

Nap

Wait ~8hrs and Sealant again.

 

All of the polish and swirl remover steps are subject to whatever the vehicle needs. You may need to polish the vehicle ten times to get it the way you want it, so nobody can really say there is a standard number of products you need to use for that. I can tell you that the process is Wash - Clay - Polish - Wax/Seal. You may need to wash it more than once or use more than one type of product to get all the gunk off the paint too, but it gets boiled down to 'wash'. Make sense?

 

I believe they are putting procharger in Wolfgang these days. It doesn't require any cure time anymore. Most sealants will require it, but the sealants Autogeek makes aren't going to need it. I don't believe 4*Ultimate requires it either.

_________________________________________

“Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.”

O C D E T A I L S . C O M

OCDETAILS BLOG

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All of the polish and swirl remover steps are subject to whatever the vehicle needs. You may need to polish the vehicle ten times to get it the way you want it, so nobody can really say there is a standard number of products you need to use for that. I can tell you that the process is Wash - Clay - Polish - Wax/Seal. You may need to wash it more than once or use more than one type of product to get all the gunk off the paint too, but it gets boiled down to 'wash'. Make sense?

 

I believe they are putting procharger in Wolfgang these days. It doesn't require any cure time anymore. Most sealants will require it, but the sealants Autogeek makes aren't going to need it. I don't believe 4*Ultimate requires it either.

 

Yes that makes perfect sense.

 

I did the cure time because the bottle of sealer is a couple years old (but now gone). Which makes me have another question for you, which I asked you a couple years ago. Which products are you suggesting? I have read most (and will finish) of your blog on Poorboy's which I enjoyed. Since I have to order almost all of my products, I have too many choices.

 

Thank you for you help and advice!

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I could write up a whole article on that question. lol In fact, I'm traveling right now and have some free time on my hands, so I think I'll do that. I'll write it up and post a link. My opinion isn't the one that matters though. What looks good on your car to you is all that matters, so take my opinions and suggestions with a grain of salt. I'm just letting you guys know what works for me.

_________________________________________

“Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.”

O C D E T A I L S . C O M

OCDETAILS BLOG

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Should I cover up the black rubber portions around the windows, or is it safe to graze them with the polisher? And is it safe for the plastic on the headlights?

 

Im not sure what the compound is going to do to the finish of the rubber either.

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Technically you should use something like blue painters tape to mask off all the rubber and plastic around things like doors and sunroofs. You don't want to get polish on those or hit them with something abrasive. Avoid them if you aren't going to cover them.

 

You can definitely use the polisher on headlights. That is what I use to restore them, so go for it. You won't hurt them if you just graze them with the pad, but you also won't really make a difference in them unless you really hit them with something abrasive, so keep that in mind. Typically the product you are using on your paint is not the same product you need to use on your headlights to make them look good again.

_________________________________________

“Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.”

O C D E T A I L S . C O M

OCDETAILS BLOG

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This may be a stupid question, back in the day you could never wax a car in the sun, has that changed with all the new products out there? Also, you are using the PC to apply and remove waxes, glazes and sealants?

Fat people are hard to kidnap!!!

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It's not the sun that causes problems. It is the incredible heat on the surface. You can't wax a hot car. It never dries or bonds, so it just makes a mess. You can do things in the sun, but you should always do it on a cool surface. If you can't do it on a cool surface while being in the sun, then get it in the shade or don't do it.

 

The only two gains for using a PC to apply waxes and sealants are 1) Speed and 2) Spreading. Other than that it doesn't make any difference in shine or durability. It just goes faster and you use less product because you spread it around more.

 

As far as removing the product, I just use microfiber towels. I never remove anything with the PC. It is for application only. The old school 35 year old two handed buffers may have used bonnets and such to remove wax, but that really is a very very old technique. Unless you are using 35 year old products, don't use 35 year old processes. ;)

_________________________________________

“Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.”

O C D E T A I L S . C O M

OCDETAILS BLOG

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what pads would you recommend in CCS brand? I got the 2 orange, 2 black, 1 white and 2 red ones included in the PC starter pack. will this work?

 

I would like to use Detailer's Pro Series Poli-Coat Paint sealant and Meguiars NXT 2.0 wax to finish up. What do you think?

 

Also, I have a ICE liquid Clay bar. anybody have used this product?

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what pads would you recommend in CCS brand? I got the 2 orange, 2 black, 1 white and 2 red ones included in the PC starter pack. will this work?

 

I would like to use Detailer's Pro Series Poli-Coat Paint sealant and Meguiars NXT 2.0 wax to finish up. What do you think?

 

Also, I have a ICE liquid Clay bar. anybody have used this product?

Although I've never used the liquid clay...I can't believe it works as well as the real automotive clay.

2011 Volvo S60T6 & 2013 Volvo XC60T6 Polestar

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Bah... That liquid clay nonsense makes me laugh. It was like the wax Teflon made that said it had actual teflon inside it. Teflon has to be applied at enormous heat, so there is no way it is going to do anything when added to a wax. Liquid clay is the same thing. It is in no way going to even remotely do what a real clay bar will do. Absolutely worthless by all accounts. Go over to the Autopia, DetailCity, or Autogeek forums and look it up. I'd rather spend the money on something I know has a purpose, so I haven't tried it. It just isn't technically a product that is going to work. Remember: Shortcuts are not a process. Faster isn't better. BETTER is better no matter how long it takes.

_________________________________________

“Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.”

O C D E T A I L S . C O M

OCDETAILS BLOG

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The PC I purchased from autogeek.net actually came with a pretty informative DVD specifically for the PC.

It gives some good tips and great examples of how the machine should be used. It made me feel a little more confident watching it in action.

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Yeah, once a product has been downgraded to being primarily marketed through Big Lots, you pretty much know it was a commercial failure. lol I'm not saying it is bad, I'm just saying nobody bought it. Clay is one of those things that is a mystery to people. If your dad didn't use it, then you probably don't use it. Then comes the internet spreading all these lies about how your dad's old t-shirts aren't good enough to wax your car with. ;) If we weren't told by someone we trust that a product is good, most of us don't want to be the one to find out it isn't. Thus, it is very difficult to get new car care products on the mainstream shelves of AutoZone and PepBoys. That's why the best stuff is still 'underground' and only known of by enthusiasts like us. ;)

_________________________________________

“Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.”

O C D E T A I L S . C O M

OCDETAILS BLOG

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