plunk10 Posted October 6, 2004 Share Posted October 6, 2004 A few months before I sold my WRX, I decided to wax the car (Meguiars classic wax I think). I'm not one to spend all day applying 4 and 5 coats of wax. Is there any technique I should be aware of in waxing the car that doesn't create swirl marks? Could it be the old t-shirt I was using to remove the wax? My WRX had never been waxed previously. Its gone now, and I'm realizing if I don't wax the legacy soon, the weather will turn cold enough that I won't want to. Also, how can I clean the factory 17" aluminum wheels without damaging their shine? Is purple power too harsh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Euclid Posted October 6, 2004 Share Posted October 6, 2004 the shirt you used wasn't the best and definitely could have caused it. I use microfiber towels and wash mits to wash and dry my car. I also use small microfiber towels to buff the wax off the car. Beach towels, and shirts will leave swirl marks on a car. I clean the rims with the same soap that I wash the car with, but use a different wash mitt as to not get dirt on my nice one that touches paint. But if you are talking about something to clean clean a rim, I use the mequiers metal polish. You can get it at the auto parts store, and it comes in a little round container. That does a great job of giving the rims a nice shine. You can get microfiber towels at a lot of places, but I usually get my car care stuff from [url]http://properautocare.com[/url] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtguy Posted October 6, 2004 Share Posted October 6, 2004 There are lots of materials that people think are fine to wax cars. They are often mistaken. I use a real lambswool wash mitt to wash the car, then microfiber drying towels (note that there is a difference in the quality of these towels, as a friend found out, who is now a Griot's Garage customer). For polishing and waxing, I use a Porter Cable orbital, and for wax removal, microfiber wax removal towels. Again, everything is use comes from Griot's Garage. I'm not sure how it ultimately works, but when I sold my WRX wagon after three years, it looked new. No scratches, hazing or swirl marks. When removing the wax, I rub back and forth, rather than in a circle, which can also create swirl marks if you're using the wrong wax removal product. It's amazing, given the durability of cars, how fragile the paint is. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanoswrx Posted October 6, 2004 Share Posted October 6, 2004 Yeah, I think the big tip is to use back and forth movements to remove wax. Circles are what give you the swirls. I use a very fine cloth cotton towels to remove the wax, they are very soft to touch. When washing I just use one of those sheep skin mits, then use a sqeegy (sp?) to remove the water, and one of my cloths to get the rest of the little bits of water left. Sometimes I will even pull out the leaf blower and blow the water off, then nothing touches the surface for guaranteed no swirls :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtguy Posted October 6, 2004 Share Posted October 6, 2004 Other important things are to ALWAYS use different cloths for polish (an abrasive) and wax (not). Again, color-coding them the way Griot's does is very nice. As for wheels, as long as you are diligent about washing them, they never get so dirty that a swipe with a wash mitt doesn't take care of them. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liquidiq Posted October 6, 2004 Share Posted October 6, 2004 Keep in mind when applying the wax to the car, go in the direction of the wind. Go from the front of the car to the back in strokes (on the top). On the sides of the car, go top to bottom. This gives a uniform shine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken S Posted October 6, 2004 Share Posted October 6, 2004 All really good replies here. I'd also like to add: - Make sure your car paint and the cloth/pad you're using to apply the wax is absolutely clean - If hand waxing, avoid circular patterns. Any scratches on your paint are viewable when you are at right angles to the scratch. A circular pattern basically makes it possible to view a bunch of scratches from any angle. A up-down left-right only pattern provides the least amount of viewable swirls. - If the wax doesn't cover up the swirls, the next time you detail, you may want to start with a glaze or even a light polish (3M Swirl Mark Reducer) to minimize the swirl appearance. Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCRAPPYDO Posted October 6, 2004 Share Posted October 6, 2004 lets not forget the ultimate in paint care.. Find yourself a good quality clay bar kit. Mothers makes a good one, and us it when the need arises. Its the difference between a good finish, and an, "oh my God its smooth", finish. SCRAPPYDO stephen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John M Posted October 6, 2004 Share Posted October 6, 2004 Meguiar's wheel cleaner is excellent. Cuts right through brake dust and is safe on any finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plunk10 Posted October 6, 2004 Author Share Posted October 6, 2004 [quote name='SCRAPPYDO']lets not forget the ultimate in paint care.. Find yourself a good quality clay bar kit. Mothers makes a good one, and us it when the need arises. Its the difference between a good finish, and an, "oh my God its smooth", finish. SCRAPPYDO stephen[/quote] I tried a "Mothers" claybar on the woman's old beater. really didn't notice any diffference. I must have used that incorrectly as well. It looks like I need to buy the correct cloths to apply and remove. I've considered the california water blade for drying the car after a wash as well. If I apply the wax in an up and down fashion, should I follow the exact same strokes when removing the wax? Finally, somewhere I've read about a polymer or something that is different than wax, but lasts a lot longer (with not quite as bright of shine). Basically, I want the wax to last as long as possible, as I plan not to do this every weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest *Jedimaster* Posted October 6, 2004 Share Posted October 6, 2004 Back and forth to wax on and off, never in a swirling motion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Th3Franz Posted October 6, 2004 Share Posted October 6, 2004 Clay bar + polish + good wax = :D -Franz The end of a Legacy http://www.youtube.com/th3franz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liquidiq Posted October 6, 2004 Share Posted October 6, 2004 I've heard good reviews of the Meguairs NXT wax, people have been getting good results from it. I use Zaino, and if I'm doing a black or dark car, I tend to use Z5 for one coat, in a circular motion to slightly polish out any swirls. Then a couple coats of Z2 to really make it pop, in a back/forth motion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoundBoy Posted October 6, 2004 Share Posted October 6, 2004 i am using NXT currently.. but I think i will switch to zanio system after the winter based on actualy testing done here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAFTEK Posted October 6, 2004 Share Posted October 6, 2004 [quote name='Th3Franz']Clay bar + polish + good wax = :D[/quote] I second motion that :!: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awdG35killer Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 what about a buffer? doesnt it make a swirling motion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Th3Franz Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 [quote name='iamEJ25']what about a buffer? doesnt it make a swirling motion?[/quote] I used one and my car is swirl mark free. I only used the buffer to apply polish though. Waxing and removing it by hand worked better.. -Franz The end of a Legacy http://www.youtube.com/th3franz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plunk10 Posted October 7, 2004 Author Share Posted October 7, 2004 Last night at a meet, someone was telling me to use a wax that harley dealerships sell for motorcycles (PL21 or something). Does anyone use anything like that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chinchy Posted October 9, 2004 Share Posted October 9, 2004 P21S? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boostjunkie Posted October 9, 2004 Share Posted October 9, 2004 Actually the Harley wax is S100. Which is supposed to be about the same stuff as P21S, but at half the price. A really nice looking carnauba. Unfortunately, being a carnauba it isn't the most durable stuff out there. I think everyone has covered most of the basics of proper car finish care, but I'll add that I use two buckets when washing. One to hold the shampoo solution, and another with just plain water that I use to rinse my sheepskin washmit clean between each panel. Also work from the top down, as the upper panels tend to be cleaner and you don't want to rub the dirt into your paint. I'm using the Einzett line of products and really like them. I use their Paint Polish (applied with a Porter Cable dual-action polisher) and their Glanz Wax, which is a synthetic wax that is good looking while providing stunning durability. I also use their Pearls wash shampoo. Nice stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtguy Posted October 9, 2004 Share Posted October 9, 2004 [quote name='DAFTEK'][quote name='Th3Franz']Clay bar + polish + good wax = :D[/quote] I second motion that :!:[/quote] Good advice, but clay bars and polishes are often misused. You know you need a clay bar when, after a wash and dry, you can feel roughness on the paint's surface by running your hand over the paint. If your car is being properly maintained, you should rarely need to use the clay bar before waxing...perhaps once or twice per year. Now, like a clay bar, a polish is an abrasive, that is used to reduce swirl marks and other blemishes. Both act like pencil erasers, removing paint as they smooth, which is why they shouldn't be over-used. My theory is always when in doubt, don't use either. A wash and wax are usually sufficient. Other times, you'll find that only the flat surfaces (hood, trunk and roof) are rough. It also depends upon if you park inside or out, how many contaminants are in the rain, etc. A friend, for example, parks his WRX outside. We clayed and waxed his car back in July. It was still like a baby's bottom last weekend. Always be careful with stuff that removes paint, IMHO. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boostjunkie Posted October 9, 2004 Share Posted October 9, 2004 That is good advice gtguy. There are obviously many different polishes that vary widely in abrasiveness. Some are extremely mild and are more of a chemical cleaner than an abrasive cleaner. While it is certainly not necessary to polish before waxing everytime, the use of a mild polish on an otherwise sound surface will enhance the overall finish with no long term risks. I only use my Einzett Paint Polish twice a year as it is a mild to moderately abrasive polish, and the other times I use P21S polish which is extremely mild. More of a touch up kind of product. I haven't taken any really good pics of my LGT yet, so here's one of the trunk lid of my GF's Mazda6 post "spa day": [img]http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/7/web/415000-415999/415436_40_full.jpg[/img] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtguy Posted October 9, 2004 Share Posted October 9, 2004 Ach! Indeed, there are levels of polish. Even my favored Griot's Garage sells three levels, from mild to wild, so to speak. As an aside, does anyone remember AutoGlym? That was really nice stuff, too. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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