Are you still using your dad's car care products?

[OCDetails]

I was thinking about it the other day, and car care has come a long way in the last few years. When I first started getting into detailing in the late '90s there wasn't a whole lot of talk about sealants and synthetic protectants. Now they are all the rage. Car care didn't seem to change hardly at all for nearly 20 years. Now we have made more advancements in the past ten years than we have ever made before. I can add polymers to my liquid waxes and quick detailers, I can buy synthetic sealants that compete with some of the finest products out there right off the shelf, they actually have tools that help with engine detailing now, and the list goes on. Even five years ago the big name in car care was still Meguiar's. What they have done with car care products hasn't changed an awful lot in the past ten years. When I started using #83 to polish out swirls in 1997 I didn't expect that ten years later the product in the bottle would be exactly the same with no change. Things that don't chage and grow are dead. That is just a fact of life. So why are we still using products that our Dad's used twenty years ago to polish and care for our modern paint?

 

I think we all know how soft and sensitive the Legacy paint really is. Just look at it wrong and it will scratch or swirl. You don't necessarily want to be using a product that was designed to cut a laquer paint job if you are dealing with something like this. Many of the products that haven't changed are formulated for use on much harder clear coats and very different cars. I kick myself for not seeing this sooner, but the only way to care for modern cars is to use the most modern up to date products.

 

So I guess all I'm really saying is that you should look at the products and processes that you are using right now. Are they the same things you were doing and using ten years ago? Has paint changed in the last ten years? Don't you think your processes and products should change along with it? Back in the 50's and 60's they used to pour kerosene on cars to make them glossy. Obviously that is a poor technique for today's modern paint jobs, but some of the products in bottles are almost as antique as that.

 

Consider exploring other options this year as we start to prepare for the 2008 car show and driving season. We have a new sponsor on the board who has some of the most progressive products I've ever used. Their brand of polishes is safe for soft Subaru paint and some of them are even effective when used by hand. Their Wet Glaze is one of the best looking products I've used. It may not be a Wolfgang, but it also isn't $30 bucks a bottle either. It competes with Wolfgang, and that isn't something easy to do. I'm going to play around with the Polycharger with Wet Glaze on a black Porsche this weekend just to see how much better it can look.

 

Don't ever marry yourself to processes or products. With as fast as things change these days it is important to be flexible and open to trying new things. If your current processes aren't working or if you are looking for a new one, consider taking a look at http://www.Danase.com and seeing if there is anything there that can help. Bob is a great guy and I look forward to seeing him in action as a sponsor on this forum.

[praedet]

So, what is the current recommendation for a light/moderate swirl remover for a white car (basically a good after winter polisher), and one that is the same or maybe removes slightly larger/deeper swirls from a black car?

 

Or, just give us the current "not your dads products" list for a good after winter detail

[nemo]

So, what is the current recommendation for a light/moderate swirl remover for a white car (basically a good after winter polisher), and one that is the same or maybe removes slightly larger/deeper swirls from a black car?

 

Or, just give us the current "not your dads products" list for a good after winter detail

 

I'm interested in this also. I'm also wondering what the best way to protect the "paint" on our cars would be.

[pillboy]

Are you still using your dad's car care products?

 

Turtle Wax liquid.

[SC GT]

Would Sonus SFX-2 be safe for a Legacy GT finish?

[OCDetails]

I don't have a whole lot of experience with the Sonus products. What experience I have had hasn't been really favorable. I know the guy who commissioned them and he is a big German car fan. Porsches, Audis, BMWs, Mercedes.... If it came from across the pond then he is all over it. German paint is significantly harder to damage than the Legacy paint, so I would imagine that the Sonus cut levels are a little higher up the scale than what you would expect. SFX-2 may leave some hazing behind that needs to be polished out with SFX-1. It doesn't use diminishing abrasives, which means that it won't polish out it's own haze like some other products out there. This also means that you will see some level of success using it by hand, but you really do need a PC if you are serious about getting rid of swirls.

 

For our Legacy paint there are several products you could go with. If you are going to order from our sponsor http://www.Danase.com then I would suggest going with the Swirl Abolishers. Level II works really well on Subaru paint. I polished out a WRX last fall with it and it came out terrific. These other cars were also polished out using the Swirl Abolishers at different levels.

 

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w22/OCDetails2007/Fall%20Detailing%20Blitz/110-8-20073-26-22PM.jpg

 

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w22/OCDetails2007/Fall%20Detailing%20Blitz/110-8-20072-01-06PM.jpg

 

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w22/OCDetails2007/Fall%20Detailing%20Blitz/110-8-20071-58-56PM.jpg

 

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w22/OCDetails2007/Fall%20Detailing%20Blitz/110-10-20074-19-52PM.jpg

 

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w22/OCDetails2007/Fall%20Detailing%20Blitz/110-12-20072-15-01PM.jpg

 

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w22/OCDetails2007/Fall%20Detailing%20Blitz/3.jpg

 

Last fall was the fall for black cars it seemed. Everybody seemed to want theirs polished out. The last black one I did before I closed up shop had to be done at night. So I figure this is going to be the true test of a polish. Consistency is a must when using any product. What I typically do is test a panel and time it so I have an idea of how long it takes to do and still get the results I want. Swirl Abolisher II was one of the best products I've done this with. It took care of all the swirls in the truck I was working on in the same amount of time on every panel without leaving any haze behind. I don't know if it has diminishing abrasives or not, but I didn't observe any clumping, so I don't think it did. It is just a gentle, yet agressive enough polish that it just gets the job done. And if anyone ever doubts that I am truely an over the top obsessed detailer, then just talk to the people who watched me do this job:

 

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w22/OCDetails2007/Fall%20Detailing%20Blitz/1-1.jpg

 

The sign of a true obsessive compulisve detailer is whether or not they are willing to tackle a black truck in the dark. lol

 

So anyway, if you are looking for polishes that are good for Legacy paint, I can definitely put my stamp of approval on the Danase Swirl Abolishers. They are awesome polishes that definitely do the trick.

[iyalla]

OCD what pad did you use on the WRX with Swirl II?

[OCDetails]

Unless the swirls are really really extreme then I typically stick with the Blue Edge 2000 pad for most of my polishing and then I rely on the product to do most of the work. You'll get less hazing that has to be cleared up if you use a less agressive pad and a more agressive product. Pads account for a lot of the haze that is caused.

[iyalla]

Gotcha, thanks! I can't wait for warm weather, i'm dying here

[SubLGTaru]

Quick question.

 

I've got an 07 LGT with 16000 miles on it. It's Obsidian Black Pearl in color and to me it has way too many swirls for a 2007 car. When I bought it, the dealer already had an "invisible paint protection" sprayed over the car.

 

Now I don't have any experience with a PC or anything, so I'm looking for a product that would be the best for me to reduce swirls by hand.

 

I could pay a detailer to do this for me, but do not know of any reliable ones in my area. And I'm not sure that if I take it to some guy locally that he would do a good job or not.

[bigman9918]

From my experience, you really cannot remove the swirls on your paint by hand. I know that there are some off the shelf products that you an buy that contains fillers that hide the swirls, but doesn't remove them. In order to effectively remove swirls, a machine like the PC or Flex is needed with the correct pad and polish.

[fuzzydd]

Quick question.

 

I've got an 07 LGT with 16000 miles on it. It's Obsidian Black Pearl in color and to me it has way too many swirls for a 2007 car. When I bought it, the dealer already had an "invisible paint protection" sprayed over the car.

 

Now I don't have any experience with a PC or anything, so I'm looking for a product that would be the best for me to reduce swirls by hand.

 

I could pay a detailer to do this for me, but do not know of any reliable ones in my area. And I'm not sure that if I take it to some guy locally that he would do a good job or not.

"Invisible paint protection" is usually how they bullshit you into spending $500 when really they just slap a layer of wax on the car

Does not exist

 

And in regards to hand removal of swirls, try Meguiar's ScratchX and a clean microfiber. Add elbow grease and remember to claybar first

[nemo]

Unless the swirls are really really extreme then I typically stick with the Blue Edge 2000 pad for most of my polishing and then I rely on the product to do most of the work. You'll get less hazing that has to be cleared up if you use a less agressive pad and a more agressive product. Pads account for a lot of the haze that is caused.

 

What would you recommend to protect the paint in the first place? (Hopefully before swirls/other damage occur)

[OCDetails]

From my experience, you really cannot remove the swirls on your paint by hand. I know that there are some off the shelf products that you an buy that contains fillers that hide the swirls, but doesn't remove them. In order to effectively remove swirls, a machine like the PC or Flex is needed with the correct pad and polish.

 

+eleventybillion

 

You really can't get very far with swirls if you are working by hand. This is why they invented polishers to begin with. It may speed up the process of waxing your car, but if swirl removal is your goal then a machine is an absolute must. Unless you have shoulders like an ox and are used to polishing cars by hand, it is a very difficult task that I have only seen accomplished by one individual. Trust me... if swirls annoy you then you got the wrong color on the wrong car. lol You would be really pissed off if you spent 12 hours polishing your paint by hand and then they all came back in less than a month, so believe me when I say that a PC is going to be the best investment you can make in your paint. You've probably spent more on other things by now than a PC and the right products to care for the paint would cost you. And all the other dodads you bought aren't going to pay for themselves. Any idea how many times my PC has paid for itself? Usually at least two or three times a week.

 

You can't really protect the paint against swirls. Anything you put on the surface is going to be so thin that all it really protects against is UV damage and environmental staining (from acid rain, bird bombs, sprinklers, that kind of thing). I've yet to find something that creates any barrier between swirl creating objects and the paint. Believe me, if it exists then I'll find it. Until then I just use good sealants and I use them often. I am out there "waxing" (using the word loosely) my car at least once a month to keep it looking fresh. If you are looking for something long lasting and great looking right off the shelf, then give the Danase Paint Sealant a shot. I really love how that product looks. It makes the body lines absolutely glow and leaves a very wet looking shine behind. The nice thing is that this product isn't a dust magnet like some other sealants out there, so you can rest a little easier in that regard too.

[SubLGTaru]

Thanks for all the info....I really want to take my car to a professional and have them work it over, get out all of the swirls and then from there on use products like you have listed and keep up with my car.

 

Should I be able to trust someone around me locally to do this job for me? I am worried they would somehow mess it up. I want to take it to someone that I know would do a great job.

[OCDetails]

Just make sure you check their references. lol Don't go calling someone out of the classifieds without seeing their work. Something that sets me apart from any other independent detailer in my area is that I have plenty of examples of before/after pictures. And I'm not just showing the money shot angle pictures in the shade reflecting a bright background either. I take shots under 1000 watt halogens or the sun showing very clearly that when I say the swirls are gone, they are in fact gone. There are many many many hacks out there who call themselves detailers, but they are just glorified car washers. My recomendation would be to get a referal from someone who has used the detailer before. Either that or find a reputable shop that can show you their work. This kind of thing can be expensive and it is worth it to get it done right if you are going to shell out a couple hundred bucks.

 

FWIW, for the cost of having it done right you could easily buy all the supplies and products you need to do it yourself. It really isn't that difficult to do and it will save you a lot of time in the long run. Even in the short run you'll save time because you won't have to leave your car with a detail shop all day while they 'get to it eventually.'

[bsdzine]

do you really recommend the Porter Cable 7424/7336 to someone with NO experience with polishers? I'm trying to plan out my first of spring detailing session, and was guessing I needed to go pro to get the look I want. But if it's something I can do myself without messing things up, it seems like a good price to last the life of my car.

[fuzzydd]

do you really recommend the Porter Cable 7424/7336 to someone with NO experience with polishers? I'm trying to plan out my first of spring detailing session, and was guessing I needed to go pro to get the look I want. But if it's something I can do myself without messing things up, it seems like a good price to last the life of my car.

Good beginners tool, try it!

[OCDetails]

It really is just about fool proof. The design of a random orbital polisher is so that you can't do damage to the paint unless you grind the backing plate against something or drop the tool on the car. You really would have to try pretty hard to do damage with it. Everybody gets a little skiddish when trying a tool like this for the first time, but it is really so much safer than you could imagine and I promise you that it will be your favorite tool that you ever purchase.