Pre wax help
 

I have a black 2011. I have a little over 7000 miles on it. Now when I take my car out of storage for the winter I want to put a nice coat of wax on it. Just wondering what I should do before waxing it. I read clay barring has good benefits. But should I polish it instead before putting a coat of wax down? Or will that damage my paint? I never polished a vehicle before only waxed. What's the best way to get that outstanding black shine?

wash
clay bar
wax
some will say do the 75 step process but I think you will be happy with the 3 step deal.

What about swirl marks? What's recommended for those?

you have swirl marks? From what? I hope no one used a buffer on your car?

Yes and I don't know how to be honest. I do wash probably more then average.

Someone did on mine and there are swirl marks all over mine now.. **** car washes.. :(

Sounds like you need some polish with a orbital like a porter cable or such. With the polishing action they produce it all most impossible to put new swirls or such back in the paint like with the direct drive polishers. Regular washing specially on a black car not done the right way or harsh towels and such can put mico swirls into the paint also.

Here is just a couple links that I get my supplies from. Sorry not much of a person to type instructions on here but there is a recent thread someone did real good explantion on his process.

http://www.griotsgarage.com/home.do

http://www.autogeek.net/

Here you go I found it :nice:

https://themustangsource.com/f659/ca...-101-a-503492/

Thanks for the input. So a little bit of polish is what I need then. Only problem is I don't think I would ever trust myself with a machine on my car though. Is there a really good polish for a relatively new car that is recommended for my situation?

For swirl marks I polish. put the last coat on by hand. it will eliminate the swirl marks AND the "spider web " effect that you get if you use a towel. I used to have black vehicles and none of them had swirls marks when I was done with them. Also when I wax/polish I use a buffer then like I said final coat is by hand. Works everytime. :nice:

EDIT:

Also if you are not comfortable using a machine then it wont hurt to just do it by hand. I take that back. It will hurt you cuz you will be sore in the morning but it wont hurt the car.

I don't mind a little elbow grease, never did. What's a good brand polish? Should I use something like meguiars ultimate polish? Or is that too weak? It says it's good for darker colored cars and it's a good all around polish.

megs has a swirl remover polish and I usally use megs gold class wax. Works well. Alos do not use a circular motion like wax on wax off. Use long stroks. Like the whole lenght of the roof hood and trunk lid. Thats what I try to do anyway.

What are your thoughts on the polishers that attach to a drill? I was looking at some at Walmart last night and almost splurged but decided against it.

I haven't used them myself. I'm not a big fan of powered buffers and the like. I have a orbital buffer that I have used a few times but for some reason I always revert back to the hand job... pun intended. They do work pretty good when used properly but most people do not know how to use them properly and sometimes do more damage than good. Most people Not all people. After a claybar and a coat of wax alls I usually use is some megs ultimate wax or quick and slick from croftgate. Spray some on a microfiber and then apply to your paint. I am not a pro by any stretch of the word and lots of folks around here know more than I do about this stuff. I've never felt like doing the 12 step show shine deal on my cars. I like my end result and often get compliments on my shine.

Glenn, thanks for the tips and advice. I didn't get into detailing my car until just recently and sometimes (almost daily) I dread having a black on black car because of the strenuous maintenance involved with upkeep and trying to make it look good. I have been trying to find a simple way of keeping the car looking good but primarily indoors because of the copious amounts of rain we get here annually. This process you have listed here sounds right up my alley and sounds perfectly in line with the K.I.S.S. theory.

I gave the Mustang an engine bay cleaning a few nights ago with simple green, turtle wax f21 tire shine, and water. It took me 45 minutes and literally was the first time that bay was clean since my buddy bought the car brand new in 2007. The results were fairly good but some spots were missed due to bad lighting. I will admit that I've been struck with a detailing bug and I've been using the Meguiars Quick Detailer and Quick Wax because of bad weather and not being able to wash and wax accordingly. I'm hoping for fairer weather this weekend and I'll do the job properly with the info you've given here.

I think everyone has their method that suits them and maybe I'll stick with your process or I will work another gameplan out on my own. Again, I thank you for your advice here and the simple process you have listed.

OP, take some sun shots and post them in here. That will give people a better chance to diagnose how to combat the swirls. While some prefer the simple method, the truth is, you're going to have to polish the car to level the clear coat and remove imperfections.

Truth is, any time something touches your finish, it has the chance to damage the finish. Learning proper wash techniques, such as the two bucket method, using a quality microfiber product to dry and remove waxes/polishes from your car, and understanding the factors that contribute to swirls and marring, you'll reduce the chances of doing damage.

When it comes to polishes, there are a ton of factors involved. Are you going to do it by hand, with a polisher, etc? What kind of polisher; DA (dual-action), rotary? I wouldn't recommend an orbital buffer, because they can be tough to manage and won't allow you to get into some of the tougher crevasses of the car. How much correction are you looking for?

I'd suggest a simple approach:
-two bucket wash using Grit Guards and new, quality mitts (the Griot's 2-pack for $15 are great). Use the GG on your washes from now on.

-Clay bar with a mild clay product, using quick detailer or a specific clay lube as your lubricant. This removes embedded contaminants and will leave your finish prepped for a polish or sealant/wax.

-Polish by hand/machine. I'd suggest a DA polisher and the Meg's DA correction system. It comes with everything you need to correct and protect your finish. You'll need a polisher, such as the Meg's G110 or Porter Cable 7424XP, but it gives you the ability to go much further with your detailing abilities.

-Seal/wax the surface. The DA finishing wax is decent, but I'd top it off with a good sealant, such as Blackfire Wet Diamond. Apply it by machine, with a black Lake County finishing pad, which helps to apply a thin, even coat on the car. It also speeds up application tremendously. Remove with a quality MF towel.

Not quite as simple as others have mentioned, but I think the finish will really pop with the right techniques. Once you put the time in, you'll want to preserve the finish. This should get you on your way.

Overboost, thank you for your feedback. And I would post a sun picture but my car is in storage and cant get to it everyday. I would be doing the polishing by hand. I would say that I have minor to little swirl marks that stand out in more places then others but it is definitely something that I notice when I clean my car, other say they don't notice as much.

are you trying to pick on me Steve? :)

I would like to say that I watched a couple videos on YouTube of the portle cable 7424xp polisher. It basically said that it is impossible to burn through your paint or damage your car using this polisher. I never knew such a polisher existed or else I would have probably invested in one a long time ago. Unfortunately I noticed that they go for well over 100 dollars once you buy the correct pads and everything you need. But I'd just like to say it has really opened my eyes to detailing and it is definitely something I would love to buy this year for my car.

Just bought that one with the pad and chemicals as a kit for around $200. Haven't used it yet. Hope to soon. I'll post what I find out when I finally attempt it.