First time help/suggestions

[tustah]

Hi everyone, this is my first post so please be nice.

I have a Black 2006 Honda Accord Coupe (2 months old) and just got interested in detailing a few days ago. I made a huge mistake of wiping my car with a bath towel on the very first wash, but luckily I didn't apply pressure to it while drying. There are very tiny swirls which can only be seen if you look at it really close.

With that in mind, I plan on buying a PC and this is the method that I'm planning on using:

Wash with either QEW or Meguiar's NXT wash
Clay (from what I've been told, brand doesn't really matter)
Wash again
Dry
PC with AIO
PC with SG
PC with p21s or natty's blue

Again, this will be my first time detailing my car to this extreme. Some questions that I have are:

1. Should I dry after the first wash and clay with water or should I clay right after rinsing?
2. I haven't been able to find any information on how long I am to wait after applying AIO before applying SG, or the wait time after each application.
3. How long after SG before applying wax?
4. I've read about products not being safe for Honda cars and I was wondering if these products are okay to use.

Since the swirls are very minimal, I figured a few layers of SG would cover it up. Of course, wash before SG each time I do it, along with 24 hour wait time.

Thanks for your recommendations/help in advance!

[steveo3002]

wash then a quick dry

clay with lots of qd or soapy water...not plain water

pretty sure SG can go right over AIO

id suggest you go for 2-3 layers of SG 12-24hrs aparts...then wait another 24 and wax it

[Jeremiah]

I’m no expert but, here is what I think; If you have some very minor swirls, and you are getting a PC correct them before they get worse. No point in just trying to cover them up, they only get harder to fix the worse they get.

X2 on the lots of soapy water or qd! Also be sure to fold often enough to ensure you aren’t using dirty clay.

Since you have a black car swirls are going to happen. To reduce the amount of swirling I would make sure you have a really good washing system (foam gun and 2 bucket method). Also make sure you are drying with a good soft plush towel. Good luck and have fun

[bluzman]

The SG goes on so easy, you dont have to apply it with the PC. Just remember with the SG, less is more. Put it on very thin, take it off with a microfiber towel. If you find you have some streaking after you remove the SG, mist a little water and wipe it off.

[tustah]

Would you guys recommend using the PC with AIO? Also, what type of material is best for applying the SG onto the car? I've read that terry cloth or foam will be fine, and that it's best to soak the applicator in water and ring out as much water as you can to keep it damp.

[steveo3002]

you can use a pc with aio...for sg i use a mf pad thats spritzed with water

[marko]

seems to me it's the wash method that caused the issue, so [correction process aside] I'm with jeremiah on this one. also, I didn't read microfiber on your list, and with black you don't have the luxury of terrycloth anything. definitely look into multiple buckets and sheepskin mitts and lubricating soap and ww mf, and a decent investment in mf polishing towels will go a long way with your process. processes, rather, because I seriously doubt you'll settle on just this one.

say, this wouldn't be nighthawk black pearl, would it? if so, natty's blue is an amazing thing.

[tustah]

Originally Posted by marko

seems to me it's the wash method that caused the issue, so [correction process aside] I'm with jeremiah on this one. also, I didn't read microfiber on your list, and with black you don't have the luxury of terrycloth anything. definitely look into multiple buckets and sheepskin mitts and lubricating soap and ww mf, and a decent investment in mf polishing towels will go a long way with your process. processes, rather, because I seriously doubt you'll settle on just this one.

say, this wouldn't be nighthawk black pearl, would it? if so, natty's blue is an amazing thing.

Yes, it's nighthawk black pearl. I would love to be able to do a fantastic job and allow the blue pearls to show even more.

Sorry for not going into detail about the wash. I was planning on buying all the ww mf towels and mf polishing towels.

As far as mitts go, I've read that some prefer sheepskin/wool mitts since dirt can be rinsed off easier than mf mitts. Is this true?

[marko]

my take on mf mitts is that they hold debris on the surface of the mitt. seems reasonable given what happens when any mf touches the earth, so I've never owned one. I'm into sheepskin mitts myself, but there's a large following for natural sponges.

I have this paint. for me, it's a study in minimizing self-induced marring. more of an obsession, really. lately, I'm experimenting with high lubricity washes.

[eyeguy1]

I've got a NBP '06 Civic so I know exactly what you're dealing with. If you can find somebody reputable to put a 3M clear bra on, I'd highly recommend it. I use a chenille(sp) mitt to get the underside where the body rolls under and a wool mitt for the rest. I use a foamgun and the two bucket method with gritguards and empty the rinse bucket after I clean the dirtiest part of the car.
It seems Honda's paint is on the soft side and you'll find out fast if you've got a bad technique. I use only microfiber towels and QD after every wash. I won't even QD after driving back from work I'm so scared of what would happen.
If you want to go all out you could buy one wool mitt and W.W. drying towel per panel, but I don't think you'd have to. If you decide to use a swirl remover, start light.

[tustah]

For the swirls on my car, I'm thinking SSR 1 since they're very minimal. Your intake?

The only problem now is that I have to drive this car daily, and can't figure how I'm going to wait 24 hours in order to remove the SG after it's been applied. Would it be fine to just wash the car after I have driven it and apply another layer of SG?

All this before wax, of course.