What would you change or add to my routine?

[lvalesko]

Hey guys! Feeling like I want to add more protection that will be longer lasting, but not sure what to use... I`ve got a 3 year old white Ford F150 Extended Cab and here`s what I`m doing:

Ever since I bought her, my routine has been washing with the 2 bucket method and grit guards using Pinnacle Liquid Gloss Rinseless Wash with Carnauba and a MF mitt. Twice a year I clay, Iron X and apply Collinite 845 using my Porter Cable.

Unfortunately I don`t have a garage so she sits outside and I live in a city, (Long Beach, CA), near the ocean and near a port. The paint is still in very good shape and I`d like to keep it that way as long as possible. There are a few small cob webs, (I won`t even call them spider webs), but nothing that really bothers me and the paint still shines like glass after a wash!

The hood is feeling a little rough so I`m getting ready for one of my twice-yearly details. I just got a fine grade Nanoskin wash mitt and am excited to try it out instead of clay. I`m planning on adding a little more Pinnacle rinseless wash to my bucket and using it behind my MF wash mitt as I wash the car - sound safe?

I`ve also been wondering if I should polish and/or seal before I put the Collinite 845 on this time. I want something that`s easy to use and I`ve been looking at the BLACKFIRE Total Polish & Seal since it`s an AIO. Sounds like it isn`t too abrasive and is easy to use. Says it doesn`t require buffing, but some reviewers said they needed to.

So I`m starting with paint that`s in good shape and want to keep it that way by adding some protection to keep her looking shiny and new... but I want to do it easily and conveniently. I`m a working housewife so I don`t have a ton of time, (or energy on some days - LOL!). Just want to make sure I`m thinking in the right direction!

Thanks in advance everyone - you guys always give me great advice!

Lori

[Accumulator]

Ivalesko- On white I`d absolutely use FK1000P. Period. Looks great on that color, sheds dirt great, protects incredibly well against birds/bugs, and lasts for months and months.

Yeah, I know I`m always recommending that stuff, but IMO it`s the perfect (conventional) LSP for white, hands down. I have 845 on the shelf, but it basically just sits there unused these days.

[lvalesko]

Ahhhh Accumulator!! You`re the one who turned me onto the Collinite 845 years ago!!

I`ll look into the FK1000P... but any thoughts on the Blackfire AIO before the FK1000P? Won`t I get more longer lasting protection with that under the wax?

... and what does LSP stand for??

Thanks!!!

Lori

[Accumulator]

Ahhhh Accumulator!! You`re the one who turned me onto the Collinite 845 years ago!!

Heh heh, yeah...I was a real Collinite fan before I discovered the FK.

I`ll look into the FK1000P... but any thoughts on the Blackfire AIO before the FK1000P? Won`t I get more longer lasting protection with that under the wax?

I don`t think it`ll last longer, but then I redo the FK1000P before it completely dies. Shouldn`t cause any problems though, I`ve used FK1000P over top of different AIOs/polishes that leave stuff behind with no issues.

... and what does LSP stand for??

Sorry, didn`t mean to be inscrutable. LSP = Last Step Product, i.e, wax/sealant/coating.

[lvalesko]

Correct me if I`m wrong, but I thought a sealant adds another layer of protection and lasts longer than wax with all it`s synthetic polymer `stuff`... is that not correct? Otherwise, what`s the point of the sealant? I get that the polish cleans and will remove small defects, but I thought the sealant added shine and protection - and some people don`t even bother waxing over the sealant.

Thanks for the help!!

[tropicsteve]

actually, collinite 845 is a sealant even though they call it insulator wax. I think most sealants claim 4-6 months of protection. if it were my truck and had to sit out in the weather 24-7, I would definitely apply a coating for more protection, as most claim 1-3 years of protection. whatever you use, it could probably use a polishing when you go through your regimen this time.
my pick up is garage kept, so I use bfwd sealant followed up with bfms wax, but then again those products are made to be used together having some similar ingredients to bond together. if you wax over most sealants, the wax will not last as long because of the already slick surface of the sealant.

[Stokdgs]

Lori -

Your process is sound - If you use Blackfire Total Polish and Seal, (after your wash with the Nanoskin Fine Wash mitt), with your Porter Cable, it will improve the paintwork.
Then, if you apply your Collinite afterwards, it will really have more protection than just the Collinite..
Yes, you can apply the Blackfire product and in most cases, it will eventually just go away, but if not, there will not be a huge amount of wiping left to do..
It will work best if you apply the Blackfire product on your truck in the shade...
Good Luck !
Dan F

[lvalesko]

Hey guys, love all the input!

Here`s what I`m going to do:

Wash
Nanoskin Fine
Iron X
Wash
BF TP&S using the PC + Black Lake Country pad
Let cure a couple of days
Wash
Wax - Either Collinite 845 using the PC + Red Lake Country pad... or the FK1000P if I have the time and energy to apply by hand

I`ll report back... thanks!!!

Lori

[Stokdgs]

Lori -
The Blackfire Total Polish and Seal wont need a couple days to cure..
I researched way back and found an old post from Todd here -
""Re: BLACKFIRE LSP Cure Times???
Okay, here goes:

BLACKFIRE Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection
Dry Time: 3-30 minutes
Cure Time: 2-12 hours
Recommendations: Wait 8-12 hours for additional layers, particularly in cool or damp climates.
In Use: Wet Diamond AFPP dries and cures extremely fast for a liquid sealant. In moderate climates it should be fully cured with in a couple of hours and many users report topping or layering shortly after removing the first coat with no performance ramifications.

BLACKFIRE Crystal Seal
Dry Time: 1-15 minutes
Cure Time: 15 minutes-4 hours
Recommendations: Wait 4-5 hours for additional layers, particularly in cool or damp climates.
In Use: Crystal Seal begins cross linking on contact and in most cases is fully cured with in 1 hour unless you live in an extremely cool or wet climate.

BLACKFIRE Total Polish & Seal
Dry Time: N/A, work into the paint until nearly clear and remove immediately.
Cure Time: 15 minutes-2 hours
Recommendations: Wait 2 hours for additional topping, particularly in cool or damp climates.
In Use: If applying Total Polish & Seal by machine, the machine agitation of the product (or vigorous hand application) greatly accelerates the cure time. You can remove Total Polish & Seal with Wet Diamond Polymer Spray to increase protection instantly.


BLACKFIRE Wet Diamond Polymer Spray
Dry Time: Not Applicable
Cure Time: 5-15 minutes after buff off.
Recommendations: Wait 15 to 30 minutes for the product to full cure for maximum benefit.
In Use: By a function of its design, Polymer Spray can be topped or layered almost immediately. You can also use it to remove Total Polish & Seal and take advantage of the additional polymer content.

BLACKFIRE Midnight Sun Ivory Carnauba Wax
Dry Time: Not Applicable, remove wet
Cure Time: The polymers cure extremely fast, the wax may take 1-8 hours to fully harden depending on temperature and climate.
Recommendations: For maximum layering benefit wait 6-8 hours before topping with more wax.
In Use: The polymers and wax both cure/harden extremely fast, a second coat of wax can be applied almost immediately after the first has been removed with very little change in performance.


A couple of quick notes:

Dry Time: Not applicable to all products, this is the expected time range from when the product has been applied until it hazes on the surface and can be removed with minimal effort. Wet Diamond Polymers are hyper reactive and begin to adhere and cross-link almost immediately after contact. Applying the liquid products too thick, high humidity, or cool temperatures can effect dry time.

Cure Time: The estimated time from application until the product is fully cross-linked. Wet Diamond Polymers are hyper reactive. The product begins to cross-link almost immediately and the overwhelming majority of cross-linking occurs very shortly after application. The remaining time is to get maximum benefit. Applying the liquid products too thick, high humidity, or cool temperatures can effect cure time.

Wait as long as you can- One of the advantages of Wet Diamond Polymer products is that the polymers begin to cross-link on contact. The overwhelming majority of curing takes place very quickly, the rest of the cure time is waiting for the last couple of percent. It is why we don`t print official recommendations for many of the products. Such a huge portion of the curing is so fast that if you cannot wait you will likely never notice the difference and sometimes it is not feasible to wait in order to gain several more percent of benefit.

BLACKFIRE product are known for being easy to use and producing consistent results. If you notice any streaking, hazing, or shadowing of product when layering the revert back to the recommended cure times.""

Dan F

[The Guz]

Hey fellow neighbor. My uncles lives out in Long Beach and I went to college there as well.

Your procedure sounds good. I see some good mentions on McKee`s 37 XMT over on autogeek. Might be something else to look into. It`s an AIO sealant.

The other combo that gets a lot of love is HD Speed topped with Poxy or HD Express.



Have you you had the chance to attend one of the Meguiar`s Thursday night garages or their Saturday class? They are in Irvine. More info can be found on Meguiar`s Online forum

[Accumulator]

Correct me if I`m wrong, but I thought a sealant adds another layer of protection and lasts longer than wax with all it`s synthetic polymer `stuff`... is that not correct? Otherwise, what`s the point of the sealant?

Some of my sealants (e.g., UPP) don`t last as long, nor protect as well, as many of my waxes.

And as tropicsteve pointed out, 845 is more of a sealant than a wax (IIRC it`s resin-based like Autoglym`s Super Resin Polish). FK1000P is called a "High Temperature Wax" but is actually a paste sealant. The whole wax vs. sealant thing gets muddy with products getting called whatever people want to call them.

[lvalesko]

I don`t have a garage big enough for my truck and we don`t have any shade nearby so when I woke up this morning and it was cloudy I ran out at 7:30am and started... the family was on their own for breakfast! The sun came out as I was about 2./3 through the BF TP&S so I hurried to finish it up.

Observations:
Nanoskin Fine - OMG that thing is amazing!!!
BF TP&S - Using a black Lake Country pad and only applying a light circle of product for each section, I was not quite able to get it to totally come off with the PC. Had to wipe with a MF towel but it was minimal and easy. I do have to say it didn`t remove the tiny `cobwebs` like I was hoping it would but it made the paint shine like a mirror, and to the touch it feels like a layer of glass is over the paint.

Questions:
1. Would most of you still wax over the BF TP&S?
2. Accumulator - I found some Collinite 476S in my detailing gear that I forgot about... what do you think of it?

Overall, using the steps I listed above the process was pretty easy and went pretty quick - couple of hours to wash, Nanoskin, Iron X, wash, dry and apply BP TP&S. I`ll do the glass and interior this evening ... too hot here in So Cal for now!

Thanks everyone! If this 55 year old housewife can do it... anybody can with all of your help and advice!!!

[ShawnF350]

Go with the FK1000P and don`t look back.
I did a white Grand Marquis that turned out awesome.
Two coats last year and it still had life left until I did a diesel fuel wipe down .

[lvalesko]

I see the FK1000P is technically a sealant so I`d be putting a sealant over a sealant - will it last? Will they bond? Otherwise the 476S is a carnuba wax...

Thanks!!

[The Guz]

You can try adjusting your pad to something a little more aggressive such as a polishing pad or cutting pad to increase the cut of the product. I dont see an issue topping with 476.