newb Wax / Sealant question

[btmlinedan]

hey guys,

I don`t have a machine polisher yet and won`t for a few months, but still wanna keep my car protected. The car was recently clayed and I ran some meguire`s gold class wax over it.



I`m curious if I can come back with a sealant and hand apply to get some rich shine, or would i have to strip the wax first?



Also, what waxes (i guess or sealants) can be layer to increase shine? With the beater in full effect, my 5 stays in the garage and It can receive some special attention.



any suggestions? I need to break down and place an order for the `good stuff` online, just so many options out there, I have no idea what to buy! help!

[BobD]

I`d apply a sealant first then a wax. That seems to give the longest lasting protection.

[btmlinedan]

should i strip the wax i have on there, or just layer the wax until i get a polisher. ?





will a clay bar remove wax?

[imported_Luster]

Hey Dan...



You mentioned protection, layering, shine and sealants.



I, personally, like Zaino. I`ve been using it for almost 10 years.



As for stripping, that`s not a big deal. All you have to do is wash your car with Dawn.



For excellent protection, use ZAIO (All-In-One). It goes on and comes off VERY easliy and leaves a nice slick shiny finish.



For one more layer of protection and shine, add a layer of Z5Pro.



Then top if off with Z8 Grand Finale Spray Seal. That will really make the paint pop!



Others please chime in.... there are lots of great products out there!!!! :D:D:D

[BobD]

should i strip the wax i have on there, or just layer the wax until i get a polisher. ?





will a clay bar remove wax?





A polisher isn`t going to do much for applying a wax or sealant except make it go faster. Personally I`d strip the wax, add a layer of sealant or so and top that off with a wax.



Not always.

[akimel]

Yes, a claybar will normally remove previously applied layers of wax, though I understand that this doesn`t always work with some synthetic sealants.



Gold Class is a carnauba-synthetic hybrid wax. Some sealants do not bond properly when applied over a carnauba wax. I guess it all depends on which sealant you are thinking about applying. You won`t have any problems if you were to apply, e.g., Megs` NXT or Mother`s Reflections--both have light cleaning agents. But only one way to find out. It`s not as if you are going to wake up one morning and discover that the sealant has slid off the surface of your car and pooled on the garage floor. :)



But if you are really concerned, you can use a paint cleaner to remove the GC. Megs` Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner is an inexpensive possibility and is still available at many auto stores. More expensive products include Sonus Paintwork Cleanser, P21S Paintwork Cleansing Lotion, Klasse All in One, Ultimate Pre-wax Cleaner. Or you might wash your car with P21S Total Auto Wash (pricey!). Or you might wipe down the paint surface with a 50/50 IPA solution (not pricey!).



Personally, I would probably just keep applying Gold Class once a month and wait until my polisher arrived--and at that point I would make the switch to a different wax or sealant.

[btmlinedan]

Is there any waxes I can hand layer ( over and over ) to achieve a better shine by hand until I get the polish?



Reason I am asking, is that I put on some m5 parts, and they were just painted...so I don`t want to polish the paint until a few months down the line, as to allow time for the new goodies to cure.



BUT...it`s starting to look nice out so I wouldn`t mind shining her up on my free time :)



here`s a shot from a recent shoot I did.



http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3466/3276240999_12ab209423_b.jpg

[Dsoto87]

I dont think your supposed to put heavy paste waxes on just painted parts. I know you can put Optimum Car Wax on newly painted parts though.



I dont believe its layerable though. It does have some minor filling capabilities which should help if you have light swirls

[DM101]

Where the parts clearcoated? If yes then how does the paint cure under clearcoat?

If you stick with McGuiars try #26 Wax on top of what you have. If you want a better product but more expensive try Fuzion or Souveran wax. You can find them at Autogeek.net ....

[akimel]

Nice looking ride! And nice photo.



When you say that you have new freshly painted parts, what precisely are you referring to? Are you waxing over them? I ask because one generally does not seal or wax over fresh car paint for 60-90 days. I just had my door re-painted, and the body shop owner was quite emphatic that if I waxed over it before 90 days the warranty would be voided.



In any case, until your machine comes and you can do some serious polishing, I seriously doubt you can make the car look much better than it already does by adding more layers of wax, no matter what the brand. Two coats are sufficient. I would counsel patience ...



But after you have polished her out with your machine, then you might want to consider applying a different wax or sealant. So many choices! The world is your oyster. :)

[btmlinedan]

Thanks Akimel-

the bumpers and mirrors are new, and haven`t been touched by anything yet. the car sits in teh garage so hasn`t needed a wash.



I washed / clayed / waxed while the bumpers were off so it would look good for the new goods.

[DM101]

Does clearcoat have to cure? You can use MeGuiars #5, or #7, or Danase pure polish on fresh paint.




Nice looking ride! And nice photo.



When you say that you have new freshly painted parts, what precisely are you referring to? Are you waxing over them? I ask because one generally does not seal or wax over fresh car paint for 60-90 days. I just had my door re-painted, and the body shop owner was quite emphatic that if I waxed over it before 90 days the warranty would be voided.



In any case, until your machine comes and you can do some serious polishing, I seriously doubt you can make the car look much better than it already does by adding more layers of wax, no matter what the brand. Two coats are sufficient. I would counsel patience ...



But after you have polished her out with your machine, then you might want to consider applying a different wax or sealant. So many choices! The world is your oyster. :)

[Accumulator]

Opinions still seem to vary regarding the need for a cure time. I go by what the paint manufacturers (and my decades of experience with repaints ;) ) say...I wait at least 90 days before I wax/seal, using Meg`s #5 (or something similar) in the meantime.



btmlinedan- Getting a black car nice enough for a sealant (most of which won`t hide *any* flaws) will be tough. Keeping it that nice will be even tougher! I`d stick with wax myself, or maybe Meg`s NXT v2.0.



If you want to improve the looks, I`d polish it. Yeah, I know...but you could do one panel after each of a series of washes, that wouldn`t be *too* overwhelming and IMO will be more sensible than trying to effect an improvement with wax/etc. alone.



Marring (swirls/scratches/etc.) are what keep a vehicle from looking good. They make the light refract instead of reflect. You simply have to reduce the marring to an acceptable level for the paint to look good.



If you have the *hard* BMW clear (like on my `97) I`d get some Meguiar`s M105 and M205. IF you have the stupid-soft stuff that`s on some later model BMWs I dunno what to recommend.