New Lexus RC300 Nebula Grey... next steps.

[evan631]

I recently purchased a new Lexus RC300 in Grey. Love it!

Two weekends ago I washed using the two bucket method....came out great!

While drying the car I thought maybe I should use a quick detail to give a bit more gloss, I had an old bottle of Megs Quick detailing laying around, but wasn`t sure if I should use for two reasons. 1- is this a practical application of a quick detailer - spray on vehicle while drying with microfiber towel. Just wasn`t sure if this is something that I should do. My other reason for not doing this...2 - I wasn`t sure if a product like this go bad. It was probably about 5-8 years old.

Do these type of products expire or go bad?

I do have to say the dealers "detailing" job was pretty good. I was out of town for 5 days, and when I came back the car was filthy. However, it rained that night...next morning there was a great bead on the car and after letting water roll off it was real clean. I thought I was going to be embarrassed driving my filthy new car, but it was surprisingly clean.

As for detailing, I do my cars by hand. In the past I`ve used the Klasse Products...AIO, and glaze. However, things have changed since. I don`t have the power tools, and was always a bit intimidated by them.

What do you recommend I do for my next steps. Do I need to strip the dealers "detailing product off" If so what do you think I should be using.

I just don`t know where to start, I`ve been reading the forums, but there are just so many products, just not sure what are good for a hand application.

Thanks for any info to get me started again!

-Evan

[Coatings=crack]

An all in one would be fine but on a newer car maybe just a good clean and hand polish followed buy a high quality sealant. You should think about coating your car with a ceramic coating.

If not I like the sio2 sealants available on the market. Also don’t be afraid of a dual action polisher. I got one to correct and polish my black paint and came out great. It was my first time using a machine. I watched a few videos and the rest was just getting what I need. Unless you hold polisher in same place for over 30 seconds really hard to damage your paint, especially if just polishing and not correcting


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[Joel_MD]

As for detailing, I do my cars by hand. In the past I`ve used the Klasse Products...AIO, and glaze. However, things have changed since. I don`t have the power tools, and was always a bit intimidated by them.

The Klasse twins have been around a long time but they`re still contenders. I like to try different products, but my go-to last steps are Klasse AIO followed by a wax topper. AIO followed by High Gloss Sealant Glaze will leave your paint with a "candy coated" gloss and protection that lasts a few months.

[Mike lambert]

Congratulations! You certainly can use an all in one by hand, then follow it up with a good Sealant. But that’s a ton of work by hand. Take a look at Griot’s videos. Don’t be intimidated by a DA, you can hold one in one place all day long and it will not damage anything! Check out the Griot’s kits for starters.

[evan631]

Thanks everyone for your replies!

If i just went with my Klasse products that are a few years old, is there any issue with that? Does the KAIO or Glaze "go bad", being they are so old?

As for Ceramics....Can a ceramic spray coating be applied after any glaze/sealant/wax? Or is that just unnecessary.

This is where i get confused with the layering and all the different products.

[Joel_MD]

Thanks everyone for your replies!

If i just went with my Klasse products that are a few years old, is there any issue with that? Does the KAIO or Glaze "go bad", being they are so old?

As for Ceramics....Can a ceramic spray coating be applied after any glaze/sealant/wax? Or is that just unnecessary.

This is where i get confused with the layering and all the different products.
Klasse claims their products do not expire, which I tend to believe because I have a bottle of AIO that is probably 12 years old and doesn`t seem to have degraded.

With most of the new coatings the surface must be free of wax/sealants/whatever. Although McKee`s Hydro Blue is sprayed on after washing, and apparently will play nice with a sealant or wax. There are probably others that can be used over a sealant or wax.

[Accumulator]

evan631- IME Meguiar`s QDs do have a limited shelf-life, although it`s pretty long, almost indefinite under climate-controlled conditions (much shorter if very hot/cold).

My Klasse twins sure weren`t new when we moved into this place in 2000 and they`re still fine. Even if/when KAIO gets "nasty black globs that might be mold or somesuch" (and I mean really nasty-looking! This is my *really* old jug of it) it still works 100% fine IME, just used some of that nasty stuff.

If you`re OK with not doing correction, I`d just go over it with the KAIO. Four-six layers of KSG would still be fine, but I`ve switched to FK1000P as my LSP as it provides the same level of protection/durability while looking nicer and shedding dirt better without the need for so much layering. Downside is that you can`t use it on trim/etc. the way you can with KSG.

But unless you really want to get this done and behind you, maybe consider just waiting until the Dealership stuff really needs redone.

And I`ll second the advice to *not* be leery of using a polisher. From my then-elderly father to my female BFF with zero experience with/interest in/knowledge of Detailing, nobody I know who gave it proper thought has ever had any problems with one. As the old saying goes, "it`s just a fast hand that doesn`t get fatigued". Use the right unit, with the right pads/products, and if it`s not literally idiot-proof, well...who cares, I assume you`re not an idiot ;)

EDIT: OH, and yeah...using a QD, or a RinselessWash, or a SprayWax as a Drying Aid is great! I do something along those lines at virtually every wash. As long as the products are compatible (dunno about that Meg`s QD) it oughta work great, just be sure to really LAUNDER the Drying MF to get that stuff out of it.

[evan631]

evan631- IME Meguiar`s QDs do have a limited shelf-life, although it`s pretty long, almost indefinite under climate-controlled conditions (much shorter if very hot/cold).

My Klasse twins sure weren`t new when we moved into this place in 2000 and they`re still fine. Even if/when KAIO gets "nasty black globs that might be mold or somesuch" (and I mean really nasty-looking! This is my *really* old jug of it) it still works 100% fine IME, just used some of that nasty stuff.

If you`re OK with not doing correction, I`d just go over it with the KAIO. Four-six layers of KSG would still be fine, but I`ve switched to FK1000P as my LSP as it provides the same level of protection/durability while looking nicer and shedding dirt better without the need for so much layering. Downside is that you can`t use it on trim/etc. the way you can with KSG.

But unless you really want to get this done and behind you, maybe consider just waiting until the Dealership stuff really needs redone.

And I`ll second the advice to *not* be leery of using a polisher. From my then-elderly father to my female BFF with zero experience with/interest in/knowledge of Detailing, nobody I know who gave it proper thought has ever had any problems with one. As the old saying goes, "it`s just a fast hand that doesn`t get fatigued". Use the right unit, with the right pads/products, and if it`s not literally idiot-proof, well...who cares, I assume you`re not an idiot ;)

EDIT: OH, and yeah...using a QD, or a RinselessWash, or a SprayWax as a Drying Aid is great! I do something along those lines at virtually every wash. As long as the products are compatible (dunno about that Meg`s QD) it oughta work great, just be sure to really LAUNDER the Drying MF to get that stuff out of it.

Thanks for all the info. I will look into the the polisher videos and get some education!

[Coatings=crack]

Klasse claims their products do not expire, which I tend to believe because I have a bottle of AIO that is probably 12 years old and doesn`t seem to have degraded.

With most of the new coatings the surface must be free of wax/sealants/whatever. Although McKee`s Hydro Blue is sprayed on after washing, and apparently will play nice with a sealant or wax. There are probably others that can be used over a sealant or wax.

Usually sealants (including sio2 sealants and not a coating type products) should go on bottom from what I’ve read.... then wax


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[Accumulator]

Usually sealants (including sio2 sealants and not a coating type products) should go on bottom from what I’ve read.... then wax

Right. IF somebody`s gonna use both, which I`d never do ;)

The only thing I`d use over a Sealant is...more of that sealant.

Well, OK...IUDJ seems to work OK as a booster (no issues so far adding more sealant over top of it later) and FK425 is fine over/under FK1000P, and Sonus Acrylic Spritz is fine over/under KSG (and etc. etc.). But I`d be careful about doing such stuff lest you have to strip it back to bare paint and start over (which IMO negates the whole point of using a long-lasting LSP in the first place). I`d stick with combos like the ones I listed that`re known to work OK.

[Desertnate]

Klasse claims their products do not expire, which I tend to believe because I have a bottle of AIO that is probably 12 years old and doesn`t seem to have degraded.

I can confirm too. I have bottles of both AIO and SG which I bought sometime around 2000~2002 and the last I checked they seemed to still be OK.