New here, advice needed

[Erkki]

Hello all,



I`m new here and needed some input. I have a 2000 Trans Am that will be finished getting new paint this weekend. I wanted to purchase some good products to use while washing the car and some good wax/sealant to protect the paint. What products are recommended by you guys? What should I stay away from? Do I use microfiber or 100% cotton, or a mix?



I`ve already had people recommend Zaino, Tropicare and Griot`s Garage products. I also have a Finish First kit that I`ve used in the past and have had so-so results with on my bike (what is your opinion on Finish First products?).



Any help you guys can give me would be greatly appreciated.



Thanks in advance,

Eric

[scottabir]

Hi Eric. :welcome



For washing a car with a bucket and hose I like to use Megs. Nxt wash. real slippery and pleasant smell.

For winter time or non-hose washing I use QEW or S&W.

I use a Waffle weave MF towel for drying the car off.

What color is the new paint going to be? I usually only use MF on the paint on cars (wax removal, drying ect.).

There are so many great wax`s/sealants out there it is hard to narrow it down. I personally like PB`s sealants with s100, pinnacle souveran, signature, Trade secret for toppers.

I have not tried finish first so I cant make any calls on it.



Hope this helps a little.

[weegee]

Make sure you talk to your paint guy because many times you can`t do much for the first few months or so on a fresh paint job.



There are dozens of products that do differen things. It all depends on how much time you want to put in and what exactly you`re looking to do.



I use a lot of the P21s/S100 products because I find them easy to work with and have good results. Poorboys is another favorite.



Whatever you decide to do, buy yourself some good MF towels (at least one or two waffle weave for drying and a half dozen smaller ones for residue removal) and some foam and MF applicators.



After that, I`d suggest you go to the click and brag forums and see what sort of look you want... shine, depth, protection, etc.

[Erkki]

Thanks for the welcome and the reply.



The paint is Victory/Fire Red (car was originally Bright Red, which has more orange in it).



Can you tell me what your abbreviations mean? I have no idea what QEW or S&W or PB stand for, although I figured out MF means microfiber (I`m not a COMPLETE dummy). ;) I`m new to the detailing game though, especially the terminology, but I`m willing and able to learn.



Thanks,

Eric

[DSVWGLI]

Welcome Eric:wavey



I have not tried trade secret either but there ar many great products out there to use. I will only use MF towels on my car as cotton will scratch almost every time, unless you use jersy knit which is not very absorbent. I agree with scottabir PB products(ex-p sealant, natty`s paste wax, SSR`s) are very good as well as auto glym( SRP & EGP, car wash) I also have WG on order.

[DSVWGLI]

Originally posted by Erkki

Thanks for the welcome and the reply.





Can you tell me what your abbreviations mean? I have no idea what QEW or S&W or PB stand for, although I figured out MF means microfiber (I`m not a COMPLETE dummy). ;) I`m new to the detailing game though, especially the terminology, but I`m willing and able to learn.



Thanks,

Eric



Go to the main menu and click on secert decoder ring.

[scottabir]

in now time you will be using TS, PS, QEW ect :D

here is the link for the "secret decoder ring".

http://www.autopia.org/display.php?file=acronyms.htm&s=&menu=8



PB`s is Poorboys, S&W is Spray and Wipe (Poorboys),

*I* personally think something like Ex (poorboys sealant) topped with souveran (kinda pricey) will look great on your car.

There is such a huge amount of good sealants waxes out there, my personal combo I mentioned is just one of thousands of variations that can look stunning on your car. Check out the click and brag forum and you can see some other combinations from people.

Enjoy (and get you credit card warmed up and be ready to click confirm order ;)



A few great vendors on the web for top notch stuff is:

Autopia-carcare.com, Autogeek.net, Properautocare.com, pakshak.com, topoftheline.com, danase.com and the list goes on.

I know I missed a few, but these are the ones I usually go to.

[Wasatch]

Tropi-Care`s Polish and Car Wash are very nice. PB`s EX, EXP, ClearKote`s VM, QS, CMW, Adam`s Polishes Butter Wax, QD, Revive. Pinnicle Souvran is nice on Red. S100 is also nice. Meg`s NXT is nice as well. There is alot of stuff out there, pick a few and see what you like.

[the other pc]

:welcome Eric.



Read around this sight and you`ll get plenty of ideas for products. Then you can try a few for yourself and see which you like best.






Originally posted by weegee

Make sure you talk to your paint guy because many times you can`t do much for the first few months or so on a fresh paint job.

Definitely heed weegee`s advice. Products like waxes and sealants that would interfere with the paint`s curing/outgassing should not be used on a new (re-spray) finish.



Washing and polishing with a "pure polish" or glaze are normally OK.



Make sure your painter tells you how long you need to wait. If he can`t tell you find out what kind of paint he used and check with the manufacturer.





PC.

[Accumulator]

Erkki- Welcome to Autopia!



Regarding waxing/sealing fresh paint, I usually wait at least two months after any paintwork, and my painter "bakes" the paint. On cars I *really* care about I`ll sometimes wait even longer.



Be careful washing it, at least at first, as fresh paint is a little soft for at least a few weeks. You might look at My Wash Technique (http://www.autopia.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=35232)



Some products that are safe for fresh paint include Mother`s glaze, Meg`s #3/#5 (my fave)/#7/#81 and 3M Imperial Hand Glaze. All of these will have to be reapplied after every wash (even a hard rain might wash them off).



Griot`s polishes and waxes aren`t too hot, though I *really* like their Car Wash and Interior Cleaner.



Definitely get good MFs. In my experience almost *all* cotton will mar automotive paint, let alone fresh paint. The only cotton to consider is for the wash mitts, and you have to be careful about those too.

[imported_Burlyq]

Zaino 2 Pro/ZFX- with MF. That`s it, you can layer as much as you want whenever you want if you don`t use a topper.

[togwt]

:welcome to Autopia Erkki



·Newly re- painted vehicle- How long do you have to wait before you can polish or wax a newly painted vehicle surface? Paint is formulated with solvents (30-80% dependant upon manufacturer) once applied paint needs to dry and the solvents need to evaporate (off-gassing) to enable the paint to harden (cure) if the paint is covered with a wax or sealant it will arrest the outgas/cure process.



·One exception is the application of a glaze (Mezerna Final Polish II, 3Mâ„¢ Perfect-It IIIâ„¢ Show Car Finishing Glaze, Zanio Z-Polish) or any glaze mentioned by Accumalator that is completely safe for fresh paint, as ithey allow the solvents to evaporate (off-gassing)



·Abrasive polish should be avoided until the paint has cured but vehicle washing is encouraged (avoiding harsh detergents or any car wash that uses a high-pressure spray or a wash that contains wax. Also avoid using quick detailing sprays (QD) as they also contain wax)

[Erkki]

Thanks for the welcome and the replies everyone.



The painter said to wait about 30 days to start waxing the car. He uses and recommends a brand called Wizard`s. Interestingly, although he said to wait 30 days, he used it for the initial polish of the paint.



Where is a good place to pick up MF products and wash mitt`s? What type of wash mitt do you recommend?



BTW, got the car back today. It looks AWESOME!! I still need to put the bumpers on and take it back for a final polish, but so far I`m very happy. I`ll post pics when she`s done.



Thanks!

Eric

[the other pc]

Originally posted by Erkki

...The painter said to wait about 30 days to start waxing the car. He uses and recommends a brand called Wizard`s. Interestingly, although he said to wait 30 days, he used it for the initial polish of the paint...



I`m not familiar with Wizards (http://www.wizardsproducts.com/) products but just looking at their website they appear to aim specifically at the body shop industry and sell mostly through paint distribution channels. They claim the products are formulated to be used on new finishes.



On the other hand your painter may have only used a cutting compound to bring out the gloss and not used the sealant. I would play it safe and skip sealants and waxes for the initial curing period.






Originally posted by Erkki

...Where is a good place to pick up MF products and wash mitt`s? What type of wash mitt do you recommend? ...



There are many fine vendors for MF, mitts and the like. Checking the Links area here on Autopia (http://autopia.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Web_Links&file=index&l_op=viewlink&cid=1) is a great start. Read around the various threads (http://autopia.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?forumid=94) and you`ll find positive reports on a number of them. (this is an ideal place to put in a plug for DavidB and Autopia-Carcare (http://autopia.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Web_Links&file=index&l_op=visit&lid=3) so here it is.)



Everybody has his or her personal favorite. Real sheepskin seems to be quite popular around here. Again, reading the various threads here you`ll find many opinions. Try some of the suggested products and see what works for you.





PC.

[Erkki]

PC,



The painter used the Wizard`s Shine Masterâ„¢ Polish & Sealant. It`s supposedly breathable and safe for fresh paint and the painter swears by it. He says he used it for the final polish after painting. All I know is that it looks pretty darn good.



Thanks for the links. I`ll check them out and do some reading to learn more. Already checked out some of the articles. This is a great site.



Thanks,

Eric