Newbe with lots of questions

**NGB34747** · 10-13-2002, 02:17 AM

Hi, i`ve been lurking around in this fourm for a while now and have found it to be a wealth of information. I am new to this detailing thing and don`t plan to start a business, so please excuse my ignorance.

Recently, I purchase a silver toyota matrix and am curious as to the proper way to take care of it. The car is mostly parked outside and is a daily driver.

As of right now, I have put on

1 coat of Mequires "deep crystal series" polish

2 coats of mequires "deep crystal series" wax (with 1 week to cure inbetween coats)

I`m doing everything by hand so...

1) when I put on the polish I try to rub it in as much as possiable, but looking at the demo clips of people using the pc`s I see that they buff it to the point where the polish starts dissapearing? Am I supposed to do the same when I polish by hand?

2) when applying the wax, I sometimes get wax on the trim pieces (in my case the mud flaps, which are made of a smooth black plastic) what is the best way to get this stuff off?? I know dishwashing detergent will prob strip it failry good, but if I drip it on the car then I`m going to have no wax on the car either.

3) I`m in the Vancouver B.C (canada) area, and currently winter is approaching fast, so I don`t think i`ll have too much more time to work on the car this year. I was thinking next summer I`ll try something to give it more shine... how would this sound?

1)wash car (i`m currently zip wax by turtle wax just because I have lots of it)

2) polish car with mequires "show car glaze"

3) mequires hi-tech yellow wax (2 coats with 1-2 days inbetween to cure)

4) S100 (1 coat the next day)

I will prob wax the car one a month, and the hi-tech yellow wax will provide a nice durable base (incase I get lazy and froget to wax my car for a few weeks) while the s100 will give it some nice shine. The only problem is that i`ll be moving up to the pro. meguires line... without access to a pc, i`m not sure if this is a good idea. Also, i`ve not used any of these products before so any tips would be apprechiated.

TIA

**shaf** · 10-13-2002, 05:10 AM

Hi there fellow Lower Mainlander!

:wavey Let`s see how I can help...

1) One thing to remember about Meguiar`s is that they tend to give things funny names sometimes. Their Deep Crystal Step 2 "Polish" is most likely not a real abrasive polish at all, but actually a simple glaze. Abrasives and some pro line glazes work better when really worked in, but try just laying it on and buffing it off and see how you like it. I know Mothers` glaze doesn`t really need working in to make a difference.

2) I haven`t had to deal with wax-related trim staining yet (all my products are "trim friendly"

) but one preventive tip I heard is to apply a good coat of vinyl protectant on the trim/plastic before you start waxing. To remove wax stains you could try peanut butter (or maybe just vegetable oil).

3) Remember that Deep Crystal #2 and Show Car Glaze don`t really "polish", they just shine it up with a layer of oils and stuff. Not that your brand new car really needs polishing anyway, but if you want to give it a light cleaning/polishing once you can use Deep Crystal #1. Your plan sounds okay as long as you can wax it sometime in the middle of winter at least. As tough as #26 reportedly is, I doubt it would last from now till spring. Other than that, the plan is sound.

There`s no problem with using Meguiar`s pro line by hand. Just stick with products that can be used by hand, like #9, waxes, and non-machine glazes. Many products that people like to use by PC don`t require it, it`s just easier/faster.

Have you clayed your car or have thought if it needs it?

**NGB34747** · 10-13-2002, 06:35 AM

Ah clay... I knew I frogot something...... yes I do belive that the car needs to be clayed. I was looking at it last night under 2000 watts of halogen lights (I didn`t manage to get the wax buffed off till 2:00am) and noticed the car did have some red/orange dots on the paint if you look really closely.

Since I`m in canada, does anybody know where is the best place to pick up a bar of clay magic??? or should I just go with the mothers kit (which can be found easily).

I applied the polish to the car once already and rubbed it in as much as possiable. The thing was I found that the polish was VERY hard to remove. I wiped the car down 3-4 times with some flannel style dipers and it still streaked a little bit when you looked at it under the proper lighting conditions (halogen lights at an angle).

Finally, where would be a good place to purchase the S100 wax? I found the entire meguires pro line availiable at KMS in coq. but have not been able to find the s100. Are there any good detailing supply shops around town, personally i`m not too keen on buying things over the net (i`m one of those people that like to see/touch before I buy).

**SamIam** · 10-13-2002, 07:56 AM

The S100 can be bought at the local Harley-Davidson shop. I bought mine Friday night, put it on my wife`s black MDX on Saturday, and wow! Looks awesome, easy on and off. Great stuff.

As for the streaking, I found that if I use a little Quick Detailer, it takes care of the streaks.

The clay bar is a great tool. Run your hand over the finish. If its rough, you should clay.

I clayed my wife`s car, put on Klasse AIO and SG and finished with a layer of S100, and it`s like touching velvet right now.

Good luck.:wavey

**shaf** · 10-13-2002, 01:40 PM

I know of someone who managed to get Clay Magic somehow, but I think he said for the cost it`s not really worth it. Just get the Mothers kit instead - I find I like the QD that comes with it anyway.

I think Trev-Deely Harley Davidson in Burnaby may have S100. Try phoning around.

Also, you may want to consider replacing your flannel with MF or quality domestically made 100% cotton bath towels/cloths because, as soft as flannel is, they stink for product removal because they get loaded up with residue so fast. And like SamIam said, QD will help with streaks as well as help with hard removal.

Oh yeah, NO, there are no good detailing shops in town. You just have to shop around at various places from Canadian Tire and the dozens of auto parts stores, to obscure places like London Drugs and Home Hardware. Lordco has lots of stuff but their retail prices are sky-high (sometimes you can just talk them down though). Oh yeah, don`t ignore marine supply stores too!

You have to think "outside the box" around here.

**2wheelsx2** · 10-13-2002, 02:21 PM

You can get Clay Magic in Richmond. It`s a detailing shop which has full services and sells the full time of Auto Magic detailing products. Cost was $38 for a 200 g bar, which includes a nifty box plastic box for storing the clay and a thin plastic glove for accessing paint. I got the name by emailing Clay Magic for a Canadian distributor.

It`s a good clay, stickier than Mother`s, and easier to hold on to. However, it leaves more residue than Mother`s and for $38 for just the clay bar, it`s not a great deal. I got a Mother`s kit at Cdn Tire for $19.99 which includes an 80g bar, Showtime QD, and a little bottle of cleaner wax. A much better deal if you ask me, as I don`t go through the clay that quickly (your story may be different if your paint is really dirty). I sold half my bar to a friend, and I figure the 100 g will last me at least a year, even doing my car, and customer cars at one a week (I don`t clay all the cars.)

You should consider getting some MF`s. JT International is blowing out his blems. Look for him on eBay. Good prices and good towels.

**shaf** · 10-13-2002, 02:48 PM

Originally posted by 2wheelsx2

You can get Clay Magic in Richmond. It`s a detailing shop which has full services and sells the full time of Auto Magic detailing products.

And you were going to tell me about this when...? :p Only a couple detailing shops will actually sell supplies (I asked). Who are they?

**2wheelsx2** · 10-13-2002, 02:50 PM

Oh, I didn`t realize you were interested. They have only Auto Magic stuff. It`s just off No. 3 Road in Richmond. I`ll look it up and post.

**2wheelsx2** · 10-13-2002, 02:56 PM

Just found it. They even have a website.

Bashir`s Auto Centre

Serving the North Shore for 12 Years

(604) 987-2921

(604) 618-7575 AFTER HOURS CALL

(877) 230-2650 (toll-free)

http://www.bashirsautocentre.com

However, if you want the clay, you have to call them up, as the owner carries the clay around in his truck for some reason. Tell him which one you want, blue or red, and he will leave it for the secretary at the front desk.

**shaf** · 10-13-2002, 03:13 PM

Bashir`s?? Man, I`ve driven by that place dozens of times and didn`t know they sold Auto Magic stuff (or maybe I did and just forgot :p). Thanks for the info, I don`t need clay, but I`m always looking for places to "get stuff".

Looking at the Auto Magic page they have a ton of stuff - I wonder if their PC pads are velcro backed....

**2wheelsx2** · 10-13-2002, 03:16 PM

I didn`t see any pads there, but then again, maybe it`s in the guy`s truck. Your best bet is to give him a call to see what he carries. Or just pop by in case he is there. But he`s on the road a lot.

**NGB34747** · 10-15-2002, 04:38 AM

I was thinking the other day......

would show car glaze give the car a better shine/work better/easier to apply (by hand) then the mequires "deep crystal polish" i`m currently using?

The reason i`m asking is that I already have their deep crystal series polish.... if it`s is basically the same stuff (or better) then I`ll use that instead of buying another product (i`m only doing my own car... so one bottle of polish will prob last me 2-3 years anyhow).

Secondly... I know the "high-tech" yellow wax is a poly+canubra mix wax, which i`m planning to top with some s100 in the summer (don`t have time/patience to keep it up in the winter)...... After my initial 2 coats of hi-tech and 1-2 coats of s100..... how would I matain this finish?? frequent toppings of s100???

how about when I get to the winter time... would i have to strip off the s100 before I apply another coat ot high-tech or can I just layer it ontop?

If I was planning to strip off the s100.. what would be the best way to do it??? just don`t wax it for 2 months and let it wash off or use dawn.. (argh... I was alway taugh NOT to put dish washing soap on a car.. EVER)..... clay bar? polish??

I got some fresh tree sap on my hood the other day and it smeared when washing the car, not to mention was impossiable to get off... some deep crystal polish took it right off.... does that mean this stuff is slightly abrasive and will also strip off the wax?

TIA

**shaf** · 10-15-2002, 01:39 PM

I haven`t used either product, but personally, if I were happy with the DC Polish I wouldn`t waste it. But if you think something could be better, that`s always the reason behind getting different products.

Wax can be maintained with QD to extend the life of it, but it will still wear off. You can just do #26 over everything, no stripping needed. In fact, stripping off products is rarely needed unless you`re unhappy with something or playing around with sealants.

**2wheelsx2** · 10-15-2002, 01:44 PM

I doubt there are any abrasives in the Deep Crystal polish. Probably all just solvents, like most pre-wax cleaners. But you can check with the Meguiar`s people.

Like 4DSC said, I would just wax away with S100 or #26 every month or so. The S100 will be all gone after a month. But check for contaminants first. Neither wax has any cleaners, so you`ll want to do a quick claying if there is any roughness to the paint.