2019 Toyota Avalon Polish & Wax

[Joel_MD]

Hi everyone, I was looking at my old threads and noticed my last Click & Brag was in 2009! So I`m a little out of practice...

Last spring my wife was able to pick a new company car. We spotted this beauty in the local Toyota showroom and she fell in love with the color. Toyota calls it "opulent amber." Just to be a wise guy I call it "metallic prune." It looks nearly black in the shade, but when the sun glints off the metallic flake it`s a nice reddish brown color.

The clear coat on this car is probably the softest I`ve ever dealt with. My wife makes use of automatic car washes from time to time, and in just a few short months the clear coat was hazy with swirl marks and scratches. My wife`s employer reimburses her for car expenses such as fuel and washing, but not paint correction or waxing. It bugs me to see this beautiful new car all swirled up, so yesterday I put a few hours into it.

- Scrubbed the tires and wheels with Zep APC diluted with two parts water. Scrubbed the wheels a second time with Meguiar`s Wheel Brightener to remove some sintered junk.
- Washed with Duragloss 901 and a mf wash mitt, clayed during the wash with Meguiar`s Professional Detailing Clay (mild)
- Polished with my Makita rotary, Lake Country 7.5" curved orange Smart Pad, and Meguiar`s 205 Ultra Finishing Polish. Two passes with this combination knocked out nearly all of the swirls and scratches, but left behind a pretty impressive line of holograms.
- After wiping off the M205 residue, I followed up with the PC 7424, using a LC 6.5" white CCS pad and Menzerna P106FF that I`ve had on my shelf for a long time. I did about 5-6 passes.
- Without removing the P106FF residue, I applied Klasse AIO sealant using a dampened LC green 6.5" CCS pad, working it in with 2-3 passes until it was virtually invisible
- Then I applied Collinite 845 wax by hand, doing a small area and wiping off the excess with a mf towel so it doesn`t dry.
- Dressed the tires with Carpro Perl diluted 1:1

This combination eliminated about 95% of the swirl marks and amped up the gloss. Can`t wait to hear if my wife gets any comments from her coworkers today. Most of the other company cars look hideous.

[briarpatch]

very nice.....not too many people get an Avalon for a company car

[Joel_MD]

very nice.....not too many people get an Avalon for a company car

Yeah, that`s true. She`s the director of customer service for a large, family-owned company. Sometimes she picks up customers from the airport, or takes customers to lunch when she`s in the field, so a big sedan is good for her. They basically let her choose any vehicle from Toyota, Nissan, or Ford as long as the total price didn`t exceed $35k. The reps that she supervises mostly drive the Prius.

[Bill D]

That’s a really good gig. My great uncle,who I did not know, had a similar job and was allowed to pay the difference with his own money to get a car that exceeded the company allowance. He always got Cadillacs. This was back in the ‘60’s.

[Sizzle Chest]

Nice work! That color is pretty cool...the flake is really popping! Nice looking car!

[Joel_MD]

Nice work! That color is pretty cool...the flake is really popping! Nice looking car!

Thanks!

[TheMeanGreen]

I have a Lexus in Pine Forest Metallic, it does the same thing in the shade and certain angles, looks black until the sun hits it directly. I love the color of that Avalon. Toyota has done a really good job with color offerings, I just wish they were formulated like the Germans so the paints can be rock hard. What are your thoughts on paint longevity/polishing routine knowing that your wife visits the automatic car wash?

By the way, the car looks great!

[Joel_MD]

By the way, the car looks great!

Thanks!

What are your thoughts on paint longevity/polishing routine knowing that your wife visits the automatic car wash?

Good question about longevity. I don`t own a thickness meter, so I`m just trying to be gentle. I`m not going to use the rotary with M205 multiple times per year. I might try something gentle with fillers, like Prima Amigo, that will remove some defects and fill the others while being gentle to the clear coat.