General Sealant/Wax questions

A

arcooke

New member
Hi, new here (though I've been lurking silently in the shadows for some time now). I just bought a new car, and I've been spending a ridiculous amount of time researching waxes and sealants. I'm not a detailer, I'm a "wash when it gets dirty, if I'm in the mood" kinda guy. But I have a new car now, and I want it lookin' pretty without spending an entire day detailing.



Eventually I realized what I was searching for, was the non-existent perfect product.. so I had to break down what was most important to me and make some sacrifices in other areas. This is what I ended up with:



- I have charcoal paint, and wanted the deep color carnauba is known for.

- I live in Texas where the summers get too hot for carnauba to hold up well.

- I decided on synthetic for durability

- But synthetic is known to look plasticy, and not ideal for dark cars .. I don't want that.. I want rich, full color.

- I finally found a synthetic product, that people seemed to be raving about how it deepens the color. And they wouldn't shut up about how amazingly smooth of a finish it is. Bingo, I'm sold.



After MUCH arguing with myself.. I ended up buying (for much more than I planned), a bottle of BLACKFIRE Wet Diamond All-Finish Paint Protection. At almost $40 after shipping for a 16-oz bottle, this stuff better be darn good....





Now I've hit a bit of a roadblock. What do I use to apply it? What do I use to wipe it off? What do I use to buff it (or do I even need to after I wipe it off?)



I've read in some places that microfiber, because it has "tooth" to it, will actually rub off/remove wax. Other places say it's the best material for buffing and wiping off wax. Some say to use foam pads for wiping it off, microfiber to buff. Some say use terry cloths to wipe it off. AHHHHH!! STOP THE MADNESS!



Based on all the mixed things I've read, this is what I was going to use for application:



Amazon.com: Meguiar's X3080 EvenCoat Applicator - Pack of 2: Automotive



This is what I was going to use for wiping off and buffing:



Amazon.com: Meguiar's X2020 Supreme Shine Microfiber - Pack of 3: Automotive





Now keep in mind I'm not a detailer, I don't have obscene amounts of money to spend on a bazillion products, and I don't have the time to spend 8 hours working my car.



I plan on just using cheapo OTC car wash concentrate as that has always served me well in the past. I'm also going to use Lemon Pledge for interior trim because that stuff is just amazing for cleaning/polishing/blocking dust. The extent of my detailing will be: wash/wax/tire foam/vacuum/polish interior



What are your recommendations? Am I headed in the right direction? Tips?



Thanks!! By the way, this forum has been immensely helpful in my research. I want to thank all of you for the advice you unintentionally gave me.



:sosad
 
Arcooke:

The best "tip" anyone here on this Autopian forum can give you is to invest in some decent washing equipment and supplies. The "wash it when it gets dirty,.If I'm in the mood" won't keep your car looking its best, especially if you have tree sap, bird droppings, or bug splatter on the finish. These need to be removes ASAP or it WILL eat your car's finish, regardless of the wax/sealant you put on.

Research the two-bucket method with grit guards, use a decent grout sponge, or better yet, a wool mitt, and by all means, get a decent microfiber waffle-weave towel to dry your vehicle. DON"T USE A COTTON TOWEL FROM YOUR PERSONAL BATHWARE!! Most swirls and bad-looking cars are user-induced because of: 1) Bad methodology and/or techniques (IE they don't know how to wash a vehicle properly; and 2) Using the wrong equipment or products.

Also, most Autopians KNOW that a great looking car starts with ALOT of preperation. You are NOT going to get a great look if you haven't properly prepped a vehicle by polishing with a quality dual-action or rotary machine,, and even then, it still takes skill and experience to use them. That's not to say that you can't do-it-yourself. But don't be disappointed if your car doesn't turn out like those you see in the Click-N-Brag section of this forum. You can even use the same products and equipment, but unless you have the experience in using them properly, you won't achieve the same results.

The fact that you mention using Pledge on your trim, as you state, served you well in the past, but it's not a good idea. Meguiars makes some decent over-the-counter products that will work much better that Pledge. You won't have to spent an "obscene amounts of money" on car care products, but you will have to invest in some time in learning and then apply what you've learned to get good at it. At least you're starting in the right direction by accessing the information on this forum.

Your car represents a substantial investment on your part and how it looks reflects ALOT about the owner. It's up to you.
 
You will need to prep before applying the Wet Diamond Paint Protection. At a minimum a paintwork cleaner and i would recommend a clay to go along with that.



Appling the Wet diamond to contaminated paint is a waste of money and time. It wont last that long, look that good and sticking sealant on top of fall out will only cause damage to the paintwork.



Cheap carwash soaps need to be wax friendly and highly lubricating. A minimum quality would be something like Megs Gold Class which you can get at Target etc. Personally i would get some Mothers Cali. Gold or Duragloss 90X.



Geoff
 
steelwind101 said:
Cheap carwash soaps need to be wax friendly and highly lubricating. A minimum quality would be something like Megs Gold Class which you can get at Target etc. Personally i would get some Mothers Cali. Gold or Duragloss 90X.



Geoff
Click to expand...



How is Cali. Gold wash? Better than the Megs GC?
 
bogi094 said:
How is Cali. Gold wash? Better than the Megs GC?
Click to expand...



the mothers california gold wash is good and certainly not a bad product, but the megs gold class is better IMO...



DG>Megs>Mothers
 
it would deffinatley be a good idea to use a claybar, or atleast a paint cleaner before you seal up your paint. but to answer your questions. you apply wax by hand using an applicator.. there are foam pads, and foam covered with terry cloth or microfiber. i personally like the foam applicators for blackfire wet diamond, i feel it uses a lot less product than either cotton terry of microfiber applicators. I would reccoment removing the wax residue with a microfiber towel. if you want some decent and cheap microfiber towels autozones viking microfibers are good in my opinion. you get a bunch of them for fairly cheap, and i think four different colors in a pack, so you can use one color for paint, one for glass, one for dressing(for rubbers, plastics etc) and one for dirty work like cleaning wheels, or sealing your wheels (you can put the blackfire on your wheels too) . you can get all three types of applicators pretty much anywhere. i usually use the cotton terry applicators viking makes (also from autozone) for most waxes and sealants (blackfire is not one of them, as i said i use foam for that) . sorry my response is so long winded. hope it helps
 
Let me give you my take as a noob here. To give you an idea of my experience level, the first time I used a microfiber was about 3 months ago. There are decent products that don't cost a ton but are worth getting especially if you spent $40 on sealant.



Agree that it will be important to use a car wash that won't strip the sealant....otherwise you will just be taking the sealant off that you put on.



I as well like foam applicators and taking sealant wax off with a microfiber. Regarding towels...you can find some pretty good deals at chemical guys.com. Even there cheaper ones are likely to be much better than what you can get at Kragen, etc. I have some of their cheap yellow ones and really like them.



I would also recommend you clay the car. The first time I did this I was absolutely amazed....literally could not believe the difference. Since it is new car I am not sure if you would need to use a paint cleaner on top of this....I wouldn't (but I am a noob) I used Sonus green and the lubricant that comes as a kit with the Sonus green bar. Not a bad deal and it is known for being one of the least agressive clays as I was a little nervous about using it on my "new to me car" for the first time. Very easy to use.



Agree with everything everyone said about car wash and DRY technique. Very important. I am now using a grit guard when washing, and being careful when I dry not to apply to much pressure and making sure my towel is clean so as not wipe abrasive stuff back and forth across the car.



Good luck.
 
Few tips...



Modern clear coat paints are scratch-sensitive, this means that while they tend to be harder than traditional single stage paints they still scratch very easily and because there is a colored coat of paint under the clear layer, the effect of the colored layer of paint is to reveal and showcase any swirls or scratches easily to your eyes.



See this article,

The practical differences between single stage paints and a clear coat paints





For this reason... any thing that touches the paint must be of the highest quality you can obtain, this includes your washing mitt, sponge or brush, your drying towels, your wax applicator pads and your wiping cloths.



A simple foam applicator pad will work fine for applying any finishing wax or paint sealant. One thing I show people is to turn the pad over and inspect the working face of the pad often for any type of abrasive particulate that might accidentally get onto the foam. If discovered either pick it off or switch to a new, clean applicator pad.



Same thing for your microfiber polishing cloths, before using any I inspect the surface of my polishing cloths for any contaminants and if discovered either pick off the offending contaminant or don't use it at all. See this thread,



The 4 minimum categories of wiping cloths





Here's a few other things I do before working on anything important to me or to my customer,



  • Sweep and clean the garage so no dust kicked up by foot traffic or a breeze can land on the paint
  • Wear clean clothes, usually a soft cotton t-shirt so if for any reason I get next to the paint there's no buttons to touch the paint
  • Remove jewelry
  • Wash my hands
  • Of course, wash and dry the car, inspect it for above surface bonded contaminants and if discovered using detailing clay to remove them.



The big idea here is to always work clean. By working clean you reduce the potential for instilling any swirls or scratches and that's about the most you can do outside of using quality products and goo technique.



Blackfire Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection is a finishing sealant, this means it should only be applied to paint in excellent condition.





:)
 
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