Newbie needing some good advice on what to do next.

D

dreadable

New member
Hi everyone.



Got my white 2012 C350 coupe a couple of weeks back. Have been really enjoying cleaning it and getting into the detailing aspects. Have been doing a bit of research but I am finding myself getting extremely confused.



When I got the car I found a few issues with the paintwork that I wanted toget sorted out sooner that later. Car has 14000km on the clock BTW



One or two very small scratches on The bumper. The first time I washed the car I did a wax with a 3M showcar wax in a black tub. I had this product in my cupboard for ages and just slapped it on and polished it off by hand. After that I figured I should investigate polishing a waxing a but further because I am really keen to keep this car looking good for years to come.



I then rushed off to a local store and saw some Meguiars and Sonax products. The sonax products appealed to me more and so I bought a few basics.



Gloss shampoo

Nano wax 1

Leather foam

Matte cockpit cleaner

Also got a half decent selection of MF cloths.



Once I got the products I started reading up a bit more and have gotten kind of hooked :))



Before anything I noticed there was some tiny little black spots in the bonnet. Either overspray of some kind or tree sap. I decided to take the car to our top local paint shop authorized MB repair centre and got them today to do a full body polish and glaze.



I went and inspected the products that they used. Turns out they used a 3M rubbing compound in a red squeeze bottle which they applied by machine. Then they put a 3M hand glaze product in a yellow squeeze bottle. The car it looking spotless right now but I'm very excited to put a final layer of a wax of my choice.



This is where the difficulty arises ;)) WHAT MUST I DO NEXT ??



From what I have read I need to get a wax on the car. I want to do this sooner than later.



Products I can get my hands locally and quickly are :



Sonax xtreme Nano. Brilliant Liquid wax 1

Sonax xtreme wax 1 full protect tub

Meguiars gold class carnauba liquid wax

3M show car paste wax



I can Import in a couple of days any other meguiars product but it is gonna be a bit expensive. Due to bank tra safer cost etc.

otherwise I can even buy something on eBay and wait about 3 weeks for it to get here.



What do you think is my best option to go for. And am I doing the right thing by putting a wax on my car now?



Things that I am after are:

Getting a really nice shine that make my car stand out in the crowd. Being a white car I think the right kind of finish is important to get the best look.

Gaborone is a real dusty city. I do not want a product that is gonna attract all the dust. I have heard that the meguiars products do tend to attract more dust than usual.

Obviously looking for the best wax that can protect the car from the extreme heat and UV rays in Botswana.



I thought maybe using a hard wax first and the maintaining it with a nice simple liquid wax every 2 months or so.



Looking forward to your replies and thoughts. Sorry if I sound stupid but sadly I am at this early stage.
 
I don't see why they went to all the trouble of buffing & polishing your car, but didn't apply any wax/sealant to it?? Are you sure??



Seeing that many here are quite familiar with how body shops typically buff cars, I would strongly suggest stripping the topical oils to reveal the true finish they created. I would give it a very strong Dawn dish soap wash (don't worry it's safe) and/or an alcohol wipe down. What this will do is remove the polishing oils that could be concealing horrendous rotary swirls. Definately worth a try before you start going all gung-ho with waxing it. Try this and report back.



As far as wax and sealants go......waxes typically don't last as long. A good polymer paint sealant can easily last up to 3-4 months. Waxes maybe 1/2 that much time.
 
Hi David thanks so much for the reply.

This is the definetly the final product that they put on my car.

3M Imperial Hand Glaze, 1 Quart, 05990

I went into the workshop myself and asked the guys doing it and saw the product that they were using. It seems that they only use this product because newly painted finishes don't like wax at first. My car is not newly painted so that's why I think I need to get a proper protective coat on it now.



So do you think I should I wipe the whole car down with isopropyl alcohol I have this product in stock as I use it daily in my sign and vehicle branding business., then have a look?

Or do you think I could get away With a first cost of Sonax Nano wax 1 and then possibly import a HD poxy or HD nitro and out that on in a Couple of weeks?



The paint shop has done a really good job in my view of polish and glazing they are not a Micky mouse set up by all means. But I was also surprised that they didn't not put a final layer on. I asked them about it and they just said that they have never gone further than the hand glaze.



Definetly like the idea of using polymer and not a wax as I climate Is rather harsh.
 
That glaze will be gone the first time you wash your car. You are getting help from one of the best in the country. Follow David's suggestions.
 
Thomas Dekany said:
That glaze will be gone the first time you wash your car. You are getting help from one of the best in the country. Follow David's suggestions.
Click to expand...



Thanks Thomas. Gonna wipe the car down with Isoprphyl Alchol & MF cloths today then i will take pictures of the finish and update from there. Very excited now :dance:

cant wait to get this bad boy looking perfect!!
 
HD Poxy would leave a nice durable finish. If you could add a coat of Duragloss Polish Bonding Agent (PBA) #601 before your sealant it would increase the durability, gloss, and longevity of your HD Poxy.
 
The car collected a lot of fine dust the last two days. I guess it's from the oily glaze. I washed this afternoon with sonax gloss shampoo and then wiped the whole car down with a 50:50 mix of water and isopropyl with a MF cloth.



Paint looked very clean to me could not see any swirls but it was getting dark will take some good photos in the morning and post them up.



Loving the look of HD products but the soonest I could get them here would be 3weeks. Not too keen to wait that long and risk swirling the paint in the mean time.



Will be interested in your comments tomorrow on the photos. Once again thanks so much for all your help and suggestions. Really amazing to be able to get advice from such knowledgable folk.



There is not even one person in the whole of our country that would be able to advise me like this. The way people wash and a treat their cars is so incorrect. Was in a workshop today standing next to a Ferrari 430. Got talking with the owner about how he looks after the paint. He had no idea about some of the stuff available. Just shows how desperately this place needs a proper detailing shop.
 
MDRX8 said:
HD Poxy would leave a nice durable finish. If you could add a coat of Duragloss Polish Bonding Agent (PBA) #601 before your sealant it would increase the durability, gloss, and longevity of your HD Poxy.
Click to expand...



Wow!! What a great idea--never thought of using 601 with POXY. Have you tried this combo and how has it impacted durability???
 
dreadable said:
Hi David thanks so much for the reply.

This is the definetly the final product that they put on my car.

3M Imperial Hand Glaze, 1 Quart, 05990

I went into the workshop myself and asked the guys doing it and saw the product that they were using. It seems that they only use this product because newly painted finishes don't like wax at first. My car is not newly painted so that's why I think I need to get a proper protective coat on it now.
Click to expand...



Major Red Flag in my book. And another reason why I recommend stripping the surface of anything oily that could and is on it.



dreadable said:
So do you think I should I wipe the whole car down with isopropyl alcohol I have this product in stock as I use it daily in my sign and vehicle branding business., then have a look?
Click to expand...



Yes, give it a wipe or two and then a strong bath with some dish soap. You want to get off all the oils to reveal the true finish.



dreadable said:
The paint shop has done a really good job in my view of polish and glazing they are not a Micky mouse set up by all means. But I was also surprised that they didn't not put a final layer on. I asked them about it and they just said that they have never gone further than the hand glaze.
Click to expand...



Another Red Flag.



dreadable said:
Definetly like the idea of using polymer and not a wax as I climate Is rather harsh.Or do you think I could get away With a first cost of Sonax Nano wax 1 and then possibly import a HD poxy or HD nitro and out that on in a Couple of weeks?
Click to expand...



You can wax/seal your car any time you'd like. Just be advised that to have your car looks it's absolute best you need to make sure the paint is polished the best it can possibly be. Wax/Sealant should only be used to after you are happy with the finish to preserve your fine finish.



If you are after the absolute best possible finish, I would consider HD Speed to squeeze out every last bit of gloss. This will also put down a pretty nice base layer of protection. Then next, apply HD Nitro Seal as the icing on the cake. Both products are compatible with one another and will give you a top notch appearance/protection.



Depending on where you are, there might be a 3D store near you? Or, just order direct from 3D. I believe they are offering FREE shipping of NS to anywhere around the world. Here you go: HD Nitro Seal
 
Hi guys. So I had a look at the car in the sun today with it totally stripped as suggested. I just found that there were very very faint swirls. Now I'm not sure if that normal or not? I tried taking a few pics but the pics could not show the swirls at all.



Will HD speed take the tiny swirls out or will the sealant cover them?



Do you think it's ok for the paint work to sit like this for 4 weeks until I get the HD speed and nitro seal. Or shall I do something temporary in the mean time.
 
The normalicy of swirls are totally up your expectations. What pattern are the swirls in? Are they like a circular, patterned type(buffer swirls) or are they little tiny tick marks in random nature (car wash)? Buffer swirls are usually pretty shallow and don't require a whole lot of effort to remove via a machine polisher.



You vehicle most likely has CeramiClear paint which is typically pretty hard. If these swirls are from car washing, I wouldn't think HD Speed would totally remove them 100%. Especially if you are working by hand! It could require something more aggressive like HD CUT & a MicroFiber cutting pad to level these defects out.



Waxing/sealing in the meantime will neither help or hinder the longevity of your finish. It will basically temporarily cover/hide these defects (to a certain degree) and aid in resoiling/cleaning in the short term before the oils wear away. If you have someone already in your arsenal, give it a shot on 1 or 2 panels and see how much of a difference it makes. Please keep us posted...
 
Hi Guys

Busy making my cart on 3D site. Whilst im at it i thought it be good to get a clay bar. Do you think i should go for a clay bar and a bottle of Touch or shall i rather go for the Nano Towel. What is better for a novice?
 
ok too late order places for Nitroseal, Speed, Touch & Clay Bar :)



Will i be able to use Speed by hand as i dont really want to buy a machine
 
OK!!! So my 3D products finally arrived today after a bit of worring on the tracking. Tracking said it had not left NYC for nearly 2 weeks then suddenly it appeared in Botswana. :) super excited as usual with anything that arrives in the post. Haha.



Surprised how small the nitro seal package was. But it says that's all you need! Great looking quality products.



So this is my plan... Really tight for time at the moment at the same time really keen to get the stuff on the car.



1. Wash the car with dish wash detergent.

2. Wipe down with Ipa

3. Clay with HD touch and clay bar. ? Do I clay the glass as well? Do I clay the rims? Not sure how clay works

3. Gonna buy a cheap orbital polisher that I've seen. Put a fine foam pad and polish with HD SPEED.. ? What areas of the car must I mask off? What do I do with the rubbers? Do i polish the glass?

4. Buff by hand with MF cloths, check for any swirls and polish again by hand if need be.

5. Apply the nitro seal as per instructions... ? Is there any tips that anyone could give here. How easy is is it to rub on the vehicle with the foam pad? Do I soak half the bottle in the pad in the beginning and then wipe the whole car down or do I put a little liquid every now and then. What areas must I mask off,if any? What areas must I avoid?

6. Buff by hand.. ? What would be the negative of buffing with soft wool pad?



Also could I do it it in stages? Ie do the HD speed treatment and then wait a few days, then wash with car shampoo and apply the nitro seal? Just concerned this excercise will take me forever and I will be exhausted by the end, if I do it in one go.



Looking forward to your guys thoughts. Sorry to sound so stupid but im a stickler for doing it right first time everytime. Hence all the questions
 
My responses are in red.



dreadable said:
ok!!! So my 3d products finally arrived today after a bit of worring on the tracking. Tracking said it had not left nyc for nearly 2 weeks then suddenly it appeared in botswana. :) super excited as usual with anything that arrives in the post. Haha.

glad it finally arrived!



surprised how small the nitro seal package was. But it says that's all you need! Great looking quality products.

don't open the bottle until you are ready to apply it.



so this is my plan... Really tight for time at the moment at the same time really keen to get the stuff on the car.



1. Wash the car with dish wash detergent. yes

2. Wipe down with ipa sure

3. Clay with hd touch and clay bar. ? yes do i clay the glass as well? yes do i clay the rims? don't get too carried away not sure how clay works (do a you-tube search) tear off a tiny piece (size of a large bouncy ball) and flatten it like a pancake. Spray touch onto the surface and the claybar and massage the bar gently over the surface. You will notice that dark debris will form on the claybar. Fold the dirty side into itself and refold the claybar into itself a few more times. Try to use the clean/fresh side of the clay to avoid marring. ****check your surface immediately after the 1st panel to see how much (if any) marring you see. If there is any marring, you will need to most likely use a machine polisher to remove this issue. Or, just stop claying.

3. Gonna buy a cheap orbital polisher that i've seen. Put a fine foam pad and polish with hd speed.. ?yes what areas of the car must i mask off? soft rubber and porous trim what do i do with the rubbers? stay away do i polish the glass? no

4. Buff by hand with mf cloths, check for any swirls and polish again by hand if need be. yes

5. Apply the nitro seal as per instructions... ? make sure you are 100% happy with your finish before opening and using nitro seal. Keep on polishing until you are happy. is there any tips that anyone could give here. the search function is your friend :) how easy is is it to rub on the vehicle with the foam pad? search for my thread on nitro seal and there are videos showing how to apply it. A little goes a looooog way. Don't overuse or you may experience issues. Do i soak half the bottle in the pad in the beginning and then wipe the whole car down or do i put a little liquid every now and then. start with 3-4 tiny drops of part a. This might be enough to do half the car. Apply 2 more drops as needed what areas must i mask off,if any? none, but try to treat paint and glasss what areas must i avoid?

6. Buff by hand.. ? What would be the negative of buffing with soft wool pad? avoid wool. Only use microfiber



also could i do it it in stages? Ie do the hd speed treatment and then wait a few days, then wash with car shampoo and apply the nitro seal? sure just concerned this excercise will take me forever and i will be exhausted by the end, if i do it in one go.



Looking forward to your guys thoughts. Sorry to sound so stupid but im a stickler for doing it right first time everytime. Hence all the questions
Click to expand...
 
HI Guys



So just started using the clay bar. Everything seems to be going well. Just a couple of concerns...

There is definelty quite a bit of run swirling on the paint and it seems to come out more after claying.



Also after claying i find that the HD touch seems to make a bit of a watermark on the paint. It kind of dries quite quickly and goes a bit murky on the paint. Is this normal?
 
OK so ive just done a test on the bonnet after claying.



I applied a bit of HD speed to my OB polisher and ran it over the bonnet. The HD speed definitely improves the gloss but im still not happy at all. I have these thousands of tiny straight scratches. Have no idea what they are called. Definelty no swirling but rather little straight scratch around 3/4" to 1" long. What do you call this and how can i get rid of them. I tried to Speed once more but its still pretty much the same. Ran the poliser for about 3mins on the bonnet?



Am i doing something wrong or do i need to use another product or must i just accept these tiny scratches?
 
Were these scratches there prior to you claying??



If not, you created marring with the clay bar. Remember, the act of claying is abrasive and can mar the finish. That's why it's important to do a small test spot to gauge this.



If these scratches were there prior and HD Speed isn't removing them, I would suggest stepping up to a heavier polishing compound. HD CUT works great coupled with the HD Microfiber pads.
 
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