What should I get for my DD's?

House of Wax

House of Wax

Active member
I'm putting together a gameplan for my truck and my wife's car that are both daily driven and see a good amount of time outside. I've decided to clean out my old detail supplies and start fresh with some new products. Question is, what are you guys using for your daily drivers and what's your routine? I'm hoping to place an order tonight for some new car wash, porter cable pads, and polish and wax/sealant.



I'm looking for a nice deep rich shine and something that will last. I'm planning on using a full weekend for both vehicles, so layering is not a problem, but I don't have the time like I used to to polish/wax on a regular basis.....hence the desire for something that will last awhile. Both vehicles are kind of a medium red if that makes sense (not as dark as say maroon, and not crazy bright).



Also, what's the consensus on the foam canons? If they're worth the money I may pick one up, but if it's nothing more than a cool toy I'll pass. I do have a power washer.



Thanks for the product tips
 
onr is quick and easy to wash with. opti coat is extremely long lasting sealant. take a look at 3d pads and hd uno.

somethings to consider is how often will you be washing? could play a factor in what type of wash is recommended.

foam cannons work well if you have a power washer. for a hobbyist i wouldn't buy a power washer just for the foam cannon.
 
I already have the powerwasher. As far as frequency of washing its hard to say. Some months its several times and some its hardly at all. Hectic schedule pretty much dictates that haha.
 
since you have a power washer all ready then a foam cannon would be nice addition. for regular washes when the car(s) aren't to dirty i like onr, for the times the car are dirtier the foam cannon and traditional two bucket wash would be good. poxy is nice but nitro seal is probably a little nicer and will last longer.
 
Agree Nitro Seal is a little better than Poxy. Nitro Seal is due to be release today!!



wascallyrabbit said:
since you have a power washer all ready then a foam cannon would be nice addition. for regular washes when the car(s) aren't to dirty i like onr, for the times the car are dirtier the foam cannon and traditional two bucket wash would be good. poxy is nice but nitro seal is probably a little nicer and will last longer.
Click to expand...
 
Looking for all products. Neither vehicle needs any major paint correction, so I thought about doing a "clean" with the Klasse AIO that I have already, a glaze, collonite for a durable layer, and then possibly a last layer of a carnauba as sort of a sacrificial layer that I can re-apply as needed and to add a little more depth to the finish look. So at this point I think I'm still trying to decide on a glaze and carnauba (or maybe one or both of these layers is a waste?) Thoughts?



Also, Ive used Meguiars gold class wash in the past. Thinking about trying some optimum car wash this time.
 
Wecome (back?) to the forum - join date of 2004 but only 3 posts? Talk about lurking!



Anyway, I am in a similar position to you at this point I think. I don't have too much time to go messing with my two vehicles (a 1999 black miata and a 1997 candy apple red grand caravan). Both are still in great shape, but I need something to make them as "perfect" as I can and then seal them up for a while - especially over the winter. Lots of recent discussion here about 3DProducts Uno and their new sealant - Nitro Seal. I just decided to trash my stash of older products and start anew with their pad system for the PC (nice sale on now) as well as Uno to polish, and then Seal it up with Nitro Seal. On top, I plan on adding Proxy, another sealant/LSP that I am using as more of the sacrifical layer. Nitro is supposed to last 12-18 months, but might I even get more with Proxy as a topper? ANyway just ordered up all the products from 3D and will go at it whenever they arrive from CA. Can't wait!



Let me know what you wind up with and we'll compare notes if different from above. I think this will be a very easy to use, nice combination that will last a very long time (comparatively).



Jeff
 
hoamskilet said:
Looking for all products. Neither vehicle needs any major paint correction, so I thought about doing a "clean" with the Klasse AIO that I have already, a glaze, collonite for a durable layer, and then possibly a last layer of a carnauba as sort of a sacrificial layer that I can re-apply as needed and to add a little more depth to the finish look. So at this point I think I'm still trying to decide on a glaze and carnauba (or maybe one or both of these layers is a waste?) Thoughts?
Click to expand...



I'd just refresh the Collinite from time to time instead of applying something else over top of it. And I'd choose between the KAIO and something else (to do the "glaze" thing) rather than using them both. Many paint cleaners provide a glaze-effect. Eh, if it *really* doesn't need correction I'd just KAIO/Collinite and then redo the Collinite whenever the beading changes.



Oh, and Welcome to Autopia!
 
Yeah, collinite 476 will be your friend. Just apply it thin, and do maybe a side of the car, then buff off, then do the back, buff off, the other side, buff off, etc. You probably don't want to do the whole car and let it dwell while you get used to it b/c it will be too hard to remove. One coat will be fine, then you can add another coat a few weeks or months later after another wash.



If you decide to top 476 with something else, most will recommend waiting ~ a week. Sometimes the 476 underneath will sort of smear or look like holograms, but I've only seen this on a black car.



Foam cannons are part cool toy and part worth it. If you already have a power-washer, you're almost there so I'd probably go ahead and add one. You can do just fine with a bucket and good car wash soap though. With a foam cannon you'll go through a *lot* of car wash soap, which adds up over time.



My routine for my partially daily driver that sits outside is:



- Wash when I'm in town and it needs it (every 1-2 weeks in spring due to pollen and rain, more like every 3-5 weeks in summer / dry months). Every wash I dress the tires, but other than that its just a basic wash with detail spray as I dry off. Vacuum, wipe down interior with ONR or something else.

- Collinite 476 wax (or some other combo I'm testing out), applied as needed, normally in spring, summer, and fall. It lasts 4-5 months through the winter, but only a couple of months in the summer due to the sun. A couple of times per year I throw on a coat of some carnuaba I'm trying out just to see how it performs. Every other time I'll apply Wheel Armour too, although the 476 will do just fine for your wheels. Leather treatment interior.

- Annual "full" detail. Clay, apply glaze with machine, wax, take additional time on engine bay, nooks and crannies, seal glass, full leather cleaning and treatment, etc. I used to do a full, multi-step polish on this car, but I've run out of paint so I just do a EZ creme glaze now. Still, I get complements on the car pretty frequently, which is pretty good for a 15 year old car with 165k+ on the odomoter.
 
Welcome (back) hoamskilet!



Since you have touched upon many things I will try them briefly.



1) Foam cannon. Looks nice and many swear by it for marring free wash. I am currently without one, but I would go for it if I could find something fitting my PW.



2) Game plan (not getting into polishing). Car wash: ONR/FK118 (both LSP friendly), fine/medium clay with ONR lub, Glaze: EZ, Sealant: FK1000p or Optiseal, Wax: S100 (vfm looks) / Raceglaze 55 (more durability and looks), QD: DG951.



1 weekend, 2 cars + polishing involved. Good luck with a big job. Hope you get the results you want.
 
I'd second (or third...fourth?) the vote for ONR. If the vehicle isn't too dirty and you've suddenly found yourself a few hours to refresh the LSP on your car, I like to go a little bit stronger on the ONR solution while washing and clay while washing (do your regular ONR wash pass with your mitt to get the large dirt debris and re-lube panel with ONR if needed and then clay). Then your surface is good to hit up with your DA and LSP.



As for product recommendations, I've really liked Poxy as a "maintenance" LSP topper over the Opti-Coat that I put on my DD SUV. If you have a large truck that has a lot of real estate (surface area), I'd highly suggest Opti-Coat as a topper since its a lifetime surface topper. You can top it with whatever you want after to add to the looks or give it some slickness (Poxy, BFWD, 845, S100, etc). However from what I've read and seen about the new Nitro Seal, that is a very close contender. It is claimed durability of 12-18 months and looks more of a carnauba wetness than OC. Since you have 2 vehicles to do in a weekend and due to the unique packaging of Nitro Seal (it comes in bottles topped with nitrogen and recommended to be used within days of opening) I would lean more towards that since it seems ideal for your situation. Plus the looks of Nitro Seal are amazing, see http://www.autopia.org/forum/car-de...w-favorite-sealant-update-video-w-part-b.html
 
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