How to get wet look and shine?
 

I am trying to find which product will give me a wet look on the paint. It’s a black car, I don’t want to do a ceramic wrap. Are there any wax or spray that I can use to get it to look glossy and wet look?

What do you mean by 'wet look'

Want it to look like this?

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/acurazi...ffbafdd8ba.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/acurazi...a5f785cdbd.jpg

Yes, that is what I am talking about. How did you get it to have that kinda shine.

Well, my friend....sit back and enjoy the ride.

With anything in this world; technique is paramount.
you have to employ correct washing technique from the very beginning.

basic rules;
- employ a two bucket system; rinse water, soap water.
- the only thing that should touch the car is a high quality sheep skin or microfiber cloth.
- if you drop the mitt, rinse it off thoroughly or grab a clean cloth.
- remember bubbles = lubricity . a good car shampoo will help collect dirt and debris so as to wont scratch your paint.
- never take it to automatic car washes. never. Never. NO! Don't do it.
- it's better to leave the car dirty till a proper wash.

after you get the basics down, we can move on to actually assessing what kind of condition the paint is in.
you're looking for marring,holograms, swirls, scratches...general defects in the paint.

Here is where the magic happens.
one takes the knowledge of the condition of the car and uses tools to correct the paint.
the top surface known as the clear coat has these knicks, swirls, and marring from general day to day life of a car.
a polishing machine with accompanying pads can polish or level out these imperfections in the clear.

after taking out the imperfections; the car will need to be protected from the outside elements.
and this is where a sealant comes into play.
A sealant has special properties to bond with the paint to protect and to shine!

Hope this helps!

TL;DR
- if the clear coat is all scratched up with marring, swirls, oxidation and general neglect...the clear coat will be hazy....no amount of "wax" will make it super shiny wet looking.

Ok, I want a simple and easy way to get that look. I don't have the time to wash the car myself so I will take it through a touch less car wash. I have heard good things about eagle one wax as you dry and that is the extent I have the time to do something to the car. I may take it to a detailer, who have 3 tiers of services, level 1 - $40 - basic wax, level 2 - $90 higher end wax and level 3 - $150 for sealant. It also includes some other stuff but I cant remember those.

I was hoping if there is something that I can do and spend less and yet get the same shine.

I dont know any aspect of life where you put less effort in and get great results.

to some of us; this is a hobby that we enjoy! I enjoy getting my vehicles to look like they are dripping wet and glossy!!
with others; a car is just an appliance and getting it washed is a chore. if it's not something you enjoy, you'd be better off taking it to a "detailer" to wash the car! :thumbsup:

sounds like the basic $40 is a great way to keep the car clean! :thumbsup:

@hulk369, listen to what justnspace is saying. What your looking for can only be achieved with washing the car correctly, and "correcting the paint". This can include various types of treatment.
In addition, you will have to continue to maintain the car's paint if you want it to continue looking the same after whatever treatment you get.

touchless washes are acceptable, only when its too cold to wash the car. When I say too cold, I mean like freezing temps, I almost always wash by hand, however sometimes use touchless washes to get the salt and drit off and then follow up with a quick hand wash.

touchless washes uses very harsh chemicals that can hurt your cars paint over time, so keep that in mind as well.

I have had my paint corrected at stage 1 on my base, and the results are amazing and well worth it. The type-s will shortly be getting the same treatment. I recently learned that the previous owner had gotten a x-cote treatment on the type-s. Although it did a fairly good job, it still isn't nearly as good as what a paint correction can achieve. FYI, a stage one is costing me about $500 CAD, where a stage 3 costs about 1500-2000 CAD

Meguier's mirror glaze #5 for the wet look because it literally stays wet. Then wax on top of that to seal it in for longest shine. #5 also feeds the paint to keep it from drying out so it's not as brittle... May lessens paint chips if you do this regularly.

If you want your vehicle to stand out from the rest, then you have to put in the work that most people are unwilling or unable to do (or pay a professional to do it for you).

Contrary to popular belief, using a “special” wax or spray detailer will not magically make your paint appear leaps and bounds different. The largest visual enhancement is achieved by the lack of superficial defects in the paint... these defects, generally referred to as swirl marks, are what create a lack luster finish. They can be removed through the paint correction process, but it is not quick and it is not simple.

As already explained, it is a time consuming process if you truly want your vehicle to look absolutely stunning. It is also worth mentioning that it is also more time consuming to maintain swirl free vehicle as well, however the results are absolutely worth it.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/285/1...0836eb20_b.jpg

I go over some of the paint correction process in this article...
Two Step Paint Correction Overview and Video Demo: 1937 Ford Coupe Hot Rod by Zach McGovern

Use justnspace's instructions to wash the car and post some close-up pics to let us see what condition the paint is in. You'd be surprised at how a simple wax will bring out the shine in a car. Obviously I/detailers charge more for a buff/polish but it all depends on how good you want the car to look

Zach and the Justin nailed it. I've found that once you go down this road, you can never go back to the way you used to do things in the past :) It's a fun and visually rewarding hobby! My suggestion would be to do a lot of reading and ask plenty of questions here, you're in good hands :) I did Opti-Coat Pro, once you go down the ceramic coat path, you'll wonder how why you didn't do it earlier.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/acurazi...16f3b42b95.jpg

There are products that can produce the temp results you look for Im sure but I wouldnt use them any more than I would use any other snake oil that folks are buying to stop leaks and other negative behavior. And quite frankly black is absolutely the worse to maintain given your constraints.

The prices you state with that "detailer" are suspect to me since so low but assume its possible. What you have to be careful of is the collateral damage these guys can and most often do create on the vehicle via halograms, swirls etc. Now you have to pay again for someone who knows what they are doing to correct and BTW its generally a lot more. Ask me how I know, well dont since its painful.

What I find from these "mobile detailers" is that they are mobile washers. for $40, that's just a wash.
I charged $40 dollars to wash a car.
it simply isnt worth my time to do it for anything less. However, I called the process what it really is...Washing. these Mobile "detailers" are using a bit of marketing to make you pay that $40 fee, by saying it's "detailing"

I wash my car every week.
it would get expensive to wash the car every week for $40
this goes back to..."put in the effort; to get great results"

I didnt read as mobile since he said he was taking to a detailer. But if in fact its mobile then price kinda makes sense as just a wash

oh my bad, I think I just made up the mobile part. but the $40 is in line for a quick wash.

I cannot agree more with all of the above-stated information. I own a CPB 2010 that I bought pre-owned. The detail that the dealership performed prior to delivery, used a wax with fillers. After the second wash I gave it, a ton of swirls and light scratches were revealed. I'm pretty particular about how my vehicles look. I invested in a DA, pads, compound, polish, iron-x, clay, sealants, and waxes and performed the paint correction myself. It was cheaper than paying a detailer, but time and labor intensive. There is no shortcut to obtaining the result you're looking for. Like stated before, once you correct the paint, you have to properly wash and care for it in order to maintain it. Owning a black vehicle is a labor of love (pain in the ass).

Gorgeous!

Thanks for the detailed instructions!

Chemical Guys has a product called Wet Mirror Finish. Check it out!