stevenmor

I just got a 2007 TL Type S a couple weeks ago in the Nighthawk Black Pearl. I can tell that the dealer waxed it, because the water kind of beads up.

I've searched the theads here for what I should do next as far as washing, waxing, polishing etc, but I've come away with more questions that answers.

I live in a Philly Suberb, and winter is right around the corner.

The confused side of me says that I should just wash it, then wax it with the Black Magic liquid and be done with it. My other half says that I should go all out and go with a whole system i.e. Zaino.

I guess my question is what at a minimum should I do (if anything) and what would be beneficial or non-beneficial overkill.

Thanks!!

lusid

How are PA winters?

stevenmor

I would say on average, the highs Dec-Feb is ~ 40 and the lows ~ 25. Usually get a couple of decent snows per year.

lusid

I personally own a bottle of black magic, but cant comment on the durability.

I'd purchase a well known sealant, and seal the car up, Four Star Ultimate Paint protection seems to be a well known favorite here, I like the duragloss line specifically the #111 Clear Coat Polish (not really a polish but really a sealant.)

exceldetail

stevenmor

Can I put the sealant over the current wax that's on the car, or should I remove it first (Dawn, clay bar)? I'm assuming that after I seal it, I would then apply a coat of the wax.

These sealants that are mentioned, can they be obtained at a B&M store or do they need to be ordered online? Also, are these non-abrasive, safe for a new car?

Thanks for the response!!

lusid

Duragloss can be found @ carquest / napa. Four star = online only.

imo yes safe for car.

cant answer the 1st question.

Jesstzn

Sealants don't like going on over a wax and if the dealer did it you never know what the hell they used .. either use a product like Klasse AIO or Optimums PoliSeal .. prolly 40 other good bases out there too .. if lacking those use Dawn just the one time ..

You don't need to wax over a sealant .. thats more a cosmetic move. Matter of fact if your not up on things some waxes have enough cleaners to remove the sealants.

As for sealants the OTC stuff like the Duragloss mentioned should do.

Vicman17

With your new TL, I betcha they didn't even clay it. Maybe they used some cheapo wax and called it a day. The finish is close to perfect, so you would think they did a bang-up job.

Sealants will not bond properly if applied on top of wax since it will bond to the wax and not the surface itself so your 'seal' will be short-lived. OTOH wax on top of properly bonded sealant is amazing! The layer of wax entends the protection that the sealant provides plus giving you a much deeper shine than just the sealant alone.

I say clay it to remove the rail-dust and contaminants to properly prep the finish for seal and wax. Clay WILL remove any layer of wax so you don't have to do the Dawn thing. Make sure to seal with Klasse (or any polymer sealant). Then wash, do about 3 layers of Klasse SG (spaced 12-24 hrs apart) then top it off with pure Carnauba wax and you're set for ol' man winter

Jesstzn

Claying will not always remove the wax .. it removes surface imbeded contaminats. Its also not a cleaner ..

The down side to claying is when done with a QD spray the spray residue is now on the paint surface presenting the sealant with a poor bonding surface. Thus .. Dawn wash or the use of an AIO or some other cleaner.

exceldetail

With these last 3 comments, I wonder why I even participate here! Good answers guys!

Jesstzn

We need you to keep us in line ... and to find my shirt if I take it off.

Hawhyen51

The combination of claying and polishing should remove any previous layers of protection. Then follow with a sealant. You can use a QD like AW after washes to extend the initial layer of protection . . . please pardon the short responses, I'm on vacation on the island of Hawai'i.

lusid

never post again if you are in Hawaii

exceldetail

stevenmor

Thanks for all of the responses!!

I think that this will be my plan of action:

I'm leaning towards the Duragloss mostly due to the fact that it can be applied in sunlight.

Wash (I have some Maguire's wash at home already, need to buy wash mitt)
Dry with Waffle Weave Microfiber towels (Need to buy)
Clay (Have Clay Magic clay at home)
Wash again as above.
Do I need to seal here before next step? If so, what do I use?
Polish with Duragloss 111 with MF Cloth(need to buy both)
Wax with ?? (Do I need to do this, if so does Duragloss have it?)
As far as the Towels, cloths, mitts and Duragloss, I'm assuming the Excel has everything I need (I guess that I shoulda looked first).

I'll do the same for my wheels, but just use the cheap MF cloths that I got from Sam's Club.

I'll also get some #951 Aqua Wax to use after washes.

Thanks again for your time!!

lusid

After your 2nd wash, the Duragloss #111 In my opinion is not a polish, It's a Sealant (aka wax). So in essence the #111 or #105 are the best OTC sealants(aka wax) you can get at an auto parts store.

GL Hope that answers the two red Q's.

Cheap MF towels could be bad... try the CD trick, take a blank CDR, and take one of the MF towels and rub it on the CDR and see if you can notice scratches.

Jesstzn

If the towels from Sams Club are the same as the yellow Costco ones they are actually very good for removing wax/sealants ( which btw are 2 different things, there is a good bunch of info on that in my web page).


Funny how companies use the word polish when there is no abrasives in it ... I guess its called marketing.

stevenmor

I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who chimed in here on this thread and gave their time to helping me out!!

I called Excel, the fellow there that I spoke with couldn't have been more helpful!!

After talking with him, here is what I finally decided to go with:

Beyond Black Tire Pro 8oz
Quantity: 1

Excel Elite Polishing Towel 16x16 Satin Edge
Quantity: 4

Pure Australian Heavy Sheepskin Washmit
Quantity: 2

Excel 4'' Yellow Foam Applicators
Quantity: 4

Four Star Ultimate Pre-Wax Cleaner
Quantity: 1

Four Star Ultimate Paint Protectant Spray
Quantity: 1

Four Star Ultimate Paint Protection
Quantity: 1

Excel Monterey Waffle Weave Drying Towel $ 10.99
Quantity: 2

I already have wash and clay.

I will do my older car first to get a feel for it, and then proceed to my new baby.

Hopefully it won't rain next weekend!!

lusid

don't worry it'll rain if you wash your car. Either the day of or the day after.

stevenmor

LOL, That would be my luck.

exceldetail

Well what better way to check out UPP's awesome beading action!!
Steve, pleasure helping you out this morning.

xjohnkdoex

iTrader: (2)

i recently tried four star upp. that stuff is awesome. easy to apply, easy to remove, deep glossy wet shine.

the only bad thing about it--i had to shake the bottle furiously for about 5 minutes to get it mixed. otherwise, EXCELLENT PRODUCT.

thanks patrick!

exceldetail

Thats a strange one to me.......seriously, I have never heard of that before....Please keep me posted on the contents consistancy as it is being used up. I could always have you ship it to the manufacturer (theyre a lot closer to you then me) for a replacement bottle. Also look and see if there is a sticker on the bottom, and tell me what it is.....

stogie1020

Never let them near anything but my doorjambs, tailpipes, and windows. Costco/Sams MF=swirled paint IME

Use the good stuff on the paint.

Bearcat94

Philly winters can be brutal on cars.

Snow + Ice + Salt + Dirty Streets +Traffic = XTRANASTY

You got great adivce. Get your protection on and it'll clean right up with a basic wash

stevenmor

Thanks for letting me know that. I ordered the better towels to use on the painted surfaces so I should be okay. I'll just use these Sam's Club ones for the wheels and for the things that you mentioned.

Jesstzn

Well either you get different ones than they sell in the Costco in Spokane or you have other issues cleaning your car because I have never ... and I repeat NEVER swirled my or any other car with a properly cared for yellow 16 x 16 M/F from Costco.

My last car was a 03 black Passat that was shown and 100% swirl free in full sun or 1000W Halogens.

The WDP is the same.. swirl free ... under any light. I do numerous show cars ... same thing ...

I also treat them right wash them properly with the correct soap and they have dedicated service .. wax off only .. nothing else.

BTW I have close to 150 of them and have been using them for 3 years.

Jesstzn

These are the towels I am refering to.



They come in pkg of 32 for around $12.

lusid

man thats a deal rofl.

w/ 32 of them you can literally always have a dry MF towel on hand.

stevenmor

The package says "Detailers Best" on it.

conan777

Wow thats alot of 4 star products! Ha..ha..! Please let us know how everything works out for you. Pics please And a write up of your experience with the products you used would be nice also.

I just bought some Optimum Polish and Menzerna Polishes with a UDM to do my wife's black Lexus and it is swirled galore! Not to mention scratched which I will hopefully be able to repair this weekend. I'll take lots of pics for you guys with the outcome.

xjohnkdoex

iTrader: (2)

yeah, it was weird b/c i shook it some, then put it on a sponge pad but it was like phlegm in clear liquid. shook it a few more times, looked again, same consistency as if the 2 components wouldn't blend. then i shook it for a few more minutes and it finally came out what assume to be its normal consistency.

i'll try to see if there is a sticker and let you know if there are issues.

MyPearl02

Or all frickin week like me i hate MN 19" of rain in the last month how am i gonna keep a black car clean!!!!

exceldetail

I dont like the sounds of it after reading this. I make it a happy to shake EVERY bottle of polish and sealant I sell before its bagged or boxed. I was so use to doing this with the original Optimum Polish, which sounded like juice when you shook it at first. Then after about 15 seconds, it sounded like a thick milk shake. So, i have gotten into this habit of shaking everything now!
I will call FS tomorrow and see what can be done to ensure you have recieved a quality product. Worse case scenario, i will send a prepaid box for the return so I can examine it firsthand myself, along with a new "inspected" bottle of UPP.

lusid

I feel safe and sound knowing my car is sealed lol. Beads everywhere now. and overall it looks way cleaner than when it wasnt sealed.

stevenmor

I rec'd my order from Excel and got to work on it yesterday.

I decided to use my dark gray 2005 Mazda Tribute as the guinea pig.

Here's what I did:

Washed and dried.
Clayed with Clay Magic.
Washed and dried again.
Used the FS Ult Pre Wax Cleaner.
Applied the FS UPP.
Also scrubbed the wheels and tires and applied the Beyond Black Tire stuff.

I have to admit that the truck looks wonderful!!

It took me all day to do this, but I am an amateur at this. The products were all very easy to use.

Of course it rained 2 hours after I got done, but at least the water was beading up and rolling right off.

The WWMF towels don't look like much, but they sure do absorb an awful lot of water.

I took a few pics, but it was getting dark so they aren't all that good. Once I figure out how to post them, I will.

Thanks Patrick!!

lusid

no thanks to us?

y da hate?

Also, you will notice each time you wash / clean your car your process will speed up.

stevenmor

And thanks to everyone else who chimed in here with your help!! The help here that I've encountered here during my short stint in this forum is amazing.

exceldetail

Glad I could help!!