Mazekid15

Here are the three products you need to complete this. Meguiars Tech Wax, "Ice" Synthetic Liquid Polish, and Extreme Armoral Tire Shine Gel. First wash the car, clean the rims throughly and scrub the tires and get off the black brake dust off the tire. Apply the Tech Wax, do entire car..After..I've always noticed everytime I wax a black car or dark color, You can see the Residue in the actual paint in the sunlight of the wax, it drives me nuts! So they came out with this ICE polish, you apply it to a applicator as shown in the picture, and you go over the Entire car. You let it dry to a haze and then wipe it off. WOW, what a result after that. The ICE is the whole key to the brilliant shine. My friends did not believe me until they used it on their own cars. So after you waxed it, for the next month or two, you can just clean the car and then ICE it and still get that amazing smoothe feeling on the paint and the same great shine! And it makes cleaning your car a lot less time consuming.
The tire shine gel also has an applicator like they use at the car wash. I have tried and used EVERY tire shine out there and this is the best by far. I went through a week of rain in new jersey and somehow it still stayed on after that! Check out the pics and you will see how effective it is. As you can see I am pretty thorough about keeping my car clean! Well here's some pics and hope for the ones who have trouble like I did hopefully this will help!







I got nighthawk black pearl color, you can see its blue in the light and black regulary.

Mazekid15

[IMG][/IMG]
Here are the products

Hawhyen51

The two products you're using (TW Ice & NXT) basically fall into the all in one category meaning it cleans and protects in one application. They contain mild cleaners and could possibly negate using one over the other. BTW, I'm not saying they're not any good and IMO, there are other OTC sealants available that can provide better protection and durability. You can do a search to find opinions about them. That said, the best way to achieve protection and shine is utilizing a four step process . . . .

• Wash - removes dust, dirt and road debris from the painted surface
• Clay - removes bonded contaminants
• Polish - removes/corrects surface defects (swirls, minor scratches and oxidations while providing surface gloss and reflectivity
• Seal/Protect - using a sealant/wax provides protection from the elements

As far as tires go, it comes down to personal preference. Some prefer products that provide a shiny look while others prefer a matte or glossy finish.

joerockt

That Armor-all crap makes it look like you jizzed all over your tires I bet that shit slings like no other.

Paint looks good. Tech wax is garbage though and dosent last long at all. But good job non the less...

Mazekid15

thats why you use an applicator and it goes no where. lol

lusid

Tires look funky.

but what Hawhyen said is correct.

exceldetail

Maze, my hats off to you for your maintenance! Car looks great, but OTC = OTC results.

EEEEEEKS JOE!
We can teach you some valuable detailing practices that will take you above and beyond...............if you care.

exceldetail

Heres a before.............

Heres a after..........

I

Mazekid15

ya i see what your saying..I do it that way, I dont know it comes out great lol..But I understand the purposes for everything..

exceldetail

Seriously, I commend you on your effort. We just want you to get better results, with better products.....and maybe a technique tweak here and there.....

Mazekid15

so what better products then should I use? After I wash the car..And what techniques would you suggest? I clean my car like once a week. For $40,000 Im gonna treat that car like its my son..

exceldetail

Now were talkin!
And just as Haw stated:

• Wash - removes dust, dirt and road debris from the painted surface
• Clay - removes bonded contaminants
• Polish - removes/corrects surface defects (swirls, minor scratches and oxidations while providing surface gloss and reflectivity
• Seal/Protect - using a sealant/wax provides protection from the elements

Lets start with wash soap and wash media.........Then we will move onto the next step..Most wash products are "fairly" equal. Some offer more suds then others, some offer more lubrication then others. Tons of suds does not equal tons of lubrication. One over the other is not necessarliy a better thing. You want to find a happy median. We can recommend some products which we have found to be very good in respect to the above. But definetely stay away from the cheap $.99 store stuff. If you stick with a brand name, you should be good to go.
And make sure you "wash" and dont scrub, especially with that color.
Wash media: Well, a whole new can has opened up when it comes to wash impliments. Used to be sponge, used to be sheepskin (My favored), used to be microfiber, then 2 buckets of this and two differents sponges and 2 grit guards. The list goes on and on........Feel free to experiment with either of the above but when selecting a sponge, look for lightness and open pores. A favored sponge over at the big "A" is grout sponges. There was so much good discussion on it/them, I decided to begin carrying them. Look for Grecian Grout Sponge, runs about $2.25. Sheepskins should feel soft. If they dont feel soft to the touch, well, then they're not soft to the paint.
MF's for washing come in "dread locks". I find they hold dirt a little too much for my liking, but to each there own.
The important thing with washing is properly disposing of built up debris before 'washing". In other words, pre rinse the surface thoroughly, to reduce the chances of marring. A good stream of water isnt going to hurt anything. The moldings are attached with 3M VHB tape, which they use in hi-rise buildings to secure glass paynes. It aint coming off with a stream of water passing over it. Rinse the whole car, then wash a panel, and rinse it. Dont let suds dry on the car.
Join in guys..........

joerockt

Sorry, it was after a couple of home made margaritas

But seriously, that ultra high gloss on tires just doesn't do it. Looks very tacky to me. My favorite is Poorboys Bold n Bright. Leaves a nice satin finish and makes the tire look "clean" and not "greasy".

exceldetail

Joe, FYI, I have one Bold n Brite left in stock...........I dont think I wll be carrying PB's any more.

joerockt

Here is my TL-S after the following:

Wash
Clay
Poorboys SSR1 applied with Sonus green pad.
topped off with Four Star UPP. Didnt use an LSP...I find FS by itself works just fine.

joerockt

Hold it for me. I'm going to put in an order right now.

How come??

exceldetail

LMAO, that was quick! It just hasn't been selling very well. The Optimum and FS stuff moves with regularity. Im really at a quandary. I know of other vendors who have dropped it as well......maybe I should take that as opportunity? I will probably pick up another vendors personal line, as I like it alot, its very similiar to PB's......And then theres always Surf City.

It just seems there has been so much reformulations going on with everyone else. All my other products are moving forward with new products and bottling, labels etc, but PB's just kind of sits there and doesnt go with the industry flow....
I dunno?! If I got some hate mail saying they wil shop somewhere else altogether because I no longer carry PB's, I may reconsider. I couldnt even get rid of it at clearance price (which started labor Day and ran for a month) Then I got the dreaded call, "Get the MSRP back on"....

joerockt

Wow, thats pretty sad. Sending my hate mail to you now...

I know what you mean though about PB's progression. Lots of competition out there with lots of new products. No reason to keep something around if you cant move it.

Hawhyen51

I agree with Joe, you're running a business and you gottta do what's in the best interest for you.That said, I do like some of the PB stuff . . . but I'm sure there are products that you'll have which are comparable.

exceldetail

Joe, I dont know if I should tell you to stop drinking margy's or.....to have another!
That UPP is your LSP.........crack me up dude........

rtlltj

What tire shine products do you guys like thats OTC but not so greasy.

OrngeAc3.2

i use the meguires nxt tire shine...no sling, doesnt look too greezy and lasts...i used to use the goo shit with an applicator, but it flung all over the place...

joerockt

I've topped UPP with Natty's before Are you saying I shouldn't?

Hawhyen51

A couple of other tips . . . I prefer to wash my wheels and tires first, especially if I'm using chemicals on the wheels. Refill with fresh water and soap for the body. Use different wash media for the paint and wheels. Wash from the top down, one panel at a time and rinse. On the final rinse, remove nozzle from hose and let it flow over the surface. This is called sheeting and will leave residual water making it easier to dry. Use a MF Waffle Weave towel for drying, leaves it streak free and no scratching. I also like to use a leaf blower to blow water out of the areas where water accumulates. I have one dedicated just for this purpose and nothing else.

I guess we'll use different posts to address the other steps of the process just ot keep it readable . . .

exceldetail

Joe, you dont have to if you dont want to. Some like to, some just dont see a significant difference. If I had to apply two coats, I think i would probably go with an additional UPP buddy.....Whatever you decide, just wait a day or two for those polys to cross link. I really like waiting a couple days.

exceldetail

If I jad to pick one, i would go with Mothers Reflections Tire Shine. Smells awesome and last above average. Two light coats are great protection and not too glossy.....my .

ballinfizzle89

iTrader: (6)

Oh good stuff Btw, by OTC you guys mean over the counter, right? In general, which one do you think is the longest lasting and shiniest...without making it look like theres a 1 inch coating of gel around the tires?

exceldetail

Mothers is a good product to trust for your needs, (OTC wise). And yes, OTC = over the counter.....

lusid

otc for the win! personally i'm a DG fan.

HondaAcura83

How often do you clay/polish/wax? I know it's personal perference, but I want to start waxing my car more often.

Hawhyen51

For me, and a few others, twice a year right before the Winter season and then in the Spring. I use a fine clay, chemical cleaner/polish (Winter) and an abrasive in the Spring followed with a layer of sealant. Reapply sealant 8-10 weeks, followed with a spray wax once a month and a QD after washes.

joerockt

May not be a significant difference, but I like the idea of having a sacrificial layer there...

sbuswell

if you're going for OTC stuff might I recommend.

1. Meg's Gold Class Car wash- great lubricicity and great smell. $9.99 for a huge tub that'll last you at least a year.
2. Clay Magic clay bar kit. Works great. $12.99-14.99
3. Meg's #7 Showcar Glaze. works great in conjuection this the next. $10.99
4. Meg's #26 Hi-Tech Yellow Wax in paste form(sometimes hard to find, buy the paste over the liquid as pastes are always better IMO than a liquid)- $11.99

Buy some good MF towels like Cobra 3 for $19.99(large towels) and you'll be all set.