New guy here with some questions.

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zippster223

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So I’m pretty new at this stuff but sure have caught the bug. I received a Griots package for Xmass and a few other items as well. I would like to refresh the 7 year old paint on my wife’s car (going to try hers first) with what I have in my inventory. Could I get some comments or suggestions as to what I have proposed here?

1. Bucket wash car with dish soap. (It has years of wax build up from drive thru car washes)
2. Dry with microfiber towel.
3. Clay bar entire vehicle with Mothers Clay bar system.
4. Rinse?
5. Dry with blower.
6. Buff/polish? With Wolfgang Total Swirl Remover 3.0 using a porter cable 7424xp and an LC orange pad.
7. Apply griots one step cleaner/sealant with a LC blue pad.
8. Let cure for 24 hours then apply two coats of Griots Carnauba stick with LC red pad.
My focus here is to bring the paint back up to par and get a little protection going for these Iowa winters. I figure if I don’t get too aggressive I can redo when I get a little more experienced. My gut tells me I am missing something before or after the swirl remover. Also is the one step cleaner/sealant a bad idea?
 
:welcome: To Autogeek Online!


  1. Thoroughly washing your car is an important first step. While it may make some sense the waxes that may have been applied during one pass through an automatic car wash would be stripped the next time through.
  2. No need to dry here just begin claying the entire car with the Mothers Clay bar system.
  3. Some do wash again but that's a personal preference and is not mandatory.
  4. Wolfgang swirl remover is a nice product for light to moderate swirls but it will certainly bring up the gloss leaving the paint freshly polished.
    1. To start, use this product with an orange pad at speed 5.
    2. Work each 2 X 2 section crisscrossing 3 to 4 times then check your work.
    3. Keep a watchful eye on the pad and clean it as needed
  5. Cleaner / Sealant use a white pad and follow the manufactures recommendations
  6. Apply this stick wax directly to a gray pad and apply at speed 3. Work the wax into the paint and buff with a Microfiber towel to a high gloss.
The one step cleaner / sealant isn't necessarily a bad idea but may be overkill since you've already used the Wolfgang Swirl Remover. One thought is to skip step 5 and go directly to step 6 and apply the wax.
 
I would have to agree with Bobby with skipping the cleaner wax, but in its place I would suggest the Wolfgang Finishing Glaze on a white pad. This will help refine any micro marring that you may get from Wolfgang Total Swirl Remover and it will also bring your paint to a super high gloss.
 
Thanks guys. Looks like ill need to get some more pads. Ill post pics as soon as the weather gets a lattle warmer.
 
How bad is the paint zippster? And what color? I also am in Iowa and getting ready to bring the paint back to life on a 05 black escape. My steps are going to be:
Wash (Do Tires first)
Clay
SwirlX (or Ultimate Compound, followed by SwirlX)
PO853rd
Black Hole
Wolfgang Sealant 3.0 (Wait 12 hours before putting natty blue on it) Avoid dew/moisture when curing
Nattys Blue Wax
Dress Tires

But that is based solely on the advice of the people on the forum, not personal experience. I'm a total noob. :)
 
BobbyG said:
:welcome: To Autogeek Online!


  1. Thoroughly washing your car is an important first step. While it may make some sense the waxes that may have been applied during one pass through an automatic car wash would be stripped the next time through.
  2. No need to dry here just begin claying the entire car with the Mothers Clay bar system.
  3. Some do wash again but that's a personal preference and is not mandatory.
  4. Wolfgang swirl remover is a nice product for light to moderate swirls but it will certainly bring up the gloss leaving the paint freshly polished.
    1. To start, use this product with an orange pad at speed 5.
    2. Work each 2 X 2 section crisscrossing 3 to 4 times then check your work.
    3. Keep a watchful eye on the pad and clean it as needed
  5. Cleaner / Sealant use a white pad and follow the manufactures recommendations
  6. Apply this stick wax directly to a gray pad and apply at speed 3. Work the wax into the paint and buff with a Microfiber towel to a high gloss.
The one step cleaner / sealant isn't necessarily a bad idea but may be overkill since you've already used the Wolfgang Swirl Remover. One thought is to skip step 5 and go directly to step 6 and apply the wax.
Click to expand...

If you don't get the correction you want in step 4 up the speed to 6 and reduce the work area to 18"x18".
 
Paint is cloudy. The car has always bee garaged so not faded but the drive thru car washes have sure gave it a beating. The finish is a bule/gray. Ill get some pics up this weekend. Where in Iowa are you from?

Trevor said:
How bad is the paint zippster? And what color? I also am in Iowa and getting ready to bring the paint back to life on a 05 black escape. My steps are going to be:
Wash (Do Tires first)
Clay
SwirlX (or Ultimate Compound, followed by SwirlX)
PO853rd
Black Hole
Wolfgang Sealant 3.0 (Wait 12 hours before putting natty blue on it) Avoid dew/moisture when curing
Nattys Blue Wax
Dress Tires

But that is based solely on the advice of the people on the forum, not personal experience. I'm a total noob. :)
Click to expand...
 
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