1966 Corvette Stingray - Machine Polish & Machine Wax

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Mike,
The vette looks awesome! I'm a newbie and joined the site just yesterday. I have been reading and reading, and I'm getting confused.

What is the difference between waxing and sealing?

Great question and lots of confusion over the decades.

When you apply a product that seals the surface you are by default sealing the surface. This would include using any of the below,


Traditional Car Wax
Synthetic Paint Sealant
Paint Coating
Spray Wax or Spray Sealant
All-in-One Cleaner/Wax


Basically anything that is NOT water soluble intended to lock in the shine created by the polishing steps while protecting the paint from attack.

Most people would call sealing the paint applying their last step product or LSP.

Here's my article on where the term LSP came from...

LSP - The definition and the story behind the term

I have a torch red mustang and I want to make it shine like the corvette does. What is the easiest way to learn the right way to do this? Please help!

Watch this video...

How to buff out a car
[video=youtube_share;3xJH_MGgbLw&hd=1"]How to buff out a car[/video]​

This how-to video also covers,

• RIDS - Random Isolated Deeper Scratches
• Removing watches and any jewelery
• Using a DA Polisher without the handle
• Placing cord over shoulder
• Priming the pad on a DA Polisher
• Speed settings for removing isolated defects
• Downward pressure needed for removing isolated defects
• How to clean a pad on the fly
• Where and why to mark your backing plate with a black mark
• Rotating the body of the tool to keep the pad flat to a panel
• Why to allow the pad to stop spinning before lifting the pad off the paint
• How to swap backing plates from a 3.5" to a 5"
• Machine waxing using 5.5" Hydro-Tech Crimson Finishing pads with Menzerna Power Lock
• The "Kissing the Finish" Technique
• How to do the Swipe Test to check if a wax or paint sealant is dry
• How to remove dried paint sealant using a microfiber bonnet on a dry pad on a DA Polisher
• How to clean a microfiber bonnet on the fly with your fingernails
• How to apply a paste wax by machine - Souveran Paste Wax
• How to carefully wipe a WOWO wax off by hand using Microfiber Gloves and plush Microfiber Towels
• How and why to fold a microfiber towel 4-ways to wipe wax off
• How to break-open a coat of wax and then creep out to carefully wipe off a coating of wax
• How to do the "Final Wipe"

:xyxthumbs:

 

[2Fastforeewe]

Mike,
Great tips, thanks. before I apply a sealant and subsequent wax, do I need to remove the old wax with a shampoo?

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Mike,

Great tips, thanks.

before I apply a sealant and subsequent wax, do I need to remove the old wax with a shampoo?

Great question.

A normal car wax wears off normally so hard to say how much of the original application last applies is still present. I'd wash carefully and then use either a pre-wax cleaner or a paint cleaner or apply a fine cut polish.

If it were me? I would machine apply a fine cut polish like the Pinnacle Advanced Finishing Polish as this will not only remove all the old wax but it will remove fine swirls and scratches and perfectly prepare the paint for sealant and wax.