Best option for a large vehicle

[superd]

Mr. Expert, I am new to the site and very impressed. This site opened my eyes to a new side detailing. I enjoy detailing my suv, however after looking at this site I feel I'm doing it all wrong........now it's information over load. What would you recommend regarding protecting my paint, and what steps & products would you prefer. I have always used just a carnuba wax. I have a newer Denali and I have very minute scratches in the paint. I'm interested in the claybar, cleaning the paint, and not sure of the best way to protect the paint. Sealant, wax, or combo? Hand application or machine. Please help.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Hi superd,

Since this was your first post to the AG forum...

Welcome to Autogeek Online! :welcome:

What would you recommend regarding protecting my paint, and what steps & products would you prefer.

I have always used just a carnuba wax.

I have a newer Denali and I have very minute scratches in the paint.

Great questions...

The first things I like to find out would be,

• Is the Denali a garage queen or a daily driver?
• Is it parked in the garage when not in use or is it parked outside 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?
• Do you take ownership of the washing process?
• Or do you run the Denali through a car was?

If it is parked inside a garage, is it parked outside 5 days a week, 8-12 hours a day when you're at work?

The point being, for a large vehicle like this it's good to have reasonable and practical car care goals and all to often I've seen people get caught up in creating a flawless, swirl free finish on a daily driver that's going to be run through a car wash once a week.

It's unreasonable to create a show car finish on a daily driver, exposed to the elements and run through a car wash.

Also, there's difference between keeping a black Denali looking great and a silver metallic Denali looking great, light colors and especially silver metallics don't show swirls as easily as a black or dark colored paint.

So I just post the above questions and comments to see how you take care of the Denali and what your car care goals are, we can help you reach whatever goal you might have but want to make sure you know what's involved before deciding on a course of action.

I'm interested in the claybar, cleaning the paint, and not sure of the best way to protect the paint. Sealant, wax, or combo? Hand application or machine. Please help.

If your Denali is parked outside for any portion of each day then chances are if it hasn't been clayed ever or in a while that it will benefit from being clayed.

Cleaning paint after claying helps to restore clarity to the clear coat so your eyes can better see the beauty of the color coat under the clear and if the clear coat layer has swirls then removing the swirls will also restore clarity to the clear layer so your eyes can better see the color coat under the clear.

Claying is usually done by hand and while you can clean the paint and remove swirls by hand it's more effective and faster to do so by machine.

This forum has a lot of information and a lot of friendly helpful members, I'll include some specific threads below for your to check out so you don't have to search for them.

Also we just launched a brand new video library and just today loaded a brand new how-to video on how to use the Porter Cable 7424XP Dual Action Polisher. I have not even seen the edited version yet as I just finished shooting a video and am checking on the forum before calling it a day...

The video library will soon have a how-to clay video as well as more videos covering all aspects of detailing cars, we even had a damp-sanding and how to use the rotary buffer video on our to-do list.

So here's the link to the new video library and below it will be some articles for you to check out, be sure to look at the time difference in the Man vs Machine article as it shows just how much faster removing swirls, polishing the paint and applying a sealant all by machine is compared to working by hand.

Hang on for the links...

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Here's the link to the new video library...


Autogeek's Show Car Garage Video Library!

Here's some articles to check out...

Man versus Machine

In this article, note the "Ease of use Ranking" each polisher has...

How to choose the right polisher for your detailing project
Traditional Orbital Buffer aka The Wax Spreader


This will bring you up to speed on the difference between old school paints and modern clear coats...
The practical differences between single stage paints and a clear coat paints


It's important to understand what it means to remove below surface defects like swirls and scratches...
What it means to remove swirls, scratches and water spots out of automotive clear coats


The primary goal of this article to explain the difference between a cleaner/wax and a finishing wax and all the variations of "Paint Protection Products" whether they are called a Sealant or a Hybrid.

How To Choose The Right Wax or Paint Sealant for your Detailing Project


And claying...

How often do I need to clay my car?
Tips and Tricks for using detailing clay



Not trying to overload you but point you to some articles that apply to what you need to know to make the right decisions moving forward, especially if you want to work by hand or machine.

 

[superd]

Thank you for the response and the advice. I'm quickly becoming hooked on this site and I've read the info you provided.

My Denali is garaged, I have a car I drive to and from work, but when I'm not working I drive the Denali. I never take it through a drive through car wash, I've only heard horror stories regarding the damage done. I live in Kansas City Missouri and our weather is horrible lately so I've been taking a soft hand wash mit and going to the self spray wash (where the water is warm). I try to spray the majority of the road grime off first and then gently using the mit to remove the rest. While using the mit I keep the wand on low pressure to get the loosened dirt off the car and constantly wash the mit as I go. I don't know any other options due to the cold weather. I'm open for better options.

During the warmer months I do like to wash my car at home by hand. I enjoy keeping my car as clean as possible. I understand the clay bar process, however I'm intimidated with the proper approach towards the paint. After reading "Man versus Machine" along with many other threads I'm interested in the Porter Cable 7424XP.

My 2008 Denali is white and you have to look hard to see the fine scratches. When I read information I feel like they leave a lot in the gray area and too many options which keep a newbie like myself from seeing a clear defined path. I have several questions:

-Which dedicated compound (SMR) and polish comes highly recommended? I've read all the info you provided and surfed the site for hours and feel overwhelmed by the choices. They all sound good, but do they all interact well with one another?

-Which pads would you use for each application in my situation, the scratches are very faint. With machine application I worry about being too aggresive. Also with a large suv how many pads and cloths would you recommend having to complete the job from start to finish.

-Sealant or wax? After compound and polish is it better to use a sealant or wax and which product is prefered. I've read some people are actually putting wax over the sealant. I would appreciate the opinion of someone with experience the right formula.

Ultimately I'm looking to remove the swirls, enhance the color of the paint, and protect the paint. I love it when the water beads up and rolls off teh paint. I've read "Finishing Wax or Finishing Sealant" and I'm unsure if 2008 Denali paint is considered old, new, and what it would require.

Last question, any idea how to hide the amount of money I'm going to spend from my wife?

 

[akimel]

Superd, we own a Honda CR-V. It's a large vehicle with lots of cladding. I like to keep it looking good and well-protected, but I'm all for reducing work time, too.

I am presently protecting the CR-V's paint with Ultima Paint Guard Plus. It's a synthetic sealant. The paint looks glossy and wet, especially with two coats. Durability is excellent: I applied a coat in October, and it was still beading yesterday, even after multiple ONR washes and two coin-op washes, though I could tell it was finally reaching its limit--so I went ahead and applied a fresh coat. And UPGP's the easiest protectant in the world to apply. Just wipe it on and walk away (WOWA). You don't even have to buff it off. I apply it to the paint, cladding, and plastic trim. No need for multiple products to care for the paint, trim and cladding.

I'm a big fan of UPGP. Just be sure to read the directions on the Ultima website carefully. A little goes a long way. :xyxthumbs:

 

[richy]

It comes down to what level of perfection you want to attain. People on this board will see marks that the "regular" public will never see. If you want to get rid of your scratches, get yourself a PC and a white or green LCC pad and some Menzerna Power finish. It will leave the finish looking great. You can follow it up with an LCC black or gray pad to jewel the finish with just that one product...assuming your paint is not super hard. If you want superb protection after doing all that work, seal it with Duragloss 601 bonding agent followed by 105 or 111 sealant. Or use Collinite 846 or 476. That should do ya fine without a big expense and fantastic results.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

My 2008 Denali is white and you have to look hard to see the fine scratches.

I'll think if you read about the amount of time and energy people who are passionate about their car's appearance have to invest for a black or dark colored large vehicle, you'll be glad you have a light colored S.U.V.

When I read information I feel like they leave a lot in the gray area and too many options which keep a newbie like myself from seeing a clear defined path. I have several questions:

Understandable.

I do my best to use the KISS approach, that is Keep it Simple Simon

Any of the below easy to use kits will tackle a majority of swirl problems on a wider variety of paint systems.


Wolfgang Twins & Porter Cable 7424XP

Note: Add a couple of white polishing pads to this kit. Sometimes a cutting pad is too aggressive and a finishing pad is to soft so you need a pad with a foam formula that's in-between too aggressive and too soft and that would be a polishing pad.


Menzerna Porter Cable XP Intensive Shine Kit

Meguiars Porter Cable XP Ultra Polish Kit with 5.5 Inch Pads

Note: Add a couple of white polishing pads to this kit. Sometimes a cutting pad is too aggressive and a finishing pad is to soft so you need a pad with a foam formula that's in-between too aggressive and too soft and that would be a polishing pad.


Custom pick your Swirl Mark Remover and Finishing Polish
Porter Cable 7424XP & CCS Pad Kit - Choose Your Pads

Besides a polisher, pads and chemicals you'll want and need a collection of microfiber polishing cloths. Here's are three articles I've written on the topic of microfiber polishing towels, the first one discusses how many you need.

How many microfiber polishing cloths do I need to detail my car?

The 4 minimum categories of wiping cloths

The Final Wipe – Tips for creating a streak-free, show car finish

Last question, any idea how to hide the amount of money I'm going to spend from my wife?

Take her shopping first, spend an equal or greater amount on her?

 

[superd]

Mike & richy (Senior Member) I wish I had a 10th of the information you possess.

I think you've got me started in the right direction. The Menzerna products seem to be very good and I like what I'm reading.

If I were to use the Menzerna Power finish it says it should be followed up with the Wolfgang 3.0 deep gloss sealant.

-I know Richy suggested to follow it up with the Duragloss 601 (a bonding agent) then a sealant. Does the Wolfgang 3.0 cover all this? Or are these added steps? The menzerna info about the Duragloss 601 stated to apply sealant on top of the dry (not buffed off) bonding agent. I'm confused about the bonding agent step.

I'm also considering the "Menzerna Porter Cable XP Intensive Shine Kit" package. If I were to purchase this package would I still need a Duragloss bonding agent, Wolfgang duragloss 3.0, or some type of a sealant?

If a sealant is needed or suggested what are the bennefits to a coat of wax on top of the sealant or do you suggest it? Should you put a coat of wax over the Wolfgang 3.0?


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