iceman978
New member
- Aug 6, 2011
- 54
- 0
This is a daily driver with 90,000+ miles on it.
Products Used
Chemical Guys Professional Citrus Wash
IronX Spray
DP Clay bar
DP Clay lubricant
Porter Cable DA Polisher 7424 XP
Pinnacle XMT Polishing Pad Conditioner
Pinnacle XMT Polishing Pad Cleaner
Lake Country 5.5" Tangerine Light Cutting Pads
Lake Country 5.5" Blue foam finessing pads
Lake Country 5.5" Red ultrasoft wax/sealant pads
Wolfgang Total Swirl Remover 3.0
Meguiar's Mirror Glaze Synthetic Sealant 2.0
Wolfgang Finishing Glaze 3.0
Collinite #845 Insulator Wax
Blackfire long lasting tire gel
The Guzzler waffle weave towel
Gold plush mircofiber towel
Supreme 530 microfiber towel
Two 5 gallon buckets
Two grit guards (one for wash bucket, one for rinse bucket)
Boar's hair wash brush with extension pole
The Bone sponge
Daytona speedmaster brushes (large and small)
Meguiar's All Purpose Cleaner
Meguiar's Self Cleaning Dispenser Bottles
The Prep
I began the detail session at approximately 08:00 A.M. when the sun was shining on the back of my house, leaving the driveway in the shadows of my house. I try to do this anytime I wash my cars so that I am not doing so in direct sunlight. The air temperature at the time I began the detail session was approximately 78 degrees. I then got started by washing the car using Chemical Guys Citrus Wash diluted 1 ounce of wash / 1 gallon of water. Also used in this stage was the boar's hair wash brush with extension pole, which is a great time (and back) saver. The results were amazing as I had never used any of the chemical guys products before. It produced a large volume of soap suds in the bucket and provided a great wash, ensuring that the paint was as clean as it could be at this stage including the removal of the old wax.
I cleaned the tires and wheels of the car using Meguiar's APC diluted at a ration of 10:1 and the daytona speedmaster brushes. The entire wash process took about 40 minutes. I then sprayed the car with IronX spray to remove any of the leftover surface contaminants. I let the solution dwell for a few minutes as directed by the instructions, wiping it with the Bone sponge to agitate it and ensure uniform coverage. It should be noted that I have several Bone sponges, and this one is dedicated to use with IronX only. I then rinsed the car with a hose to remove the IronX and contaminants. I dried the car using the Guzzler towel and then drove it inside my garage. I clayed the surface of the car (just the metal painted parts) using the DP clay bar and universal clay lubricant.
I used the plastic bag test to ensure that each panel was completely prepped before moving on to the next. This process did not take long at all as I had previously clayed the car before the last coat of wax had been applied. I then inspected the paint and found that it had moderate defects, mostly in the form of swirls.
The correction phase
I broke out the Porter Cable PC7424XP, 5.5" Lake Country Tangerine light cutting pads and Wolfgang Total Swirl Remover 3.0. Before using each pad, I misted the pad surface with XMT Pad conditioner. After a bit of experimenting I found that the optimal results would be achieved by using the above products with approximately 7 section passes on each panel. I mixed an IPA solution to inspect the correct results and wiped each panel down using a gold plush microfiber towel. I also cleaned the pad on the fly using a clean, lint free, terry cloth towel. A couple of the lower door panels (closest to the ground) had some heavier swirling/scratching and required 8-9 section passes with the above listed products/methods. To get into a few smaller areas/panels on the car I broke out the 4" pad and that made it a lot easier.
Decision Time
I had machine polished paint in the past, but had never jeweled it. In fact, before I read Mike Phillips' book "The Art of Detailing" I had never even heard of this technique. Well, this time I decided to try jeweling the paint and boy was I impressed with the results. I broke out the PC7424XP, the 5.5" Lake Country blue foam finessing pads and the Wolfgang Finishing Glaze 3.0. This step was time consuming but once I finished it and saw the results, I decided it was totally worth it. I'll never skip this step again as it made such a difference in the end result that it's become a staple for me.
The Protection Steps
I am all about redundancy. The more protection you have from anything, the safer and better off you will be. For this reason, I now take a multi-step approach to protection the finish on my vehicles. First, I broke out the PC7424XP, the 5.5" Lake Country red ultrasoft foam wax/sealant pad and the Meguiar's Synthetic Sealant 2.0. For ease of use I poured the sealant into a self-cleaning dispenser bottle, which made a huge difference. I used the PC to spread a thin, even coat of the sealant over all of the painted, metal surfaces on the exterior of the vehicle. I allowed the sealant to dry to a slight haze per the instructions and then buffed it with a Supreme 530 microfiber towel. I then allowed the sealant to cure for 24 hours inside the garage.
Once the 24 hours had passed I broke out the PC, a fresh 5.5 " Lake Country red pad and a bottle of Collinite #845 Insulator Wax. Using Nick's instructions I prepped the wax for application using a bucket of warm water and sunlight. I then transferred the contents of the bottle into a fresh self-cleaning dispenser bottle which again made all the difference in the world for ease of use. Using the PC I spread a thin coat of Collinite over all of the painted, metal surfaces of the vehicle. I allowed the wax to dry to a slight haze per the instructions and then buffed it with a clean Supreme 530 microfiber towel. I then allowed the wax to cure for 24 hours inside the garage. I then applied a second coat of Collinite using the same method. I allowed the second coat of Collinite to cure for 24 hours before exposing it to the elements. I then applied Blackfire long lasting tire gel to the tires with a foam applicator pad.
Conclusion / Final Thoughts
The entire process as detailed above (not including curing times) took approximately 21.5 hours to complete. Though it took a lot of hard work to complete, I could not be happier with the end results. I had previously done paint correction, sealant and waxing on two of my other vehicles but had received mixed results. On my white colored Chevrolet Impala (the first vehicle I had ever tried correcting) I used the same tangerine pads, XMT swirl remover, Wolfgang finishing glaze, Meg's synthetic sealant and DP Max Wax. On that vehicle, I did not use an IPA solution to inspect my results and I believe that this was my biggest mistake. After approximately six months I started to see some of the swirls and defects reappear in the paint. I believe that this was as a result of the paint not really being fully corrected as the swirls were hidden by some of the fillers in the glaze and wax. Once those products began to wear off, the swirls reappeared once again.
On my white colored ford truck (the second vehicle I tried correcting), I used the same tangerine pads, XMT swirl remover, Wolfgang finishing glaze, Meg's synthetic sealant, Collinite 845 and Max Wax. This time, I did use an IPA solution to inspect my results and I think it made a huge difference. The truck was detailed at the same time as the Impala and none of the defects have reappeared to date. It should also be noted that I found Collinite 845 to be more durable than Max Wax. On my truck, I applied a coat of Meg's synthetic sealant 2.0, two coats of 845, and a coat of Max Wax. I allowed 24 hours curing time between each of the sealant/wax steps. It has been nearly nine months since I corrected, sealed and waxed the truck and it still looks great. Water still beads on the paint like it's nobody's business.
All of my vehicles are maintained the same way: weekly hand washes and applications of Pinnacle Liquid Souveran wax. Comparing my truck to the Impala I have to say that the Impala needed to be re-corrected and waxed again after 6 months where the truck had not needed this (yet). Again, I have to say that the Impala issues were caused by my noob status at the time as the failure on my part to use an IPA solution to inspect the results and ensure that the surface was fully corrected. The other culprit with the Impala was the wax. I really believe that Collinite is the best wax for durability. It's my go to wax for that reason but I still like topping it with a carnuba wax (max wax) on white vehicles. I think the carnuba wax gives white paint a deeper, wet, glossy look which you wouldn't get as much of in lighter paint colors.
I can honestly say that all of the products listed at the top of the review performed well. I will definitely be using them again as needed. I hope you enjoyed reading this review (another first for me) and next time I will try to take more pictures. I had some camera issues and really only one before and one after shot came out well. The photos are of one door panel, the swirls can be seen in the before photo (#1) and are clearly gone in the after photo (#2). Again, I couldn't be happier with the results. Any comments or suggestions from the forum are welcome, as I am in no way an expert here. I just figured I would put up a quick review based on my own experiences. :xyxthumbs:
Products Used
Chemical Guys Professional Citrus Wash
IronX Spray
DP Clay bar
DP Clay lubricant
Porter Cable DA Polisher 7424 XP
Pinnacle XMT Polishing Pad Conditioner
Pinnacle XMT Polishing Pad Cleaner
Lake Country 5.5" Tangerine Light Cutting Pads
Lake Country 5.5" Blue foam finessing pads
Lake Country 5.5" Red ultrasoft wax/sealant pads
Wolfgang Total Swirl Remover 3.0
Meguiar's Mirror Glaze Synthetic Sealant 2.0
Wolfgang Finishing Glaze 3.0
Collinite #845 Insulator Wax
Blackfire long lasting tire gel
The Guzzler waffle weave towel
Gold plush mircofiber towel
Supreme 530 microfiber towel
Two 5 gallon buckets
Two grit guards (one for wash bucket, one for rinse bucket)
Boar's hair wash brush with extension pole
The Bone sponge
Daytona speedmaster brushes (large and small)
Meguiar's All Purpose Cleaner
Meguiar's Self Cleaning Dispenser Bottles
The Prep
I began the detail session at approximately 08:00 A.M. when the sun was shining on the back of my house, leaving the driveway in the shadows of my house. I try to do this anytime I wash my cars so that I am not doing so in direct sunlight. The air temperature at the time I began the detail session was approximately 78 degrees. I then got started by washing the car using Chemical Guys Citrus Wash diluted 1 ounce of wash / 1 gallon of water. Also used in this stage was the boar's hair wash brush with extension pole, which is a great time (and back) saver. The results were amazing as I had never used any of the chemical guys products before. It produced a large volume of soap suds in the bucket and provided a great wash, ensuring that the paint was as clean as it could be at this stage including the removal of the old wax.
I cleaned the tires and wheels of the car using Meguiar's APC diluted at a ration of 10:1 and the daytona speedmaster brushes. The entire wash process took about 40 minutes. I then sprayed the car with IronX spray to remove any of the leftover surface contaminants. I let the solution dwell for a few minutes as directed by the instructions, wiping it with the Bone sponge to agitate it and ensure uniform coverage. It should be noted that I have several Bone sponges, and this one is dedicated to use with IronX only. I then rinsed the car with a hose to remove the IronX and contaminants. I dried the car using the Guzzler towel and then drove it inside my garage. I clayed the surface of the car (just the metal painted parts) using the DP clay bar and universal clay lubricant.
I used the plastic bag test to ensure that each panel was completely prepped before moving on to the next. This process did not take long at all as I had previously clayed the car before the last coat of wax had been applied. I then inspected the paint and found that it had moderate defects, mostly in the form of swirls.
The correction phase
I broke out the Porter Cable PC7424XP, 5.5" Lake Country Tangerine light cutting pads and Wolfgang Total Swirl Remover 3.0. Before using each pad, I misted the pad surface with XMT Pad conditioner. After a bit of experimenting I found that the optimal results would be achieved by using the above products with approximately 7 section passes on each panel. I mixed an IPA solution to inspect the correct results and wiped each panel down using a gold plush microfiber towel. I also cleaned the pad on the fly using a clean, lint free, terry cloth towel. A couple of the lower door panels (closest to the ground) had some heavier swirling/scratching and required 8-9 section passes with the above listed products/methods. To get into a few smaller areas/panels on the car I broke out the 4" pad and that made it a lot easier.
Decision Time
I had machine polished paint in the past, but had never jeweled it. In fact, before I read Mike Phillips' book "The Art of Detailing" I had never even heard of this technique. Well, this time I decided to try jeweling the paint and boy was I impressed with the results. I broke out the PC7424XP, the 5.5" Lake Country blue foam finessing pads and the Wolfgang Finishing Glaze 3.0. This step was time consuming but once I finished it and saw the results, I decided it was totally worth it. I'll never skip this step again as it made such a difference in the end result that it's become a staple for me.
The Protection Steps
I am all about redundancy. The more protection you have from anything, the safer and better off you will be. For this reason, I now take a multi-step approach to protection the finish on my vehicles. First, I broke out the PC7424XP, the 5.5" Lake Country red ultrasoft foam wax/sealant pad and the Meguiar's Synthetic Sealant 2.0. For ease of use I poured the sealant into a self-cleaning dispenser bottle, which made a huge difference. I used the PC to spread a thin, even coat of the sealant over all of the painted, metal surfaces on the exterior of the vehicle. I allowed the sealant to dry to a slight haze per the instructions and then buffed it with a Supreme 530 microfiber towel. I then allowed the sealant to cure for 24 hours inside the garage.
Once the 24 hours had passed I broke out the PC, a fresh 5.5 " Lake Country red pad and a bottle of Collinite #845 Insulator Wax. Using Nick's instructions I prepped the wax for application using a bucket of warm water and sunlight. I then transferred the contents of the bottle into a fresh self-cleaning dispenser bottle which again made all the difference in the world for ease of use. Using the PC I spread a thin coat of Collinite over all of the painted, metal surfaces of the vehicle. I allowed the wax to dry to a slight haze per the instructions and then buffed it with a clean Supreme 530 microfiber towel. I then allowed the wax to cure for 24 hours inside the garage. I then applied a second coat of Collinite using the same method. I allowed the second coat of Collinite to cure for 24 hours before exposing it to the elements. I then applied Blackfire long lasting tire gel to the tires with a foam applicator pad.
Conclusion / Final Thoughts
The entire process as detailed above (not including curing times) took approximately 21.5 hours to complete. Though it took a lot of hard work to complete, I could not be happier with the end results. I had previously done paint correction, sealant and waxing on two of my other vehicles but had received mixed results. On my white colored Chevrolet Impala (the first vehicle I had ever tried correcting) I used the same tangerine pads, XMT swirl remover, Wolfgang finishing glaze, Meg's synthetic sealant and DP Max Wax. On that vehicle, I did not use an IPA solution to inspect my results and I believe that this was my biggest mistake. After approximately six months I started to see some of the swirls and defects reappear in the paint. I believe that this was as a result of the paint not really being fully corrected as the swirls were hidden by some of the fillers in the glaze and wax. Once those products began to wear off, the swirls reappeared once again.
On my white colored ford truck (the second vehicle I tried correcting), I used the same tangerine pads, XMT swirl remover, Wolfgang finishing glaze, Meg's synthetic sealant, Collinite 845 and Max Wax. This time, I did use an IPA solution to inspect my results and I think it made a huge difference. The truck was detailed at the same time as the Impala and none of the defects have reappeared to date. It should also be noted that I found Collinite 845 to be more durable than Max Wax. On my truck, I applied a coat of Meg's synthetic sealant 2.0, two coats of 845, and a coat of Max Wax. I allowed 24 hours curing time between each of the sealant/wax steps. It has been nearly nine months since I corrected, sealed and waxed the truck and it still looks great. Water still beads on the paint like it's nobody's business.
All of my vehicles are maintained the same way: weekly hand washes and applications of Pinnacle Liquid Souveran wax. Comparing my truck to the Impala I have to say that the Impala needed to be re-corrected and waxed again after 6 months where the truck had not needed this (yet). Again, I have to say that the Impala issues were caused by my noob status at the time as the failure on my part to use an IPA solution to inspect the results and ensure that the surface was fully corrected. The other culprit with the Impala was the wax. I really believe that Collinite is the best wax for durability. It's my go to wax for that reason but I still like topping it with a carnuba wax (max wax) on white vehicles. I think the carnuba wax gives white paint a deeper, wet, glossy look which you wouldn't get as much of in lighter paint colors.
I can honestly say that all of the products listed at the top of the review performed well. I will definitely be using them again as needed. I hope you enjoyed reading this review (another first for me) and next time I will try to take more pictures. I had some camera issues and really only one before and one after shot came out well. The photos are of one door panel, the swirls can be seen in the before photo (#1) and are clearly gone in the after photo (#2). Again, I couldn't be happier with the results. Any comments or suggestions from the forum are welcome, as I am in no way an expert here. I just figured I would put up a quick review based on my own experiences. :xyxthumbs: