Polish for a DD

spike

spike

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Hi everyone, I've really been thinking about this topic a lot, and I hope you can help me. Say you've used Megs 105/205 on your DD, and you have the finish looking good for a DD. So most of the time you would just need like a cleaner polish for the rest of the year or two to maintain the finish before you would need to go aggressive again with the compounding, right? My goal is to preserve the most amount of clear coat, and still have a glossy finish on the car. We like to keep our vehicles for as long as possible before getting another one, so I need the clear coat to last a good 10-12 yrs on the car.

So what's your process? How do you maintain your DD's?

And, which polish/paint cleaner product would you recommend to use throughout the year that doesn't remove a lot of clear coat, but amps up the shine and gloss a lot? I've heard good things about Menz Powerfinish. Is this a good choice? Does it remove a lot of clear when used with say an orange hydrotech pad with a Flex 3401 polisher?

Sorry for all the questions...but I appreciate any advice you can give me!

:)
 
Once you've achieved your initial goal, protecting the finish with a good sealant and possibly topping it with a wax is paramount to it maintaining that beauty.

Under normal conditions washing weekly and following up with a spray wax such as Optimum Spray Wax will give a boost to the shine and add several months of protection.

Polishing once annually is a good way to keep the finish looking its absolute best. Using a product like Menzerna Final Polish PO85U or Menzerna Super Finish PO106FA will remove minor surface imperfections leaving a superior gloss. Use either of these with a Gray foam pad.

Basic steps in order are:

  • Wash
  • Clay
  • Paint Correction & Polish
  • Seal
  • Wax
Sealants

Wax


One of my favorites

 
How about machine applying a cleaner/wax?

The cleaners plus the foam formula plus the action of the tool will restore a high gloss and leave the paint protected in one step.

Lots of info in the below article on cleaner/waxes...

The Difference Between a Cleaner/Wax and a Finishing Wax



From the above article...

Cleaner/Waxes
Menzerna Sealing Wax APO 60
Collinite Paste Sapphire Auto Wax #73SS
Mothers California Gold Original Formula Carnauba Cleaner Wax
Poorboy’s World Polish with Carnauba (BLUE)
Poorboy's World Polish with 100% Carnauba
Collinite Liquid Sapphire Auto Wax SS216
Dodo Juice Need For Speed Cleaner Wax


Cleaner/Sealants
XMT 360 All In One Cleaner Wax
Griot's Garage One-Step Sealant
Klasse All-In-One Polish
Duragloss Polish & Cleaner 101
Finish Kare 215 One Step Cleaner & Surface Sealant
Finish Kare 2180 Ultra Poly Wipe Sealant Conditioner
Optimum Poli-Seal
Mother's FX Synwax Paste
Mother's FX Synwax Liquid
Mother's Reflections Advanced Car Wax
3M One Step Cleaner Wax


Hybrid Cleaner Waxes/Sealants
Meguiar's Mirror Glaze #6 Cleaner/Wax
Duragloss Total Performance Polish (TPP) # 105
Meguiar's M20 Polymer Sealant
Meguiar's ColorX
Meguiar's M66 Quick Detailer
Meguiar's D151 Paint Reconditioning Cream
1Z Einszett Metallic Polish Wax
Duragloss Wet Look Paste Wax


:)
 
I've always felt that DD maintenance was best served with a good cleaner wax. It handles the very minor paint wear and cleans the paint of normal road garbage. Unfortunately, my favorite, Classic Slipstream, has been off the market for 25 years and my accumulated stash is nearly diminished. Currently, I'm using GG One-Step Sealant on the wife's DD which seems to both clean well and last a while. Before winter, I'll top it with 845, and then I'll be good until spring. Of course, like most other AG wackos, I've always got the itch to try something different. Based on the opinions here, DuraGloss 501 sounds very promising. Another that sounds interesting is Collinite Sapphire. They caution that it's not for dark colors, so it obviously leaves some swirls, but the combination of cleaners with Collinite protection might be the ticket on two of the light beige cars I maintain. I've not seen any comments on Sapphire here, so DG 501 will likely be my next choice.

Bill
 
If clear coat loss is your main concern Optimum developed a product for exactly that reason.

After you have polished your car to perfection and removed all polishing oils apply Opti Coat. This adds a thin layer of material (similar to extra clear coat) back onto the surface to replace the clear that was removed when you polished.

After that just be very cautious not to get any deep scratches. Wash it properly and regularly and when it comes time that you need to get that gloss back up you polish it with a finishing polish and pad.

After you have eaten through this true sacrificial barrier by polishing over the next year or so or three then it's time to perfect the finish once again and apply Opticoat again. Or of course you could apply another layer of Opticoat before you polish off the entire first coat. Having said all that imo Opticoat will not allow the best clarity if layered much... Not that anyone could see the difference unless it was multiple layers. Keep with one layer until you've had to polish it at least once. Optimum poliseal can be used for maintenance over OC as well.

If Opticoat doesn't strike your fancy then CQuartz is a product that has less of a learning curve and no possibility of high spots. It doesn't replace clear in the same way but does help to maintain a high gloss finish and allow dirt to release much easier resulting in less wash induced marring. CQ has a thickness greater than that of a wax or sealant but less than that of Opticoat. Unlike OC, CQ recommends that you add a second layer but you don't have to. This product is a ceramic nano coating that resists environmental contaminants better than waxes or sealants and has greater durability as well as long as the surface is free of oils before applying and the product is allowed to completely haze before buffing off.
 
Thanks everyone...I appreciate all the info. Just a bit scared to over-polish and really mess up our cars over a period of time.

Here's a new question...if I use a non-abrasive cleaner/wax like Klasse AIO with the flex and a tangerine hydrotech pad or orange CCS pad, does the pad itself take off any clear coat? Should I be worried about the aggressive pad while polishing with cleaner/waxes removing more clear than I wanted to?
 
spike said:
Thanks everyone...I appreciate all the info. Just a bit scared to over-polish and really mess up our cars over a period of time.

Here's a new question...if I use a non-abrasive cleaner/wax like Klasse AIO with the flex and a tangerine hydrotech pad or orange CCS pad, does the pad itself take off any clear coat? Should I be worried about the aggressive pad while polishing with cleaner/waxes removing more clear than I wanted to?
Click to expand...

Using a pad with cut, even with a non-abrasive product, will remove clear coat.
 
Wow: Cee Dog, Mike Phillips and BobbyG all responded...I think you hit the advice Jackpot!!
 
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