Questions: Prepping for final wax before winter

[sportscarhiatus]

Folks...

I am hoping to take some time this weekend to prep the Odyssey (black metallic paint) for a final to second to final waxing this weekend. Could you please tell me if this procedure is adequate and proper?

(assume a properly washed/dried vehicle, of course)

1) Clay bar (if necessary)
2) Apply Pinnacle Cleansing Lotion via PC, using gray finishing pad at speed 5. (to remove old layers of wax/sealant)
3) Apply 845 using PC, via red pad at speed 2/3.
4) After wiping off 845, since it's nuba based, apply another coat of 845 using same method.

Is this acceptable? I don't have to let the first layer of 845 "cure" like a sealant right? And do you recommend I even put a sealant on prior to 845? I figured 845 on its own is strong enough to withstand a harsh winter, and would probably bond better to paint than a sealant?

thanks!

 

[TroyScherer]

My first question is where are you located and how bad/long is you winter. I'm in NE Ohio so that is where may experience comes from.

I would let the 1st coat of 845 cure for 8 - 12 hrs at least. I usually wait more like 24. You will simply be smearing the 1st coat around the car if you try and apply a 2nd right away in my experience.

I always apply a sealant base layer for our winters here in Ohio. I personally have been using Klasse AIO/SG as my sealant combo and like the durability. I have also used Menz Power Lock as a summer sealant but I'm not convinced it will last all winter for me yet. I may be testing it this winter.

 

[sportscarhiatus]

Hi Troy... thanks for feedback. I'm in Iowa... so I believe we have "harsher" winters than Ohio, my guess.

Yeah, I currently have UPGP (3 layers) with Fuzion on top of it... I am foregoing "beauty" for "durability" now. So yeah, that's a good point about the sealant. I was just worried about 845 bonding well to a sealant base. Anyone with experience in this? And why do I have to wait 8 hours for 845 to cure? I thought nubas don't really have a curing time and can be layered immediately? no? Just wondering...

So perhaps my method should be:

1) Clay bar (if necessary)
2) Apply Pinnacle Cleansing Lotion via PC, using gray finishing pad at speed 5. (to remove old layers of wax/sealant)
3) Apply Menz PowerLock using PC, via red pad at speed 2/3.
4) After curing of Menze, apply 845 via red pad at speed 2/3.
5) After 8 hours of curing, re-apply 845 again.

 

[TroyScherer]

I have been using Klasse AIO/SG as my sealant combo and then top it w/ 2 coats of 845. I apply 1 coat of KAIO and then top it with 2 or 3 coats of KSG. After a 24hr finial cure I apply my 1st of 2 layers of 845. I haven’t experienced any issue in the bonding of 845 to the KSG. It really last a long time and looks good as well in my opinion. I haven’t used UPGP but I would think that the 845 would bond the same to it as it does to my KSG. Hopefully someone else on here has experience with the UPGP & 845 combo.

It is my experience that the solvents used in a liquid wax to keep them in a liquid state need time to evaporate off and then additional time for the wax itself to cure. At this point it is personal preference and not a rule. I wait the 8+ hrs for my 845 to cure because the solvents in the 845 will tend to re-soften the previous layer slightly. The 2nd coat is really only to ensure a full and even application on the car. This is also backed up by the law of diminishing returns. In the fact that as you apply layers of a wax you don’t actually create new & separate layers but they tend to melt together creating a more single uniform layer of protection.


This is taken for the AG website in Car Wax & Paint Sealant Application Techniques

1. Apply car wax or paint sealant in the shade. If the product dries too quickly or sits on the vehicle too long, it may be difficult to buff off.
2. Always apply car wax or paint sealant to a dry vehicle. Droplets of water on the paint will cause the product to streak and it will be unnecessarily tough to buff off.
3. Thin, thin, thin! Apply the thinnest coat you can. If you want more shine and depth, you’re not going to accomplish it in one thick coat. It just makes the wax or sealant difficult to remove and streaky. Buff one coat off before applying a second extremely thin coat. Check the label to see how long one coat has to cure before applying another (usually 12-18 hours).
4. Poly foam wax applicators are the best for achieving a thin, even coat. They’re absorbent, durable, washable, and reusable. They’re also inexpensive, so don’t be afraid to throw them away when they get really soiled.
5. Buff the haze away with microfiber. A quality microfiber towel, like theCobra Indigo Polishing Cloth, will buff your paint to a stunning shine as you remove the wax residue. The static-charged, woven fibers grab wax residue so there is less dusting, if any. Microfiber does not shed lint and the tiny, manmade fibers polish the paint while you buff. Rotate your towel frequently to reveal a clean side. Keep an extra Miracle Towel lying around in case the first one becomes caked with wax.
6. If you do get streaks or an uneven shine, it’s easily corrected with a quick detail spray. Mist the surface with Wolfgang Instant Detail Spritz orPinnacle Crystal Mist Detail Spray and buff away the problem.

 

[sportscarhiatus]

It is my experience that the solvents used in a liquid wax to keep them in a liquid state need time to evaporate off and then additional time for the wax itself to cure.

I think you hit the nail on the head. I believe it's the LIQUID form of nuba that needs more curing time, but the PASTE form of nuba needs no curing time. If my memory serves me correctly, I remember reading this on this forum...somewhere...

Can someone confirm/deny this?

 

[Vjeszczi]

I have been using Klasse AIO/SG as my sealant combo and then top it w/ 2 coats of 845. I apply 1 coat of KAIO and then top it with 2 or 3 coats of KSG.

Do you wait 12 hours in between coats of KSG? I am curious as I use that combo as well and was thinking of doing multiple coats of KSG but not sure I wanted to take 3 days to do it.