STOP !! Picture Time .... Souveran Only !

[GearHead_1]

1) This term "Clay Magic" or "clay lube", what exactly is this?

This is a brand of detailing clay that in short helps clean the paint by removing bonded contaminants. The lube helps the clay similar in look and feel to modeling clay glide across the finish.

2) The "XMT line"? What is it? Where can I get it and read up on it?

It is a line of diminishing abrasive polishes that is sold right here by AutoGeek

3) What does LSP stand for?

Last Step Product, either a paint sealant or wax.

4) This "cutting pad" does it do exactly as the name says...cutt the paint? I know that it cuts a layer of the clearcoat but how do you restore the clearcoat by applying Souveran paste wax?

Cutting pads come in varying levels of abrasiveness. The deeper the swirl, scratch or what have you the more abrasive of a pad and compound (polish) you use to remove the defect. In reality you remove a very small amount of clear coat. Once you have done this and are now on board to take care of your car you will be installing fewer swirls in the future and following details will likely use less aggressive pads and compound. You then follow up the polishing with a LSP to protect the finish that you have just uncovered.

5) The levels of the XMT line up how many are there and what exactly to they do? How do you know which one to use?

There are 3 levels of polish in the XMT line up and 1 finishing glaze. The higher the number of the product the more abrasive the product is. You always begin the process by using the least aggressive product and pad as you can get away with and then adjust accordingly. Once you have removed what you needed to you step down to a less aggressive pad and polish until there are no marks left in the finish. This process usually takes two to three step downs. In essence these polishes abraid away some of your clear coat in order to remove the swirls you see. Remember this is a very small amount. You aren't going to be going through the clear coat with a twice a year regimen.

6) If I was to pay someone to do this for me how much would I be looking at? Rough number?

I don't know without looking at your car but probably between $150 and $350. When taking those numbers into consideration I guarantee you that you can purchase the products you need for doing your car and many others for the lower end of this scale.

Sorry for all the questions but I'm really sirous about purchasing all the equipment and experementing on the old beater first and then moving on to my Lexus. Like I said this is more like hobby for me and I don't mind spending some coin to pamper my vehicles. Now you may be asking your self, why doesn't this guy just pay someone to do it for him? Well I've always believed that if you do it your self you will be proud and appretiate it more then just paying someone to do a mideocre job.

My sentiments exactly and I believe every one who participates regularly on this board made a similar decision. You're doing the right thing.

 

[blkyukon]

Here is an example of what a full exterior detail usually includes:

Wash - remove loose dirt and grime

Claybar - removes surface contaminates like rail dust, sap, industrial fallout

Polish - depending on the severity of the imperfections can be anywhere from 1-3 steps - Starting with a medium to heavy abrasive polish and finishing with a light/finishing polish.

Glaze - if desired (not used with a sealant -bonding issues) usually non-abrasive, will give wetness to the paint and the oils/fillers will help temporarily hides small imperfections

Wax/sealant - Non abrasive (unless stated i.e. cleaner wax), protection for the paint and will add to the appearance.


Search the forum and there are plenty of knowledgeable people here to help, so ask as many questions as you need!:cheers:


The 3 most important things to learn about in paint correction are:

product - Know how the product (polish, glaze, etc) works, it's limitations and what it can and cannot remove.
equipment - Hand, PC, Cyclo or Rotary different pads, etc.. -Each have there own pro's & con's
procedure - This is the most important element!! You could have the best equipment, product, etc... but if you don''t know the proper way to use it, it'll be frustrating and you'll get nothing more then mediocre results.



Good luck!

 

[Nica]

Hi,

First of all thank you so much for all the feed back, you guys have been really helpfull (I'm not assuming your all guys just a habit, sorry). Now I'm starting to learn a few things about the cutting grade and what type to use and I got a question.

Everytime you "polish" or "Wax" do you always have to "cut"?

Assuming that you cut your clear coat twice a year how long till your clear coat is gone?

You mean once you cut your clear coat there is no way of applying it again? besides re-painting the car. This clear coat is some what confusing...meaning that some scratches can be buffed away because it's only on the clear coat. What a bout a rock chip on the paint? Can you fix a rock chip on the paint by cutting?

Now, when I say polish and wax...to me they are the same thing, can someone please explain the difference. I thought that polishing was the same thing as waxing your car but I'm getting the feeling that they are not the same thing.

You know what's the best thing about doing things your self? Well it's the sence of acomplishment that you get when you do something and you do it well and even though it takes you practice and time and patiance to achive it but at the end seeing your vehicle/baby shine like a diamond is all worth it...even if it is for just one day but it's all worth it...well that's my opinion

 

[GearHead_1]

Everytime you "polish" or "Wax" do you always have to "cut"?

No, in fact once you have brought your paint into a pristine state (or as close as you can get to it) and have learned the proper washing and detailing techniques. The volume and frequency at which swirls appear on your car will dramatically diminish. Most of the marring comes from ones washing technique. From the type of mitt you wash with, to the type of towel you dry with, to the type of protection you put on the finish all play a huge roll in how many swirls your car will end up with. You polish (which is actually where the cutting comes in) as needed and the clear coat will last the life of the car.

Assuming that you cut your clear coat twice a year how long till your clear coat is gone?

Life of the car assuming it is being maintained properly

You mean once you cut your clear coat there is no way of applying it again? besides re-painting the car.

This is essentially true should you remove too much of your clear coat, though you shouldn't expect to find yourself in this situation.

This clear coat is some what confusing...meaning that some scratches can be buffed away because it's only on the clear coat. What a bout a rock chip on the paint? Can you fix a rock chip on the paint by cutting?

No, more often than not the scratches/swirls are not buffed away completely but the sharp edges of the scratch are smoothed to the point the the scratch (which catch and reflect/refract light) becomes imperceptible. Different techniques are used to remove rock chips. It involves wet sanding, feathering and painting. These are all advanced techniques and in many cases it's decision time as to whether a rock chip or the repair will show more than actually making the repair. Many people are completely successful in making these repairs others choose to protect the damage with a wax a leave it alone.

Now, when I say polish and wax...to me they are the same thing, can someone please explain the difference. I thought that polishing was the same thing as waxing your car but I'm getting the feeling that they are not the same thing.

Though sometimes the words are used interchangeably the most accepted definition of polishing is using an abrasive or chemical compound (otherwise known as polish) to thoroughly clean and flatten paint to remove imperfections. Waxing is just that waxing though this word is sometimes interchangeable with sealing depending upon ones choice of Last Step Product.

 

[FloridaNative]

Wow!! Where was I when all this discussion was going on??? LOL Nica, first of all thank you for all of your compliments. Let me tell you that I am not a professional detailer at all. I'm just a person who likes to take care of my car and I do some other people's cars on the side, mostly family, friends and neighbors. On that black VW bug I used XMT 3 with an orange cutting pad and then XMT1 with polishing pad and then lastly I used the XMT Carnauba finishing glaze with the finishing pad before moving on to the Souveran paste wax. I used a PC for the polishing. There is no way to remove that kind of damamge by hand. I have polished a car entirely by hand with a Polishing pal just to see what could be done and the most it can do is remove very light swirls. Although the polishing pal has it's place, it cannot duplicate the motions made by a machine. Besides, you don't want to polish an entire car by hand, TRUST ME! Your arms and shoulders will want to fall off and the results will not be that great. Save the money and use the PC if you are serious about getting your car's paint in great shape. The PC is extremely safe. As Killerwheels says, the only way you can hurt your paint with it is if you threw the machine at the car. The PC does not generate the kind of heat that a rotary does and therefore it is very safe for your car's paint. Yes you remove some clearcoat when you polish, but it is a miniscule, we're talking fractions of microns so don't worry. With proper washing and drying techniques and keeping your car protected with either a sealant or a wax, you shouldn't ever have to worry about removing too much clear coat. This VW bug actually had clear coat failure in several places and yet I was still able to polish it without hurting it more. That just shows you how safe the PC is.

I really love the XMT line! I cannot recommend it highly enough. I love the polishes and the carnauba finishing glaze really saved that detail on the VW bug. I know my results would not have been the same had I gone a different route. I initially had planned to use the DP sealant and then top it with Souveran paste, but when I started working with the car and saw all the damage that the paint had with the clear coat failure and serious bird etchings, I decided to forego the sealant and use the finishing glaze with the Souveran instead. The glaze is really a marvel at how it briings out the color and gloss to the paint. It filled in the remaining swirls and scratches that I didn't dare remove because of the clear coat failure and it minimized the appearance of the bird etchings so that once I put the Souveran on, it looked fantastic!

As you can see even a non-professional can get professional looking results with the right tools and products. If you love your car and enjoy working on it, then I highly recommend you get a PC and do it yourself. You CAN do it and it will be such a satisfying experience for you personally. Gearhead and the other fellas answered so many of your other questions so well that I won't add to it, but feel free to PM me if you want to ask me anything specific or if you want to discuss anything in fuller detail.
Take care. :cheers:

 

[Nica]

Wow this is great information, thank you Gearhead_1 and FloridaNative and Blkyukin and anyone else I missed.

Now process, I'm really not sure as to how to start. I mean sure I've washed a car and dryed it and then started waxing and buffing the wax of by hand and yes I agree FloridaNative it does hurt and I'm only 27 and it still hurts . Well what I'm trying to get at is steps.

1. Wash - Could you guys please recomend a good shampoo that you guys feel confortable recomending please.
2. Drying - I've only resently started using these microfiber towels, I'm used to using the traditional cotton towels and they have done a number on my ACURA RSX...so could you please recommend a type of technique and a type of towel to use.
3. Claybar - I've never used this product, how do you put it on? How do you know where to use it? What do you look for? I understand the tree sap, god knows those are a pain...but I picture this claybar ilke playdo and you simpoly rub it on and massage it in??
4. Polish - is this the cutting part?
5. Glaze - Now this sounds like it's the step to make your color POP..um..is it?

I feel like a child that needs to be held by the hand and walked to kindergarden school . That is why I appretiate all your patiance and time.

Now let me tell you what my experiance has been (in case you haven't figured it out). Up to this point I've used Mothers California Gold Ultimate Wax System and here are the the steps that I've followed (keep in mind that I've used this on a 2003 Acura RSX, 1995 Volvo 960 and the 2006 Lexus GX470 I haven't touched it not only because it's new but beacuse I've seen mideocre results on the Acura and the Volvo and I know I can do better I just need some help).

Washing - consisted of using a Zip Carwash?? I don't even know where I got this. After washing I dried the car with just regular cotton towels and here we go:

Step 1. Apply Mothers California Gold phase one, pre-wax cleaner
Step 2. Apply Mothers California Gold phase two, sealer and glaze
Step 3. Apply Mothers California Gold phase three, pure carnauba wax

Keep in mind that I applied everything by hand and buffed by hand and that's about it.

Please let me know what products to use and how to use them and how to improve my results...oh and what is a "PC"???....dual orbital buffer???

Sorry guys, as I type all this I keep sinking under my desk at home

 

[GearHead_1]

Wash - Could you guys please recommend a good shampoo that you guys feel comfortable recommending please.

Lots of good shampoos available from AG. Pinnacle Body Work Shampoo, DP's Xtreme Foam Formula, PoorBoys Super Slick and Suds are all excellent shampoos.

Drying - I've only resently started using these microfiber towels, I'm used to using the traditional cotton towels and they have done a number on my ACURA RSX...so could you please recommend a type of technique and a type of towel to use.

There are many good Micro Fiber towels on the market. There is also a big portion of the market that is junk. In many cases you get what you pay for when it comes to quality towels. Cobra makes great towels. There are different theories when it comes to drying. This is a very brief description, some prefer to set the towel on the paint and let it soak/absorb the water with little to no motion involved. Others prefer to lightly wipe the finish in the direction the wind blows. Don't use circular motions when washing or drying, this is probably the leading cause of swirls.

Claybar - I've never used this product, how do you put it on? How do you know where to use it? What do you look for? I understand the tree sap, god knows those are a pain...but I picture this claybar ilke playdo and you simply rub it on and massage it in??

Clay isn't something you apply it's something you use and then dispose, hopefully leaving none of it on the surface. Using a clay lube you lightly glide it over the finish. It in effect plucks bonded contaminants from the finish leaving a very smooth surface.

Polish - is this the cutting part?

Yes, various levels of abrasives in the different polishes are what "cuts" or polishes the surface. Polishes combined with the various cutting pads also measured in levels of cutting ability are what enable you to cut or remove swirls, scratches and marring from the finish. If you look at either PoorBoys or the XMT lines of polishes you will see that they have 3 or 4 main degrees (level of abrasiveness) available in their polish. You should always start with the least abrasive polish/pad combination that will accomplish the task you are doing. This is best done by trying a polish and pad on a test section of the car

Glaze - Now this sounds like it's the step to make your color POP..um..is it?

Glazes in the traditional sense are products that by means of fillers and oils fill minor imperfections in the surface. Glazes need to be topped with a last step product or they tend to evaporate very rapidly.

what is a "PC"???....dual orbital buffer???

It is the defacto standard of random orbital buffers, it's made by Porter Cable, hence the "PC". Some would argue the point as to whether this is the best dual action polisher available but it seems to be the machine to which everything else is compared. It is easy to use and relatively speaking very safe, you would almost have to try to damage your paint using this machine. There are always exceptions but it's popularity is due to this reasoning.

I mean no offense in saying this so please don't take it the wrong way. I understand with the myriad of products, the number of steps and tools used this can be a little overwhelming. I mentioned this in an earlier post but I really believe you would get a better picture regarding some of the things you are asking by looking at the demos, clips and other literature that AG puts on their store site. I would think that for every answer you get here in the forums two more questions come to mind. Click the "Detailing Tips" link on the upper left corner of this page, It will take you to Detailing University. Asking 5 or 6 questions in a post naturally limits the amount of detail that will be received in the responses you get here in the forums. If you take a look for instance at the information that AG has about claying a car, there are pictures drawings and paragraphs of information about what clay actually does and the pictures will show you what is being done. As the saying goes a picture paints a thousand words. They have most of the questions you have asked in this post, answered in great detail. Once you get the concept under your belt you would be hard pressed to find any better recommendations than you can get here in the forum. Lots of good information.

I would also like to say I'm sorry to the starters of this thread. This thread has been jacked and I fear that I'm to blame. Killer maybe you could do a split of the thread and get it back on track.

 

[Nica]

Thank you for all your help. I will spend lots of time reading and researching hopefully my next questions won't be so broad.

Sorry for getting you guys of topic but I do appretiate all the help and hopefully soon I will be able to post some pictures of my results.

Talk to you guys later.

 

[FloridaNative]

No worries Nica, we've all hijacked threads at one time or another, I am particularly guilty of this! I wholeheartedly agree with Gearhead. The autogeek.net site is the best place to start with the detailing tips and tricks. It covers every topic in detail. Just remember the steps are wash, clay, polish, protect. Again you are free to ask any questions you have and we will be happy to answer them, but it would be better to start a new thread in whichever forum your question best fits in. It is alot of information and with so many products to choose from I can understand how easily overwhelming it all is, but trust me, it will become second nature to you soon. I look forward to seeing pics of your own ride here on the fourms and hopefully with some Souveran on it. And on that note, lets see some more Souveran pics!

 

[articsilber323]

 

[FloridaNative]

:applause: beautiful!!

 

[Neothin]

night shot glossyness

 

[Gary Sword]

Lambo with

Pinnacle Souveran

 

[Truls]

Lets bring it back................

Black BMW with Liquid souveran wax

 

[Totoland Mach]

2005 BMW 745 Li (Green Gray Metallic) Trunk Reflection

After compounding + glazing + 1 coat Souveran Paste

Toto

 

[Gary Sword]

Very nice Toto but it don't really look like a car in the picture.

 

[ltoman]

Pinnacle Souvarn Paste Wax!

 

[Gary Sword]

I don't believe it. Is that really a new picture of your car Lauren.

 

[ltoman]

gary, there are lots more, just for you, now under the show n shine link. let me know what you think, k?

 

[quantim0]

Souveran Paste over DP Surface Shield.