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Old 07-15-2007, 09:18 PM   #1
Frodo
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Ohio
Posts: 1,997
Hey Perfectlap, clear your inbox!

Tried to send this as a PM to Perfectlap, but was thrwarted by a swamped inbox, so I'll just throw it up for general discussion and, if possible, some feedback from PL himself. Went something like this...

"First let me start by saying that your 847 posts about car detailing (I just made that number up) are most impressive. You sound like somebody who’s got a reasonably good idea of what he’s talking about. Just detailed my car (2001 S, seal grey) over the 4th of July weekend and, sorry to say, I used few of your suggestions, falling prey instead to the use-what-you-got philosophy.

What I did:
1) Wash. (Some sort of fancy soap…Meg’s I think.)

2) Clayed. (Would have used clay bar, but my kid just got some of the “Liquid Clay Bar” so I cheaply misappropriated some of his. Seemed to work well, though I am inclined to follow your suggestion of using the Sonus green clay next time.)

3) Dried. (Used a chamois…sorry. Post claying, the finish was SOOOO smooth I just can’t imagine the chamois is in the least bit damaging. IMHO. I may waffle weave dry next time I wash and dry without claying, however.)

4) Meg’s paint cleaner.

5) 3-M Imperial Hand Glaze. (I think the paint cleaner worked well. I say that because the one place I didn’t use it was on the narrow strip of paint around the windshield---I was afraid of the cleaner adversely reacting with the rubber border just in front of the paint. Interestingly, when I 3-M’d the car, while the paint glossed up beautifully, the applicator uniformly came up clean as a whistle, with one exception. Yep, when I did that strip around the windshield---a few square inches---the pad came up BLACK.)

6) Zymol wax. Did this three times. I used the liquid, which was a cleaner wax, which (after all the aforementioned prep) I’d be the first to agree was probably unnecessary (the cleaner part, that is). Again, all I had available as far as wax (other than the “NuFinish” polymer I use on my ’96 Camry).

The results were verging on breathtaking…like looking into a grey, shimmering pool of water, irrefutably three dimensional. I’d have posted pics, but that’s one of about a hundred things on my list of things I need to learn how to do. Maybe next time.

Anyway, take heart. You have had substantive (not just inspirational) influence. Just three days ago, ordered the FK 425, 146, some Optimum No Rinse, Duragloss Aqua Wax, RaggTopp, Oxo Feather tipped brush, etc. (I tried to order some FX100 but they were out.) I look forward to duplicating your results with these products.

A couple of questions while I have your attention. My Zymol is nearly depleted; I’m inclined to get some of their paste wax, though I’m not sure it’s worth the money. My second choices would involve a choice between something like P21S, S100, or Souveran. My first question is whether it’s OK to go JUST with a carnauba, or am I setting myself up for problems by not using a sealant? Maybe the Poorboys EX with carnauba would be a good choice? (I take it that it’s a combo of synthetic sealant with carnauba?) Do you use it (or say the Werkstat Acrylic Jett) by hand, or does it need random orbital action for application?

Another question is: As good as my paint looks (and I think it looks great---I see no swirls even under halogen lamps), is polishing really necessary? (Beyond just continuing with the 3-M hand glaze, which I guess is a mild polish).

BTW, have you tried the distilled water (on a MF towel) polished out with a piece of wadded up newspaper on your dirty windshield? Works well…

Anyway, thanks for your pearls of wisdom. You are indeed a 986forum exterior detail institution."
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