new to detailing...need help

[spunky424]

i'm new to the whole detailing thing..its been a month since i got my car back from the paint shop and i'd like to wax it..i was told to wait a month which i did...my car is painted is300 pearl blue...and i jus got my hands on some nxt wax and in my garage i have mothers carnauba wax....

everytime i wash my car i still see some minor water spots...what will take these out? should i clay bar the car before applying wax? and should i use both nxt and the carnauba? if so which one goes first? and how hard should i be pressing on the foam pad while applying the nxt? rubbing in a circular motion or up and down? and how long after applying should i wait to take off the wax with a microfiber towel?

i know its alot of questions, but il'm new and very interested in protecting my car for this winter....thanks alot!

[Mike Phillips]

Hi spunky424,

Welcome to Meguiar's Online!

Mike

[Lynn Matthews]

to Meguiar's Online!

We hope you will share in the wealth of information here at Meguiar's Online and we are glad to have you as a Member!

Lynn

[Mike Phillips]

Re: new to detailing...need help

Originally posted by spunky424
i'm new to the whole detailing thing..its been a month since i got my car back from the paint shop and i'd like to wax it..i was told to wait a month which i did...my car is painted is300 pearl blue...and i jus got my hands on some nxt wax and in my garage i have mothers carnauba wax....

everytime i wash my car i still see some minor water spots...what will take these out? should i clay bar the car before applying wax? and should i use both nxt and the carnauba? if so which one goes first? and how hard should i be pressing on the foam pad while applying the nxt? rubbing in a circular motion or up and down? and how long after applying should i wait to take off the wax with a microfiber towel?

i know its alot of questions, but il'm new and very interested in protecting my car for this winter....thanks alot!

Hi spunky424,

If you want to learn a whole lot of information really fast, then spend some time reading,

Meguiar's *NEW* FAQ

It addresses so many car detailing topics it will make your head spin! Invest a little time reading through the FAQ and you will gain a lot of knowledge for your investment.

Mike

[Superior Shine]

This thread is a good place to bring up my next experiment. I have always heard that waxing/sealing freshly painted finish is bad for it. I am an ASE certified automotive refinisher and I am going to paint a panel ( I have a couple of hoods) by the book (proper reducers, flash time, etc...) then I will wax it after 24-48 hours of cure time. Acutually I will wax only half of the hood. The hood will be sat out in my back yard, horizontal and washed every two weeks. Lets see what happens!

[spunky424]

is a month long enough for the paint to cure? its already been a month...should i wait longer?

[Mike Phillips]

Re: new to detailing...need help

Originally posted by spunky424
Every time i wash my car i still see some minor water spots...what will take these out?

It's possible the water spots will disappear with the application of any polish or wax just from the polishing-action of pushing a wax applicator pad over the surface with a creamy, liquid substance.

Other than that, you could try something very gentle like the Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner.



Again, this paint cleaner with the polishing-action supplied by pushing a wax applicator over the surface should remove very light water spots.

If the Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner does not remove the water spots then apply ScratchX

Should i clay bar the car before applying wax?

The way to tell if your car's finish needs to be clayed is to inspect the finish with the palm of your clean hand after washing it. Feel for little bumps on the surface that remained after washing. If you feel these little bumps, the you need to clay your car's finish. Often times clay bars will remove contaminants that your eyes cannot see and your sense of touch cannot feel.

and should i use both NXT and the Carnauba? if so which one goes first?

Applying a second coat of a different type of wax is called, "Topping". I have never polished a car using NXT Tech Wax as my LSP, (Last Step Product), that I thought needed to be topped. That said, it is a popular thing to do for people that love detailing their cars.

If you decide to top a product, then most people prefer to apply the synthetic paint sealant first, (NXT Tech Wax), and then apply the Carnauba wax over it. Here is a tutorial on topping,

Topping NXT or other products

And how hard should i be pressing on the foam pad while applying the NXT?

Apply all pure waxes and polish waxes gently, but firm enough to work the product in well before moving to another section. Cleaner/waxes on the other hand, need to be worked more aggressively because part of the cleaning action comes from the cleaners in the wax and the other part comes from you!

rubbing in a circular motion or up and down?

If you're using a non-abrasive product then it doesn't matter because the product isn't instilling any scratches. If you find you are putting in scratches, then you need to stop and re-evaluate your products and/or your application material. It could be your wax pad is tatty, contaminated, or scratchy to start with.

and how long after applying should i wait to take off the wax with a microfiber towel?

Paint Cleaner - Wipe off after applying and working in. They do not need to dry.

Polishes - Wipe off after applying and working in. They do not need to dry.

Waxes - All Meguiar's waxes need to dry before you remove them. In average temperatures, this will usually be between 10-15 minutes. It will take longer in cold, humid climates and it will require less time in warm, dry climates. Meguiar's also teaches the How to tell when a Meguiar's wax is ready to remove - The Swipe Test

i know its a lot of questions, but I'm new and very interested in protecting my car for this winter....thanks a lot!

Questions are great, and Answers are what this forum is all about.

Again, spend some time reading through the Meguiar's *NEW* FAQ , there is a wealth of knowledge in the FAQ.

Mike

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by spunky424
is a month long enough for the paint to cure? its already been a month...should i wait longer?

Always follow your painters recommendations. Your painter is trained to use the paint system he sprays by the paint manufacture and they know their paint system better than anyone. Follow your painters recommendations and you will be okay.

Mike

[Superior Shine]

I personaly don't wax any finish under 30 days. And that is if it has seen allot of outdoor use in the summer. If it is garaged or the weather is cool out, I will wait longer.

Recomendations from the major automotive paint manufactures range from 30 to 90 days

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by Superior Shine
This thread is a good place to bring up my next experiment. I have always heard that waxing/sealing freshly painted finish is bad for it. I am an ASE certified automotive refinisher and I am going to paint a panel ( I have a couple of hoods) by the book (proper reducers, flash time, etc...) then I will wax it after 24-48 hours of cure time. Actually I will wax only half of the hood. The hood will be sat out in my back yard, horizontal and washed every two weeks. Lets see what happens!

Hi Joe,

It' highly likely you will not see any visually detectable problems in your experiment. If there are any negative effects, it may take years before the results manifest themselves.

What's more important is to follow the paint manufactures recommendations because they know their paint systems better than anyone and should be recognized as the expert when it comes to the amount of time that should pass before you apply a product that seals the surface.

Good luck with your experiment, but you should probably start your own thread for this and help to keep this new member's post on topic.

Mike

[spunky424]

thank you all so much for helping me! what are the downsides of sealing the paint before it cures?

[Superior Shine]

start your own thread for this and help to keep this new members post on topic.

oops! sorry

[Mike Phillips]

I've been told that sealing paint before all of the solvents have had a chance to evaporate out or out-gas can keep the paint from hardening to its fullest potential. This could possibly shorten the service life of the finish.

It could also affect how easy or hard it to polish and work defects out of for example if the finish is scratched.

Paint that is too soft tends to be difficult to remove defects out of because you tend to put scratches in easily when trying to remove the defect because the paint is soft and easily scratched. (Did that make sense?)

Paint that is too hard is difficult to remove defects out of because its hardness makes removing small particles of paint, (in and effort to level or smooth out the surface), difficult because it's so hard. (Does that makes sense?)

There is a range, or sweet spot for paint hardness that the paint offers good durability, (hardness), with good polish-ability, (softness).

It could be that if fresh paint is waxed to soon, that the average person may never notice any difference at all. That said, it's always best to follow the manufacturer's recommendations, and we the consumer usually assume this is what the painter is telling us.

Mike