right order? let me know

[rextotherex]

Re: right order? let me know

as much as i miss a shiny big exhaust tip, it sent me to the smog station =/ so i run a stealth black exhaust that looks stock, but doesnt sound stock.



if you can see it, its on the bottom left, hard to see just the way i like it!

as for wheels not sure what to use, do you normally wax the wheels as well? sounds tedious LOL but if it protects my white rims from brake dust im all for it.

[rextotherex]

Re: right order? let me know



i actually painted this cobb exhaust black, i used to have a melon shooter but it got me a smog station ticket =/

other than that i like it black, super stealth, but it doesnt sound very stealthy lol.

for interior i just use whatever i have, is there a special product that ppl use for dash? i only clean my dash and door cards i sold my leather seats for nice brides.

and for window i just use invisible glass but i read this d21 stuff works magic. i always have a streaky front window i cant get rid of it.

[rextotherex]

Re: right order? let me know

ok i hate to do this but i just confused myself,

so every month people re-wax their car correct?

does deep crystal polish remove the old wax and dirt before i apply a new coat of wax? or is it okay to layer it like that

does colorx remove the dirt and old wax? or is it the same as how i stated it above.

reason im asking is because, isnt it bad if i were to re-wax my car and old wax and dirt might still be in there, hence the reason why people use cleaner wax instead? but then it gets confusing, so many products would it be

deep crystal polish/colorx to remove dirt> cleaner wax to remove old wax and more dirt>nxt to top it all off?

sorry if im making this harder than it seems, maybe you guys can just tell me your basic scheduel for cleaning your exterior paint and ill just go from there because obviously you guys know what your doing so i cant go wrong lol

[speed3blackmica]

Re: right order? let me know

Rex. You are deffinitly confusing yourself. But don't worry, we'll help. Just keep it simple and u will understand..the wax on your paint doesn't really get "old". It just wears away over time. You don't need to wax every month. If your using a product like NXT 2.0 the wax will last a few months so long as weather conditions are good in your area and your not driving in very salty roads. There is the "squeek" test which you can look up on here which will determine if wax is still present on your car. Yes you can layer wax. For example, you can use colorX, then top it off with NXT. People do it all the time. Now don't confuse yourself, the steps are quite easy. Just give yourself a good wash with the 2 bucket method. Then clay. Then clean the paint with a product like swirlx or ultimate compound, whatever works best on your paint, then polish and/or wax. The polishing step is optional it will only add a bit more gloss. Which I forgot to say, deep crystal polish is a pure polish. It is designed to only nurious the paint and provide gloss. It won't strip wax off. Deep crystal "paint cleaner" will take off wax and other products like APC 20:1., isopropyl alcohol, Chemicals basically. Murr is really good at finding links to threads on how to do these things so I'm sure he'll be doing that if he hasn't already(I'm on the phone so I haven't checked). Oh and your streaking problem on the windows, are you applying the glass cleaner straight to the window then working it in ? If so, that would be your problem. The trick is to apply a small amount to your microfiber towel(folded 4 ways) and then buff the glass clean, flip the towel over to a dry side and give it a final buff. No streaks !

[searle]

Re: right order? let me know

I think you understand the full-detail (wash +clay +cleaner +glaze/polish +wax/sealant), and I do it spring and fall like you are planning. You also understand the weekly wash (to remove grime) although you did not mention the spray-wax that you should lightly/quiclkly do after every wash+dry to top-up the existing wax (and this will ensure you can go 1-3 months withou needing a re-wax).

NXT2 (or #21) will give several months of protection, but as it slowly wears down the sparkle diminishes (but protection is still there). That is why folks often re-wax every month or so, to bring the sparkle back to maximum. A good wash will removed 95%plus of the dirt, so a re-wax is fine without required cleaning. After 2-3 months you may want to do the ColorX mini-detail to remove any small amount of dirt. My process is re-wax every month, but if I have nothing else to do on a nice Satureday morning I will do a mini-detail (ColorX+NXT) or maybe even a full-detail - just because I enjoy it (NOT because it is needed).

So keep it simple and dont overthink it.
- full-detail in spring and fall
- weekly wash and spray-wax
- re-wax or mini-detail every 1-3 months as time and weather permits.

PS: Many (most) customers just "wax" with NXT2 sealant for its highly reflective shine and gloss. I dont want to confuse you, but several of the "detailing-addicts" here follow every NXT2 with a final coat of pure carnuba (#26 or DC3) because we think that combination slightly adds depth to dark or red cars. I am unsure if you would see any perceptable difference on your silver car, so likely just stick with NXT2.

PPS: Throughout the whole process, the most important thing is clean tools (no grit) to avoid inducing swirls - which becomes more important the more often you re-wash and/or re-detail.

[Murr1525]

Re: right order? let me know

For light cleaning/dusting of the interior, Quick Interior Detailer works good. Then I use the Supreme Shine Protectant, which is a bit glossier. The Ultimate Protectant and Natural Shine will be a bit lower gloss.

Some people wax their wheels, I dont. I just use a good wheel cleaner and it ends up pretty easy to clean.

Nxt Glass Cleaner is good, and the Detailer Line one is good too.

[Murr1525]

Re: right order? let me know

so every month people re-wax their car correct?

Not really, I find the products last logner than that, with UQW after each wash. But in some environments, it could wear off quickly. I just do it when needed, no set schedule.

Once you get the car detailed well, you'll see how the water and soap ,etc responds on your next washing, how it sheets off the car, etc. And how easy a quick detailer or spray wax applies after. Then eventually you will notice that flow and sheeting going away, and the products being a bit tougher to apply.

does deep crystal polish remove the old wax and dirt before i apply a new coat of wax? or is it okay to layer it like that

Well, it may remove the wax, just because of rubbing something around on the paint. But it wont be a good cleaning.

does colorx remove the dirt and old wax? or is it the same as how i stated it above.

Yes, it is designed to clean the paint properly, and leave a coat of wax behind.

reason im asking is because, isnt it bad if i were to re-wax my car and old wax and dirt might still be in there, hence the reason why people use cleaner wax instead? but then it gets confusing, so many products would it be

deep crystal polish/colorx to remove dirt> cleaner wax to remove old wax and more dirt>nxt to top it all off?

As was mentioned, wax wears off, and if the old wax is strong enough to stick around, great. I worry more about the dirt, and it is a bit of a judgement call. I assume I need the cleaning, so either a full detail, or ColorX (ColorX is a cleaner/wax) + Nxt, and thats what I do.

[Murr1525]

Re: right order? let me know

Murr is really good at finding links to threads on how to do these things so I'm sure he'll be doing that if he hasn't already(I'm on the phone so I haven't checked).

I dunno about that.... but Al's Daily Driver thread might be around here somewhere...

Your Daily Driver: A Simple Wash & Wax Regimen

[rextotherex]

Re: right order? let me know

such a relief! you guys explained everything down to a tee! sorry for the double post btw i wasnt sure if it was posted or not

looks like im on the right track, i used the liquid nxt last time i think the paste should last alot longer =) ill post results as soon as i get back, im currently in atlanta for work i should be back in tracy in 3 weeks.

my car is probably filthy by now so i cant wait to bring back that sparkle, also it hailed from what i heard so i definately want to use ultimate compound to clean it up.

[Murr1525]

Re: right order? let me know

Liquid and paste should last about the same, as long as they are both the 2.0 products.

[rextotherex]

Re: right order? let me know

u think so? hmm it just doesnt make sense, the paste has to offer something over liquid?

also what ive noticed... if i go into the professional line, you can get things in bulk for much cheaper!

example, car wash is cheaper in a 1 gallon, for the hyper car wash. you get ALOT for 28 dollars considering one ounce is for 5 gallons of water.

quick detail is 10 dollars per 16 ounce in consumer line. you can buy last touch in a 1 gallon for like 20 dollars, super cheap!

same thing for the window cleaner and the extreme wheel cleaner, and maybe more, im not too sure exactly how each of the pro line is.

as for now ill def stick with the consumer UC, swirlx, deep crystal polish, nxt 2.0.

[Murr1525]

Re: right order? let me know

u think so? hmm it just doesnt make sense, the paste has to offer something over liquid?

Just personal preference. Same wax, with different amounts of solvents, which evaporate away, at least as far as Meguiars products go. Generally most people will apply more with the liquid, so the bottle wont last as long. But you cant rub dirt into the bottle, the way you could with a dirty applicator and paste. The paste may dry quicker in damp conditions.

also what ive noticed... if i go into the professional line, you can get things in bulk for much cheaper!

example, car wash is cheaper in a 1 gallon, for the hyper car wash. you get ALOT for 28 dollars considering one ounce is for 5 gallons of water.

quick detail is 10 dollars per 16 ounce in consumer line. you can buy last touch in a 1 gallon for like 20 dollars, super cheap!

same thing for the window cleaner and the extreme wheel cleaner, and maybe more, im not too sure exactly how each of the pro line is.

as for now ill def stick with the consumer UC, swirlx, deep crystal polish, nxt 2.0.

Most of us have a bit of everything. Consumer, Detailer, Professional, I have a few furniture products.... Looking for a reason to get some Marine and Motorcycle products...

The Wheel Brightener is pretty strong stuff, so I would have to recomend the Aluminum Wheel Wash for most cases.

But the other stuff is certainly up to you. Working by hand would generally want SwirlX as the mild cleaner, but you can try #7 for the pure polish, or #21 2.0 for the wax, etc. The Glass Cleaner is great, lots of soaps to try though Gold Class is pretty top of the line (esp if on sale), APC/APC+ is a must have.... Yeah, other QD options, trim detailers.... Just have to mix and match as time goes on to best suit your needs.

[rextotherex]

Re: right order? let me know

excuse my stupidity, but what exactly is apc used for? thats the all purpose cleaner right?

[Murr1525]

Re: right order? let me know

excuse my stupidity, but what exactly is apc used for? thats the all purpose cleaner right?

Well, its not that stupid....

Its actually used for just about everything.... tires, wheelwells, plastic, vinyl, carpets, leather, headliner, suitaces, shoes, garden statues/furniture, counter tops, Rubbermaid sheds, vinyl fencing, hard floors, pet stains.... I am sure I have used it for a few other things...

[rextotherex]

Re: right order? let me know

o wow,ill look into that as well!