Waxing and polishing

[Dunc_Mk5]

Reading a few threads on here i understand that you should only polish your vehicle once or twice a year but wax it more often. This has got me a little confused as i have bought some 'Turtle Wax Color Magic clour enriched wax polish'. Is this wax or is this polish?!

Also, if i'm washing my car regularly (it's black so will have to be) do i just wash it say every fortnight and dry it properly but only wax it every 2 months (every 4th wash). I always thought that a car should be waxed after every wash so i'm a little confused now.

My intention is to wash it as listed here (http://www.elitedetailer.com/content/CARCAREGUIDES.htm) but then what? Just dry it and it maintains it's shine between waxes? Please help as my head is spinning and i don't want to ruin my paintwork! :confused:

[onzarob]

I use Autoglym super resin polish with Collinite 476 Wax. I only do it 2 a year. then i just wash with Autoglym Car Shampoo and Dry.

The SRP fills any scratches and the Collinite keeps it there and protects the paint. This WAX stays on along time.

Turtle wax is ok but doesn't last as long. Also Super Resin Polish (SRP) is non abrasive so no damage ;) But you need to Wax ontop

Colour magic is also non abrasive. so you can use it without fear. I have used it on other car and it does need doing alot more:aargh4:

[Dunc_Mk5]

I've got some of the Autoglym Super Resin Polish so will use that for the twice annual job. I'll give the colour magic a go first wash as i was told by the dealer i bought my car from to use some black wax to hide the scratches.

So you say i need to wash, then polish then wax the first time? Then i can just wash and dry until i need to use the colour magic stuff again in a couple of months time?

[onzarob]

I would trow the Colur magix away and use the SRP even though your car is black, it has aclear top coat. the majority of scratches are in this. when filled with SRP they dissapear. but you need a Wax onto to hold the SRP onto the car as it wont stay. So use Collinite 746 or get some Autoglym extra gloss protection ;)

[elitedetailer]

Reading a few threads on here i understand that you should only polish your vehicle once or twice a year but wax it more often. This has got me a little confused as i have bought some 'Turtle Wax Color Magic clour enriched wax polish'. Is this wax or is this polish?!

Also, if i'm washing my car regularly (it's black so will have to be) do i just wash it say every fortnight and dry it properly but only wax it every 2 months (every 4th wash). I always thought that a car should be waxed after every wash so i'm a little confused now.

My intention is to wash it as listed here (http://www.elitedetailer.com/content/CARCAREGUIDES.htm) but then what? Just dry it and it maintains it's shine between waxes? Please help as my head is spinning and i don't want to ruin my paintwork! :confused:


Hi Dunc

I know it can get confusing but I will try and make it simpler.

You can either get a standard wash kit which s about £39, these are the basics which include the best shampoo in the world Zaino Z-7, 2 wash mitts, one for upper body/car's body, the 2nd for the lower body or for just your wheels, also included is a drying towel. Shown here: http://elitedetailer.com/cgi-bin/hcat_catalogue.cgi?fa=display&id=74&crid=&cmrid=1&cmpid=2

This will keep you going you will just need a couple of buckets ideally with grit guards.

If you want the large wash kit as used by Gurcharn then thats available too: http://elitedetailer.com/cgi-bin/hcat_catalogue.cgi?fa=display&id=75&crid=&cmrid=1&cmpid=2

Now for the polishing.

Something like this kit is great and will give you loads of protection:
http://elitedetailer.com/cgi-bin/hcat_catalogue.cgi?fa=display&id=113&crid=&cmrid=1&cmpid=2

With regards to the waxing, you can just apply the Z2 as in the kit above, whenever you feel like it. It should last you a few years easily.

If you want to go the Autoglym route then the folowing is recommended:
http://elitedetailer.com/cgi-bin/hcat_catalogue.cgi?fa=display&id=145&crid=&cmrid=1&cmpid=2 after which apply: http://elitedetailer.com/cgi-bin/hcat_catalogue.cgi?fa=display&id=147&crid=&cmrid=1&cmpid=2

Now you can leave this as is or apply a wax on top, although this is not essential :http://elitedetailer.com/cgi-bin/hcat_catalogue.cgi?fa=display&id=133&crid=&cmrid=1&cmpid=2

Any questions, please ask.

Regards
EliteDetailer :beerchug:

[curiousgeorge]

I want a replacement for my turtle wax which has just ran out, and I'd like to get a Zaino or Autoglym product.

I know this sounds strange but I can't find any wax, apart from the Autoglym High Definition Wax on the EliteDetailer website. I did a search for the Z-2 you mentioned above but can't find it, apart from in a kit.

Can you recommend a decent wax for metallic black?

[onzarob]

.

Can you recommend a decent wax for metallic black?

I use Collinite 476 and it looks fab and lasts. :D

Not tried Zaino but i'm sure Elitedetailer can advise you, try and PM him;)

[elitedetailer]

I want a replacement for my turtle wax which has just ran out, and I'd like to get a Zaino or Autoglym product.

I know this sounds strange but I can't find any wax, apart from the Autoglym High Definition Wax on the EliteDetailer website. I did a search for the Z-2 you mentioned above but can't find it, apart from in a kit.

Can you recommend a decent wax for metallic black?

Hi

The Z-2 is currently out of stock and is due in later this week, that is why it cannot be seen. Sorry for the inconvenience, as soon as it arrives I can PM you if you like?

Thanks
EliteDetailer:beerchug:

[curiousgeorge]

Thanks for the PMs, EliteDetailer.

I'm going follow your advice and go for the Z-5 because I have a black car which is swirl prone and the Z-5 is good for this, plus I'm not after the high gloss that the Z-2 gives.

To follow on from the original post, I too am confused. My understanding is that polishes shine and waxes form a protective layer (as well as shining). I wanted a wax for the protection and although EliteDetailer's advises using Z-2 / Z-5 as waxes, they seem to be polishes (that offer the protection from UV) and the true wax is something like Autoglym High Definition Wax as recommended above.

However, the Z-5 seems to give me what I need - shine and protection.

[onzarob]

I don't think there a on best product, Some is down to personal tast. Z5 is non abrasive so you can have fun without damage. Give it a go and see what happens. ;)

I used Autoglym SRP and Collinite 476 Wax which deems be lasting a long time. But the hologram i have arn't that well hidden in bright sunlight. So im interest in your results ;)

[Plife]

To follow on from the original post, I too am confused. My understanding is that polishes shine and waxes form a protective layer (as well as shining). I wanted a wax for the protection and although EliteDetailer's advises using Z-2 / Z-5 as waxes, they seem to be polishes (that offer the protection from UV) and the true wax is something like Autoglym High Definition Wax as recommended above.

However, the Z-5 seems to give me what I need - shine and protection.

OK let me try and explain.

A polish is abrasive and will remove some of the top coat. This is used to remove defects from the paintwork, such as swirls. There are various different polishes with differing levels of abrasiveness.

Compounds
These are the most aggressive cutting polishes and are generally applied by rotary polisher to deal with severe swirl marks and scratches. Only choose a compound if your paint has very severe swirl marks and the cutting polish is proving unsuccessful in dealing with them.

Cutting Polishes
These are medium abbrassive polishes that are designed for the removal of medium swirl marks in paint. Only choose a cutting polish if the swirls in your paint are too severe to be removed by a light cutting polish.

Light Cutting Polish / Finishing Polish
These are light abbrassive polishes that are designed for finishing - ie use after a more aggressive polish or compound to remove any marring that may have been left by the more aggressive product and to restore surface gloss.

When talking polishes you will get quicker results using a rotary polisher (leave to experts!) or a porter cable type polisher (safer but still requires some practice) than trying to do by hand. It is possible to apply polishes by hand but it is not easy!! Polishing a car is not something you want to do reguarly as it will remove some clearcoat each time.

A wax will add protection to the paintwork and can also add a depth and shine to the paintwork. For waxing the most significant impact on the results is the base you are applying to. The better the base the better the results. Wax will also give water a beading effect. Wax should be applied every 2 - 3 months.

Manufacturers do not help here as they lable items as polishes although they are not abrasive. Autoglym Super Resin Polish which is a paint cleanser and has fillers to mask swirls. Can be applied by hand and can give good (although temporary results and will need reapplying).

This all leads onto how much effort do you want to put in! A detailer can do the initial work polishing and applying wax and once you have a good base it is easier to maintain. You need to be aware of your washing technique to ensure that you do not put defects back into the paint.

I have a new car and my routine is

Every 2 - 3 months
Wash and rinse wheels
Foam using all purpose cleaner mix
Rinse
Snow Foam
Rinse
Wash
Rinse
Clay
Wash
Rinse
Dry
2 layers of sealent applied by PC
2 layers of wax applied by hand

Weekly/Fortnightly
Wash and rinse wheels
Snow Foam
Rinse
Wash
Dry
Quick detailer

Wash with 2 lambswool/sheepskin mits (1 for top half and 1 for bottom half) and 2 buckets with grit guards for the bodywork (1 wash, 1 rinse)
Dry with 2 waffle weave towels (1 for top half and 1 for bottom half)
1 separate bucket and mitt for the wheels

My paintwork is 95% defect free and so no real need for polishing, although after a year I will probably use a light cutting polish to remove a few marks.

I personally haven't used Zaino products but hear a lot of good reports. There are better products available on the web than you can get in your local Halfords, and I tend to use a mixture of brands.

Hope this helps!!:beerchug:

[curiousgeorge]

I used Autoglym SRP and Collinite 476 Wax which deems be lasting a long time. But the hologram i have arn't that well hidden in bright sunlight. So im interest in your results
OK will let you know! The Z-5 seems to do both jobs and should be fine for me.

Plife - thanks for your explanation. That was the confusion, that Z-5 is caleld a polish but it is non-abrasive, so it only hides swirls and other defects. Technically it's not a wax either but I think EliteDetailer listed it under this waxing section above because it has the same effect.

[onzarob]

i purposely went for non abrasive products for use by hand, I may go more detailed later. the program I went for was.

First wash with Autoglym Car Shampoo
McGuires Quik Clay, (to get rid of the ingrained dirt and particals )
AutoGlym Super resin polish, (to hide the swirls)
Collinite 476 double coat wax. ( to keep the paint looking good and protect it from further damage)

every 2 weeks I wash with Autoglym Car shampoo and Dry with waffle weave towel. Come up like i polished it yesterday.

I would say the best thing i did was the clay, it really cleans the paint and it feel so smooth. Like Plife says it gives you a great base to apply the protective layers on ;)

[Plife]

OK will let you know! The Z-5 seems to do both jobs and should be fine for me.

Plife - thanks for your explanation. That was the confusion, that Z-5 is caleld a polish but it is non-abrasive, so it only hides swirls and other defects. Technically it's not a wax either but I think EliteDetailer listed it under this waxing section above because it has the same effect.

The Z-5 does sound good! Swirl filling and protection in one. Be interested to hear your thoughts when you get it!


i purposely went for non abrasive products for use by hand, I may go more detailed later. the program I went for was.

First wash with Autoglym Car Shampoo
McGuires Quik Clay, (to get rid of the ingrained dirt and particals )
AutoGlym Super resin polish, (to hide the swirls)
Collinite 476 double coat wax. ( to keep the paint looking good and protect it from further damage)

every 2 weeks I wash with Autoglym Car shampoo and Dry with waffle weave towel. Come up like i polished it yesterday.

I would say the best thing i did was the clay, it really cleans the paint and it feel so smooth. Like Plife says it gives you a great base to apply the protective layers on ;)

Get a good base down and it makes the subsequent washes easier, even the pesky bugs come off without much trouble!

Clay is a must in my opinion. Gets the paint nice and smooth! :biglaugh:

[elitedetailer]

Hi Curiuosgeorge,

Z-5 is a sealant even though it is called a polish, unfortunately this does add confusion. It is technically not a polish.

Regards
EliteDetailer

[curiousgeorge]

I've been given SRP as a present but already have Zaino Z-5. I was planning to use the SRP when the Z-5 runs out.

My unserstanding is that Z-5 and SRP are similar products, except SRP needs a wax on top to keep it place, where as Z-5 doesn't.

Is this correct?

[elitedetailer]

I've been given SRP as a present but already have Zaino Z-5. I was planning to use the SRP when the Z-5 runs out.

My unserstanding is that Z-5 and SRP are similar products, except SRP needs a wax on top to keep it place, where as Z-5 doesn't.

Is this correct?


Hi

They both have fillers but the SRP is also a polish and is abrasive. It also leaves white chalk dust residue on rubbers/trim so be careful when using. It isn't a bad product, but adds very little protection. You ideally need to top it off with a wax or something like http://elitedetailer.com/cgi-bin/hcat_catalogue.cgi?fa=display&id=147&crid=&cmrid=1&cmpid=2

The Z5 should last you a couple of years at least if not longer.

Regards
EliteDetailer :beerchug:

[golf tdi 02]

i use srp every week then seal with liqud hard wax is this advisable??

[curiousgeorge]

Thanks EliteDetailer, that's great.

[elitedetailer]

i use srp every week then seal with liqud hard wax is this advisable??

Hi

No, you dont need to do the SRP step, as you are removing your wax each week and re-applying. Just apply your wax on top if you desire and SRP when required. (normally every 6 months)

Regards
EliteDetailer :beerchug:

[Aptuning]

I'm no detailer by any means, but I have tried lots of products over the years. The ones I use now are my own personal choice and are the best I HAVE USED.
I use megs clay bar (as needed for remove the tar)
Zymol auto wash (with lambs wools mitt and two bucket method)
Megs hot rims cleaner for the wheels(with another wash mit and brush and bucket)
microfiber towels to dry
Zymol HD clense to remove any remaining contaminants from panels
Then on goes the Zymol destiny glaze wax. This is applied by hand and then left for about 5 mins before buffing off. Then once the whole car has been done I go around again with a clean lambs wool mit for a final buffing which really brings out the depth and shine.
I also use zymol cleaner wax for a quick top up of the shine when needed obviously after washing!
As said, I'm no detailer but my efforts seem to work pretty well.

[bpunkgttdipd10]

HI Guys, been following threads and have a new black VDub to clean properly. I had been using AutoGlym Super Resin Polish and Extra Gloss Protection for my reflex silver, and swirling has never been an issue, but I have to change strategy now with the pearl black so got some Autoglym Deep Shine and High Definition Wax. Haven't had time to try it yet, but impressed so far with results I got from application of wax to pre-treated reflex silver that had Extra Gloss protection already. Normally do polishing/waxing in garage, and leave wax on overnight to harden before polishing it off next day.

Pearl black tiggy has only had one wash so far, but lots of swirls on bonnet at the moment, was a demo so don't think it's ever had a proper wax.

Plan will be to wash with AutoGlym body conditioner, one layer of Super Resin Polish, then a layer of Autoglym Deep Shine, followed by a couple of layers of High definition wax.

Never used a polishing machine, don't mind hand polishing as enjoy Kung Fu training, but are results with a machine really so much better?

Also, have never used clay, Super Resin Polish always gave an acceptable starting surface, but wonder if it would help with the pearl black now?

Any comments/insights welcome.

Cheers.

[Plife]

HI Guys, been following threads and have a new black VDub to clean properly. I had been using AutoGlym Super Resin Polish and Extra Gloss Protection for my reflex silver, and swirling has never been an issue, but I have to change strategy now with the pearl black so got some Autoglym Deep Shine and High Definition Wax. Haven't had time to try it yet, but impressed so far with results I got from application of wax to pre-treated reflex silver that had Extra Gloss protection already. Normally do polishing/waxing in garage, and leave wax on overnight to harden before polishing it off next day.


Pearl black tiggy has only had one wash so far, but lots of swirls on bonnet at the moment, was a demo so don't think it's ever had a proper wax.

Plan will be to wash with AutoGlym body conditioner, one layer of Super Resin Polish, then a layer of Autoglym Deep Shine, followed by a couple of layers of High definition wax.

Never used a polishing machine, don't mind hand polishing as enjoy Kung Fu training, but are results with a machine really so much better?

Also, have never used clay, Super Resin Polish always gave an acceptable starting surface, but wonder if it would help with the pearl black now?

Any comments/insights welcome.

Cheers.

Super Resin Polish's name is misleading. It is a cleaner and masks swirls, not really a polish. It is good at masking the swirls, but needs to be reapplied as over time it will wear off.

Polishing by hand is not easy, and none of the products you list will actually remove the swirls. Machine polishing will get better results with a lot less effort, but a rotary is dangerous in inexperienced hands, and DA is a lot easier to use for beginners.

Clay in my eyes in essential to remove the bonded contaminants and I would use this before the super resin polish. You should only need to clay a few times a year.



Pearl black tiggy has only had one wash so far, but lots of swirls on bonnet at the moment, was a demo so don't think it's ever had a proper wax.
The Swirls are caused by bad washing and drying techniques. Wax does not prevent or repair swirls.

[bpunkgttdipd10]

Any ideas as to what to use to repair swirls then? I have T-Cut that I use after fixing stone chips on front of Golf but reluctant to use it yet on fairly new paint. Could mix in a tiny bit into Super Resin Polish to add a bit of abrasive, maybe 1/5 ratio..

[bpunkgttdipd10]

The Auto Glym Deep Shine stuff is supposed to sort out the swirls and is recommended by them specifically for this purpose on dark colours.

Will give it a go and see results I think before trying an abrasive polish.

[curiousgeorge]

Check out Meguiars ScratchX - supposed to be very good for this sort of thing.

[Plife]

The Auto Glym Deep Shine stuff is supposed to sort out the swirls and is recommended by them specifically for this purpose on dark colours.

Will give it a go and see results I think before trying an abrasive polish.
This is quite like Super Resin polish, and fills and masks swirls so is only a temporary solution. Don't use T Cut!!! Scratch X is ok for small areas. It all depends on how bad the swirls are! Only sure way is to polish, preferably with a machine.