Kestrel

So now that I have some time, I'd like to clean up the Civic's paint. When I bought it in 2001 it already had some pretty noticeable swirls in the paint, but never really got around to doing anything about it.
This is sort of aimed at the Detailed Image guys, but anybody feel free to chime in
So two questions really:
1) What procedure do I need to follow?
and
2) What products are good but can be had on a budget?

Yes I have searched. I have all the proper wash equipment (mitts, microfiber towel, two buckets, etc.) just need the shampoo. I also have the Mother's claybar kit (but do you need to claybar for swirls :thinking. But the array of waxes, sealants, polishes just makes me :crazyr: And what's the difference between cleaning wax, sealing wax, sealants? And do I need a buffer?

Sorry for the long post, but I really would like to figure out these swirls soon (like this weekend )

Buyimports2

I saw some show where a dude applied clear coat to a brand new to give it a better shine.

Other than that, you need an power orbital polisher and some swirl remover. I can't remember what it is called, but there are products made specifically for removing swirls

Detailed Image

Very common question we get all the time. Swirling on a paints finish is what can really make or break a good looking car and a show car finish. There are ways to remove (permenant until more appear usually due to improper washing and drying) them and hide them (temporary).

First things first. The only thing that will actually remove a swirl or other imperfection in the clear coat for good is by using an abrasive polish on your paint. Anything else, like a glaze, will temporarily fill in the swirls but the fillers wash out after a heavy down pour or a few washes.

Full steps would be:

Wash & Dry -> Clay (if needed/optional) -> Cutting Polish -> Finishing Polish -> Glaze (optional) -> Sealant and/or Wax

Two ways to tackle the abrasive polish are either by hand or with a buffer. You will definately achieve better results with a buffer, preferrably the Porter Cable 7424. Cheaper buffers may not have the power to generate enough heat to truely get rid of imperfections so do not be surprised if the $20 Harbor Freight buffer does not get the job done.

By hand you can get ok to good results, but not nearly as good as with a Porter Cable and the proper techniques. Ideally if you go the hand application route, I'd suggest the following:

Lake Country Hand Applicator Kit
Poorboy's SSR 2.5
Poorboy's SSR 1

This would give you optimal results by hand IMO. Other polishes are designed to work specifically with a buffer and will not give you the results you are looking for by hand. The hand applicator is ideal because you can disperse the pressure thru a 3.5" surface area rather than your finger tips. You can generate more heat and the results will be better. For under $60 your paint will look significantly better. Follow up with the proper sealant or wax.

With a buffer, I'd suggest the following:

Porter Cable Buffer Complete Kit
Menzerna Intensive Polish
Menzerna Final Polish II

This has been yielding some of the best results for us and works wonders on the paint. You can realistically expect to get out anywhere from 70% - 90% of the imperfections, depending on how much time and how many coats you can spend detailing. This package obviously is significantly more but I at least wanted to put the option out there for others to view.

Quick answer on the differences between the waxes and sealants:

Traditional Wax - usually carnauba based that have a great shine and more gloss and depth than a sealant but lacks long durability. Typical durability is 2-8 weeks for a true wax. Can be layered.

Sealant - usually polymer or acrylic in nature and have tremendous durability compared to a traditional wax. Typical durability is 3 - 8 months depending on how many layers of protectant you put on. Great reflective characteristics and good gloss and depth, however not quite as good as a carnauba wax.

Cleaner Wax - a non-layerable chemical polish that generally has no abrasives and leaves some protection behind. Great for removing oxidation on old faded paint.

Thats really all there is to waxes and sealants, the rest would be considered different types of polishes or glazes. You can put a sealant down first for underlying protection and a wax on top for enhanced gloss and depth, however it does not work the other way around. A sealant will not bond on top of a carnauba wax and you will sacrifice durability.

Hope this answers your question. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any other questions you may have. Keep an eye out for our new website which will thoroughly explain the entire detailing process from head to toe.

Sincerely,

George @ Detailed Image

Kestrel

Thanks for the response. I'm going to try to gather everything to get going this weekend, I think I'm going to make the commitment and buy a buffer...I'm excited, my car's going to be squeaky clean :run:

One last question. What would you recommend for sealants/waxes and shampoos?

Detailed Image

Poorboy's makes an excellent line of waxes and sealants that are affordable ($15.99 each). We carry a wide variety of sealants and waxes that range anywhere from the Poorboy's prices to Menzerna's Full Mollecular Jacket at $49.99 for the larger 32oz and our premier wax is Pinnicle Souveran at $69.99 (on sale for $59.99 for our monthly special). Each product serves its own purpose and works best on certain colors, etc.

I'd suggest looking into the Poorboy's EX-P and Poorboy's Natty's Blue Paste Wax. Amazing combo for just around $30 that yields great protection, easy to apply and remove and a shimmering wet look.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact me for any further suggestions or questions you may have.

Sincerely,

George @ Detailed Image

chu

Are glaze and polish the same?

Detailed Image

Nope a glaze is designed to have fillers that temporarily will hide scratches and swirls where a true polish (some places label their product a polish but in reality its not, like Turtle Wax Ice and some Zaino stuff) will have abrasives which will actually remove scratches and swirls rather than hiding them.

So the gist of it:

Glaze - Temporary Fix
Polish - Permanent Fix

Hope this helps, feel free to contact me with any further questions you may have.

Sincerely,

George @ Detailed Image