Hello, So i'm posting as I have a question. Before anything though, just keep in mind this is my first car, I've never really done anything aside from basic washing and cleaning the car or as a matter of fact any car. I will be doing this all by hand as I don't really have any fancy machine stuff. I've done quite a bit of intensive research on the processes of each application. I have a black 2013 E350 and I really want to clean the exterior and make it really live up to the look it deserves. So my question, what should I do after clay baring a panel, do I apply polish or wax, and if so will the products I have work if not what do you recommend? Also any other tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Clay bar -
Polish -
Wax -

 

after clay bar, i put swirl remover (if still needed especially with black cars), scratch remover on minor scratches, then sealer, polish then finally wax. using hand is ok if you havent tried any of the fancy machines as you may damage your paint if youre not familiar with the machines. it wont come out as great but you will definitely see the difference. be patient, its all worth it at the end. goodluck mate!

 

Hers my advice.....
Your options are limited to chemical polishes, as you will not be building up the abrasion required to polish in the traditional method using an electric buffer.
But don't worry, your car can look great!
I recommend the Meguires line of products for you. They go on easy and come off easier. They use chemical reactions to not only clean the paint of shine robbing residue, but give great gloss.
I have used their liquid, 3 step process on many cars before....wash, clay, wash, paint cleaner, polish, wax/sealant then detail spray to remove any smudges and add some protection.
I think a first timer could do an E class in about 4-5 hours, unles you are drinking....then like 9
Good luck!

 

Make sure to use plenty of lubrication when using the clay bar. With black it is important to avoid adding swirls - take a look at autogeekonline.net for some other tips.

 

Great advice about the clay bar!

I like Meguirs site for the the noobs (no offense OP
It's just that Autopia and the like can over-whelm first timers...then they try and prices all the info and end up getting in over their head. Ask me how I know
Megs site has great diy videos geared towards their product, and customer service is very helpful.
Their products are designed to give noobs great results

 

tons of expertise available on the technical section of this forum under detailing. I have posted questions there and received great expert advice many times.

 

I totally agree that those sites offer information overload but you can still learn a lot. With a black car the OP will need all the help. I am too OCD to have a black car myself.

 

Clay bar is easy. just keep well lubricated and wipe in one consistent direction if possible. They make a black wax that you might want to consider. Without a machine polisher you're going to NOT have a good time polishing. It was a task even using a Dual Action polisher this past weekend. The black detailing spray also works well.

I used both of those products on my car before caving and buying the DA meguairs polisher off craigslist for 100.00 with about 30 new pads. Personally I would rather wax more frequently to mask the defects in the finish than attempt to hand polish.

Also two bucket method with a grit guard is a must. Ensure you wash your microfiber towels and mit between uses and keep them away from any potential contaminants/grit/etc.

I would NEVER have picked a black car if I didn't get the deal I did!

 

My goto process:

1. Wash
2. Clay bar
3. Mequires ultra cut 105 (if lots of swirls scratches) if not then just a regular cleaner wax
4. Mequires mirror glaze 105
5. Mequires tech wax or similar artificial wax (lasts longer)
6. Any type of carnauba based finishing wax (pinnacle makes one I like). Just be aware the higher the %carnauba the more it costs yet the faster it melts off your car.....hence the importance of the tech wax step

Lots of beers between each step, critical to keep hydrated.

 

Thanks for the reply! Would you recommend I skip polishing and after claybaring just put on wax? Since I don't have any machinery.

 

You can use the little yellow handheld applicator pads...but it is a workout.

 

get a good quality clay bar too, and fold often......and as others mentioned, plenty of lube while clay barring....and plus 1 for the black detail spray.......I had turtle wax brand


I had a black one once

congrats on the car OP

 

Personally, I think I would skip hand polishing. The results will be limited. In reality doing a few side jobs or mowing lawns will yield you the funds to buy a machine with less time commitment than you'll spend attempting it .

Just wax it and detail it more frequently with the black products and I feel the appearance will be better.

 

im no expert in detailing so somebody please correct me if im wrong, polishing is to get the high gloss and waxing is to seal in the gloss. thats what i know so i personally dont skip polishing. but like i said, i may be wrong.

 

Talk about opening Pandora's box For a first time I would wash the car with Dawn dishwash soap to remove all old wax. Don't use Dawn again unless it's years down the line and you want to remove all wax again. Clay with plenty of lubricant....I use a QD (quick detailer)...and follow all clay processes (fold, back and forth, replace if loaded up, drop it and forget it, etc.). Next I use Klasse All-In-One, two applications, very thin. Then a coat of Klasse Glaze, again very thin. If I really want it to pop (especially with black)I top it off with a Carnuba wax. Obviously your product choices will work well too. If you clay properly and apply the different polish/wax/sealants sparingly (important) you are better off NOT using a machine. Too much product seems like it will protect better but that's not the case as it just makes it harder to buff down to where it shines best and the chances of leaving build up and faster contamination are greater. If any product is hard to remove/buff down then you either put it on too thick or didn't clay properly. You are mcuh better off doing several super thin coats than a thick one. Is your paint metallic black or the standard black/black?

 

Mleskovar is right, with sort of a little twist-no troubleshooting intended. If you use Dawn which cleans everything-high glycerin and phosphate, just add more water and continue to use claybar because you wash this away anyhow, I do. My sister used to detail private jets and helicopters which use PPG, 3M and Dupont products-paint and sealants. Aircraft take a beating because of various extreme weather changes in altitude and the elements-debris hit at high speed so a wax job must be durable and pop-shine wise and last a while. Strip, All in one or wax and cleaner (I also use klasse-AI1 made in Germany), a glaze-sealant (Also Klasse), and finish with a 78% or above Carnuba I use Zymol a lot because they have partnered with the major automotive manufactures by continent-not just Germany Check it out-(I do not work for them), all thin coats to pop and last. Thickness means it will fade in heat meaning dullness and actually allows for debris-particles to embed themselves and further create loss of transparency or pop from the paint that is quite durable and shiny by design (R@D for 100 years by guys that do paint (PPG-Dupont-3M). Clearcoats-after market enhance the paint and are a example of a thin durable layer or coating.

 

I know I can save up funds for a buffer, just it never came to mind that i'd need one, like I said this is my first car it's never come to mind that I need to do all this to my car. But yea I'll be saving up for a buffer, should be able to get it in a couple of weeks.

 

Is it necessary to use dish soap to remove wax? or can I just skip this step?

 

Before you go investing in a buffer here's some advice: Don't get anything but a random orbital buffer. Invest in a good velcro faced backing plate because to use it right you'll need to change pads often. Get the right pads and change them out when they load even slightly or you'll do more damage than good. Learn how to use it right....chord placement, pressure, angle of attack, speed. Learning mistakes are often seen forever.
Personally I found a stack of good microfiber towels works better when you apply the product (wax/polish/sealer) sparingly. After a good clay everything should come off with little effort,the machine is overkill, and there will still be some spots the machine just can't do properly anyway. Also, with the towels you just do a panel or so and toss it into the washer and pick up another one. And maybe it's just me but I found using the machine was more work than the towels, took more time, and didn't look any better. But of course to each his own. You can buy my Porter Cable cheap if you want to

 

MiracleWhip, Dawn is not necessary if you want to leave old wax, and soot as your base coat for fizzle and less pop. I also have a PC Random Orbital and 50 or 60 pads, but seriously if you really want the quote "Perfect Shine" you need to put some serious elbow grease and time in to make it perfect. I personally use cold ice water to apply my Zymol and keep it in the fridge until I use it, it lasts for ever. How it is done is no secret, nothing more than the old "Spit shine" for boots, a lot of thin coats buffed to high luster, what I learned is to put the least amount of wax on the applicator and dab into the cold water and keep the applicator tight and thin as well on my hand-basically is a home made glove (New cotton t-shirts is my preferred applicator-washed 10 times to get the cotton fibers soft and flat so they do not cause any scratches on the coat), the trick is to only strip and wax once a year as mentioned before and then use the foam cannon with one of the numerous auto shampoos on the market today at a minimum weekly-do not use a lot of shampoo, just enough to release the soot and not strip the wax. I blow dry her after shampoo with my compressor, since my trim, rubber, seals, door and trunk gaskets, blades and plastic look brand new, dealer has called me twice with a customer request for my girl, I am waiting for him to up his crappy blue book and 10K offer so I can fly up to visit Twi008 garage, borrow his girl for a year or two (yes I will marry her) and leave several stacks of crispy 100 dollar bills behind-Semper Fi. I do not really touch my cars anymore with exception of the stripping and polishing annually. I have a 99 and 02 Acura TL one is dropped 2.5", K&L in and Fruehoff out, Bilsteins with stabilizers and sleeping debadged other is stock and tall with 19" wheels and my E-350 so I have a pressure washer that is awesome (2030 PSI X 1.76 GPM) with my foam cannon and some CG pink or honeydew shampoo, I use a horsehair brush with shampoo from the cannon to clean the unavoidable road grime on the skirts, air dam, lights, and rear end where the diffuser is the worst. If you put in the time and energy-there is no vehicle on the road that looks as good as a 2010-2013 E550/350/AMG with a serious wax job, my friends ask me what I would charge to do their car-I tell them their first born daughter when she turns 21, you know they are crazy and need help when they say "its a deal".

 

May want to consider having a pro do it, esp with black. Level 2 paint correction and Quartz finest ceramic coating $900. Have had it done on my last 3 black MB's


My previous E
http://www.mercedescla.org/forum/5-c...n-just-do.html

One of my current black cars
See post #2603
https://mbworld.org/forums/clk-class...hread-105.html

Can't say enough great things about this combination. Cleaning is a breeze, crap falls off the car, and it beads like crazy. Future cleaning should be either 2 bucket method at home or laser touchless car wash...don't let the dealer wash it and don't use the drive thru car washes where you're being an F150 that's covered in chit...this is of course if you're OCD like me and looking for a gleaming black car.

Just another option to think about....these are not cheap cars, what's another $900. Good luck...cheers!

 

Best advice ever for black cars - get them coated. All my cars have a coating on it...

 

MiraculousWhip, your post and all the helpful responses inspired me to do this for the first time today. It took me 2.5 hours and it was super easy. I first washed the car with Meguiar's Ultimate Wash and Wax and dried the car as I usually do. Then I clay bar the car with Meguiar's Clay Bar Kit that comes with the solution. After that I waxed the car by hand with Meguiar's Ultimate Liquid Wax. Here are some pictures from each phase.

Before washing, claying and waxing




After Washing




After Claying






After wax





after Wax





After Wax







After Wax





After Wax hood close up

 

shiny!

 

Nice and clean, that 2.5 hours of work paid off.