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Hello guys.
It has been a month I got this car, purchased from Nissan dealer, so, it was polished to shine and waxed, probably.
Anyway, I'm planning to do this on my own from now on, and will use the 2 bucket method.
I had only one car wash through "Wash me fast", (as my nephew's '15 mustang didn't have even a single swirl mark, after going through monthly thrice car washes for the past 6 months) and had rains after that.
Now my real question is, I want it to be water/dust repellant, like the ones the Nissan dealer did, before selling it to me.
As you can see in the below image, it was 9.30 am, and my car is the only one, with water droplets not dried out yet. also, it did not leave any water drop marks after it got dry.
Same with dust, I didn't even put soap, all I did was a quick 'shower mode' wash with the hose, and it looks all brand new again.
What should I use? Carnuba wax or any other things you suggest? for the last part.
I see a new company 'Nu finish- The once a year'; is that any good or shall I stick to Meguiar's or Turtle wax's Carnuba wax?
Sorry for the long info., I just wanted to know, If I'm hurting the car in any way, so, I can correct it before I mess it up.
I've used nufinish on our 2011 Silverado for several years with great results. But I also clay bar once a year so I think that's got a lot to do with the great shine that it still has.
You may want to consider doing the clay bar on yours. When I first got my 350, that's the first thing I did so I could start with fresh surface. You won't believe how rough your paint gets over time, even if you wax it. Take off the surface contaminants, feels like glass.
On the 350, I use McGuiar's Gold for rims/wheels, Optimum No-Rinse for the rest of the car and as a lube for the clay bar, Aerospace 303 cleaner and protectant for interior, Collinite 845 to wax.
After each wash, I use Wet Paint Glaze detailer to quickly go over the car as an in-between-waxing gloss enhancer. All exterior lighting lenses get the wax treatment as well. The clay bar clean lasts 8-12 months and the wax life varies depending on how much outside parking I do.
I'm sure others have good products, this is just what I do and use.
I've used nufinish on our 2011 Silverado for several years with great results. But I also clay bar once a year so I think that's got a lot to do with the great shine that it still has.
You may want to consider doing the clay bar on yours. When I first got my 350, that's the first thing I did so I could start with fresh surface. You won't believe how rough your paint gets over time, even if you wax it. Take off the surface contaminants, feels like glass.
I thought I need to use polish/sealant after the claying. I don't have power tools, to do the polish after claying, so, I doubt I'll do it. But i'll do more research anyway.
On the 350, I use McGuiar's Gold for rims/wheels, Optimum No-Rinse for the rest of the car and as a lube for the clay bar, Aerospace 303 cleaner and protectant for interior, Collinite 845 to wax.
After each wash, I use Wet Paint Glaze detailer to quickly go over the car as an in-between-waxing gloss enhancer. All exterior lighting lenses get the wax treatment as well. The clay bar clean lasts 8-12 months and the wax life varies depending on how much outside parking I do.
I'm sure others have good products, this is just what I do and use.
I park outside most of the time. I go to work at 10am or after, so, I cannot b*ch about parking spot, so, I take the very first one after I enter the facility, next to a curb, and walk 480-530 steps from car to desk(I've calculated).
Check out chemical guys. Their stuff is top notch. It's all I use now. Their stuff is formulated for machine or hand application.
I've binge watched many cleaning videos, and when it comes to chemical guys, they use/advertise on products which are already super clean. They never take a dirty vehicle and show/test their product, which pisses me off and other commentators below almost all videos.
I've never used anything except good quality wax after the clay bar. I do have machine tools but I just hand apply the wax if the finish is not weathered. If I had a surface that was weathered I would not clay bar I would use a surface polish with appropriate surface wheel. Then follow with sealant or wax.
For what I described on the 350 (and I think appropriate to your car) is removal of surface contaminants in the clear coat. The clay bar removes these and simply leaves a clean surface for wax. I don't see that your surfaces are weatherd or damaged enough to warrant more aggressive actions.
I meant to also mention I use fine clay bar from Griot garage. I think you would be pleased with the results. You can feel the change as you use the bar, initial feel is kind of rough and sandpaperery. That's even on what looks like a nice shiny surface. Within a few light strokes the surface gets a glassy smooth feel, that's all that's needed. Do the car panel by panel, then a quick overall wash and dry then wax. It takes a bit of time but not too bad. I like the No Rinse a lot as it works well with the bar plus is a good cleaner. I do wash the car initially so I work with fairly clean surfaces , no need to grind more dirt into the clay bar.
I think MB still uses Sikkens paint which is great quality. All your doing is working with the clear coat.
I've never used anything except good quality wax after the clay bar. I do have machine tools but I just hand apply the wax if the finish is not weathered. If I had a surface that was weathered I would not clay bar I would use a surface polish with appropriate surface wheel. Then follow with sealant or wax.
For what I described on the 350 (and I think appropriate to your car) is removal of surface contaminants in the clear coat. The clay bar removes these and simply leaves a clean surface for wax. I don't see that your surfaces are weatherd or damaged enough to warrant more aggressive actions.
I meant to also mention I use fine clay bar from Griot garage. I think you would be pleased with the results. You can feel the change as you use the bar, initial feel is kind of rough and sandpaperery. That's even on what looks like a nice shiny surface. Within a few light strokes the surface gets a glassy smooth feel, that's all that's needed. Do the car panel by panel, then a quick overall wash and dry then wax. It takes a bit of time but not too bad. I like the No Rinse a lot as it works well with the bar plus is a good cleaner. I do wash the car initially so I work with fairly clean surfaces , no need to grind more dirt into the clay bar.
I think MB still uses Sikkens paint which is great quality. All your doing is working with the clear coat.
For now, I just need a good brand name/suggestion for Wax. Like the Collinite 845; which got better reviews than the others. I just wanted to learn more from you guys on what you use..
To start, there are so many variables involved with detailing vehicles and everyone will have their own opinions about what they like and what they don't. I used to own and operate a mobile detailing company and I primarily worked on higher end vehicles. The way I detail, I absolutely ensure that I will only use techniques that will improve the car and will not risk damage to the cars finish. Can you buff/polish/machine wax without claying it first? Sure you can but on a microscopic level, you are grinding contaminates into your clear coat and are more than likely putting swirls into the finish. I didn't care when you last clayed the vehicle... Before I put polish and pad to your paint, I was going to clay it first. You might think you did a good job claying it first, but I know you'd be pissed to see swirls on your Mercedes/Ferrari/Maserati/whatever.
My opinion is that if you're using your vehicle as an everyday driver, it doesn't need to have absolutely perfect paint. It kills me to see minor scratches or swirls in my paint but at the end of the day, it's my everyday driver and I don't have the time or thickness of clear coat to polish constantly. Instead of using polishes that cut into and remove the clear coat to completely get rid of the scratch, I use polishes with fillers to round out the edge of the scratch and partially fill in the scratch to make things less noticeable. I prefer to use paint sealant vs a carnauba wax because it's easier to apply and lasts longer.
Someone above mentioned Chemical Guys... I primarily use their products and also used them with my business. Their stuff is quality and works well.
Last edited by Magoo6541; Jun 4, 2017 at 06:42 PM.
I've binge watched many cleaning videos, and when it comes to chemical guys, they use/advertise on products which are already super clean. They never take a dirty vehicle and show/test their product, which pisses me off and other commentators below almost all videos.
That is true for the most part. But read product reviews. There is always before and after pics and they tell you everything they used. Message me and I'll suggest a few things for you to try. If you don't like it I'll buy it from you.
Last edited by armysoldier1073; Jun 5, 2017 at 08:07 AM.
2013 E350 Bluetec, 2007 Corvette supercharged, Saab 9-5, Hyundai Genesis Sedan
yard blower to dry
One thing I started doing a few years ago is to us my Echo blower to dry all my cars. It has reduced my swirl marks by 90%+. Now I cant imagine doing it any other way
One thing I started doing a few years ago is to us my Echo blower to dry all my cars. It has reduced my swirl marks by 90%+. Now I cant imagine doing it any other way
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
