docsout

Everyone talks about clay as a method to remove debris and deposits. In the past we used hand polish then hand wax twice a year.. Any comments?

Matthayes3741

I use clay to remove debris (dirt sitting on the paint) so that you don't scratch when waxing... the polish removes a micro-layer of paint and can "even out" any small scratches.
Personally I find that a could 1 step polish (once a year or so) followed by wax keeps things clean and protected on my black car. Any deeper scratches or swirls Kaye require a 2 or 3 step polish.

In short- clay and polish do two different things.

Socalsteve

Wash 2 bucket system
Clay to remove small debris
Polish to remove small scratches in clear coat ( orbital sander )
Wax to protect

BenzV12

I prefer clear coating , no need to hassle with those

Socalsteve

You clearcoat over your clearcoat?...

docsout

When I recently went for a detail, the mention of polish resulted in a look of 'that's old school' and hence the origin of this thread. Well, what I'm looking for in this forum is for a professional detailer to step up and comment one way or the other. I understand everyone has an opinion but I want to hear from someone who does detailing for a living with his hands and not a whirly machine. I'm not interested in 'a lick and a promise'.

Socalsteve

Last time I checked, professional auto detailers weren't driving S Class MBZ, mostly pick up trucks. I think you are looking in the wrong arena.

Try here: https://detailingbliss.com

And here: https://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/

With that being said, I think you will find that the " whirly machine " you speak of is probably the best friend of a pro car detailer. In the right hands, with the right compounds, it can do magic. If they just used " their hands " pro detailers would not be able to get the cut into the clearcoat needed to remove the swirl marks. Removing these swirl marks, especially in darker colored cars, is the essence of car detailing. The rest is just maintenance and protection.

Happy reading!

Tjdehya

Ceramic coating! I wash the car maybe once or twice a month and I daily drive a black S coupe. Its worth the investment IMO.

Socalsteve

Yes, that's a great option for protection after your car gets detailed with polish compounds and an orbital polisher to get all the swirls out before you put the ceramic coating on.

Again, maintenance ( washing and waxing ) and protection ( waxing and any number of synthetic coating materials, or wax ) are done after the vehicle has been thoroughly prepped ( polished ) to remove any swirls and imperfections in the clearcoat.

Jason B

Really? That sounds too good to be true. I've been hearing quite about buzz though about this ceramic coating... Anyone else do it?

Matthayes3741

I did it on my Cadillac CTS V a couple of years ago in Houston, Texas. It's amazing! I used CQuartz... installed by a professional. I also had them install Xpel Ultimate self-healing clear bra.... together my car was totally protected and looked amazing all the time.
I'm definitely going to do it to my black S Class but I need to find a reputable installer and the time to have it all done... getting a two step paint correction wih all of the above takes a couple of days,

Socalsteve

Not sure what a 2 step paint correction is, but you are on the right track with getting all the swirls and imperfections out of the clearcoat before you use any other products on top of it.

May take 2 steps, maybe more depending on how badly your clearcoat is. It’s basically cutting down the clearcoat with gritty polish and an orbital buffer and then doing it all over again with a finer polish and then again and again ( with finer grade polishes) until the finish is clear of imperfections.

Then, and only then do you put a protection layer over that. Whether it’s wax, ceramic, clear bra vinyl, whatever.

Matthayes3741

yep... this isn't my first rodeo with nice cars... won't be my last either! I've done paint correction and collision repair as a hobby - restoring classic cars as. I would advise against amateurs trying to ceramic wax or install an advanced clear bra... for the cost and time it takes to do it right, I'd rather have a professional do it lol.

Here's more on the two step paint correction... any professional detailer should know what it means.

https://www.google.com/amp/www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/1-step-2-step-the-various-types-of-polishing-processes/amp/

Socalsteve

Any good professional detailer will take as many steps as needed with different combinations of pads and polishes to do paint correction. I’d walk away from any detailer who said they would just do a 2 step process for correction. Could take more.

My 2013 911, that I bought used had not been treated very well ( paint wise ). Super hard to tell because the white didn’t show off the swirl marks in an obvious manner. I did a many step polish-pad combo on my car. Finally got it to really shine as it should. Took many steps though. Ended up using a very fine wax ( name alludes me now-jar is in the trunk of my S Class ) and that car felt like it glowed when it was finished. Was an amazing labor of love to get it to look that good.

More than 2 steps to achieve this.

Matthayes3741

Fair enough... cheers

Munich77

I have had ceramic coatings on my cars for the last couple of years. I use Polish Angel Cosmic. It gives a deep carnauba shine. While others are correct in stating that you could probably have a professional put it on, the paint on both of our cars is in a great condition.

I am going to recoat it again. The process is not that difficult. I will have to clay chemically decontaminate the paint, clay the paint and then hand polish. The coating goes on very easy because Polish Angle uses carnauba wax as the delivery agent. Two coats of coating and the cars will be good for another couple of years. After regular washings, I use a rinse and wash sealant by CarPro, a Optimum Spray wax or a detailing spray. The cars have stayed looking like new the way.Quite frankly I love having a coating because i know the paint is always protected even if the top layer of wax is gone.

docsout

HAND polish! Finally someone who uses ‘elbow grease’ to care for their finish.

Socalsteve

In all honesty, hand polishing doesn’t come close to cutting it if you are doing paint correction.

Munich77

I totally agree but the paint is in pretty good condition and I do not want to spend the money on a polisher for once a year.

Socalsteve

You would be surprised how much nicer your car will come out with an orbital, a few different levels of pads and few levels of Mazurna polish. Like night and day. Will come out glowing.

If you don’t believe me, take an LED flashlight at night or in a very dark area and shine it on your paint. I wouldn’t be surprised if you saw just how badly the clearcoat is.

Germancar1

This is the correct way. Exactly. Time consuming but rewarding.

M

53mercedes

Question: My 2024 AMG GLE 53 is due for delivery in a couple of months and I can not wait. Okay, I always wash my own cars. Great information above. I am in the process of purchasing all new car care products. How about Meguiars Ultimate Wash and Wax? Seems like a one step process. Does this work and does it really apply a wax treatment? Or should I buy a paste apply separately after I have washed the car and is dry?

vinflouen

Ceramic coat and be done with waxing for a few years. Do the wheels too to keep brake dust at bay.
i drove 1500 miles and it looks lsuper clean and shiny….none of this spray on stuff, you need nasty butane based products for the real stuff.

aypues

It’s a big scam. They just rebranded polishing to “paint correction” and “using a compound”. Same diff, just charge way way more for the new generation that don't know any better.

superpop

I have a black S63 so it is very difficult to get perfect but for a few hundred bucks you can buy a nice DA orbital polisher and pads. Adams and Griots both make kits as well. You start by cleaning the car and then clay bar it to get the imbedded impurities out of the paint. After that you go to either a swirl remover or polish depending on the condition of your paint. From there a ceramic coating is great. I would not recommend one of the super long lasting ones if you are doing it yourself as they are a little bit harder to apply but Adam's makes one called Graphene Spray that basically gives you around a year or two of protection. I put it on last year and the water still beads right off. I would not pay someone close to a grand to do this for me though as it is pretty easy to do on a saturday once you watch a few you tube videos on how to polish a clear coat car. Mercedes paint is exceptionally hard and durable so it is kind of hard to hurt it with a DA polisher.

https://adamspolishes.com/collection...ating%E2%84%A2
https://adamspolishes.com/collection...r-two-step-kit