ok guys i gave my car a good wash today and wax. im still a newb at detailing soo give me some pointers i washed with dawn soap to get all the old wax off. calybared washed again then 2 coats of nxt.
i mean its better then before but its still not as good as i want. im using a cheap walmart buffer could that be the reason? what is a porter cable and what are the advantages? any other advice? im a complete newb.
Depends on the condition of your paint to begin with, every car has a point at which its as good as it gets. I had really good results with Meguiars 3 step Cleaner, Polish and 2 coats of step 3 Carnuba wax(only the wax should dry to a haze). It's a lotta work but the results were good on my baby. Don't cheap out on materials, get a good quality lambswool wash mitt and use two buckets when washing using the second rinse bucket to clean off your mitt before dipping into your soap bucket again. This keeps your soap bucket and mitt clean. Use good quality microfiber towels for buffing off the dried wax and allow time for the first buffed off coat of wax to cure before the second coat. Hope that helps
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2006 Black GT Premium IUP, Shaker 500, black leather ..... 100% Stock just as Ford built it, w/warranty. Other Cars: Son: 1996 Black Vert V6 Daughter: 02 Silver Coupe V6 Wife: 96 Grand Cherokee Limited (Yeah, we let her ride in our Stangs)
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Joined: 12/29/2004 From: New Hampshire Status: offline
Try a different wax. NXT is a good product -- but it does seem to be very color dependent. It looks great on some cars, not so great on others. It did nothing for my Torch Red GT.
I use a claybar, then Klasse All-in-one. Klasse is my 'year round hard protective layer. It has a very good shine and great longevity. If I'm going to a show or something, I'll throw a couple of coats of P21S Pure Carnuba over the Klasse. The P21S doesn't last very long, but it has an incredible shine and depth. Take a look at my gallery -- those pics were taken last summer right after I detailed the car for a show.
I have several pads, orange and grey pads came with my PC. The orange pad is better for swirls, the grey is for applying cleaner, polish and wax. The PC is great for application of these. The meguiars web site sells pads for the PC as does autogeek. You put your product right on the pad and work in into the paint. No pressure is necessary just the weight of the PC is plenty. Lots of sites on the web with tips and trics for detailing.
Good Luck,
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2006 Black GT Premium IUP, Shaker 500, black leather ..... 100% Stock just as Ford built it, w/warranty. Other Cars: Son: 1996 Black Vert V6 Daughter: 02 Silver Coupe V6 Wife: 96 Grand Cherokee Limited (Yeah, we let her ride in our Stangs)
I run a small home based detailing side business at home. I typically use - believe it or not - Turtle Wax. I tried Maguire's, Mother's Gold, and Ford's own wax (from the dealer, that the dealer's detail shop uses), and almost every other brand, and I've found that when you're doing hand waxing, it's pretty much the best product out there. By hand waxing, I mean that I apply thr wax / polish by hand and use an orbital buffer to buff it out, followed by a cotton diaper to finish it off and get the small crevises and gaps. If you're using a high speed sander with a polishing head, I can't say what's better, because that works at several thousand rpm's versus the orbital buffer, which is just a few hundred rpms. I've found through trial and error that the Turtle wax beads the best, is the easiest to remove, even in high temperatures and sunlight, and lasts the longest.
As for using dish soap, I highly recommend against it. It may make the car look clean initially, but all dish soaps, including the milder versions like Dove, are designed to clean dishes, pots & pans, etc., which are typically covered with food stuffs and grease - so essentially they're grease cutters. Since waxes and polishes are generally petro based, your'e essentially stripping off all of the waxes that you're putting on to make the surfase shine. Not a good thing, unless you're just doing once in a while to purposely strip the wax for a fresh start. I prefer the Turtle Wax car wash & wax combination soap followed by the Turtle wax hard shell for the best shine, and it's actually cheaper than most other brands which is a little bonus in my opinion.
turtle Wax also makes a polish for dark paint that removes swirls. I bought a used black GT convertible a few years ago that apparently was never waxed and I assume the previous owner always went through a car wash, which basically left me with a swirled, dull finish. It looked like crap. turtle Wax brand soap, swirl remover, and hard shell cleaner wax had the black pain looking almost brand new. I'm extremely happy with these products, and I think you all would be too if you gave them a shot. I know the name brand is considered a pretty low level product to some people, but I think you'll be surprised by how well their stuff works.
Never ever use dish soaps! Use high quality wash mits. Micro fiber towels or chamois for drying. Use whatever brand you want for cleaner, polisher, wax. All major brands will perform the same. It's nothing more than preferance. Do all steps minimum twice a year. More if you need it. Do not overuse wash mits, towels, clay bars, etc.
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'06 GT Vista Blue Premium Package C&L CAI Diablosport Predator 93 Octane Tune Corsa Axle-backs
Use 3-M Perfecto-III rubbing compound with a wool pad on even your cheapo Walyworld buffer. This product does not gunk up like other rubbing compounds. It is creamy and comes off easy. It also has a "glossifier" (whatver that is...but it works!) The ploish and wax or glaze. This rubbing compound is like, smart. While it is going on, it will remain creamy and stay milky until it somehow knows it is done and then strts to dry and then comes off. All during the buffing without stopping. You will remove all scratches and swirl marks before polish and wax. I use glaze but I am sure to have all imperfections out first. Some say glaze fills scratches and it temporay. Only if you have not done you job first with the rub and polish do you glaze. Good luck. Heer ia a sample of say...shine from my website.
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I've pretty much tried em all, and TURTLE WAX ICE is by far,.... the absolute best I've seen. Plus it can be used on all surfaces vinyl, rubber, weather strips etc. with NO white marks !!!!! EZ on EZ off, TRY it you won't regret it. JMO
I've pretty much tried em all, and TURTLE WAX ICE is by far,.... the absolute best I've seen. Plus it can be used on all surfaces vinyl, rubber, weather strips etc. with NO white marks !!!!! EZ on EZ off, TRY it you won't regret it. JMO
Will Turtle wax ice remove swirles and very minor scratches? I've tried Maguire's and although it's a good product it really didn't work well on the black color.
I've pretty much tried em all, and TURTLE WAX ICE is by far,.... the absolute best I've seen. Plus it can be used on all surfaces vinyl, rubber, weather strips etc. with NO white marks !!!!! EZ on EZ off, TRY it you won't regret it. JMO
Will Turtle wax ice remove swirles and very minor scratches? I've tried Maguire's and although it's a good product it really didn't work well on the black color.
What Meguiar's product did you try? Most waxes wont remove swirls unless they are a cleaner wax. some just fill in swirls and the swirls will return after the first wash. If you want to get rid of swirls you're gonna need to get a porter cable polisher and #80 speed glaze from Meguiar's or you can do the whole car by hand with scratchX but that is a tall order of work. Scratch X must be used correctly for it to work.
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what am i doing wrong? - 
