Blue_Water_Rush
04-24-2007, 08:03 AM
Well... it was a long weekend, but my paint is good for another couple months. This time I did the whole regalia of proper paint preparation and treatment. My fingers are all cracked open at the nails... sore. I shouldn't have cut them so short before this endeavour lol. The first pic shows my whole arsenal.
1. I started off with a good rinse, then proceeded to wash the truck thouroghly with Dawn dish detergent. This strips the paint of all old wax & sealant.
2. Next, I drove it a few miles above 55 mph to wring out the paint from all the nooks & crannies, then proceeded to use the clay bar. I was amazed at how much more dirt showed up on the bar that washing alone did not remove. This really evens out the paint and makes it really smooth. Heck, it looked like I didn't need to do another thing, but the paint was really vulnerable now.
3. Another wash with Dawn and a quick drive removed the clay lube and got it ready for the next step. There were a few water marks that a damp microfiber rag misted with a little quik deatailer along with a dry mf towel removed.
4. Now for the swirls. I used the no. 9 swirl remover with a yellow foam pad on my orbital buffer. Now this stuff is actually more like a polish than a compound, and is designed to mask the edges of the cracks so they won't reflect light. It was semi-effective... so I could still see the spider webbing, though more faintly. The next time I need waxing, I am going to have an auto body friend compound them out with starting with a fine cut and wool pad, as well as a heavier cut for some minor scratches.
5. Next I washed the truck again with the soft-gel wash, and took another drive.
6. Another quick drive and quik detailer drying and now I was ready for polish.
7. I used the no. 7 show car glaze polish with the foam pad, and buffed it into the paint. One small section at a time with immediate microfiber towel buffing... you don't want to let this stuff dry.
8. Next, I moved on to waxing. I used the no. 26 yellow tech wax which is a pure carnuba. Again the yellow foam pad worked great for applying the wax. All the removal and buffing I did by hand with microfiber. This wax is very easy to remove, unlike a lot of other products I've used.
8. Finally, I used the Mother's Back to Black treatment on the plastic, vinyl and rubber (yes.. including the door gaskets).
I am thrilled with the results. But the next time I need to wash the truck. Just the clay treatment following the wash will be fine. It will not remove the wax! A few months from now I will get it compounded to finally get rid of the spider webs for good, then polish and wax again.
1. I started off with a good rinse, then proceeded to wash the truck thouroghly with Dawn dish detergent. This strips the paint of all old wax & sealant.
2. Next, I drove it a few miles above 55 mph to wring out the paint from all the nooks & crannies, then proceeded to use the clay bar. I was amazed at how much more dirt showed up on the bar that washing alone did not remove. This really evens out the paint and makes it really smooth. Heck, it looked like I didn't need to do another thing, but the paint was really vulnerable now.
3. Another wash with Dawn and a quick drive removed the clay lube and got it ready for the next step. There were a few water marks that a damp microfiber rag misted with a little quik deatailer along with a dry mf towel removed.
4. Now for the swirls. I used the no. 9 swirl remover with a yellow foam pad on my orbital buffer. Now this stuff is actually more like a polish than a compound, and is designed to mask the edges of the cracks so they won't reflect light. It was semi-effective... so I could still see the spider webbing, though more faintly. The next time I need waxing, I am going to have an auto body friend compound them out with starting with a fine cut and wool pad, as well as a heavier cut for some minor scratches.
5. Next I washed the truck again with the soft-gel wash, and took another drive.
6. Another quick drive and quik detailer drying and now I was ready for polish.
7. I used the no. 7 show car glaze polish with the foam pad, and buffed it into the paint. One small section at a time with immediate microfiber towel buffing... you don't want to let this stuff dry.
8. Next, I moved on to waxing. I used the no. 26 yellow tech wax which is a pure carnuba. Again the yellow foam pad worked great for applying the wax. All the removal and buffing I did by hand with microfiber. This wax is very easy to remove, unlike a lot of other products I've used.
8. Finally, I used the Mother's Back to Black treatment on the plastic, vinyl and rubber (yes.. including the door gaskets).
I am thrilled with the results. But the next time I need to wash the truck. Just the clay treatment following the wash will be fine. It will not remove the wax! A few months from now I will get it compounded to finally get rid of the spider webs for good, then polish and wax again.