How Do I Detail It? Products, etc...

[lbwd]

My car is really shiny now, but I want to remove the dirt that I can't see. It has been waxed recently (2 months ago). I just washed it...

I have ICE Liquid Clay Bar and Nu Finish car polish.
I have a question about the Nu Finish stuff:

It says "The Once A Year Car Polish", (not that I give a fk) "Better Than Wax! It's Guaranteed!", and "Rated #1 by Consumer Magazines". It's "Soft Paste" and I guess it's supposed to replace the waxing? No rubbing, buffing, etc...

Now I'd like to ask three questions:
1.) What do you think of this; will I have a better shine?
2.) What's your method and what tools and products do you use?
3.) What do the 'pros' use?

PS - I am talking exterior but I'd like to know how you do the interior, too. I always use the leather cleaner and interior wipes. If the carpet is dirty, I get carpet cleaner. As far as windows, straight white vinegar is the best! Just don't get it on the paint!

[lbwd]

Also, just saw the Presto ad and checked it out.
What do you all think of the PRESTO! clearcoat thing?
http://www.prestoprotech.com/Car_Car...FRUHWAodgV_gtg

[JimHare]

Asking about wax/polish is almost on the same plane as asking about which oil to use..

First off, CU's test was reportely quite flawed. I don't recall seeing NuFinish get a lot of rave reviews on the various detailing forums around, so I don't think it's held in very high regard by the so-called "professionals"....

That said, the bottom line is this. Preparation is key - a clean, contaminant-free finish with a good POLISH applied to it, will look good under nearly any half-way decent WAX. Remember they're two different animals. POLISH has mild abrasives in it to buff the clearcoat and restore shine. WAX should be thought of as the protective coat on your car that is sacrificed to the elements in order to protect the paint itself. Most waxes have reflective qualities in them to help with the 'gloss', but again, a good polish will look good under nearly any wax.

If you don't want to spend a lot of money, and are comfortable with OTC products, I think that the Turtle Wax Platinum Ultra-High Gloss wax is more then half-way decent. I've used the liquid, it also comes in a paste.

You can use whatever looks BEST to you. Some waxes protect longer than others. For absolute rock-bottom (or top...?) protection, there is nothing I've seen better than Collinite #845 Insulator Wax. I had two coats on my cars over the winter, and it was still beading a few weeks ago.

On Saturday, I washed, clayed, and polished the Eldo with a new product from Pinnacle called XMT-360. It's an all-in-one cleaner, polish, protectant. Then followed with one coat of Poorboy's Nattys Blue wax.

[cantlooz]

sunovabich...that looks pretty dam good rite there^^^^^^
like a big black mirror..hahaha..to bad my caddy is white,dont look like that.lol

[lbwd]

Nice. I did all but the wax... that's tomorrow.
I can see like 300 feet down the road through my doors.

[submariner409]

Take a long surf through www.autogeek.net . Good stuff, fair prices, quick delivery. (^^^^BTW, "Pinnacle" is one of the trade names which Autogeek uses...)

[lbwd]

Very useful site.
I just had it detailed professionally, but next time I'll order some stuff and try it out! Thanks.

[Highway Star]

Jim and Submariner, you guys got some serious shine going on with your rides. Nice!

[lbwd]

The front bumper, upper doors, and side mirrors are never as shiny looking.