you are out of control my friend.

 

If you think that's something, last year on my old car (2000 Contour SVT) I applied 35 coats and the previous year had me rubbing on it 39 times. I forgot how many times I did the car the previous 3 seasons, but I'm sure I rubbed on the car about 150 times in the 5 years I owned it. I guess its why I had some guy ask me who wet sanded the car because there was no way it was the factory paint. Probably the best compliment I've ever gotten on the car. I hope to hit at least 20 before I put it away for the winter. Once its put away and I get bored, guess what, I'll go out there, fire up my heater and apply more coats, making it impossible to get dirty, LOL!

 

And I thought I was bad putting on THREE coats a year....don't come close to you. I use Meguiar's products and have had good results but maybe I am from the "old school"!

 

let's just hope your clear coat is extra hard and thick to withstand all the polishing. unfortunately, clay, polish, wax, towels, microfiber cloth, etc. are all abrasive at the microscopic level. each cycle would tend to strip away some small amount of the finish. wouldn't a balance of periodic waxing/polishing (say 4-6 times a year, or maybe up to once a month in extreme conditions) be healthier for the finish in the long run? not to mention saving a little bit of time to actually drive the thing.

 

Aero sounds like what I do too. I have nice warm garage and if I don't polish the car at least once a month I go through withdrawal. Got my Xfire in mid July and I'm sure it has at least 10 coats of Zaino so far.
I have a question for Golfdude - your thoughts on Zaino, I'm curious what you think of the stuff. I've used it for 4 years now. I've tried other stuff and I really think its the best.

Pat

 

Remember you can not get to the paint on your car. What you are doing is smoothing, cleaning, polishing and waxing the clearcoat. The final stage ( wax ) should be as thin as possible to protect but not cloud your previous steps.

San Diego Bob

 

I know I talked about this earlier but you guys gotta try Liquid Glass. It even smells nice.
I think it is the best dam thing out there and I have polished some serious cars.
Just follow the directions on the can, best $20 improvement you can make.

 

I used to only use Mequiars and they still offer a quality product, especially NXT! That stuff is awesome and very easy to use, easy on and easy off. About a year and half ago I switched to Griots and haven't looked back! About 2 weeks ago I cracked open a brand new bottle of Mequiars #26 Hi-Tech Yellow Wax and was amazed at how much harder it is to remove than the Griots "Best of Show" or Paint Sealant. I believe thats why Meguiars has got into the synthetic stuff and produced NXT. Right along side my Griots I've added another weapon to the mix, Klasse and I can't get over it either!!! I will always have Meguiars in my arsenal because I love scratch-X and Medallion premium paint cleaner (only available through them directly), but as far as sealants and waxes, its Griots and Klasse for me. In closing why not try something else, I did and don't regret it at all!

 

I've since switched to Klasse All in One and its twin, Sealant Glaze, both are awesome! To "top" these acrylics its recommended to use a quality carnauba, so I tried out some Pinnacle "signature series" and it too is awesome! They (Pinnacle) also have this wax called "Souveran" thats for dark, red and black colored cars and I'll be getting that very soon to have in my arsenal! In addition to the above products I also picked up some S100 (same as P21S) but at half the cost and have to say it too is a quality product!

 

Just got some Pinnacle "Souveran" yesterday and had to try it out. Even though this stuff is geared towards red, dark and black colored cars it worked nicely on my ride, but I'm going to stick with what its gear towards because of its price and application...$70.00 for 8oz, but it goes on sale from time for $50-$60.00.

 

Years ago turtle wax had a wax that you wet down after applying the wax to the car, then just wiped off while drying the car. I'm guessing it disappeared because people probably never read the directions when using it. Anyway, I'm using Zymol and they recommended the same thing. I put the first coat on right after I got the car (almost three weeks ago) the normal way, then today I did the rinse thing, WOW! It was a pain removing the wax, it smeared and smeared, but the final buffing gave my car the "wet" look. Now I need to get some liquid detailer, any recommendations?

 

If you give Klasse All in One and Sealant Glaze a try, your days of working hard to remove it and smearing will be a thing of the past, trust me! Turtle wax...they're still in business, LOL! I like Griots Garage "Speed Shine" for use as a quick detailer and for use as lube when clay barring. Its $30.00 a gallon, the only way to buy it IMO. Mequiars "Final Inspection" is also another good one and it too can be bought by the gallon is about $23.00.
www.griotsgarage.com

 

...considering trying out Zymol this spring time. I have heard nothing but good things.

 

Aero Blue - How much do you spend on car wax a year? You got me beat. Sal gets about $100 a year from me.

Pat

 

It's good, but a little harder to come off and last only a little longer than NXT. Plus, you have an added step. After you buff out a small area they want you to go back over it with a spray bottle filled with water and buff it out one more time to seal it.

I'll stick with NXT... easy on, easy off and a great shine, even on a SSB car.

 

Yeah, I've heard that water settles out a coat of Zymol. Anyhow, I was recently given a bottle of it so it looks like I will be trying it out. Thankfully, our Crossfires are so tiny that waxing is never too much of an undertaking! Funny that I find myself spending so much time doing it, then...

 

Because I detail cars on the side, its hard to say what I spend on my own car since I just dip into the stockpile I have. But this year I spent about $160 on getting up to speed for my work load this year and if everything goes right, I need to order some more! If any of you are going to be in the metro Detroit area and need your car detailed, look me up!

 

My detailing ritual includes: wash with Dawn (to remove residual wax), Klasse All-in-one, 3 coats of Klasse Sealant Glaze, one coat Meguiar's Step 3 (carnauba wax). If I could figure out how to attach the photos I would. Oh well, you can always go to my gallery to see the final results.

Kevin
Graphite SRT-6

 

That's a significant undertaking.

 

Yes, it is a lot of work. But, the end results are well worth it. Plus, I need as much protection as possible in the Florida sun.

Kevin