civicchick2001

sweet. im gonna drop by autozone tomorrow and pick up some of that Meguair's NXT Gen Tech 2.0 wax. i used to have a red celica and then a black spyder eclipse, which were the basic colors.. but this is my first car that has the metallic-like paint on it, and turtle wax just doesnt get it to shine like it should. but i will definetly try this stuff out. **im prayin for sun tomorrow** lol

i saw that claybar thing the other day when i went in there and was like.. wtf is this thing?? what is that for? is it just another thing to use for detailing? or is it for certain things like fillin in chips, or scratches, or whatever.. ?

thanks for lettin me know about the wax stuff btw..

Kennykid2002

iTrader: (1)

Ever clean your car, then dry and run your hand down the body of the car?
Feels a bit like sand paper even after you wash it doesnt it?

It's industrial fallout, sap, and anything that sticks to your car

Claybar will remove all that crap and make your car feel glossy mirror smooth

It's a lot of elbow grease, but VERY very worth it

civicchick2001

dang.. i might have to try that out.. do you just use that when your washing your car? like use it instead of a sponge or whatever? or do you use it after you have washed the whole thing? i loovvvve that feeling when its silky smooth, espcially after you just finish waxing it.. and get a clean microfiber cloth and slide it across the hood and it just glides right over it... amazing. lol.. but anyways, when do you use that thing?

Kennykid2002

iTrader: (1)

I wash, clay,
then do a full wipe down...and then start wax.
I usually leave wax on overnight, because I have a garage

Then I wipe off all excess wax in the morning with a plush microfiber

One time i forgot I waxed, I put my RainX windshield cleaner on the hood, and it slid right off >.<

My whole detailing process takes about 3 hrs

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

meguair's or meguiar's? :P:P:P:P

civicchick2001

oh i dont care how long it takes to make a car look good.. it can take all day, and that's exactly how long ill spend on it. and nobody better bug me while im doin it. lol

with that clay thing, does it have to soak? or do you just rinse off the entire car before you start using that?

and with the wax.. i thought there was only a certain amount of time you could leave wax on a car.. ??? i had no idea you could leave it on over night.. it doesnt strip or do anything bad to the paint? ive always just waxed it on.... waited.. waited.. waited some more.. tested it.. waited.. then waxed it off. lol..

civicchick2001

it sounds kinda cooler the first way.. lol

7genmarathon

iTrader: (1)

A second coat is always a good idea. As for the clay barring, its good but I do it twice a year perhaps. Too much effort for it to only make my blemishes appear more visible. My car's paint is pretty much SOL, all I can do is maintain and watch my car's titanium metallic get wrinkles from age. I'll have to try that meguitars nxt fj cruiser wax sometime soon. Maybe when it gets cooler..if it gets cooler.

Kennykid2002

iTrader: (1)

Meguairs, Meguiars, tomato tomahtoe
same thing :P

@civicchick
I just wash it down like normal, dry it, and claybar it
Claybar kit comes with a lubricant
Spray it on, rub the clay in, wipe off, knead clay
Repeat throughout whole car

Check out my cleaned up thread:
https://www.civicforums.com/forums/4...d-up-ride.html

I can't stress enough how detailing and maintenance keeps a car at it's tip top shape
I mean, just take a look at those headlights, never restored them at all
And i wish the pictures could do the paint justice, my car literally glows in the sun.

civicchick2001

looks VERY clean and sharp.. wheels look nice and slick. and the paint looks wet.. i hate how pictures never do justice of things.. especially cars.. but i bet if you jumped on the hood, you'd slide right off to the other side.. just like the little brother in Just Friends (with ryan renolds) who oils up "samantha james" and dives in and slides right over her..

very sexy ride though..

i was also readin what you were sayin about the tires.. how you had tried somethin else, but because of somethin you had used prior, it wasnt workin right. would you recommend that "extreme wet shine" or whatever its called, from armor-all for your tires? i use that, and it makes em super black and wet lookin, but it doesnt stay like that. it looks all water proof later when the water beads up on em, but doesnt stay slick lookin..


i loved this.. cracked me up.. lol

civicchick2001

what about the wax thing.. its cool to leave it over night?

Kennykid2002

iTrader: (1)

Yes, the tires, do not use any kind of FOAMING action stuff

Stay with GEL and use an APPLICATOR Foam
That gives me the best results

After my 5~6 application of the turtle wax tire gels, they seem to stay on pretty nicely, and dont dry out very easily.
Like I said in the post, i might have done prior damage to the tires by using the cleaning foam.
Kind of made a oil seal on the tires, so that they wont absorb any kind of fluids.

I still want to give Meguiars Gold Class tire gel a try.
& my tires look wet and shiny, but they're completely dry to the touch, which I like
Personally, I do not like anything from armorall except for their interior wipes.


Go do some video watching on youtube on Meguiar products, they have really good info on their videos
"The longer the wax sits, the easier to wipe off"
One way to tell is to "swipe the coat of wax with your fingertips, if it smudges, it's not yet ready to be wiped off"
[autostream]http://autostream.com/ibcivicforums/?page_type=firebirdplayerthumbnail&framepage=999&t ransactionid=1310800693-242317843&posted_by=Kennykid2002_www.civicforums.c om&youtube_video_id=_6VhrpEBtNE[/autostream]

Wax doesnt damage your paint finish, so you can leave it on as long as you want.

civicchick2001

yeah, im starting to try new products cuz what i have been usin is just not cuttin it anymore. the armorall tire shine stuff works great.. for about a day.. then you drive a little, or whatever, and then you look at your tires and notice that they repell water, but the look like flat rubber. no shine, no wet black, just like a tire. so ill porbably pic up some different tire stuff while im there as well.. i like em to be slick black and stay that way for a while..

and yeah, ill definetly look more into the Meguiar products.. they seem pretty legit..

and thats crazy about the wax.. i definetly know about the "fingertip test" with the wax.. thats what i wait and wait and wait some more on.. lol but heck, next time i wax it, it can sit in my garage and ill finish the next day.

anyways, thanks for all the tips.. its kinda cloudy out right now, but im hoping it clears up this afternoon so i can get to work..

7genmarathon

iTrader: (1)

I would check out some stuff called "aerospace protectant". Its used on boat/plane canopy's to prevent UV fading. I use it on the exterior rubber stuff, like the weatherstripping. It works great and smells like bubblegum. It does not have silicone like Armor All. Silicone is bad for interior stuff, it is heat sensitive and will expand with exposed too long to heat-which is how cracked dashboards happen.

Kennykid2002

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, anything silicone based is terrible for your car
It'll give shine for the first 48 hours or so, then it'll sling and dull.
It's also what causes browning on tires as well.

@Civicchick
I typically wash my car when it's warm outside, then let it sit in the garage to cool down, and wax at around 6~7 at night when it's cooler. and then just leave it in the garage till the morning

Or if I'm lazy, I just use Meguiar's quick wax spray on, and wipe off (its much easier when you've already applied the NXT gen wax)
If anyone's tried Meguiars products, they all smell like candy >.<
The quick wax smells delicious haha

PS. If you guys ever buy the NXT gen, get the paste, not the liquid. It'll last you longer and give better results

I'm interested to try out ArmorAll's new "butter smooth" wax which claims to be "no wait time", Wanna see how the results compare
And also croftgate's tire shine which claim to be "instantly dry to the touch"

But I have yet to run out of detailing equipment yet...

civicchick2001

i looked at a few vids about the claybar thing.. and i was wondering.. why do you use Mothers instead of Meguiars? Have you tried em both and liked Mothers better? They seem pretty similar.. but the bar for Mothers seems bigger too..

i think im definetly gonna go buy this thing.. cuz my paint feels crappy to the touch.. and i want it silky smooth like this claims to do..

lowlife9

i would get meguiers new ultimate wax you can apply it in direct sunlight also there interior UV spray .

7genmarathon

iTrader: (1)

Yup. One time I put on some "hot tire" shine on em and I let them sit, and wiped the excess off. About 2 days later everything below the door savers had a greasy black haze on it, kinda like lithium grease.

Speaking of lithium grease, I read somewhere it works wonders on weatherstripping. I tried and it really worked great. It keeps them flexible and prevents them from ever chipping.

Gah I love my car when its primped up. Just washed about 4lbs of bird turds from work off of it.

Kennykid2002

iTrader: (1)

I use mothers because I feel like I get a better value out of it, essentially, it's the same thing, lube with a bar of clay

Mothers is $5 cheaper

civicchick2001

makes sense to me lol.. and i will be usin this next time i wash and wax. saw some pretty good videos about it, and it seems to work like a charm. and some of those cars afterwards might as well be mirrors they're so shiny! nuts! how long does 1 bar usually last you?

civicchick2001

Meguiars seems like a good product.. might be steppin away from armorall for good..

Kennykid2002

iTrader: (1)

1 bar of clay usually lasts about 5~10 uses
I go overboard and use it much more, but as long as you keep the clay clean, it shudnt be a problem

You can use anything for lube, I ran out of the mother's lube that came with, and I just used water mixed with some car wash soap, works the same way

I was even thinking at one point, buy a piece of clay at a crafts store for $2 instead of buying a whole new claybar kit

Just remember, if you drop your clay on the floor once, it's no good.
Throw it away, dont even bother picking off the debris that stuck on, you do NOT want those debris scratching your paint

civicchick2001

lol.. i know how ya feel when they are all shiny and good lookin, aint nothin like it

civicchick2001

i saw some guy say that on a video.. i think the meguiars video.. and i's like.. man.. that'd suck if ya dropped em both lol. i bet that'd make ur paint all nice and scratched if you used it again. lol

7genmarathon

iTrader: (1)

I hate my paint chips and clearcoat failure on my trunk. I make up for in on my interior. I wanna do that suede DIY before class starts up again.

lowlife9

lol kennykid was going to rub actual clay on his car thats hilarious. you do know its not actually clay rite ??? . and i have used armor all in the past and it was always greasy and turned white when rain hit it and left white streak on my door panal i just recently got some Meguiar's spray this stuff is not greasy doesn't leave white streaks and gives a much nicer shine on my plastic it also has scotch guard in it. needles to say i will only be using this for now on.

lowlife9

have you tried Dr Color Chip ?
http://www.drcolorchip.com/

7genmarathon

iTrader: (1)

Nah my chips are about the size of a dime. About a dozen of em and one big chip the size of a post-it-note. I'd have to buy a lot of little packages for a lot of big chips.

Brian1037

Why don't you just take a potato peeler or knife and shave off a layer of the clay to get rid of the outside and debris

lowlife9

5 second rule does not apply here.