Wash waxing etc?

[Hawk]

Going to do a complete detail on my SS Camaro today hopefully!

I am going to try out a clay bar for the first time ever. I have one of my E30s professionally done once and couldnt believe the results.

My old process was to
1.Wash Car
2. Dry Lightly
3. Use Zymol Cleaner Wax
4. Use a Final wax like Mothers or Meguires

Have read some things about polish where would I add this in? Also the car sits outside what is going to give my paint the best protection?

I watched a couple of vids on how to do it. Seems you keep the surface wet and lighty run the clay across the surface. Then wipe off.

What I am planning
1.Wash Car
2. Dry Lightly
3. Clay
4. Zymol
5. Final Wax

Unless you guys think different.

[nando]

use the detailer spray as lube for the clay - usually comes with the kits.

I think you're better off just using wax, and not the cleaner wax stuff. I used to use Zymo cleaner wax, but their regular carnuba is way, way better and is meant to go on without another coat of wax already on the car. the clay is going to do the job you had been doing with cleaner wax (and a better job at that). The cleaner wax is kind of a pain the apply..

[Hawk]

Thanks for the help Nando! Havent been on here for awhile, since I sold my Bimmers man we've been here a long time lol.

[CorvallisBMW]

I second what Nando said, no need for a cleaner wax unless you have oxidation or light scratches. Carnuba will fill in swirl marks.

I know it sounds cheesy, but I've had fantastic luck with the Meg's Tech Wax 2.0 paste, shit is money.

[herbivor]

I usually do a full detail once a year which includes the following:
Washing
1. wash using a proper heavy knit microfiber wash mitt, Meg's car wash soap. Do not use a spray nozzle just let the water run from the hose. Use 2 buckets, one for soap, one for rinse. Rinse the mitt often. Use a separate mitt for the wheels.
2. Dry using a water blade and heavy absorbant microfiber towel. Do not dry if there is any visible dirt on the towel. pick it off or get another towel.

Clay Bar
Follow the directions, fold often and use the detailer spray and microfiber towel in small sections.

Polish
I really like using Meguiar's Ultimate Compound and Griott's orbital buffer with orange pads. It doesn't cut too harsh so you can't damage the paint, but it really brings out the shine way better than by hand. This is the single best thing you can do to make your paint look new and really shine.

Wax
Meg's Tech Wax 2.0 is pretty good stuff. Many will argue a carnuba wax is the best. The wax is really more of a protectant, not a polisher, so you can put it on by hand or orbital buffer set at low speed with a pad for wax. Take it off by hand only. I use Meg's Ultimate Detailer after every car wash and it keeps me from having to wax but every 6 months. Otherwise you want to wax every couple months to protect the paint.

[CorvallisBMW]

^all good in the hood right there

Griot's makes a spray-on wax that is awesome for keeping up your finish. Wash car, water blade, then spray on the wax before towel drying. Works great :up:

[joonsup]

First step is to wash your car properly using the two bucket method if you don't already. Clean the wheels first using separate bucket. Then wash the rest of the car from the top down and bumpers and sideskirts last. One bucket should be for the soap/water and the second bucket should be for the rinsing of the wash mitt after each section. A grit guard in the rinse bucket will help remove any dirt particles that may be trapped in the wash mitt. Make sure you use the proper mitt or else you'll leave fine scratches on your paint.

Next step I would use a clay bar to remove any contaminants stuck on the paint. If you run your hand over the paint and you get that rough feeling, that's what I'm talking about. This a crucial step in order to get the maximum results from the next step which is polishing. Brand of clay bar doesn't matter much as most of the clay comes from the same place and rebranded. The only difference is the abrasiveness of the clay...light,medium,heavy.

The only way to remove swirls (not hide them) is to use a polish combined with a machine such as an orbital or rotary. That's the only way to correct the paint. It cannot be done by hand. If you're trying to do this yourself and don't have much detailing experience, go with a quality orbital such as the Porter Cable 7424XP. Since it's an orbital it'll be hard to burn through the paint unlike a rotary machine. Once you have the orbital, you can try out the different polishing pad with the different grade polishes available to see what works best depending on the condition of your paint.

Next step would be to protect the work you've done making the paint nice and swirl/scratch free with some sealant, wax, or both. If you use both, apply the sealant on first as it bonds with the paint. Wait for it to cure, and then apply wax over it. Your car should be protected a good amount of time depending on how well you plan on maintaining it. If you plan on taking your car through the gas station car washes or other hand car wash places that spend 10 min washing your car before moving onto the next car in line, then I wouldnt waste my time detailing the car the proper way and instead use any type of polish that can be used by hand, which contains fillers and will only fill the swirls/scratches in temporarily. PM me if you have any other detailing questions.