Gotta car show this weekend and need the tips for success The car; 87 GN The mission; no swirls,streaks, cracks,(you get the point) Key words I have heard; no sunlight, "Final Inspection", terry cloth Key words to avoid;sunlight, dish soap, bath towels Whats the best way (apart from a full wax job) that I can get this baby to shine? :bglasses: Paint is nice nice nice and original, so my mission is not to mess it up. Whats the trade secrets. I am now listening uzzled:
I've got someone (who's an absolute car care genius) writing up a thing for you and your car. It'll be detailed and I pretty much gurantee great results. I'll get a copy to you either in this post or by pm.
I have NEVER tried this myself, but here is what is posted at gnttype.org, home to the black GN's. Before you attempt to wax or even wash your Turbo Regal (or any car for that matter), there are a few things that you should know; A car's finish is extremely delicate, it can easily be scratched or burnt. There are different procedures used for different finishes... this recipe happens to deal with clear coated finishes. There is more than one recipe that will work on different finishes, this is just one that is proven to work well, last long, and be cost effective...to an extent This recipe must be followed EXACTLY to achieve maximum shine and protection. Normal Washing Between Waxing Rinse down car with lukewarm water, not too hot, or it will dry too fast, form spots, and eventually pit into the finish. Mix up a bucket of HOT water with your favorite wash, zipwax works good. Apply to the car by hand, with a handmop or washcloth. Rinse car with lukewarm unpressureized water...in other words, straight out of hose without nozzle. You can either take out a squeegie and squeegie water off car (no, it won't scratch with a soft enough squeegie) or, you can dry the car with a 100% cotton terrycloth towel, or chamois. If swirl marks appear, sprinkle pure cornstarch over the entire car and buff out with terrycloth towel. Washing Before Waxing ** follow previous procedure, except use a carwash that does not apply wax i.e. zipwax. You must use a wash that does not strip wax, but yet does not apply any, either. So far, I have foud Meguiar's Mirror Glaze Hi-Tech Wash to do just that. ** do not put any cornstarch on car at this point... remember that you are waxing at this time... Cleaning, Polishing and Waxing Make sure that car is completely clean, dry, and cool, out of direct sunlight. Make sure that you are in an area of low dust, preferably inside a garage. Take out your Meguiar's No.2 Fine-Cut Cleaner. APPLY THIS BY MACHINE ONLY. You can apply to half the car at once, and work it in until it is almost dry. Then take it off with a 100% terrycloth towel. Now do the other half of the car just like you did the first side. After you're done, buff out the whole car with a 100% pure lambs wool bonnet. ** if you still have swirl marks, repeat step 3 completely, and if that doesn't work, which won't happen if your finish is in halfway decent shape, move up to Meguiar's No.1 Medium-Cut Cleaner. This will make your finish very dull, so you must then use the No. 9 Swirl remover to get the shine back. PLEASE NOTE... I do not recommend using No.1 cleaner because I believe it's far too abrasive for a clear coat, and may thin the clear coat finish on your car. On the other hand, if you still have swirl marks after two coats of no.2, this step is necessary in order to achieve maximum shine. Take out your Meguiar's no.7 show car glaze. THIS IS THE STEP THAT WILL GIVE YOU THAT DEEP, WET, SHOWCAR LOOK. Apply this to half of your car at a time. Simply apply it, let it sit for 2 or 3 minutes, and take it off. This product can be applied by hand, but you can see the difference a machine makes. Always take this product off by hand with a terrycloth towel. After you have done your whole car once, buff it out thoroughly to a deep glossy shine. Feel free to add another coat or two, buffing after each application. Don't worry, this product won't build up, so feel free and knock yourself out...the more the merrier. Now that you have a finish that is so bright you can hardly see, it's time to protect it. Yep, it's waxtime. Take out your Meguiar's No.26 Yellow Wax. Again, apply it to half of your car...either by machine or hand, let it dry to a haze, and remove the residue off the finish by hand with a 100% terrycloth towel. Do the same to the other half of the car and then buff it out. Put one more coat of wax on the car for some added protection, and then thoroughly buff it out. Let your car sit for about 1-2 hours after you finish your last coat of wax. This will allow the wax to bond to the car and completely dry.
I agree 100% with the above post. I have used Meguiar's products on all my cars for over 20 years without one single complaint. I have tried others (Zaino included) and ALWAYS come back to Meguiar's. I have not found anything better for any price. And yes, I've got a "few" black cars myself, including my son's '95 Riv daily driver. Meguiar's always has proved itself best in my book.
I agree with the above - except rinse - First thing I alway do is rinse the car off with water and my clean hand.....that way I can feel if there's any nasties sticking to the paint. I work then off gently with my finger or fingernail. Wash - from the Top down, leave the wheel wells, anything below the rockers, rims, and glass ALONE. you want that cloth to be CLEAN when you're dooing the the best and most visible panels Cut - as in their suggestion to Fine-Cut #2 ?? ONLY if you have swirls, and even then I'd try using just glaze first to remove them. If that doesn't then use fine-cut. Glaze - I use 3M imperial Hand glaze with an orbital buffer. Wax is Megulars 100% Pure Carnuba After a good wash/wax, a terry towel wont even stay on the hood.....it slides right off by itself !!
I can feel the pressure now. p He's pulling the "I'm busy" (probably waxing his car, again) stuff atm but it'll be up soon.
"The sweet taste of low cost turns sour when the the quality is less." Zaino is expensive, but it works best. How fussy are you? That will dictate what you buy and how satisfied you are.
I haven't waxed this car in 2 years.........I use some polish I get at my Proffessional Detail Supplier called "FINISH ENHANCER", I'll look in the garage tomorrow and let you know who makes it !!!!! P.S. I have a friend with a yellow Corvette who loves to ride next to me so he can see his car in action........then without warning, I blow his doors off !!!
Ron, How many times have you washed the car in the last two years? :laugh: That's the secret, don't get it dirty, don't have to wash it, only wipe it with a diaper. Maybe one of the high-end, show circuit car professional detailers (jre, where are you?) can chime in here with their opinion?
i use a woolen mitt that is machine washed after each car washing . i use lukewarm water , not hot , with armoral or similar car soap (between wax jobs) . i have used one of those california squeeges . they are okay but not that good . what i use now is one of those sythetic blue chamois from simoniz that are stored in their plastic container & i love it . this procedure works well for me .
