Thread: any profesional car detailers out here?

waxes.....sealants.......caranuba.........synthetic........



I DONT KNOW DICK ABOUT THIS STUFF. what i want is to have my car professionally polished and waxed. but i dont want them to use the normal crap like off the shelf from auto zone so i was thinking of buying my own waxes.

i want this to last a long time and i have heard this and that about paint sealants. whats the best? why is it better? in the past i have bought some paint sealant from griots garage as well as "best of show" wax.....to be honest i noticed nothing special about it.

i really need advice as my detailing knowledge is useing either nu finish or gold class.

I use this, I've always loved it. I've also used the old pasty turtle wax but this is much better. IMO


You can use it if you want.

(Not to be confused with Astro glide)

I think most waxes are created somewhat equal. A carnuba wax is best for longevity, and smells delicious. It is considered the best type of wax out there. I have been in paint and body for a long time, and I always use zymol, it has no silicone in it, which can actually dry out the paint. Best of all, it's pretty cheap. I wanna say about $15-18 per 16oz(?) bottle.


A synthetic is exactly that, Man-made. They are better for your quick wax jobs in between a real wax. They are recommended to be used every 30 days, where as a carnuba wax can go 6 months before needing more.

Of course all the proper steps must be taken to prepare the paint for the wax. Such as washing,claybarring, cleaning, polishing, glazing, then waxing. For best results and simplicity, mothers makes a descent 3 step kit that can look really good if time is spent on the right areas.

I say just pay someone the $, and save yourself the headache.

well what he wants to do is buy something that actually works and is something that you cant just pick up at autozone and buy it and have the detalier guys use that....

Well, what I used is 3M Hand Glaze, once every 6 months. It's a swirl remover that most auto body shops use to buff out a new clearcoat after they've wet sanded it.

Once every 6 months kept the paintjob AWESOME. This was on the Kia.

Reason for me using the hand glaze vs. wax, is that it's more of a UV protectant. In the desert southwest, this is a must for paintjobs. I would STRONGLY recommend a deep cleaning of any existing paintjob, before you do anything though.

well, some products are off the shelf, some are ordered in bulk. use what you find to work the best and keep using it. the best tire shine ive use is megs gold class endurance gel. also the hot rims all purpose wheel cleaner is the best wheel cleaner ive used as well. thats products on the shelf

OP : do you know the basics for detailing a car?

wash
clay
swirl and scratch remove
polish
synthetic sealer/wax

i like meguiars, but i am not a full convert just yet. this is some really good reading material:

Meguiar's 5-Step Paint Care Cycle - Car Care Forums: Meguiar's Online

i have done many a car detail but it never seems to turn out just right. i have polished paint with a random orbital, used griots best of show wax, yadda yadda. but i want my mazda3's paint to look permanently wet and so deep you fall into it.

You're going to need more clearcoat before you'll acheive this. Most show cars and "showroom" cars don't have your basic run of the mill factory clearcoat. Most are sanded down and at LEAST 5 hand coats of clear are re-applied, to give that deep "wet" luster. Only then, do they use glazes and compounds to retain the luster.

My Optima had 7 hand coats of clear, which after wet sanding and buffing (every two coats) ended up being about 4 hand coats of clear.

I don't think I've EVER been able to acheive that wet look with any product on a factory paintjob.

have you ever done a full detail by hand? it takes time and patience.

have you ever clayed your car? that will make a huge impact on shines. do not get the liquid claybar. its discontinued and turtle wax has stopped producing it and replaced it with a real clay bar kit btw. take a look"

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26041

its like painting a car, or how well the bbq comes out...all the hard work that pays off comes out in prep. there is a reason for the 2 bucket system, and me washing the car 3 times before i hit it with clay, and washing it again.