i generallly will wash my truck, then use nxt wax on it...

should i be adding a polishing step with some sort of polish/glaze before i wax? what do you guys do?

 

i wash, clay bar and wax. i use nxt wax also.

 

I use meguires cleaner wax before I use the good wax. Whatever it can't get, I use rubbing compound on.. then follow it up with a nice coat of wax. I like the turtle wax ultra gloss..

 

do you generally clay bar every time? any clay in particular?

 

i use mothers clay just because that is what the local automotive store has. i only clay bar every couple months and i usually wax once a month, so i dont clay bar everytime.

 

Be careful with heavy rubbing compound.

I use Finesse, get it for a very good price, and it is the best stuff out there, imo.

 

My dad works in the automotive division at BASF (doubt if anyone has everheard of them), so i get to use all the glaserite and 3M products and i really like them. I usually polish every other wash

 

I wash, wax with Zaino, use a gloss enhancer in between each coat of wax.

 

Clay then polish/swirl remover, then sealant wax to keep it shiny for a few months. I dont like to wax my vehicles every month.
I use a Porter Cable buffer to apply the polish and wax as well.
Good detailing tips can be found at detailcity.com.

 

I do the same. All Zaino products for me, makes it easy.

 

I own a car wash and the best thing to do at least i think is to clean your truck, let it dry, polish it then wax it...

 

What is clay bar ?

 

Last time I waxed my truck i used turtle wax rubbing compound and then turtle wax, it rained 2 days later and it looked 60% as bad as it did before.

What can i do to keep it clean, shiny, and scratch free for at least a month ? sealer ? what sealer do you use ?

What do you think of perma-seal wax ?

 

ive heard that the perma seal wax works good

 

meguiars has a sealant wax in their professional line; #21 sealant. it is similar to nxt in the look it gives, but it outlasts nxt for sure. you should be able to order it from local professional car care shops or online. remember to let the polymers set for a good 12 hours to achieve maximum durability and longevity. to let the polymers set, just dont over-polish the paint immediately after you wipe the wax residue off, and try to keep the finish dry, as water will interfere with the polymers setting up as well. of course you can just wax it and forget about it... i'm just giving tips for a 'best-case' scenario.

you'll also hear people recommend zaino. i've never used it, but i hear it works great. brian wowak uses it on his truck, and he claims to get a good 6 months out of it no problem.

 

So is it
wash, dry, rubbing compound, wax, then sealer wax
or
wash, dry, rubbing compound, then sealer wax

I have some NXT I used once on my wheels, maybe I will give that a try.

 

I used meguiar's 3 step system with NXT instead of the final step wax and it worked brilliantly.

 

Whats their 3 step process ?

 

their 3-step process is the deep crystal system;

Step 1: Deep Crystal Cleaner
Step 2: Deep Crystal Polish
Step 3: Deep Crystal Wax

If you'll be using #21, i'd apply it after the clay step. #21 basically fits in the same catgory as waxes, so you don't need a separate wax. if you really want it to pop, you could put a coat of some type of carnauba wax over the 21. Mothers has a pure carnauba, and meguiars has #26 hi-tech yellow which would also work.

 

whats clay ?

 

clay as in clay bar sold to clean your paint surface of contaminants
if you want to feel these contaminants, take a ziploc baggy and put your fingers inside of it and run it over your paint. You will feel the bumps.

To get rid of those and have truly smooth paint....
wash the car off with Dawn and warm water to strip all your old waxes off your vehicle then you take the clay bar and some quick detailer and run it over your paint in a straight line.

Now do run your fingers over the paint in the baggy and it should be totally smooth.

There is specific clay bar to use on car paint so only buy what is sold in the car-care section of the auto parts stores.

 

claying would fit under the 'cleaning/prep' stage, but keep in mind that a full cleaning/prep will include two parts;

1. clay - removes above surface contaminants
2. paint cleaner - removes below surface defects

 

and this stuff wont harm the clear coat?

 

what? the clay or the cleaner?

clay doesnt harm paint. maybe if you were to use an aggressive clay, and not enough lubricant, you might get some light marring, but i've never seen it happen. clay is simply pulling out contaminants that are lodged into the paint/clearcoat.

paint cleaners, on the other hand, generally have abrasives in them. since their intended use is to remove damage to single-stage paints or clearcoats like etched watermarks, light swirls, bird droping etchings, etc etc, it technically has to remove some paint or clearcoat to level the surface around the damaged area. of course its VERY minimal, but it is technically removing paint.
i personally like meguiars stuff because they use diminishing abrasives. basically, as you work the product into the paint, the abrasives get smaller and break down... basically polishing the area youre working on incrementally to a fine finish.