Paint protection advice (wax and sealer)

I get what you are saying but the vast majority use a truck for daily driver and rarely use it to work. Even though the majority of this forum is putting the truck to work, it does not represent the majority in the real world. Just seem ignorant to me to say "it's a truck".

 

I consider "work" ranging anywhere from hauling dirt to a commute to your job. It's all the same to me. A truck is a tool essentially. I didn't buy it to keep in a garage or for track days. I suppose you don't either considering it is your daily driver. I wouldn't consider "it's a truck" to be ignorant. It's more of a realization of what tool you have in your possession.

 

sub'd

 

That why we still have a 1987 Jeep Commanche long bed 2wd (with 77k miles) YARD TRUCK !

 

I really need to get this done. Sub'd

 

Thank you Mr harpolith for people (like me) who don't know what's good !

 

People will tell you there are better products out there. And there are. But they're more expensive and not widely available locally. The products I listed are just fine for your daily driver and won't cost you an arm and a leg. Plain and simple, these products are very effective and affordable. Made my paint job look better than it did when I picked it up at the dealer. For a grand total of about $50 and a couple hours of work, that's hard to beat. And a lot of people really don't want any more than that.

 

Most of the products I buy are similarly priced. Several instances I get more bang for the buck cause I am buying concentrated. For example, I can buy 16 ounce of Chemical Guys APC for $9.99 (on sale now 6.99) that will make roughly a gallon and half once diluted. Yes, some products are more expensive but several in the long run are a better bang for the buck. I use Adam's car shampoo, a gallon costs $39.99 (can be had for cheaper), I probably had the gallon for two years and still have well over half a gallon left. The additonal lubricity from the soap is far better than anything off the shelf. More lubricity less swirls. Yes, Adams is high but a near identical product can be found at Chemical Guys for cheaper (I learned after the fact). I will be trying the CG version later to see how it compares.

Yes, off the shelf products work for you but you don't realize what you are missing until you try something better.

 

Great info! Thanks!

 

Here's a nice thread on the Autogeek forum with members listing their "go-to" products. A lot of these guys are professional detailers, but a lot are just guys that are passionate about detailing for fun. The nice thing about the Autogeek forum is you can read about a product on the forum and then bounce over to the Autogeek store and read their product descriptions (and purchase if you choose).

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101/96727-what-your-go-products.html

There's a little "click for more info" button on the banner at the top that will take you to the Autogeek store.

 

That's a pretty cool thread. Thanks for the link.

 

i use this kit http://www.zainostore.com/mm5/merch...e=Z&Product_Code=Z-TRIP&Category_Code=prokits with great success. or you can just buy the Clear sealant and AIO All in One for less cost the other is just spray detailer and a application pad.

 

That looks like a really nice kit.

 

also this kit simplifies the detailing process by having really only one application that needs to be buffed out the AIO All in one polish.the Clear sealant you just spray a very little amount(no buffing out) to pad or paint surface and spread on. Its very smooth and easy process without layers upon layers of different applications that need buffing, so easy I will usually layer the Sealant with 5-6 layers after letting one layer cure overnight before doing another. The results on my otherwise bland Lunar Mist Silver truck is the best of all, than other boutique brand Sealants I have used (Wolfgang) and its lasts far longer than any other stuff Ive used.

 

A little write up I did recently after using the Meguires Clay bar kit and ULW.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/clay-bar-meguires-ulw.400628/#post-11132024

 

Hey @harpolith a couple questions. You say your preferred method is wash, clay, seal, and wax, but you then go on to say Meguires ULW is a sealer and not a wax. So what products are you referring to when you "seal" then "wax"? In my mind if ULW is a polymer sealer, aren't you technically waxing and sealing at the same time when you apply it?

2nd question: my truck is around 2 months old. I wash it on average once every 2 weeks and have waxed once, which was about 2 weeks after I got it. At what point should I consider using clay bar?

 

If I understand your question correctly... Maybe the confusion lies in the fact that Ultimate Liquid Wax is not a wax at all. It is a paint sealer. Meguires calls it a "wax" for marketing purposes only, knowing that a majority of consumers won't know what a "sealer" is- but they also know that a majority of consumers would actually prefer a sealer to a wax (due to easy application, removal, and longevity). So, they sell them a sealer but call it a wax. Does that make sense?

This trend is very common. Most over the counter waxes nowadays have a significant, if not majority, synthetic/sealer component to them. But they call them all waxes- that's what people are familiar with. Some do have a small percentage of carnauba wax in them. What sets Ultimate apart is that it's 100% synthetic (contains no true wax at all). And yet they still call it a "wax".

So, when I said seal then wax, what I'm suggesting is applying Ultimate Liquid Wax (a sealer) topped with Collinite (a wax). Does this answer your question? If not, let me know.

Regarding your second question- you can clay now if you want to. A lot of guys clay immediately upon receipt of a new vehicle. Contaminants can deposit on the paint surface in transport (rail dust, road grime, etc). Also, detailers often comment about factory paint overspray being present on new vehicles (little droplets of paint that drifts in the air during manufacture and lands in unintended places). Most new vehicles look great when picked up at the dealer, but I bet you'd be amazed by how much smoother your paint will feel after even a quick a clay job. Obviously, claying is not absolutely necessary on a new vehicle, but if you enjoy the detailing process and and want to get the truck looking it's best, you wouldn't regret doing a clay job. It also ensures that sealers have the best possible bonding. I didn't think I needed to clay my 9 month old truck earlier this summer- but I couldn't believe the results when I was done. It looked so much better and felt like glass afterwards. You'll be surprised at the grime that comes off on the clay.

About the claying process- I can't stress enough how important it is for the paint to be as clean as possible before you clay (a normal wash is usually good enough). As you can imagine, any little particle that gets caught in the clay is a potential scratch inducer. If you drop the clay- trash it and use the second piece that comes in the kit. Use just enough pressure to hold it on the surface. You're not scrubbing- you're simply gliding the clay across the surface using plenty of lube. I typically use at least half the bottle of detail spray each time I clay. You can't use too much. All this said- don't be intimidated. It's easy. And if you're smart about it, you're not gonna scratch anything. You'll quickly get the feel for how much pressure to use if you've never tried clay before.

I'd recommend claying now and then applying two coats of ultimate liquid. You may or may not want to add a wax on top. I'm kinda torn on the 2-product approach. I think from here on out, I'm going to do ULW in the summer and Collinite in the winter- and I will stop with the wax on top of the sealer. The problem with topping sealer with wax is that when you want to seal again, you have to totally strip it. You can't apply sealer again over the wax. If you just stick to one product, you can reapply whenever you want to.

A reason a lot of guys top sealer with wax is because they like the protection of sealer but want the "look" of a wax. If you're happy with the look after the Ultimate, and you probably will be, I'd just stop right there to be honest. I think my truck looked better after just the ultimate wax, but I wanted the Collinite on for winter protection. I'll use Collinite through the winter and will strip it in April and go back to Ultimate. With this routine, I'll only have to strip once a year.

So, ULW from April to November. Then switch to Collinite. Then strip (clay) again in April and go back to ULW (no need to strip in November when starting Collinite).

Ha hope this isn't too much information. I just enjoy the detailing process. If you have any more questions, I'm happy to help.

 

Clay the truck now. Even though new it will still need decontamination. You really need to determine whether you need a wax or a sealer. If your truck is outside all the time then use a sealer. I prefer a sealer due to wax attracting dust and pollen. Right now I have moved on to a coating which I really like. Truck looks glossy even with dust on it.

 

I'd have to agree with you. I prefer sealer to a wax. But the Collinite is tough as nails and I feel better about it for harsh chemicals and salt over the winter.

I'd love to try a coating just to see what it looks like, but I enjoy putting on a new coat of something at least every couple of months. What coating are you using? Are you topping it with anything?

 

I am using Optimum Gloss Coat. I used it because it can be topped. I have only put OptiSeal on it right now which is amazing.