Sealant

Getting ready to do first true detail on truck. Anyone have experience with the TurtleWax Shinelock Sealant? Also, I used Turtle Wax trim restorer on wife's Subie today for black exterior and it seemed to work good. I live in the mountains so waxing my truck every three months is not a reality. Appreciate any input.

 

I haven't used Turtlewax, but I just ordered and used this and it works great so far! It says it last 12 months, so I gotta see if the claim is actually true.

 

Thanks, I saw that one on my searches. I'm anxious to get the paint sealed, had it off road the past two days and I need to get the paint protected pronto.

 

I'm not to familiar to sealants.....is it better than waxing?

 

Sealants are synthetic waxes that bond to the paint. They do the same thing as wax just last much longer. Usually 4+ months compared to a few weeks.

Also consider mequires m21 great stuff for the money. I'd stay away from turtle personally. .. much better stuff out there For the money

 

soo with sealant how often would you wash your even though in Hawaii it rains all the time and we are surrounded by the ocean?

 

Wash it as you normally would but get a decent CAR shampoo that DOESNT strip wax. Using dawn or another dish soap is a bad idea as its purpose is to strip grease/waxy stuff on your dishes.

wax/sealant protects the clear coat from debris lodging in it and oxidizing. it doesnt keep your car from getting dirty.

Also you dont have to way over sealant but alot of people do to get a "deeper" look. Sealant is just a synthetic wax and can protect all on its own, but if you decide to wax over it make sure its a pure wax with no cleaners in it. if you use cleaner wax over the sealant you will strip it off.

 

Jet Sealant is great. I use it on my truck twice a year, just because of offroading I do. But the Jet Seal still works for me.

I'd say look at doing a good glaze, followed by a sealant like that, followed up by a wax.

I use Wet Mirror Finish for the glaze, Jet Seal for the sealant, and Meguiars NXT 2.0 for a wax. I use a quick wax after every wash (Every 2-3 weeks). I have a black truck and it makes it look, and feel amazing. Plus it helps to diminish the appearance of all my wonderful pinstriping.

Not sure what your experience is with detailing, but these guides have helped me a lot:
Detailing Guide
Flow Chart

 

One thing to consider is that you always want to put the most durable product, the sealant down first since it actually bonds with the paint to seal it. The glaze just fills in minor imperfections to make it look smooth and generally does not last very long. Think of it as putting a layer of water down under a piece of tape, sure it will stick for the immediate future but its going to fall off a lot quicker than if you put the water on top of the sealant. Glazes only last a few days to a week especially with a car/truck that lives outside in the elements.

I know that CG has their flow chart with the glaze first, but they are also in the business of selling products. So if you glaze first and then seal and it washes off sooner that later then you need more.

Also look at Mequiar's M21 for a sealant. i prefer that to Jet Seal as it seems to last longer. the M series is their professional line and typically better quality than what you find at Autozone, advanced etc

 

X2. Typically a glaze will evaporate off.

 

What is the best product to get tree sap off? I found a small spot that had tree sap on it and when I washed my truck today, it got majority of it off but there is still a tiny spot that is left (about the size of a pencil eraser). After cleaning, I ran my hand over it and I still can feel a slight rise where the sap is.

 

Clay bar.

 

Thanks.

 

Any suggestions on a good sealant that is not overly expensive? I've never used a sealant, so I am trying to do some research on what to get. What is a good brand and something that is not too expensive? Also, any tips on applying a sealant? I'm going to be doing it by hand. If this stupid tropical system wasn't going to ruin my weekend....I was going to do it Saturday. My goal is to wash, clay bar, sealant, and possibly wax.

 

There are several good sealants out there. Chemical Guys, Adams, Wolfgang, Blackfire, etc.

 

Meguiars 21 is cheaper than chemical guys and it lasts longer imo

Whatever you get follow the directions on the back and you get good results.

 

like a carnuba?

 

yes a carnuba, as long as it doesnt have cleaners in it otherwise you will strip the sealant

 

I've heard a few people say they like this sealant. I went ahead and bought some. I also went ahead and bought one of those clay bar kits from Mothers.

 

Just follow the directions as stated and you'll be fine.

Fyi for future reference autowax who makes clay magic owns the patents for clay in the US and they are also the only manufacturer of clay in the US
. They make it for everyone and change the colors so clay is clay just look for the cheapet.