Polish and wax recs for 2020+ vehicles?

I only brought up Hyrdo2 because when you start talking about a polisher is when most people tap out and want an easier way. Not to mention it's a little more than grab a polisher and a pad. The reality is you need multiple pads of different levels of cut. Then when you've found the right pad for the job you'll likely want as many as 8-10 to do a full sized vehicle like a Taco. The reason is as you polish the polish/compound gets spent and is no longer cutting, also the pad fills up with the clear coat you're removing so at some point your pad has no more bite. Sure you can clean as you go particularly if you've got a nice air compressor to blow it off. Then there are the various liquid abrasives, not saying you need many different types but it would make sense that you have a range of polishes. You can also use polishes that vary with the level of the cut because the real action is the pad, so a the same polish paired with a lighter pad for minimal cut or a heavier pad for more cut. You've got a white truck so there isn't even clear coat on that thing. You're dealing with a single stage paint which doesn't need a heavy cut.

I see you've got a 2021 so it's not likely that you need any paint correction and white does such a good job of hiding swirls you likely don't need to do anything cut wise. The reason I bring up polishing is that you know for sure that whatever may be on the paint is gone when you apply the coating. In your case you'd use an abrasive that has no cut to but it has chemicals like orange oils that will clean the paint. Again in your case you shouldn't have had it on the road long enough to have a build up of road grime that doesn't come off no matter how much you wash it. But in the case of the "coating" that might be on there you'd want it removed before applying something else. Also no matter what vehicle, you only have a finite amount of polishing that you can do which is why in the case like now you should be only using on the 2021 a product that is very fine abrasives or a polish that calls itself a primer which will be very minimal cut and will also leave behind some sio2 that will help bond the coating. This is the product tony mentioned on post 19, Carpro Essence. As little cut as Essence has I bet it would remove the dealer coating.

Of course eventually the polisher will come in handy and you have it for your wife and or other friends/family. Even if just for spot correction, a spinning orbital is MUCH safer than going after something by hand.

Check out some of the videos by Car Craft Auto that I mentioned earlier in the thread, he goes over polishing and the process in many videos.

Also not trying to steer you into only CarPro products, they just happen to be a lot of peoples go to. Their lineup has very little duds in it compared to the 40+ detailing brands that are out there. Also check out this site regarding any of their products, they are the US distributor for CarPro and have very good instructions and details on any given product.

For example: https://www.carpro-us.com/compounds/carpro-essence-extreme-gloss-primer-1-liter-34oz/

 

Well hot damn, there's evidently way more to learn about taking care of a vehicles exterior than most people know about! I'm a fine woodworker hobbyist and a lot of what you've mentioned seems to have some interesting parallels to prep and finish of wood, all dependent on types of wood, "primer" of sorts, sanding or scraping, and application. It can get dizzying.

That being said, if I want to leave whatever is on there alone until it is clearly gone, does one of your resources contain info on how I should upkeep my paint until that happens, given the sio2 that's on there?

 

Yep, the Essence is a very good place to start on a vehicle as young as yours. Mine was a year and a half on the road before I put the Porter Cable to it, and the Essence did a wonderful job to start the process. Keep the orbital polisher. The day will come when you need it, and it make the job so much easier. Especially when you are wiping it off.

Or just rub some tung oil all over it and call it a day....

 

I was thinking Shellack or polyurethane. If it's good enough for white oak, it's good enough for a white truck.

 

There is a whole market for this of sprays and most of them are sio2 based. Though the concept is kind of bullshit that you would apply a product on top that helps the product under it. Why put a multi week product on top of a product that's supposed to work for years?

But something like a "drying aid" that is usually a mix of a "waterless wash" with some sio2 in it like Carpro Elixir. I use this when drying very sparingly and spritz onto the drying towel to prime it and give it some slickness.

 

Yah, that doesn’t make a ton of sense, but it seemed like the stuff I have won’t last very long anyway. And Essence is for a year or so down the road?

 

This is all up to you and how deep down the rabbit hole you want to go and what you're ultimately wanting.

 

This is what the folks at Sky's The Limit Car Care said. That all add up to you?

 

Detailing is a lot like cooking in that you can use different ingredients or recipes and still accomplish satisfying results, or lame results. Also different needs for different environments. Their recommendation on using IronX for example. I've used that across a dozen vehicles and I've only ever seen one that was covered in iron. In that instance it was well worth the cost of what is a one trick expensive product. Now those other products mentioned can be used for other things. Reload for example is also recommended right after you install a coating if you can't keep it from getting wet the first few days after. Or mixed with that other product ech2o to make your after wash drying aid/detail spray.

As for Reset it's stupid expensive but I had the exact experience they're describing. I was using a spray sealant that had really good beading and at some point it was all gone, the truck rinsed flat. Gave Reset a try and it was gone and the beading sealant was back. This is why I was telling you to try wiping off a portion of the paint with an alcohol solution to see if yours is still beading.

Agree on the microfiber mitts, i've heard that brand they're mentioning is one of the best. I've got Rag Company's mitts, their stuff is good. Griots PFM for drying, others have similar weaves to that one.

Never used a merino wool mitt, but I damn sure recommend merino wool socks year round. Ignore me shilling for Carpro a minute and take that piece of advice as solid. Like detailing shit, they're not cheap.

 

I transitioned to using a leaf blower to dry my vehicles. https://www.stihlusa.com/products/blowers-and-shredder-vacs/professional-blowers/br600/. The less you rub a car's finish the longer it looks new. Blowing it dry cuts the amount you rub it...by maybe half?

This is the Big Thicket. More bio-diversity here than any other place in North America. That means massive pollen production in the Spring. There are days in this forest that the air is yellow at the peak of the pollen season, basically now to about mid-May. Pollen is like sand in that it is crystalline in structure. Blow-drying it at this time would be like sand blasting the vehicle's finish. And rubbing it with a mitt right now would be like wet sanding it by hand using fine grit sandpaper. I do not wash any vehicle during this time as pollen settles on them like a sand storm. They go inside the shop or the garage with the doors down for the interim, and I drive my 2007 Ford Ranger until it "blows over". When they come out they get rinsed with very warm water through a pressure washer I rigged specifically for washing vehicles. Like sugar, the pollen will mostly dissolve and rinse off. The warm water assists in this process. They get a couple of cycles of foam cannon followed by warm rinsing with the turbo nozzle, all before I ever put a mitt to it. A ceramic finished vehicle sheds much more off the finish doing this than my Zaino-sealed vehicles. As a result there is less sticking to the finish to grind into it with the mitt. And if you blow dry it the wash mitt is the only time it is physically touched and the finish degraded.

And then comes a month of lovebug season...even worse for a vehicle's finish.

 

you just need to be very careful with this method

not saying you, but others for sure...

at 200+mph max output a blower like that in the wrong hands in poor conditions can cause some problems

 

I’ve used a number of things on my truck since I bought it in 2020. Car guys polish and wax, Chemical guys butter, wet mirror and Hydroslick, turtle wax wet wax and 75th anniversary paste wax and finally Adams advanced graphene ceramic spray. Lots of work each time, including claying it. If my paint was in like new with no micro scratches or scuffs I would have tried a true ceramic coating. I don’t have the items to do that yet, which is why I went with a product that says it’ll last 2 years. I’ll get the stuff I need between now and then.
That said, I found the easiest coating to put on was the Adams. I’ve not washed it yet but have noticed while it sits it’ll pick up pollen but then a lot of it blows away while driving. That was not the case with the waxes. I’ll find out how it is with rain in the next few days.
Might not be easy to tell a difference but top was a wash after a wax and bottom was after the Adams product. It was used on the glass and wheels as well.

 

I’ve considered this, but my driveway is gravel, so I think the risks significantly outweigh the benefits!

 

some of the smaller handheld blowers are nice (i also detail over gravel often)

the biggest thing is knowing the air intake and exhaust is well filtered

some of the detailing specific air blowers have this in mind, garden blowers not so much

the garden blowers work great, not hating, just gotta be a tad more mindful thats all

 

Not as bad as a pressure washer in the wrong hands!

 

you are not wrong lol

 

FYI OP of your color is super white then you do not have a clear coat. You have clear and white mixed together.

 

Yea it's sometimes hard to get a dry day here on the Wet Coast of Canada to do much washing and waxing

 

I have a white '04 Silverado which will soon be sold to make room for my Tacoma. I'm a big fan of

$21 Collinite 845 Insulator Wax-Easy to Use Carnauba+Polymer Wax Sealant-High Gloss Shine+Durable Hydrophobic Beading & Long Lasting Paint Protection for Cars/Boats/Trucks/RVs & Motorcycles (16 fl oz)

Collinite 845 and have seen no yellowing on white truck. Just picked up some

$40 Collinite 915 Marque D’ Elegance Wax-Premium Carnauba+Polymer Concours Sealant. Show Car-Deep Shine & High Gloss + Durable, Long-Lasting Paint Protection for Cars, Trucks, & Motorcycles (12 fl oz)

Collinite 915 to use on the new truck after a coat of 845. I wax by hand with a sponge applicator and finish with a thick microfiber towel. My Tacoma is supposed to be Celestial Silver but dealer isn't sure what they'll be "allocated" and asked what I'd accept so we'll see. I'd be OK with MGM or Lunar Rock.
I understand new paint is cured at the factory so I can wax it when I get it?

 

Correct