Frankly, I'm tired of paying out the a$$ to have my car waxed and buffed. I want to do it myself but don't really know how. I know there have been a million threads about this but i cant seem to find any. I've been hearing alot about clay bars, will this do the trick, or should I still get a buffer and wax and go that route. I want to make her look as good as the day she rolled off the lot. It is black, so I know it's all the more harder but i'm willing to put in the sweat equity to "do it myself".

Any help for a novice on this issue would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

If you still have a good layer or wax just wash the car, dry it off, then applya coat of wax. You only have to clay when you start. The same goes for polishing. On our 93 which is bright red I washed it, clayed it, hit it with some Zymol polish, then some mothers carnuba wax and it shines really good. Ive only 3 coats of wax on it (the hood has 4) and you can see the reflection of stuff in the paint. The paintjob sucks.

 

wtf , i use one coat of wax only [&:][&:][&:][&:]

 

Meguiars.com

 

I only use one coat as well, maybe two anything more than two coats of wax is a waste, dude when i first started waxing my car i was nervous as well but its really not hard to do at all. Go to meguiars.com like sik mentioned read up about how to and go do it, its really not hard to do at all.

 

DO NOT USE A BUFFER ON A BLACK CAR...without considering the info below.

I would recommend doing a hand wax only. Many times people that use buffers on cars for waxing use too much pressure or stay in one spot to long thus causign swirl marks. Normaly you won't see these marks but on a black car you will.

For black I would recommend using a wax and applying/removing it by hand. Only use a buffer for the occasional wax removal (say once a year) and only use wax designed for an orbital buffer. THey contain NO abrasives and are made for the speed at which orbitals work.

Clay bar is also something you should only use as needed.

 

Detailing isn’t that hard. Various products have learning curves and you need to follow a correct process to get eh best results. Contrary to what looks to be a common belief in this thread, detailing is more than putting on a coat of wax. The wax is just the last step in the process.

A full detail can take a full day and include washing, claying, polishing or swirl removal, glazing and waxing. The amount of work that is done is based on the paint’s condition and your personal standards. For me, I take great pride in my car’s appearance, so I’ll actually do many steps to ensure that it looks its best.

Washing is the obvious first step. Regular car soap will suffice. You don’t need to use Dawn or any other harsh soap to remove previous wax layers. Your polishing and cleaning steps will do that for you.

Claying the car is your next step. A clay bar removes the bonded contaminants on the paint’s surface. Things like sap, brake or rail dust and industrial fallout make the surface feel rough. Clay acts like an eraser to pull those particles off leaving a very smooth surface behind. Basic physics teaches us that a smooth surface reflects more light and that’s a good thing.

Polishing and cleaning your paint is your next objective. Cars with moderate to heavy oxidation really benefit from a paint cleaner. White cars also benefit nicely. Paint cleaners chemically remove oxidation and grime from the paint without the use of abrasives. This allows you to get a good feel for the condition of the paint.

Polishing and swirl removal is the heart of a full detail. Using a rotary polisher is the most effective method, but it does take some skill. A dual action polisher like the Porter Cable 7424 or 7336SP is best for the enthusiast. It’ll set you back about $160 for the machine and some pads, but it is well worth it. Polishes with diminishing abrasives will work to level the paint and reduce or remove swirls and cob webbing. You’ll be left with clean and clear paint that is finally ready for your last step product.

Glazes are used to give depth and wetness to darker colors. They work very well to hide minor imperfections or micro-marring left behind from the polishing steps. Glazes work best under pure carnauba waxes (those without cleaners) and some sealants tend to have bonding issues with the oils.

Your final step is the wax or sealant. Waxes tend to look best on darker colors while sealants look better on lighter colors and many metallics. Your choice of wax or sealant will depend on many factors such as cost, environment, durability expectations and personal preference. There are plenty of great offerings from Mothers, Meguiar’s Zaino, Klasse, Poorboy’s World, ClearKote, Four Star, P21S/S100, Pinnacle, Wolfgang, etc.

It all boils down to your standards. If a coat of NXT or Mother’s Cleaner Wax works for you, then stick with it. If you have higher expectations, the look into expanding your knowledge and product choices to something more than the shelves at AutoZone or Wally World.

Sites for process and product knowledge:

http://www.detailcity.org
http://www.detailersclub.com
http://www.autopia.org

 

No buffer on a black car is good advice.

 

The Porter Cable 7424 or 7336SP are both fine machines that don't damage paint. Why limit yourself to hand application only? They are orbital polishers and work quite effectively.