The more I look into this, the more questions I have. And themore I'm talking myself into something like a PC 7424.

I enjoy detailing my car when the weather is nice. I won't mind if I have to reapply a carnauba-wax product every 6 weeks or so. This Mustang is going to be my daily driver, though, so I'll need something that'll last longer over the winter months (or be quick/easy to apply when the weather is cold - my garage still gets quite chilly in the winter).

I'm also wondering what special care I'll need to take with the stripes that are being put on (factory ordered). Do you wax those? Will a PC tear up the edges?

Juztang - I'm reading some great things about your products, I'll likely put up a separate post in your forum area with some questions once I figure out all that I need to ask.

 

You can also use a sealant topped with a carnuaba wax and get the best of both worlds. A carnauba wax adds a lot of depth and wetness, but isn't that durable. A sealant is very durable and adds a lot of gloss and reflection, but doesn't have the depth of a carnauba wax. I like to put on a sealant and then top with a wax. I would go with Optimum Opti Seal sealant for winter time, it is really quick and easy to apply and has nice durability. You basically just mist it on an applicator and wipe it on and walk away, the product just dissappears.

As for the stripes, all of my products will be safe for your stripes. You do want to be careful with the PC around the edges of the stripes, you can tape them off if you want to as a precaution.

 

Gotcha, I was kind of confused !! LOL

 

So Juztang, it sounds like your suggestion is:

ONR (year round)
Opti-Seal (year round)
Wet Obession (when the weather is nice enough to apply)

Is your spray wax something that could be applyed when it's cold out? Actually, what is the lowest temperature that you'd recommend any of these products be applied at?

What about a quick detail spray, along the lines of Zaino Z6? Can Z6 be used with your products (I have a full bottle of the stuff still)?

Thanks!

 

I'd get a heater for your garage and then you don't really have to worry about temperatures much. Just allow longer cure time when it's chilly.

As for quick detail spray, Optimum's Instant Detailer spray is very good, and I'm a big fan of Chemical Guys Speed Wipe as well. You can't go wrong with either of those. Z6, like most Zaino products, is far overrated. Zaino is a good package for people who don't want to look for the best individual product, however they really don't make the best of anything.

For the protectant and LSP, I've seen very little better than CG's Jet Seal and 5050 wax for the price. There are a couple of us on here who have our favorite brands, and most have a very good final product. I'm the CG guy, Justin is obviously the OD guy. Wet Obsession is a great product as well, plus, you get the advantage of supporting a sponsor. You really can't go wrong with either of those, so give them a try and see what you like. In the end it comes down to personal opinion, you may like one product more than another.

 

Yes you can use the Optimum No Rinse, Opti Seal and Spray Wax all year round. The products won't work too well under 32 degrees.

When it is cold I fill a bucket up with warm water and wear a rubber glove to keep my hands warm, this works really well. The Optimum Spray wax and Opti Seal both work great because you can do them quick and get out of the cold with excellent results!

The quick detailer that you have now will be fine. After you use that up, you should look into the new Opitmum Instant Detailer, this adds a ton of slickness and some nice gloss.

 

Thanks for all the information! I've been a fan of Zaino, but since I need to rebuy everything, I might as well try something new (Zaino has been the only stuff I've used, other than off-the-shelf turtle wax in the "old" days).

I think I'm going to go with the ONR, Opti-Seal and Wet Obsession combo for now and see what results I get. Then when it gets colder, get a good heater for the garage and some of the Spray Wax.

A few more questions:

1) I'm very interested in the idea of getting a PC 7424, and using that for at least part of the waxing process (maybe just buffing it off, but maybe application as well). I have some elbow issues that hand-waxing tends to flare up at times. And, I'd like to wax my wife's new Ford Flex that she'll be getting in the next couple of weeks - quite a bit of sheetmetal on that. Any issues/problems with using it for this purpose? With my factory vinyl stripes, do I just need to keep the PC away from the edges, or will it be fine if it hits the edges of the stripes?

2) What should I do for the actual stripes themselves, is it ok to Opti-Seal and/or wax them as well?

3) If I opti-seal the wife's Flex, then she runs it through a car wash, will that strip the Opti-Seal instantly?

Thanks!

 

What you are wanting to get sounds good, but I would still throw a polish into the mix, that is an important step in the process. My Light Polish works great by hand or machine.

You can actually use the PC to put on all of the products if you wanted to. The paint is going to look so much better after using the PC. I only use the PC to apply the products, I don't use it to remove. A microfiber towel will work fine, the products come off with almost no effort at all.

As for the stripes you can go over them with the products and it won't hurt them, you can even go over them with the PC. You can tape them off as a precaution if you wanted to, but I polish over them all of the time without a problem.

You need to be careful about the car wash soaps, they are usually pretty harsh and can remove any type of protection you have on there.

 

The ability to ask questions about your products and get answers within hours is a heck of a selling point, Juztang.

Any issues with doing any of this stuff (including polishing) on a brand-new car, just a week or two out of the factory? Or are the warning about letting the paint cure more for post-factory paint jobs/repairs?

Does a car that just came from the factory need polishing if it's never seen an automatic car wash?

 

Actually I prep new cars all of the time. The first thing I do is claybar and polish them. Even new cars need clayed and polished. Many new cars have railroad dust from being transported. The paint from the factory is baked on so it is cured right away. Claying,polishing, glaze, waxing etc is fine on a new car.