Anything after wax?

[coolwhip]

I am in the process of waxing my car with Mothers Carnauba wax. The paint was in perfect condition before the wax, i just did it as a precautionary measure to protect the paint and to add a little shine. is there anything i should do after a complete wax to further protect the paint or is just waxing it enough. about how long should a coat of wax last?

 

[miguels3000]

wash the car before and afterwerds because the wax that is left is really bad if it dries up. I would strongly sugest using the colored wax(its the color of the car) I think its turtle but im not sure. before waxing it clay bar it.

 

[UrMyStlkAl]

so u wash the car, wax the car, then wash it again? DOesn't that just wash all the wax off?

I just use Mr. Clean AutoDry and call it a day

 

[miguels3000]

Actually, I wash, clay bar, wash, dry, wax, wash, dry..........My car is black, its really hard to make it look nice, The one product that really hepls is the color wax that hides alot of scratches and blemishes..

 

[miguels3000]

the wash after the wax is to remove all the wax in between the cracks and on the rubber edges. once the wax is on its on for a good month or two, depending how many times you wash & weather conditions

 

[coolwhip]

what does clay bar mean? i washed the car thouroughly, and then ive already started waxing it. ill keep the clay bar in mind for next time though. but other than wash the car after im done waxing, is there anything else i should do? and about how long does wax stay on if i was the car 1-2 times per week?

 

[jonw440]

Ok to properly wax a car it must first be "clean".
To properly clean the paint I start with a thorough washing using a "car wash" (no dish-soap like "Dawn"). Once you wash the paint I then use clay to remove "embedded "particles on the paint like Rail Dust, and any other crud that is actually "stuck to the paint".Start by taking the clay bar and cutting it into 3 pieces. This way if you drop it you still have two pieces to use. DON'T use clay if you drop it onto the driveway or dirt. (Grass is ok). I use the car wash as a lube. I start on the roof and soap up 1/2 of the roof, now take the clay and rub it over the paint. You will feel the crud on the paint. Once you don't feel anymore crud, rinse the soap off. Now do the rest of the car one section at a time. Every time you finish a section (like the fender, door, trunk ) refold the clay so new clay is exposed. Just re-roll it into a ball then flatten it out like a pancake.

Now dry the car and now you need to polish the paint. This will improve the gloss and will also remove small "swirl Marks"
Take the applicator and put a dab(about the size of a half dollar) and rub in a "linear" fashion. DO NOT EVER rub the paint in sm,all circles. I do mine the same way the wind goes over the car. THIS IS THE BEST habit to get into. You can make swirl marks if you wash, dry, polish and wax in straight lines. Just rub the polish until the paint looks glossy and it should "squeak" and it's now clean.
To wax just do the same way as you polished.

(By the way I also have used Mother's)
Jon
Autopia Detailing Supplies

 

[cuttheduck]

Claybars the ticket to a nice finish.

Polishing seems to be alot like painting,, the prep is the most impotant part.

Actually you can and should use dawn the first time you wanna polish your car to remove all the old wax and buildup. Just don't make a habit out of it obviously.

To further protect it after a wax/polish I've had good luck with those instant detailers that seem to restore the polished look between waxes.

 

[9D9 MITSU RS]

The bodyshop I go to says to never use clay bars. Not unless your paint is all bad. I used it b/c I heard it left the car slick and glossy. Sure, if you can look past the fine scratches. I had to have my car buffed. I'm glad that it's going back to have pearl added, so my clear is going bye bye so I get new. I'll never let a clay bar touch anything I drive again.

People say I must not have used it right. I kept the car SOAKED with the mother's spray. I did not bare down. I lightly went over the car, continuously spraying it. I folded the clay multiple times to keep stuff from scratching. It made my paint look like shit. I have noticed that cars that are clayed look really shiny and deep from like 10 feet away. Look at 1 up close and under a street light in a poorly lit area. You'll see lines all over it. Waxing won't even help. Buffing was the only way out, and not 100%. I am getting new clear, thankfully. If I hadn't already planned that, I'd be pissed.

 

[Redmachine]

You don't have to use the lubricant it came with. Plain water works awesome with the clay bar. Just make sure you keep the area your working on wet. I got that off a link somewhere on this board about a month ago. It had everything you wanted to know about serious detailing. I usually wash, rinse, clay bar, rinse,chamois, polish, polish, then wax. Just as I finish a bird flys by after eating some blueberries and shits on my nice clean car.

 

[9D9 MITSU RS]

You don't have to use the lubricant it came with. Plain water works awesome with the clay bar. Just make sure you keep the area your working on wet. I got that off a link somewhere on this board about a month ago. It had everything you wanted to know about serious detailing. I usually wash, rinse, clay bar, rinse,chamois, polish, polish, then wax. Just as I finish a bird flys by after eating some blueberries and shits on my nice clean car.

I used water 1 time as well. Same deal. :thumbdown If you have fine scratches/swirls, what are a few more? My car was smooth and fresh outta the paint booth. I thought I'd gloss it up. Instead, I screwed it up.

 

[GSXpress]

I don't know about you guys, but I've had alot of success with clay bars. I try to use one every 4th carwash. So about once every 6 weeks or so. I just followed this link. Hope that helps anyone out there who wants to clay their car.

 

[FutureGSXOwner]

I worked at a Toyota detail shop all throughout high school and the clay bar is THE difference between having your car look ok, and having it look GREAT after wax.