how to get a deep, wet, warm shine?

C

cheeto chop

New member
hi all... im a newb :heelclick



i have done lots of research and have come up with what i think will yield the results i am trying to achieve. below are the products and procedures i am going to use. i appreciate any input you may have.



wash.......... Poorboys World Shampoo

clay............ Meguiars (from walmart)

polish......... Menzerna IP then Menzerna FP II

glaze.......... Danase Wet Glaze 2.0

sealant....... Not sure which one I will use yet.

glaze.......... Danase Wet Glaze 2.0

carnauba.... Pinnacle Souveran



this is going on a 2001 mineral grey mustang. my goal is to have a super deep, wet, warm shine that will make my car look like its melting.



i have read that all polishes contain oils... does this mean i should wash it again after polishing to remove the oils in order to avoid bonding issues with the acrylic sealant.



is there an acrylic sealant (besides Klasse) that you recommend?
 
Some people wash after polishing, I don't. You won't have any issues with sealant adhering to polished surfaces.



I use Megs #21 synthetic sealant, love the stuff, super easy.



Two or three applications of carnauba wax as your LSP will give you the deep, wet shine you're looking for.
 
thanks guys...



what do you all think of the method i have come up with. i have never done detailing and have put that together just from what i have read.



i looked up the werkstat sealant and, although it is acrylic, i have not been able to find many reviews that have convinced me to get it just yet. any other suggestions?



any positives or negatives about all the other products i am using?



oh and what is BFWD an acronym for?
 
Hi Cheeto chop, welcome! Looks like you have a great process planned. I don't have specific experience with the products you are asking about, but I have looked into the menz products before and they always get great reviews. If you follow the directions on the bottles of IP and FP, it says to do your final wipedown with a damp microfiber cloth. This should remove some of the left over residue and "stuff" that might inhibit bonding of the sealant to the paint. You do not have to wash again between polishing steps. But here is something you can do if you are concerned about residue: most of the pros will do an IPA wipedown of the car in between polishing steps to be sure that all of the swirls and scratches are removed before going on to the next step. This will remove any potential fillers that may have hidden the swirls. IPA is Isopropyl Alcohol. You can get it at any hardware store, or even a drug store like CVS (it's just rubbing alcohol). But I don't think this is necessary to help the sealant bond to the paint at all. Following the directions on the bottle of IP and FP will work fine.



I do recommend Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant for your car. It made my sage grey 1999 Camry XLE look nice and glossy. And it was super easy to use. All WG products are compatible with the Menz products, so they work together well.



BFWD is Blackfire Wet Diamond.



BTW, are you going to use a polisher for this work, or by hand? I ask this because you can get some good results by hand, but the deep, wet look you are looking for is best achieved using a polisher like the PC.



Hope this helps!



:)
 
thanks spike. i learn something new everyday and now i will definitely do an IPA wipe down. not so much to remove residue, but to find any swirls that have been masked. thanks for the helpful tip.



i was going to do it all by hand; however, after doing some research i think i will be better off investing in a PC. but i only plan on using the PC for the polishing process.



i am going to look into the wolfgang line up of sealants too. ill let you know which one i choose.
 
thanks spike. i learn something new everyday and now i will definitely do an IPA wipe down. not so much to remove residue, but to find any swirls that have been masked. thanks for the helpful tip.



i was going to do it all by hand; however, after doing some research i think i will be better off investing in a PC. but i only plan on using the PC for the polishing process.



i am going to look into the wolfgang line up of sealants too. ill let you know which one i choose.
 
Sounds good. Good luck with your project! I know you will be much happier with your results if you use a polisher. Not saying that you can't do it by hand, but it is very difficult and time-consuming to do...
 
cheeto chop said:
hi all... im a newb :heelclick



i have done lots of research and have come up with what i think will yield the results i am trying to achieve. below are the products and procedures i am going to use. i appreciate any input you may have.



wash.......... Poorboys World Shampoo

clay............ Meguiars (from walmart)

polish......... Menzerna IP then Menzerna FP II

glaze.......... Danase Wet Glaze 2.0

sealant....... Not sure which one I will use yet.

glaze.......... Danase Wet Glaze 2.0

carnauba.... Pinnacle Souveran



this is going on a 2001 mineral grey mustang. my goal is to have a super deep, wet, warm shine that will make my car look like its melting.



i have read that all polishes contain oils... does this mean i should wash it again after polishing to remove the oils in order to avoid bonding issues with the acrylic sealant.



is there an acrylic sealant (besides Klasse) that you recommend?
Click to expand...



You need a machine polisher. As far as sealant goes, Blackfire, Wolfgang, Jetseal, Menzerna are all good sealants. I've since moved away from sealants, but here's Ultima Paint Guard Plus. This is a wipe on walk away (wowa) sealant like Opti Seal.

010-2.jpg
 
Cheeto, if I were you I would eliminate the first Wet Glaze step. I think I would prefer to apply the sealant directly to the paint to achieve optimal bonding. I would then apply the Wet Glaze on top of it (after the appropriate period of curing) and then follow-up with the carnauba. Anyway, that's what I would do.



+1 for BF Wet Diamond!
 
cheeto chop said:
by the way... would you recommend doing everything with the PC or just the polish?
Click to expand...



The 2 polishing steps for sure. Some folks prefer to apply the LSP (last step protection, i.e. wax/sealant) by hand, but I found that I like to use the PC for it because it is faster for me and it seems to apply a more uniform coat than when I apply it by hand. Of course there are those areas where you have to use your hands to apply because the area is too small for the PC to get to. So I get the larger areas with the PC, then the tight areas with a foam pad and my hands. But you will find a way that works best for you and your preferences.
 
cheeto chop said:
thanks guys...



what do you all think of the method i have come up with. i have never done detailing and have put that together just from what i have read...
Click to expand...



Heh heh I think you're spending too much time at Autopia :chuckle: Sorry, I couldn't resist and I mean that good-naturedly.



First, get the polisher. I'd want something more powerful than the PC, but at least get that. Note that IME machines like that almost always require 4" pads to work effectively (or at least efficiently).



Doing it by hand would be a monumental undertaking, and I don't mean just a few hours per panel. Heh heh, even with a PC/etc. you may end up spending that much time (I'd plan on it).



I would distill the process down, making it far less complicated/involved than what you're planning to do. People are sometimes surprised when they spend a whole afternoon doing the polishing on a few panels that "didn't seem that bad". You don't want to get burned out after the first six hours if there's still a lot of work to be done.



NO way, no how, would I ever suggest that somebody's first major detail include glazes, sealants, and wax. Just doing the polishing will be enough of a challenge. I'd wash/clay/polish/wax and that's it.



And I'd use some durable wax and then just concentrate on the wash technique because one marring-inducing wash will undo a huge percentage of any improvement you affected with the hours and hours of polishing. It's not so much about how the car looks right after you do this big detail, but rather how the car looks for the next few months (or more).



Note that Menzerna IP is often much milder than people expect it to be. FPII is soooo gentle that you don't want to switch to it until things are basically already perfect. So I wouldn't be all that concerned about cleaning off the FPII's oils either..I'd consider just waxing right over them.



Which LSP? I've had people mistake Collinite wax for Dodo Juice at a car show...the paint was properly polished and that's what really matters. I'd choose the LSP based on functional reasons like dirt-shedding, durability, ease-of-use, and protection from whatever threatens it in your situation (sealants aren't alway superior to waxes with regard ot durability and protection).



There is no way for me to overstate how likely it is for this stuff to be a lot more time-consuming than you'd ever imagine. And I truly don't intend that as any sort of criticism of you, nor do I want to make you nervous about the whole undertaking.



Oh, and Welcome to Autopia!
 
wow that ultima paint guard looks nice. what is the reason you moved away from sealants? im actually thinking of leaving the glaze and sealant out of the fraction and just have polish-->carnauba.



thanks for the tip buffoon. after polishing, i am going to wipe the car down with alcohol to remove any oils left by the polish. then i was going to put on the danase wet glaze and seal it in with the sealant. supposedly i can put the wet glaze under the sealant since, like the sealant, it is acrylic. this is if i dont leave the glaze and sealant out.
 
Legacy99: WOW! That G35 looks sweet with that ultima paint guard. may i ask why you have moved away from sealants?



Buffoon: Thanks for the tip. I did some more research and found the wet glaze can be put under the sealant since, like the sealant, it is acrylic. My intentions are to get a nice wet look and seal it in with the sealant. Do you think i should still put the sealant first even though the glaze is acrylic?



Accumulator: You are right, I have spent way too much time here hehe. As for the PC, I would much rather the Flex XC but my pockets are a little shallow right now. Some day though, some day.



Thanks for the tip on "distilling" the process down. Its funny you should say that because i was just thinking of that myself. Now that you have advised it, I have decided to do just that. My plan now is to clay --> polish --> carnauba. I am sticking with Souveran paste, unless you know of something cheaper and more durable that you have used yourself and that will give me the same look as the Pinnacle.



Thanks to all of you...
 
Legacy99: WOW! That G35 looks sweet with that ultima paint guard. may i ask why you have moved away from sealants?

Just bored and trying out some higher end waxes.
 
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