Claying,Poli-Coat & Collinite 845

[Mike Burke]

Hello, I’m new to this detailing obsession but I think I’m catching it.
I have a 20004 White Suburban that I need to start on. It’s in good shape (I’m sure there are some swirls but It looks good to me. I’m not looking for perfection, this time anyway. Here is my list of (new) tools:

PC7424xp 1 orange ccs pad
2 white pads
2 gray pad
DP Poli-Coat Paint Sealant
Collinite # 845 Insulator Wax
Pinnacle Ultra Poly Detailing Clay
On to my questions……….after I wash do I need to clay the whole vehicle? (My first time ever) and the first time for the Suburban. Horizontal and Vertical panels
After claying I plan on using the DP Poli-Coat…I would like to use the PC to apply it, which pad should I use? I’m thinking the White Pad.
Then applying the Collinite 845 wax over the Poli-Coat. Is this ok? Should I wait a day or so to let the DP dry well? If I use the PC to apply the wax should I use the gray pad?
Thanks for any suggestions and answers,
Mike
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[kb2ehj]

Welcome aboard Mike, word of caution, this place is addicting.

To answer your questions and I'm learning this stuff also, I'd probably clay the entire vehicle, some people say only the horizontal panels need to be done, but I'd say do the whole thing.

You can apply both the sealant and wax by the PC or by hand, like the above statement everybody does it a different way.

You want to apply both those products with a finishing pad, in your case the gray/black. The white one is on the bottom of the scale for correction work.

If more pads are to be purchased in the future I'd probably get yourself a couple blue and red ones (both are finishing pads).

Most sealants want at least a 12 hour cure time, as Mike will say, follow the directions on the product your using and you will not go wrong.

I have no experience yet with the DP Poli-coat product, but I have a bottle on the way and should have it tomorrow. I think you will like the 845, I put some on the wife's car like a month ago and it's still going strong.

Search around the forums, you will find tons more information on your questions

[2kredbb6]

I say clay the whole SUV..
I know you said you dont want perfection, but a polish would make that White really shine.. an you will seal that shine with the sealant its a great product you will really enjoy.
DP Poli does require a 12 hour cure time before applying wax.

[Dubbin1]

Always clay the entire vehicle as you will get contamination on all body panels. The car is 6+ years old, personally I would give it a good polish before applying a sealant and wax.

[cobalt9123]

Always clay the entire vehicle as you will get contamination on all body panels. The car is 6+ years old, personally I would give it a good polish before applying a sealant and wax.

I agree, if you're going to go through the work to strip it down and already have the Porter Cable out, you may as well give it a once over with a medium cut polish that finishes down nicely such as Meguiar's D151 All-in-One or Meguiars 205 Finishing Polish. Both finish down very nicely and are SMAT products with a long working time. In MY opinion, D151 is very new-user friendly. Since you already have the white pad, you could apply the M205 or D151 with that, and then apply the DP Poli-Coat with the blue or black finishing pad as suggested above.

The worst feeling, however, is spending all day working on your vehicle, and after removing the LSP seeing nasty swirls still in the finish. It makes me wish I'd never done it...as if it's a complete waste of time. But that's just my opinion :)

[Mike Burke]

Thanks for the suggestions :) and warning......
Looks like the D151 has a wax in it and the 205 Finishing Polish is just a polish ? Would using the 151 be doubling up on product ?

[spike]

Thanks for the suggestions :) and warning......
Looks like the D151 has a wax in it and the 205 Finishing Polish is just a polish ? Would using the 151 be doubling up on product ?

Yes, you are right, D151 has wax in it, and 205 does not (it's a pure polish). But from my experiences reading lots of info about the D151, it does have wax in it, and its fairly durable on it's own, but if you want extra protection, then go ahead and apply the Collinite 845 on top of the D151. I did this exact combo for a friend on her black PT cruiser, and it worked really well. I am always of the opinion that more protection is better than less!

On a side note, if you have never used 845 before, you will love how easy it is to use, and how tight the beading you will get when it rains. Just remember, a little goes a long way! Keep your coats thin. The beads are like perfect little pearls....

:dblthumb2:

[Mike Burke]

Thanks again for the encouraging words.
I think I might look at getting the Meg's 205 and see how that works. I'm thinking why get the D105 when I have the DP Poli and wax ready to go. Why spend more money on more product when I could spend the money on Pads or other things I don't have :xyxthumbs:

[2kredbb6]

You'll be really happy with the M205, plus it's on sale!

[Mike Burke]

Thanks for all the suggestions,
Today was a day of first's for me.
Fists time ever to use clay....Amazing !!!! to say the least .
First time to drop the clay and have to toss it :cry:
First time to use my PC7424
and all the new products I bought. It came out pretty darn good, not perfect but good enough for me..... this time. I will never look back .
I am looking forward to doing my pickup that has some pretty bad swirling. Time to go the the Forum Store. :xyxthumbs:

[sal329]

Its a good feeling after your first time using all you purchased and seeing the results look good. Post up some pictures. Glad to hear you got it all to work for yourself.

[ewiesner]

Remember to shake, shake and shake some more the Collinite 845.