Prep for polishing questions....

[Rez90]

I'm trying to get a handle on this.

I want to polish my corvette. and i think i'm going to start tomorrow.

The car is clean. Like CLEAN. worst case scenario it needs a quick mist of 425 to remove the dust. The car does have protection on it. I think the last thing i used on it was 845.

Here's my question. I want to polish one panel at a time. probably over a few days.

Do i need to strip the wax off of the car using a car wash such as CG Citrus Wash? Or can i just do an IPA wipedown a couple of times on the panel i'm going to work on...clay....polish...and re protect?

I'm just trying to figure this out because it may take a week or so to polish the whole car because time is a major restraint for me. And i'd like to drive it in between

And i was always under the impression that you have to strip whatever's on the surface using a wash.

Any insight is appreciated. Thanks.

[Dubbin1]

The clay and whatever polish you use is going to strip the wax.

[Rez90]

So if the car is clean....I don't need to worry about doing a wash to strip wax...

IPA and Clay is all i need.

Thank you.

[Kurt_s]

I'm trying to get a handle on this.

I want to polish my corvette. and i think i'm going to start tomorrow.

The car is clean. Like CLEAN. worst case scenario it needs a quick mist of 425 to remove the dust. The car does have protection on it. I think the last thing i used on it was 845.

Here's my question. I want to polish one panel at a time. probably over a few days.

Do i need to strip the wax off of the car using a car wash such as CG Citrus Wash? Or can i just do an IPA wipedown a couple of times on the panel i'm going to work on...clay....polish...and re protect?

I'm just trying to figure this out because it may take a week or so to polish the whole car because time is a major restraint for me. And i'd like to drive it in between

And i was always under the impression that you have to strip whatever's on the surface using a wash.

Any insight is appreciated. Thanks.
I always wash before claying or polishing. I don't want to grind dirt and grit into my paint.

Citrus wash or Dawn at higher concentrations should do a good job of stripping wax if that is your objective. I personally like Citrus Wash for paint prep but Dawn is cheap. I use an IPA wipedown between polish and LSP to check my correction and remove polish residue especially if I am using a sealant.

If you are polishing, polishing will remove the old wax so an IPA wipedown and a strong detergent like Citrus Wash are probably not necessary to remove the old wax. I'll let others chime in if they think that I'm off base.

Since you are polishing one area at a time and want to drive the car between stages, you might consider using Optimum No Rinse to wash the panels and surrounding areas of paint that you plan to polish that day. ONR won't strip the old wax, but you will have a clean surface for claying and polish.

I personally would put protection on the freshly polished paint, even temporarily, if you are driving the car. I wouldn't want tar, dirt, water spots, bird droppings and grit to stick to my unprotected, freshly polished paint. Once you complete polishing all panels, the car would have some type of protection over the entire car even if done one panel at a time.

You then have a few options, 1) Drive the car with the applied protection, 2) wash the entire car with Citrus Wash or Dawn to remove the temporary LSP (an IPA wipedown might be a good additional step too), then apply your permanent LSP, or 3) wash the car and put another layer of the LSP that you had been using.

Good luck!

[Kurt_s]

You may want to check the IPA discussion that came up again over the last day or so.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101/23225-ipa.html

Good informaton about IPA and mineral spirits as you approach your polishing process, and Mike makes some great points.

[ASPHALT ROCKET]

Do not use Mineral spirits, it contains oils and defeats the purpose of doing a solvent type wipe down to remove polish residue.

[Mike Phillips]

IPA actually strips the surface very well but read my comments here...

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101/25874-ipa-wipedown.html



Personal preference as to what to use...

:dblthumb2:

[BenSRT]

if I mix 75% IPA and 25% water in a spray bottle it is correct??
fews weeks ago after make a 5 steps on the girlfriend car I just wash the car with carsoap before waxing and is make a great job.

[Adam]

Don't need to make it complicated. If the car is clean then clay, polish, ipa wipedown then seal. Doing one panel at a time isn't a problem either. Not convinced Citrus Wash is the product to use to strip old LSP either. It will simply replace it with its own Gloss Enhancers.

[Kurt_s]

Don't need to make it complicated. If the car is clean then clay, polish, ipa wipedown then seal. Doing one panel at a time isn't a problem either. Not convinced Citrus Wash is the product to use to strip old LSP either. It will simply replace it with its own Gloss Enhancers.
Working "clean" was drilled into my head years ago, and maybe I've made it too complicated and spent unnecessary time when polishing or preparing paint for wax.

When is a car "clean" enough to skip a hose and bucket or no rinse wash before claying and polishing even if it is a daily driver?

Thanks!

[Mike Phillips]

When is a car "clean" enough to skip a hose and bucket or no rinse wash before claying and polishing even if it is a daily driver?

Thanks!


You need to evaluate the condition of the finish...

Spray Detailers, or Quick Detailers are for removing


Light dust
Fingerprints
Smudges

If the dust on you car is a film and not a dust that will blow off with a strong breath of air then you should probably consider a Waterless Wash.

Here's 3 related articles...

Spray Detailers
Tips & Techniques for using a Spray Detailer to Remove Light Dust, Fingerprints and Smudges (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/tricks-tips-techniques/23128-tips-techniques-using-spray-detailer-remove-light-dust-fingerprints-smudges.html)



Car Washing
How dirty is too dirty to safely use a rinseless wash? (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/hot-topics-frequently-asked-questions/23602-how-dirty-too-dirty-safely-use-rinseless-wash.html)
The difference between a Normal Car Wash, a Waterless Car Wash, a Rinseless Car Wash and a Spray Detailer (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/hot-topics-frequently-asked-questions/23645-difference-between-normal-car-wash-waterless-car-wash-rinseless-car-wash-spray-detailer.html)





:)

[Kurt_s]

if I mix 75% IPA and 25% water in a spray bottle it is correct??
fews weeks ago after make a 5 steps on the girlfriend car I just wash the car with carsoap before waxing and is make a great job.
If you want to make a 50% v/v solution, you would use 1 part distilled water (33% of final volume) and 2 parts 75% isopropyl alcohol (67% of final volume).

I use a $0.98 Home Depot spray bottle for my IPA which should be fine since IPA shouldn't corrode internal parts of the sprayer.

[Kurt_s]

You need to evaluate the condition of the finish...

Spray Detailers, or Quick Detailers are for removing


Light dust
Fingerprints
Smudges
If the dust on you car is a film and not a dust that will blow off with a strong breath of air then you should probably consider a Waterless Wash.

Here's 3 related articles...

Spray Detailers
Tips & Techniques for using a Spray Detailer to Remove Light Dust, Fingerprints and Smudges (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/tricks-tips-techniques/23128-tips-techniques-using-spray-detailer-remove-light-dust-fingerprints-smudges.html)



Car Washing
How dirty is too dirty to safely use a rinseless wash? (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/hot-topics-frequently-asked-questions/23602-how-dirty-too-dirty-safely-use-rinseless-wash.html)
The difference between a Normal Car Wash, a Waterless Car Wash, a Rinseless Car Wash and a Spray Detailer (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/hot-topics-frequently-asked-questions/23645-difference-between-normal-car-wash-waterless-car-wash-rinseless-car-wash-spray-detailer.html)





:)
Thanks Mike.

While I know that the polishing step should remove swirls and light defects, I don't want to introduce any more damage than necessary.

I think that I'm going to stick with a hose and bucket or ONR wash before claying and polishing, if I've been driving the car.

If the car is in the garage for the night, does it make sense to wipe it down with a QD and MF to remove dust before claying or just move forward.

[Mike Phillips]

If the car is in the garage for the night, does it make sense to wipe it down with a QD and MF to remove dust before claying or just move forward.


Yes... especially if you can see visible dust on the horizontal surfaces...

It's important to work clean, especially when you're working on a nice finish to start with...


:)

[Kurt_s]

Yes... especially if you can see visible dust on the horizontal surfaces...

It's important to work clean, especially when you're working on a nice finish to start with...


:)
I guess I will remain a clean freak...:cool:

Related questions:

Some QDs have silicones, polymers and gloss enhancers in them.
1) Is there a better QD (or worse type) when wiping down paint before polishing?
a) Let's say that I clayed last night and want to polish in the AM.
b) Should I consider an IPA, MS or APC wipedown too?
2) Is there a better QD (or worse type) before adding another coat of sealant?

For instance, if one has a coat of DGPS3.0 on the vehicle and wants to add another, will a QD affect binding of the sealant for a second coat? I understand that some sealants (like Zaino) are very finicky about paint prep and they need their own specific cleaner.

3) Do any clay lube residues compromise a polishes performance?
a) Do LSPs remain after claying and do they compromise some polishes?

4) Is there value to using Dawn or a citrus based car wash to help strip LSPs before claying and polishing over a traditional "hose 'n bucket" or "No Rinse" car wash?
a) How about before claying and then using a paint cleaner instead of correction?
b) Do car wash gloss enhancers affect LSP performance?