Help a newbie

[jwa62]

I've researched several forums covering exterior detailing and think I know what I want to use, but want to see if it makes sense. I have a fully restored off-frame restored '62 vette (was my dad's) that I'm looking to make really shine.

I had, per the instructions of the guy who did the restoration for me, been using Mequiar's mirror glaze swirl remover 2 and Mequiar's quikwax......and before continuing to bug the restorer (not that he minds, I just feel bad) I wanted to have a completed list of steps/products before discussing with him.

Given the car is "new", has a PPG clear coat on it and very little paint defects, I was thinking of the following (all by hand, I’m scared of buffers with the amount of chrome):
1) A cleanser like pinnacle paintwork cleansing lotion (or Wolfgang total swirl remover 3 if I start noticing swirls)
2) RMG clearkote glaze (it’s roman red.. a lot of sites said RMG works great on red)
3) Wolfgang deep gloss sealant 3
4) Pinnacle souveran wax
5) Crystal mist detailing spray for touch ups at shows

Keep in mind I was instructed not to "wash" the car as it will leak into the interior (that's what they did when they were new in '62, and was told it's what it could do now), and that it is garaged with a dust cover all the time unless I am driving it or at a show... I figured for these reasons a clay product seems unnecessary at this point. My thoughts are that if I use a sealant, it will help protect the car when I'm driving around, decrease amount of paint fading, and amount of work I have to do every time before a show (i.e. starting over at #1 possibly every week/month).....and the wax onto will give me the show shine I'm looking for.

If I understand everything I'm reading: I can do steps 1-4 to start, rewax once a month, and only have to repeat steps 1-4 every 3-4 months (the cleansing lotion or swirl remover will "de-wax" the car.....right??)

Sorry it's so long, but this stuff is somewhat confusing for one who has never had to worry about damaging their new baby. Thanks for whatever input you can give!!

[embolism]

that car looks sweet!

No washing huh? I wonder if that includes waterless washes or rinseless? Maybe it's a candidate for a drywash product

[jwa62]

Thanks, I keep that in mind if the car ever gets that dirty. But am looking more to confirm that the steps/products are correct. I know the sequence seems to be wash/clay/wash/polish/etc , but if I skip the conventional wash and clay (since I've spent more time just talking to it and rubbing it with a "diaper") does my plan sound right? Also looking to make sure that when it does get dirty for real or is time to seal again that the cleaning lotion (or swirl remover) strips the wax so I can start all over again.

And yeah, the baby is really sweet:righton:! He did a really nice job and have got nothing but complements on his work and dedication to making it as correct as possible......I just don't want to royally mess it up!

[embolism]

I haven't used RMG but have used black hole and blacklight (hybrid glaze/sealant) both times I topped with a carnauba. I'm not saying you can't put WGDGPS on top of a glaze but from the reading I've done here, most people don't and they don't really top it either (except with more coats of it)

If you want to experiment, then save the sealant and use the paint cleaner, glaze, then souveran. Get that look into your head, take some pictures, get local feedback and later, use the paint cleaner, then do 2-3 coats of WG sealant (with appropriate cure time btw coats), live with that for a bit, then maybe top with Souveran and see how you like that.

It'll be nice weather soon (hopefully after this week of rain passes) so I'll mostly be playing with glazes and carnaubas. I'll leave the sealants for winter prep and for family/friends who neglect their cars...

[Rayaz]

As you can see from my "member" status, there are many more qualified people here to answer your questions but I do have experience with the products to mentioned.

Firstly, unless you need the exercise, I would tape that chrome and use a power buffer to correct the paint. It's pretty hard to screw up and if you start with a nice non-aggresive final polish, you should be fine. I have a similar "batmobile" that does not see the light of day very often and I'll share how I take care of it.

Once you get the paint where you want it, a nice beauty coat of wax (Pinnacle looks awesome) or if you want something with a little more staying power, Fuzion. I'm not sure if I would bother with a sealant on a car that does not sit out. I've tried it both ways and honestly can't see much difference.

That having been said, maybe the sealant will provide a little more protection for the waterless/rinseless wash it sounds like you are going to have to use to keep the interior dry. I use some big fluffy Cobra microfibers (about 3 per wash) to do a BMW of similar size. This is where the swirls will happen so more towels are better than fewer.

I can't remember the last time I waxed any of my cars because they "needed" it. I usually do it after I go crazy on a sale or something new comes out. Nobody bothers me when I'm in the garage...

If your paint guy did a good job on the finish, you may be happy with just the paint cleansing lotion and then the wax. The lotion has the ability to fill in some very minor swirls and yes, it strips the wax under it as does the polish. If you're careful with the wash, you won't have to polish very often at all. Just freshen the wax up with either more wax or spray deatiler and go win a trophy! I got a freebie bottle of Pinnacle spray wax and it really looks good! Those rascals have sold me two more bottles since then :xyxthumbs:.

I just bought a gallon of Optimum No-rinse and I love it (mixed in a bucket and used with 2-3 fluffy towels). It also makes some sweet clay lube and I would recommend claying with a light clay before putting in the rest of the work. It was around a body shop at some point so I would be shocked it there was no overspray at least somewhere on it. Besides, I think it makes the wax lay down nicer.

Hope this helps, it was windy enough! You're going to love how it looks when you are done:dblthumb2:

[dougaross]

When you take your car cover on and off you risk marring the paint so hopefully your car is dust free when put the cover on.