Frequency of polishing

[TP143]

Hi all,

I just received my Griots polisher and Wolfgang products last night and plan on beginning my first detail tonight. One of my vehicles definitely needs the full shebang but I have a question on the other. The paint on my newer vehicle was polished/sealed by the previous owner last summer and I cannot see any visible blemishes on the finish. My question is, is it a good idea to polish a vehicle that already looks good to the naked eye? I don't want to remove any paint if it is not necessary but if it is just a good preventative practice to annually polish then I will.

Also, applying to any time a polish or sealant job is done, do I need to remove prior sealant/wax or just wash/clay the vehicle and polish/seal away?

Thanks!

[Mike Phillips]

Hi all,

The paint on my newer vehicle was polished/sealed by the previous owner last summer and I cannot see any visible blemishes on the finish.

My question is, is it a good idea to polish a vehicle that already looks good to the naked eye?

I don't want to remove any paint if it is not necessary but if it is just a good preventative practice to annually polish then I will.



Not abrading whatever paint is left would be doing the most you can do to ensure what's left lasts over the service life of the car, especially if you live in an area of extreme heat and sunlight.

It's not that it's a bad idea to polish paint it's more that if it looks good to you in the current condition then that's all that matters.




Also, applying to any time a polish or sealant job is done, do I need to remove prior sealant/wax or just wash/clay the vehicle and polish/seal away?

Thanks!


Best results come when the the paint is properly prepared to accept the new coat of wax, sealant or coating. You don't have to abrade the paint to do this you can use a simple paint cleaner, also called a pre-wax cleaner.

Take a look at these two articles,

How to clay, clean and wax paint by hand with Pinnacle Paintwork Cleansing Lotion and Pinnacle Signature Series II Carnauba Paste Wax (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-articles/25218-how-clay-clean-wax-paint-hand-pinnacle-signature-series-ii.html)

The benefits of a light paint cleaner, cleansing lotion or pre-wax cleaner (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/28519-benefits-light-paint-cleaner-cleansing-lotion-pre-wax-cleaner.html)





While claying will remove above surface bonded contaminants, Pinnacle
Paintwork Cleansing Lotion will remove embedded road grime and pollutants as you can
see when we compare the applicator pad we used on the right to the brand new, clean applicator pad on the left.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/858/PaintCleaningByHand012.jpg






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