New car, looking for film, polish, seal tips

[solar07]

Hello all,

I have been a frequent reader of autogeek for years. I am fairly OCD about my rides and hand wash often, hand wax with a product called royal blue, etc. We have started to upgrade vehicles and I pulled the trigger on a new 14 gunmetal gray maxima and I am in mega research mode to not only keep this car pristine but also wake my 11 F150 and her 14 altima back up. Lets start with my Max :)

I got the car back today with a full frontal Suntek protection film install. Bumper, lights, full hood, fender, a pillars, mirrors, roof line, etc. I am thinking of going to get opticoat on it next week. From here it will be all me keeping this baby mint but I am having the opti done professionally. Ok...

1 - The clear film. I have heard mention of a few products. The installer recommends a product from chemical guys called clear enhancer that looks like its for films, not sure the frequency or application recommended for this. I have heard others mention black fire products like their sealant spray and various others. Any advice on these? I am looking for a seal/polish 3-4 month product, and a more weekly refresher and cleaner like the ones I have listed above.

2 - The car and the film. I believe I want to move away from wax's as I can never seem to find decent ones and most say stay away from them on the clear films. I am looking at moving into learning to doing more a seal and polish model. In my readings I read a lot about blackfire. I was looking at their seal and polish application given this is a daily driver and less steps the better. I see black fire has a spray as well, crystal seal. Product thoughts?

a - If I go this route, does the crystal seal spray get put on over the blackfire TPnS as a weekly refresh or how does this work? I cant seem to find how this should go.

b - Is this something I can do on the whole car including the film or no?

These questions should get me started. I have researched and researched and find myself confused, just about different things. I plan to take my detailing knowledge to the next level with everyones help on here :) Once I have the max under control I will start diving into how to fix rock chips and polish the 11 F150 up :)

Thanks so so much all.

[solar07]

Have I been black sheeped? :)

[Velocitybts]

Have I been black sheeped? :)

Not sure why no one responded but here you go, welcome to the forum and there is plenty to learn.


First, you should do a Paint correction on your paint before doing any type of films. Even a brand new car has DISO (dealer installed swirls option) which is not an option, its installed regardless whether you want it or not. :buffing:..

However, film will slightly cover up light swirls so you may be good on those areas you filmed. That leaves the rest of the car. Might be a good time to get those out before you do a coating.

ONLY a good detailer does a Paint Correction correctly. There are plenty of members here who are hobbiests that do incredible work, but getting a proper Paint Correction locally (pending where you are) is very difficult. Cost is expensive too.

If you want to learn, the new Max is a good place to start and won't be as bad as your others. 4-700 you can get all you need to do them all, just research it. Then ask opinions, and people are happy to help.

Here is a good read for you to start:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-n-shine/88465-2008-mercedes-e63-amg-black-paint-correction-long-write-up-heavy-pics.html

Coatings - there are many on the market. I would do a semi-permanent one, that way if any scratches get in it then you can polish those out and re-apply the coating to that area. I personally use 22ple coatings or Modesta for everything I do. Others use the Cquartz or Opti-Coat.

Those coatings can go on top of the film and over all else. They last 1-2 years and you don't polish them or have to do anything else to them. you can top them from time to time if you want, but don't have too either. They increase gloss, protect the finish better than sealants and last much longer.

Hope all this helps you

[solar07]

Thanks so much for the advice. Terms are definately the first I need to grasp. I read these writeups full of code names, product numbers, terms, and I get lost. The link you recommended was great, albeit I get lost with some of the terms.

When you say Paint correction, is it up to the detailer to decide what that means exactly or is this a static concept meaning for instance:

remove swirls
Seal
Polish
etc...

How often does one need to do this between routine washes and details?


Would you recommend going with a kit for my first dive into starting to do this myself? As in a good kit that come with a DA, polishers, sealants, etc.?


I drove my max for the first time out and about yesterday and its already covered in salt and brine debris, I am trying to decide the best way to get this gunk of through the week during the cold winter weeks here in Ohio,,,

[Desertnate]

Thanks so much for the advice. Terms are definately the first I need to grasp. I read these writeups full of code names, product numbers, terms, and I get lost. The link you recommended was great, albeit I get lost with some of the terms.

When you say Paint correction, is it up to the detailer to decide what that means exactly or is this a static concept meaning for instance:

remove swirls
Seal
Polish
etc...


Paint correction seems to be a pretty universal term. However, how much correction gets done is where things get subjective. if you want a 100% swirl-free, show car shine that can get expensive. On my personal daily drivers I go for about a 80%~90% solution and don't chase after the few deep defects.


How often does one need to do this between routine washes and details?

I wouldn't do heavy corrections more than a few times over the lifespan of the vehicle. However, I lightly polish everything up annualy in the spring.

Would you recommend going with a kit for my first dive into starting to do this myself? As in a good kit that come with a DA, polishers, sealants, etc.?



I drove my max for the first time out and about yesterday and its already covered in salt and brine debris, I am trying to decide the best way to get this gunk of through the week during the cold winter weeks here in Ohio,,,

Touchless car wash, or spray it off with the wand at a coin-op.

[solar07]

When you say:

""""On my personal daily drivers I go for about a 80%~90% solution and don't chase after the few deep defects."""""

What does that process look like or entail? Is this what you do annually then just wash and wax through the rest of the year?

[Velocitybts]

When you say:

""""On my personal daily drivers I go for about a 80%~90% solution and don't chase after the few deep defects."""""

What does that process look like or entail? Is this what you do annually then just wash and wax through the rest of the year?

1. Paint correction as previously mentioned is the process of removing defects (scratches, swirls, micro marring of the CC) out of the Clear Coat. You have a Base Coat Clear Coat paint systems. Think about it like this, your base coat is the color of the car, the clear coat is the thicker layer of literally clear paint on the surface. It is all about 4-6 mils thick total. When a scratch or swirl appears it is actually a mark in the clear coat part of the surface. Pending on how deep the mark is, will depend if it will come out safely. So removing layers of clear coat thins the surface and obviously you only want to remove the least amount you have too to get the surface to the condition you want. i.e..... Paint correction

2. Depending on your needs and ability to maintain the vehicle, the Intensity of the Paint Correction should match. If you take the cars through the car wash (not the touchless ones, or dry with a bath towel) then you should just put a sealant or coating on the car and be done. Those two things will put additional scratches in the clear coat and your effort would be wasted.

3. Since the car is new, a simple one step polish with a decent swirl remover (menzerna sf4000 or sf4500) will take out most if not all the marks in it. You will remove such a tiny bit of clear coat it might not measure on a gauge so no worries. ( when you compound a car you start to take off more, only so many times can that be done like the poster above this said)

4. Kits are great, but start pricing things and learn what those particular machines (in the forum part) like to use the best and save yourself some money.

Griots Garage 6" Dual Action buffer, Lake Country hybrid pads, Menzerna Products, Wolfgang Products, backing plates for smaller pads on the GG 6" so you can use a 5" pad. Smaller pads are easier to use and you work smaller areas.

5. Sealants are waxes. There are two types. Carnuaba and Synthetic. Industry leans towards syntheics due to longevity. 4-5 months or so compared to 3-4 weeks with the Carnaubas. Pinnacle Sovereign or Blackfire or Wolfgang Fusion are examples of synthetics sealants that are excellent.

6. Coatings are literally coatings that go on top of the clear coat and seem to protect better than sealants. They last 1-2 years or so and you don't wax or have to wax on top. You can but don't have too. They protect sometimes better and last longer. Some like me swear by them, others won't use them. Personal preference.

7. BUY Mike Phillips book "How to get a show car shine" and it tells you everything you need to understand. Its a good read and you will learn a lot. I know a lot, but I bought it myself recently to make sure I was doing things correctly or understood things correctly.

Hope this helps