Advice on detailing my wife's daily driver...

[watermark]

My wife drives a black 2007 Nissan Pathfinder. It's her daily driver, and needless to say, she is nowhere near as picky about taking care of her car as I am. She basically runs it through a car wash every few months, and calls it a day. I'm planning on attempting to detail it this Saturday as a surprise (and to earn some good husband points). I'm NOT planning on a full paint restoration, but I do want to get rid of some RIDS and most of the swirls.

What I'm looking for is some advice on my course of action, and if the products that I want to use will work together.

Here's my planned product list:
* start with cleaning (two bucket method) using my foam gun
* clay using Zaino Z6 as a lube
* quick rinse and dry after
* polish with Optimum Hyper Polish
* finishing polish with Blackfire Finishing Polish
* glaze with Danase Wet Glaze
* seal with CG jetSEAL 109
* LSP using Rejex (due to longevity and protection)

I also have Ultima Paint Prep Plus and Ultima Paint Guard Plus, but didn't know if that would be overkill.

Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[artofdetailing]

why are you doing a 2 step polish and then adding a glaze?

[350z00m]

i would skip the glaze and add paint cleanser after the clay.....

[watermark]

The thought process was that the two step would take care of the most of the swirls, and then the glaze would fill in some more. Are you thinking that the two step should be sufficient?

[watermark]

i would skip the glaze and add paint cleanser after the clay.....

I have the Ultima and Dodo Juice Lime Prime, and you're saying to do it before the polishing?

[artofdetailing]

I have the Ultima and Dodo Juice Lime Prime, and you're saying to do it before the polishing?

Yeah use the lime prime after you clay...2 step polish...the use KLASSE AIO because it has some chemicals in it that actual get rid of light scratches and swirls quickly (i use this on under door handles where fingernail marks occur..gets rid of them so fast!)
Since winter is coming up i would use a long lasting durable wax like collinite 476...seal that all up with a paint sealant and then top with your favorite carnauba wax...

[watermark]

Thanks for the advice guys. And....that's why I ask my questions here.

[artofdetailing]

as you should...asking questions makes the difference between thinking you know how to do something and actually doing it right.

[Joe in PA]

If it were me (well it is me as I am in the middle of detailing the wife's black grand cherokee) I would go with the wash, clay, 2 stage polish, sealant and you avbsolutely feel the need a coat or two of wax. On a daily driver, it just isn't worth the added effort to me to go through too many steps. Just prep the paint as best as you can, apply a sealant/wax and accept that it simply isn't a show car and isn't worth the effort to make it perfect. Also, the idea of a wax followed by a sealant followed by more wax males me a tad nervous, as I'd want to have the sealant bonding to clean paint.

Trust me, the wife will be very pleased, even if the vehicle isn't completely autogeekafided.

[Mike Phillips]

* polish with Optimum Hyper Polish

Did you mention how you were applying this? Rotary Buffer? Flex 3401, Cyclo, DA Polisher?


With the right pad, tool and technique the Optimum Hyper-Polish will knock out most of the light swirls but leave the RIDS.

On a side note, if she's going to continue taking the Pathfinder through a car wash then leave the RIDS and just a great claying, polishing and waxing will still make it look like brand new...

Removing the RIDS will require removing more precious clear paint and if it's a daily driver, run through car washes then it's a noble idea but kind of self-defeating...


Good exercise though...