Newbie - Start Me On The Right Path

[olfac87]

Mike - that is good to hear. I would like to think the two newer Lotus paint jobs would benefit from a polish only (after doing a test to confirm) to avoid what I hear about in terms of removing paint and/or clear coat. And for the older, never-corrected Volvo wagon it sounds like I should still start with a polish and if I am not seeing happy results work my way into a compound. Hopefully I translated what you are saying correctly.

[olfac87]

And Mike - sealing!! Ohmygosh, a whole new world. A poster gave me some of his tips above. I still have no idea which direction to go. Wax, spray solution, ceramic coating, ceramic/wax spray. Seems like an endless world...

[dcjredline]

And Mike - sealing!! Ohmygosh, a whole new world. A poster gave me some of his tips above. I still have no idea which direction to go. Wax, spray solution, ceramic coating, ceramic/wax spray. Seems like an endless world...

This is why I was coming to the thread to warn you to RUN now before you get sucked into the rabbit hole!!!. If I were to help you get into the hole though I would say go with some kind of One Step with the DD cars. My 2 favorites are Meguiars D151 and HD Speed. I think you got to start there and see how that goes. THEN get into some research about what youll wanna do with the Lotus.

GOOD LUCK, Welcome

[Lance Mark]

And Mike - sealing!! Ohmygosh, a whole new world. A poster gave me some of his tips above. I still have no idea which direction to go. Wax, spray solution, ceramic coating, ceramic/wax spray. Seems like an endless world...

Hello my friend. Grats on the nice stable of cars. You must have won....not sure what, but you have won.

I am here to learn to better care for my Harley. Like you, I'm practicing on cars that I'm not as emotionally attached as I am my Harley.

As an LSP, if you are looking for an easy application, maybe consider CanCoat by Gyeon.

I did a quarter panel on my truck with BlackICE, a hybrid wax. I did the tail gate on the truck with Gyeon CanCoat. It was way easier to apply, it's supposed to be a far superior protector. It's considered a sealant, I think.

After properly cleaning, and polishing, I used Gyeon Prep and Gyeon CanCoat as the the LSP

I've not a lot of experience with LSPs but the smooth feeling after applying the CanCoat was absolutely amazing. It is slick and slippery. Supposed to last about 6 months or so.

[olfac87]

Thank you for the input on CanCoat. I will check it out.

[psnt1ol]

Like others had said.... This is a rabbit hole when it comes to LSP.

Its hard to get consensus on a single "best" product. The question should be " what is best for you in your particular situation". Some prefers looks over durability and some prefers rigorous monthly regiment over general ease of maintenance. This line of thought goes on and on.

Find something you like and stick to it would be my best advice for any new enthusiast. I , on the other hand, like to try new stuff and hence my garage is full of products I dont use.

[Lance Mark]

I , on the other hand, like to try new stuff and hence my garage is full of products I dont use.

I plan on experimenting with some different options. In fact, I'm excited to try some different products. This is a lot of fun and the experimenting is a big part of the fun too. I have an '08 Sierra that is a beater I keep around in case I need it. I call it my Detailenstein. It's a patchwork of different detailing methods, right now.

[weekend warrior]

All I can say...when I coated my car I used Dawn .... to remove old wax...I am no expert...but other people on here also used it

[dwaleke]

All I can say...when I coated my car I used Dawn .... to remove old wax...I am no expert...but other people on here also used it

Dawn can leave a residue on the paint. It has caused issues for some in the past.

If you polish or panel wipe after it's likely not a problem.

[PaulMys]

Dawn can leave a residue on the paint. It has caused issues for some in the past.

If you polish or panel wipe after it's likely not a problem.

I think we need a sticky on the myth of using DAWN.