Paint protection products

[stirlinggaz]

Hi all,
This question applies to both brand new paint/clearcoat & old paint which has been thoroughly degreased & cleaned, so there's NO protective coating on what so ever.

What products anyone recommend BEFORE polishes/wax etc

What do car detailers or paintshops use?

I have my own compressor, guns masks etc


cheers,
GAZ

[ZRX61]

What would be the point of putting anything on it before you polish it? that's just going to remove it.

You clean it.
You polish it
You wax it.

That's it.
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[stirlinggaz]

[A100man]

[grr666]

Clear vinyl wrap?
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[bladerunner]

detailing wise its usually wash it, IPA if needed to strip old wax etc and then decontaminate the surface to remove any iron etc, followed by a caly bar to remove any other contaminates then polish it to smooth the top coat or paint....then wax and lastly add a ceramic coating to seal it all in. have a youtube for forensic car detailing etc for good product reviews
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[stirlinggaz]

[stirlinggaz]

[stirlinggaz]

[grr666]

https://bodyguarduk.com/product/

Not a fake website despite the rather funny and ironic name.
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[stirlinggaz]

[Soggz]

[stirlinggaz]

[Analogkid]

https://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk

All things paint prep and protection, they have a blog and a forum (links bottom of page)

I buy the stuff for my car and bike from Tim, and you allways get speedy delivery and a handwritten thank you note.

Some products are quite pricey, and some Carnuba waxes run into thousands, but they have a great range and good advice, for the bike I buy the DodoJuice samples, purple haze and the banana one are superb, you only need to apply to hands, then caress the paint, in summer bugs just wash off without trouble, a sample tub will last a year or two, perhaps more if only used on a bike, a sample will do 3-5 cars. Lots of advice and ‘how toos' on the site too.

Ps if using a high quality wax, you'll only need to reapply two or three times a year, if you are going to polish, you'll need a machine, plus pads, and for a bike a set of small pads and their mandrel will make it a lot easier, there are rotary and dual action, the second is better for a novice as it won't burn the paint, besides the rotary ones are better suited to bigger areas, Tim is usually happy to take calls/emails, and his advice is honest

[stevo as b4]

Have you got any information that suggests or proves that not all Carnuba waxes are not equal or satisfactory?

I've got some triple wax Carnuba wax for treating mostly the powder coated frame parts on my KMX. I use Maguires and Autoglym stuff for car bodywork and plastics usually. But I don't see the point in going full anal/expensive for a protection coating on hidden parts.

Ive just enamel painted and baked my cylinder heads in the oven, so I'm going to give the head and cylinder a coat of wax before fitting as pointless as it is on parts that will get hot.

Im just suspicious in the world of detailing that there's alot of willy waving and Bullshit about various products and must haves or else you might as well not bother kind of thinking.

[grr666]

It can get a bit pious in detaling circles. My advice is use what works for you. I like Poorboys products myself. There are one or
two items I always have in stock from that range. You either get it or you don't. Besides, you'll never convince a sponge wielding
animal they are wrong so there's no point trying. Just try some stuff and see what works. Tons of good advice out there but no
subsitute for having a go. I have used cleanyourcar for years. Well worth a look.
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[struan80]

Do you guys spray ACF50 or similar on your paintwork? I've got the bike covered everywhere with a view to washing the bike next spring only. I was told this by a guy with a larger beard than myself.

[Analogkid]

[stevo as b4]

Just out of interest then, what's your thoughts on silicone products?

On my cars and bikes I have always washed and clayed them 1-2times a year and then used something like high definition wax Polish. But between waxes, I have always generally washed and dried the bodywork and applied XGP silicone to the paint before buffing it off. Its always left a good shine and is far quicker to use than a wax product.

Im one of those that will never join pro detailing forums, as if I want a car really well detailed or any paint correction etc, then I'd rather pay a few £££ every couple of years for a professional job by someone who has all the gear and knows exactly what to do.

I also think any form of polishing and car care is better than those people who just bang their car through a car wash every couple of weeks. Even if they use that watery turtle wax or similar products on an old dusting cloth etc.

[Analogkid]

[rpsmith79]

Its really not that difficult

Polishes remove material, so when using a polish, it will remove the high spots and soften the edges of any major scratches, making them harder to see under normal conditions, to fully remove a scratch, you need a rubbing compound type polish and a machine polisher, just be careful not to burn through your paint if it is thin

Waxes/Sealants add material, so once waxed/sealed with either a natural (carnuba wax) or synthetic sealant, these will add a layer of protection to the paintwork, protecting all the hard work you put in polishing out the imperfections. You can also layer wax/sealants, so once one coat is on and fully set/dried, you can apply multiple coats over the top to add additional layers of protection

Stay away from Polishing waxes, as they simply cannot work, as 1 product cannot remove and add material in 1 hit, or at least not very effectively, always use separate products

If you want high shine, use Carnuba wax, but expect to reapply every few weeks to keep the protection level up

If you want long lasting protection, so synthetic sealant, these are generally much easier to apply as well


And don't get me started on hand car washes, they wash you car with traffic film remover, which strips all the wax and polish off, making your car initially look very clean, but it will soon turn to shit as with little to no protection for your paintwork, you vehicle will look loppy again very soon, and guess what, you take it back to get cleaned again.........

And the amount of times i have seen them drop a sponge on the floor and pick it straight back up and carry on washing the paintwork, all those lovely bits of grit and dirt and soapy water, makes for a lovely swirly paint finish
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