Would Appreciate Your Critiques of My Process

[HRPinDC]

Hi All,

 

As I anxiously await Spring and the nice weather, I am thinking about my first detail on my new to me classic Mustang. The car is in great shape and doesn’t really need much. It’s kept in a garage and only driven in nice weather. I plan to drive it a lot, but only on nice days.

 

This is what I am thinking, but I would greatly appreciate the wisdom of the pros:

 

• Clean engine with APC diluted @ 1:1 and either diluted RW or WW
• Clean tires and wheels 
• Wash car with RW with 2oz. APC to strip (bucket of towels method)
• Clay bar using RW as lubricant
• Hand polish with Revive
• Wash again with RW no APC
• Dry with DS or HGG? (Not really sure if I need HGG)
• Wax with BW including chrome
• Top with BG. I will also use this and DS for shows and quick shining

 

More frequent washes will be with RW.

 

Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 

Thanks!

Howard

[Nickfire20]

Looks good.

 

A few things I prefer...

 

Tire and Rubber cleaner for under the hood.

Brilliant Glaze before wax to lock in the shine.

Then Brilliant Glaze and DS as needed like you mentioned.

 

Only clay if needed, try the baggy test first, if you are unsure.

[tlbullet]

Maybe switch the order..u have clay, polish, wash. Id say clay, wash then polish.  

[camaro2ssblack]

Regarding the comment above, I would never wash between the clay and polish steps.  I’m not sure what that would accomplish.  Gently washing or wiping down with an IPA solution after polishing is good practice.  

 

If you dry with HGG there’s no need for Buttery wax. Buttery wax is an entry level product with almost no durability.  It also won’t increase any shine you get with the HGG and BG combo.  I would skip it all together personally.

Edited March 9, 2019 by camaro2ssblack

[falcaineer]

Agreed with @camaro2ssblack...it won't hurt, but there's really no need to wash between clay and polish because polishing will remove the clay residue. But a wipe down after polish with 50/50 isopropyl alcohol or Coating Prep is recommended to remove any polish residue and leave a bare surface for your LSP (especially important for sealants and coatings, not so much for waxes or glazes). Also agreed to skip the BW and just use HGG and BG. BW is a carnauba-based wax which work really well for a wet look, but IMO aren't the best on light colors such as white or silver (like your Mustang). I've found sealants like HGG, however, are ideal for lighter color cars to give a vibrant shine and will give much longer protection, too. Use it every 3-4 washes and BG as you'd like. 

[HRPinDC]

3 hours ago, Nickfire20 said:

Looks good.

 

A few things I prefer...

 

Tire and Rubber cleaner for under the hood.

Brilliant Glaze before wax to lock in the shine.

Then Brilliant Glaze and DS as needed like you mentioned.

 

Only clay if needed, try the baggy test first, if you are unsure.

 

Interesting, I’ve never heard of using the Tire and Rubber Cleaner for the engine. Is that instead of the APC? Is it friendlier to polished aluminum than APC? Thanks!

 

2 hours ago, tlbullet said:

Maybe switch the order..u have clay, polish, wash. Id say clay, wash then polish.  

 

Thanks, that was my screw up, it should have been reversed, but now seems unnecessary.

 

18 minutes ago, falcaineer said:

Agreed with @camaro2ssblack...it won't hurt, but there's really no need to wash between clay and polish because polishing will remove the clay residue. But a wipe down after polish with 50/50 isopropyl alcohol or Coating Prep is recommended to remove any polish residue and leave a bare surface for your LSP (especially important for sealants and coatings, not so much for waxes or glazes). Also agreed to skip the BW and just use HGG and BG. BW is a carnauba-based wax which work really well for a wet look, but IMO aren't the best on light colors such as white or silver (like your Mustang). I've found sealants like HGG, however, are ideal for lighter color cars to give a vibrant shine and will give much longer protection, too. Use it every 3-4 washes and BG as you'd like. 

 

OK, so skip the wash and wipe the panels down with 50/50 mix of isopropyl alcohol and water. Should I use distilled water? If I skip the BW, would Americana add to the shine on a silver car or is it unnecessary too? Just looking to blind the general public.....Thanks a lot!

 

If I dilute APC down to 8 or 10:1 is it safe on polished aluminum? 

Edited March 9, 2019 by HRPinDC

[Nickfire20]

Tire and Rubber would be in place of APC

 

Adam demo’s it in this video

 

 

[HRPinDC]

1 hour ago, Nickfire20 said:

Tire and Rubber would be in place of APC

 

Adam demo’s it in this video

 

Gee thanks! Now I have to think about ceramic coatings too! Just when I thought I about had this all figured out, you throw this into the mix.......

 

[falcaineer]

Take a look at this article. Might help answer some lingering questions you have.

 

 

And one more thing...have you considered or tried Waterless Wash vs Rinseless? WW is meant for light dust, fingerprints, etc, and doesn't require a bucket and bunch of towels. In other words, you may be exerting more effort than needed on a car that's not that dirty to begin with. You can also dilute RW 16:1 for a waterless wash-like solution and at a much more economical price point. But you'll miss the awesome smell!

 

Edited March 9, 2019 by falcaineer

[8675309'SS]

2 hours ago, HRPinDC said:

 

 If I skip the BW, would Americana add to the shine on a silver car or is it unnecessary too? Just looking to blind the general public.....Thanks a lot!

You can experiment with the last step products, to see what suits you.  That’s half the fun.  You can get a ton of gloss adding brilliant glaze to either HGG or Americana.  I use Americana on my sunny days only car.  Then I bust out the brilliant glaze for shows.  Try a few combos and see what you prefer. I do think the Brilliant Glaze helps us lighter colors get some pop—which is much more difficult to accomplish than darker colored paint IMHO. @falcaineer who has a white car will agree with me, I think.  

Heres a link to a few pics and combos I’ve used in the past. 

 

[falcaineer]

8 minutes ago, 8675309'SS said:

You can experiment with the last step products, to see what suits you.  That’s half the fun.  You can get a ton of gloss adding brilliant glaze to either HGG or Americana.  I use Americana on my sunny days only car.  Then I bust out the brilliant glaze for shows.  Try a few combos and see what you prefer. I do think the Brilliant Glaze helps us lighter colors get some pop—which is much more difficult to accomplish than darker colored paint IMHO. @falcaineer who has a white car will agree with me, I think.  

Heres a link to a few pics and combos I’ve used in the past. 

 

 

Couldn't agree more. Also goes with the experiment inputs. Try a few things, @HRPinDC, and see what you prefer. 👍 

[HRPinDC]

5 hours ago, 8675309'SS said:

You can experiment with the last step products, to see what suits you.  That’s half the fun.  You can get a ton of gloss adding brilliant glaze to either HGG or Americana.  I use Americana on my sunny days only car.  Then I bust out the brilliant glaze for shows.  Try a few combos and see what you prefer. I do think the Brilliant Glaze helps us lighter colors get some pop—which is much more difficult to accomplish than darker colored paint IMHO. @falcaineer who has a white car will agree with me, I think.  

Heres a link to a few pics and combos I’ve used in the past. 

 

Thanks Jen, I will do some experimentation this year and see what works best for me. Your Camaro is gorgeous! I also like your Tommy Tutone reference! 

[HRPinDC]

5 hours ago, falcaineer said:

Take a look at this article. Might help answer some lingering questions you have.

 

 

And one more thing...have you considered or tried Waterless Wash vs Rinseless? WW is meant for light dust, fingerprints, etc, and doesn't require a bucket and bunch of towels. In other words, you may be exerting more effort than needed on a car that's not that dirty to begin with. You can also dilute RW 16:1 for a waterless wash-like solution and at a much more economical price point. But you'll miss the awesome smell!

 

 

I have a gallon of WW that I got in a mystery bucket. I’ve never known what to do with it, but will try it on the Mustang. My garage is not near my home and there is no running water, so these products have a particular appeal. 

[falcaineer]

9 hours ago, HRPinDC said:

 

I have a gallon of WW that I got in a mystery bucket. I’ve never known what to do with it, but will try it on the Mustang. My garage is not near my home and there is no running water, so these products have a particular appeal. 

 

Here's a video on the WW. It's great stuff. You'll need a couple of the WW towels, too. https://adamspolishes.com/shop/accessories/microfiber-towels/adam-s-microfiber-waterless-towels.html