So confused, what to use for a quick "spruce up"

[vollychief]

We might be trading in one of our cars for a new to us car provided we can find something that will fit us, two growing boys (one is 13 and is almost 6'.  Our 16 yr old is running at 5' 10') and our dog.  It will be a 2007 Chrysler Pacifica and I have not cleaned or polished the exterior that I can remember other than running it through the car wash when needed.  (Please don''t burn me at the stake).

 

I was looking at sprucing up the outside and was wondering if One Step Polish would be my best bet after claying?  I have a Harbor Freight polisher, but I wasn't planning on using it.  I was going to do it by hand. 

 

Any recommendations are greatly appreciated! 

[Yo-Yo Ma's Cousin]

Do you have any pictures of your paint?

 

if you don’t want to polish, I would recommend using Brilliant Glaze and/or Detail Spray. I believe those would hide some of the paints defects and give a really nice shine. However they won’t last very long. 

 

If you want to take your time and actually correct the paint then yes look into the polishes. One step is getting very good reviews.

[RayS]

11 minutes ago, vollychief said:

We might be trading in one of our cars for a new to us car provided we can find something that will fit us, two growing boys (one is 13 and is almost 6'.  Our 16 yr old is running at 5' 10') and our dog.  It will be a 2007 Chrysler Pacifica and I have not cleaned or polished the exterior that I can remember other than running it through the car wash when needed.  (Please don''t burn me at the stake).

 

I was looking at sprucing up the outside and was wondering if One Step Polish would be my best bet after claying?  I have a Harbor Freight polisher, but I wasn't planning on using it.  I was going to do it by hand. 

 

Any recommendations are greatly appreciated! 

🔥 If the vehicle is leaving, it probably isn't worth the time to clay and use one step polish.  I'd recommend doing a good wash, probably with some APC to strip everything off and go over it Revive Hand Polish to get some shine, followed by Brilliant Glaze and then H20 Guard and Gloss so it will last a month or so while you are looking.   If you don't have those products, let us know what you have.

[vollychief]

 I will get a picture of the paint after work. 

[Rich]

Honestly, the dealerships don't even look at the cars much any more. Just traded in my Cadillac, and every dealership I went to just walked around the outside, looked for dents and bad scratches, but not much more.  I wouldn't put a whole lot of effort into it.  A coat of wax, or Guard and Gloss, and you should be good to go. 

[vollychief]

Well, that happened fast.  We went in to the dealership with the Pacifica and left with an Explorer. 

 

The Explorer will need some love.  There are some scuffs & scratches, but not bad.  Mostly around the trunk.  There is a good scratch in the inside trim by the trunk.

 

I figured the Dealership wouldn't look at it too close, but figured cleaning it up some inside and out would make it look like I took care of it.  We did, but lack of time recently things have gotten away. 

[Dan@Adams]

Congrats on the new ride!

What year Explorer? Do you have any pictures of the scuffs and scratches that you can share? That way we can best recommend what pad and polish setup you should go with to get it looking as best as possible! 😎

[vollychief]

1 hour ago, Dan@Adams said:

Congrats on the new ride!

What year Explorer? Do you have any pictures of the scuffs and scratches that you can share? That way we can best recommend what pad and polish setup you should go with to get it looking as best as possible! 😎

It's a 2015.  I don't have any pictures yet and might not until the weekend.  When I do I will post them. 

 

Thank you all for the help!

[vollychief]

Sorry the pictures are not better.  The car is dirty, joys of living in a rural area. 

 

 

Edited August 1, 2019 by vollychief
reloaded the pictures

[falcaineer]

I like the color. 😎

 

If you can catch a fingernail it's probably not gonna come all the way out without wetsanding. But it should improve. And some of the scuffs shown aren't going to be fixed, either, I don't think. But a good polish, maybe even compound, too, will definitely enhance that color and paint, bringing it back to life! Since it's dark, a good wax is always a solid option. What's your budget?

[Yo-Yo Ma's Cousin]

I agree with @falcaineer 

I think a polish is ideal, it will really improve your paint clarity. I would recommend that if you're willing to put in alittle bit of extra time.

Edited August 1, 2019 by Yo-Yo Ma's Cousin

[RayS]

I'm in agreement with @falcaineer and @Yo-Yo Ma's Cousin on a little polish, elbow grease and she can be improved, just don't expect perfection.   

[vollychief]

Thanks!  The color stands out and is one reason why we were drawn to it.  I think the hood has been repainted from that little dipple in the last picture. 

 

Budget wise $300 is the top, especially if I spread it out.