spx1000

Very true.  I've been using my 16 oz bottle for years (maintaining 2 cars).  However, I will agree with the OP that the pricing of the 8 oz versions is a bit high especially versus competitors with similar quality products.  While I know the pricing change doesn't bother many on this site, I was a little disappointed that the price per oz shot up compared to the previously-offered 16 oz versions. 

I wish they still made these shine doc vids! Anyone else agree?

Flex! I started with PC. You cannot put a price on time. I have PC set up for small pads for tight areas.

+1

flex

Phil,
 
Attached are "before" and after using only Adam's Correcting Polish on a black C6 Corvette that was stored in an industrial building, uncovered for the last 5 years. Car has only 6600 miles, and since I bought it, and wish to show it, I wanted 100% correction.
 
As bad as it initially looked, these pictures were taken before using Adam's Finishing Polish, and foam pads.
 
Granted, it took numerous passes with the Cyclo, and time to get it completed wasn't a factor, but don't be too quick to give up.
 
Yes, it is best to work inside where the elements don't affect product, or heat of the surface you are working on.
 

 
Right Door as Started 1
 

 
Right Door as Corrected 1
 

 
Right Door as Started 2
 
 

I have never Detailed a Vehicle to the level I did the past two weekends, My 14' Sierra and Especially my wife's black Denali.   I have always done in this order Engine, wash, undercoat, paint Rotors and Calipers, , clay bar, polish and wax all by hand before reading about Adam's on GM-Trucks.com. We after watching the all of the vid's 50 times....lol, reading this forum and speaking The Shine Doc I broke down and bought the Flex package and then some.....lol
 The end result is AMAZING!!!!! I with I wish I had picks, but my Wife's black went from a haze with tons of swirls & scratchs to paint that truly looks like it is wet!!!!!!

I have never Detailed a Vehicle to the level I did the past two weekends, My 14' Sierra and Especially my wife's black Denali.   I have always done in this order Engine, wash, undercoat, paint Rotors and Calipers, , clay bar, polish and wax all by hand before reading about Adam's on GM-Trucks.com. We after watching the all of the vid's 50 times....lol, reading this forum and speaking The Shine Doc I broke down and bought the Flex package and then some.....lol
 The end result is AMAZING!!!!! I with I wish I had picks, but my Wife's black went from a haze with tons of swirls & scratchs to paint that truly looks like it is wet!!!!!!

HAHAHA! I was told this was the perfect vehicle for me, when I asked why:

"Because its big, loud and obnoxious" LOL

Looks like someone broke into the warehouse last night.....
 

Every 30 hours +/- I recommend at least an inspection and cleaning. Remove the backing plate, inspect the backside of the backing plate, and the felt ring. Oil with 3 in 1 oil if necessary, just a few drops. Use compressed air to blow polish dust out of the housing and vents.

Every few years I fully take the housing apart (very easy to do) and inspect where the cord connects inside the handle and the various components. The airflow does pull a fair amount of dust/debris inside so cleaning (again with compressed air) is all you need.

The answer is almost definitely no.
 
A swirl mark is actually a scratch, a very very very light scratch and you don't correct swirls by hand, so the chances of you removing a random scratch, even a light one are about the same or worse than a swirl mark. Hand polishing can give you improved gloss and help reduce the appearance of fine scratches a little, but in order to remove swirls you need a machine.

The 'carpet' liners are for sound deadening to reduce road noise, but they are a major pain in the rear to clean. 
 
Mostly I just go crazy with the pressure washer and try to use that to get everything out, scrubbing usually isn't effective. It doesn't hurt the 'carpet' but the brush sticks and is hard to work with.
 
APC can be used to break things up, but you will get a lot of foaming in there and have to spend a lot of time rinsing it out.

I like to look at it like a house...
 
You pour a foundation (sealant) to put the pretty stuff (wax or glaze) on top of.
 
You wouldn't pour a second foundation on your roof, don't put another layer of sealant over your wax

"What is the difference between wax and sealant?"
"Should I use a wax or a sealant on my car?"
"Can I use a wax and a sealant if I want to?"
"Does Adam's have a synthetic or polymer wax?"
 
And here it is, the next in my series of FAQ threads that answer the questions we get asked most on the forums, emails, and over the phone. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A WAX AND A SEALANT?
 
Its a question you've no doubt seen posted here or on any other number of forums when a newcomer to detailing is feeling out their first purchase or trying to make the best choice for their car. Given that there are so many products and product types on the market its certainly easy for someone to get confused.
 
Lets start with the basics -
 
THE DIFFERENCES - Both "wax" and "sealant" are designed to do essentially the same thing, that is to serve as a sacrificial barrier between your paint and the elements. Both products provide a microscopic coating on the surface to prevent, or at least slow, the effects of the elements. Secondary to this is their ability to enhance or impart some aesthetic change/enhancement to the paint.
 
How they go about accomplishing this task and what they're comprised of (ingredients) is where they begin to be different. Its that composition that allows them to have different strengths and weaknesses.
 
WAX begins its life as part of a particular type of palm tree. Carnauba wax comes in a variety of grades and purities. Its blended with oils, other wax types (like bees wax), and in some cases even some polymers to create car wax. Carnauba in and of itself is a hard crumbly substance - so don't believe the hype of any product claiming to be "100% Carnauba" it would be virtually impossible to apply to your car if it were. Without blending carnauba is not car wax.
 
While blending all these components together can give you virtually an infinite number of varieties and types of car wax there are some limitations. "Wax" in general will be highly susceptible to heat and detergents (relatively speaking) meaning harsh cleaners and hot weather will shorten the amount of time the wax remains intact on your car. Even the very best waxes will begin to evaporate at extreme temperatures making the summer months in climates like AZ or NV ideal for killing your wax job prematurely.
 
On the positive side waxes (on average) will offer aesthetic enhancement including added depth, gloss, and even filling properties that help hide some imperfections. The 'rich' or 'deep' look on a black paint job will most often be enhanced the most by a high quality carnauba wax.
 
These properties make wax the ideal solution for a car that is garaged, doesn't see an excessive amount of mileage, or is a show car.
 
*****
 
SEALANTS on the other hand are synthetic. A man made concoction of chemical engineering designed to do any number of things. Because these products are essentially 'born in a test tube' they can be modified, customized, and blended to meet any number of criteria and perform in different ways.
 
Sealants (on average) are going to offer you more durability than a comparable wax product. They offer much higher heat resistance, detergent resistance, and longer lasting protection. This makes them ideal for use on your daily driver, a vehicle kept outside full time, or a vehicle you are more concerned with protecting with minimal maintenance.
 
The trade off is that sealants tend to offer far less aesthetic benefit. Thats not to say that they will make your car 'shine less' but you won't see that deep-wet look you more commonly associate with a high quality wax product. Sealants are more often going to provide a very bright, reflective type of shine. This makes them great for colors like white and silver.
 
 
THE RIGHT PRODUCT FOR YOUR CAR - While there is no easy answer for this question its easy to use some basic criteria to weight pros vs. cons and pick a product that best suits your needs.
 
A vehicle that's daily driven, not garaged, or exposed to harsh weather will be the perfect candidate for sealant. The longer lasting protection at minimal sacrifice to "looks" makes it the way to go.
 
A vehicle that's more pampered, garaged, shown regularly, or lives in a mild climate would benefit most from a wax product. The protection will be sufficient with even the most basic of waxes, but the added depth if thats the goal is still there.
 
 
LAYERING PRODUCTS - Maybe you want the best of both worlds or you just enjoy rubbing on your car. A layered approach might be for you. Many customers and enthusiasts will chose to use BOTH a wax and a sealant to care for their paint and its certainly a great option.
 
Like building a house you always want to start with a strong foundation, thus Adam's recommends our products be applied SEALANT FIRST / WAX SECOND. The less durable layer (wax) on top can then provide a layer of protection and in the event its removed by the elements your sealant is still there to play backup.
 
OPINIONS ARE LIKE.... WELL, YA KNOW - You'll no doubt read a crazy amount of reviews and feedback from various sources if you start to research products for your car. While it can be helpful understand that every situation is different and what works for one guy might not work for you. Every car sees a slightly different 'life'... how its washed, how often its washed, where its kept, what kind of mileage it sees, the climate, other products used to wipe it down, etc - these are all components that can determine how long a wax or a sealant will last. Never take anyones feedback or a products claims as a hard/fast rule that will apply to you. Longevity can be better or worse depending on what your particular situation is.
 
There are certainly those out there who will try to claim that there is no difference, or that 100% of a cars finished appearance comes from polishing alone. Consider the source when making decisions, and while the aesthetic differences from one wax to another or wax versus sealant might be subtle they are there. Choose a product that strikes a balance for your needs for enhancement and protection.
 
 

CURRENT OFFERINGS FROM ADAM'S (updated January 2014)
Buttery Wax - Blend product that features both wax and synthetic components. Extremely easy to use, limited durability. Excellent for people who wax frequently and want a product that's cost effective, yet performs very well. Quick Sealant - Aerosol product that is super fast and easy to apply. Offers excellent durability, but very little if any enhancement to the look of paint. Great for someone looking for protection for all surfaces as it is very easy to appy to wheels as well. Americana Paste Wax - Premium wax blend that offers excellent durability (for a wax) as well as great enhancement to the look of paint. A great compromise that offers high marks for longevity and beauty. Liquid Paint Sealant - Our latest synthetic formulation, offers the longest lasting protection of any of our products and excellent aesthetic enhancement (for a sealant). Very easy to apply. Patriot Wax (Limited Edition) - Maximizes enhancement and provides fair protection, this product is designed for 'show' more than anything else. Produces the richest, deepest shine. Patriot Wax is an experience just as much as it is a wax product.

30 minutes recommended, but in the hot/dry months I've layered immediately with no ill effects. Never hurts to give it a few extra minutes if you can spare it though.
 
In terms of color - doesn't really matter. Most of the 'look' comes from your prep (decon and polishing) and the LSP choice(s) will only enhance whats already there. Obviously white will never look 'deep' so applying wax in hopes of getting a deep/wet look on white or silver is like throwing your cat in the air in the hopes it sprouts wings and starts to fly.

I'd say you'd be fine with one... odds are anyways, by the time you need more you'll need to restock something else (applicators, towels, detail spray, or something) The advice of 'order your detail products like you buy your groceries' applies - never buy more than you think you need for a season the same way you don't grab a gallon of milk if you only drink a glass or 2 a week. Make sense?

Are you sure you don't need to clay?  Clay takes care of much more than just oxidation.  I recommend doing the "baggy test" next time you polish.
 
I was amazed what a difference clay made after using Zaino over the first year of my Camaro's life.

Wanted to show a few more results that are possible with the two-step polishing system and the Flex polisher. This truck was my dad's daily driver work truck for 11 years before I bought it off of him in late 2013. He only ever washed it with a hose, a sponge, and a bucket of dirty water, which caused severe swirl marks all over the entire truck. He never used soap because he was always taught that soap strips off the wax, and he still won't listen to me that the proper soap will not do that. Anyway, here are some before and after pictures:
 
The whole truck looked like this:
 

 
Front passenger fender before, notice how hazy the reflection of the two 500w halogen spotlights look and all of the scratches around that area:
 

 
Front passenger fender after just one pass of the orange Paint Correcting Polish until it flashed and was ready to wipe off. The finish got even better as I continued on with the Paint Finishing Polish:
 

 
Corrected clear coat on the left side of this picture of the fiberglass bed lid, uncorrected on the right. You can see a very apparent line from the reflection of the sun where I stopped polishing for demonstration purposes for my dad:
 

As Beemer said, the simple answer - yes - our 2 step system with a DA would knock out swirl marks, thats what its designed to do, but I'd need more info on the paint condition and your familiarity with the rotary you're using to make a solid recommendation you proceed with our products on the tool you currently use.
 
 
Are you familiar/comfortable working with a rotary polisher? Any reason you're using rotary over a DA to knock down swirls? For most people thats like using a backhoe to plant a couple of daises. Swirls rarely require the power of a rotary unless they're really severe.
 
As for the foam pad - any specifics on that? Brand? Color? SIze?
 
Not familiar with the Norton line outside of the fact its a body shop line, but a quick search only showed compound and extra cut compound. Either of those, combined with a rotary, and virtually any foam pad is going to be a pretty heavy cutting combo. What you are likely seeing isn't swirls but holograms introduced by that combo.
 
 
The likely reality is they were always there, holograms are usually not easily spotted without LOTS of light... a focused LED might not have shown you the full story. Swirls are usually easy to spot in specific areas with a spotlight though.
 
 
Yes, assuming you adjust technique and possibly application method (tool) to suit the objective. Our system can be used via rotary, but for knocking down swirls, especially if you're not super familiar with the process, a DA or RO polisher is going to be a much better choice.

New formula is really good. Dusting has been greatly improved and in most cases seems to cut a little better too

Looks like these guys all got you pointed in the right direction. There is just a ceiling on what can be done by hand - getting a machine will get you to a level where you can correct anything you need to.

Hi all-
 
If my finish is in good condition... Do I need to even use the orange Correction Polish?
 
If I don't have any moderate swirls or scratches, will it do any good? Will it help to remove orange peel? That I DO have.
 
Or is it simply 'best practice'?
 
Thanks.

I tried the Cyclo, nice machine but the FLEX is the best and most powerful IMHO......... I very seldom use my PC 7424 anymore.