HRPinDC

Thanks everyone. The paint is in really good shape, no swirls. The HGG and BG always made her look great and I have no complaints about how she shined. After watching some of the videos on the new products, I was just wondering if there was something better. I know there are methods that work better for light colored cars than dark ones.

I tried CS3 last year, although I used it as a waterless wash, and wasn’t super impressed. I thought my usual combo worked better. I will likely try the spray on graphine and see how I like it. Thanks again, I appreciate the advice. 

1 hour ago, Rich said:

If you don't have the time or don't want to go the full ceramic/graphene route, try the Graphene Ceramic Spray.  You still need to do the full prep, but the spray is a lot more forgiving with the application and the results are fantastic. Easy maintenance with Graphene DS or CS3.  

I watched the video on that earlier today and found it really interesting. Does graphing have more shine than the HGG?

Thanks a lot!

Hi All,

Thanks for reading. I have a silver car that is a sunny day only driver, what would you recommend to make the paint really pop? I currently wash using Rinseless and dry using HGG. When I really want her to shine, I use BG. Since it’s not a daily driver, I’m not too concerned about maximum protection. 

With all the new stuff out there, I thought I would ask the experts to see if there is another product I should be considering.

Thanks a lot,

Howard

21 hours ago, falcaineer said:

 

I have yet to find a better combo on white than Paint Sealant and H2O Guard and Gloss... (people are likely sick of me saying it, but I stand by it! 😁)

That’s my go-to for my silver cars too! I’ll use Brilliant Glaze for some added pop just before a car show.  

6 hours ago, Chris@Adams said:

Welcome Howard!

Thanks Chris! 

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. 

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! 

8 hours ago, kaj41354 said:

Welcome Howard!

Thanks Kurt, nice stable you have there. 

45 minutes ago, Rich said:

What  a beautiful Mustang!!  Congratulations on your new toy!  And welcome to the forum! 

Thanks Ray! I’ve seen a few posts with your Vette, and that is for sure a beauty! 

4 hours ago, RayS said:

Hi Howard, Not only is it a Mustang, it also has a touch of Red on it.   If that is a garage queen and you really want it look sharp, consider the ceramic wax once you have it clean.  After that you do rinseless or waterless according to how much stuff has gotten onto it.   The ceramic wax is the best that I used so far and it sure made mine (now the daughters) mustang look sharp.

Hi Ray. The whole interior is red too! The red definitely gets a lot of attention. I’ve never thought much about the ceramic stuff, as I thought that was more for daily drivers that needed better protection. Someone else posted a video and now I’m re-thinking it. Adam’s technology moves too fast for me. As soon as I think I have it figured out, boom! They change it. Thanks for the recommendation! 

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.......

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? 

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

8 hours ago, falcaineer said:

Welcome back, Howard! That's a beauty. I don't own a classic, but I'm sure others have some thoughts... Looking forward to seeing your results.

Thanks a lot falcaineer. I’ve certainly read many of your posts and have learned a lot from them. Cheers!

Hi All-

I’m not really new, I’ve been using nothing but Adam’s for almost six years now, but I don’t think I ever officially “checked-in”. My DD is a Jeep Wrangler, and I recently bought myself a little present. I have a good process for the Jeep, now I have to find a new process that works for the Mustang. I’m thinking Rinseless, but am interested in how others care for their classics. Thanks!

I did my first Rinseless Wash today. Sprayed her down with RW diluted at 6:1, then washed using the bucket-o-towels method. Dried with a regular waffle drying towel. Did the whole thing in the garage. I think it came out pretty well. The one sort of complaint is that it’s tough to see the dirt on the boarderless greys. My garage is a bit dark and doesn’t have electricity so I didn’t really get a great sense of how she looks. I can say that the paint felt smooth. The car was mostly just dusty,  but I wanted to wash it before putting on the cover and saying goodbye for the winter. It’s gonna be a long three months.....

What happened to the video links in this thread?

You all are awesome! Thanks for all the great advice. Now I just have to wait for Spring so I can drive her..... Stupid Winter!

6 hours ago, ObsessedDetailer said:

Hey Howard! Great question. The waffle weave towels are designed more towards waterless wash. The waffle weave and  waterless wash compliment each other. The waffle weave pattern will definitely pick up dirt better than the borderless grey. The waffle weave pattern is just more designed for that type of use. (I think. Don't quote me on that though) The borderless grey ones are more for rinseless wash, buffing  product off, H20 G&G And other applications. Although no one says you can'!t try it But I'm not sure how well the results will be. I would also consider how plush that borderless grey towel is compared to the waffle weave. If you use the borderless grey on a dirty car it could potentially damage the towel and fibers of the towel; then you would be out of a towel or however many. Just something to consider! 

28 minutes ago, RayS said:

I have tried a borderless grey with WW and it did not work nearly as well as the WW towels do.  I use WW primarily on the garage queen, but have also found it to be very effective for door wells and it was on a door well that I tried the borderless grey.  It gave the impression of pushing the dirt around instead of picking it up, basically about the same as if you used your finger to go across the the door sill - there was a clean spot, but a noticeable ridge where the towel ended.   If I do get a place where there is more grime or a road film on the sills or between the doors, the truck closure and places like that I used an older towel with WW for the first pass and then use a WW towel for the 2nd pass.

 

Anything worse than that I usually go to APC and an engine towel for the first pass.

Thanks guys, I appreciate your advice. It seems like the Rinseless and Waterless products and process are so close, that the towels would be interchangeable. Looks like I’ll need to grab a few WW towels. My Adam’s habit is for sure going to cause a divorce.....

Have a great day!

Hi All,

I just bought a bunch of grey boarderless MF towels along with a gallon of Rinseless Wash. In my huge stash of Adams’s stuff, I found that I also have a gallon of WW (I don’t even remember buying that.....). Can I use these towels with the WW instead of the waffle ones? 

I am planning to use Rinseless and Waterless on my 66 Mustang rather than the usual 2 bucket wash I do on my DD. 

Thanks for the advice!

HP

Hi Joseph,

That is great advice, thanks a lot. I will do as you recommend. I would love to visit Australia sometime, you al have a great country.

Thanks again,

HP

Hi All,

I'm new to the forum but not new to Adam's. As soon as my shipment of products arrive, I'm going to do a good spring cleaning of my 2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon. It's my daily driver and the paint is in good condition. I am planning to do the following, any input or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Wash

Clay bar

Wash again

Revive Hand Polish

HGG

Brilliant Glaze

Buttery Paste Wax

Super VRT all plastic and rubber surfaces

Is there a thread on recommended processes for different purposes? Such as newer daily drivers vs garage queens vs older daily drivers? That would be very helpful.

I am scared to use a machine, for fear of screwing up my paint, but I know I'll eventually need to do a better paint correction than I can do by hand. Any suggestions on how to get comfortable with that process?

Thanks a lot!

HP