GerryC

You just wash between full details. Claying and polishing will remove your sealant and wax, and a car that stays in a garage will likely only need to be clayed twice a year at most. As you're polishing you will use gradually less product on the pad for each panel, because the pad will hold onto some of the polish. If you add too much polish to the pad you actually diminish the ability of the pad to do its job. If the pad becomes loaded up, you can either brush it out, or (foam only) mist it with DS rather than adding more polish (this will reactivate the dried up polish in the pad and will let you continue for a small section without adding more polish).

So not only do we get a free cell phone with this clay bar but it's an American-made cell phone? *orders all the clay* *sets up ebay account*

Not the newcomers, or those just starting out with the basics. I never thought of treating my weatherstripping with tire dressing until I started using Adam's, because of both the newly-gained knowledge and the quality of the product compared to what I was using prior.

Using Dawn to strip wash will dry out your rubber trim. It is much safer to mix some APC into your regular wash bucket and proceed from there.

If you are working over multiple days, I would suggest you do the entire process to each panel one at a time, this way the only panels that are "naked" (no sealant/wax) are the ones that you haven't corrected yet. Wash the whole car. Clay, polish, and seal one panel at a time. Keep a waffle weave towel on hand to mop up excess DS. When you are getting tired or are running out of time, stop after sealing the current panel. Net day, simply WW on the next panel and keep going. By the time you finish the whole car, the sealant will have fully cured and you can lay on your Americana. This is how I did my G8, and I spread it out over 4 days, 3 panels per day. As for the tape, I didn't tape anything except the panel gaps. If you treat your plastic and rubber with SVRT before polishing it will help prevent polish from staining them. On the G8 the only part you'll really have to worry about is the fabric-like stuff around the sunroof, assuming you have one. The rest wiped off easily.

If the leather is very dry and/or has not been conditioned before, the first application of LC will make the surface look a bit "patchy" or uneven, just because the leather is not 100% uniform throughout. A second or third application will likely get you where you want to be, and then after that the leather should maintain a consistent appearance. Same concept when painting a brand new wall, first coat you'll see all the brush/roller lines. Second coat comes over and evens it all out.

Beading is ultimately due to the smoothness of the surface. Perfectly polished paint will bead to an extent. Throwing wax or sealant (any protection, basically) on top of that will further reduce the surface tension, almost to the point where the water looks like little marbles floating on top. Once you see the water beads start to "flatten out" you'll know your layer of protection is starting to break down. Typically you only have to seal twice a year (immediately after, and then immediately before winter), and maintain with wax every month or so (depending on which wax you use). Americana will last 2-3 months. Strip washes are only really necessary when you are going to reapply sealant and "start from scratch" - you don't necessarily need to strip wash when all you want to do is add more wax. Mix APC with Shampoo in your wash bucket or foam gun, like Mook said, for strip washing.

If you click the button that looks like 4 squares, in the top right of the screen along the blue bar, it will pop out a menu seen below. Click New Content, then on the following screen, click "more" and choose from "items I participated in" or "items I follow"

Clay the entire car, including the glass. If it's rough in one spot it will be rough all over. It would take too much time to figure out which spots need it and which spots don't, so it's easier to just do the whole thing. Claying isn't something done often, so do it right the first time. Use DS as a lubricant. Some people wash the car after, some don't . Depends on what you have in terms of work space. If you're doing this outside (not ideal) I'd re-wash. Inside, you don't have to. I like to keep a waffle weave towel on hand while claying, as I prefer to wipe up the residue after finishing an area. As for the Revive, even new cars need some love. Do a test area with the Revive, if you notice a difference, do the rest of the car. If you don't, skip that step and move onto Glaze then Wax. Revive is also good for clearing up headlamps, so if you have a daily driver that needs some attention you can put it to work there.

It's just residue from the oxidation process, it won't interfere with polishing unless the foam becomes fully saturated. After one use the pads will be pretty much permanently stained black anyway. If you want, keep some paper towels on hand to blot the pads after each section.

If you haven't already, put some BG on your wheels!

You made a topic about this 6 weeks ago and got quite a few good responses: http://www.adamsforums.com/topic/24208-storage-of-microfiber-towels-pads-and-applicators/ Please keep the discussion going in that topic instead of making a new one. Thanks.

Doesn't matter which is which as long as you clean them out. Personally I use the blue 4" for MP1, and a mini Americana applicator for MP2, for color coordination and because of the different foam densities (americana app is softer). Metal polish pads can go longer without needing to be swapped out because the Metal Polishes are completely liquid, so nothing dries up or gets caked inside the foam like paint polishes do. If you are doing a lot of metal polishing in one go, I say swap the pads out for fresh ones once you see they aren't working 100%.

The benefit to the red plugs is that they are reusable. I like keeping them in my polish and wax bottles since they are not used as often as everything else. Keeps product from drying out inside the cap and helps prolong the product's life by maintaining a (somewhat) airtight seal.

The plastic panels (bumpers, side skirts, rear spoiler, and hood scoop inserts) take more effort to correct than the rest of the car (metal). My G8 was actually a joy to correct because of how well the paint responded to Adam's two-step system. If your paint isn't too messed up, then one pass of each polish with foam pads should get you 95% perfect. You don't have to worry about anything, especially with the PC7424. Soft paint is great for correcting - properly maintaining it afterwards to prevent more swirls is the part you want to concern yourself with. Layer of sealant/wax, proper washing methods, etc. Make sure you check out the videos for some more tips

Also keep in mind that if it's the first time you are properly detailing your car, you are going to use more than the usual amount of cleaners. Once you get the car perfect, from then on out it's just light maintenance and you will need to use significantly less.

Just copy the link to the video itself (not the embed code) and the forum automatically embeds it for you. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFOtl4wM5Mg

Ideally you should only have to fully correct your paint one time (and will likely take a few days to complete if you go for perfect), and with proper washing/wiping techniques you should never be introducing damage severe enough to warrant another full correction. Once a year (depending on storage/use conditions) you might want to just break out the white pad and finishing polish to keep up the shine and take care of any minor defects that showed up during washing season. The problem with renting power tools is that you have no idea how they've been treated by all of the previous users, or how it is maintained and serviced by the renter. If you have friends who want to get into polishing, maybe buy one machine and split the cost to share it amongst yourselves if you are trying to stay within a budget. I used the Cyclo for the first time this past weekend at Corvettes At Carlisle and it is a pretty nifty tool. You can really hug and follow the panel edges and get into tight corners and spaces by simply rotating the way you hold the machine. This is not something I am able to do with the PC or the Flex without stopping and swapping out the backing plates.

When the renderings were first leaked I hated the way they looked, but after seeing them in person they are starting to grow on me. I still think the front looks a little goofy and slightly Viperish, and I'm kinda bummed that some of the styling cues have departed from generations past (tail lights are no longer round, rear window is no longer full wraparound), but it is a hell of a car.

Couple of nice vettes arriving on a trailer Approximately 7.2 minutes later half of this stuff was gone. Early Friday morning C7 two-tone interior Clayed this C5 three times before it was smooth. This is after the SECOND pass. Showing these wheels some Brilliant Glaze love Dayum. Dave (BRZN) busting out the Cyclo on this custom candy painted C3 Buncha 2014's

If you want to use the Leather Conditioner on your leather seats and door panels (where the soft hide is) and save the TID for harder surfaces like plastics, steering wheel, etc, that is another option. This is what I do because my seats and door panels love to drink up the conditioner. I wouldn't use both products on the same surface. The products are safe if you accidentally get some on paint, glass, chrome, metal, etc. because they contain no oil or silicone and should wipe right off with ease.

Your steps are in the correct order. Two coats of QS would be good for a car that sits outside and/or regularly sees environmental elements. When you figure out the step before profit, let me know Strip washing is not only good to remove any old wax but it can aid in the removal of other contaminants that a pH neutral soap like our Car Shampoo wouldn't take off. It's helpful to "start from scratch" (no pun intended) when planning a full detail. Simply add a few ounces of APC to your wash bucket. Super VRT is great for weatherstripping, I always treat my door seals with it to keep them looking like new and prevent them from drying out, it has SPF35 so it will protect all of your exterior rubber and trim from fading. Since it is a brand new car, the LIC would probably be overkill. TID would be ideal for you, you can use it on pretty much everything in the interior: Seats, door panels, dashboard, steering wheel, shifter, and hard plastics. It sounds like you are already on the right track. Be sure to check out the instructional videos (you probably got a DVD with your order but there are additional ones online) as they help to clarify more. Any other questions, ask away, and be sure to post before and after photos

Leaving for Harrisburg in the AM and will be at the Adam's tent all day Friday and Saturday, so anyone who comes by please introduce yourselves!! For anyone who hasn't been, be prepared to WALK!

First off welcome to the forum.. Add an ounce or two of APC to your wash bucket with the Shampoo and perform a wash as normal. This will strip off whatever the dealer used on the paint. Don't use dish soap as that will dry out your weatherstripping and rubber trim. After you finish claying, remove the DS residue from the surface. Then move on to Quick Sealant. Once applied and the residue removed, wait about 15 minutes so the sealant can bond and cure, and you then can apply your Americana on top. If you are used to liquid waxes and have never used a paste wax before, I strongly recommend reading this post. Feel free to post up any other questions

Dawn can potentially dry out your weather stripping and rubber trim. Mixing APC with Car Shampoo is the ideal way to safely remove wax or sealant from your paint.