Micro Scratches Need To Go

[ChuckG]

Hi, new guy here, but not new to Adam's products. I first heard about Adam's via Junkman over on Challenger Talk. I thought I'd give the products a try and really like the results I've gotten so far. However, it's time to take my finish to a new level.

 

I have a black car that I purchased new last April. The car is not a daily driver and is garage kept. I clayed the car last spring and applied some Buttery Wax, and every month or so I used the Brilliant Spray Glaze to deepen the shine and add a little more protection. The car has NEVER been through a car wash and I hand wash it using the two bucket method along with an Adam's washing pad and a grit guard.

 

The finish looks great but I do have some micro scratches in it. You can only see them in certain lighting conditions, but I want them gone along with a shine level that I can be truly proud of. Viewing the pics and videos on this site always shows paint that is much more damaged than what mine is. So it has left me wondering what's the best way to proceed on a car like I described? I just don't want to over-kill and do something stupid. I do have a PC7424 but have not used it yet.

 

Also, I have some Buttery Wax still here. Should I use this up or would a different wax give me better results?

 

TIA

[NightMare Silverado]

You can do Americana 2x and it is the same as MSW.

[ChuckG]

Why? You saw my Porter-Cable videos, right? You are not going to mess up anything. If FMP doesn't get rid of the damage, you may have to start with SHR first, then go to FMP. Keep us posted.

 

I've seen all of your videos. Absolutely LOVED them! Now only did I learn something, I also thought they were entertaining. You're a star in my book. Time for Hollywood!

 

I'll let you know how it works out. Probably won't be till April.

[Junkman2008]

... I going to be scared to death the first time I put that PC on my finish. Oh well.

 

Why? You saw my Porter-Cable videos, right? You are not going to mess up anything. If FMP doesn't get rid of the damage, you may have to start with SHR first, then go to FMP. Keep us posted.

[ChuckG]

Your shine is going to come from the polishing process. It is everything that you do BEFORE you add the wax that is going to determine what the final shine will look like. I will say that the MSW will help help hide some of the very small imperfections that you may have left when it is all said and done. Also, it will protect the paint longer.

 

Prep is the key, not the wax.

 

Interesting. Well I'm going to start with the FMP and see how that works out before going any further. I'll try a small section and do a comparison. This should be good! Then I'll see how the MSW looks compared to the Buttery Wax.

 

I going to be scared to death the first time I put that PC on my finish. Oh well.

[Junkman2008]

I ordered the Tuesday Adam's special. It included the FMP, MSW, and a free bottle of SHR. I also ordered a set of pads for my PC7424. As soon as the weather gets decent around here I'll give it a whirl. Looking forward to it.

 

I have a black car and last year I was using the Buttery Wax. I was very happy with the results but thought I could do better. After polishing the finish and using the MSW, can I expect a deeper shine than with the Buttery Wax?

 

Thanks.

 

Your shine is going to come from the polishing process. It is everything that you do BEFORE you add the wax that is going to determine what the final shine will look like. I will say that the MSW will help help hide some of the very small imperfections that you may have left when it is all said and done. Also, it will protect the paint longer.

 

Prep is the key, not the wax.

[ChuckG]

How long the protection that you apply last, totally depends on what you expose the vehicle to. If you wash it every day and it sits outside all day and night, the protection will last a fraction of the time than it will last on a garage queen. With that said, Americana will easily last twice as long as what you are thinking. Although MSW does last the longest, the advantage to MSW is it's micro-filling properties. It has the ability to hide micro-scratches.

 

As Dylan suggested, you need to get a PC. There is no way that I would do a car without one unless the paint was already perfect and the car never left the garage. Kinda unrealistic but there are people out there with cars like that.

 

I ordered the Tuesday Adam's special. It included the FMP, MSW, and a free bottle of SHR. I also ordered a set of pads for my PC7424. As soon as the weather gets decent around here I'll give it a whirl. Looking forward to it.

 

I have a black car and last year I was using the Buttery Wax. I was very happy with the results but thought I could do better. After polishing the finish and using the MSW, can I expect a deeper shine than with the Buttery Wax?

 

Thanks.

[Guest Gone & Forgotten]

I often wonder how many scratches I put on my car when covering/uncovering it. It's kept outside since I'm in a condo for the time being and my only defense against bird bombs, dust and weather is the 2 covers I alternate.

 

Those 2 trucks look amazing. I'm envious and wish my car was black (but only for a minute)

[Junkman2008]

... So let's say I go the Americana route. It is my understanding that carnauba wax will last only 4-6 weeks before you have to reapply. How long does the Americana last? I originally thought that I would use the MSW but after seeing the pictures, maybe not.

 

How long the protection that you apply last, totally depends on what you expose the vehicle to. If you wash it every day and it sits outside all day and night, the protection will last a fraction of the time than it will last on a garage queen. With that said, Americana will easily last twice as long as what you are thinking. Although MSW does last the longest, the advantage to MSW is it's micro-filling properties. It has the ability to hide micro-scratches.

 

As Dylan suggested, you need to get a PC. There is no way that I would do a car without one unless the paint was already perfect and the car never left the garage. Kinda unrealistic but there are people out there with cars like that.

[GXPaycheck]

Welcome!

 

Hey Dylan, ya missed a spot! ;D

[ChuckG]

Look at those vehicles!! My oh my.

 

So let's say I go the Americana route. It is my understanding that carnauba wax will last only 4-6 weeks before you have to reapply. How long does the Americana last? I originally thought that I would use the MSW but after seeing the pictures, maybe not.

 

Thanks for letting me know that the Fine Machine Polish should take car of my micro scratches. I needed to know this.

 

Thanks all for the responses.

[BADRIDES]

from Tennessee

[ArmyAcadia09]

**** nice lookin SS....

[Chris@Adams]

And just one note, the BSG does not add any protection, it just adds shine

 

With Bill!

[NightMare Silverado]

man if Dylan is gonna show off so am I:)

 

I just got my polisher and tryed it out on my moms truck. I went from this

to this

I topped the truck off with Americana and it was hands down the most awesome wax ever.

 

the charger only has fine micro scratching and Im going to aim for super perfect like Dylan's pics one I do it.

[Bill-V8V]

And just one note, the BSG does not add any protection, it just adds shine

[Team Adam's]

The PC is going to be the next progression in your journey into detailing... if all you have are very faint micro swirls and scratches the white pad and fine machine polish should be more than enough to get the job done.

 

Keep in mind, even with PERFECT wash methods some minor imperfections will reappear over time. There is no way to 100% prevent all swirls, but you can certainly eliminate them with the PC and minimize them by using the best methods (2 buckets + foam gun, etc)

 

As for your wax choice... buttery looks great, but Americana paste wax will blow your mind, but all the high quality wax in the world won't do you a bit of good without the right prep work... as any good detailer will tell you the shine and gloss are 99% a result of prep and polish, the wax is just icing on the cake. The dripping wet, deep shine that only comes from a high quality concours level paste wax after a full paint correction.