^^ +1 for IPP, Epic, and Nero. very good stuff.

 

mini_dreams: take a breath It is all very nerve wracking at first , but it does get very easy after you do it once or twice. Also, you are going to get more conflicting advice than you can remember. This is a highly personal pursuit.

That said, here comes some more advice LOL: I'd forego the painters tape and just use a wax that doesn't stain the trim, such as P21S, S100 ( same thing but in Harley stores at half the price ) or Einszett Hart Glanz, but of course you've already bought the wax or made up your mind and I'm just adding to the problem just want you to know there are alternatives.

Scratch-X is a great product, I use it all the time myself, this should kill spot scratches and small areas of swirl quickly. Larger projects require a larger approach, but then you'll want to get a PC random orbital polisher, and that's really not necessary at this stage.

Again, there is no really right or wrong approach here, we're just sharing what has worked for us in our solitary pursuit of the perfect finish, and it is bound to be idiosyncratic, passionate, and most definitely not the final solution.

Warning though: once you get done with that complete detail you are hopelessly hooked

Also, a professional detail can be had for around $100

 

Don't forget to show the engine bay some of that love... Claying and waxing in there makes winter clean-ups MUCH easier.

 

i'm breathing! i promise...

so, who makes P21S and S100? I've heard that Turtle Wax Ice is also okay on the plastic parts, just not sure how good it is as a wax (especially since it's listed as a Polish on the container).

since I haven't waxed anything in more than a decade, it's hard for me to know if I just wasn't used to the process or if I just don't like Meguiars that much. may try Epic next.

one more question: can you use the wax applicator pads again or do you just use it the one time and throw it out? the pad I used is still full of Meguiars wax... i tried to squeeze it out, but my hands got so greasy doing this, i had to give up. took forever to wash my hands off. i realize these are ridiculous newbie questions, but there they are.

 

clay the engine!!??!! no way!

actually I really want to keep my engine as clean as possible and just have no sense of what I'm doing in there, so i'm going to be very careful. probably will just try to wipe things off as much as possible and keep rubber hoses clean, etc. i'm sure I'll have questions when I get to that, but so far it's only a few days old, so it's still pretty clean (although i've had a lot or rain here so far).

 

very interesting indeed. i did not know you can clay the engine.
(i guess you can clay your butt even if you really wanted to)

i hope noone starts claying the intercooler fins.

 

Clay the BAY you noodle-head. It IS painted in there, you know. It gets really grimy in there, so a coat of synthetic wax on thhe painted parts makes wiping that crap off SO much easier.

 

Yes, the foam applicator pads that come with Meguiars waxes are machine washable and reusable. Trying to clean them by hand is a big pain as you have found out and very messy. I have washed my NXT applicator twice with a light amount of regular liquid laundry soap, and so far it is still good as new. However, I found an old tin of Meguiars carnauba wax that got lost in my Dad's garage and the applicator had never been washed and seemed to be deteriorating from the wax, so make sure you wash the stuff out. From my limited experience, most waxes will make your hands filmy and yucky if you try to clean the applicator by hand.

 

is "Noodle-Head" a racial slur towards Asians ?!

but you dont' want to remove the rust repellant coating some parts of
the metal has... no? you Pasta air brain?

 

I use the Griot's applicator pads.. one pad for each type of wax, each
type of polish.

BoS washed off very easily with warm water and soap.
Epic washed off pretty easily with warm water and more soap.
NXT washed off with warm water with even more soap... not sure why
NXT is such a pita to wash off the pad when it washes off the paint
in no time. ironic.

 

not sure I want to put these pads in my washing machine... couldn't the wax gunk up the works?

perhaps I will try by hand... is it okay to wash with water and dish soap?

man these little details are killers!

 

thank you sir, may i have another...

really, i do feel like a pledge considering my knowledge of all things detailing.

you're right, there is a lot of paint in there. hmmmm. does wax in the bay ever heat up and smell... i'm assuming since you've done it, the answer is no.

 

I'd rather have a nice, easy-to-clean coat of Epic in there than that "traps dirt until it becomes a thick sticky sludge" creosote in there, personally... If I can see it and reach it, I cleaned and waxed it, myself.

And, no, nothing painted gets hot enough to smell or weaken the wax from what I can tell, but I'd use a SYNTHETIC like NXT or Epic over a Carnuba, both for heat-resistance and longevity.

Oh, and as far as cleaning applicator pads goes, if you use a synthetic wax, I'd clean the pads with hot water ASAP, since the wax can "cure" right in the pad, which will make eventual cleaning all that much more difficult. I just use "classic" blue Dawn (the kind w/o any hand lotion in it) and as hot a water as my sink can pump out and wash the pad really well once I'm done waxing - my pads are all still soft and supple even after multiple uses.

 

That's my same process and result!

 

P21S and S100 are made by the same company and seem to be the same product, although there is endless debate about that , but I don't know the name of the company. If Ice does not discolor the trim, by all means use that. Like I said, it's whatever you like. I have learned what I know by reading the detailing forums at autopia.org, and they go on forever . It's fun to try new stuff once you get going, but only to the point of getting the car waxed and done with.

And above all, if it isn't fun, you can always farm it out to a professional. When all is said and done, it probably isn't much more cost than doing it yourself LOL

 

my warm water is actually pretty hot to a lot of people.

 

noodle-head???
Pasta air brain???
Has it really come down to name calling?
Reminds me; it's lunch time!

 

ok, onion breath!

 

Ditto to that!

Also, if you run into a really stubborn situation, you can spritz on a little rubbing alcohol, let it sit for a few minutes (but no more or it will eat your app!), then re-wash with warm water and soap again.

-Heather

 

^^ nice tip! thanks, heather. I will give that a shot if i accidentally
fall asleep while waiting for my waxes to cure.

 

Both are made by the same company. The company is in Germany, but they work really hard at making it difficult, if not impossible, to find out who they really are. We think we've figured it out, but we're not even sure! I suppose it really doesn't matter what name they use in Germany, but it's one of those things that you want to find out just because someone's trying to keep it a secret! The exclusive importers for the nameless German company represent themselves as 2 separate companies: P21S and S100. Here are their websites:

P21S
S100

The P21S wax and the S100 wax are very similar but are different. Although this is debated, it is a fact that the chemical composition is different between the two. However, the differences are very hard to tell apart when you actually use each wax. Basically, P21S has slightly more carnauba and slightly less durablity, while S100 has slightly less carnauba and slightly more durability.

Hope this helps!

-Heather

 

We've been washing MF and apps in our home washing machine for years and years with no washing machine problems. Good question just the same! Logically you'd think it could cause issues. No problems though!

I wash app pads (of all sorts, but not PCDA pads) with my MF in the washing machine. After a few washes, if it seems like the MF and/or apps are not getting clean enough (read: still have some wax in them), then here's what I do:

Wash normally (Always use a liquid soap, ideally one that is free of extras like smells, etc)
Wash again, this time without soap. Instead add 1/2 Cup of white vinegar.

The vinegar helps break up the wax, is safe to run through your washing machine (unlike large quantities of rubbing alcohol), and will probably clean out any potential wax buildup in your washing machine system/plumbing!

As for handwashing, I do handwash my PCDA foam pads by hand using warm water and soap, as mentioned already. This technique works on app pads too.

After you acquire a bunch of MF and apps over the next year, you'll find it most convenient to just to a routine MF and app wash from time to time in your machine. You'll get tired of handwashing everything.

-Heather