I am just curious what everyone uses for making their car look as amazing as possible. I personally am a huge Meguiar's fan, but have thought about trying some new stuff. Let's see some pictures too if you have them!!

 

I did a cut and polish on mine a few months after getting it followed up with a coat of CQuartz semi-permanent coating.

 

hmmmmm this stuff looks like it would be worth a try!

 

I've had the product on for over a year and about 25k miles and it still beads up the water.



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How many layers did you apply?

 

I use opticoat pro and opti-seal

 

octaneguy seems to have taken his leave as well as the Detailing 101 forum section. Lots of wisdom to be found there.

 

Saw that section, but felt like starting something new elsewhere :D

 

just one

 

I've used Meguiar's and Mother's products on all my cars with excellent results. Lots of new stuff available, but 100% carnauba has been around for years and still produces an excellent shine and protection.

Currently using Meguiar's Ultimate Wash & Wax, Meguiar's Gold Class Carnauba Plus Wax, Meguiar's Natural Shine Protectant, Meguiar's Ultimate Quik Wax (for touch up) and for tire dressing Optimum Opti-Bond Tire Gel (this stuff is beyond great, Silicone free, no sling and a little goes a long way). http://www.autogeek.net/optimum-opti...-gel-32oz.html

Lastly, have been using regular 409 cleaner 9for years) for bug splatter removal. Beats the heck out of any of the other commercial stuff out there. We have "love bugs" up the Wazoo down here. Douche the front bumper with the 409 and let sit for 15-20 seconds the bugs wipe off. Hit with some soapy water afterward and some Quik wax touch up and I'm golden.

 

Had been using polymer-based products such as Zaino and Finish First, but converted to the Klasse products. I now use their All In One, Sealant and Plastic cleaner&Protectant, along with the Sonus Acrylic detailing spray.

The first two products can be used all over the exterior (I have a F55) including the windows, trims and wheels, and I use the last product on the tires and interior.

Awesome stuff. Seem expensive in the first place but I only use a couple of ounces at a time and the sealant lasts for months so over a long period of time, the cost will be reasonable, including my time for washing and detailing.

If you want to, you can top it off with a carnauba based wax.

 

Look no further:
http://www.blackfirewax.com/

 

I use a bunch of different brands; Menzerna, Prima, Collinite, Wolfgang, Blackfire, and I think a few more.

 

Megiuar's is decent stuff, but get on autogeek.net and try some of the GOOD stuff!

so many things you won't find on the shelf at Walmart or Pepboys. They usually have great sales too! for New Years they had a ton of buy-one-get-one-free deals on Pinnacle, Blackfire and DP.... free shipping on all orders.

I use microfiber wash mitts, Cobra "guzzler" drying towels, Pinnacle XMT ultra fine swirl remover polish, Pinnacle Black Diamond sealant. I have a bunch of different quick detailers and spray waxes that I use after drying and on my motorcycle which hardly ever gets a full wash.

I just bought my dad a bunch of Wolfgang products for Christmas so I'm eager to see how they are.

 

I'm loving the Chemical Guys stuff. The Hybrid V7 spray is my new favorite. I've found that no matter the temperature it doesn't streak. Also like the fact that it works great on Windows as well. Also a fan of Dri Wash n' Guard. I don't trust it to wash a dirty car, but definitely like it as a spray detailer.

 

I used to use Zaino .... but then switched to Prima's Epic ....great stuff ....beads like crazy for months and dirt washes off nicely when it rains....lasts for months

 

I use CarPro Cquartz UK Edition. I put it on when I received my JCW back in late May of this year. Since I don't drive my JCW in the rain, I can say it repels dust and dirt better than anything else I have ever used.

I like the shine and protection against surface abrasion so much, that I did my daily driver about two weeks ago. For the past few days it has been raining on and off, and the water and dirt repels like crazy. It stays cleaner with the Carpro protection than with just wash and wash applicator. You drive off with a wet car and the water literally sheets right off, and the dirt or surface dirt accumulated by the previous wet weather drive, somehow doesn't stick on as much as a conventionally waxed car.

Love the stuff, you can check my posting I did back in June for all the other products that I applied on as well.

Cheers

 

The recommendations will vary based on the current condition of your paint and desired results. And the amount of time you want to spend will determine what you should use too. Do you want to buy stuff at the local store or order away for more focused/costly items. Budget will play a factor too.

If you have any swirl marks do you want to polish them away or mask them for a little while? Do you want to do one step or multiple?

If you're just looking for a great quick wax solution that is super easy to use (but will only last for about a month) Chemical Guys Butter Wet Wax is one of the best easy on/off products I've ever used to get amazing looking results without polishing.

An all in one product such as Blackfire Total Polish and Seal or Auto Finesse Tripple will give some great shine and decent protection.

Griots polishes or Blackfire's system are great to get your paint into top shape. Then add the wax or sealant of your choice on top.

Meguiars has a fantastic product line as well so it's nothing to be ashamed of using. They have been doing this forever and with the right amount of time and effort, even the stuff at pep boys can yield excellent results. When looking for a polish make sure it has the right amount of abrasiveness for your job. The issue with many polishes at the local store is hat they just have polishing oils in them that hide swirls instead of removing them. If you're looking at trying to get the best results from the store bought stuff, stick with Meguiars and go for the ultimate line of products such as the ultimate polish and compound and ultimate wax (I prefer the paste over the liquid) or get the griots garage stuff off the shelf too.

Good luck!

 

I'm a big fan of Blackfire products. For quick results in between major detailing ( I have it done twice a year) my body shop guy turned me on to a new product. A large part of his business is classic restoration and custom work so I usually take his advice in these things. The new stuff he showed me when I picked up my car Friday impressed me a lot. AQUANIL-X Waterless Wash and Wax by Croftgate. It literally took him 10 minutes to clean my car using this and two microfiber towels. This is after my car had been sitting inside a body shop for 10 days so you can imagine how much dust accumulated on it with all the sanding and other work going on in there. This stuff works well on vinyl stripes chrome (if I had any ) and glass.
I'm always on the lookout for new products that will save me time and effort. As I get older I don't get the enjoyment that I used to from cleaning my vehicles for hours at a time.

 

:thumbs:

Oh, and you will save time. Why? Because the stuff lasts. It is a like a very thin layer of clear coat that won't wash off. Also, you really need to do the work prior to using Carpro CQuartz because it will cover over paint imperfections, not mask them. So if you have bird poo stains, scratches or markings, you really need to do the prep work. THAT is where lies the work no matter what you put on after. So, why not put some protection that lasts years vs weeks or months.

 

I find since I started claying my car it is really a slippery slope. Clayed cut and sealed the paint with Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant 3.0. The next day I was working in an industrial area and the black roof was rough after about 5 hours of being in that area. It has been 6 weeks now and even though the paint still looks amazing the surface is not close to perfect! It is 5 hours work to do it over and my neighbors are beginning to talk!

 

I know exactly how you feel Gregory! Many years ago my BMW M5 was covered with white specs when I came out after work & in those days not many car buffs knew much about claying cars...I used polish and buffed it out removing gorgeous Schwarz paint with my hand rubbing! M5's didn't have clearcoat! Makes me sick thinking about it to this day! Lesson learned!

 

I am getting ready to try Meguiar's 21 Sealant.

 

I use Gtechniq products on my vehicles. Great paint coatings!!!

http://usa.gtechniq.com/

 

Yes, they too are fantastic and have great paint products as well as Fabric Protection (best in the business imho, < Gtechniq Smart Fabric >).