Just ordered some Zaino and Meguire's stuff. Will most likely detail the car next Saturday (weather permiting).

But I have a question. I have vinyl stripes and decals on the car. Do I wax right over them, or do I need to somehow go around it?

TIA

 

I suppose it depends on the materials used for the stripes and decals...

However, my last car was logoed with my business name and I simply waxed right over them with McGuire's. Four years worth of washing and waxing had no effect. pb

 

Gosh, Boondox... that's depressing! Do you mean to tell me that in four years you didn't even get a tiny bit of shine???

Maybe you weren't doing it right.

 

Maybe. I'd spread a generous amount of the best quality wax on top of the mud or snow (depending on the season), but once buffed out it inevitably looked the same!

 

Ahhhh... OK. I get it now. You just had the layering thing all wrong. [Please refer to numerous recent Detailing 101 threads.] As I understand it (and I'm a bit of a novice myself), you're supposed to start with the base layer of mud or snow -- depending, of course, upon the season -- and then follow that with Z2, then another layer of mud/snow, then Z2, then mud/snow, then Z5 or Z6, then mud/snow, then Z2, then Z6 or Z8, depending on your preference and budgetary constraints.

So the point is that you were headed in the right direction, Boondox. You just didn't keep at it long enough!

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Serious note for goaljnky: While there are some differences of opinion, the vast majority of NAM detailers seem to advocate treating the stripes as though they don't exist -- in other words, Zaino right on top of 'em. (I've been following several threads on the topic, curious myself as to "best practice" in this case.)

 

[Deep breath...]

 

Hmm, it's the middle of May in Los Angeles. Where can I get some snow? Better check if the ice maker and the blender are working....

 

I was born and raised in San Diego, and have family in LA, so was pleasantly surprised at how quickly I acclimated back here. I know it's cold in the winter, because when I go out to the garage and reach into the freezer for something it feels warm in there! Of course with lows in the minus 30 range the only reason to put food in the freezer is to keep it away from the animals!

My conversion to winter life was not without some trial and error, though. Fall chill takes come getting used to, but by the time the snow starts falling in early November you're pretty much acclimated. Short trips outside in a sweatshirt are fine for winter chores. Add gloves and a hat below ten degrees. But in SoCal I got in the habit of washing my car every single weekend. Tried that here my first January and the chamois froze to the roof of my Honda! There was no way I could peel it off, and since I was out of quarters I had to drive home that way and subject myself to the pain of my wife's hysterical laughter when she saw the frozen chamois glued to the roof like the spine of a Rhodesian ridgeback!

Or the time I realized my SoCal habit of holding metal screws between my lips was not a good idea at twenty below zero! I still have these interesting little screw shaped lines on my lips from that one!

Or the time I finished rinsing all the road salt off my truck one December morning only to find the water had frozen into a solid sheet of ice covering the entire vehicle...and it was not possible to open the doors!

Pete

 

Funny stuff....

But seriously, should wax be applied over the decals (dealer-installed Union Jack on the roof)? Can anyone think of any benefit? I will be detailing the GF's new MCS for the first time Thursday.

 

I gave my entire bonnet, including stripes, a good Klasse All-In-One treatment, two coats of Klasse Sealant Glaze, and a coat of P21S carnauba wax. I figure the stripes could use the same level of protection as the paint.

 

You should definately protect those stripes!

I've heard problems of the graphics smearing, but that was from a printed graphic on white vinyl (read roof flags or custom body graphics) and was caused by a wax. I would be especially cautious when using a wax with abrasives (most of the stuff you buy at auto parts shops and Sprawl-Mart). A pure carnuba wax like p21s or Soverign would be a bit safer, I think. I haven't heard of any problems with factory MINI stripes and wax.

Even better, IMHO, would be to use a polymer sealant like Klasse or Zaino. Vinyl is succeptable to UV and either of these two will give them UV protection.