What product should I use here?

[_VVTi_]

So I had some free time yesterday to do some detailing on the Camry. I was able to fit in wash, clay, polish (SFX 1 and 2), and one layer of Klasse All-In-One. Boy, was the paint ever scratched up and the clear coat seems to be pretty thin, I wasn't really able to go deep with the polish before I really thin out whats left of the clear coat. I didnt' have time to put any extra layers on, nor did I had any time to put on the Klasse sealant. But I am planning to finish it off with 2 more layers of wax (Meguiar Gold for depth and gloss and Klasse AIO for the acrylic protection) and the Klasse sealant within the next week and a half.

Here is where you guys come in. Just from me parking it outside during work today, the car is already covers in dust. Now when I do the next couple layers of wax, do I have to re-wash, clay and polish the car again? Or just use some wax-cleaner, then proceed with the wax job?

Cheers!!

[humanoid]

I'm no expert, but I would just use some detailer to get the dust and crap off and then proceed with the wax/sealant etc.

[Pb]

How can you tell how thick the clearcoat is and much you removed?

For dust I just spray quick detail spray and wipe with a towel. I use the versatile Sonus waffle weave drying towels. They work great for almost all detailing steps.

If I have some bugs on the front, but not enough to require a full wash then I use PoorBoys Spray & Wipe. It seems to have more cleaning power than other detail sprays. It doesn't add as much gloss though.

[PolishAndWax]

Originally Posted by _VVTi_

So I had some free time yesterday to do some detailing on the Camry. I was able to fit in wash, clay, polish (SFX 1 and 2), and one layer of Klasse All-In-One. Boy, was the paint ever scratched up and the clear coat seems to be pretty thin, I wasn't really able to go deep with the polish before I really thin out whats left of the clear coat. I didnt' have time to put any extra layers on, nor did I had any time to put on the Klasse sealant. But I am planning to finish it off with 2 more layers of wax (Meguiar Gold for depth and gloss and Klasse AIO for the acrylic protection) and the Klasse sealant within the next week and a half.

Here is where you guys come in. Just from me parking it outside during work today, the car is already covers in dust. Now when I do the next couple layers of wax, do I have to re-wash, clay and polish the car again? Or just use some wax-cleaner, then proceed with the wax job?

Cheers!!

Clear coats are thin. Like .002" or less from the factory! My friend's 2005 Tacoma had .003" of TOTAL paint on it when it was new. That includes primer, base coat, sealer and clear coat. A piece of typical copy paper is .003" thick. So, most clear coats are not even as thick as a piece of paper.

Call me conservative, but I would wash the vehicle again before applying more wax. Especially since you parked it outside.

On a white vehicle...maybe not. On black, absolutely. Again, call me conservative.

Also, I'm not so sure you can effectivley put 'coats of wax' on or layer them. I'd like to see some proof that this can be done. I read about someone putting 20 coats of wax on...I doubt that after coat 2 or 3 he was really adding any thickness to the wax.

This is not to say that multiple applications are a bad idea. I think they ensure that you didn't miss any areas. But I doubt that 20 applications back-to-back are any better than two.

[_VVTi_]

Originally Posted by Pb

How can you tell how thick the clearcoat is and much you removed?

For dust I just spray quick detail spray and wipe with a towel. I use the versatile Sonus waffle weave drying towels. They work great for almost all detailing steps.

If I have some bugs on the front, but not enough to require a full wash then I use PoorBoys Spray & Wipe. It seems to have more cleaning power than other detail sprays. It doesn't add as much gloss though.

about the clearcoat thing, I am just guessing because it seems I was only able to really make the scratches less noticeable but not completely disappears, and they are just fine scratches not something deep into the paint. When i was detailing my friend's Ralliart, I was able to remove the fine scratches quite easily with SFX-1.

But yeah, I was planning to just use some Meg's QD spray and wipe the car down. Then proceed with the wax job.

One of my friend told me to use Sonus Paint cleaner, but won't that remove a layer of wax?

[Pb]

How many times have you polished your paint? Different vehicles have different hardnesses of the paint. Some are easy to polish, some take more work.

Yes, Paint Cleanser will remove wax. It's like a light polish.

[PolishAndWax]

Originally Posted by Pb

How many times have you polished your paint? Different vehicles have different hardnesses of the paint. Some are easy to polish, some take more work.

Exactly. Depth of the clear has little (if anything) to do with how easily scratches come out.

Temperature and paint age can affect the softness, as well as paint quality and composition.

[_VVTi_]

Originally Posted by Pb

How many times have you polished your paint? Different vehicles have different hardnesses of the paint. Some are easy to polish, some take more work.

Yes, Paint Cleanser will remove wax. It's like a light polish.

I used SFX-1 and SFX-2 polish. I am guessing my techniques are wrong, or using the wrong speed on my PC 7424. Correct my techniques if I am wrong here: I start with "1" on the speed dial to spread out all the polish on the panel, then proceed with "3" to work in the polish. Now here is my question, once I start to use "3" do I work the polish across the panel slow or fast?

ALSO, can I use the Ultimate Detailing Machine DAS Foam Pads on my PC 7424?