Washing and buffing... - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

Raymond_Tengen · 06-30-2010, 07:59 AM

Last weekend, I washed my car thoroughly. I removed scratches on the door handles by applying scratch remover on a pad by hand. Finally, I waxed my car also by hand. My arms became very sore after that but I thought, at the time, the effort was worth it.

During the last two days, it rained a lot in Montreal. The water was gliding very smoothly but not every part of the car does it though. I also noticed some water marks on the body, but a lot less than before. I wonder if it was caused by an uneven wax application due to my sore arms at the time. And of course, I should've bought and use a clay bar to remove accumulated contaminants over time (two years). And to make everything shine, I thought I might use a quick detailer at the end to make the "blackness" stand out like it used to.

My questions are
1. Should I apply the scratch remover before or after claying (common sense tells me "after claying")?
2. Should I get myself a rotary buffer instead to apply the scratch remover and wax?
3. What rotary buffer would you recommend for someone who never used one before?

Thanks~

ToyotaJimD. · 07-03-2010, 03:02 PM

You can't really expect even beading due to variables in the rain, the direction it's raining, how it flows from the top to the bottom of the vehicle, and so on.

And it could be due in part to your arms getting tired.

Rotaries are not recommended except in expert hands and for polishing.

If you're getting tired during waxing, try the PowerBall 4Paint from Mothers to apply the product. Remove by hand. Really makes the job easy.

If you're using a scratch remover, I'd do it after claying so you're working with a clean surface.