What to use?

[gridiron]

I just bought a 2001 Silverado. The paint is in great shape. Color is Pewter. I have waxed with Deep Crystal then tried Gold Class. Then I saw the clay product and tried that. I have a great shine. Am I using to many products on top of each other? Should I strip off all the wax and use just one wax? What is the best wax? Thanks!

[Arne]

Re: What to use?

to MOL

If you`ve used clay after you applyed wax,some of the wax are gone.
Remember to use the 5 step metod
Step 1 Wash

Step 2 Clean

Step 3 Polish

Step 4 Protect

Step 5 Maintain

What kind of wax you use is up to what you like.
i preffer NXT tech wax,but remember to put on two layers

good luck

[Michael Stoops]

Re: What to use?

If you clayed after using the two waxes you mentioned then the odds are quite good that you've removed most, or all, of that wax and are now unprotected. Follow the steps Arne listed and you'll be good to go. There is a ton of great information on this site so spend some time reading through it, especially the Detailing 101 section. But first, get out there and put some wax on that car if you haven't since claying it!!

[scout]

Re: What to use?

We've been working on a pewter chevy truck of approximately that year.
It was dirty, unwaxed, and I thought it was gold with metalflake. After I finished the hood and front fenders, I was surprised that it looked silver/grey ("pewter"). Then the owner said, "yes, that is what its supposed to look like, pewter". I think this happened because I got it *clean*. (I know this because today I did a less thorough job on the bed of the same truck, using a less effective cleaning and glazing step, and it finished up still slightly golden.)

I decided to use some products that I thought would be darkening, because I guessed that they would hide its flaws better. I'm *sure* I guessed right.

Here's what I did: wash, clay, DC1 paint cleaner, #5 glaze, NXT.
Sorry, no picture.
Swirl removal, or swirl hiding, is very impressive, and it looks great in direct sunlight. Various scratches and gouges are less noticeable. It is "wet" and very luxurious looking.

I've been a little frustrated with product selection on several different vehicles. But this combination on this vehicle is really impressive.

(P.S. I used #5 instead of #3, #7, or DC2, because it *dries*, with a residue that is then wiped off, like a wax. Mentally, for me, it gives a clearer-cut distinction between the glazing step and the waxing step. I haven't been able to see a difference in appearance between these products.)

[Arne]

Re: What to use?

Sounds like you`ve done a good job scout.

[gridiron]

Re: What to use?

What are all these # that you use? What does glaze do?

[Arne]

Re: What to use?

[QUOTE=gridiron;139000]What are all these # that you use?

I`ll help you with this one.

Take a look at http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/sho...threadid=10662 this page and you will get all the info you need

[pcfxer]

Re: What to use?

to MOL

If you`ve used clay after you applyed wax,some of the wax are gone.
Remember to use the 5 step metod
Step 1 Wash

Step 2 Clean

Step 3 Polish

Step 4 Protect

Step 5 Maintain

What kind of wax you use is up to what you like.
i preffer NXT tech wax,but remember to put on two layers

good luck

I remember a MOL user stating that if a Meguiar's fan would teach other people how to maintain their paint they would immediately begin explaining what defects are and then explain the paint protection process. A Zaino fan, however, would normally begin touting Zaino products and making extreme accusations about anyone who doesn't use Zaino and tries to explain the process.

Good stuff!

[Murr1525]

Re: What to use?

The numbers are just product numbers. But they have kind of became a shorthand around here, so use the link above for reference, and you'll pick it up quickly.

Meguiars uses the terms glaze and polish interchangeably, but for other compaines, they may mean different things. For Meguiars, a glaze/polish adds oils into the small pores of the paint, to help give a better reflective surface, and keep the oils in the paint.

[scout]

Re: What to use?

(I can't get the "reply with quote" to work.)

Quote gridiron:
"What are all these # that you use? What does glaze do?"

As the previous poster said, these are Meguiars product numbers, and you can learn about them from this website. This can be a big job, and I've had to keep notes for myself. My opinion is that this effort has been worthwhile. They make "everything", and *they* ensure product compatibility, etc., which is mentally easier for me than trying to mix and match from other companies.

In my post, above, I most wanted to tell you what a good and surprising job Deep Crystal Step 1 (a paint cleaner) gave me on paint of this color and age.
After a careful and thorough washing (with Deep Crystal soap), I applied this paint cleaner vigorously, by hand, using the yellow foam pad.
Looking at the final finish, considering the products I had used, I thought the color-lightening was paradoxical. But, I repeat, after a less thorough job on the bed of the same truck, I realized that it was the extra cleanliness that got me the great results on the front.
There's an article entitled "A Lesson from White Paint" that discusses this. One way to get to it is from here:

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15808&highlight=a+lesson+from+white+paint

Another reason for the lightening is that the metalflake is now much more prominent. It really looks like metal now, especially in the sun. I think I learned something about metalflake: these flakes are so bright I think they help make swirls less noticeable, too. The more intense the incident light, the brighter the metalflakes.

I'm very curious: is your "pewter" a goldish color?

[jguerra3235]

Re: What to use?

Gridiron,

I feel that it is my duty to inform you that this forum and Meguiar's product are gonna change your whole idea of vehicle cleaning. Your gonna learn lots of new things and try lots of new products. You shall become a car cleaning freak. There you have been warned. Have fun.

[gridiron]

Re: What to use?

If my grandfather had a computer and knew how to use it.... Holy Cow!! He is the biggest Mequiar freak I know! The Pewter color is more silverish. The same color every Tom, Dick, and Harry has.