First Wax

[Cubsfan]

Hi All,

As I mentioned in another thread, I'm going to be doing the first wax of my new car this weekend ('05 Altima, color=smoke)

Here's what I'm planning to do. Now you folks can tell me what I'm going to do wrong

- Wash with Gold Class car wash
- Maybe scratch-x for a couple of scratches
- Deep Crystal System Paint Cleaner (Do I need this on a new car)
- DCS Polish
- DCS Wax (Possibly 2 coats)

All of this will be by hand (I'm afraid of buffers )

One question I have is if I should use DCS Step 3 wax, or NXT Wax. Seems like DCS is a purse wax, where NXT is a polish/wax. Am I really going to need a polish/wax after I just polished it?

I'm not planning to use clay, since I don't have any and I'd like to do this this weekend.

As far as maintenence, if I do the full DCS treatement every 6 months or so, and then use NXT every month, will that be a pretty good plan?

Thanks for all the help!

[Mike Phillips]

Hi Cubsfan,

It's a good idea to use a paint cleaner over the entire finish the first time in any new detailing session to insure the finish is completely clean. Either ScratchX or Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner, or a combination of both like you mentioned is a perfect system.

As for a wax, the choice is yours, I've used both and they both look great on black paint, which means they'll look good on any paint color. (Remember you're working on clear, the point is if a wax looks good on clear coat over black, it will look good on any clear coat over any color).

As for maintenance, Meguiar's teaches to always Evaluate the condition of the finish, this will help you to determine the product and the procedures you need to perform to restore the finish to better than new.

A well kept car parked inside often will need less work in 6 months than a car that is rarely washed and parked outside all of the time. So evaluate the finish with you eyes in bright light and with your sense of touch by feeling for above surface contaminants after washing. If needed, clay the car and use a paint cleaner again, if not then maintain with your choice of wax. NXT is a great choice for maintaining a finish like yours.

Hope this helps, have fun!

[05PhillyStang]

Your set up looks good. That's almost the same stuff I use. I replaced my DCS Carnuba with NXT. They're both great, but NXT gives a better finish and is much easier to remove.

DC1, paint claener, couldn't hurt on a new car. I would suggest using it.

NXT is not really a polish/wax, it's a wax with polymers. It has some polishing agents to it but it is not a replacement for wax. Yes, you definitely need to wax after you polish. Polish shines, wax protects.

if I do the full DCS treatement every 6 months or so, and then use NXT every month, will that be a pretty good plan?

I'm not too sure about using NXT without the other steps, I had the same question myself. I'm afraid that if I just wax, I'll be sealing in the dirt that otherwise would have been removed with a paint cleaner. Try the NXT Spray Wax instead. Anyone care to comment on this?

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by 05PhillyStang
NXT is not really a polish/wax, it's a wax with polymers. It has some polishing agents to it but it is not a replacement for wax. Yes, you definitely need to wax after you polish. Polish shines, wax protects.

NXT Tech Wax, both paste and liquid doesn't really fall into the polish/wax category, nor the pure wax category as it doesn't contain enough polishing oils like Gold Class to classify it as a polish/wax yet unlike Deep Crystal Carnauba Wax, M26 and M16, which are all pure waxes and contain no ingredients with the intended purpose of cleaning the finish, NXT Tech Wax does contain a sleight amount of a very specialized cleaner. Although it's not enough to be classified in a cleaner/wax category like ColorX, Meguiar's Cleaner/Wax or even M20 Polymer Sealant.

This makes it a perfect wax for daily drivers that are well kept and washed often.

I'm not too sure about using NXT without the other steps, I had the same question myself. I'm afraid that if I just wax, I'll be sealing in the dirt that otherwise would have been removed with a paint cleaner.

See my original reply about evaluating the condition of the finish after washing, let your eyes and your sense of touch be your guide as to what to use, whether it's clay, a paint cleaner, a polish or a wax.

Try the NXT Spray Wax instead. Anyone care to comment on this?

NXT Spray Wax should only be used on finishes in excellent condition with a base coat of wax already applied. It's a touch-up wax.

[Cubsfan]

I just realized that I probably sound pretty pathetic asking all these questions. Just for the record, I've used DCS/Gold Class many times on my old car. But now that I have a new car, I want to enhance my understanding, and make sure I don't make mistakes.

Anyway, can anyone give me some general advise on waxing? I've generally applied wax in a circular motion on a quarter panel or a door, then went back and taken it off with a cotton terry cloth towel (not the high class ones like Meguiars, just the normal ones you can buy at Kmart/Walmart).

Is the circular motion correct, or will that hurt the paint? Also, is it worth it to get those really nice Meguiars towels to wax it off with? How about the applicator? any magic there?

Thanks for all the help!

[tguil]

The real magic occurs when you use a Porter Cable Dual Action Polisher.

Tom

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by Cubsfan
Anyway, can anyone give me some general advise on waxing? I've generally applied wax in a circular motion on a quarter panel or a door, then went back and taken it off with a cotton terry cloth towel (not the high class ones like Meguiar's, just the normal ones you can buy at Kmart/Wal-mart).

Is the circular motion correct, or will that hurt the paint? Also, is it worth it to get those really nice Meguiar's towels to wax it off with? How about the applicator? any magic there?

Thanks for all the help!

Meguiar's teaches that if the products you're using and the application material you're using are not instilling any scratches, then it shouldn't matter which direction you move your hand.

If you are seeing swirls or scratches and you believe they are being caused by you application process, then it's time to stand back and examine your product and/or applicator material.

Does that make sense?

We teach this at all our detailing classes. Just to note, some panels on your car will lend themselves to straight-line motions better than circular motions because they are long and narrow, larger panels however lend themselves to circular motions as this is easier to spread product out.

The most important thing to remember and practice when applying paint cleaners, polishes and waxes is to focus on the task at hand and be thorough.

Have fun!

[tguil]

I have had swirls caused by hand application of waxes and cleaner/waxes. It's more likely to happen with a fiber applicator than it is with a foam applicator. Seriously if you want the "magic", a pc is the answer. It is almost impossible to mess up using one of these. I've been waxing and polishing vehicles for over 45 years. I could never get the deep, glossy, and swirl free look by hand that I get using a pc.

My current preference for using NXT is to apply a coat of the liquid wax using a pc. Followed by a coat of NXT paste wax applied by hand the next day.

Tom

[Cubsfan]

ARGH!!!

After washing my car, and then taking a light to it and looking carefully, I have many more scratches than I knew about!!

I'm going to wait for a bit to detail it until I can grab some scratch-x. I sure hope that stuff works wonders!