waxing a car

[FH]

sorry, but i don't know of any car detailing newsgroups, if anyone has any suggestions of a more appropriate place to ask, i'd appreciate, but until then, i'll just ask here.

i have a 2003 Nissan Altima ( white exterior ). i was told by a friend to use Meguiers Scratch-X first ( a little area at a time ), then go over the whole car with Meguiers Gold. i also have Meguiers Polish and wondered if i should use that after the Scratch-X first, then use the Gold?

i noticed even with the Scratch-X that it is difficult to get all the smashed bugs / road tar etc rubbed completely out on the front of the car ( where the license plate / headlights are ). i have a few nicks in the hood also, the Scratch-X didn't seem to do much ( i'm not impressed with it ). is there a better product to get these things out?

any suggestions would be appreciated.

[m Ransley]

A belt sander w/320 g, is good on road tar and bugs

[ameijers]

Probably have better luck over in one of the rec.autos.* groups. Also, Google is your friend- do a search for 'car waxing' or 'mcquires (sp?)', making sure to click the 'groups' box, and I'm sure you will find countless threads on the subject. Gearheads love to talk about the care and feeding of their mechanical babies.

aem sends....

[FH]

thanks a ton :-)

[Jerry L]

Only if you go with the grain.

[pray4surf]

Rick Not affiliated with DC Care Car in any way, shape, or form...

[George Wenzel]

Take a look at Autopia:

I guarantee that you'll find answers to your questions, and then some.

In short, use the scratch-X (or a similar product from 3M called Swirl Mark Remover, or SMR) first, then use the Gold. Always polish before waxing, not the other way around.

Scratch-X is not meant to remove bugs or tar. It's meant to correct minor scratches. If you want to remove bugs or tar, use a product designed for the task.

Scratch-X works reasonably well to remove minor scratches. It will _not_ remove larger scratches or paint chips (nor will any other scratch- removing product). Larger problems like that may have to be corrected using some touch-up paint, which is probably a job better left to a professional detailer if you don't know what you're doing.

Go to the Autopia forums and do some serious reading. Everything you could possibly want to know about auto detailing can be found on that site and on the forums. I also recommend purchasing the Autopia E-Book

It is a great guide, and well worth the money.

Regards,

George Wenzel

[Jimmy]

Yep. Visit the detailing forum. You can buy whatever you need at

Go with the 3M. Read the instructions, spend some time doing it.

Skip the old hat wax - buy some Klasse. Do the SMR, then do the car with the Klasse All-in-1. Buy the "glaze" if you decide you want to be a fanatic. If you spend the time to do the SMR and then the Klasse, your car will look better than when you bought it. As a bonus, the Klasse lasts a very long time and is the easiest "wax" you will every apply.

[George Wenzel]

Actually, I must STRONGLY concur with this recommendation. Klasse is AMAZING stuff.

Buy it even if you don't want to be a fanatic. :-) The stuff works remarkably well.

Indeed, except the Klasse Sealant Glaze is somewhat hard to remove if you apply too much. The trick to using Klasse is to use as little as possible - the thinner the coat, the better.

I have a coat of Klasse on my car that was applied in September. It's still there now, despite the car having been driven through snowy, salty, and sandy roads for three months. After a wash, the car still beads water and has that 'silky smooth' feel to it. :-)

Regards,

George Wenzel

[Jimmy]

Last year, after SMRing and then Klassing my car, a guy said to me "Is that a 2002 ?". I said "Nope, 1997".

[George Wenzel]

Yup, it's amazing how much benefit can be had with minimal effort. If you do it right, with the right products, your car will look _better_ than it did the day it was driven off the lot.

Regards,

George Wenzel