thanks tod for the great help!!! how many coats of wax do you use actually? I read in autopia forum that for a deeper gloss, 2 coats of wax is needed. 1st coat to dry for 24-48 hours and 2nd coat...is it true??? Also, how long of between a full wax job do you wax again?

For example:

(If i use meg's #9, then #3 and then Nxt 2.0 Wax. How long do i have to wait so that I can repeat the step again? 2 months? 3? 4 months?

 

Polymer sealants are not fully cured when they haze over and you remove the haze. It takes up to 12-24 hours for them to cure depending on the humidity levels and the temperature. During that period you should not reapply anything to them or get them wet if possible. A second coat after 12-24 hours is usually beneficial for a more even coat. You want to wait the 12-24 hours so that you are not disrupting and compromising the durability of the product. If you have used a polymer sealant before you might have noticed that they seem even shinier the next day after you apply them. This is after they have cured.

FWIW, pure Carnauba wax products (not cleaner waxes) usually look better with a second coat as well due to the more even coverage of the second coat.

As to reapplying, you can re-apply as often as you like. If you think the appearance has been degraded due to harsh environmental contamination, there is no reason not to reapply. You can do the fingertip test to decide if you need to reclay and use that as your determining factor. If the car is garaged a lot you might not notice any bonded contaminants but still want to reapply your polish and wax. No reason why you can't. Using gentle polishes like #80 with a PC every month would not damage your paint.

Let your eyes and fingertips guide you.

 

Thanks Jim!! But I saw #80 has a cutting rate of 4/10 whilte #82 a swirl free polish only rated at 3/10 cutting power....So is #82 safer? Also, if you do it every month, is the wax from previous job still there? or it will be buff out because of the polish?

 

No need to polish every month. Just wax or sealant. You can polish every 3-4months as needed, then repeat your whole process, including clay, every 6 months. If you keep washing every week, wax every month or 2 weeks, you shouldn't have to polish that often. I clay/polish mine every 6 months.

 

The difference I see between the two polishes is that initially #80 cuts better than #82 but it breaks down much faster as you use it. IMO, It is a faster acting polish. I need to work #82 longer to get the same results.

You could use either product every month and not harm your paint. Both are quite safe.

Now that said, you would really not need to use a polish that often. Even in the worst environment I've been in, I wouldn't see needing to polish more than once a quarter. Yet, you never know what can get on your paint. You just needn't worry about overusing either with a DA polisher.

Every time you polish with an abrasive product or use clay you will be removing the wax or sealant.

Like tod071 suggests, you likely only need to clay and polish every 3-6 months or so. If you use UQD after your washes and/or reapply NXT every month or two your car should look great all the time. It also helps if you garage your car at night.

 

Haha yea i know i'm running a risk for being lazy BUT i have starfire pearl and its really BRIGHT HURT YOUR EYES in the sun so you cant see microswirls, also when i wipe i lift the edges of the towel slowly as i go along so the same dirt collecting edge doesnt pile up with dirt...

AND...

I live on oahu, tod071 also lives in oahu so if i fk it all up i can call him up to bail me out of my stupidity. BUT after 8months of doing it my way and not having any isssues... as i said before, it works for me.

 

thanks guys...i guess i just have to buy all the products now...

Tod, when you say wax every 2 weeks or a month, do you use the NXT wax or just the quick detailer/wax that every1 uses after a car wash

 

I wax every month. Its all personal preference, so its really up to you. There are alot of factors that may diminish your durability, so you may need to wax more often or not.

 

My car gets waxed every month or whenever the water won't bead and roll off, whichever comes first

 

I see!!! anyway...since im using mostly meg's product...should i buy meg's pads or Lake Country pads for my PC??? Also any difference between the 2 pads??? Which better which not?? anything like that???

 

I use both companies pads. I believe you will find that Lake Country (I live about about 35 miles from them) makes the widest variety of pads.

Can't go wrong with either.