neomedic

iTrader: (5)

Wax or Sealant? Which do you use and why? Which will provide longer protection between application?

And what brand do you like best? For sealant, after wash, do you still apply paint cleaner, polish, and then sealant?

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iTrader: (17)

Sounds like you are looking for durability. In general, paint sealants last noticeably longer than waxes. If you want a really long lasting wax, try Collinite 845 or 476S as they are known to outlasts many or most traditional paint sealants. The longest lasting products are nano coatings like Wolf's Body Wrap or Aquartz/Cquartz or Opti Coat 2.0 which is a permanent coating. If you want regular sealants, Menzerna PowerLock or Black Fire Wet Diamond are some of the best you can buy... they are similar to Collinite in terms of durability.

Personally I use the Collinite products alot because they last so long and are pretty easy to work with. If you don't mind spending a little extra, buy the Wolf's Body Wrap and the Wolf's nano shampoo because these two items are in a league of their own in terms of ease of application, shine, and durability. I have some on my car now and it's amazing.

Greg@DI

In general a high quality carnauba wax will provide stronger protection initially but they tend to fade quickly. A sealant will on average protect significantly longer and is what I generally recommend on a daily driver. If you want the best of both worlds layer a wax on top of a sealant.

The strongest form of protection I'm aware of is something like the Optimum Opti-Coat 2.0 Permanent Paint Coating or CarPro Cquartz Ceramic Quartz Paint Protection. More commonly used is a traditional sealant like the Blackfire Wet Diamond with Polycharger which is my favorite because it's so well balanced with a great shine and great protection while easy to use. We offer 10% off all these items with the code 10offcl if interested.

Let me know if you have any other questions and I'll be happy to help.

Greg @ DI

neomedic

iTrader: (5)

I'm a little timid about applying Optimum Opti-Coat 2.0

Looks like the Wolf's nano body wrap sealant is easy to use (wipe on, wipe off) and provides good durability. How long do you think I can go between applications in dry, sunny, but dusty so. cal?

I'm getting most of my car painted and polish at the body shop since I'm getting some work done. How long do I have wait for the clear coat to be cured before applying polish, sealant, and waxes?

And when applying wolf's body wrap, do you wash, clay, and polish? Then apply sealant and if I really want, a layer of wax on top of the sealant? OR Since the car pretty much has a new paint, can I wash, clay, and then apply body wrap? Thanks for all the help.

InRBigness

Look into Zaino. It seams like a lot of work, but it isnt and WOW what a result. It is a sealant system.

BertL

+1 I've been using Zaino since the late '90s, having used Zymol (wax) before that, and am sold on the durability, ease of application, and shine on both light and dark colored rides. Everyone has their opinion -- you'll find a zillion of them. I think the trick is choose something that appeals to you, learn the best way to apply it, live with it for a while, and with most products you can always change later if you want to. For me, being able to try new products and techniques is part of the fun.

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iTrader: (17)

Its usually recommended to wait 30 days after a fresh paint job before applying any wax or sealant.

Before you apply the Wolfs BW, it's extremely important to have a perfectly clean surface for it to bond well. You definitely want to clay and decontaminate the paintwork before application. If there are imperfection in the paint after the new paintjob, it would be best to remove any imperfections before putting on the BW. Of course it won't kill or ruin anything if you don't but if you have the tools and knowledge to correct the paint, it's always worth it before sealing or waxing. Just make sure after claying, polishing, and rinsing, you do a few IPA wipedowns to remove polishing oils.

When you apply the BW, do what I did. I researched it and alot of people were using cotton pads (regular make-up pads that you get in any store). It really lets you use the product sparsely and apply it in thin coats. I did two coats on my car using less than a quarter of the 150ml bottle. Apply it thin and give it about 10-20 minute before buffing off with a clean microfiber. It's super easy.

If you see hazing after the BW cures, according to Jesse from Wolfs Chemicals, it's an indicator that the surface was not perfectly clean. The product should lay down clear and stay clear once its cured in those 10-20 minutes.

The reason I recommended the Wolf's nano shampoo is because it rejuvenates that nano particles that are left on the paintwork from applying the BW. Using other types of shampoos will decrease shine and reduce long term durability. The nano shampoo will "revive" these nano particles and help the sealant last a very long time (many claim a year easily).

Overall it's a super easy product to use and will leave your paint slick and well protected.

I have also ordered the Wolfs Glass Guard, a nano glass sealant which has some terrific reviews with super long durability. I like using Blackfire Wet Diamond on glass, but it requires frequent application from my experience. The Wolfs Glass Guard is supposed to last alot longer. I'll try it out in the spring and report back if you are interested.

Good luck.

neomedic

iTrader: (5)

^^^ Yes, please report back. Any info is good to have.

Is IPA = Isopropyl Alcohol?

All of this will be done by hand. So what do you recommend after the wash and clay? What polish? I thinking some fine? Since the car will have new paint from body shop? But it will have about a month's of gunk since I have let the clear coat cure.

If I use Wolf's body wrap, I should / have to use their car wash? And after the wash, do I need to give a quick detail spray to bring out the shine? Or just wash and dry and it look good due to the sealant being there?

Thanks.

BertL

Yes, you got it on what IPA is.

...a personal suggestion. Assuming you're relatively new to all this detailing thing, and especially with a brand new paint job, I'd recommend always attempting the least invasive approach first with anything you do detailing-wise, and work up to things that have greater (and perhaps permanent) impact only when you really have to. There are lots of things one can do with things like true polish, pads, and machines to remove problem areas in your paint, but nearly all take away precious amounts of it (clear coat first), and once gone, it's gone. I honestly went for years without an orbital polisher, for example, and still to this day make use of it only every few months. The trick is to try and not introduce problems to your paint -- if you don't, well, life is easier. As time goes on, micro scratches and other things will work their way onto your ride no matter what you do, THEN, I use the mechanical methods.

In other words, I'd start first to ensure any wax that your paint shop may have applied is off -- I use a higher concentration of Dawn (yes, dishwashing liquid) most of the time, and it works just fine for me, but products from Chemical Guys (Citrus Wash at higher concentration, which I also like) and many others some of the sponsors and others may recommend will do it too. There are all sorts of products to remove other types of contamination as well -- the question is, will you REALLY need them with brand new paint? Then, I'd clay your ride -- be sure to use lots of lube. From there, only if you must, use some very fine polish and pads to remove any problem areas -- try it by hand, then machine. Go up in strength of polish/pads if you must, and work it back to finer versions before applying your sealant and/or wax. Then a little QD, step back and go from there with a weekly regime.

People that do this as a profession or that have been doing the detailing thing for years may take different approaches and we each have our favorite products -- all can work. I just take a very conservative approach first and it's worked for me very well over the years -- be it on each of my new cars I've bought since the late '90s or the couple of times I've brought home a car after having new paint applied. I have not had to resort to much more than claying a new ride and perhaps a little bit of polishing out a swirl or two introduced by the delivery jockeys on my new rides so far. If you find it useful for another point of view, check out a couple of my posts on my personal website here. I'm not trying to sell anything, and maintain the detailing page as well as my "Zaino" process page there for friends that have asked me over the years what I use and do on my cars. Probably the best pictures I have of how at least the external products have worked for me are of my BMW I sold this past fall -- a few of which are here on my Flickr account.

Good luck on whatever method you choose and have fun with that ride!

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iTrader: (17)

Yes, IPA is rubbing alcohol. It's like a dollar for 34oz at Walgreens. Dilute it with water up to 50/50. Most of the time I just take a 32oz bottle and add 8oz of IPA and rest with water... it makes 17.5% mixture which is perfect for most uses.

Do this:

1. Wash car with Dawn dish soap (it's stronger than regular car wash and will remove most wax or oils.

2. Dry car completely.

3. Clay it with a very fine clay since there shouldn't be stubborn contaminants one month out of the spray booth.

4. Rinse it again and dry the car.

5. Pull it in to the garage, and do at least one IPA wipedown. Mist the IPA onto the car like you would with a quick detailer and wipe off with a clean dry MF towel.

6. Put a few small drops of the BW onto a cotton pad or a small "roughly" 2X2" MF piece and start applying it on the car. It's super slick, a little goes a long way. It goes on very smoothly, you'll love it.

7. Buff it off with a clean MF towel after roughly 15 minutes and you're done.

Honestly, the Wolfs QD is recommended. I haven't tried it and I really doubt you NEED to use it. It would be nice, but in my opinion it's not a must. Just make sure you use the Nano shampoo when you do your washes after BW application as that is what's most important.

Wolf's claims that claying won't really be necessary after BW application because it's self-cleaning and does not allow contaminants to bond with the paint. I would suggest you get your hands on Iron-Cut (which Detailers Domain sells) or Iron-X which is really the same thing just a bit more expensive. You can use this on the car to remove any iron particles that may bond with the paint over time if you go very long periods between washes. It will clean the iron particles (little orange rust specs) right off and will revive the BW making it look like it was freshly applied. I talked with Jesse himself and he said Iron-X will not remove the BW or weaken it in any way... if anything it will make it bead like day one and look fresh.

Good luck.

neomedic

iTrader: (5)

Thanks. This thread is full of wonderful stuff =)

So thrilled to get a "new" paint job for the car. And this time, I can do it right =)

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iTrader: (17)

Here's some relative info I came across from Detailing Bliss, aka Detailers Domain detailing forum (which is fantastic btw):


This is Jesse's response to a member who inquired about using ONR (which short for Optimum No Rinse, a product that can be used as a clay lubricant, quick detailer, or a rinseless car wash depending how much you dilute it). This should explain why ordinary QD sprays and car wash shampoos are not recommended...

"Hi Jeff!

So the products we made for the nano sealant will get you the best results and the best durability out of Body Wrap. Normal QD's are usually filled with polymers and other gloss-enhancing materials that will "clog" the nano bridge that's responsible for the hydrophobic properties of BW. The surfactants in normal shampoos will do the same... they cling to the microscopic "spikes" that create the lotus effect and basically "flatten" them, thus killing the beading over time. ONR is also filled with polymers, perhaps more than the average shampoo, so the effect will be the same. Now this is not something that will happen with a couple of washes, but rater over the course of many washes, but you will see a big difference in durability, shine and beading if you stick to our nano-friendly products.

Our nano shampoo is designed to preserve the coating on your car and the nano QD is designed to "repair" it if it gets damaged by abrasion, harsh chemicals, etc. and it can also be used to boost the shine. You'll see that when Body Wrap is on the car, most of the other products you used to use will be obsolete. The shine is silly, no need for QD's/drying aids when drying the car because the coating is very slick, and the car will stay much cleaner than it will with a traditional wax. Let me know if you have any more questions!

Cheers ,

Jesse"

UDel

Applying Opti-Coat 2.0 is not difficult, I did 2 cars. If you screw up and put too much on you just polish the excess off. If you want durability, protection, and even something to help keep swirls down more I would recommend adding Opti Coat 2.

As for waxes and sealants, the only wax that is long lasting/durable and protects very well is Colonite 476S. It is very good. BlackFire Wet Diamond is also very good and leaves a very smooth finish. Zaino is excellent but pricey as it is a 2 step process and it is more sensitive to
a clean finish. Klass AIO is very good.

Opti Coat 2 is harder then a normal soft clearcoat like on a Lexus so it will help protect against swirling and scratches and it also is easier to wash since dirt will not stick to it like it does to clearcoats.

LexyISF

Not a fan of these semi permanent / permanent coatings on paint as a detailing enthusiast. Great for someone not so into cleaning their cars. The paint must also be 100% clean and swirl free before application. Can't apply on a glaze. Saying that, I got C.Quartz on my wheels and glass, wonderful stuff!

I prefer a glaze and wax myself, for the deep and wet look. Clearkote RMG or Prima Amigo glaze followed by Victoria Concours Wax. Very nice! I'm liking Naviwax Dark ioncoat wax at the moment, JDM wax at it's finest!

neomedic

iTrader: (5)

^^^^^I understand these sealants might not bring out a show-room shine, but this car is a daily driver and I live in sunny dusty so. cal. Being a daily driver, it has to be practical and this really helps. Only have to do extensive work of clay, polish, and reapply sealant every 4-6 months is good in my book.