kitlz

Thanks Jim. The clay I used was fine but it can cause marring as you glide it over the paint's surface and pick up contaminants. I mixed ONR and water for the clay lube and plenty of it. Don't forget to do the windows. It makes quite a difference. I followed up with Sonax paint cleaner which is basically an AIO with carnuba that can remove light swirls and Sonax wax. For the clear bra, I used Klasse AIO. It picked up quite a bit of dirt and left a layer of protection.

My tires are the 19" superchromes. It's not fun cleaning them but fortunately the 450h's brakes produce very little dust. Once a month I spritz them with Sonax Wheel Cleaner. This stuff is so awesome I bought the 5 L size over a year ago. I'm just getting low now.

The other choice is to go with Mequiars like djkidkris said. They make everything you could possibly need for your car. I'm not familiar with their products, I believe DunWkg can make some recommendations in addition to what's been mentioned. Hope that helps.

Meant to say, love the scenery in your picture including of course your RX

kitlz

Lots of gorgeous Starfire Pearls here. I laugh when I look at this one form 2k11sfrx. It looks like the RX has stopped to smell the flowers.

2k11sfrx

Thanks Anita appreciated !! Rx just look so good stock ...

gladiator9

Thanks for all the great information! I have been using Mcguires products for the RX. I have the cleaner wax and the gold class liquid wax. I sometimes use the quick detailer for a quick touch up. I should get some kind of wheel wax or polish to help keep the brake dust from collecting on the wheels. Can any of the products you are using be found in auto parts dealers?
The background in my Photo is the Okanagan Lake in West Kelowna B.C.
Very nice scenery here. Love it.
Thanks for the great info.......Your RX is very nice?
Cheers,
Jim

gladiator9

Hi!
Wow, that is a great source of information on detailing your ride. I havn't read all of it yet but it does give you a guide for pretty well any type of vehicle exterior maintenance. I don't have any severe swirls in the paint but as the vehicle gets older, sometimes minor swirls seem to show up. I never use an automatic car wash and mostly always wash my own vehicle. As I bought this vehicle used from a California dealer, I don't know how well it was looked after, but it was in very good condition when we bought it.
Now I just have to keep it looking good.
Thanks again for the great information.
Jim

kitlz

Jim, everything I used was purchased from our CL vendors. All of them are great and can answer any questions you might have on detailing. If you like Meguiars, you might want to check out their DA microfiber correction system. It should take care of any swirls on the paint. I'd get it myself but I have too much stuff already

I had to look at more pictures of Okanagan Lake. You're not kidding, it is gorgeous. Wow!

DunWkg

There are a bunch of great looking RX's shown in this discussion. As I type this, I'm thinking none of you need any assistance!

When I first joined Club Lexus, I thought wow Anita will wash her RX no matter what the weather. Today I don't think anyone maintains their RX to the extent Anita does.

One of the first things I did was buy a dual action buffer, then I took a class to learn a bit more about products and processes. Then I experimented on my RX to find what's best for me. That is what its most important, find out what is best for you.

Personally I think current day Lexus paint is very delicate, which is both the bad thing and good thing about the paint. It marks up easily and correcting defects is also easy. So, for me at least, using an aggressive product or process will often create more problems then it solves. Think delicate.

Washing is step one and this is also the step that will start creating problems. Using the wrong soap that doesn't provide enough lubrication or using a wash mitt that is too coarse will cause those dreaded microfine scratches called swirls. Many manufacturers make good soaps/shampoos I like Meguiar's Gold Class or Ultimate Wash and Wax. When using a foam gun I use Meguiar's Super Soap. Drying will also cause swirls, so use a quality waffle weave or whatever you prefer but be gentle. I will sometimes use a leaf blower on the cracks and crevasses.

Maybe twice a year I will clay the car. I think this is an important step as it provides a couple of functions. First, it removes bonded contaminates and provides a smooth surface, which is really key to getting those clearly defined reflections in your finish. Second, it removes bonded contaminates that may interfere with any buffing work you may perform. If you think your new car doesn't have bonded contaminates, then consider how long your car was on a boat, a train or a transport truck. In addition to the amount of time it sat on the dealership's lot before you took it home. I happen to use Meguiar's professional clay, because of the quantity of clay. No matter how hard I try or how I work over a clean piece of cardboard I manage to drop a piece every so often. Pitch it if you drop it. Remember to use a good lubricant. I use Meguiar's Last Touch diluted 1:1. There are many lubricants on the market. Iron X, Iron Cut type of products are becoming popular as alternatives to clay, just follow the instructions carefully.

My next step has varied a lot over time. I was pretty aggressive in the beginning, but never used anything as aggressive as Meguiar's M105. Repeat, never as it is not needed. The first time you may need something along the line of Meguiar's Ultimate Compound, but as you refine the finish each session you can start using a less aggressive product. Something like Ultimate Compound may also leave micro-marring in your finish and need to be followed up with a less aggressive product such as SwirlX or even Ultimate Polish.

Today I can get by using Ultimate Polish, or M205, or ColorX as go to products. Ultimate Polish is for me a multi-use product. With a moderately aggressive pad, running fairly fast and with moderate to heavy down pressure, Ultimate Polish will correct minor defects. Then putting on a mild pad, and slower speed, lighter pressure the surface can be brought to a great shine with great reflectivity.

Not even sure I can discuss wax, everyone has their own tastes. I've used all of Meguiar's (Gold Class Carnauba Plus, M26, M21, NXT Tech 2.0, and Ultimate Wax) with great success. I need longevity so I use the synthetic sealants (M21 and Ultimate Wax) most often. Sometimes I put a carnauba on top of a synthetic. More often then not, I use Ultimate Wax for the great reflectivity and longevity. It also goes on fast and thin and comes off within 3 to 5 minutes, much less waiting time than a carnauba. Yet you can let Ultimate Wax sit for hours before removing. This is true of most all of the Meguiar's waxes. When using a synthetic sealant wait 8-12 hours before putting on a second coat. The second coat is to provide full coverage in case you missed a spot. Many folks like NXT Tech 2.0 for light colored cars. My most recent detail I used ColorX. It is a mild all-in-one that leaves a great shine. It also works well removing minor water spotting from rain.

Next maintain your car by regular washing, again follow your precautions to prevent marring the finish. When I dry I use a little Ultimate Quik Wax as a drying aide and as a booster wax to my base coat. I also use more, actually too much, on the front end to get something for the bugs to crash into and make it easier for me to remove them. When I dust the car at the end of a day, I gently use a California Duster followed with a wipe down using Ultimate Quik Detailer. Ultimate Quik Detailer leaves a great shine and is pretty good for beading the water from the next rain.

Wax wears off of rims very fast and I will put on a microfiber glove and work in some Ultimate Wax. Then every so often I wax them with Ultimate Quik Wax. Spray it on and work it in with a microfiber glove.

There are no secrets to success, every manufacturer has products for every instance and paint finish. Use high quality products backed by a manufacturer with good customer service and follow Anita's lead...keep it clean!!

BCRCornet

@gladiator9: My apologies for this off-topic post, but I sincerely hope you weren't affected by the emergency evacuation due to yesterday's "interface" fire in your area.

gladiator9

Thanks for your concern BCR.......but we are quite a distance from the Bear Creek area. We are in West Kelowna in a residential area with vinyards in our back yard and not too many large trees so the odds of a fire nearby are quite remote. We did happed to drive right past the fire area on Monday afternoon but did not see any smoke or fire at the time we drove by.
The fire is contained and mostly out at this time.
Cheers,
Jim