Carbon Blue..how to wash/polish/wax

[UbinTook]

I need to hear from people with CB or Black ...their procedure/schedule for washing/waxing/polishing.

Speciffically, what products do you use and in what order.
Zaino and Meguiares are the two i have heard the most about.
Tell me how you keep your finish up to par.

I need to start a regime with mine, but i want to do it right.

Thanks
Brandon

[theotherredline]

Black is the color I have

I wash with Mothers Cal Gold soap
use wool washmit, dry with synthetic chamois
use only Meguires Gold Class, and clay 2 times a year...

I wax the car 3-4 times a year

[h0l0grafik]

Steps:::
1) Water down entire car with hose, no pressure - no thumb no attachments , natural hose spout
2) Bucket with Meguiars Gold Wash soap, or the other Meguairs soap - wash car while wet with a hairy fur glove, then rinse
3) Dry with a special towel thats a synthetic chamois but absorbs 3 times more than it, and its lightweight
4) Clean Rims with Megairs Wheel spray
5) Hose off rims
6) Use BlackMagic tire polish (the gel) to clean the tires
7) Take a foam or old tshirt, cotton towel, etc. and apply Megairs' wax. they have a formula for which of their waxes to apply and a order...look at the store... for what type of shine u want.
8) Wax on wax off
9) Marvel at ur celica!!!!!!!!!!!

[Zorn]

Wool? --kinda makes me cringe (is it safe?)

I've always heard use 100% Cotton.

[jayazevedo]

I deal with this on a daily basis. My car is also spectra blue, and it scratches so easy it drives me crazy. So far all that i have ever learned is still not enough and even my cotton cloth leaves marks. I cant even get all the bugs off by washing, i have to break out the clay bar. We can team up can help each other deal with this ridiculous but beautiful finish.

Im going to make this a sticky as soon as i can get larry to tell me how.

[HisFrogness]

I have Carbon Blue. I've only had the car for about a month and have not waxed it yet. It really sucks cause when I bought the car by the time I knew I wanted to buy it it was dark out and I didn't notice this "scuffing" on the passenger door. It almost looks like mild oxidation that's clouding the clearcoat. ROTTEN BASTARDS! Anyway, I've just taken it to the local do-it-yourself carwash and I use a regular shammy. I apply the same technique in drying the car as one normally does with windows, making sure it's totally dry before I stop wiping. That at least takes care of the water spots.

[UbinTook]

Well, looks like Meguires is the product to use, i have also heard several people use Zaino. But one thing i that was suggested by a friend with a dark blue Vette...use Micro fiber cloths for application and removale of polish/wax...absolutley zero scratching.

[ghostface]

tru man my mom bought me those ficroiber cloths and i used them to see if they worked and i did my hood with liquid glass really quick after a wash and there were no swirl marks at all..and it made me figure out why the hell my car still had swirl marks in iut just after a good wash and wax...it was becasue the 100% cotton cloths i was using didnt take the wax off easy so it would cause me to rub harder and create even mnore swirl marks....basically these things are excellent..

Ghost

[erok]

The zaino web site has some pretty convincing testimonials. Their product contains no wax, which makes it different from most others. Sometimes my (silver) car has a yellowish sheen to it after waxing. As soon as my Meguires stuff runs out, I'm going to try it.

[wickedpete]

The synthetic chamois I use is called "The Absorber" and it works awesome! I am also one more that would reccommend Meguires for the wax.

[HisFrogness]

Well I'm still having problems with swirling. I'm not blessed with a front yard and a hose so I have to go to a carwash. What really sucks about that is that I'm thinking it would be easier to clean the car one panel at a time but carwashes make you hurry because you're on a timer.I haven't tried the microfiber cloth yet which I've been looking into
Sparkleauto.com is a cool place to find stuff like this (http://www.sparkleauto.com)

So Ghostface, was it the microfiber cloth or the liquid glass that prevented the swirling?

[ghostface]

HISFROGNESS well the liquid glass is a really good wax and its abrasive so it takesd away some of the swirl marks....but the microfiber towels took th wax off really really easily and were dust free...so basoically when i was using just cotton cloths to take the wax off i was trying really hard to get all the wax off the car therefore putting swirl marks back inot the clearcoat.. since the microfiber clths made it easy to take all the wax off easy and i didnt have to rub really hard to get it off....so they do help prevent sweirl marks...they are excellent purchace....buy em ..u will see a difference.

BTW i have a spectra blue celic..but that color is just as high maintinenece as the carbon blue and black

Ghost

[HisFrogness]

OK, so yesterday I went and bought some microfiber cloths and Liquid Glass. I get home and, after reading the instructions, realize I should have bought the Liquid Glass Pre-Cleaner
because I just used Maguier's(sp?) wax on it 3 washes ago. Crap!

Anyway, I didn't feel like going back so I just washed it with the regular soap they have at the do-it-yourself carwash and used the microfiber cloths. I wanted to see how much of an improvement it was over regular chammois'. I was pleasantly surprised. It seemed to break up the water into much smaller droplets so, while there were still swirl marks, they were much less noticable.

I'm a little nervous about using Liquid Glass on my baby. Besides the part where it says it removes the oxidized paint, something else concerns me. It says that 1.) It may leave streaks which you can rub out with a damp cloth and 2.) "baking" the car in the sunlight will bond the Liquid Glass to the paint. So what if there's a streak that you don't see and subsequently "bake" the Liquid Glass to your paint? It sounds like you'll have permanent streaks.

One question though. After applying this stuff, will it remove swirling from happening at all?

[ghostface]

no there is no way possiblke that will ever prevent swirl marks from ever coming bsack...this stuff like moist abrasive waxes is just mainly a wax/polish/cleaner that takes of the top layer of cler coat to bring out a fresh coat on top...its not baad for your car at all...and the streaks..well i've never goten streaks and the thing that makes liqud glass so great is that u can use it in direct sunlight and then it still come off sooo easily...u wont get streaks imprinted int he car permanently...trust me...just maybe after u finish waxing with liquid glsass u might want to use a buffer to go over the car once more or just use a new microfiber cloth lightly over the car...and i never used the pre cleaner on the car..i usually just wash i and wax it with this stuff like once a month..but im gfonna start using some of the other hard waxes to get a rerally good coat of protection on there after i was/polish the car with liqued glass...

trust me..your paint wotn get f*cked up...

Ghost

[bunnylust]

Well... carbon blue is basically black except that it has a metallic element about it. If you are comparing Meguires and Zaino there really is NO comparison. Especially if you mean the Meguires you buy in the store for like $5. Zaino is a polymer based polish and sealant system will make your paint luster and make the metallic element stand out and protect it for 6-12 months at a time. Whereas Meguires is a carnuba based OTC product that will protect for a month or two. Zaino is also 100% nonabrasive except for the claybar step.

If you go Zaino, follow their steps and use all their products as all their products contain compatible polymers and even washing your car using their wash will reinforce the polymers on your paint for months and months of protection.

If you go Meguires, then more or less the steps have been laid out in this thread.

Oh and as for drying a CMA like The Absorber or quality MF towels work good and should take care of the scratching problem. Just make sure there is no residue on your car whenever you wash it though because either will still drag dirt across your paint after you wash it. An MF is slightly better at that though since the hook fibers will trap dirt and debris and pull them away from the surface unlike a cheap cotton towel. For any cotton towel that touches your paint, make sure its terry. Terry will have a similar effect as MF but to a much lesser degree.

Laurence

[gto78]

My paint is carbon blue. I havent tried the liquid glass yet, unless your talking about "gold class"? I used that and it does come off easy, but still left swirl marks. I have been extremely happy with Blue Coral's "Product X" fill in glaze. It makes the paint so extremely smooth and removed 90% of the swirl marks. I use the absorber after washing also and its good. Theres one other thing that i use when all finished that seems to complete the job, get rid of any stray spots, and makes it more glossy and smoother- Meguires "quik detailer" mist and wipe spray.

[hollywood]

http://protectall.com/products.htm#Protect

[Calsoldier]

Can you guys give me hints on how to go through the Meguire's steps of the cleaner (step 1), polish (2) and then wax(3)? I tried to use it last time i washed my car, but I gave up, because it made no difference, as I saw. I was probably doing it wrong though. For each one of those products, I just put it on, and immediately tried to take it off. What should I do? The instructions on them arn'y very clear.

Thanks in advance!

[bunnylust]

Well, firstly Meguires is kind of a cheap brand in the big scheme of things. Secondly, since most of us have newer cars you most likely will not see a difference using these products on our cars anyway unless maybe you have a 2001 that has been parked outside for the last two years. I have a 2001 and it still looks like new. I could probably polish it 5 times in a row and barely be able to tell any difference. Also, because of how new our cars our I recommend not using a strong cleaner on it at all unless your paintjob looks like it would need it.

As for how to use the products... first, do not use cleaner or polish more than once every six months unless the instructions indicate otherwise or your paint visible needs it (most likely you do not with any car less than 3 years old.)

As for application, never used a cleaner since all my cars are new but its probably used the same way as polish and wax. Basically, just go over your whole car and apply it (cleaner, polish or wax) to your entire car and let it dry. Then just buff the cleaner/polish/wax off. It must be dry. If it smears or is difficult to get off it probably isnt dry yet. Some people will leave polymer based polishes or their wax on for a longer time so that more of the protectants "stick" to the surface. I do this personally since Im in no rush. I usually let my polish or wax sit for 10 minutes to an hour while I watch TV or something before going back out to buff it all off.

Oh yeah and never do any of these things in the sun unless the product you are using is entirely polymer based and the instructions dont indicate otherwise.

Laurence

[sponsorsthisway]

Originally posted by HisFrogness
Well I'm still having problems with swirling. I'm not blessed with a front yard and a hose so I have to go to a carwash. What really sucks about that is that I'm thinking it would be easier to clean the car one panel at a time but carwashes make you hurry because you're on a timer.I haven't tried the microfiber cloth yet which I've been looking into
Sparkleauto.com is a cool place to find stuff like this (http://www.sparkleauto.com)

So Ghostface, was it the microfiber cloth or the liquid glass that prevented the swirling?

Hey listen i just got this stuff from wal mart. it meguires Scratch X or something like that. it removes minor scratches and swirl marks. Works awesome!!! i just did my whole car with it yesterday and it looks so sweet. I parked in front of my house today and i could see everything like looking into a mirror! Hot ish here guys...check it out. Its like 7-8 bucks. Well worth it.

[CeLuKaGT]

Originally posted by gto78
My paint is carbon blue. I havent tried the liquid glass yet, unless your talking about "gold class"? I used that and it does come off easy, but still left swirl marks. I have been extremely happy with Blue Coral's "Product X" fill in glaze. It makes the paint so extremely smooth and removed 90% of the swirl marks. I use the absorber after washing also and its good. Theres one other thing that i use when all finished that seems to complete the job, get rid of any stray spots, and makes it more glossy and smoother- Meguires "quik detailer" mist and wipe spray.

My celi is red, and I purchased the "quik detailer" to use on it. I washed with a professional soap mix my brother brought me from the chevy dealership he works at, and spread the droplets out over the car with a terry cloth squeege. Instead of using clay bar/meguires gold class... I used the quik detailer spray. I sprayed it on, spread it evenly... and allowed to dry for maybe 3 minutes(this was one panel at a time)... As i finished the panel it looked great upon first glance. I looked at the side of the car at a diagonal color, and it looked orange. Not orange tint, completely orange! Maybe it works better on darker based colors, but I wouldn't suggest it to anyone with lighter colors :) that's my .02 :)

[MrSpiffy]

Originally posted by Calsoldier
Can you guys give me hints on how to go through the Meguire's steps of the cleaner (step 1), polish (2) and then wax(3)? I tried to use it last time i washed my car, but I gave up, because it made no difference, as I saw. I was probably doing it wrong though. For each one of those products, I just put it on, and immediately tried to take it off. What should I do? The instructions on them arn'y very clear.

Thanks in advance!


Read paint care 101...


~Jeron

[flipNcelica]

i use that new eagle wax while dry spray and it works great.. i apply it everytime ai wash my kar and it looks waxed with hardly any swirl marks.... and it even SMELLS good like banana!
________
kawasaki klx250a (http://www.cyclechaos.com/wiki/Kawasaki_KLX250A)

[VoodooGTS]

how much was that bottle flip?? and are the spray wax really wax?

[*GTSpeed*]

Ok...Lauence.....Sorry to single you out for this one fact cz most of your stuff is accurate. I detail for a living/hobby around my neighborhood and for my car as well. The only thing I have a problem with is the fact that you leave the wax on for so long. The instuctions are there for a reason. When they say let the wax dry to a hase, they mean with in a period of about 10 min. If you leave a wax on too long, when trying to take it off, it can act as an abrasive and damage the paint rather than help it or in your case, bond with a greater force.
The wash techniques from the first few threads are accurate and should be followed. Make sure that you wash your car with horizontal strokes rather than with circles. Circles causes swirl marks (seen when the sun stikes the paint and causes the hairline scratches to show forth). Also, if you want a safe way to protect your car that is friendly on your muscles and more convienient with a better result, use a 9'' random orbiter. You can find them at Kragen, Pep Boys, Grand, or at Sears. They are a great way to apply and remove waxes as well as bring out the true potential of your finish.
Steps to follow when using the orbiter. (This should be used if your paint is in not perfect condition.)

1. After washing the car as described above in previous threads, clay the car ridding it of any surface particles.
2. You can do one of two things here..... either Pre-Wax Cleaner preferably Mothers or (and don't jump all over me for this cz it does take off clear coat but it really not all that bad) if your paint is really bad, like you can see haze from oxidation and or a lot of scratches when the sun strikes the paint clean, you can use rubbing compound. Use 3M Fine Cut Compound and you should be fine. Only use one or the other.
3. Next seal the exposed scratches with some type of sealer. Mothers Sealer and Glaze works great and helps give the car the "wet look". By the way, your paint should look like it does when it is wet after you rinse the soap off your car. The deep rich color with a scratch free finish should be your goal. Following these steps gets you this look.
4. The final step is to protect the paint. This can be achieved, as previously mentioned, with Meguiar's Gold Class liquid wax. This stuff is the shiat and has proved itself over and over again by producing a great glossy reflective finish as well as great protection against road crap and dust.
5. After your done, removing the wax with a terry cloth bonnet, buff the entire surface with a wool polishing pad. This helps remove missed spots and take off extra wax to reveal maximum optical clarity.
6. In a day or so, you should notice your car to have a lot of dust on it. Wash it off with water and soap GENTLY and dry with a synthetic shamouis (spelling?).

NEVER RUB YOUR PAINT OR TOUCH IT WHEN THERE IS DUST ON IT. YOU WILL SCRTACH IT AND IT WILL SHOW.

[flipNcelica]

i dunno how much.. but i got a bu nch of bottle sprays from an auto show.. kuz they were promoting it... but i dunno if its really wax.... but the car looks like its been waxed
________
herbalaire vaporizer (http://www.vaporshop.com/herbalaire-vaporizer.html)

[celi7g]

I just tried the Mothers clay bar on my car last week. Really seems to smooth out the paint surface considerably. It's supposed to remove all the contaminants. Afterwards I applied the Mothers 3 step wax process, now the car really shines. Next time I intend to invest a bit more money and get some Zaino, heard a lot of good things about the stuff so it's worth a try. Check it out http://www.zainobros.com/

[DeathRapier]

I personally have to say i LOVE Zaino....a lil pricey, but worht the money..u pay.

I wash wit 100% cotton cloth, everytime..before i dip the cloth back in to the soap bucket i spray off wit water, very picky...i have a CB celica.... minimum microscratches...

Just make sure..everythign u do...rinse before using... and i use clean clothes everytime..for every step ido, den just wash.

The hood in my sig, is after Zaino it...takes no effort in buffing..basically, wipe on and wipe off...if u get Zaino get the ZFX kit too...dries it faster..or u'll be using...a coat a day...

[xtrdxgtsx]

On the wax can, it states that wax is safe for clear coats.. but someone the other week said if i wax my car to much, it can take off the clear coat.. So is it safe? or not.. and if it is safe.. how many times a year should a car be waxed?

[bme107]

What wax are you using?

Waxing the car too much will not take off the clear coat. (maybe after a few thousand times it might, but you won't get that high)

Your waxing schedule is dependant on your driving conditions, washing schedule, and weather in your area. If your paint is prepared correctly before hand then you should be able to go 2-3 months between waxings using typical over the counter products. Under typical conditions in the US there shouldn't be a need to wax more than once a month, for a daily driver.

Everyone is different and can afford different amounts of time and money. You must find a balance between that and the results you are looking for.

[xtrdxgtsx]

alright thanks a lot

[ONEugene]

yeah, i got some of that scratch x thing and it works wonder. minor scratches are out and the car looks good. i have a cb and i do wash, scratch x, polish(maybe), wax. all meguiars. don't have a problem with swirls but the scratch x is suppose to handle all that too.

[Mike Morris]

I have been using Zaino since 1997-nothing is better.

[ToyoGT]

mike, let me try some of that stuff out...i've been hearing nothing but good things about it :)

[treeh8r]

Hi. I haven't posted anything yet...until now...I have an '01 GTS, Carbon Blue...and I've never "waxed" it...should I? I have the "toyoguard" package, and when I bought it, the service department manager told me not to wax it because it (wax) is not compatible with the sealant that is put on the car...It came w/ a bottle of "sealant/cleaner" (black bottle w/ red cap). He told me to use that...I've had the car for two years now, and my car is shinier (spell check?) than my bosses 4 month old BMW...there is no obvious oxidation...Basically my maintainence routine consists of what the dept. mgr told me to do...in '01 he owned a cherry '91 supra, so I figured he knows what he is talking about...I would also like to get the car detailed professionally; could someone in the St. Petersburg/Tampa area recommend a "legitimate" establishment? Thanks so much!

[bme107]

If you want to keep the paint in good shape you should use some sort of carnuba wax or polymer sealant on it. The Toyota sealant packages that are sold to new car owners are little more than a dealer applied product, nothing sent from the gods as they claim. Feel free to switch to any other product you choose when that bottle is empty.

Best of luck with the pro detail.

[treeh8r]

Eureka, it works!!!

anyway, I bought a clay bar over the weekend and used it on the front end of my car...it took off the bugs and random white debris...quite well. Aside from damage caused by bugs and rocks, it looks as close to new as I can make it. The brand is Mothers (es bien?); the package came w/ the clay, a lube (showtime instant detailer) and a caranuba wax. I used the wax as well. The shine is about the same as with the cleaner/sealant; we'll see how it holds up to the weather and pollen! Regardless, I'm happy w/ the results; thanks for the advice.

[sm4k]

I just got a Carbon Blue 2000 GT and picked up that Mr. Clean "no hand dry" hose attachment. I was pretty impressed with it, as long as you take your time with the final "de-ionized (filtered)" water and make sure you get every little inch of the car, it came out looking great. And make sure you use a good, clean sponge with it, or else you'll be able to see streaks from the sponge when your done. [Edit: Okay nm, the streaks "from the sponge" are actually discoleration spots in my paint.. yall wanna say "**** that" with me?] As far as wax goes, I haven't waxed it yet, but it has several little rock chips (especially on the hood) that will make waxing it a pain in the ass :(

[wacboyjulian]

yeah

ok well i have a 00 Black Mica, carbon blue, carbon mica, blue mica, somthing like that paint name watever

but anyways, i used that Mr. Clean AutoDry too and it works pretty well as long as you hose down it well and make sure you spray over any "beading water" since those will leave bead stains

I also use meguiars NXT generation tech wax since it was the most expensive at Target *14.95* and i was trying to see waht would do the job for me

after a couple waxes it does look sweet as hell.... the shine comes through well and just washing my car and seeing it sparkle makes me feel proud i have a celica

also, i use flannel towels to take off the wax, spray on tire shine for my tires but i haven't used a rim cleaner yet but i really need to... i take such bad care of my Enkei's.... i also have microfiber towels but i've never used them

in the end though, the end product is awesome... I parked next to a stock celica at the movie theater once and my celica looked pimp as hell! the stock was all dusty and crap while mine looked bad ass in the moonlight

and also, just yesterday when i went out to Lisle's eye to the skies carnival, some gas attendent asked me if my car was a 2004 and i was like "uhh no." and he was like "o really, you car looks brand new...." and i couldn't help but smile

[Xratedcelica]

Hey, i have a Carbon Blue Celica and i use the Eagle One way to clean a car. Go to this site http://www.eagleone.com/_secrets/index.asp , also if you want your car to look hot, get your car "Clayed" at a local car wash shop and that removes all waxes, dirt, oil, and bug crap on your car and makes it look like a brand new paint job

[celicapimp]

The best way to avoid the spiderweb scratches is to make sure you start with a CLEAN wash mit.. throw that sucker in the wash.... after you wash your car everytime and empty your wash bucket a few times while washing.... ;)

[treeh8r]

Thread resurrection time...

I used the "Mr Clean Auto Dry" yesterday for the 1st time...and I know everyone has talked about it so much already, but holy cow if I knew it worked that well, I'd have started using it as soon as it came out! Typically, it takes about 2 hours for me to wash my car cause I have to then use a polish or the cleaner to get the spots off. Yesterday, I just washed it, and including cleaning the inside, cleaning and conditioning the leather, vacuuming, etc., the whole process took only 1.5-2 hours. Basically saved me 1-1.5 hours of polishing. (and a whole lot of elbow grease!) Yeah!!!

[bme107]

It would have been better to post this in a thread specifically about the Mr Clean. Give it a day or 2 and I'm going to merge it into one of those.

[treeh8r]

Originally posted by bme107
It would have been better to post this in a thread specifically about the Mr Clean. Give it a day or 2 and I'm going to merge it into one of those.

I was unaware of any such thread. Sorry.

[crazycurry]

to remove water spots and anything else after the wash process use "simonix speed dry drying towel"...is almost a rubberry material but it works better than any chamois or 100% cotton ive ever used!!!

[LEE-roy]

i wash my car and usually everything is fine until a couple of minutes after i dry the car. i have a problem with water spilling out of my side mirrors and license plate. does anybody have any tips on how to prevent the water from spilling out onto my door and creating messy water spots on my car?

[treeh8r]

usually, you can see where the water is collecting (under the lights, for example) If you hold a towel or shammy to that area for a couple seconds, it should suck the water out so itll end up in the towel instead of dripping later.

[blugts]

or if you have a compressor, spray air therein and all the water should come out...

[kaminaricelica7]

i wash my car and usually everything is fine until a couple of minutes after i dry the car. i have a problem with water spilling out of my side mirrors and license plate. does anybody have any tips on how to prevent the water from spilling out onto my door and creating messy water spots on my car?i actually wash the car...dry is about 80%...drive around the block to get water out of mirrors, rims, and clean off the brakes of rust...come back pull it into the garage and finish drying...any water i just blow out of seams...

then use a showtime detail spray on whole car...then don't drive it for a few hours so it drys compeltely...

its a perfect shine every time :gap:

[streetcelica]

i wax my car every 2 months and wash it every weekend unless it rains