"Tamang OC lang" - a newbie's guide to car appearance maintenance

[renzo_d10]

Hi idol umi..

Ang taong parang salamin na yung kotse sa kintab. :hysterical:

[jhnkvn]

Renz, if ever you'll be getting a wax, go for Optimum Car Wax (OCW). Ease of use palang panalo na! I'd say try it before dipping your hands on Collinite as those are roughly twice the price.

Skip the Nanoglos if tamad ka (kagaya ko) magdetail every week. I usually detail every month now and just wash the car if it gets dirty. Less touching = better.

[umi001]

Hi idol umi..

Ang taong parang salamin na yung kotse sa kintab. :hysterical:

Gawin din nating salamin yung sayo, madali lang yan

And yes, OCW is a good product - really easy to use, and lasts a couple of weeks.

[Retz]

badtrip talaga ung bagong linis lang ng sasakyan tapos umulan. madumihan na ang car exterior pagka tuyo.

[crazy_boy]

Gawin din nating salamin yung sayo, madali lang yan

And yes, OCW is a good product - really easy to use, and lasts a couple of weeks.

pwede mo din ba ako tulungan sir? hehe i already bought collinite 845.

[umi001]

pwede mo din ba ako tulungan sir? hehe i already bought collinite 845.

Keep in mind that it's always better to actually see the car, but I'll try and give it a go. To start of, we'll need some more information. What color is your car? Also, how old is it, and how has the paint been maintained? Basically though (and contrary to what is generally thought), most of the shine of a car comes from the condition of the paint - you'll get the best shine and reflection from clean, polished, flawless paint - waxes and sealants may add something to the look, but are mostly used for protection of the said finish. So main steps would be:

1. Decontamination - removal of tar and asphalt using a tar remover, as well as bonded contaminants using detailing clay. Overseas, iron decontamination is also done, but, unfortunately, the products used for this process are not available locally.
2. Polishing - polishing makes use of compounds and polishes to level paint in order to "remove" swirls, scratches and other paint imperfections. Generally this is done with a machine; while it is possible to polish by hand, it takes a lot of time and effort, and generally, the results achieved will not be as good or as consistent compared to machine polishing. Depending on the condition of the paint, this can be a multiple-step process, with various products and pads required.
3. Protection - after polishing your paint, you want to protect the finish you have achieved. This is where you use sealants and/or waxes, which will help protect the paint from UV damage, water-spotting, make it more difficult for dirt, dust and other contaminants to bond with the car, and will add a bit of shine. Do note, however, that waxes and sealants will not prevent scratches; the sub-micron thick layer of wax/sealant left on the car does not have the thickness or the hardness to keep even a dust particle from scratching your paint.
4. Maintenance - regular washing to ensure that the paint is kept in good condition, with periodic application of waxes/sealants. Good products and technique is essential here - most of the marring on our cars comes about during the washing process.

[gearhead000]

sayang, hindi ko agad nabalitaan ito. nakalagpas tuloy:



kumpleto na sana in a single package.

[perfectstranger]

hi, i live in the south (paranaque/alabang area). is there a shop which you guys would recommend for touch up paint? yung honda city 2002 ko kasi may maliit na paint chip pero malalim sya. naka expose na ang metal gusto ko sana maayos agad para di magkalawang. thanks.

[cardar]

Sirs, i just bount an elantra mga 3 weeks old na siya.. but it already had swirls.. nagkamali kasi ako ng wax.. i used turtle wax carnauba..

ano po recommended ninyo gawin ko / gamitin kong wax to fix the swirls.. ano po magandang combinations.. color white po pala ung unit ko. TIA!

[umi001]

Sirs, i just bount an elantra mga 3 weeks old na siya.. but it already had swirls.. nagkamali kasi ako ng wax.. i used turtle wax carnauba..

ano po recommended ninyo gawin ko / gamitin kong wax to fix the swirls.. ano po magandang combinations.. color white po pala ung unit ko. TIA!

Let's clarify a misconception first - waxes do not prevent swirls and scratches, and generally speaking, they also do not remove them (unless you're using an all-in-one, but that's another discussion). Swirls and scratches come from something abrasive coming into contact with the paint and therefore marring it; and the most common cause of marring is incorrect wash technique - not using a good, well-lubricated car shampoo (a lot of people seem to think that using just water is better - it isn't), using cheap sponges, not rinsing the wash media (whether sponges or wash mitts or what have you) after every pass, using a cheap rag or chamois to dry your car.

So, how do you wash properly? Well, if you look at the first couple of posts on this thread, it's actually a guide on washing technique, along with suggestions on some products you can use - it'd definitely be worth your time to spend a couple of minutes just reading up on the two bucket method, the top-down approach, waffle-weave towels, etc. that the first page or so of this thread discusses.

Another common cause of marring is touching the paint when it's dirty - as much as possible, just don't touch the paint; if you need to actually wipe something off (say bird poo or tree sap), use, at the very least, a good cleaning quick detailer and a plush microfiber towel (water and a pranela aren't recommended). Again, the first posts in this thread also discuss some products available locally that you can use for this purpose.

Now, for the scratches that you do have, there are two options - you can permanently remove them, using abrasive compounds and polishes, or you can temporarily fill them in, using glazes and filler-heavy products.

Permanent removal, via polishing the car, involves removing a portion of your paint until you reach the level of the scratch; while permanent, it does entail paint removal (and remember that you only have a limited thickness of paint available), will require a bit of effort (or the investment in a machine), and there simply are some scratches that are too deep to remove safely. For polishing by hand, I'd recommend something like Meguiar's Swirl-X, or Scratch-X 2.0 (you can move up to Ultimate Compound if needed, but be aware that UC is a fairly aggressive product that should only be used when needed, and can leave hazing that will require a second polishing step).

Filling is safer to your paint, as it does not involve any removal of clear, but it is temporary, and you can only usually only fill light marring. Some good locally available products for filling are Meguiar's Deep Crystal Polish (step 2 of their three-step system, and no, despite the name, it is non-abrasive), Mother's Sealer and Glaze/Micro-Polishing Glaze (same product, the second name is the relabel for 2012), Microtex NanoSil, Microtex NanoGlos, and Autoglym SRP.

Now, once you've gotten your paint to the condition you want it (whether via polishing or via filling), you need to protect your finish, using a wax or sealant. A couple of the products I mentioned above (the two Microtex products and SRP) offer some protection, but it's always good to add a more durable product to help lock-in the finish. Unfortunately, OTC pickings are pretty slim with regard to durable LSPs (last-step product) - the most durable one you can find easily would be 3M Performance Finish, which is good for a couple of weeks. Also available locally, though a bit harder to find, would be Collinite (845, 915 and 476, from least to most durable), Optimum Car Wax, Autoglym HD Wax (massively overpriced in the Philippines), Autoglym EGP, and the Klasse/Carlack twins.

Now, I'll reiterate what I mentioned earlier - waxes and sealants do not prevent scratches. As I mentioned in another post on this thread, the sub-micron thick layer of wax/sealant left on the car does not have the thickness or the hardness to keep even a dust particle from scratching your paint. What then is the use of waxes and sealants? Well, they help protect the paint from UV damage, water-spotting, make it more difficult for dirt, dust and other contaminants to bond with the car, and will add a bit of shine. They also make washing the car a lot easier, and therefore help reduce the chances of instilling marring during the wash process.

Oh, here's something I posted on this thread previously - it's a one-page FAQ that Dodo Juice (botique wax manufacturer from the UK) put through as an ad in one of the UK car magazines. Part of it is brand specific, but it does contain a fair bit of generally useful information written in a concise and easy-to-read fashion (click to enlarge).

[JohnM]

Chatted with Ravi the Optimum guy at the MIAS Tsikot booth. His no-rinse wash sounds very attractive. Anyone tried it yet?

[loverlionus]

A lot of us at Pinoydetailing have tried ONR.

There are 2 main advantages:
1. You skip the rinse step after washing and so you save time.
2. You can use the ONR in different ways-as QD, clay lube, and even a glass cleaner-by just adjusting the dilution.

It's perfect for those who don't want to spend more than two hours washing the car.

Note that the price is more economical the bigger the size you get.

[JohnM]

Do you also skip the soaking step before soaping the car? I'm kinda not sold with the idea of applying soap directly to gritty parts like the fenders and running boards. Ravi recommended a soap-soap-wipe routine on muddy areas though. It does sound faster than using a hose.

[umi001]

Chatted with Ravi the Optimum guy at the MIAS Tsikot booth. His no-rinse wash sounds very attractive. Anyone tried it yet?

I've been using ONR weekly for over a year now - I've gone through almost two liters already, as it's pretty much replaced conventional washing for me (I now buy it by the gallon ). Here's a quick write-up of how I use it:

1. If the car is really, really, really dirty (lots of caked on mud), go ahead and pre-rinse, preferably with pressure washer.
2. Because I do a pre-soak when needed, I'm comfortable using ONR, mixed to rinseless dilution (1:256) with a one-bucket method (improvised grit guard at the bottom). You can of course still go with the regular two-bucket method, though it might not be needed (ONR encapsulates dirt and sinks it to the bottom of your bucket). If you do use two buckets, put a small amount of ONR in your rinse bucket too, so as to not dilute your wash solution too much when you transfer your mitt from rinse to wash bucket.
3. For slightly dirtier panels (say heavy water marks, maybe a little dried-on dirt), you can pre-soak with a higher concentration of ONR (I use 1:32 to 1:40) in a pump-up sprayer (similar to this - you can find one at most hardware stores) or even a regular sprayer.
4. I use two noodle wash mitts - one for lower panels, and one for upper panels. I soak the mitt in the solution, let it drip a bit into the bucket (so as not to waste wash solution), then wipe the paint. Use no pressure while wiping, and do at least two passes (to ensure you pick up all the dirt) rather than one pass with heavy pressure. Flip the mitt to a clean side for each pass, and don't be afraid to do more passes if needed. Also, limit the size of your work area to a panel at a time (I break the roof into two panels).
5. Rinse the mitt against your grit guard, wring, then hang it against the side of the bucket. Then I dry with two plush MF towels - first towel is soaked in ONR solution, then wrung out. I find that this damp towel picks up left-over solution from the panel a lot better than a dry one does. Then, do a second, final drying pass with the other towel (I leave this one dry) - you can use a QD or spray wax during this step. I find that I only need two to three 16 x 16 towels for drying, only needing to replace the second towel if it becomes too soaked (which shouldn't happen, as the first towel will pick up most of the wash solution).
6. Repeat the above three steps until you finish the entire car.

If you do it with the proper care (no pressure, pre-soak, adequate solution used), ONR is as safe as conventional washing. It also has the added bonus of not being as messy as conventional washes, and as a final plus, the polymers in ONR help prolong the life of any wax or sealant you have on the car. Oh, and the product has multiple uses - you can also use it as a QD, clay lube, water softener, or to add additional lubrication to your regular wash .

[Chikselog]

Going to MIAS tomorrow and visit the OPT booth. Planning to buy OCW, worth it ba? Anong mga size ang available and how much?

[umi001]

Going to MIAS tomorrow and visit the OPT booth. Planning to buy OCW, worth it ba? Anong mga size ang available and how much?

Definitely get OCW - best spray wax around, IMO (I've used UQW, XMT 360 spray, Mothers Reflections, NanoSliq, and have V7 and DG AW waiting to be tried). Reasonably durable (even as a stand-alone), nice slickness, and great looks - it isn't as blingy (overly-reflective and shiny) as some other products, but it does have a nice mix of gloss and depth - very similar to the look and glow that a good paste carnauba imparts, which I prefer. It's think it's available in 4 oz, 17 oz and gallon sizes - 1,100 for the 17 oz, 2,900 for the gallon (not sure about the 4 oz).

[Chikselog]

Kakapit pa kaya yun sa 2 coats KSG 2 coats 476 ko? Hehehe. If not, next time ko na lang gamitin pero I'll get one na. Thanks sir umi. :D

[stavros]

Kung gusto nyo talaga ng shine and durability, use the 915. Im using one and maintain ko lang sya ng OGE between washes. No need ng kung ano anong kelangan ipahid.

[umi001]

915 is a good wax - great durability and looks for a very reasonable price (in fact, it's the only Collinite which I've decided to keep) - but OCW is far, far easier to use, also looks very good, and while it won't last as long as 915, is still good enough for three to four weeks - and because of the ease of use, it'll take all of five minutes for another application (heck, you can apply while drying your car). In fact, you can just go with a sealant base of the Klasse twins, then just apply OCW every three weeks as a combo for great looks and durability.

[olidotcom]

impressive reviews papa umi... proven din with your red car.. ganda! thumbs up for you. thanks!

going to MIAS din hopefully by tommorow or sunday to grab some optimum products.