Hey guys I posted this in the cleaning and detailing section a few days ago but never got a reply so figured I would post it here. I'm pretty much a noob when it comes to detailing so was wondering if any "experts" on here would share their opinions. I bought my truck two weeks ago and this past weekend I washed it using meguiairs ultimate wash and wax. I was just wondering what you all would recommend for the truck before the winter months strike!

 

I just waxed my truck the other day. I used just plain old turtle wax and it turned out great. I also use a wheel wax especially right before the winter to protect my wheels.

 

My way...

Wash it with a microfiber wash mitt and car wash. I like Turtle Wax Zip Wash. For best results use two mitts. One for the lower 1/4 of the truck where it is the most dirty and another for the upper 3/4. Never mix the mitts up and do the lower part last so you are not dragging dirt around from the wash bucket. Also change your wash water often.

Dry it with a microfiber towell

Clay the paint. I like Meguiars clay bar kit

Finish up with a polish/wax. I find Turtle Wax Ice liquid polish very easy to apply and remove. You can get it on every surface and not worry about white residue. Again use microfiber for everything. It won't scratch like terry towels will.

 

I wash mine with meguiars car wash then dry it off with a micro fiber towel. And when i wax I use meguiars nxt wax. Let it dry wipe it off then wax with some meguiars gold class carnauba wax. Reason for both waxes is that the nxt wax lasts 4 to 6 months and the carnauba wax last for 4 to 6 weeks. Ill clay bar once a year. I usually wash once a week an wax every month an a half with the carnauba. And use quick retailer in between wax jobs after I wash it.

 

There are many good products on the market today. I personaly use Meguiar's products because they are available in most automotive stores and I get consistent results time after time. I like to start off with gold class car wash and follow with a wax like nxt, Ultimate, gold class.

 

Wow, this one could go any way. There really is no correct answer. Get a good wash mit and some polymer wash. Try out differet products and find what you like best. Theres tons of detailing info at autopia. Org or autogeek .net. But be ready to be overwhelmed with info. I found that you can't really beat duragloss products for over the counter variety. They can be found at carquest. It is very much like the zaino lineup and you wont be dissapointed. Most of the higher end stuff is only availible online.

 

This clay bar is new to me, I hadn't heard of it prior to this forum. Would you recommend to wash the truck with some dish detergent to strip current wax, then clay bar, then use the wash and was product followed by wax to finish it off?

 

I wouldn't use dish detergent. Way to harsh to the finish. Just wash with a quality car wash. The clay will take care of any contaminants on the paint.

A short cut that I do is wash a section at a time. Before you rinse the section, while its still soapy, is to use the clay bar. The suds will allow the clay to glide over the surface.

If the clay starts to stick, dip it in the wash bucket and pick up more suds.

 

My process.

Grab two buckets with grit guards, claybar, detail spray, porter cable buffer, 3 pads, car wash soap, towels, wash sponge thingy
1)Rinse vehicle
2)using one bucket as the rinse bucket and the other as the soap bucket wash vehicle
3)rinse
4)spray detail spray all over wet car
5)Dry car
6)spray car and clay bar
7)Swirl and haze remover
8)maching polish
9)machine polish
10)Let sit over night
11)Using towel wipe down extra haze that has set since the night before
12)Americana wax
13)wipe vehicle down and your done!

http://www.adamspolishes.com/

This site provides great detailing videos for newbies and also has a forum for additional questions. Good luck!!

 

Noooo. The clay removes the old wax along with road grime and contaminates. They sell clay bar kits at any auto parts store.
I washed my truck regular, then wipe it down, then clay bar, wipe it down. Then go over it with a good coat of wax. It'll have the paint smooth!