OK guys, I've never waxed or power polished a vehicle before (been a lazy bum). Any body have any secerts to share and special potions to keep these rig nice and shiny.

Been wanting to bring the shine back to the 02 truck and take off a few years of neglect.

 

Put it on thin rather than thick, makes taking it off easier.

For off the shelf hand wax products I use the Meguires product line up and have been happy with it.
http://www.meguiars.com/
http://www.meguiars.com/howtocenter/
They have a nice 3 step system but it is alot of work.
If the paint is somewhat neglegted, use Nu Finish to start. Not a Meguiars product but I have had great results with that product on neglected paint. Does a great job of taking off oxidization and that general dull coat, and then put on a good quality wax. A polish in between is great but not really necessary. Todays one step waxes like the NXT Generation Tech Wax 2.0 or Gold Class are great and much easier to apply and take off than ever. I started using them years ago when I saw several CART teams using them at races.
Dave probably has a few commercial secrets that work, but for a quick over the counter solution these should work.

 

Oh, and the clay bar systems are really great, but I wouldn't recommend them if it is a first time waxing on neglected paint.

 

if you've never had it power polished, then start with a oxidation remover or something like 'scratch-x'. then follow with a polish, then follow with a hard wax.

as bankdude said, use it thin. not only is it easier to take off, but it actually gets harder, allowing it to do it's job properly. if you put it on thick, then the outter layer hardens - but that gets wiped off leaving the unhardened layer below. it's hard to resist, but keep it thin.

on your truck mike - i would use nu-finish, then a polish and wax of choice.

clay-bars work excellent, but in your case, the nu-finish will do the job of a clay-bar anyway. this will be a FULL weekend or couple day job.

i have a power polisher you can use to make it A LOT easier if you like. i still remove by hand but prefer to apply with a power polisher. it is aporter cable product and totally safe for a NON-professional to use. really difficult to wreck the paint when used properly.

also, if anyone uses clay bar kits - save some dollars and buy your clay from a craft store. it's A LOT cheaper than the kits from mother's or meguiars.

 

I would recommend Meguires products too. I have had much success with them and any good body shop uses these products too. Getting them at an autobody supply store would give you the entire selection of different cuts and finishes to work with.

With an older ride you would need to start with a fine cut polish first if you only have fine swirls and light scratches. Once you get all the oxidation off and a good surface finish you can move into the cleaner polish for the finish and then the final seal/wax.

The older the paint finish or heavier the oxidation the more steps it takes to get it up to shine. I clay-barred the 08 to get the "paint protection" (RE Mequires sealer) off and to start fresh. It needs wax again before the snow flies. Once the 97 gets out of the paint shop next week, it will be getting a good coat of Meguires too.

 

oh yeah, forgot to mention - before you even touch those products make sure you give it a good washing. pressure wash it somewhere, wheel wells and all, and then take it home and either brush or mitt wash with DAWN dish soap. the DAWN soap is one of the best de-greasers out there. it is ONLY to be used prior to a wax/polish. in between polishes/waxes you should use a car wash product made for paints. when rinsing in your driveway avoid high pressure sprays or streams. it is overrated, just use a soft flow of water from the hose for the final rinse - it collects the water with it as it flows off, as opposed to having the 'splash' from higher pressure/streams hit the rest of the vehicle.

 

Thanks guys for the info. I wanted to wax my 2010 and my wife car. Kinda bent out of shape right now, I just found a decent sized dent in my new truck, just between the rear tire and bumper.

Also scraped off a big chunk of bed liner, o-well. I was told that it was the best stuff going.

 

did your kids do it?my kids always put the first dent in my new trucks.when my 07 was new i noticed little red freckles all over it,its white by the way.i heard it was called rail dust from railroad transporting,if the surface of your paint feels a little rough,a claybar may not be a bad idea,it removed all the rust particles from mine.i live in the rockies the roads and materials they use on the roads are hard on auto finishes up here so i claybar once a year,then hit it with a good maguires finish.

 

No I was parked at a hotel. I'm going to see if it will pop out, with my dolley. Find some touch-up paint and do some polishing.

 

Where is steamboat springs?

 

northwest colorado.

 

Ahhh,, that would be why I hadnt heard of it,, LOL

 

Do springs help a steamboat to ride smoother in rough water?