melonheadr6

Hi fellow s2k-ers,

I am a total newb to the car detailing scene. I have read the wax/wash forum VERY throughly in an attempt to try to figure out what to do for my silverstone S. There are so many products and so many techniques, I find myself completely lost and confused.

My s2k is not in terrible condition. I have a few scratches here and there. What else can I do to rid my car of the scratches? I plan on claying the car this weekend to remove the "impurities."

My roomate also has a Porter Cable, how can I use that to my advantage? What pads should I use for the processes? Where can I get these pads?

Could someone give me a step by step procedure as to what type of products to use and when?

Thanks for all the help!

boiler

[QUOTE=melonheadr6,Aug 14 2006, 03:23 PM] Hi fellow s2k-ers,

I am a total newb to the car detailing scene.

melonheadr6

Thanks boiler, funny you direct me there. I read that how-to before posting this. I'm looking for a little more guidance than what autopia has.

afwfjustin

I'd look into an orange cutting pad and white light polishing pad with two swirl removers. Go to www.autogeek.net and order those two pads. I have just gotten into Poorboy's polishes so I recommend the SSR1 and SSR2.5. Make sure you claybay before you start to polish.

melonheadr6

[QUOTE=afwfjustin,Aug 14 2006, 01:06 PM] I'd look into an orange cutting pad and white light polishing pad with two swirl removers.

melonheadr6

Polish with SSR2.5 first then SSR1? Or other way around?

Wax after polish?

90crvtec

From following justin's other posts I can answer this question. Use 2.5 first, then use 1.

And yes, you'll want to wax AFTER you polish, not before. Wax can be considered a "topper" and is used on top of your other polishing/cleaning efforts already performed on the paint. Be weary of "cleaner waxes", they contain a mild cleaner that can undo all the time/effort that you put into laying the polish on your car. Some people here also use a sealant as a final finish, Wolfgang sealant or even Zaino can be used.

PanteraKitty

Zaino is not intended to be used with wax. It is a completely different process. If you are interested, look at:

http://www.ffcobra.com/magazine/waxtest.html

http://www.zainostore.com/

I usually clean and polish the paint, then use Zaino (or wax) to protect the paint.

Remember, what you wax is what you get. If you wax dirt, you get dirty wax. If you wax scratches, you get shiny scratches.

afwfjustin

Yes, go over the entire car with SSR2.5 and the orange cutting pad. Once you get out all of the swirls and scratches, you'll notice the car's paint isn't very smooth... You actually get swirls so fine they're almost microscopic, but they're there. It's because the 2.5 and the cutting pad are quite abrasive. You've now taken out the "chunks" that you need to get out. Now, go over the car with the light polishing pad and the fine SSR1 and the paint will be GLASS! Top this with a synthetic sealant or glaze, and then a nice carnauba wax on top and you're good to go.

afwfjustin

Carnauba wax can definitely be used with Zaino, as it's a synthetic sealant.