Disclaimer

RockPick's Advice on types of Car wax
and how to apply them

Disclaimer: This ‘How-To’ is simply meant as a guideline for you to service your own vehicle’s finish. The author, this website, and any other mentioned parties shall, in no way/shape/form, will be responsible for what you do to your vehicle’s appearance. As always, when in doubt, pay someone to help you that is an insured professional in their field.

I’m not a professional detailer nor do I play one on TV. I’ve simply made it a point to keep my vehicles looking their best at all times possible. I don’t have the luxury of an everyday driver and a weekend warrior-mobile thus, keeping my vehicles clean and looking good is an every day challenge. The following “how-to” is meant to be a guideline to those of you that are like me and want the best ‘pop’ for your money and time.

I’ve utilized Meguiar's products for several years now (almost exclusively) to maintain my vehicles’ finishes (as well as many other painted surfaces around the house). I’ve always found their products to be top notch quality and I’ve yet to find one that simply disgusts me. So, with that being said, let’s get on with the how-to.

Many folks have asked me about Meguiar's consumer and professional products. A good majority of the questions center on the main differences between the two, what products to use, and how to use them.

Why all these choices!? Why is it so difficult!? What gives!?

Again, I’m no expert but, I’ve attempted to lay out an easy to follow guideline to Meguiar's products (both consumer and professional), a quick run down of some differences, and also a fairly straight forward ‘how-to’ when it comes time to detail your vehicle. Each and every vehicle is different thus, if you’re unsure, be sure to consult a professional for some insight. Also, Meguiar's offers a free 1-800 help line where you can receive a personalized paint prescription and advice as well as a free catalog. Check out www.Meguiar's.com for details.

» Consumer Line versus Professional (Mirror Glaze) Products. What’s the difference?!

The consumer line vs. the Mirror Glaze: It’s all about choices for an individual consumer.

The consumer line is designed with the weekend warrior in mind that wants a cheap and effective product to achieve better than average results. The consumer line is typically made with a little lesser quality ingredient, including significantly more silicone in some products versus the professional line where only top notch ingredients are used to cater to the enthusiast. This type of person DEMANDS stellar results each and every time. Plus, you'll notice that many of the professional products mention "Body Shop Safe". This probably doesn't mean much to you but, that means that they are silicone free so, they can safely be used within body shops and not hamper the adhesion of paints/sealants.

Think of the consumer line in 2 categories or levels. There are 'GOLD CLASS' products which are generally considered to be the top of the line CONSUMER product from Meguiar's and then there's everything else.

» Meguiar's Deep Crystal Three Step System and their Mirror Glaze Counterparts: What are the advantages to either?

Again, Deep Crystal is considered to be a good product but falls short of Gold Class. They're all quality products but, they don't have quite the level of quality ingredients. The 3-step process is considered to be a VERY good product that, again, simplifies the process of oxidation removal, pure polish, and wax for someone who wants to spend a minimal amount of time but wants the maximum result.

If you have a very new paint job (which most everyone here does), you are probably wasting your time with step #1 in my opinion. Paint cleaners are designed to remove some stuck on contamination but, it's primarily dealing with any oxidation that your paint may have.

The Mirror Glaze counterparts to this system would be: Mirror Glaze #9 (or maybe a product with a little higher degree of abrasion) or Premium Paint Cleaner (a Medallion series product - Medallion is something new with Meguiar's and further hazes the whole Mirror Glaze vs. consumer question - I include this as a Mirror Glaze product), Mirror Glaze #7 (Show Car Glaze - A pure polish with no abrasives), and Mirror Glaze #26 (Premium Yellow Carnauba Wax).

So...

Step #1: Medallion Premium Paint Cleaner or Mirror Glaze #9 (swirl remover)

Step #2: Mirror Glaze #7 (Show Car Glaze)

Step #3: Mirror Glaze #26 (Premium Yellow Carnauba Wax)

Just be sure to keep in mind that every finish calls for a different, unique plan. One vehicle may need more abrasion to really work out blemishes whereas the next finish might be pristine and not require anything abrasive what so ever. If you are unsure, make a trip to your local automotive paint supply store and ask an expert. Like a buffer, the wrong product in the wrong hands can spell disaster for your finish.

» One of my most recent questions dealt with a slightly used 2002 F-150 that was Black. It had some type of wax on it to begin with however; the owner was unsure about what it was simply because he didn’t apply it. He claimed to have some defined scratches on the tailgate as well as some light swirl marks on some panels. With that in mind, he asked me to give him my opinion on his planned process and how to tackle the problems and what steps necessary to get it back to A-1 shape.

Here was his process:

• Claybar to strip wax/contaminants

• Meg's Gold Class Car Wash Shampoo/Conditioner

• Scratch-X for the scratches

• Meg's #9 to remove swirls

• Meg's Gold Class Liquid Glass Clear Coat Wax or #26 for protection. <––This one I'm unsure about.

The following is a snip-it from my response to this particular individual.

“Black... ahh, the hardest of all colors to keep sparkling.

First, let me mention that what you use to dry, wax, remove wax, polish, apply wax/polish etc... needs to be a quality piece of cloth. I would recommend microfiber as its properties are least likely to further blemish your finish. Let's face it, if you look at a black paint job the wrong way you'll scratch it. Microfiber comes in all different levels of quality too. From what I've seen to date, you pay for what you get. AKA: spend a little more and get something a little nicer than off the shelf at Wally Hell. (get them from premiumautocare.com - I have three MF towels from them (the big blue ones) and they are nothing short of AWESOME). I also have the MF waffle weave drying towels from Meguiar's. They're a pretty good find too. Super soft 100% cotton terry will never leave my arsenal but, it's rapidly being used less and less.

Sorry, I wandered off topic there...

The main processes:

1) Clay. This will remove stuck on contamination and a small amount of oxidation (which you really shouldn't have to worry about much considering that it's a 2002). It will NOT; however, remove much wax (from a stripping standpoint) from my experiences and reading.

So, with that in mind, you might want to go with a dish washing detergent (Dawn is my choice) to remove the wax on your vehicle. It is just about as caustic as it comes and will remove nearly all wax on the vehicle.

2) Gold Class Shampoo from Meguiar's is my choice as a car wash solution as well. It's fairly cheap, widely available (I buy it by the gallon at Target) and does a great job. One important thing to remember is to not use too much. Just like anything on the earth, too much of a good thing is bad. By utilizing too much shampoo, you could make your mix a little bit too caustic and manage to strip wax (of course, at this point, you have no wax on your truck but, remember this for the future).

3) Scratch-X. I've never tried it honestly because I've never run across a scenario to use it. My understanding is that it's more abrasive than the Mirror Glaze #9 (Swirl Remover).

My suggestion is to attempt to use several coats of #9 before trying the scratch-x. You always want to use the least abrasive product first and then work upwards to achieve your goal.

4) Mirror Glaze #9: Great product in my, as well as many others, opinion. Follow the directions to the 'T' and be prepared to utilize several coats. Many people fail on this step because they don't work the product until it nearly dries. This is VERY important in achieving success with this product in my opinion.

5) Gold Class (GC) Wax or #26? Which one should I use?

My suggestion is to go with the #26. I've heard that the GC gives an outstanding shine but falls VERY short on protection. I can, from current and past experience, tell you that #26 is a fairly durable product and, when used in several layers, can provide a level of protection that is unsurpassed even by synthetics in my opinion. Granted, it will fail faster than a synthetic and will require more maintenance (continued application). I love #26 and have around 8 coats on my truck right now. I don't do this all in one weekend either... I gradually build it up and keep it maintained. One weekend I might do two coats, the next, one, the next two. Etc... Environmental conditions will dictate how long your individual wax will last. My strategy has always been to overdo it when it comes to painted surface protection.

Cleaner waxes are called 'cleaners' because they contain either a chemical additive to aid in removing oxidation or something abrasive to act as a polish/swirl remover of sorts. Again, this is to minimize a weekend warrior's time spent on waxing her soccer mom mobile. Individual steps, as described above, are much more effective and will yield better results.

I use also #26 on my windows all the time with excellent success. I've since stopped using Rain-X and similar products because I find that I simply don't need them.

You're leaving out one more important product though; a maintenance spray detailer.

I would recommend the Meguiar's Final Detail (part of the Detailers Series of products). Again, you can buy this by the single gallon from premiumautocare.com.

Use this product often to whisk dust off the surface and leave a nice 'pop' of a shine behind. Again, make sure you're using a quality microfiber to do the swabbing.

Meguiar's Quick Detailer (available at Wally Hell and others) isn't a bad product either in my opinion. The FD just adds a considerable amount of 'pop' versus the other detailers manufactured by Meguiar's.

Durability is always a factor that is important in taking care of your vehicle and knowing when to reapply your products. Each and every environment will yield a different life span for a product. It is up to you to make sure that your protection is at its peak when you need it most. As a standard, I wax about once per month. This doesn’t mean I go through the full process but, I make sure that it’s always getting a little bit extra. I don’t believe in over waxing with a quality product. The products of ‘yesteryear’ could be overused. #26 doesn’t build up.

Here's how I'd approach your vehicle. Of course, I've never examined your finish but, I suspect that you're in pretty good shape...

» Methodology and the step by step process...

1. Wash with dawn to remove other various waxes/polishes. Don't freak out when you're done, this will make the finish look somewhat dull.

2. Clay. This removes the stuck on contamination and gets your paint ready for more application. You'll notice that the primary areas that need clay are typically roof and hood (as they are the most exposed environmentally). You may or may not need to clay the rest of your vehicle. To test, run your bare hand along the dry surface. If you feel a BUNCH of bumps and hard spots, you may need to remove them with clay. If you don't feel these and the finish is generally 'glass-like' you probably don't need to bother with an abrasive product like clay.

As a side note, cut your clay bar into two pieces. This way you'll be covered when you drop a piece. Once a piece of clay hits the ground, it's trash. Period. No exceptions.

I'd try to minimize claying your vehicle, as its black. You're going to create some small problems (a streak or a small scuff) when you do clay but, be aware that they can be dealt with in later steps.

3. Wash again with dawn. Full rinse and dry.

4. Deal with blemishes. If they are bad enough to warrant Scratch-X, pull it out. Otherwise, attempt to remove them with area specific applications of #9. Again, remember to start with the least abrasive product first. (#9 then S-X)

5. #9 the areas where swirls are a concern. This may take multiple applications. Be very patient and follow the directions.

6. #7 Show Car Glaze. This is the polishing step and will aid in a deep shine once you've removed the blemishes. You might want to consider a couple of coats. Don't forget microfiber....

7. #26. Do two coats the first day and then allow it to sit in the sun for a few hours. This will really make it 'pop'. You'll notice even more difference after a day or so...

8. I typically follow up here with a dust down with Final Detail. Not only will this help the 'pop' but, you'll find those small places where you neglected to remove wax.

9. Finally, pray it doesn't rain because you have officially made a huge offering to the rain gods.

Oh yeah, before all the polishing/waxing starts, I'd recommend doing your tires (if you want). A good number of us are using Gold Class Endurance from Meguiar's and LOVE it. (me included - I use the high gloss).

If you are unsure about any of the aforementioned steps, feel free to contact Meguiar's Customer Support or a detailing professional. They can help you with the specifics and guide you through.