Car polishing

[Merc Fan]

Hi bros, which is the best polishing coating for our cars? What do you think of the nano coating done by Cycle and Carriage? Is that good enough? 

[Merc888]

21 hours ago, Merc Fan said:

Hi bros, which is the best polishing coating for our cars? What do you think of the nano coating done by Cycle and Carriage? Is that good enough? 

I have spoken to a few people who are into detailing and also checked with Mr Google.

My current understanding is that the coating being offered are essentially polymer coatings. My friends' using the C&C package told me that their coating last about 3 months to 6 months. They based this on the water beading capability... so it is really based on eye-ball assessment and personal judgement.

The durability of the coating depends on weather conditions, what kind of shampoo/chemicals you use to wash, how often you wash to remove contaminants and how often you clay/polish. 

So far, I have not found any coating that is scratch-proof, water-mark proof and birdshit-proof. BUT I have been told some are more resistant than others. I am afraid I can't share any experience in this area as it is difficult to do an apple-to-apple comparison.

Someone advised me:

1. Wash the car once a week (outsource or DIY) with neutral pH shampoo and good microfibre.

2. Depends on vanity level.... polish and wax the car either monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or yearly.

3. Clay the car once or twice a year depending on condition followed by a good coating, polish and wax.

 

[Onyxz]

47 minutes ago, Merc888 said:

I have spoken to a few people who are into detailing and also checked with Mr Google.

My current understanding is that the coating being offered are essentially polymer coatings. My friends' using the C&C package told me that their coating last about 3 months to 6 months. They based this on the water beading capability... so it is really based on eye-ball assessment and personal judgement.

The durability of the coating depends on weather conditions, what kind of shampoo/chemicals you use to wash, how often you wash to remove contaminants and how often you clay/polish. 

So far, I have not found any coating that is scratch-proof, water-mark proof and birdshit-proof. BUT I have been told some are more resistant than others. I am afraid I can't share any experience in this area as it is difficult to do an apple-to-apple comparison.

Someone advised me:

1. Wash the car once a week (outsource or DIY) with neutral pH shampoo and good microfibre.

2. Depends on vanity level.... polish and wax the car either monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or yearly.

3. Clay the car once or twice a year depending on condition followed by a good coating, polish and wax.

 

Polish is abrasive and will remove coating layer. Coating layer needs to be re applied after compound / polishing.

[Merc Fan]

1 hour ago, Onyxz said:

Polish is abrasive and will remove coating layer. Coating layer needs to be re applied after compound / polishing.

Will waxing remove the coating as well or "lock" the coating? 

[Merc888]

28 minutes ago, Merc Fan said:

Will waxing remove the coating as well or "lock" the coating? 

Waxing is an added layer to the coating. I would not use the term 'lock' as wax can be washed away by rain or a few washes depending on the quality of wax and how it was applied.

[Merc888]

Wax sits on top of the coating. Some polymer coating actually chemically react and bond with the top coat to make it harder and provides the water bead characteristics. I think some of the websites in Google can provide a better explanation in technical terms.

[Onyxz]

3 hours ago, Merc Fan said:

Will waxing remove the coating as well or "lock" the coating? 

Wax or sealant will not remove the coating as long as they do not contain abrasives.

Wax or sealant does not remove scratches or swirl marks. The best they can do is cover up some light swirl marks. But as Merc888 said, wax/sealant layer does not last for long.

Only polishing or compound can remove scratches and swirls. Not deep scratches. Only light scratches that are not deeper than the clearcoat layer.

I do apply wax/sealant on my coated car.

[Merc Fan]

30 minutes ago, Onyxz said:

Wax or sealant will not remove the coating as long as they do not contain abrasives.

Wax or sealant does not remove scratches or swirl marks. The best they can do is cover up some light swirl marks. But as Merc888 said, wax/sealant layer does not last for long.

Only polishing or compound can remove scratches and swirls. Not deep scratches. Only light scratches that are not deeper than the clearcoat layer.

I do apply wax/sealant on my coated car.

What kind of wax/sealant do you use? Brand? 

[Onyxz]

4 minutes ago, Merc Fan said:

What kind of wax/sealant do you use? Brand? 

Lots of different brands and products out there. Just drop into shops such as autobacs and take a look. Autoglym, Meguairs, Sonax, etc.
For me, it depends on time and energy. Sometimes I use spray wax such as Meguairs quick wax - spray and wipe. Sometimes I use a sealant or wax - apply, leave to dry, buff off.

[Merc Fan]

Just now, Onyxz said:

Lots of different brands and products out there. Just drop into shops such as autobacs and take a look. Autoglym, Meguairs, Sonax, etc.
For me, it depends on time and energy. Sometimes I use spray wax such as Meguairs quick wax - spray and wipe. Sometimes I use a sealant or wax - apply, leave to dry, buff off.

What do you think of this product, "Meguiar's Ultimate Wash and Wax Anywhere", is this good enough for waxing?

[Angchug]

Go for glass or ceramic coating 

[joecamel]

1 hour ago, Merc Fan said:

What do you think of this product, "Meguiar's Ultimate Wash and Wax Anywhere", is this good enough for waxing?

"Meguiar's Ultimate Wash and Wax Anywhere" is a waterless wash product. What u want is the ultimate wash and wax. It "leaves" behind a layer of carnauba wax. Dont expect the wax to protect for long. Best is to follow up the wash with some kind of spray wax for more protection. 

[Merc Fan]

1 hour ago, joecamel said:

"Meguiar's Ultimate Wash and Wax Anywhere" is a waterless wash product. What u want is the ultimate wash and wax. It "leaves" behind a layer of carnauba wax. Dont expect the wax to protect for long. Best is to follow up the wash with some kind of spray wax for more protection. 

Thank you for your advice! You seem to be quite an expert in this area!

[joecamel]

2 hours ago, Merc Fan said:

Thank you for your advice! You seem to be quite an expert in this area!

anytime.

not expert lah, maybe a little experienced, been detailing cars even before i had a license to drive.

sharing what i know and learning from others.

[Onyxz]

On ‎15‎/‎09‎/‎2017 at 4:41 PM, Merc Fan said:

What do you think of this product, "Meguiar's Ultimate Wash and Wax Anywhere", is this good enough for waxing?

Not likely to be good enough for washing or waxing. It's only for those who really really cannot wash car with water. Should be last resort. Most probably will leave more swirl marks than regular wash. The wax in it should be minimum too, and probably won't last long.

[Merc Fan]

9 hours ago, Onyxz said:

Not likely to be good enough for washing or waxing. It's only for those who really really cannot wash car with water. Should be last resort. Most probably will leave more swirl marks than regular wash. The wax in it should be minimum too, and probably won't last long.

How about use it to remove some stains before actually get the car to be professionally polished? Will that be good?

[Onyxz]

13 hours ago, Merc Fan said:

How about use it to remove some stains before actually get the car to be professionally polished? Will that be good?

It depends on what stains and how long the stains have been left on the car. You may have a chance with fresh, superficial stains but anything that has etched into the clearcoat will require some sort of abrasive cleaner, i.e cleaner wax, polish, compound.

If you DIY stain removal incorrectly, you may end up causing more damage in the process such as swirls, marring and scratches.

[Merc Fan]

9 hours ago, Onyxz said:

It depends on what stains and how long the stains have been left on the car. You may have a chance with fresh, superficial stains but anything that has etched into the clearcoat will require some sort of abrasive cleaner, i.e cleaner wax, polish, compound.

If you DIY stain removal incorrectly, you may end up causing more damage in the process such as swirls, marring and scratches.

Thank you for your advice. I will use it for some minor stains but not those already etched into the paint. I guess you must treasure your car a lot based on your detailed description of how to take care of the paint of the car. The weather here is extremely hot and rainy and it is really bad for the car unless there is sheltered or underground carpark. 

[Onyxz]

14 hours ago, Merc Fan said:

Thank you for your advice. I will use it for some minor stains but not those already etched into the paint. I guess you must treasure your car a lot based on your detailed description of how to take care of the paint of the car. The weather here is extremely hot and rainy and it is really bad for the car unless there is sheltered or underground carpark. 

Welcome.
Just a few simple rules to take care of your car paint.

1. Park in sheltered carpark if possible.

2. If have to park in the open, stay away from trees. Trees = birdshit, branches, leaves, tree sap, dirty rain water.

3. Bird shit must be wiped off immediately on sight.

4. Wash car once a week. Including application of top up spray wax. If time and energy allows, apply sealant/wax.

 

[Merc Fan]

1 hour ago, Onyxz said:

Welcome.
Just a few simple rules to take care of your car paint.

1. Park in sheltered carpark if possible.

2. If have to park in the open, stay away from trees. Trees = birdshit, branches, leaves, tree sap, dirty rain water.

3. Bird shit must be wiped off immediately on sight.

4. Wash car once a week. Including application of top up spray wax. If time and energy allows, apply sealant/wax.

 

I agree not to park under tree but won't the car gets too hot 😞

[Onyxz]

3 hours ago, Merc Fan said:

I agree not to park under tree but won't the car gets too hot 😞

Car hot will cool down within minutes of driving, turning on aircon, wind down windows.

Paint stained and etched will need polishing, compound, re-coating.

I guess try not to park in the open as much as possible.

[Merc Fan]

4 hours ago, Onyxz said:

Car hot will cool down within minutes of driving, turning on aircon, wind down windows.

Paint stained and etched will need polishing, compound, re-coating.

I guess try not to park in the open as much as possible.

I try not to park in the open but no choice! Only when I go home, I can safely park my car in the basement carpark. I try to wash the car at least 2 times a week. 

[Onyxz]

12 hours ago, Merc Fan said:

I try not to park in the open but no choice! Only when I go home, I can safely park my car in the basement carpark. I try to wash the car at least 2 times a week. 

Washing twice a week, you really should not have any issues with water spots or stains if you do apply a protection layer of wax/sealant after each wash. And with the correct wash technique, swirls from washing should be a minimum too.

[Merc Fan]

4 hours ago, Onyxz said:

Washing twice a week, you really should not have any issues with water spots or stains if you do apply a protection layer of wax/sealant after each wash. And with the correct wash technique, swirls from washing should be a minimum too.

Didn't apply wax or sealant after wash 😢

[Onyxz]

7 minutes ago, Merc Fan said:

Didn't apply wax or sealant after wash 😢

The you are leaving your paint work naked to the elements. It only takes an extra 15mins (quick wax) or 30mins (sealant) to protect your car.