what wax should I use?
 

I have a 85 911 red targa. Paint is original but the car has those swirly marks if you look real close. What is the best wax to use to bring the the paint back? Thanks

Get a dual-action polisher and Meguiar's M205 polish, then follow it with M26 Yellow Wax. Result:


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1369712758.jpg

John, wax does not remove swirl marks or bring paint back. Like the previous poster said, get a DA polisher, a selection of pads and Meguiars 105/205. Short of wet sanding, these two products will remove any swirl marks, fine scratches, water spots and give you a fresh layer of paint to apply your wax of choice. Can't get that bright red finish you see above, without it.

Personally, I would not waste my time with "wax". Lots of sealants out there now with better protection and finish than carnauba.

As a detailer, if someone did a "swirl job" on your car, I would not suggest trying to fix it yourself. Let a (GOOD) pro do it - you'll get much more pleasure from maintaining a good finish than trying to create one, when you don't really know how. Not to say you couldn't learn how to do it, but...

My father was bragging to me the other day that a body shop "finisher" was going to detail both his car and my mother's. He was very impressed with this man's credentials. Then I heard the price...

$250. For both cars. I just rolled my eyes and let it go. There is just no talking to my father about proper car washing or detailing. He often calls my detailing hobby "weird" and I refuse to detail his cars anymore because he simply does not appreciate it. Last I heard, the guy he hired did not show up for the job because he did not have a car to get there.

Therein lies the problem, which is two-fold:

1. Most people do not know the difference between a good detailer and a bad one, even after the work has been performed.

2. Most people do not know how to maintain a finish after a good detail.

With all the product development over the years, people will still use Dawn to wash the car, old towels to dry them (not that new towels are much better) and slather Armor-all all over the dash so they get blinded when the sun hits it just right. Makes me want to puke.

For less than half the cost of a proper paint correction, anyone can go out, buy a Porter Cable, compound, polish, sealant, wax, some good polishing and drying towels and with a little reading an free time, get a great finish.

^^^ I'm not sure I understand the post. Are you saying that $250 is too much for a complete detail? If so, well, have fun buying toys and playing in your garage - just don't be surprised the next time some random guy tries not to laugh at your car. But, I'm sure it's tweaked 'n' rollin... ;)

just the opposite - that there is no way for anyone in it as a profit making venture to properly detail 2 cars for $250. That might cover the cost of a good wash, interior cleanup and a fresh coat of top coat wax, or perhaps a real paint correction detail for 1 car...and even that would be on the low end, for a car that is relatively clean to begin with. It's not that such work is 'hard' but it's time consuming. Paint is interesting in that it can be ruined or brought back to life by similar strokes...the difference being what materials are used and who is applying them.

I cant think of one single subject in the auto world that has more good info online than detailing.....tons and tons of excellent resources for the novice to jump in and get their feet wet. But people are intimidated by it. They think everything should come in a one step bottle and they should be able to knock it out in under an hour. They value their time but not the time of the detailer

Not sure if you DID misunderstand my post. I said for "less than half the cost of a proper paint correction". Not sure what it costs, but if a detailer said he was going to do a paint correction, anything under $500 would make me wonder what he considered "paint correction". I guess my sarcasm and reference to eye rolling was not clear enough, either.

No, the last FULL detail I did on my "tweaked" 951(A lowly track car, mind you) involved removing the rear quarter glass, rear valance, front and rear bumpers, sunroof, window trim, all badges replaced with new ones and wet sanding the whole buritto. Not sure how long it took, but I am guessing at least 60 hours over 1.5 months. My paint is as "correct" as it's going to get! I'd mention I took of the wheels for that detail, but I do that to clean them after every track event. On a lark, I started wet sanding and polishing the roll cage last weekend. Not my profession, but I'm deep in it, man! Anywho...

So I got a look at my dad's finished car today and he got exactly what you would expect for $125/each, and a little less. No polish, no correction whatsoever and lots of left over wax in the gaps and trim. Not only did he skip cleaning the wheel wells, he did not even clean the 1/2 inch inside edge of the fenders. He would have been better off taking it to the $20 drive-thru car wash, like he normally does.

There's a lot to learn about detailing, but it's not rocket science. If you have time, patience and attention to "detail", you can do a really good job.

My wife thinks my detailing obsession is crazy. I have a whole new box of detailing goodies to try out when I get home from China.

A lot of people at work ask me to teach them how to get their paint back in order. Once I describe the process, they usually roll their eyes and proceed to tell me I have too much time on my hands!

But back to the question..... I use Menzerna polishes and IMO they are awesome and easy to use.

I generally do several polishing steps followed by a sealer and then wax (after sealer cures)

I'm still on the hunt for a better wax though. I have some Collinite wax at home that I need to try out next week.

wax
 

I have used Collinite wax for years. Made in Utica NY, close by me. Try the insulator liquid wax. goes on easy, comes off with little or no dusting and leaves a great shine for quite awhile. I do my Targa twice a year, spring and fall. Not a big fan of sealants, used one once and didn't care for the results.

I used Collinite insulator wax last week. I agree it's very easy to work with, I think I found my new wax of choice.

I used to use Astro Shield. Very easy to use a lasted 6 months. Hard to find these days. I tried Collinite insulating wax (good and easy) and found out they made a carnuba wax now. Will try that next. Said no can put the wax over top of the insulating wax.

Used Menzerna SIP to remove swirls off of two black cars and worked good.