Thanx guys,,except nostatic. Me thinks you lie. I peeked at ur car.....looks pretty darn shiny to me!!!

How's the prewax cleaner work? I'm really interested...

Used to be a Meguiars guy now I am a devote Zaino Bros user.
Oh yeah my method,

Wash, have a smoke, drink beer, apply Zaino, smoke, beer, look at car for a while, beer, beer, beer, passout, wait 24 hours then drive.

What is polish and what is wax? what do you guys think about these detail jobs for $150at the local carwash. We have em' in So cal. Not too much in other in other parts of the country?

Polish by definition is abrasive, it smooths out the surface of the paint like extremely fine sandpaper would do.
Wax is a sealer, a coating.

Those detail setups at the car wash might be OK, but check them out real close first. Look at what kind of cars they detail and how well they do it first.

However, Meguiars uses a different defn of polish - I guess they've been using the term that way for a century almost. See their web site.

I use the Meguair's system. If the paint is chalky I use Body Scrub first. If it has bumps after a wash, I use a clay.

After that I use a cleaner usually their Gold Class cleaner/polish, then a polish (which is a feeder to add stuff into the paint pores). This is esp. a good idea on dark colors. Then I use their Gold Class wax.

I've tested that vs. Malms and P21s. They all look the same and last the same length of time. P21s doesn't put white marks on the rubber but Meguiars Rubber Cleaner takes car of that. I might whitch to P21s someday...

The very best thing you can do for the finish is to keep the car in a garage. Then you just deal with bugs and rock chips. I could go 1-2 years w/o waxing on my car. But outside it needs wax ever 3-4 months.

The sun is a real killer on wax, paint, and skin. As the ozone layer depetes we will get more UV all over the planet. So it's tiem to build that car port.

BTW< Meguairs has a new line of products out - I think it is called NXT. Not a wax - it's a polymer like the Zaino stuff.

FYI....Little know fact, wax evaporates over time also.
** I have tried most everything on the market for detailing. Best method is polish ...and often.

naw...pictures lie. Now I have a new "feature". I used track tape for numbers on sunday and it appears as though it pulled the top layer of paint/clearcoat off part of the door. I thought it was glue that stayed behind, but the "foggy" part is lower than the surrounding. Oh well...

Autoglym-its was Aston Martin and Rolls Royce recommend

Not a very good pic, but...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1091228453.jpg

I have been using the Meguiars NXT wax and love it. Easy on, easy off and no white residue. Actually looks better when a second coat is applied. Final Inspection for a quick clean up, 100% cotton terry-cloth towels.

It removes old wax and oxidation etc. Here is the blurb from the site:

"Before you apply another coat of wax onto your vehicle, consider how well you’ve prepared the surface. Was the paint cleaned first? Our Pre-Wax Cleaner is formulated to clear the oxidation, embedded dirt, road salts, tar, airborne chemical pollutants, stains, old wax and other surface contaminants that may have built up. Pre-Wax Cleaner polishes out minor flaws and smoothes the paint surface. Clean twice a year or as needed with Mothers® Pre-Wax Cleaner—be prepared for Phase 2 and Phase 3."

Mothers Site: http://www.mothers.com/products/productcatalog/paintprod.html

I would not just trust the local car wash especially the chains. I would reccomend using some of the high end car washes. I have a great place by me called Classic Car Wash off 17th and Newport Blvd. in Costa Mesa. They clean my 300Zx but not the Porsche, but I would trust them with the 911. They detail cars for European Collectibles, I have seen them do some great work on 356's, 911's, and many other exotic cars. They also have a wash and wax for $35, not bad since the wash is already $12.

My only complaint on the '72 911T I bought six months ago (first Porsche) is the paint. Mechanically the car is excellent, but the paint sucks. It's got some dry spots and some orange peel, and it looks rather heavy in places. I'm no body and fender man, so I've been reluctant to try to sand/polish/buff or whatever to try to fix it. It sounds like some of you on this thread know a great deal about this kind of thing. Any suggestions for something a rank beginner could do at home without making a mess of things?

I use Zymol - as others have said, it doesn't last, but with Chicago's environment I need to keep on top of things anyway. I rotate among the Porsches so they get a wash and wax every 3 weeks, though I tend to vacuum them out once a week (it's 50 cents at the gas station).

Emanuel

hey toolman - does the NXT seem to last a long time?

What did you use before (ie comparison)

I am a Zaino man!

Start out with the Mequire's paint cleaner first if needed followed by Mequire's Gold paste wax. I have used Mequire's products for a very long time but I am thinking of ordering some Zaino. Heard it is amazing stuff.

Have you guys tried Mothers Back to Black on your trim pieces? It is amazing! I just used it this weekend and the trim pieces on my 88' were really oxidized. They are black and glossy now and look fantastic.

I only started using it this year Randy, but I used to work for Meguiars, and I know this is a polymer (ie synthetic wax) and it should outlast the Medallion I used to use. Medallion is a combination of natural and synthetic waxes.

Thx. Something that repels bugs would be even better....

So - do you think there are better waxes and other paint care items out there that are better than Meguairs?

Jeff - I never touch paint (except wax, etc.). It sounds like you need a god body shop to look at it.