Sealant application

[mcruz]

I guess I need Gary's help on this. I received a bottle of Gary's sealant this week and this how I prep'd and applied it.
Washed with Dawn, dried, clayed, applied sealant and finished with Zaino quick detailer. Did I leave anything out?
I was going to wait 24 hours and apply a coat of Pinnacle Souvern.

[turbomangt]

Mcruz. With all due respect, you should ask before you start a big job like that if you are not certain. Washing with dawn will leave your finish dull. If you dawn wash you must restore the shine with some polishing steps before you just slap on the sealant. You did nothing that will harm your car, so don't worry about that. However you could of done more to improve the gloss/shine. Dawn is sometimes used as a first step because of its strong cleaning agents. I would never wash with dawn on a regular basis, nor would I use it more than twice a year. It is way to harsh. What I would of done after the dawn/rinse/clay/wash/rinse cycle is this. I would of used a cleaner/polish or a polish with light abrasives if the finish had some defects "in the finish". If the finish was in relatively good shape prior to the job, then I would go with a pure polish, like a #3 or #7. (Meguiars) Than you can apply the sealant. Check out the pics I just posted titled "sealant application pics" this is pretty much what I did on this car, (one extra step using a swirl remover) as you can see, the finish is highly reflective. The Zaino quick detail can be used to enhance the finsih after you wash the wash later, in a week or however often you wash. Topping the sealant with a wax is not necessary. more important is the prep work. If you want to top with a wax, I would wait 48 hours to allow the sealant to cure and bond properly. Hope that helps. If you need further assistance, you can reach me through my web site. Gary

[mcruz]

Gary was kind enough to call me and walk me through the process of preperation and application of his sealant. I started the process tonight in the garage (I have lots of light). Did the hood, front fenders and hatch. Even with good garage lights I will have to see it in the sunlight before I can assess my work.
Thanks again to Gary for his help.