One Year Later... Questions for Gary

[CHROMEDCRUISER]

Howdy,
In a couple of weeks, I will have had my 03' PT for a year. I have been keeping up with cleaning it as best as possible. I wash it about every two weeks, and wax on every other washing. I have minimal swirl marks, and no scratches or blemishes, on the paint. I do however have a couple of good chips and dings in my chrome grille (not true chrome, extruded chrome on ABS), and I was wondering what I can do to restore it. Also, I was wondering if there was anything special that I should do at the one year mark. I have been skeptical about using clay on my finish, I'm worried that small rocks and grit will scratch the clearcoat. Is there any sort of "special" clay that I should get?
Thanks for your time and input.

[turbomangt]

YOur car sure does look nice from the pics. If you are satisified with the finish (excluding the grille) then I would just continue the washing /wax method you are on. The test for determining if your finish is free from contaminants is simply put your hand inside a plastic baggie and run it across the lower body panel. If is hesitates at all, it needs to be clayed. Many times we get used to the look, and never see / feel how a show car should look. Since I'm a recovering perfectionist I always see ways to improve a car. YOu should not fear the clay process, if you follow the intructions you will do fine. What products are you using? If you enjoy the waxing every month or so, thats fine, If you want to spend more time enjoying the car, and less time detailing, use a synthetic. as far as your grille, since it is made of molded plastic with chrome paint overlay, you might do ok just buying a can of touch up chrome paint. aside from that, I know of nothing else you can do. If you get a spray can spray some in a jar and use a small artist brush to touch up, as you would a paint ship. Gary

[KingKole02]

If you clay remember to hand wash first then dry with clean lint free cloths (micro fibers). Then clay, with soapy bucket of water and spray and shine to lubricate.

Go over the whole car, rotating and working the clay so its in a mostly clean state while working. Dunk it in the soapy what then spray over areas, off and on until the whole car is done.

After clay wash again, hand dry, use the paint cleaner from Gary to remove the swirls. Apply with application pads and rub back and fourth until the swirls are gone. Use micro fiber detail towels to remove.

Then use the paint sealant, work it until a haze forms, leave set for 10 minutes or so, then remove with clean micro fiber detail towel.

I did my whole PT in the sealant. The next day I used the spray and shine to real make the detail work from the last day show off.

Gary is the above correct?

You should run your hand over the finish now and if you fell that it is rough or not completely smooth then it needs to be clayed. If you are skeptical, use the clay in a small area that is unnoticeable. When done run your hand over the area and feel what it feels like. It should fell completely smooth, unlike anything you probably have felt before. But make sure its clean when you touch it, or it will fool you.

IF done properly, none of this detailing should damage anything.

I didn't know jack about detailing until I met Gary. He has given me free information and help with anything I have asked him about detailing. I have most of his products offered online and some that aren't. I feel that his products have never steered me wrong.

After I clayed my PT, it is the most smooth thing I have ever felt on a vehicle. I put a towel on the hood while doing something else and the towel just slid off. You know how he PT’s stock hood isn’t very slanted either.

Just my experience.

[KingKole02]

This is before the clay, could it have better reflection? Why yes.


See this pic, the box lid near the drivers side door, it looks good right? Now you can actually read what it says in the reflection, after the clay and sealant.

[CHROMEDCRUISER]

Thanks for all of the input guys. I will give the clay technique a try when I get a good bit of time to spend on the car. I use a variation of products; Meguiar's Gold Class and Zymol wax, Zymol car wash, Meguiar's quick wax and quick detail, Meguiar's Vinyl/Rubber Protectant, and Turtle Wax Tire Dressing. This is about the best combination I've found so far. If anyone knows of something that works better, please let me know.

[therents]

Yes Chromedcruiser, since you asked, I have been using many of the porducts that you listed and I have never ever used anything that works as good as Garys porducts and if you read around this forum you will see that I am not alone on this. The best part is their ease of application and they last longer than anything else. Try the cleaner and then the sealant and you will be hooked for sure.

Neil [?]

[Jimbo]

I totally agree with therents.[?]

[turbomangt]

Hey King, This is a little more than what I do for most of my customers, but since I will be driving over 1000 miles just to inspect you car, you better have it ready when I get there. Check your e mail, see you in two weeks in sunny Florida!!! remind me to tell you about a little secret about Zymol when I'm down there. Gary

[CHROMEDCRUISER]

turboman, wanna let us in on the secret too?

[turbomangt]

I guess that was not vary nice of me to leave that hanging in the air. Thanks Chrome for pointing my ignorance. My Bad. Anyway, for those that don't know, Turtle Wax uses Zymols name to bottle some of their wax. Private labeling goes on everywhere. It is not uncommon. The issue I have is this, most professionals know about this, but the unsuspecting consumer doesn't. I try to point out various things in my clinics to help the end user, but I can't reach everyone. The Z cleaner wax in one for sure I know about. Any company that makes wax from $9.99 a bottle up to $1,325.00 a bottle, well, lets just say, something is a miss. I can start a whole separate thread on wax in general, and perhaps I will soon. Gary