Hey Guys,

I am in the process of a serious every bolt out, ground up restification. The vehicle is schedule for paint the week of April 2.

The vehicle will be painted Black with Clearcoat (PPG Polyurethane). I have spent a lot of time and money just on the body and paint (I'd say how much but if my wife sees this post she will kick me out of the house for sure! http://www.chevelles.com/forum/tongue.gif) and I want to know how to take care of it correctly once I get it back in my garage.

Here are some of my questions:

1) How long should I wait before I put a cover over the body? I had heard from one source that I should wait for 90 days.

2) What method should I use to keep it clean? I will never wash it becasue the thought of water getting trapped somewhere and sitting gives me nightmares.

3) What should I use to wax it? Should I wax it? How often should I wax it? What is the right method to wax a black car that won't cause swirl marks?

4) What the heck is a clay bar for?

5) What is canuba wax?

Now this may seem like a silly topic but I need to know how to do this right. Detailing is not my realm of expertise but we have some pretty sharp guys on this site that know how to take car of "show cars" the proper way and not the Turtle Wax way.

Please enlighten me with all your wisdom.

Thanks in advance guys,

Sleeper

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"It's not about the loss of money, It's about the love of the car!"

Well sleeper, I'll give you a breakdown of what I have done over the years.

As far as when to wax and when to put the cover on - I would follow the advice of your painter for those two.

From a wax standpoint use nothing but top quality stuff like Maguiars or Mothers, more expensive but well worth it. Do not buy any wax that has "abrasives" in it, it's hard to go wrong with pure Carnauba wax. Clay bar is a good system to get some "impurities" that may build up on the paint over time.

From a "swirl" standpoint you could get several ideas here. It will be particularly important in regards to a black car. There are good "swirl remover" compounds out there which you may have to use once in a while. What I have found is to remove the wax in the same motion/direction that it is applied.

From a washing standpoint I "never" put the hose to the car for the reason you have mentioned. Primarily I just use a spray detailer and a car duster. However, if there is a need for more effort I use a cotton or wool wash mit, dunk it in a bucket of water and wipe the car down that way, usually a section at a time and then dry that section.

When the need arises to dry the car, use nothing but "top quality 100% cotton towels" made in the USA or Canada. Do not use those "supposedly" cotton polishing rags that come in big bags. Get some good towels like Canon or alike, expensive but well worth it.

Good luck.



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ACES #4241, TC #947
69 SS Sedan (http://www.angelfire.com/rock/69ss)

I've owned two black cars and my experience has been that if you use 100% Carnuba paste wax there will never be any swirls.

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Stan Hanek
'71 SS - 454 4 sp.
http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/stan71ss_1.jpg
http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/stan71ss_motor.jpg

Check these posts.
http://www.corvetteforum.com/reviews/carcare/index.htm


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Bill Taylor
TC Gold Member #73
December 1999 Feature Car
www.chevelles.com/feature/december99.htm (http://www.chevelles.com/feature/december99.html)
www.chevelles.com/showroom/BillTSS70-2 (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/BillTSS70-2)
www.chevelles.com/showroom/leaves2 (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/leaves2)
http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/65vette.jpg

1) Wait at least the 90 days before covering. Most auto body professionals will tell you that it takes that long for the paint to fully cure from the inside out. It needs to breathe during this period so waxing the car and/or covering the car should be put on hold. During the 90 day period, naturally the car will get dusty. A car duster would come in handy at this point for removing the dust. Also during the 90 days, you could use a product like 3M Imperial Hand Glaze to keep the finish looking sharp and swirl free. The glaze contains no wax so you can do it until your arms fall off you like, but it won't last if you wash the car. It is not designed to protect, just to remove and fill swirls. If you plan to use it in the future, it will remove old wax, so follow up with a good wax. When applying the glaze, use a linear motion. Typically, front to back will eliminate the possibility of putting more swirls into the finish if your applicator gets a piece of dirt stuck in it. Remove it in a linear motion too.

2) Use a car duster or quick detailer to keep the car free of dust. If you happen to get stuck in the rain and the car is really dirty, unfortunately the best way to remove the dirt is to use the ol' hose. You'll run the risk of scrathing/swirling the finish if you try to use a quick detailer and it's not what the detailer is designed for. Meguires and Mothers both make excellent quick detailers.

3) 3M makes some top quality waxes, but the price reflects it. I've had great experiences with Mother's products too. As mentioned, you won't need a "cleaner wax" if you use a pure carnuba wax on a regular basis. Apply the wax with a linear motion preferable with a foam applicator. Foam is much less abrasive than terry cloth applicators. Remove the wax with a 100% cotton towel. Old white t-shirts work great for me.

4) The clay bar is used to remove any contaminants that may be embedded in the paint finish. If you keep the car clean, which I'm sure you will, you should never need to use the clay bar. A good sign that you need to use the bar (if ever) is a rough feeling finish when you run your hand across it.

5) Carnuba wax contains pure carnuba. Some waxes contain more than others, but typically the more the better. The carnuba will provide a durable finish and again, you don't want to use a wax that has a cleaner mixed in with the carnuba.

Hopefully this helps a little. I'm by no means an expert, but if you have any questions, please ask.

Eric