In your previous thread you suggested using a wax and sealant after polishing. Do you have any specific recommendations on the type of wax and sealant to use? Are the wax and sealant applied separately or combined in one product?
thanks,
PAVenomRT/10
Not Junkman Here, but the Junkman and Adam's polishes have taught me a lot recently. One of the no-it-alls at Adam's (Dylan), has told me:
Good - Sealant is better than wax (lasts longer)
Better - Wax is natural and doesn't last as long but several thin coats of wax is also good. Applied more often to protect as long as sealant.
Best - Sealant (2 coats, machine applied), topped with Briliant Glaze, topped with (2 coats, hand applied) of Americanan wax = 1st in Show!
Never use a glaze under a sealant ...... Junkman, am I learn'in good?
Please correct, if remedial classes are in order.
Call Eric at Thompsons Racing or Adam's Polishes, both will fix you up with a full line of products, to make that Hot Rod shine ..... Like Mine
Funny... I just completed a video series that addresses some of this but I haven't uploaded it yet. I'll post it when I do.
Waxes and sealants are two different things. Glaze is something different all together. The thing with glazes is that they are used to hide minor imperfections in the paint. They are normally used on the paint first, and then a wax or sealant is laid on top of them to hold the glaze in place. Glaze is basically a filler, or what I call a lazy man's way of fixing paint. I don't use glazes personally, as I want the scratches fixed and not filled in. For folks who are pressed for time, using a glaze is something they may consider instead of actually fixing the paint damage. Glazes are often used by professional detailers to give your car the illusion of having perfect paint. However, after so many washes you'll notice that all the damage begins to show back up again.
Now a sealants, as was mentioned above is going to give you the longest lasting protection available. Sealants
must be applied in very thin layers. Not doing so will just create a cloudy mess on top of your paint. Sealants also take the most amount of time to apply because they must be allowed to cure. When you apply a sealant, you first must allow it to dry before you wipe it off.
This drying time can be affected by temperature and humidity. After you wipe it off,
you must allow the sealant 12-24 hours to cure or bond to the clear coat. It does NOT in any way mix with the clear coat or paint, it just bonds to the outer most layer of the clear coat. Once this bonding process has completed,
you come back and wipe the entire car down with a microfiber cloth and detail spray. This means that you
will NOT be driving the car or doing anything that will cause the car to get dirty.
A wax is different in that you wipe it on, allow it to dry (or haze) and then wipe it off. Adam's has a carnuba paste wax called Americana, which you
do not allow to haze. You wipe it on a panel, and then wipe it off. If you allow it to dry, it will require a chisel to get it off the paint. Do not make that mistake.
Now here's something that I want to make absolutely clear.
Waxes, sealants and glazes do NOT make your paint shine. That's what polishing does. You get your shine from polishing the paint and then you protect that shine with a wax or sealant. A carnuba paste wax like Americana may add depth to your shine but it won't make the paint shinier. Again, that's what polishing does.
Another thing, layering waxes, polishes or sealants require know how. Doing it incorrectly or rushing the process will end up creating a cloudy mess on your paint. When it comes to these finishes, simplicity is always best for appearance. The more you do, the more opportunity there is for you to cloud up your shine. Thus, a novice should stick to using either a wax or sealant and only apply one coat of either.
You are a lot better applying one coat of something every so often than you are by taking a chance and jacking your finish up with a conglomerate of finishes. If you think about it, that should make perfectly good sense to you.
Now as for what I do to my car. I apply a very thin layer of Adam's Machine Superwax (MSW) with the PC and a black pad on a setting or 3. I wipe it off once it dries, allow it to cure and then wipe it down again with Adam's Detail Spray (MSW of course is a sealant). I then lay a coat of Adam's Americana Carnuba Paste Wax on top of that. That's one coat of each, nice and simple. With Wax, the KISS method is always a good rule to follow.
this will best describe my main issue:
is it like anything that you have seen before?
Yes. I think the underside of all of our rockers look like that! However, all of the waxing and polishing in the world is not going to completely fix that. That damage requires a repaint, an option that really will only last a little while if you actually drive your car. The car is so low to the ground that you are constantly going to be experiencing that kind of damage. I have learned to live with my rocker damage but then I drive my car a lot. I presently have 125,000 on the odometer even though the car doesn't look like it. At the same time, I don't have people laying on the ground and inspecting my rockers. I figure if someone is doing that, they are about to make me a very generous offer on the car.
It didn't require a chisel, but that would have been easier 
