gsean400

So I just painted my wheels, In the process of sanding out the orange peel. I used meguiars ultimate compound and their gold class carnuba wax to seal everything in. I then decided I might as well polish and wax the whole car in the process. The compound and wax really took the light oxidation off the spoiler and roof and now looks like the rest of the car. I would say my paint is in decent condition, it is 13 years old so it's not perfect. However I do see a faint tint of brown when the car is in direct sunlight and it really bothers me. Is the brown tint from age and is something I just have to deal with or is there something I can do about it. All the polishing and waxing was done by hand, I don't trust myself with an eletric buffer. Is their a major difference in results when buffing with a electric buffer vs by hand? I like how my paint looks now, it's nice and shiny. But I would love it if I could get rid of that brown tint and get a really deep wet looking shine. Any wax that you prefer? And is there better ways of applying wax? I also wet sanded my headlights to complete the whole detailed look, anyone know what's the best sealant to use or where to get it?

Lutkis

As for the sealant for the headlights:

http://www.theretrofitsource.com/acc...bber-glue.html

or less expensive and what I've used (and more easier to work with)

http://www.theretrofitsource.com/acc...bber-glue.html


Edit: Now that I read it again I think you meant the sealant that seals the freshly sanded lens so it won't fade in the sun?
As for that sealant, something with UV protection in it.

User 41924

I'm interested in the answer about the headlight sealer. I there any reason the sealer that is used on the paint won't work on the headlight lenses? In fact, I treat the lenses exactly like the paint, polishing them before resealing them whenever I detail the car. I've done this on my last few cars, and never seen any sign of the lens clouding up, but I tend to trade cars pretty often.

I was actually told by a guy that is supposed to be a paint expert, that today's automotive paint is really just a type of plastic. With that in mind, it seems like regular paint sealer would be great for the plastic headlight lenses, as well. How far off am I?

Mr Jokster

iTrader: (8)

Nothing beats clear coat

gsean400

Clear coat on the headlights?? !

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

Yes... one of the most permanent ways to restore your headlights is to first clean them, then sand them down to produce a completely flat and uniform surface, then spray with a quality clear coat, then do some more sanding, and finally compound and polish to produce a brand new looking exterior surface on your headlight.

If you want a more temporary solution, you can simply use traditional paint sealants, but those most be applied very often. Or you could use a plastic coating like CarPro DLUX which will provide protection for a year or so depending on the environment you live in and how you maintain the car.

Merlinii

Yes, there is a major difference in the results accomplished with a machine.
You can not accomplish by hand what you can accomplish with a machine.
If you are interested I will be glad to post and inexpensive list to get you started.
There are quite a few newer products that allow a novice to "safely" polish paint.
Polished paint is IMHO truly where shine, gloss and sharpness in the paint is created.

I'm not sure what the "brown" shading in the paint you ware describing could be.
It may be contamination in/on the paint. Have you used Iron-X or a clay bar?

Merlinii

There a TONS of Last Step Products (LSP's)
The main items are waxes, sealants and coatings.

Each product has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Gloss, longevity, durability, depth, bright shine, warmth etc.
A lot depends on the color of your paint and what YOU like.

What color is your paint?

FSportIS

iTrader: (13)

I would suggest 3M or Lamin X clear bra on headlight once you polish it. I have them all for 3 years and the headlight never yellow even a bit, no scratch and no rock chip at all.

FSportIS

iTrader: (13)

For the best wet glossy, shiny paint, i have tested out many products and super super impressed by Meguiars #7 Show Car Glaze but this thing is hard to remove and doesn't last long lol. I only used it before car show or want to pop that paint for smiles

Other than that.
Wax is the way to go.

There are some very glossy, wet looking sealants:
Wolfang Deep Gloss 3.0 (lots of good reviews)
Blackfire Wet Diamond
Menzerma PowerLock

Anyways, generally after polish, I would put base layer of sealant and top it off with wax or glaze. Guarantee shine, and gloss!!!

dicer

Yes you can. It just takes longer by hand. By hand is way more controllable of how much clear coat your removing, and most detail places take off more than they may think so so very easy to do.

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

I beg to differ...

When you're polishing by hand, it is very uncontrolled given that you are using varying amounts of pressure, speed, and stroke characteristics for nearly every motion you make. It is much, much easier to be constant with a machine polisher.

When you're polishing by hand, the majority of the pressure is being transmitted through your fingertips, then through the foam, and onto the paint. Your fingertips are a relatively small surface area, and therefore transmit a lot of pressure directly to the paint when you apply a force to them (Pressure = Force/Area). MUCH more pressure than a 5" or 6" polishing pad would since their surface area is massive compared to your fingertip. This means hand polishing can be quite dangerous.

Dual action polishers are most definitely the safest and most efficient means of correcting paint. No doubt about it.

-Zach

Merlinii

^ +1

"You can not accomplish by hand what you can accomplish with a machine."

Preparation is the key. There are many products that offer long lasting protection and shine.

Paint color is important as many different products produce different results on different colors.

OP Before I make any suggestions on Last Step Product (LSP) color is important.

What color is your paint?

FSportIS

iTrader: (13)

@Merlinii are you implying that some products work better on certain color?

I would like to know what is your favorite sealant for dark blue pearl and white pearl?

Merlinii

For me yes, I prefer a bright/shiny LSP product on a light/white vehicle to make it sparkle.
On dark/black I prefer depth, warmth, sharpness, clarity. The "look" of a pool of calm water.

These different "looks" are achieved with different waxes, sealants or coatings.
The final result is only as good as the preparation of the surface it is applied to.
85% surface preparation, 10% product suitability & 5% application methodology.

Different Last Step Products (LSP's) have a different "looks". Some sealants have a "Saran Wrap" look. In the end it's what YOU like.
A detailer's knowledge and experience of the paint type, pads, products, process and polisher skill level make a very huge difference.
The aesthetics of a vehicles appearance is very subjective, the only best wax or sealant that really matters is what looks "best" to YOU.

All that being said there is the "looks" versus longevity balance. Very few LSP's achieve both. I had a hard time choosing CQ FINEST.
Why you ask? I really like doing the Mr. Miyagi Wax On/Wax Off on my pride and joy & I like the "look" of a high end Carnauba wax.
I miss my time doing the WOWO but CQ FINEST achieves the "look" I wanted with low maintenance . I'm glad I chose CQ FINEST.