Garnet Canuck

George, that's a fantastic tip.....thanks a bunch! Btw, I agree about the water blade and don't use one. I recently switched from a chamois to a couple of MF dehydrator towels.

GEE35FX

iTrader: (1)

yes the nozzleless hose trick works great, been doing it that way for years (I won't say how many years )

Frosty

George
You are a wealth of information...I find myself devouring each post...thanks for sharing with everyone here at G35Driver.com

Here is my situation.......
I have two white vehilces
...a 98 4Runner that was partially repainted following an accident. I have noticed a few chips or worn spots that inidicates the the body shop did a less than stellar paint job, minor oxidation, and swirls are present. Still I want to get the paint to shine/shimmer.
...a 01 Solara that I have waxed about 3X a year. Looks fine after a wash. Yes swirls are present but have not affected the beauty of the car much

Sunburst yellow 91 Honda CRX...aftermarket paint with triple clear coat, brake dust issues... Swirls from poor new guy wash technique/tools.

Finally, 05 Obsidian Black G35C...minor swirls garage kept

I would like your advice regarding suggested pairings of products to achieve the best results for each vehilce based on the following products:

Menzerna PG
Menzerna FMJ
Menzerna IP
Menzerna FTG
Menzerna FP II
Menzerna High Gloss Acrylic Sheild
Menzerna PO106ff
P21 Concours Carnuba Wax
PC 7424 w/#6 counter weight
LC Pads 6.5 (white/orange/black)
Ultra Plush MFs
Wheel Wax

I am open to purchasing more appropriate products if I have gone wrong

Thanks again
Frosty

Detailed Image

iTrader: (2)

It depends on the quality of the body shop doing the work... I usually say the same thing with detailing, it truly is a business you get what you pay for. I've yet to see a body shop locally that has the complete package that can respray, wet sand and polish to perfection while making it look like a perfect match to the rest of the vehicle. Color matching metallic paint is certainly harder than matching a flat colored paint. Unfortunately that's about all the insight I can give you on this subject.

Great question. One of the reason PO106ff cuts more than FPII is because it does have more abrasives in it, roughly twice as many. However, the PO106ff has the finest sized abrasive particles on the market right now which is why it leaves such an amazing finish.

Summary:
PO106ff = More smaller abrasives
FPII = Less but larger abrasives

You're welcome, I see this as a must have step in detailing and really cuts down your time and minimizes adding imperfections. Let us know what you think next time you have a chance to use this technique! GEE35X sure enjoys it!

George @ Detailed Image

SCoupe

iTrader: (1)

Jeez George, you are worth your weight in gold. You really do know your stuff. I'll be placing an order today.... thanks

Detailed Image

iTrader: (2)

Frosty - Thank you so much for the positive feedback, I really enjoy speaking with enthusiasts who are looking to learn more about the entire detailing process. Detailing is an art form and you are always constantly learning. I learn new stuff every time I detail and try to share my experiences with everyone.

That's certainly quite the collection of vehicles and detailing supplies. I see that you have just about every product to tackle the exterior of any vehicle. The only thing I see lacking is a clay bar in there, which you certainly could benefit from on most of the vehicles, especially if it is something that hasn't been done on them. Properly using a clay bar on the vehicles will really prep the paint to maximize the results of your polishes, sealants and waxes. It will remove both visible and non-visible contamination yielding a clear coat free of contamination. This month we are giving away a 16oz Quik Shine with any purchase of one of these four qualifying clay bars.

Using the clay bar is optional, but I will include it in my recommendations.

98 4Runner - Wash and Dry as normal, clay is recommended... Paint is almost 10 years old, I think this could benefit from a stronger polish such as Intensive Polish or even Power Gloss if the imperfections are bad enough. You would then want to follow up with Final Polish II (I'm going to recommend saving the PO106ff for the newer vehicles that you may not need to use a stronger polish on). To add some more depth and gloss do the FTG next to help fill in imperfections and add more of the wet look. Next protect the vehicle with the FMJ. If this was my daily driver that I want to maintain nicely, but not put in a ton of effort maintaining the vehicle, I would leave off the P21s Concours Carnauba wax and maintain the vehicle with the Menzerna High Gloss Acrylic Shield. On larger vehicles, a great way to maintain a fresh coat of FMJ is to wash and dry the vehicle as normal and before you completely dry the vehicle, mist on the HGAS over the wet paint and dry and protect the vehicle in one step. The HGAS is designed to work specifically over the FMJ or another acrylic product like the Klasse twins, which is another reason I do not suggest using the P21s wax on top.

01 Solara - Wash and Dry as normal, clay is recommended if you haven't clayed in over a year or the paint is slightly rough to the touch... For this vehicle, it sounds like it has some swirls but its not a complete eye sore. You can probably get away with a single coat of PO106ff rather than going with two steps. I'd follow up with the FTG and FMJ as mentioned before, and then decide if you'd like to top with a wax or to maintain with the HGAS like mentioned on the 4Runner. This should really give the white Toyota paint a nice glow to them and really make them stand out.

91 Honda CRX - Sounds like this might be a show car, so I'll assume you really want this to pop. Wash and Dry as normal, clay is recommended if you haven't clayed in over a year or the paint is slightly rough to the touch... Now depending on how bad the swirls are you may need to go with something more aggressive than the PO106ff, start with the IP and assess, then move to either a more aggressive pad or move up to the PG. I'd follow up this product with the PO106ff to get the ultimate finish for a possible show vehicle. Next I'd give it the rest of the steps... FTG -> FMJ -> P21s wax. Should really give off a super wet look and really make the paint pop with that triple clear. I'd apply 2 - 3 ULTRA thin coats of the WW for maximum protection, I also like Poorboy's Wheel Sealant as a product to protect from brake dust and other road contamination build up on wheels.

05 Obsidian Black G35C - I'd recommend the same process as the Honda CRX. For polishing start with the PO106ff and assess, then see if you need something more aggressive.

Product - Pad - Speed Combinations:

Most Aggressive to Least Aggressive

Power Gloss - Orange Pad - Speed 5 to 6
Intensive Polish - Orange Pad - Speed 5 to 6
Power Gloss - White Pad - Speed 5 to 6
Intensive Polish - White Pad - Speed 5 to 6
PO106ff - White Pad - Speed 5 to 6
Final Polish II - White Pad - Speed 5 to 6
PO106ff - Black Pad - Speed 5 to 6
Final Polish II - Black Pad - Speed 5 to 6
Finishing Touch Glaze - White Pad - Speed 4 to 5
Finishing Touch Glaze - Black Pad - Speed 4 to 5
Full Molecular Jacket - Black Pad - Speed 3.5 to 4.5
Full Molecular Jacket - Blue Pad - Speed 3.5 to 4.5
P21s Concours Carnauba Wax - hand applied

I think this covers just about everything mentioned. If you would like any clarification on anything or want me to go more in depth on a particular question, just say the word.

Look forward to hearing about your results and experiences with the Menzerna line of products!

George @ Detailed Image

Detailed Image

iTrader: (2)

We greatly appreciate your support, please do not hesitate to ask any other questions you may have. We look forward to hearing from you.

George

chiapet15

iTrader: (3)

Hi George,

How does the P21S compare with the Souveran paste wax? What type of carnauba wax is used in each, and what are the concentrations of it (% by volume)?

And is it even worth it to upgrade to say Zymol Concours? It has 47% ivory and yellow carnauba (90% of which is white, and 10% yellow). Does the amount of ivory carnauba make a difference on a finish that's prepped with Menzerna FPII and FTG?

Thanks,
Daniel

Detailed Image

iTrader: (2)

Daniel - Before I get into the specifics of the composition of the waxes, I'll give you my personal experiences with each product mentioned.

I love Pinnacle Souveran on darker colored vehicles, specifically black, red, deep blues, and dark greens. Is it THAT much better than other waxes we carry? Assuming that the vehicle was prepped identically, and you used Pinnacle Souveran on one side and P21s Concours Carnauba wax on the other side, most people they would probably have a tough time seeing a difference on lighter colored vehicles. On darker vehicles, you may see a warmer glow and a slightly deeper wet look to it.

Pinnacle Souveran lacks in durability, I estimate between 2 - 4 weeks. P21s on the other hand, I usually will say 4 - 6 weeks. One of the nice things about P21s is that it does not stain vinyl and rubber trim.

Cost per ounce:
Pinnacle Souveran = $9.99 per ounce
P21s Concours Carnauba Wax = $5.16 per ounce

Composition:
Pinnacle Souveran - the carnauba content is 100% Ivory Carnauba Wax which is a refined version of #1 yellow carnauba wax. I don't know what percentage the carnauba content is for the jar though. I do know too high is not always a good thing.

P21s Concours Carnauba Wax - is a combination of Brazillian #1 Yellow Carnauba wax and Beeswax. I couldn't find the ratio's or content ratios.

As far as the Zymol waxes. I've tried some of their higher end ones and its a tough call. I honestly think once you start spending $300 or more on a wax, a lot of it is in the detailers head that it looks better because you paid more. I would go with Pinnacle Souveran as my choice, money not an option, probably until I could afford to regularly use the Destiny Glaze (or better), which retails just under $500 per jar.

That's my .02 on the issue, I'm certainly open to hear other peoples thoughts on the matter. My favorite bang for the buck carnauba wax is Poorboy's Natty's Blue Paste Wax retailing for $15.99!

Hope this helped.

George @ Detailed Image

ttrank

iTrader: (27)

This is one of the most informative threads on this forum!

Thank you very much for taking the time to pass on all this information to us. I will make sure and order from you when my Zaino stuff runs out.

Garnet Canuck

Yep, I completely agree.

Diesel1

Thanks for the quick shipping! I blinked and my PO106FF was at my doorstep! Can't wait to do my cars!

Detailed Image

iTrader: (2)

Thank you so much for the encouraging feedback. If you can't tell, detailing is a passion of mine and I really enjoy getting others interested in high quality detailing.

Hrmm, maybe a G35 detailing meet could be planned for this summer or fall...thoughts? (Probably deserves its own thread to not take away from the content of this thread).

Diesel1 - We greatly appreciate your continued support, it's nice being able to order something and see it the next day Northeast members should see very quick shipping times.

Definitely keep the forum posted on your results, I know a lot of people are eager to hear about PO106ff.

Thank you once again.

George @ Detailed Image

Garnet Canuck

I am obviously no where close to your experience, but I really do enjoy detailing my G. I have learned an absolute ton from Kevin over the last year and I really appreciate learning from professionals like yourself and Kevin.

Detailed Image

iTrader: (2)

Kevin (picus) definitely has more hands on experience than I do. He is one of the best in the industry. He has taught me quite a few things over the years as well! He is a great asset to the automotive detailing industry. Detailing is a never ending learning experience.

George