JWade

Hey guys, new G owner here and for the first time in my life ive got a vehicles that i care about protecting and keeping clean. I dont have time for wax, I've been looking into top coats. My buddy has a detail shop and just started doing the F11 topcoats. Ive seen it on facebook and read other forums posts on it, mixed reviews. Looking into Opticoat now as it seems to be popular. I dont have the money for a full real ceramic coating that i have to get done in a year anyways.

We tried the F11 2 weeks and and I unforutnately i had to drive the vehcicles in 2 days of heavy storms and i live on a dirty dusty road and a stone driveway. The 2 days of rain an abuse seems like it took the topcoat off. Turns out the car needs to sit for 24 hours after the coating has been applied.

So now he wants me to come in after spending $200 for some buffing and the topcoat. Hes asking another $150 for 2 more coats and hes going to clean the car again... at this point i think i want to invest that money into a orbital buffer and look into the opticoat. Anyone have any recommendations on a topcoat or a starter kit for a buffer and protection?

mliakira

Hey check out my video for a paint correction I did on my black G. This is the car with 95% of the swirls gone with a Sealant.

Don't use a orbital buffer, that will just cause marring and add swirls to your finish. Go to Harbor Freight and pick up a 5.5" Dual Action Polisher for your tool. This is a great cheap beginner polisher that will get the job done.

Quality products are KEY and you pay for what you get in detailing from what I have learned. I used Wolfgang total swirl remover, wolfgang deep gloss glaze, and wolfgang paint sealant. They make amazing products and I highly reccommend it. For pads, I used a Lake Country white flat pad for the compound, LC black for the polish/glaze, and then a blue finishing pad for the sealant. It's a lot of work but you will have the cleanest car on the block after you get done with the protection it needs.

JWade

Thanks man and the car looks great! I've actually already seen your video but didnt know what products or tools you used. I did some research and realized the orbital isnt the correct one and I was already looking at the exact dual action polisher you listed.

I ended up letting him know I wasnt coming in and i was going to invest that money into my own stuff. I think it'd be something cool to get into as a side project. Im going to look into those wolfgang products and eventually get some stuff ordered. Luckily I've got a old Grand Cherokee that I can practice on before I try the G.

Have you been detailing long or was your G the first project you've done? I'm just a little nervous about messing it up worse.

mliakira

I have been detailing for quite some time now as I do it for my own cars and on the side for a little cash. I worked at multiple dealerships too detailing but I have never done a full paint correction on a car and did it the right way. After researching for countless of hours about products, pad types, paint softness vs hardness, and techniques, I decided to try it myself. This isn't just your normal "detail" but is actually paint correction. I would research a lot on autogeek forums as there is all the information you need on that website along with how to and techniques. Our paint is extremely soft so that setup I told you is the products and pads you need. If you go any more aggressive, you risk taking off a lot of the clear coat.

So to answer your question, yes, the G was my first project but it took me a VERY long time. Since it's my own car, I wanted it to be perfect. It takes a lot of patience and hard work but I finished my car in about 15-20 hours. The paint sealant or "top coat" is honestly the best investment for your car's finish as it acts as another clear coat almost. You will notice less dust and dirt will stick to your car and it will always have a shiny finish. I would do it before winter comes!

Remember that your Jeep will have a different paint finish and most likely will react different to the pads I told you but those products are the top 3 best and will work on any paint. Research a lot and feel free to ask me any questions but I am more than confident that you can do it. I would just free up a weekend and go for it.

-Akira

Surfnazi

Paint correction and sealing it can run you around 1500 bucks depending on how much time they spend. It's not some 3 hour easy deal

mliakira

I did it myself and spent less than $300.