basic wax questions

[Robertslowpoke]

Good afternoon!

OK, so i bought the griots garage orbital with pads. i have a 2008 Cadillac DTS, dark blue with a bit of metallic paint. car is in good shape, has been detailed often. i want to try to do a super job myself. i plan to wash, then clay the car. another web site says.
wash
clay
compound and polish
seal
wax.

OK, i had just thought to clay, and then wax with collinite wax, which i like.

1. do i need to compound and polish? if so, exactly which compound to use?
2. do i have to seal? if so, which compound to use?

thanks!!

bob

 

[paulswagelock]

Wash - yes.
Clay - yes.
Compound - no.
Polish - if there are imperfections you want to remove, yes. Small scratches, scuffs, rain etching, swirls, etc.
Seal - yes. Protects far longer than wax.
Wax - yes if you prefer warmer glow to shine, but not needed after you seal.

Since you started with Griots, stick to it. Use their Polish #3 if you need to polish. Their paint sealant is very good as well. Have some speed shine available to use when claying, and to remove wax residue if you decide to wax.

 

[Donald]

Its December and you are in Mass. Give it a wash and a quick wax and look towards April to do your detailing.

 

[Robertslowpoke]

thank you paul! just what i need to know!!

 

[RTexasF]

To add to Paul's good advice:

When you polish start off with the pad that has the lightest cut on a test spot....hood or trunk works best. Work the section, wipe it off, and inspect it closely with very good light. Not so hot? Give it another pass or two and look again. If it suits you then go for it. If not then step up to the next pad in aggressiveness and go at it again. Take a little time to find the combination of pad and polish that does the job then use it for the whole car. Have plenty of pads or keep them clean. A foam pad soaked with polish can't do its job. I generally clean the pad on the fly after every panel or two depending on the size of it. Good polishing!

 

[bigmike]

I clean the pad with a soft bristle tooth brush after each panel, using some pad cleaner and water. Spin it to get the excess water off and let it dry. Having multiple pads is a big plus.

I would not shy away from using compound, but only after following RTexasF advice above and taking into consideration the level of cut the polish is suited for. I've used ultimate compound and it was good enough for a last step product before wax. GM paint can be pretty hard and a polish by itself might not be enough. Just my 2 cents.