Detailed Image

iTrader: (2)

Sounds good. Unfortunately, I don't have a great resource on how to properly wet sand. I'll put in a request by one of our detailers to write an article on it though.

Usually what you want to do when you touch up paint is to thinly apply the touch up paint coat after coat until it blobs over the regular paint (don't just gob it on to blob it over, you'll get better results with thinner coats and letting each coat cure). Once the paint is cured, you'll wet sand usually using around 1500 grit paper to start to even the blobbed over paint. You want to use one direction when wet sanding, don't use a circular motion, so either up and down or left to right. I'd recommend doing both, just not at the same time. Follow up with some higher grade paper, 2000 to 2500 or 3000. The higher you finish the easier it'll be to remove the sanding marks. Let the paper do the sanding not the pressure of your hand, you can always keep doing it but you can't take back what you remove. Also, you'll want to soak the sand paper in water overnight before you plan on using it, this will help give you the best results. Keep a spray bottle of water and shampoo solution and use this as a sanding lube.

Once you've sanded the blob down even with the paint, you'll need to polish the area to remove the wet sanding marks. Usually you'll need a minimum of a medium cutting polish to do so, then follow up with finer polishes after to restore the maximum depth and gloss.

That's the process in a nutshell. If you have any specific questions on anything, let me know.

Keep us posted how everything turns out for you.

All the best,

George

kevinpham3

George,

Would you recommend the Chemical Guys Citrus Wash & Gloss for shampoo for a 2010 Blue Slate G37? How necessary it is for a clay bar kit and which one? Thanks!

kevinpham3

NVM answered via email. thanks!

Detailed Image

iTrader: (2)

No prob, sorry I didn't get to check the forums much from the holiday weekend. Let me know if there's anything else I can help with.

George

G37NC

I was made aware of a product today I had never heard of by a guy at work. The company is croftgateusa and they have a variety of interior and exterior, eco-friendly car products. Living in NASCAR country, this product is apparently used by many of the teams here in the area.

The guy that told me of this just bought one the new Roush Racing Mustangs and he swears by the croftgateUSA product line, particularly Quick-N-Slick, which has a video on the company's website and You Tube which I have linked to.

Has anyone in this forum used these products? I must say I am very curious and having a new black G-sedan, want to keep it as pristine as possible.

Any feedback would be helpful.

Detailed Image

iTrader: (2)

I'd go with products that are proven to be effective. I've never heard of the line so I cannot provide much feedback. Certainly not getting any hype on the detailing forums or by pros I trust.

AUC2MIC

Sorry about the noob question... does the paint have to cure again after a polish/compound since you are taking a layer off the clearcoat? Are there any restrictions after a polish/compound (after waxing) as there are with new paint jobs?

The reason I ask is because I recently had my car detailed an just running my finger across the paint caused fresh scratches. There was probably a little bit of dust, but the paint definitely seemed softer than usual

Detailed Image

iTrader: (2)

There's no cure time after polishing. All you are doing is leveling the existing cured clear coat, not reforming bonds or needing to out gas. The out gas process is the reason for cure times typically.

Infiniti paint is very soft to begin with, if there was any sort of dust or contamination on the paint and your ran your finger across it, it could cause some swirling / marring. If he literally JUST finished detailing using a high speed buffer, then the surface could be a little softer than normal because of the heat generated, but unless it was moments after he took the buffer off the paint, this wouldn't be the case.

Hope this helps.

AUC2MIC

Ah, very informative! Thanks alot

fyreboltx

Not sure if this has been discussed but what do you recommend for someone who doesn't have one of those buffing machines and does everything by hand? I'm not looking for a write up nor am I expecting professional results. I just want to know what is a good clay, polish, and wax to protect my car's finish.

I've done my fair share of claying/polishing/waxing on my last car but that car was used and the paint wasn't in the best shape when I bought the car. I used Mothers California clay, Zymol polish, and Meguiar's NXT wax on my car for a few years but then stopped since the paint was dull and needed repainting.

I have a black 2010 G37x, if that matters.

Detailed Image

iTrader: (2)

Glad to hear it was helpful, let me know if there's anything else I can give you a hand with.

For optimal results by hand, I'd highly recommend picking up a Polishing Pal. This will allow you to use a variety of 4" pads (the same ones a buffer would use) so you can vary the aggressiveness of the pad. For a polish by hand, I'd recommend picking up Meguiar's M205 and 3 - 5 white polishing pads 4".

For your clay, go with a gentle fine grade bar with soft Infiniti paint. I'd recommend using Dodo Juice Born Slippy as your clay lube. You'll want to pick up a trigger spray bottle too since it's a concentrate and you dilute the product 10:1.

I'd recommend using a sealant instead of a wax, unless you plan on rewaxing every month. One of our best sealants is Blackfire Wet Diamond. It's super easy on and off, leaves the surface really slick and has a beautiful look with months of protection.

That would get you going in the right foot assuming you already have the proper washing and drying equipment. Let me know if you need a hand picking anything else out.

Keep us posted on how everything turns out for you as well.

George

tomb18

Hello,
I'm about to do my first glaze, sealant,wax job on my black G37 and I have a question: I will use Chemical Guys glaze and acrylic shine followed by Full Molecular Jacket and I was wondering how long should I wait before putting on the FMJ?
Also, will the swirl hiding abilities of the glaze remain until the FMJ wears out?

Thanks

Detailed Image

iTrader: (2)

There's no need to wait between the glaze and the FMJ coat, you can simply apply it after you've applied and removed the glaze. If you plan on topping the FMJ with a wax, then you'll want to wait another 24 hours.

CG EZ Creme Glaze won't hide much except for very minor imperfections. It will add more gloss than anything. The glaze should last 3 months or so, roughly when the FMJ will begin to wear.

Let me know if there's anything else I can help with. Keep us posted on how everything turns out.

George

BLKG37X

iTrader: (-1)

Hi George,


I wish to work on my car this weekend and remove swirls and water marks by hand, and I want to order a few products from Detailed Image

1) M205 polish
2) Polishing Pal
3) Clay

A few questions though,

I remember you've mentioned that a after polishing, the paint becomes hazy. Will that happen with the M205 as well. Do I need a finishing polish? If I don't use the finishing polish, will a wax take care of the haze (if the M205 creates it)? How should the polish residue be removed before waxing and how long should be the wait in between.

Does the polishing pal come with a pad? If not, what kind do I need? I think you've suggested a white one for minor corrections for someone else with a black G.

What is better, a clay bar or the clay lube concentrate? How is the clay applied? After claying, should I do I complete wash, or just rinse it off, or just wipe it off with a MF towel?

How is everything (clay, polish, wax) applied? By circular motion... left to right/ up down?

Can you please provide links to the products you will reccomend.

If I order the items today, how long can the shipping take to Brooklyn, NY?

Do you have any coupons or promotions I can take advantage of?

I really apologize for the large amount of questions,
Thank you for helping

Detailed Image

iTrader: (2)

Sorry for the delayed reply, I read this before and didn't have time to answer then it wasn't showing up as a new post for me and I just noticed it now.

M205 is a finishing polish, there shouldn't be any haziness or marring if used properly. If there is a haze, you need to relook at your polishing techniques and try again. There are finer polishes out there, but I don't think you'd get the full benefit without a buffer.

You should remove each product by hand with a quality microfiber towel (different ones for different coats). There's no wait time after polishing since nothing would be left on the paint. The only time that you should wait is after removing the sealant or wax coat (so apply and remove) then wait 24 hours before adding an additional coat. This allows the previous coat the cure completely and fully bond to the surface yielding maximum results.

The polishing pal doesn't come with a pad, I'd go with the white 4" pad as you mentioned. You'll probably want 3 or 4 on hand because the smaller pads can become saturated pretty easily.

You'll need a clay bar and clay lube to properly clay a vehicle. Here's a good article you'll want to read before attempting to clay. Here's an excellent bang for the buck clay + lube combo to go with. For optimal results, you'll want to rewash after claying. This will help remove loosened contamination and remove any excess clay bar residue.

The direction of application isn't really a factor when the surface is properly prepped. You can go left to right or up or down to play it safe. Just keep in mind if there is contamination on your applicator pad, clay bar, etc. you'll create imperfections in the direction you're applying the product.

We're only 1 business day away since we're in NY as well. If you haven't ordered yet, PM me for a discount.

Let me know if there's anything else I can help with.

George