Chromedragon,

Watermarks there are two type.....

Above surface
Below surface

Sounds like your waterspots are below and the only way to eliminate these are by method of machine correction. When they are below the surface, kind of like a crater...the areas must be leveled out and the stain removed. Followed by a thorough polish then a wax or sealing.....

 

I have an anthro site xk 8. it has many hairline scratches on the hood. "BLACKBox" was recommended what do you think
?

 

N8mobiles,

Here is my suggestion....as I am not familiar with "BlackBox"

Hairline scratches whether mild, moderate or severe require correction before applying your LSP - Last Step Protection - For the best results polishing these surface defects should be acomplished first and then your "BlackBox" product or LSP of choice.

These fine scratches are alot like the grooves on a record, therefore optically it is not as shiny or true since the light refracts off these scratches. Once these scratches are corrected, or leveled out...you then have a completey smooth and flat finish which can then be waxed or sealed for the optimum shine and gloss.

Hopefully this makes sense to you....

Wash
Correct
Polish
Wax
Maintain

 

Black Box - Turtle Wax
It has black pigment in all three phases. Lots of towels needed, but it fills and and really covered a lot on my batmobile paint job, not sure what else is needed to prep before something like this product. Never did the clay stuff. Should I clay before these three steps? or is the prep good enough in the black box turtle wax kit?

 

Hey I have a few questions, I have an S-Type with the Midnight blue color which is gorgeous when its clean but a pain in the butt to up-keep lol. The color shows everything! swirl marks, small scratches, a day after being washed the car already is covered in dust and it shows (could be more noticeable to me) but I currently wash it myself every week, I used microfiber towels, rinse it wipe of the dirt rinse again dry and then I use a McGuires spray on wax which I also use MCguires leather cleaner inside... What do you think of these products and what can I do to make the swirl and scratches less severe?

 

N8mobiles,

Using products like this remind me of shoe polish or infomercials....

In delivering a true and flawless detail, no smoke and mirror or hiding of defects are involved. No colored or extensive dyes used in the products either, therefore what you see is what you get. Correction must be provided first, then polishing to feed the paint with oils and eliminate micro marring, then wax or seal for the ultimate depth and gloss.....

Just remember the steps....

Clean - Wash>Clay(Or Nanotowel much easier than clay)
Correct - Eliminate surface defects, oxidation, contamination
Polish - Eliminates micro scratches and feeds the paint to give depth
Wax - Seals and protects the paintwork
Maintain - In between washing and waxing using a QD

Hope this helps...

Cheers!



gavinw35...Thank you for sharing your process.....

I might recommend the following.....

At some point a polishing sounds like winner for what your describing....Your washing techniques are awesome and right on, but many times the vehicle just needs a jeweling or polishing, nothing extensive but just to bring that "Pop" back.

The products that you are using are great, but keep in mind all you are doing with the spray on wax is covering up any defects until its washed again. Once the vehicle is properly corrected and maintained, I really like using Meguiar's D156 Xpress Spray Wax.....Leaves black/dark vehicles looking "WET"

If you have a d/a, clay and an assortment of pads.....try some Meguiar's M205 or some Adams Fine Machine Polish with a polishing pad to correct some of the fine hairline scratches and cobwebbing first, then use your wax or sealant of choice with a finishing pad. I like either Meguiar's 21 or Adams American for the LSP, both deliver stunning results.

 

[QUOTE=Innovative Detailing;489921]N8mobiles,

Using products like this remind me of shoe polish or infomercials....

In delivering a true and flawless detail, no smoke and mirror or hiding of defects are involved. No colored or extensive dyes used in the products either, therefore what you see is what you get. Correction must be provided first, then polishing to feed the paint with oils and eliminate micro marring, then wax or seal for the ultimate depth and gloss.....

Just remember the steps....

Clean - Wash>Clay(Or Nanotowel much easier than clay)
Correct - Eliminate surface defects, oxidation, contamination
Polish - Eliminates micro scratches and feeds the paint to give depth
Wax - Seals and protects the paintwork
Maintain - In between washing and waxing using a QD

Hope this helps...

Cheers!





gavinw35...Thank you for sharing your process.....

I might recommend the following.....

At some point a polishing sounds like winner for what your describing....Your washing techniques are awesome and right on, but many times the vehicle just needs a jeweling or polishing, nothing extensive but just to bring that "Pop" back.

The products that you are using are great, but keep in mind all you are doing with the spray on wax is covering up any defects until its washed again. Once the vehicle is properly corrected and maintained, I really like using Meguiar's D156 Xpress Spray Wax.....Leaves black/dark vehicles looking "WET"

If you have a d/a, clay and an assortment of pads.....try some Meguiar's M205 or some Adams Fine Machine Polish with a polishing pad to correct some of the fine hairline scratches and cobwebbing first, then use your wax or sealant of choice with a finishing pad. I like either Meguiar's 21 or Adams American for the LSP, both deliver stunning results

Thank you, much appriciated! Will try it out

 

I am considering buying a PC 7424XP and I saw some people complain about it being a bit rough to handle at higher speeds. Then I saw someone selling a couterweight for this particular model. Do you use one, or would it just cause it to spin without the "random" part of the orbital?

Thanks.

 

Buying a PC 7424XP is a smart investment if you are a hands on enthusiast. I have been using one for many years, before that was the first gen PC 7424. You will be surprised what you can acomplish by just adjusting with your pads and products...

I have also purchased a counterweight as well but have never had to use it. Its just one of those sensations that you either will get use to or you will hate it. I have recently purchased a new Flex rotational polisher, costs about triple what the PC costs but "Wow" is it effective!

Have a great day!

 

Thanks Dave. I actually saw some product specs on this and apparently it comes with a counter weight. I currently own a Turtle brand buffer/polisher. It's 10" and a little too big for getting into the smaller areas. I've used sanders and polishers in the past and don't mind the vibrations. I find the more you let the machine do it's job and just guide it gently the less it hurts later.
thanks again.

 

Bought my Jag three months ago and thought I knew about keeping a car clean. Wrong. Jeeez, I didn't even know about claying. Spent a great deal of time reading this forum and watching the youtube links. After much research I bought the PC 7424XP with a number of different pads. I could not believe the results I got with this machine...and this is from a complete novice. I did buy and use clay bars and also bought the NanoSkin from Dave. Even as a newbie, I saw a difference with the NanoSkin. I did try it on the missus' SUV first tho.

I am sold on Dave's stuff and the PC 7424XP.

I have no affiliation with either...simply very satisfied and wanted to share.

Best,

 

Hi Dave,
I recently bought a XK8 which looks like it has had the clear coat resprayed. The hood and trunk lid have what appears to be surface damage caused by water drops or something similar hitting the surface before the clear coat dried.
I wet sanded a test area with 2000 grit and polished with some Turtle polishing compound that I had on hand, first with a wool bonnet on my 5" drill, and then by hand. I painted many cars years ago and can use the drill without causing damage, but have no intention of continuing that practice.
Anyway, this resulted in a satisfactory finish after using some scratch and swirl remover, and I would like your recommendation on how to proceed and what equipment I should buy.
Thank you, Ron
_________________________
'97 XK8 Conv Aquamarine

 

Dave,
When I first got my X-type, the seats were dirty so I cleaned it with too harsh of a chemical. Now the surface color is not as white (light oatmeal) as it once was. Can I get a leather paint that would restore the color. Who would have the matching paint?
Thanks so much!
Mark

 

Dave - Thanks for the thread. Any tips for correcting minor 'road rash' on the hood of my Jaguar? It's "Cardinal Red", which is a deeper red (almost burgundy) color and the tiny chips show as white. Appreciate any guidance you can offer.

My pleasure, you all are extremely welcome....

I would suggest a thorough wash, followed by a complete paint prep in which either clay or Nanoskin is used. Then you must inspect the paint closely and choose the right product and pad to either correct or polish the surfaces to clear up some of the grey/snow area you see. Much of this will be relieved and the paint gets polished.....then wipe off with IPA and check your results.

Using a fine "Mack" striping brush, use the factory touch up paint and fill the chips carefully. Allow to dry and follow up with your favorite LSP to seal up the paint. Using this type of a brush will allow you to fill the chips precisely vs the touch up brush in the bottle which is sloppy...

 

Thank you for the post and the question Ron....here is my advise.

I would recommend that you purchase one of the d/a's that are on the market with an assortment of foam pads. This will enable you to handle anything from minor to more aggressive scratches and apply your LSP all by machine..Adams Polishes has a great kit that they offer, and they make it very simple, each pad matches the product color...and the results are fabulous!

Just keep in mind the following steps...

Clean
Polish
Protect
Maintain

 

Mark,

Check with some local professionals in your area that specialize in leather and fabric color dying and repairs. Usually these are a quick fix, just unsure of their durability down the road. I have used them several times for small spot repairs or on vehicles that are being sold....Good luck!

 

Thanks, Dave. Buying a kit so that I have instructions to follow is just what I need. I'm many years behind on finish technique.
RJ__________________
97 XK8 Conv. 85K mi

 

Dave - I appreciate the tips. Did a couple of sample spots last night to check the results, and they look great. I'll complete the process this weekend to get that hood gleaming again!

 

For a longterm fix, what is a good source for OEM seat covers? Thanks!

 

I have to say i am surprised to see, nobody has brought up a question regarding the leather in the cars.

Dave, welcome aboard!

I recently bought a XF and would like to preserve the leather in the car, since it's everywhere.
I have always used McGuire's leather conditioner along with Lexol leather cleaner. But, i would like to step up to something that's not so generic.

For some reason Jaguar doesn't offer Hide Food any more, instead they sell just the cleaner, which i don't believe is going to cut it, since the leather has to be conditioned. I know that i can still purchase Conolly Leather Cleaner ( Connolly Leather Cleaner, Connolly Leather Conditioner, Connolly Leather Care, Conolly leather ), but i have heard the following from a Jaguar :
"The only recommended product for the seats is the leather cleaner that is provided with the vehicle and available as an accessory via Jaguar dealerships. It is sourced from the leather manufacturer and is designed to clean and protect the leather. We don't recommend hide food as our tests show that this can strip the lacquer from water based leathers.

The paragraph above was taken from here Daves Jaguar Pages - Recommended Leather Cleaner / Conditioner

It's few years old and i don't know if any of it has any merit to it. What are your thoughts on that?


Long story short, what type of leather conditioner do you recommend, that is safe to use on the leather in Jaguars? I have heard about Autoglym, supposedly, it's exclusive to Bentley.

Could you please provide some insight on this?


Thanks a bunch!!!