Which comes first? Polish or wax???

Boost or bust · 05-27-2018, 05:00 PM

Finally ready to wax and polish my ZL1. Confused! After a good wash and dry, do I first polish and then wax? I’ve built engines, won trophies at drag race contests and saved the world (&#128512

but am not sure on this! So EXCUSE me!

Glen e · 05-27-2018, 05:03 PM

Think about it for a bit. What you are doing with polish is prepping the surface so that it's smoother ( and therefore more reflective )for anything else you put on. So therefore you polish first, and then you wax or seal. The wax or seal doesn't really make anything shiny, it just protects the reflectivity of the surface now that you have polished.

kodiakk · 05-30-2018, 06:02 PM

Hey Glen, Thanks for your wisdom and advice. Right now I am on a very tight budget so please forgive my questions. I would love to buy all the products but cant just now. I will eventually. My 2 biggest questions are dawn will remove all my junk and all I have right now is a 6 inch orbital little polisher. will that work or should I stay with hand application. I thank God guys like you are out there as a lot of them are so confusing I am afraid to even try most of what they say. Thanks again.

Glen e · 05-30-2018, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kodiakk

Hey Glen, Thanks for your wisdom and advice. Right now I am on a very tight budget so please forgive my questions. I would love to buy all the products but cant just now. I will eventually. My 2 biggest questions are dawn will remove all my junk and all I have right now is a 6 inch orbital little polisher. will that work or should I stay with hand application. I thank God guys like you are out there as a lot of them are so confusing I am afraid to even try most of what they say. Thanks again.

Dawn and then 50/50 rubbing alcohol/water should get everything off, yes, its safe.

Stick with the hand application until you get a real live polisher like a porter cable or griots 6 inch, a med fosm pad and learn how to use it. Plenty of vids on you tube and autogeek on how to use. Practice on another car first ....trust me it's not rocket science.

Click on the detailer link in my signature and start reading the documents. They are written for exactly people like you and numbered. No gobbledygook just an easy way to do things. Many detailers make this entirely too hard.

kodiakk · 05-30-2018, 06:22 PM

Thanks Glen, yes I have read all documents and will follow as close to the letter as I can. Thanks so much my friend. Not sure where to get rubbing alcohol but will find some I am sure. Im thinking I didn't get all the polish buffed before I applied the wax, hence the blotchiness. Sound possible to you ?

Glen e · 05-30-2018, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kodiakk

Thanks Glen, yes I have read all documents and will follow as close to the letter as I can. Thanks so much my friend. Not sure where to get rubbing alcohol but will find some I am sure. Im thinking I didn't get all the polish buffed before I applied the wax, hence the blotchiness. Sound possible to you ?

Yup.... rubbing alcohol any Walgreens or CVS , any %… Don't overthink this… Most blotchiness comes from something interfering with the wax thats already on the surface.

kodiakk · 05-30-2018, 07:24 PM

sorry Glen, cant help overthinking. Do I mix the dawn in the alcohol water mix or use the mix for a rinse.

Glen e · 05-30-2018, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kodiakk

sorry Glen, cant help overthinking. Do I mix the dawn in the alcohol water mix or use the mix for a rinse.

Dawn wash and dry....

THEN

Alcohol water is a mix in a spray bottle, spray and WIPE OFF

kodiakk · 05-30-2018, 08:10 PM

Thanks Glen, Got it, I hope he he.

Markoz28 · 05-30-2018, 08:20 PM

I would have asked all the same questions if I hadn’t already watched about 1000 YouTube videos. I’ve learned a lot over this year on detailing and polishing. Feeling even better about my DA polishing skills. Just waiting for some time and more practice to do a good polish on the zl1 and sealant.

kodiakk · 06-03-2018, 03:42 PM

Thanks for all the Advice Glen, My car is finally back to where it should be. I can sleep again. I will get a polisher just as soon as I can as that was an immense amount of work and would be even better with the right tools.

Markoz28 · 06-03-2018, 07:27 PM

Looks great!

kodiakk · 06-03-2018, 08:12 PM

Thanks Markoz28, I owe all the knowledge to Glen and the rest of the folks here. Saved my sanity and my Baby.

kodiakk · 06-04-2018, 07:39 PM

Ok so now that I have achieved my goal, going forward what do I do. I know I am only supposed to wash once a week but what products do I use now and how. Right now I have a polish, then a glaze and then a wax. I know you guys said Essance and then reload. What are they and I have found them at a detail store about an hour and a half away. should I go get them ?

05-27-2018, 05:03 PM	#2
Glen e Retired from Car mfrs.... Drives: 2LT RS/HR-V Join Date: May 2013 Location: /Fort Lauderdale Posts: 10,048	Think about it for a bit. What you are doing with polish is prepping the surface so that it's smoother ( and therefore more reflective )for anything else you put on. So therefore you polish first, and then you wax or seal. The wax or seal doesn't really make anything shiny, it just protects the reflectivity of the surface now that you have polished. __________________ Glen CLICK HERE for detailing a new car: detailing for non detailers CLICK HERE for how to rinseless CLICK HERE for EASY wheel sealant

06-03-2018, 03:42 PM	#11
kodiakk Drives: 2017 Camaro SS FIFTY Join Date: Jul 2017 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 51	Thank You Thanks for all the Advice Glen, My car is finally back to where it should be. I can sleep again. I will get a polisher just as soon as I can as that was an immense amount of work and would be even better with the right tools. Attached Images

05-27-2018, 05:00 PM	#1
Boost or bust Drives: 2018 ZL1 M6 Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: CA Posts: 301	Which comes first? Polish or wax??? Finally ready to wax and polish my ZL1. Confused! After a good wash and dry, do I first polish and then wax? I’ve built engines, won trophies at drag race contests and saved the world (&#128512 but am not sure on this! So EXCUSE me!

05-30-2018, 06:02 PM	#3
kodiakk Drives: 2017 Camaro SS FIFTY Join Date: Jul 2017 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 51	Hey Glen, Thanks for your wisdom and advice. Right now I am on a very tight budget so please forgive my questions. I would love to buy all the products but cant just now. I will eventually. My 2 biggest questions are dawn will remove all my junk and all I have right now is a 6 inch orbital little polisher. will that work or should I stay with hand application. I thank God guys like you are out there as a lot of them are so confusing I am afraid to even try most of what they say. Thanks again.

05-30-2018, 06:22 PM	#5
kodiakk Drives: 2017 Camaro SS FIFTY Join Date: Jul 2017 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 51	Thanks Glen, yes I have read all documents and will follow as close to the letter as I can. Thanks so much my friend. Not sure where to get rubbing alcohol but will find some I am sure. Im thinking I didn't get all the polish buffed before I applied the wax, hence the blotchiness. Sound possible to you ?

05-30-2018, 07:24 PM	#7
kodiakk Drives: 2017 Camaro SS FIFTY Join Date: Jul 2017 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 51	sorry Glen, cant help overthinking. Do I mix the dawn in the alcohol water mix or use the mix for a rinse.

05-30-2018, 08:10 PM	#9
kodiakk Drives: 2017 Camaro SS FIFTY Join Date: Jul 2017 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 51	Thanks Glen, Got it, I hope he he.

05-30-2018, 08:20 PM	#10
Markoz28 Drives: 18 ZL1 nightfall grey A10 Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: RGV Texas Posts: 1,527	I would have asked all the same questions if I hadn’t already watched about 1000 YouTube videos. I’ve learned a lot over this year on detailing and polishing. Feeling even better about my DA polishing skills. Just waiting for some time and more practice to do a good polish on the zl1 and sealant.

06-03-2018, 07:27 PM	#12
Markoz28 Drives: 18 ZL1 nightfall grey A10 Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: RGV Texas Posts: 1,527	Looks great!

06-03-2018, 08:12 PM	#13
kodiakk Drives: 2017 Camaro SS FIFTY Join Date: Jul 2017 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 51	Thanks Markoz28, I owe all the knowledge to Glen and the rest of the folks here. Saved my sanity and my Baby.

06-04-2018, 07:39 PM	#14
kodiakk Drives: 2017 Camaro SS FIFTY Join Date: Jul 2017 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 51	Ok so now that I have achieved my goal, going forward what do I do. I know I am only supposed to wash once a week but what products do I use now and how. Right now I have a polish, then a glaze and then a wax. I know you guys said Essance and then reload. What are they and I have found them at a detail store about an hour and a half away. should I go get them ?

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