Educate me. White Ram deep shine

So i dont want to brake the bank but i want to detail my white ram. Whats the best method and products on a budget?

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Use Dawn dish washing liquid to wash it. Dawn will break down and wash away any existing wax.

Then use a Clay Bar to deep clean and get rid of all surface contaminates. If you've never used a Clay Bar, you'll be impressed at how smooth your paint is after you use one.

Wax from there and this is where you are going to get MANY opinions.

Lately I have been using Mequiar's Ultimate. I use to be a Zaino guy and the results were awesome but there are quite a few steps to Zaino and it literally would take all day. Looking to make things a bit easier I started reading many reviews and Mequiar's Ultimate was always being compared to Zaino. Since it is about 1/4 of the price I decided to try it and I have to say that I am very happy with it. I won't say it is exact to Zaino but it is pretty darn close with just one coat.

Another popular one that I see is Collonite 845. It was not created in the beginning for cars, it was created for the electrical industry but the car industry loves it. It goes on real easy like the Mequiar's Ultimate. Collonite also makes 476 in paste form that is supposed to last a year, whereas 845 says for 5 months.

There are many other solutions but it does start to get pricey like Cquartz and Optimum. The process to use them should however be left in a professional's hand unless you really know what you are doing when it comes to prepping paint.

Dawn dish soap!???? Ive always been told to use actual car wash soap and that dawn was way to harsh.

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Please read some of the above "Sticky's" and then if you have any specific product or application questions we can try to answer them.
Dawn can be used the first time you wash, but as a every week wash I'd use a car wash soap.
Jay

Do i need to be using something like this? Meguiars white wax.

http://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-G6107-White-Wax-Paste/dp/B009OBW23O

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CC12RamLove said:

Dawn dish soap!???? Ive always been told to use actual car wash soap and that dawn was way to harsh.

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I should have been a little more wordy.

Dawn should ONLY be used if you are clay barring. It is way too harsh for regular washing but is great when you need to strip all of the wax off.

I personally use Zaino Z-7 for regular washes. There are plenty of other products out there that are just as gentle.

CC12RamLove said:

Do i need to be using something like this? Meguiars white wax.

http://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-G6107-White-Wax-Paste/dp/B009OBW23O

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It really depends on your paint condition. Your info says a 2012 so I can't imagine your paint being that bad. I would highly recommend using a clay bar, you will be pleasantly surprised with how clean your paint actually gets and then follow up with a good wax.

You can reference my thread and how my truck has turned out. Click the link my sig.

CC12RamLove said:

Do i need to be using something like this? Meguiars white wax.

Amazon.com: Meguiar's G6107 White Wax Paste - 7 oz.: Automotive

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Must have gone right over this post. My buddy used this sort of color matched product for his SC300. It didn't work very well at covering damage, and was a bear to get off. Not sure if he applied it correctly, but it was a process.

This 18"x18" area was after about 2 minutes of working my aggressive cutting pad.


Here is the color matched wax (2 weeks old) on the left vs a cutting compound alone on the right.


I recommend fixing any sort of light scratching instead of trying to cover them!

Chemical guys white light works great I use it on my white RAM wash it then apply white light and a wax of your choice

How difficult is using a clay bar? I have always been nervous to try it out.

Here is my 2 canadian cts worth..Im no pro but based on my reading its best to give truck a really good wash with dish soap mentioned...Clay bar(simple,keep surface lubed and rub truck with minimal pressure)then use a sealer then wax...
Over the yrs i just been giveing a good wash/claybar(twice a summer) and useing the turtle wax brand stuff called ice.....With my Very 1st brand new truck ill be looking deeper into detailing it..

Even professional detailer's would recommend to use a clay bar.

Once the weather warms up a bit then it's clay bar time. With two vehicles to do I will need to dedicate a solid weekend for this.

Cheeze.....Dont forget some wobbley pops to..

I would say wash the truck.
Use IronX to decontaminate.
Use clay bar or clay mitt(much faster) with good clay lube.
Wash car again with good car soap. (not kind with waxes in it)
Dry.
Polish paint or compound then polish if you have scratches or swirl marks.
Then use a panel prep to get all the polishing residue off.
After all that work I would recommend a sealant or coating to preserve your hard work.
Then top with wax if you wish. Not required.

I used gtechniq Crystal Serum topped with Exo V2 on my truck. Hydro2 on Rims and fender wells. Optimum to seal the glass after polishing. Also once you have a coating future washes are a breeze. You could even go to a waterless or rinseless wash to save even more time.

craigsez said:

Cheeze.....Dont forget some wobbley pops to..

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HAHA. I had to google what that meant. I was reading this thinking, "What in the world is a Wobbly Pop?"

And yes, most definitely.


Joshwaa, Are clay mitts a good option? Amazon reviews were mixed on them

Cheese said:

HAHA. I had to google what that meant. I was reading this thinking, "What in the world is a Wobbly Pop?"

And yes, most definitely.


Joshwaa, Are clay mitts a good option? Amazon reviews were mixed on them

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I would think clay mitts are only a gimmick for saving your fingers from having to hold the bar. I use regular clay bars, but remember you only need about 1/2 a clay bar to start with and it should last the entire truck.

If you're nervous about doing it I'd get on youtube and watch Adam's claybar video or even search AMMO NYC. The guy who does AMMO NYC does SUPER informative detailing videos but his products are really expensive. I personally have been using Adam's stuff and like the way they color code stuff. For example, the wax applicator is yellow and so is the liquid wax, so you know what goes with what. They color coordinate nearly all the polishing and waxing products so it makes it easy to never use multiple products on an applicator. I'm sure other companies do this too, but I've had good luck with Adam's products and also think they smell better than a lot of other stuff I've bought in the past.

Thanks. I may need to place an order with Adams. I have always heard great things about the company and products.

Cheese said:

Thanks. I may need to place an order with Adams. I have always heard great things about the company and products.

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I'd search their website using the link below and see if their is a place near you that carries their products, waiting on shipping sucks sometimes. I have ordered over $300 of stuff in past two weeks and just found out there is a guy 20 minutes away who has their stuff. While my orders had free shipping due to the amount spent, it definitely would save you a few bucks if you spend less than $100, or don't like waiting on deliveries like me.

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