The finished product of waxing my car (first time ever waxed any car!)

[theonlynameleft]

Ahh I love it, however I do feel I could get much better results, I did this by hand and without any tool.

Keep in mind this is my first time ever waxing a vehicle, my other car for the winter (civic) is sitting at the other house now. I have only had this 128i cabriolet for a month come this friday.

Car wash/Soap used:

Meguiar's Gold Class

Wax:

Auto Glym High-Definition Wax


Would one of those buffing/polishing tools do a much better job? These pics are of the day AFTER I waxed it as it was just too dark to take pictures but when I got up in the morning I was happy to see the shine


Here they are:



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[sonus]

Sweet Looks pretty shiny.

From what I understand (I'm a detailing noob myself), applying wax with a buffer might make the process go a little faster but shouldn't have much of an effect on the finished product. It should turn out shiny either way.

I've only waxed by hand so far, and I do own a PC 7424XP. Maybe I'll try it by machine one day. It seems like it might make the big panels go faster, but then you have to stop and do all the little nooks and crannies by hand, so it might work out the same in the end.

I don't have my 128 yet (PCD in August!!), but here's my WRX washed and waxed (and for sale):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dceddia...7626666924503/

I used Meguiars Gold Class soap and P21S 100% Carnauba Wax.

[theonlynameleft]

Originally Posted by sonus

Sweet Looks pretty shiny.

From what I understand (I'm a detailing noob myself), applying wax with a buffer might make the process go a little faster but shouldn't have much of an effect on the finished product. It should turn out shiny either way.

I've only waxed by hand so far, and I do own a PC 7424XP. Maybe I'll try it by machine one day. It seems like it might make the big panels go faster, but then you have to stop and do all the little nooks and crannies by hand, so it might work out the same in the end.

I don't have my 128 yet (PCD in August!!), but here's my WRX washed and waxed (and for sale):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dceddia...7626666924503/

I used Meguiars Gold Class soap and P21S 100% Carnauba Wax.

I'm definately picking that wax up for the next time I wax the car (once a month)


I might get a tool to do it but I'm very worried I'd damage the clear coat or something.

[Jayda]

I love the 100% carnauba wax. Newbie as well. My first wax was 2 coats of the stuff about 2 months ago. It still looks great (better than when I bought the car in fact). I also hand applied. It was simple and produced great results.

[sonus]

Originally Posted by Jayda

I love the 100% carnauba wax. Newbie as well. My first wax was 2 coats of the stuff about 2 months ago. It still looks great (better than when I bought the car in fact). I also hand applied. It was simple and produced great results.

I've only tried 1 coat so far. I really like that wax though. It's the second wax I've ever used. The first was Meguiars NXT 2.0, which I don't think shone as nicely and definitely wasn't as easy to buff off as P21S is.

[Kamal]

I'm not a newbie, but not a pro either.. sort of an amateur of sorts. I own a PC7424XP and it will make your life SOOO much easier and will save tons of time vs. hand application.

I think something for you all to keep in mind is that it may be better to apply a polymer sealant (Menzerna PowerLock sealant is what I've been using, but I'll probably try out BlackFire's sealant next) and then waxing on top of the sealed car. Waxes are great, but unless you are going to apply a wax frequently, I'd suggest a sealant, as they can last MONTHS vs. a couple of weeks for a wax. Also, look into claying, polishing, etc. The art of detailing can get addictive fast

[BlackjackMulligan]

Nice job! Wow, the first pic really accentuates the orange peel in BMW paint (not your fault!)

[theonlynameleft]

Originally Posted by BlackjackMulligan

Nice job! Wow, the first pic really accentuates the orange peel in BMW paint (not your fault!)

Yea I noticed that and was a little pissed off but you can't really tell unless looking at it on the right angle.

[theonlynameleft]

I forgot to ask, is it possible to correct the orange peel effect with buffing and polishing using tools? Or is it a permanent thing that only repainting the entire vehicle can fix?

[BlackjackMulligan]

Originally Posted by theonlynameleft

I forgot to ask, is it possible to correct the orange peel effect with buffing and polishing using tools? Or is it a permanent thing that only repainting the entire vehicle can fix?

The only way to fix existing orange peel is to wetsand and buff, something you definitely don't want to tackle yourself.

[KinoBoom]

Originally Posted by sonus

Sweet Looks pretty shiny.

From what I understand (I'm a detailing noob myself), applying wax with a buffer might make the process go a little faster but shouldn't have much of an effect on the finished product. It should turn out shiny either way.

I've only waxed by hand so far, and I do own a PC 7424XP. Maybe I'll try it by machine one day. It seems like it might make the big panels go faster, but then you have to stop and do all the little nooks and crannies by hand, so it might work out the same in the end.

I don't have my 128 yet (PCD in August!!), but here's my WRX washed and waxed (and for sale):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dceddia...7626666924503/

I used Meguiars Gold Class soap and P21S 100% Carnauba Wax.

I love WRX's but i ended up with the 135 instead.

[KinoBoom]

Has anyone used a product called KLASSE? It is an acrylic polish that bonds with the clear coat. I have been using it on my cars for over 6 years and love it.

[Kamal]

Originally Posted by KinoBoom

Has anyone used a product called KLASSE? It is an acrylic polish that bonds with the clear coat. I have been using it on my cars for over 6 years and love it.

Klasse All-In-One? I haven't used it, but it's supposed to be easy to use and long-lasting (6 months-year).