I have a car that has been in an outside storage for a six month period. What should I do to get it shine again when I return. What type of wax, detailing etc…
Wax doesn’t give it it’s shine…It’s the prep before you wax that does. Before you wax wash it good then use a good cleaner/polisher per directions…Then apply a good wax. The Cleaner and polisher may be done in two different steps or as one step.
I would suggest using a very mild cleaner/polisher. If that does not end up with what you want, you can try again. If you use a more aggressive product right off, there is no going back and it may remove some of what you want to save.
Frankly six months is not all that long. A lot depends on where it was outside If it was just over the fence from the steel mill, there is little hope for it. Not only is the paint shot, but you likely have serious rust issues, on the other hand in another area and it might need nothing more than rinsing off any dust on it.
I would wash it thoroughly, polish it, and then wax it. I like the polishes that are the same color as the paint, and Turtle Wax, even though it is cheap, does a great job.
Turtle wax gets a bad rap…and I don’t know why…It’s and EXCELLENT wax.
Because some people think a product that costs 3x as much has to be better. The best carpet spot cleaner I have ever seen comes from dollar tree.
First I’d try a good cleaning and wax job. If that doesn’t work, then you can consider slightly more aggressive approaches like polishing compound (not to be confused with wax, which is also often called car polish). An unpracticed person can do more harm than good with even mild abrasives.
I like NuFinish, but everyone seems to have their preference. In truth, any “brand name” car wax is good.
(not to be confused with wax, which is also often called car polish
There are car polishes (which I’m referring to) that are NOT a wax…In fact many of them will strip the wax off the car…Mothers, McGuires, Blue Coral make them…They will remove light oxidation and restore the paint…Then you apply a wax…I agree about the aggressive polish or rubbing compounds…Those are really only needed for the real bad paint problems…
Right. My point was to get the OP to understand the difference between polishes and wax. Unfortunately, it seems that the terms today are often misused. Polish is actually an extremely mild abrasive, a final microscopic “sanding” (for lack of a better term) as a final part of the painting process.
I’d try a cleaning and a wax job before moving to polishing. A beginner with polish and a polisher can turn a slightly dull finish into a swirly mess.