07 Shelby Best Waxes/Polishes

[Secondo]

I have a black GT and the best wax I've used so far is ZYMOL. It lasts a long time too. I also use 'Simoniz Liquid Diamond' in between waxings before a car show.

[SexyStang]

I use Maguire's Wax twice a year in the Spring and then again in the Fall. In between I use the Simoniz Liquid Polish to keep it looking Glossy!!! The Maguire's Wax gives my car a 'Deeper Red Shine'!! :happy feet:

[SLB8SNK]

thanks italian stallion,you must be of italian backround like me!!!! i love your red stripe option gt500.that would have been my choice too,but not offered in nov 2006 when i put my order in for my colour. my car would be easy to convert though as i have the same interior (red/black) as you. just would have to add red stripes and red emblems/red cobra floor mats. i will just leave it as it is now. p.s.- yes RUSH does rock,i have seen them 3 times in concert.

 

100% Italian here as well, what is it with us and Black fast cars ha-ha! So stereotypical

[gennyr1]

I have a black GT and the best wax I've used so far is ZYMOL. It lasts a long time too. I also use 'Simoniz Liquid Diamond' in between waxings before a car show.

 

 

 

A buddy of mine uses the 37% carnauba Zymol wax (Carbon?) and swears by it. But at $50 it's a little pricey. (He uses it on his Vettes but I don't hold that against him) Of course, if money's not an issue, you can always go with one of the top end Zymol's for $500 a jar. And if you really must have the best, they have a 22oz jar for $1800. Of course it's refillable for life, so....

 

Anyway, I have heard good things about Zymol. I'm sure I'll try it in the future.

[str8black500]

Does anyone use the California blade for drying their car? I was wondering how that does, especially with leaving scratches.

 

Also anyone using the california duster on a black car, have you noticed if it leaves little scratches behind after dusting? I was wondering about that as well.

[rpretzel]

ZAINO

:happy feet:

[chuckstang]

I used Turtle Wax Ice, and while it is very easy to apply and you can use it on your plastic as well, the finished result is not very good. It is very greasy, filmy, and very hard to buff all of it off.

 

Honestly though, that is problem with most waxes you buy over the counter, but I was not impressed and may not use it again. If I do, I will try using very little but I go the liquid form and it was impossible to spread evenly on the car without using a decent amount of product.

[ItalianStallion]

I use Maguire's Wax twice a year in the Spring and then again in the Fall. In between I use the Simoniz Liquid Polish to keep it looking Glossy!!! The Maguire's Wax gives my car a 'Deeper Red Shine'!! :happy feet:

 

 

Thanks sexystang, secondo, rpretzel, str8black500, gennyr1, and dans500.

 

All your rides shine like the sun, lots of good waxes/polishes out there.

Thanks for your input and keep the advice coming.

 

ItalianStallion

[chuckstang]

Does anyone use the California blade for drying their car? I was wondering how that does, especially with leaving scratches.

 

Also anyone using the california duster on a black car, have you noticed if it leaves little scratches behind after dusting? I was wondering about that as well.

 

I use the blade and while I feel like it will scratch when it hits a dry part, it never has, just don't go to fast with it.

 

The duster works great for removing dust but it leaves a film behind on your paint, so therefore I do not use it. I use instant detail spray by Mothers for quick clean ups. The duster makes a mess, but does remove dust well. Sometime I will use the duster first, than instant shine detailer

[ItalianStallion]

After bringing mine home from the dealer I washed once with Dawn to remove whatever the dealer put on, then again with regular car wash. Then clay-barred it, polished with Meguiar's deep crystal polish, then NXT tech wax. I've detailed once more since then (only about 4 weeks afterwards) and that time I applied two coats of NXT tech wax and final coat of Meguiar's #26 Hi-Tech Yellow Wax (Carnauba + silicones and polymers). Not sure all that was necessary, but it does look nice now. (Much better than when I brought it home) I use a calif duster and then Meguiar's Ultimate Quik Detailer in between washes. (I use Meguiar's gold class car wash)

 

I do have some very light scratches that can only be seen in bright light, but are there nonetheless. Of course, with a black car, I think just driving it seems to add new ones you can see. At some point I'll get a PC and really deep polish it, but I think you could do that forever and still never be completely scratch or swirl free for long. (Unless you don't drive it)

 

I've gravitated to Meguiar's because they work well for me on the black paint, are readily available in stores, and are inexpensive compared to other high end products. You can also find a lot of great information in the Meguiar's forums and online tech help. Meguiar's also sells some good quality MF and cotton towels. I too use a lot of them when doing a complete detail.

 

+1 on RUSH.

 

Thanks gennyr1 for your advice and help with my black paint. keep on rockin' with RUSH

 

 

ItalianStallion

[chuckstang]

Mr. Clean car wash system is a joke.

 

The soap is not of high quality and does not do a good job of actually cleaning the car and definitely does not dry spot free like they say.

 

I use Meguires gold class soap and hand dry, but I drive it into the garage now first, because beware of the sun! I have a dam water spot that got burned into my finish

[ItalianStallion]

Mr. Clean car wash system is a joke.

 

The soap is not of high quality and does not do a good job of actually cleaning the car and definitely does not dry spot free like they say.

 

I use Meguires gold class soap and hand dry, but I drive it into the garage now first, because beware of the sun! I have a dam water spot that got burned into my finish

 

 

Darn Sun. Yea....keeping things cooler is alot better. Someone else mentioned they also use

Meguires gold class soap....good idea...I'll try it. Have been using something like it,

with a name like Meguires its gotta be good.

 

 

ItalianStallion

[regalt87]

Has any one used that 5 star treatment? There sales pitch sounds impressive but you can't go by that.

[chuck]

Has any one used that 5 star treatment? There sales pitch sounds impressive but you can't go by that.

 

I'm not much for posting, but thought I'd chime in on this thread. My last car was an '05 GT. Before I brought it home I had the dealer buff out any/all swirl marks on the body. When they were done it had made a world of difference. I then used the Mr. Clean system - just the ionized filter, never tried their soap - every time I washed the car. It dried perfectly each and every time. I also have well water with high iron content and chenged the ionized filter every 3-4 washings instead of the 10 or so they recommend. Current car is a torch red '07 GT500 coupe. I'm using the same Mr. Clean filter with the same results.

 

I also read a review on Turtle Wax ICE products out on another site., They gave it rave reviews, so I tried it on the GT500. The liquid clay bar and wax both go on easy and rub off easy, with no leftover residue. I'm not sure about the quality of this product, but the car sure does look good.

[raw power]

I use the blade and while I feel like it will scratch when it hits a dry part, it never has, just don't go to fast with it.

 

The duster works great for removing dust but it leaves a film behind on your paint, so therefore I do not use it. I use instant detail spray by Mothers for quick clean ups. The duster makes a mess, but does remove dust well. Sometime I will use the duster first, than instant shine detailer

The "film" you're referring to is the wax that is on the cloth. If the car is at all warm or you are dusting it in the sun, the duster will leave streaks of very thin wax on the car. It is not harmful but it's a pain to remove. Just make sure the car is cool when you do it and it is great to use.

[gennyr1]

Does anyone use the California blade for drying their car? I was wondering how that does, especially with leaving scratches.

 

Also anyone using the california duster on a black car, have you noticed if it leaves little scratches behind after dusting? I was wondering about that as well.

 

 

I've just started using the blade. As far as I can tell it does not leave any scratches. (That assumes the car is clean, as by itself it shouldn't scratch, but any dirt it pushes may) Even with the blade however, there is still a fair amount of towel drying I do - all nooks and crannies - edges around mirrors, trunk, grill, etc. It saves some time, but not sure how much.

 

re: duster - also use that. Usually for a quick cleanup after a drive. I haven't noticed it scratching and I'm pretty gentle with it. I don't like to use a quick detailer when there's a lot of dust/brake dust on the car so I'll dust it before a spary and wipe. I'm afraid that could cause worse scratches. Again though, anything can cause fine scratches if you're not careful, including mitts, towels, MFs...

[brianspony]

Meguiars NXT did a nice job on my Alloy.

[raw power]

I've just started using the blade. As far as I can tell it does not leave any scratches. (That assumes the car is clean, as by itself it shouldn't scratch, but any dirt it pushes may) Even with the blade however, there is still a fair amount of towel drying I do - all nooks and crannies - edges around mirrors, trunk, grill, etc. It saves some time, but not sure how much.

 

re: duster - also use that. Usually for a quick cleanup after a drive. I haven't noticed it scratching and I'm pretty gentle with it. I don't like to use a quick detailer when there's a lot of dust/brake dust on the car so I'll dust it before a spary and wipe. I'm afraid that could cause worse scratches. Again though, anything can cause fine scratches if you're not careful, including mitts, towels, MFs...

+1 on the blade. I found that it was quicker just to hand dry the car. To many edges for the blade to work effectively, and I hated the feel of the rubber grabbing to the car. As previously noted, the duster works great IF the car is cool. If not it leaves wax marks not little scratches behind that are a pain to clean off.

[GT500FLYBOY]

Mr. Clean car wash system is a joke.

 

The soap is not of high quality and does not do a good job of actually cleaning the car and definitely does not dry spot free like they say.

 

I use Meguires gold class soap and hand dry, but I drive it into the garage now first, because beware of the sun! I have a dam water spot that got burned into my finish

 

How do we handle the water spots? I have them all over. Are they in the clear coat or the paint? I'm about ready to use polishing compound all over.

[aonebadbone]

I am the only one that uses Adams Polishes.

Doesn't stain the black parts is easy to remove.

gives a deep shine and is extremely easy to use.

first detail spray to remove dust

second claybar to remove containments from paint

third apply polish with Porter Cable buffer. I got mine at Lowes for 109 bucks.

forth wax on wax off. buf one more time to make sure that You have removed all the wax

finish with Brilliant Spray Glaze and let dry and wipe off

I also use micro fiber buffing pads on buffer.

Finish looks wet when dun Has a mirror like finish I can see myself in the paint.

Scared me half to death tho.

I have driven My car in the rain once on the way to Fabulous Fords Forever at Knotts Barry farm

so I had to wash My car. I was so sad. Other than that I have not washed My car.The more that You wipe them the more they scratch. The Ca. duster is great doesn't scratch the car however if You get a new one and don't leave it out on a paper than for a day then it will leave a residue on you're car. I rear that in the instructions.

[ItalianStallion]

I am the only one that uses Adams Polishes.

Doesn't stain the black parts is easy to remove.

gives a deep shine and is extremely easy to use.

first detail spray to remove dust

second claybar to remove containments from paint

third apply polish with Porter Cable buffer. I got mine at Lowes for 109 bucks.

forth wax on wax off. buf one more time to make sure that You have removed all the wax

finish with Brilliant Spray Glaze and let dry and wipe off

I also use micro fiber buffing pads on buffer.

Finish looks wet when dun Has a mirror like finish I can see myself in the paint.

Scared me half to death tho.

I have driven My car in the rain once on the way to Fabulous Fords Forever at Knotts Barry farm

so I had to wash My car. I was so sad. Other than that I have not washed My car.The more that You wipe them the more they scratch. The Ca. duster is great doesn't scratch the car however if You get a new one and don't leave it out on a paper than for a day then it will leave a residue on you're car. I rear that in the instructions.

 

 

Wow...I never knew this topic would garner so much attention. This is all great advice.

Are there really 4-5 steps to this stuff ?

 

ItalianStallion

[gennyr1]

Wow...I never knew this topic would garner so much attention. This is all great advice.

Are there really 4-5 steps to this stuff ?

 

ItalianStallion

 

 

Regardless of what products you use, I think Meguair's 5 step process is sound:

 

Step 1 Wash

Step 2 Clean

Step 3 Polish

Step 4 Protect

Step 5 Maintain

 

You would probably only do this once or twice a year (though the more fanatical may do it more often). You'll spend most of the time in Maintain which is washing, dusting, and spray and wipe type activities.

 

Also, with a new car, cleaning may be optional. Though I have clay-barred new cars, including my GT500. For polish, I use one with no abrasives as I'm not looking to remove any paint layers (yet). But you do want to polish as that is what will be treating your paint surface, keeping it from drying out and making it shine. Protecting is wax with natural or synthetic sealer. You can/should wax periodically.

 

I'm not professional detailer by any means, but I've spent some time doing this stuff, and this system makes sense to me. You can also find great advice on some of the Meguiar's forums. I've also found the autopia site interesting and informative. (www.autopia-carcare.com) Soon you'll be dreaming of DAs!

 

Hope this helps.

 

Rob

[Luckyguy]

Please let us know what you think of the ice when your done.

 

I have a "white" GT500 and the Turtle Wax Ice is a polish that works well for shine and hopefully protection, but it's not really wax. I just applied it Saturday and it looks pretty good.

 

If you encounter streaking with Ice then go back over the areas with a damp cloth to buff out the streaks. It is probably more difficult to see imperfections on polished/waxed surfaces on a white car than a black car. I would say like any wax, or polish it applies better and easier with practice and good technique. A good wax might last longer, but you have to be careful with a some waxes since they could ruin the Shelby's clear-coat.

 

The main thing you can see on a white Shelby that you probably cannot see as well on a darker color is the little micro-specs of brake dust that are very difficult to remove everywhere on the car. Harsh soap can breakdown polish and wax, so you have to be careful what you use in my opinion. I think it helps to wash the brake dust off as soon as it accumulates, which mean all the time. Brake pads that stop well and do not make this excessive dust would help.

[jcthorne]

Mr. Clean car wash system is a joke.

 

The soap is not of high quality and does not do a good job of actually cleaning the car and definitely does not dry spot free like they say.

 

I use Meguires gold class soap and hand dry, but I drive it into the garage now first, because beware of the sun! I have a dam water spot that got burned into my finish

 

 

I just bought and thought to try the Mr Clean system this last weekend. i was board and truly ready to take it back when it did not work. I washed my F250 first. i was truly amazed. I folowed the directions to the letter except for still using a bucket for my microfiber sponge. I sprayed the MCW soap on the sponge and in the bucket as well as the car during the soap step. Anyway, after applying the spot free rinse the beads dissappeared and I moved the truck to the garage. 20 minutes later is was dry and 99% void of any water spots. Much better than when I use the Mr. Carwash place.

 

I washed the Shelby with the same results. When dry I used a microfiber towel and a little quick detailer to get the very few water spots that remained.

 

I was impressed. Took FAR less time to wash the vehicles that the old way and almost NO time spent on the drying part. I was truly ready to hate this gimick but think I will keep it. Is the end result a car show ready vehicle? No, but its pretty close and the touch ups really took just a couple minutes.

 

I was worried about the soap having stripped the wax, but sure enough it rained yesterday and the car beaded like always.

 

Has noone else used this and liked it? They sure seem to sell a bunch of the refills at our local wal mart. Have no idea how long the filters last but the soap seems about like they said (10 washes per bottle).

[aonebadbone]

I use it and I have a Durango and it is huge so this thing works good I don't have to spend time drying and less rubbing means less swirl marks.

The only problem I have is that the soap runs out if I don't keep upright on shelf and that sucks.

So I just put in enough to wash one car at a time.

Art

[Secondo]

How do we handle the water spots? I have them all over. Are they in the clear coat or the paint? I'm about ready to use polishing compound all over.

Make sure you dry your car with a towel before the sun does after washing it to keep the water spots from appearing. If you wash and dry your car and there are still water spots, I recommend waxing it with a cleaner wax. I use Zymol to keep my car's paint clean.

[TexasShelby]

Mr. Clean car wash system is a joke.

 

The soap is not of high quality and does not do a good job of actually cleaning the car and definitely does not dry spot free like they say.

 

I use Meguires gold class soap and hand dry, but I drive it into the garage now first, because beware of the sun! I have a dam water spot that got burned into my finish

 

Sorry to hear that Chuck. I use and it works great for me. Mostly because the soap isn't harsh and doesn't remove the wax and really for the filtered water, our water is terrible here. I do however always dry it completely and use invisible glass with a bar towel and micro cloth. And I don't drive mine in the rain, so I might feel different if mine had a lot of road sludge on it.

[TexasShelby]

How do we handle the water spots? I have them all over. Are they in the clear coat or the paint? I'm about ready to use polishing compound all over.

 

Make sure your completely washed and if you still have waterspots, see if they may be under your wax? Make sure it's in shade, dampen the end of a soft terry towel with white vinegar, rub lightly to remove a couple square inch area of the spots. If they come off very easy great...all you have to do wipe the clean car down with the vinegar and then reapply all you wax coats.

 

If the water is so hard that you can't remove those spots with vinegar, you may need to have a pro rebuff it. Just my opinion.

 

I use the Mr. Clean filtered water system and dry it with a "SPRITE" synthetic chamois. You can get them at NAPA for about 8 bucks or so and they last at least a decade. I have two. One for the bottom of the car and wheel wells and the other for the rest of the car. After every wash I always clean the chamios in RO water and store very damp in separate tennis ball tubes, sealed.

[venomus07GT500]

Ok guys and gals(that means you too sexystang). What do you use or think

is the best product to wax/polish your Shelby or Mustang ?

 

Give me your advice from the experience you've had in what you think

works best and provides the best protection/shine, especially for black paint.

 

Also, what kind of mit/cloth do you think is best when soaping up the car

in an effort to avoid swirl marks ?

 

I can use all the input I can get

 

Thanks,

ItalianStallion

 

 

BY FAR THE BEST IS WOLFGANG DEEP GLOOS PAINT SEALANT, FOLLOWED BY PINNACLE SOUVERIGN WAX

[brianspony]

I also use the Mr Clean for my car washes. Does a real nice job and I touch it up after with the the Meguiars Quick detail. Mr Clean and Meguiars works nicely on both my Alloy and my Tahoe Turquise.