HAND Wax or Power tools?
Senior Member
Joined: 03-21-2011
Posts: 101
From: Hammond, Indiana
Still Fall Here
Sigh... I'm still stuck here in NW Indiana with fall like weather and wwwaaaayyyyy too much rain. I'm dying to get to the business of washing and waxing my HHR, but must wait for the right weather. I envy all of you who have already gotten to perform this sacred act. After I finally get to dress out my ride, I want to take some real nice pictures to post for all of you to see. Maybe another week or two. We'll see. Meantime I will continue to read the posts here and dream of the day.
Senior Member
Joined: 04-21-2007
Posts: 3,157
From: Anaheim Ca
Todd (uma)
Deceased
Joined: 06-30-2010
Posts: 25,739
From: Kannapolis NC
By hand only, I've seen too much damage done to paint with buffers and the like. I've de-swirled so many cars over the years that the sight of a buffer makes me queasy and irritable, in the hands of an expert they can do wonders, in the hands of an amateur...oh Lord!
Senior Member
Joined: 11-11-2009
Posts: 246
From: York PA, and Clarkesville TN
Here is the dilema: Last year, I took my HHR to a proffesional
Detail Shop. I had them pop out any small dents they could find & do a real good wax job. I wanted my car to have a smooth body! And I didnt want to do it myself. When I picked up my HHR the guy starts telling me about all the trouble he had with the hood. I look & it's got these BIG swirl marks in the finish. He says he had to buff & re-buff the hood & he still could not get these ugly swirl marks out of the finish. He says he's never had this trouble waxing a car before, yadda- yadda.
Detail Shop. I had them pop out any small dents they could find & do a real good wax job. I wanted my car to have a smooth body! And I didnt want to do it myself. When I picked up my HHR the guy starts telling me about all the trouble he had with the hood. I look & it's got these BIG swirl marks in the finish. He says he had to buff & re-buff the hood & he still could not get these ugly swirl marks out of the finish. He says he's never had this trouble waxing a car before, yadda- yadda.I read on another thread the problems GM has with paint, but I don't know enough about it to comment on whether or not that is alos the case with our hoods?
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: 05-13-2009
Posts: 466
From: Western North Carolina
it was close!
I made it home with just a couple sprinkles hitting my car. I finished off the wax job last night while the rain poured down outside the garage. This morning dawns dry & clear. Excellent!!
Senior Member
Joined: 07-12-2007
Posts: 690
From: Republic of Texas
Well, he isn't totally lying to you. GM's newer vehicles does have paint that is easily marred. My process:
Foamed with gold class and super soap mix
Wash-2 bucket method, with grit guards
Clayed with ONR
Re-wash
Blow dry with leaf blower
blot dry with water magnets.
PC 7424xp
M105/LC orange pad
M205/LC orange pad
M07/LC blue pad
M26/LC white pad
HD on wheel wells
UP on trim/black plastics
Hot shine on tires
That is just the outside....I am actually in the process of doing this today, 5 Hours in..I am on step 3...
Foamed with gold class and super soap mix
Wash-2 bucket method, with grit guards
Clayed with ONR
Re-wash
Blow dry with leaf blower
blot dry with water magnets.
PC 7424xp
M105/LC orange pad
M205/LC orange pad
M07/LC blue pad
M26/LC white pad
HD on wheel wells
UP on trim/black plastics
Hot shine on tires
That is just the outside....I am actually in the process of doing this today, 5 Hours in..I am on step 3...