2007 Black altima in need

[novs25]

I thought I knew how to detail cars until i came across blacksentra. I dont have many swirls and i was looking into getting the kit on autogeek with the xmt along with it.(recommend by the mod here [Only Registered Users Can See LinksClick Here To Register])

I did buy the pinnacle - wolfgang sourveran kit which includes pinnacle sourveran wax, wolfgang deep gloss paint sealant, wolfgang paintwork polish enhancer and wolf gang instant detail spritz.

Can I use any of these along side of the xmt kit.

My reason is because after this harsh chicago winter, i have some scuffs, scratches and swirls to take care of and thought i would invest in a nice buffer/polisher.

I am also in need of the following: 1.clay bar kit, 2. some good stuff to keep wheels nice and black and my rims nice and clean(like those sabb wheels), 3. a bucket with some good soup to wash the car.

I know this is a lot but I am gearing up a lot of summer washes

[blacksentra07]

I'm just going to run through your list and give my recommendations. These are by NO way the only products to choose from. There is just simply wayyyyyyy to many good products out there. (Btw, Autogeek is top notch and you won't be disappointed with ANY of those products.)

First off, great choice with the kit you already have. There's a reason why I have two jars of Souveran paste and a spray of every Pinnacle product there is!! haha.

If you listed everything that came with the kit, then you do not have any corrective polishes yet, therefore the PC kit would be perfect for you.

I would strongly recommend the kit you mentioned as a link. HOWEVER! I would contact AG, and replace the XMT Glaze with XMT #3. Therefore, you have XMT #1-#3. This shouldn't be a problem because XMT #3 and the glaze are the same price. Also, they put each "kit" together by hand anyways at their warehouse, so wouldn't be a big deal. I would also mention this in the "notes" section when you place your order and check out.

The reason I suggest to replace glaze with XMT #3 is for multiple reasons. XMT #2 is not all that powerful, so I'd get XMT #3 just in case you come across some heavier swirls or scratches. Also, the Wolfgang polish enhancer you already have is very similar to the XMT glaze, so no need for two virtually identical products.

I would also add the Green CCS Pad. My personal favorite for using paint cleaners and light polishes like XMT #1.
To me, this would be a very very good starter set with the products you have. To be honest, if I had to make an order for starters, it would look almost identical to yours.

Clay bar kits: The pinnacle kit is top notch. The clay is super fine compared to others like Meguiars, Mother's, and Clay magic. This is ideal clay for those who continually polishes and keeps their vehicle "clean" like myself. [Only Registered Users Can See LinksClick Here To Register]
If you don't plan on claying often, I'd recommend the DP kit because of value. 2 4oz. clay bars instead of one and more lube. [Only Registered Users Can See LinksClick Here To Register]

Wheel cleaner: DP Gel cleaner, P21S wheel cleaners, and Megs Wheel brightener diluted 4:1 are my faves. (P21S being the safest because it's citric and not acidic, however not as powerful and sometimes requires two sprayings)

Tire dressings: gels, gels, gels. That is all, haha. I prefer gels by far because of much longer durability. Just be sure to give an extra wipe off with an old towel after applied.
**A secret I like though: Armor All Tire Foam to clean the rubber - wipe off with an old towel - then apply Armor All Extreme Gel over this newly shined base. Great look and long durability.

Soaps: Wayyyy to many. My personal fave and the reason I have a gallon of it is Duragloss #901. Great cherry scent and suds like crazy.
Another extremely popular line are the Poorboy's line of washes.
AND of course, Pinnacle and Wolfgang as always. (IMHO though, there are some areas of detailing where Pinnacle and Wolfgang are simply too much, and this is one of them).




As always, have fun with detailing and don't make it into a pain! Anymore questions please ask!

[novs25]

Thanks alot. You are great. Now from what I mentioned and say I had the PC kit with xmt #1-3 and the products I had above what would be the process? Correct me if I am wrong!!!

1 - wash the car with the duragloss
2. dry with micro fiber towels
3. clay bar with pinnicle
4. XMT #3 or #2 depending on how bad
5.XMT #1
6. The wolfgang product you mentioned above
7. Then the Pinnicle wax

You have been a big help. I am little confused what pads to use when. I know AG explains it on the description for the PC kit. Where does the Green Pad come in play?

Also those buckets you have with the dirt things on the bottom - is there any where to get them a little cheaper then AG?

Thanks Alot Bud.

[blacksentra07]

That's right for the process.

You might want to even spray the car with a QD after washing just to make sure the surface is 100% clean. Obviously if you try and polish a car and get a grit dirt in the pad, it's not gonna turn out how you want.

The pads really vary. Generally, I'd start with the white pad and #3 polish, then move to orange pad if it's not cutting enough. If the car has never been polished and swirled, I'd start with orange and number 3.

#1 polish is extremly extremely fine. Probably one of the finnest nano polishes ever made. I generally use #2 and something like the white or green pad to finish off polishing.
I like to always use a "rougher" or "grittier" polish before changing to a rougher pad. So for instance, take #2 XMT with white pad. I like to go to #3 XMT and white pad rather than #2 XMT and orange pad. The rougher the pad you use, the more susceptible to micro marring you are. (tiny tiny "swirled" patters caused by the roughness of a pad). This is eliminated by gradually going down the polishing line to a fine polish and pad.

The green pad is great for cleaning the paint of old wax, light oxidation, or applying a glaze (such as XMT Glaze) before waxes. I would recommend using this product after polishing. You can either use with a green pad on speed 3.5-5 or apply by hand. The product is very runny, so when using machine it tends to soak up a lot of the XMT Glaze. Also, the glaze will help clean the paint from the polishes and add a light carnauba base coat as well as "fill" any light marring/swirls that may be left from polishing.

Top the glaze with Souveran Paste. Make sure to use a wax on wax off method. NO NEED TO LET HAZE. Literally, wax a panel, and then buff off. This is how ALL higher end boutique waxes are used.

IF you decide to use WG's sealant (which I HAVE to get in my next order), you CAN NOT use the XMT glaze (or any carnauba glaze) before hand. The sealant will not bond correctly to the paint. ALSO, apply the sealant over the entire car. Let "flash" for about 1 hour. Then come back and buff off. Should buff off like butter!
Then let the car sit for 24 hours where NO liquids will touch it so the sealant can "cure". The sealant needs to bond to the paint so the chemical process of the synthetic sealant can occur. The drier the air, the faster it will will cure.
After this, you can then apply Souveran paste.

DO NOT apply the sealant after you've applied a carnauba wax. The sealant will not bond correctly and streaking is very possible to occur.



The buckets I think I bought from U.S. Plastics. Just check your local Home Depot or Lowe's or the such, they should have them. I had to buy mine offline because I specifically wanted red and black for my business.

[blacksentra07]

O yes, and be sure to spread the word on Nissan Club, I know Vsupra has been mentioning it.

[novs25]

called and they do not do any substitutions with any of there kits. So I will not be getting the xmt #3. Crap that should be okay right?

[blacksentra07]

Originally Posted by novs25 [Only Registered Users Can See LinksClick Here To Register]

called and they do not do any substitutions with any of there kits. So I will not be getting the xmt #3. Crap that should be okay right?

Depends how bad you think the swirls are. You can always just buy #3 in addition to it.

[novs25]

so i did a detail this past weekend.
wash,clay,xmt #2 (orange pad), xmt glaze(black) and 2 coats of wax (souveran), I still see fine scratches, I think I even did mark up the hood, cause some of the marks werent there. I didnt really notice it until I already waxed. I have to do it again but I just dont know when. I wish I could take pics but no day light and camera is broken. i dont know what I did wrong. I feel like I waisted so much time for nothing.

[Leathe of Heaven]

Did you use a random orbital? Or did you do it by hand? If by machine, how many passes did you make? Did you break the polish down? Some cars might requires 2 separate break-downs before any results can be seen.

[novs25]

i used a porter cable, followed a step through and thought i did break it down enough. Alot of passes. I could of done too big of areas with too little polish. How long do u think I can wait to try this again?

[Leathe of Heaven]

I say go over it with a #3 on a orange pad. Go over it, break down the polish. Then after that go with a white pad and #1. That should remove the hazing/micro-marring from the more aggressive polish/pad. Then do the rest of the steps. That has usually worked the best for me. Go any softer and you wont see as good of a result.

[novs25]

I dont have # 3 that is the problem.

[Leathe of Heaven]

Ouch.

[novs25]

well looks like another damn order from autogeek...lol