Can't wait to apply the first polish and wax on my newly-bought F430 spider! After washing and drying, I plan on using clay bar, polish (Griot's Garage), and then wax (Griot's Garage PolyWax). Any other stuff you guys here are using? What about C-Quartz ceramic coating?......worth it?
Take a look over on the detailing and showroom sub forum (under general forums). Plenty of threads and advice on products to use. A bunch of threads on the ceramic coatings as well. Personally, I use Pinnacle carnauba wax and Jescar (formerly menzerna) synthetic. Lots of good stuff on the market. Congrats!
Ferrari's inherently have soft paint. Because of this I have a process that may be a bit tedious for most. Start with foam sprayer or microfiber wash pad. Use two wash buckets. One for car shampoo and one for rinsing your wash pad. Shampoo, I find Chemical Guy Honey Dew Snow Foam not only smells like a honey dew melon, but it provides the most foaming suds. I also use P21S after an intensive detail (usually after storage. P21S uses the least amount of cleaning agents and is less likely to strip and sealer applied before washing. After washing I check if the paint has picked up any foreign contaminants while in storage. It's surprising how much crud accumulates even covered. After washing if in need of detailing: I generally use the back of my hand to test the paint surface after it's been thoroughly dry. If needed, I chose Ricardo Clay bar (Yellow) or Chemical Guy (Blue). They are both mild for the Ferrari paint. If you think the paint needs a good polish, the Meguiar's #205 Ultra Finishing Polish is an amazing product that removes light swirls restoring the nature paint beauty. Use #105 for more aggressive swirls. I use an orbital machine for this but you can apply it by hand - it's that easy to apply and remove. A fantastic all in one polish is the Wolfgang Total swirl remover 3.0. Pricey but may the only polish/compound you'll need. Another great product is the Klasse All-in-One Polish. Wolfgang Paint Sealant 3.0 is applied to enhance the paints gloss. I used many types but the WG 3.0 gives the Rosso Corsa paint a dripping wet look. Wait ~45 minutes for sealant to cure on paint, then remove. Wait ~12 hours before exposing to moisture in a covered area. I usually apply 3 coats of sealant. Wax - Apply your favourite wax but in reality, the sealant can be used as a wax. My preference is WG Fuzion and Pinnacle Souveran wax. Both compliment the WG sealant very well and doesn't turn the process hazy with the layers of sealant applied. I realize this is a bit of over the top but I consider it a bonding period between man and machine - a labour of love. My daughter enjoys detailing it with me so it's not a waste of precious time. Others prefer to have it professionally detailed since time is not exactly something we may have at our disposal. Take your time, do some research on the products you want to use. Your results will vary due to various factors. And most of all....enjoy it!
The guys at https://oakleyoffroad.com did my Maserati GranTurismo using Gtechniq. With this quality of paint/car, I wanted it in the hands of professionals. Some of the Gtechniq seems for professionals only but plenty is available for public.
I agree with Serf, it is like a bonding with a car, though not all my bonds last that long, but I do believe it is part of the ownership experience, and if you pay attention as you work on the car you can see how and why (this might be easier for those who have designed parts before) the engineers did certain things the way they did. I found that when I first did the i8 I sat there for a while just marveling at the way they car was designed, it truly is unique and though I do not drive it that often I keep it for that reason.I have my own detail bay (lights for picking up swirls, floor drain 4 different buffers blowers and pretty much anything a detail shop would have x5 I do go to extremes) as I call it,. First thing I do when I get a car (other than a SUV that I have a detail company do), is use a wash to strip of any thing that was on the car already. Then I clay it (there is always some thing you will pick up no matter what condition the car is in and it helps everything else adhere better), wash it and depending on the car (paint varies and so does the way different products work with it) I use a lot of different brands (Blackfire Pro, Wolfgang, Sonax, Pinnacle, chemical guys etc). It has been a while since I owned a 360 and products have changed (and new ones have come) since then so I do not know what I will use on it but it is still too cold for me to work on it. I have some of the coatings from Polish angel, gyeon, & gtechniq, but I have yet to try them out. I always wait till the temps are at least 70 degrees and I leave the car under lamps for at least 24 hours before it sees the road again. On the 4C this process took 10 hours on the S Class it took two days. I have been told I am a bit extreme but if you looked at one of my cars you would think it was brand new and people always ask how I get that wet mirror looking shine. I would tell you at least a portable paint correction light is a must, but you might be shocked at the condition the paint is in. For some not knowing is best. I am not a professional, but like everything else I know I am self taught, and I don't claim my way is the right way, but it is the right way for me, and the results are worth the effort. Have fun!
Another vote for Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant 3.0 Plus the Wolfgang Deep Gloss Spritz Sealant seems to punch the gloss up a notch. I use Pinnacle Souveran on the Older Cars (64,68) for a topper wax. Newer paints usually get Wolfgang Fusion, but been digging Pinnacle Signature II. Wash, Clay, Polish if necessary. Put on Paint Sealant wait a day and then top with Wax. Spritz Sealant to Maintain.
Sir, I'm with you 100% with you on the Griot products....! The Griot family are true car guys and so are everyone that works there! Congratulation on your F430!!! Awesome car..!
I always had good luck with Griot's products. If this is your first polish, always use your eyes as I also sort of agree that the Ferrari paint is soft. Griot's says that you can not "burn" their paint no matter what you do if you use their orbitals, but I never feel too safe. Their carnauba or Best Of Show wax is great. They also have this product Pre-Wax Cleaner than removes any residue from polishing prior to wax. I used it and think it really cleans the paint and gets it ready for wax. I also enjoy using their Leather 3 in 1 for my 348 seats. Smells nice and the product is great. I also had good luck using products from Chemical Guys and Poorboys. Enjoy your 430, they are really beautiful cars.
Griots are quality consumer grade products. Looking For A professional grade coating I would steer toward Gtechniq installers. The 'Obsessed Garage' group on facebook is a pretty good place to learn, as are the AMMONYC videos on YouTube.
+1 on AMMONYC. All videos from Larry are great but this particular video on the correct method of polishing is very instructive - and they are working on an F40!
No need to dry if you’re gonna use clay bar. Make sure to use plenty of detail spray or clay lube when claying. Remember that clay bar is also abrasive so only use it when you need to (do a plastic bag test) I have just spent 3 days paint correcting my 360. Coated with GTechniq Crystal Serum Light, and top off with EXOv3. I have CQuartzUK on my daily driver M5, top off with CarPro Reload. View attachment 2508714 Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
I am a big fan of Zaino Bros. products. I also bought some Gyeon products from Todd at Esoteric. I am very happy with both lines
I used to use Zaino exclusively years ago, but I've found that there are much better products out there now. Sal is a great guy though.
