98civdx

Hey guy's, I'm interested in your opinon on paint sealant. What do you use, what do you like,etc. When sealing, do you use wax, before/after or not at all?

I'm looking for something that will last a good amount of time, and that isn't a total pain to apply. either by hand or my DA.

I've heard "ok" things about the griots garage sealant, (Not the one step) Being able to get it local is a plus.
But what about the meg's #20, or #21, or Optimum Opti-Seal?




Thanks guys!

98civdx

No one?? I know this places slow but damn.

C_Rock77

Look into Poorboy's EX, EX-P or Wolfgang's Deep Gloss Sealant.

Topping with a wax is an option, but IMO for a DD, sealants are the way to go. If the finish is still in good shape, it's easy to add layers of sealants. You can't really do that if you top with a wax.

98civdx

I will do that!

I've been doing some reading and every thing I see comes right back to your opinon... Let's say I did want to wax it, in your opinon is it best to do it before sealing, or after?

The paint is actually in great shape, other than minor swrils. It was definely taken care of.


Thank you!

C_Rock77

If you have a DA, you need to hit the paint with a polish to remove those swirls.

Polish
Glaze -- Helps with the gloss and helps with filling swirls that you didn't get removed.
Seal (synthetic)
Wax (optional)

Realize that most sealants have a nice anti-static property to them and help keep contaminants from sticking on paint. A polished & sealed car will stay cleaner than one that's not. SOME waxes ATTRACT dust. So, on a DD, when I was on a detailing kick, I'd just seal and leave it. Sometimes, when I washed it, would go back and add a coat of sealant.

You can add sealants on top of each other. Once you add a wax, the oils prevent bonding to the surface. Don't add a wax until you're happy with the amt of sealant on it b/c if you do, you'll have to start over.

Get over to Autopia and/or autogeek and get some input on supplies/processes. I used to be on DetailCity from time to time, but looks like Autopia absorbed them.

98civdx

That was the plan. I have a griots 6'' I'm planing to use M150/205.


I didn't know that, thank you!

I done a lot of reading on Autogeek, but haven't had the time to sign up. I was actaully going to do that tonight.

Thank you!

98civdx

So I got the Griots, and I'm not happy with it.

I used as the directions said and it left streaks all over the paint

I'm going to let it cure for an hour or so tommorow. if it still streaks i'm buying Meg's...

RoadRage212

I'm a big big big big big big big fan of Blackfire's products, namely their Wet Diamond sealant and Midnight Sun wax. When I have the time, I put on a coat of Wet Diamond, let it cure overnight, add another coat in the morning, and follow it up with a nice layer of Midnight Sun that afternoon. The results are breathtaking, the products themselves are smooth as silk, easy to use and don't stain trim.

Whenever choosing between sealant and wax, most people find its a "different strokes" kind of topic. Sealants typically add a topical, pearl/metallic enhancing "shimmer", and can leave more of a wet look on darker colors, while waxes tend to enhance paint depth, gloss, and can leave the paint with a softer glow. Of course, something that anyone looking to treat their paint right needs to understand, "the prep makes the pop." In other words, how well your paint is corrected and polished determines the performance of the sacrificial layer you choose to apply. NO wax or sealant will make horribly worn/aged paint showroom ready, and dirty, or grime-embedded paints will not allow protectants to adhere properly and will provide less than satisfactory results. This, among other reasons, is why a proper clay bar treatment is so important.

Sealants will normally last quite a bit longer than a traditional wax, so if you plan on using both, apply sealant first. If you don't, the sealant layer will be gone when the wax dissipates. By applying sealant first, the wax will have its usual run of about 4-6 weeks and the sealant will keep on protecting for months depending on what sealant you choose. Regular gentle maintenance washes and instant detailer applications will help to extend wax/sealant life.

With that said, OptiCoat is the possibly the best sealant period, but offers little in adding gloss/depth to the paint and the application process is meticulous to say the least.

Edit: Sorry to read about your troubles with polishing. If you give a little more info about what you're using I may be able to offer you some tips/advice. The Griots polisher is a tried and true machine, and the M105/205 combo is a fantastic one-two punch. What pads are you using? Are you wiping the paint clean after each pass to make sure you're happy with the results? A 1:5 (17-20%) isopropyl alcohol and water mix in a spray bottle will help wipe away the polishing residues and give you a better view of your progress. An orange flat/ccs pad with your 105 at high speeds and firm pressure but finishing off with light pressure, and a white pad for your 205 at a slightly lower speed and pressure should be treating you nicely.

98civdx

I've never personaly used Blackfire, but my friends dad swares by it.

I ended up returning the griots sealant. I let it cure for ~1.5 hours and it still streaked.
I called my brother (works for griots) and he said to whipe it down with thier speedshine, which I did and it did remove the streaks. but when i did there was no beading.
I used a Griots red pad, their 3'' buffer, and removed with a Griots wax removal cloth.

Ended up giving up it on that and tried to hunt down some Meg's sealant, which was much harder then I thouhgt it was going to be. I found 2 people in the state who stock it and they're 50-100 miles from me.
After that I said screw it and just threw on a coat Griots premium wax (LOVE this stuff)

I was scared off by how permanent the Opticoat was. lol


The polishing actaully went very well. I used a griots 6'' with their orange pads and Meg's m105/205. I was very happy with the results! I was told to use speed 6, and it worked very well....

I'm definelty looking for some new pads, so i'll take a look at the white pads.
Thank you!

I'll post some pictures of it in a little while.

RoadRage212

As long as you're happy, that's all that matters!

Sorry you couldn't get the Griot's sealant to work for you, never used it myself. You really should look into Blackfire's product line. I promise you won't be disappointed. I've been using their stuff since before Palm Beach Motoring Group, aka owners of Autogeek.net bought them out. Since then, they've definitely expanded on the good reputation, and the original products of theirs I've used have changed slightly, but the results are just as knee-buckling as before.

Mike at Autogeek has a great saying: "Find something you like, and use it often." But I'd add to it, don't let yourself become a hobbit. Keep your ear to the ground and try new things when you can. Popular products are popular for a reason.

Lets see some pics!!!

98civdx

Thank you. It was my cousin's car, and he was happy. Which made me happy.

I'm honestly kind of supriesed. I've never had issues with Groits products, other then the polish not being aggressive enough. but their products really weren't meant for what I wanted from them, so I can't blame them.

I am definetly going to take a look at Blackfire, if anything just for my personal car.

I will have pictures up this morning/afternoon. I lost my camera and just found it.

98civdx

Best I can do right now, I'll try to get better ones.. For some reason the before shots wont load.