Maybe this is something for the Autopia forums, but I'll post here anyway.

So, this summer I plan on experimenting with some different detailing products on my car and the family cars.

Last year I got in to the Liquid Glass phase, where that was the only thing I used. The shine and durability were awesome, but it did nothing to hide the swirls and such. My paint is really quite old and has been through some harsh winters. I have some Sonus polishes to get rid of that stuff, but doing the whole car by hand is really quite a pain.

I bought a bottle of Meguiars #7 Pro Glaze to try out. I am also planning on trying S100 or P21S waxes. I know the glaze and carnauba will go well together, and I'm considering ditching the sealant on my car to go with the old fashioned stuff.

However, my questions are:

-If I want to use the sealant, will the glaze prevent it from bonding?

-Could I put the sealant on first, followed by the glaze and wax? My only concerns here would be that the glaze is a super fine polish and may take off the sealant, and the glaze won't be able to fill in the paint blemishes as well.

You will probably get better, more informed answers on Autopia, but from my reading you will not be able to put a sealant over a glaze. It'* either one or the other. You can top the glaze or sealant with wax, but sealants and glazes usually don't mix. You may be able to use a glaze over a sealant, but it is my understanding that it won't fill in the scratches and swirls properly.

I'm guessing you ask because you want good durability. My suggestion would be to give Collinite 845 or 476 a try. 845 is sort of a liquid wax (more like thick ketchup), and 476 is a paste. I used 845 last fall on my Bonneville, and it gave me a good 4-5 months protection through the winter. I put it on top of a sealant, but I bet Colliinite over a glaze would look really good. Collinite is not known for being a "good looks" type of wax, but after polishing my car and using it, I was more than pleased with how it looked.

I think I'll make a post there about the "sealant > glaze > wax" question. Durability isn't my biggest concern. I don't mind waxing every couple months, I actually enjoy it. I just want to hide the swirls as best as I can without doing major polishing. I might invest in a Porter Cable orbital if I want to get in to major polishing.

jump in on the Zaino Group buy..... from what u have herd and read there is no better...

I don't doubt it'* great, but there are many others that are just as good ... for less too.

Your best depth and shine comes from carnuba wax, period. Sealants don't let the car shine as well as a wax. Here'* what I'd do on your car to get it "new" again..

Wash with dawn/stripper to remove wax, or whatever strips the sealant you're using now. Then a claybar to remove all contaminants, and previous detailing compounds.

Good polishing work on your car can probably get out most of the spiderwebs in the paint, but with our older cars a glaze will help fill in some of the deeper cuts in the clear coat. The spider webs and whatnot are what kills the shine and depth the most.

After that, put on your sealant if you'd like, i would only do it if it'* compatible with a wax you'd like to use, then wax. Waxing under the sealant will cause it not to bond well to the paint. Some sealants work well with a wax on them, some don't really hold wax at all. I myself am not a fan of a semi-permanent or permanent things on my paint...

Order of layers/work should be (not all are necessary, or even compatible)
Wash/Stripping wash
Clay Bar
Polish
Glaze
Sealant
Wax
Take pictures, drink wine and stare at car.

Other important things are making sure everything else is good too, such as tires, rubber trim, etc. Making the black things black helps TREMENDOUSLY. The best way to do this, and longest lasting is a rubber and vinyl conditioner. Normal products like tire shine and just tons of silicone in a bottle to make something shine for a short period of time.

And don't touch armor all.

Zaino is solely a sealant product, it'* not really any different then the LG he has now. There is better out there, but for the typical consumer it'* "high end" stuff.

I have the process down.


On the Autopia forums they were saying that there are some glazes out there that sealants can bond to.

I might try buying Meguiars #20 sealant to put on top of the #7 glaze. I'll follow that with some nice wax, probably the S100 (P21S if the paychecks are good to me).

Sol, take a look at #21. I was going to get that before, but ended up trying EX-P instead. Your car is just like one that a guy just sold on Autopia who is in Holland, and he was a big #21 user and his car looked great.

I'll check it out.

No LG for the GTP this summer. I plan on doing this:

Mothers Clay
Sonus polishes in some bad areas
Megs #7 glaze
Megs #21 sealant
P21S or S100 wax
Make love to shiny car