you crazy foo:shakes head:

The Junkman has garnered my respect. Anyone who puts together a series of "how to" videos on their own time, while not trying to spin some magical product, is worth listening to. Plus the fact that he is a fellow Veteran gains even more respect in my eyes. Huah!

Really great videos and love seeing someone with some personality and charm. Great advice all around. Looking forward to my next wash.

Now to see if I can convince the wife that new microfiber towels are a perfectly reasonable way to spend money.

:iagree: +1 rep. I'll be watching the other videos too after seeing those. I definitely learned some stuff.

So what's your opinion on using something like the Absorber after a wash to dry (there shouldn't be much dirt to grind in)? I am going to assume your "less touching of the paint is better" will be your answer. I have a compressor in the garage with an air blowing attachement but I never use it for that purpose.

"nothing fancy because this is a brother-in-his-garage-production". lol. great stuff, man. i can appreciate a fellow perfectionist's insight!

My definition of "scratch" is anything that will not buff out. I've owned three black cars and have swiffered stuff off all of them to no permanent ill-effect. Altho, I also cover them with Zymol Vintage from the detailer (60% carnuba) twice a year so I'm not to worried about even touching the paint with a swiffer.

Realistically speaking tho, my car's a daily driver, not a show car or a weekend ride. I have no illusions as to the damage it'll take over time. If anyone really wants to take the extra time to keep their car as pristine as possible (and don't drive it often), then by all means skip the swiffer. For me tho it quickly reaches a point of diminishing returns in the time spent maintaining the car's condition vs. the time spent on the road getting it all dirty again.

For what it's worth, I don't even wash my daily driver. I slide across the hood like Bo Duke and kick the doors closed. So my daily driver is for one thing: driving!

And I drive the hell out of it!

Now my sports car is for driving too! However, I don't drive it in the snow and I refrain from driving it in the rain. Upkeep is not a pain because I use preventive measures to keep from damaging it. If you are preventive with damaging your paint, maintenance and upkeep will be minimal. There is no extra time involved and the pride of your routine is evident. If you decide to sell your car one day, the upkeep will be rewarded with a higher selling price. ;)

:bowrofl:

I can't wait to buy a house with a garage and a decent driveway so I don't have to entrust my car in other people's hands.

Question for you knowledgeable ones:

I currently only have a 2 car garage, which is occupied with my wife's vehicle and the Z. However, I have a 3rd vehicle, that must stay out in the elements. In addition, this vehicle sits underneath a big oak tree that is constantly providing fall-out (ie bird crap, pollen, leaves, sap, etc). If I go through the trouble of correcting the paint (wash / clay / wax), how often would you think that layer of wax would last before I would have to redo the whole color correction routine? Note that I live in Florida where it does tend to rain a lot.

First off, paint correcting the car is a one time process unless you continue to destroy your paint (which totally wouldn't make sense to continue to do). Paint correction consist of removing extremely thin layers of your clear coat. You can't do that forever as you only have so much clear to start with. Thus, you correct your paint one time, then you practice proper paint maintenance care procedures. I explain that entire process in this thread.

Next, how long the wax will protect your car totally depends on the wax you use. If it comes across a counter, it's garbage. You need a paint sealant, and then you need to layer that sealant with a good carnuba paste. That is what is going to give you the best protection with your scenario.

Thank you Junkman. This is exactly the clarification / advice I needed. I plan to correct the paint, then seal it (anyone have a recommendation), and then several layers of wax (again looking for recommendation).

.

Adam's Machine Superwax (paint sealant) and Adam's Carnuba Paste Wax (wax) will work wonders.

The paint correction process is described in detail within this thread.

+1 Rep! thanks junkman! Ur also in my hometown, grew up in J-town!