"The hands and fingers can tell it all," Mike says. Although our 'Stang is technically clean since it has already been washed, we are able to feel all kinds of above-the-surface contaminants when we pass our hand along the roof and hood.
Step 4: Paint Detail
Removing above-the-surface contaminants (tree sap, paint overspray, and so on) and below-the-surface defects (swirl marks, oxidation, and scratches) is probably the most labor-intensive aspect of a good detail, involving a lot of back-and-forth arm movements using clay bars, a dual-action polishing machine, and microfiber shining cloths to ultimately achieve a smooth, glossy finish.
Mike's demonstration of how a painted surface is evaluated by sight-and more importantly by feel-was intriguing. Hands and fingers can identify a lot of surface problems that the eye doesn't see, so it's important to run a hand over every section of your Mustang's paint (especially the hood, roof, and trunk), before you wax and cause further damage.
Even the roughest surfaces can be smoothed over and cleaned up, provided you use the right materials and equipment for the task.
Here are a few examples of paint-cleaning products and their use:
Polish: removes light oxidation, swirl marks, and fine scratches.
Pre-Wax Cleaner: a polish such as Meguiar's ScratchX that removes light contamination and dirt.
Glaze: a fine polish that doesn't remove imperfections but enhances surface gloss.
Clay and paint cleaners are only used when above-the-body contaminants or below-the-surface defects are present. If your ride doesn't have either problem, moving straight to wax is fine.
Clay bars are used for restoring smoothness in a Mustang's paint. They're a mixture of clay base and various abrasives that range from mild to aggressive. When used with a lubricant such as Meguiar's Quik Detailer, it will easily remove most above-the-surface contaminants without hurting your car's clearcoat or paint job.
It's important to occasionally fold a clay pad as you work, and if you accidentally drop it on the ground, throw it away and get a fresh piece.
This is Meguiar's all-new Dual-Action Polisher (left) and a Soft Buff pad. Mike suggests using a dual-action device as opposed to a single-direction machine. A D.A. buffer is much safer, as it orbits in multiple directions and therefore can be directed around the car, eliminating the possibility of burning through paint by trying to work against the rotation of a one-way buffing machine.
With Meguiar's ScratchX paint cleaner applied to the buffing pad, Mike uses moderate pressure and works the pad in shoulder-width spans to remove swirls.
After cleaning the paint, a good detail should include applying a coat or two of wax, which will provide maximum gloss and protection. The dual-action polisher (with a fresh pad) is again put to work for this segment of our detail.
Using light-to-moderate pressure and overlapping strokes is the best technique for wax removal.
How can you tell when wax is ready to be wiped off? Many of today's products dry without the white haze that for a long time has been indicative of wax that's ready for removal. For clear-drying waxes, the finger test is the best way to check for dryness. When you can run your finger through the wax and don't see a streak mark like this, it's ready.
We taped off two sections of the driver door on our test subject to show you the difference between nondetailed and detailed paint. Notice the swirls and scratches in the clearcoat on the right and the smooth, glossy finish on the left? By properly evaluating and treating the defects in your 'Stang's paint and using good waxing technique, it's not difficult to make the entire car look as good as the left half of the door in this image.