Tried a new technique I read about with Scholl S40...

[VintageRestore]

So I read here by Mike Phillips that it's not really the wax or sealant per se that gives the real shine but what you do prior to that.

So I tried an experiment on a 1953 tube tester - on the top I did:

Scholl Concepts S3 XXL Gold;
Scholl Concepts S20;
Scholl Concepts S30+ - two applications;
Scholl Concepts S40 - three applications;

On the bottom side I did the following:


Scholl Concepts S3 XXL Gold;
Scholl Concepts S20;
Scholl Concepts S30+ - ONE application;
Scholl Concepts S40 - ONE application;

Then I applied the W6 wax / sealant and by golly, Mike Phillips was right! Same application, same pad application of the wax, and the side I did multiple applications of the super fine polish was noticeably more shiny after wax application than the side I only did one application.

I always thought it was the wax that added a majority of the gloss and in this instance it's not.

Here is a pic of the gloss I noticed while walking by it. This is BEFORE application of wax. What you see it is reflecting from a nearby window:

 

[Mike Phillips]

So I read here by Mike Phillips that it's not really the wax or sealant per se that gives the real shine but what you do prior to that.

Surface prep is the key but in context, it also depends upon the current condition of the surface. There's a huge difference between the shine results from restoring something neglected versus something already in great condition.

Here's saying from I think, Frank Meguiar Jr., it could also be by his son Malcolm Meguiar, and even his grandson, Barry Meguiar.

A surface won't go clear until it comes clean


And when he said this, clearcoats were not invented yet.


I think I have an article on the above quote somewhere in some paper files somewhere, but his big picture point was using simply abrasives or a rocks-in-a-bottle type compounds and polishes can't create the best results because at the same time they are removing defects, they are leaving their own defects behind. Thus the reason they started out in business creating "cleaner" not "compounds".

But to your point, the final results start with the initial prep work - at least for neglected paint.


Mike