Having a hard time bringing back the shine.

["350Vortec"]

Hey guys. Im here asking how to bring back a nice shine into my 1996 Tahoe 2 door. Im having a real hard time getting it to really shine like i did last year. My detailing regimen for the exterior goes like this.

-Spray truck down with pressure washer
-Soak one section at a time with hose, not pressure.
-Sponge it down using Dupont car wash liquid.
-Rinse using the flood method.
-Repeat for whole truck.

Then, Chamois the whole truck dry.
Then apply Mothers Synwax Liquid using an applicator sponge
Then let sit for about 1 minute then wipe off with microfiber cloth.

And thats it. Im thinking i need a polish? Or a better wax.. because it just does not shine like it used to.

Here she is after a detail.

 

[Rollin Thunder]

I have actually only used a pressure washer when my truck was caked in mud. I have found using a pressure washer even when hooked up to a city water hose and not well water. Will leave terrible spots.

 

["350Vortec"]

I see now, hmm maybe i wont use that anymore. But would it be worth it for me to invest in a foam gun? Not sure what they really do or what the advantages are but...

 

[Rollin Thunder]

a foam gun that uses your pressure washer would work wonders. I would love to get one of those. As it will filter out the bad stuff.

 

[Chris]

Do you have bad swirl marks? A better wax would probably help a lot, also i would ditch those chamois imo, any dirt on the surface will get dragged around the paint and possibly cause micro marring, which will dull the finish.

 

[road1will]

You need to clay bar, use a swirl removing product such as Poor Boys SSR and then a higher quality polish and wax. Read up on some of our other threads about detailing, and consider getting a PC7424

 

[blueflamed03]

exactly, need to do a clay bar clean on it and see how it turns out.

 

[nc6600]

Drag your hand across the paint. Does it make a sand papery sound? If so you need to wash your entire truck with dawn, then you need to clay it, then wash again with a good soap like PB SSS(best stuff ever IMHO) and dry the truck completely with a WW towel(if you have air use it in the cracks before the towel). Then your going to want to get a PC, go over the truck with a good swirl remover(I use Adams, but PB, or Zaino will work fine too). Then you want to polish, then put a good coat of wax on the truck. I also do not recommend using a pressure washer.

 

["350Vortec"]

Thanks so much for all the help guys! My truck currently is smooth to hand touch. The wax holds up, it just doesnt shine like it used to. I will be buying a clay bar soon! Wish i knew how to use one! And will one bar do my whole truck?

 

[road1will]

Does your truck have swirl marks under direct sunlight?