It's my first!! 66 conti. and this Mom wants a mirror shine!

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laura
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Re: It's my first!! 66 conti. and this Mom wants a mirror sh

Post by laura »

hey jim!! my son who's just 15 wants to go to the auto parts store and get washing liquid after school-#66 is hunter green with the black top-what's best for each area. i just want to give a nice hand washing. also, the interior i just would like her to be freshened up--is there a cleaner that you personally like and you being a detail-er you have to have your "can't stand these products" list. love to read your thoughts!!! Laura
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Re: It's my first!! 66 conti. and this Mom wants a mirror sh

Post by RMAENV »

Laura,

I just tried a sample of Maguiars' wash and wax on my SUV. Pretty good product to clean and put a quick wax on the truck to look good quickly. Probably won't last long but was good for instant gratification.

For the interior I have been using Zymol. They have both a cleaner and a "conditioner". It is for "shiny" leather only, which is what you have on a '66. I really didn't need the cleaner but I am VERY impressed with the conditioner. The Zymol is about $7.00 a bottle. I got it at Pep Boys. It is all natural (mostly mink oil) and you only need a very small amount. Just follow the directions. the wash and wax is at Pep Boys also.

This should get you to "respectable" with not much time or work and you can work on getting the car roadworthy.
Rob
1966 Lincoln Convertible (White/Black)
1957 Chevy Bel Air Resto-Mod (Anthricite/Black)
2009 Challenger SRT 6.1 Hemi (Hemi Orange Pearl/Black)
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Re: It's my first!! 66 conti. and this Mom wants a mirror sh

Post by 1973 Mark IV Fanatic »

Hi, Laura! I have always used Meguiars products on all of my cars and those that I detail for clients. They make a couple of different "series" of products, either of which will give great results. The red bottle products are for folks who care enough about their cars to want to use a quality product, but who are not particularly obsessive about their car's appearance; they just want a nice shine and good protection from the elements. For superior results, I recommend that you go with the tan bottle Professional Series line. You can get a one step cleaner/wax in both the consumer grade (red bottle) and the Professional Series (tan bottle). The professional Series gives better results, hands down. All Meguiars products can be applied by hand or with a machine, such as a random orbital buffer. If your car has original paint, I recommend polishing and waxing by hand. Yes, it is labor intensive, but if you have never used a buffer before, you could burn through the paint if you don't keep the machine moving, or set it at too high of a speed. Doing the job by hand is safest. Now, a one step cleaner/wax will do a fine job shining up and protecting your car's finish, but if you're looking for the ultimate shine, this will be a multi-step process. Obviously, before you apply any kind of polish or wax, you will need to wash the car. Any soap made specifically for washing cars is good, but, again, Meguiars is the way to go. If you decide to use another brand, just make sure it is liquid, and not powder (you don't want to chance not having all of the powder dissolve in your wash bucket, possibly creating fine scratches in the finish). After you have washed and dried the car, I highly recommend the use of a clay bar. Go with Meguiars. You will be amazed at all of the contaminants the clay bar will lift from your car's finish, leaving it perfectly smooth and ready for polish. Polish will bring out a beautiful lustre in the finish, and it does this by "feeding" your car's paint, replenishing it with oils and giving it that wet look and a mirror-like shine. The results are especially impressive on darker colored cars like yours. To protect the revitalized finish you have just created, your final step will be to apply a good coat of wax. You don't need to go heavy on the wax; it is better, in my opinion, to use a modest amount of product... you're not going to get any extra protection by just globbing it on there, and it will be more of a chore to apply and remove. Before I go any further, I should have told you that ANY product you use on your car should always be applied in the shade... you don't want the sun to bake anything! Microfiber cloths should be used to remove polish and wax, however, I frequently just use old tee shirts; they work fine. Now, about the top, assuming it is vinyl: I am not usually in the habit of applying any product to vinyl tops. Many of the so-called "protectants" like Armor All do more harm than good. Avoid Armor All, whatever you do! I find that a light application of furniture polish (Lemon Pledge) works well at giving vinyl tops (especially black tops) a nice lustre, without an "artificial" shine. And it will protect the top from UV rays. So, in a nutshell: 1)wash and dry. 2) Clay. 3) Polish. 4) Wax. Here are the products I would use, in order: Meguiars #00 Professional Car Wash soap. Meguiars Clay Bar Kit. Meguiars Mirror Glaze #9 Professional Swirl Remover, which is a combination cleaner/polish. Meguiars Mirror Glaze #26 High Tech Yellow Wax (also available in a paste, if you prefer). Your car should look great after using these products, Laura.
Jim Weller 1986 Lincoln Town Car Cartier Edition, 1996 Lincoln Town Car Executive Series, 2000 Lincoln Town Car Cartier Edition.
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Re: It's my first!! 66 conti. and this Mom wants a mirror sh

Post by jeffmounce »

Hey Laura,

what is going on with your car? any pics yet?
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Re: It's my first!! 66 conti. and this Mom wants a mirror sh

Post by laura »

hey jim!! happy thanksgiving! i can't figure out how to get my pics into here!! crazy week with the holiday and family!!! i can't wait for quiet times with #66. i'm blown away by this car and can't wait to post'em up!!
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Re: It's my first!! 66 conti. and this Mom wants a mirror sh

Post by 1973 Mark IV Fanatic »

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, Laura. With the holidays upon us, you may not have quiet times with your '66 until after the first of the year, when things calm down. I often find myself out in the garage at odd hours, having a smoke and just staring at my '73 Mark IV. I'm very lucky to have it. When the weather is bad and I can't take the car out, I'll just sit in it and revel in all of its comfort and luxury. I call it "bonding time."
Jim Weller 1986 Lincoln Town Car Cartier Edition, 1996 Lincoln Town Car Executive Series, 2000 Lincoln Town Car Cartier Edition.
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Re: It's my first!! 66 conti. and this Mom wants a mirror sh

Post by tomo »

To post photos
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My car when the previous owner had it
My car when the previous owner had it
Tom O'Donnell
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laura
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Re: It's my first!! 66 conti. and this Mom wants a mirror sh

Post by laura »

hey Tomo!!!! Thank-you very much i'm completely analog!! Seems my file size is too large--i'm going to fix and get'em up. Having #66 in one of our driveways makes me have to pinch myself on a daily basis- send soon-laura
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Re: It's my first!! 66 conti. and this Mom wants a mirror sh

Post by jon schapiro »

Just found this post. A lot of good conversation. Sounds like Laura has a fun project in the making.

I have to say I've never had to use clay bars and the like . . . I found Mcguires Ultimate to be one of the easiest waxes to apply and wipe off with no dust or swirls at all. I've also watched the Youtube video on rejuvinating old paint by leaving Mcguires #7 on for 24 hours. Fortunately, I've had my car since 1975 and it has never gotten oxidized or sat outside.

Best of luck with your project Laura and welcome to the Forum! A great bunch of people on here!

Jon
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1973 Lincoln Continental Coupe
1958 Cadillac Sedan De Ville
1981 Corvette
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