[jjski78]

Originally Posted by ToddG

Cool guys. Thanks for the input. Unfortunately it's been raining almost non-stop here for two days, so no detailing the truck this weekend. Plus I spent yesterday morning putting in my PDX-5 and adding more mat to the sub enclosure I'm building. I'm ready for sunshine now though. Keep the recommendations coming!

I wanna see the fiberglass sub enclosure when you're done. Thinking about ditching my MDF box and trying to squeeze a little more airspace. My current setup BARELY has enough airspace for my DC10.

Originally Posted by NISM0

If you guys take a real close look at your clean detailed trucks and see fine scratches and swirl marks, your paint is a victim of your own creation. Any products you use that takes excessive rubbing and elbow grease to remove is damaging your clear coat. I only use products that go on easy and wipe off easy. I found that polymer products are the way to go. There are a lot of good products on the market. My current product of choice is Meguiar's Synthetic Sealant 21 2.0. After my truck is washed, I prefer to polish my truck in low humidity and cool temperatures for best results. I'm usually polishing my truck in the late evening finishing up around 1:00 in the morning. Polymer products will make your paint glow.

http://www.meguiars.com/estore/produ...duct_M2116.jpg

Meguiar's® NEW M2116 Professional Synthetic Sealant

Synthetic polymer formulation provides technologically advanced paint care and protection.

• Produces a noticeable deeper, darker, more reflective paint finish
• Synthetic polymers deliver extreme protection
• Elminates fine scratches and swirls, creating a flawless finish
• Glides on easy, with a smooth, resistance-free wipe-off

The Megs synthetic is a nice product, but the "products that require excessive rubbing" causing swirls is a bit of a farce. The old school Meguiars #16 which is discontinued in the US, was a straight up biatch to remove, but is also one of the more durable/reflective pure carnauba waxes ever formulated. As you said, a lot of swirls are the result of the person doing the job, but more often then not it is because of poor technique, not the fault of the product used.

Originally Posted by Cheapshot

Toddg,
I start by using liquid dish detergent to wash with. Then I use Mothers liquid wax for the base coat. Then I go back over it again with Malco's Flash wax. It has the consistency of water but really brings out a shine.

Please, oh please don't use dish detergent on your truck. Over time it can dry out all the plastic/rubber, causing it to dull, and it can also dull your paint over time. Car wash soap is so cheap, why skimp there??