Orbital Dreams: Single Stage Pain(t) service Pt.2

The following day I got a new orange pad out and went about applying sealant. Griot's Garage One Step Sealant is an all in one for those short on time, having both polishing and sealing properties in one go. This stuff is cake to remove with a fresh microfiber towel and the residue doesn't go everywhere like polish does (white powder). Sealant is different than wax in that it bonds with the paint surface rather than sit on top as an additional layer. The protective benefits of sealant lasts longer than wax, but doesn't look as good buffed or repel liquid as well as wax does. That said, I went with a two staged plan; wax on top of sealant.

To the naked eye in low light, a sealed and a waxed car look relatively similar. In sunlight, however, the waxed surface has much more depth. Wax is also slippery to the touch. After finishing my sealant application I let the car sit for 18 hours to let the sealant set, then the following day got my wax on in my tight garage.

The finished product is below. Color depth is great and even everywhere; there are still some minor scratches/chips and imperfections, but I'm happy given my paint is far from perfect(able). I could've done more than one coat of wax, but this took 3 afternoons with everything else I had going on. The good news is that I can easily wash and apply a couple more layers of wax without all the prep I had to do previously with a whole...I think I'll do that. While silky smooth, I could still leave a finger print on the paint surface. When you can't leave a finger print anymore, your job is done.

I can't wait for the next rain.