When to do an IPA wipe down

[jlineman]

I know this is detailing 101 but It`s been a while since a full detail and I forgot. I am going to do the full prep job and will be polishing with Blackfire Gloss Enhancing Polish before applying a sealant. When do I do a IPA wipe down OR do I? I thought the IPA wipe down removes any left over oils and will leave a clean surface for the sealant to bond to. Also will the IPA remove any glaze the polish left behind?

[rzatch]

The answer is yes it will remove any glaze. IPA`s are used to check your work in your test section before preceding on to the rest of the car to make sure that the steps you are doing or the products you are using are giving you the results you want and not just covering them up. They are also used in preparation for coatings. BFGEP doesn`t have any correcting ability so if that is what you going use the IPA will strip off what you just put on and the benefit of the BFGEP will be gone. If your looking to do any correction then you need to look at a different product.

BLACKFIRE Gloss Enhancing Polish is a pre-wax cleanser, non-abrasive polish, and glaze combination. It wets the surface to create the illusion of the paint being under water. This hides minor swirls and scratches without removing any paint or clear coat. It "rounds-over" the leading edge of minor swirls which robs sunlight of a sharp edge to cause a reflection. While this visually reduces swirls, it does not remove them. This is a great product to use on a vehicle in good condition with very few swirls.

[jlineman]

Thanks for the detailed answer. Is that a "pun`? I have a white 2010 Ford F-150 and the paint is in excellent shape...however I am always (unfortunately) looking for a way to amp up the shine with out buying some $150 wax. After stripping the wax and sealant with two rounds of Chemical Guys Citrus wash I stood back and thought I might not need to polish. I have some BFGEP and did a small test area and frankly didn`t see any improvement in the shine. A couple of months earlier I had stripped the truck and went straight to a couple layers of Chemical Guys V-7 and was very pleased with the look. After later finding out the V_7 was not a pure sealant with out any cleaners and such, I am where I am now. This time around I will put on two or three coats of the new Wolfgang liquid spray sealant then top with the V_7 and use it as a detail spray after washing. If I don`t get the look I am wanting I might try BF Deep Gloss polymer spray after washes. Just recently learned from the BF site that it will layer.
Thanks for the help

[ihaveacamaro]

white is the hardest color to get true shine out of.

I would go for depth of paint instead. Chasing the shine is a great way to get disappointed and frustrated.

[CH.Detailing]

I disagree, light colors have excellent shine, its the depth that lacks.

[rzatch]

I have had excellent results using Dura Gloss 501 on white. Not only is it fairly cheap it has great ‎cleaning ability and nice gloss and very good durability. The last F150 I used it on the owner said he ‎never knew his truck was so white. The problem with white is over time it does start to dull but it is so ‎gradual that people usually don`t see it until it is a dingy white. If I were you I would start with a good ‎paint cleaner before I started putting all the spray on stuff on there. You can wash it all you want but ‎you’re not really cleaning the paint. You also didn’t mention whether or not the truck has ever been ‎clayed. A good paint cleaning may not give you a dramatic amount of more shine but it will brighten ‎and add clarity to the color, especially white. Then once you have it cleaned you can use the spray on ‎type of products.‎

[07gtcs]

I would try the GEP, MF Sealant, coat it with BF Crytal Seal and top with MS Wax. Then about every other wash use the Poly Spray to amp up the shine.

[Todd@RUPES]

The answer is yes it will remove any glaze. IPA`s are used to check your work in your test section before preceding on to the rest of the car to make sure that the steps you are doing or the products you are using are giving you the results you want and not just covering them up. They are also used in preparation for coatings. BFGEP doesn`t have any correcting ability so if that is what you going use the IPA will strip off what you just put on and the benefit of the BFGEP will be gone. If your looking to do any correction then you need to look at a different product.

BLACKFIRE Gloss Enhancing Polish is a pre-wax cleanser, non-abrasive polish, and glaze combination. It wets the surface to create the illusion of the paint being under water. This hides minor swirls and scratches without removing any paint or clear coat. It "rounds-over" the leading edge of minor swirls which robs sunlight of a sharp edge to cause a reflection. While this visually reduces swirls, it does not remove them. This is a great product to use on a vehicle in good condition with very few swirls.

Perfect!