I just began this process for our Edge Sport and will continue this weekend on our Explorer.
I also suggest a thorough cleaning with Dawn dish detergent to remove surface dirt, grime, grease, oils and any old coatings. I actually washed the Edge twice with Dawn using a two bucket method (One for soapy wash water, a second for clean water to rinse the chenille wash mitt after every pass on the vehicle).
After washing twice with Dawn, I used a CarPro product called Iron-X. Iron-X is a unique car shampoo which seeks out and eliminates iron and ferrous metal deposits on the surface and impacted into your paint. This step was done twice as well.
Here is a photo of Iron-X at work on the hood of my White Edge, you'll notice all of the red spots as the ferrous metals are being broken down.
Once the hood was rinsed and dried, I used a Meguiars Clay bar and clayed the vehicle. To my surprise, it was a quick procedure and one half of one bar was all I used, and it remained very clean upon my completion.
Next I wiped down each panel with Isopropyl alcohol on a small square of Microfiber cloth. I now had a squeaky clean area to start applying polish.
For polish I used a mixture of DuraGloss DG501 mixed with DG601in a 4:1 ratio. The DG601 is a bonding agent that helps polishes last longer by creating a strong chemical bond. DG501 was the polish I used in order to have the most protection through this fall and winter. I applied this product mixture using a new Griot's Garage 6" Random Orbital polisher that I purchased from BJs wholesale club online. *I got mine for $89. a few days ago but see that they went up. Keep an eye out for a price drop on this.*
Speaking of polishing with a machine...I have to admit I was a little intimidated trying a machine for the first time, but after playing around with it on another vehicle, I confidently used it on my Edge with fantastic results! I'm a true believer in dual action polishers!
I first applied the DG501/601 combo with a 5.5" Buff and Shine brand Green colored pad, and then wiped clean the hood with a clean microfiber towel. Next I applied a DG105/601 combo with a Buff and Shine brand Blue colored pad, wiping with a different microfiber cloth. Last up was a finish coat of Colonite 845 insulator wax. Colonite 845 is widely regarded as one of the best carnauba waxes you can buy, and I quickly saw why. After applying a super thin layer of 845 using the polisher and a separate blue pad the paint looked a mile deep, was slick to the touch, the metallic paint sparkled like never before and the finish look dripping wet. I couldn't be more thrilled with the combination and the results. I'm more thrilled that I've added a random orbital polishing tool to my garage and look forward to learning how to master it.
Beading in the rain
