Today I did some detailing...

Vexorg

James

Quick question for you about your Mini Cooper S detail. Did you have to detar the sides and back? and if so did the detar product mark the plastic trim? and did you detar the plastic trim?

Thx.

V

vectra

Vexorg wrote: »

James

Quick question for you about your Mini Cooper S detail. Did you have to detar the sides and back? and if so did the detar product mark the plastic trim? and did you detar the plastic trim?

Thx.

V

I can answer some of those for you.

I would assume James detarred the complete car

It will do no harm to the plastic trim. ( AS Tardis will not anyhow )

Vexorg

Cheers vectra, I used OAC's Tar Cleanse on my last mini and it marked the trim where it dripped down, will try the AS Tardis. It was a pain masking the trim just to detar.

CNTRLR

Vexorg wrote: »

James

Quick question for you about your Mini Cooper S detail. Did you have to detar the sides and back? and if so did the detar product mark the plastic trim? and did you detar the plastic trim?

Thx.

V

just detailed the mini today, ironx will not mark the plastic either, when used the correct way anyway..

Vexorg

@CNTRLR, great, I had forgotten about ironx, I have used OAC's Iron Cleanse previously without issue , should show up nicely on pepper white....

Do you use Tardis also?

Curran

Vexorg wrote: »

I used OAC's Tar Cleanse on my last mini and it marked the trim where it dripped down, will try the AS Tardis.

Mini's are a disaster for tar. I used to look after one and every two months it was caked in tar....mind you the person who owned it, drove it on well!
How long did you leave the Tar Cleanse on it? Have used it on Mini's before without issue.
If Tar Cleanse stained it, then Id say Tardis might have the same effect.

Vexorg

Curran wrote: »

Mini's are a disaster for tar. I used to look after one and every two months it was caked in tar....mind you the person who owned it, drove it on well!
How long did you leave the Tar Cleanse on it? Have used it on Mini's before without issue.
If Tar Cleanse stained it, then Id say Tardis might have the same effect.

Yup I sometimes wonder how the tar gets where it does, investing in mud guards/flaps to see if it will help.

The tar cleanse was probably on for 5 or 10 minutes, first time using it, so only did the small panel behind the arch and door, it went on gel like and the edges started turning to liquid and trailing down the panel onto the trim. It did not damage the trim as such but when the trim dried out there were two small lines or stains, you had to know they were there and they were only visible when the trim dressing had worn off but like most people who detail their car you become aware of ever little defect. Some call this ocd, I call it anal:)

JAMES VTI S

Tardis wont mark anything if it is not allowed to dry.

CNTRLR

Vexorg wrote: »

@CNTRLR, great, I had forgotten about ironx, I have used OAC's Iron Cleanse previously without issue , should show up nicely on pepper white....

Do you use Tardis also?

no i don't use tardis, mainly as its hard to come by here in the netherlands, but as long as you use something like ironx or tardis and don't let them dry, you will be fine,

i cleaned up the plastic arches today, used a pencil eraser first to remove the wax/polish residue left on them, then scrubbed with a brush and megs APC, then used IPA and a clean cloth followed by a rinse with clean water and finally a dry.

Paddy@CIRL

I had my NCT on Wednesday so set about earlier this week getting everything clean and ready for the test (every little helps, right?).

On Sunday, I spent the day degreasing and cleaning the engine bay. A couple of months back I was getting a small amount of blow-by through the oil filler cap which was remedied with a new oil cap. This left the front of the head and black, along with some piping covered in oily grit and grime. I sprayed some Surfex HD onto the affected areas, agitated with a detailing brush and rinsed it off with an open hose. It came up like new. Incredible stuff. I cleaned the rest of the bay with a diluted mix of Chemical Guys APC before re-installing the covers and dressing what I could with Chemical Guys Silk Shine Dressing.

On Tuesday, I degreased and cleaned all the door, boot and bonnet shuts with APC before vacuuming the interior and boot. I dusted and cleaned all interior surfaces including the steering wheel which always terrifies me as to how quickly it becomes soiled. I pulled the face plate from the navigation unit so I could clean in and around the head unit and used carpet cleaner on the mats before cleaning the pedals. I cleaned the glass, inside and out, using Kleers Glass Cleaner before applying a coat of Gtechniq G5 to the windscreen and front side windows.

On Wednesday, I popped up to Larry in CleanCar who foamed, two bucket washed, rinsed and dried the car before giving it a quick coat of Chemical Guys Black Wax. I got the car home and re-cleaned the wheels after the journey back, sealed them and dressed the tyres. I cleaned the exhaust tips with Kleers Metal Polish.

Wednesday night, it passed the NCT. Two more years.

Thursday morning, it looked like this:



SONOFAB****.

That is all.

randy hickey

Can anybody else see the reflection of what looks like a Bell Ranger in the above pic?

Had the paint corrected late last year and sealed. The sealant stopped beading fairly quickly(polish angel master sealant). Lasting about 3-4 months.

So I decided to use gtechniq EXOv2. Finally got around to applying it this weekend. Got up bright and early and cleaned thoroughly in prep for going over the car with gtechniq panel wipe.

I started using my microfibre madness dry me crazy towel to dry the car in fairly poor light (underground car park). Had it all dried and then moved to a spot with much better lighting to start with the panel wipe.

Then I noticed the coat of lint ALL over the car from the towel. Its black paint so it was easy to see the tiny fibres in the better light.

....then i decided to read the drying towel instuctions which state it needs to be washed before first use :mad:

I presume this wash at 60 on its own with just detergent will remove all the lint from the towel??

Lost all motivation for today so will try again tomorrow when the drying towel is usable again...hopefully lint free this time.

Curran

The Microfibre Madness Dry Me Crazy will shed a small amount of lint the first few times if it isnt washed.
Assuming the towel isnt filthy after drying the car, stick it in the washing machine on a short cycle. No need for a huge amount of power, and no softener. Allow to dry as naturally as possible...on the washing line for example, but not on the radiators.

On a side note, beading no longer on the paintwork isnt a sure sign that the protection is gone! Though I believe the sealant used, is supposed to be a fairly durable one, so if it beaded initially, I would have thought it would have beaded for longer. Had you been washing it with a safe shampoo, and not used anything like a tar remover on it?

RandomAccess

Was expecting to see a few posts on here about the Saharan dust. Was it mentioned on the main motors forum?

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/wet-sahara-dust-may-explain-appearance-of-mud-met-éireann-1.1743589
http://www.thejournal.ie/cars-covered-dust-1388910-Mar2014/

Boards weather forum has a thread,
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=89697223

And more is on the way it seems..
http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/0330/605540-dust-rain/

randy hickey

RandomAccess wrote: »

Was expecting to see a few posts on here about the Saharan dust. Was it mentioned on the main motors forum?

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/wet-sahara-dust-may-explain-appearance-of-mud-met-éireann-1.1743589
http://www.thejournal.ie/cars-covered-dust-1388910-Mar2014/

Boards weather forum has a thread,
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=89697223

And more is on the way it seems..
http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/0330/605540-dust-rain/

Yeah, we got a bloody good coating on all the vehicles here.

A word of caution though - when washing it off, try and powerhose as much of it off as possible before going to the washmitt.
Even better if you have snowfoam available to you.

RandomAccess

randy hickey wrote: »

Yeah, we got a bloody good coating on all the vehicles here.

A word of caution though - when washing it off, try and powerhose as much of it off as possible before going to the washmitt.
Even better if you have snowfoam available to you.

Underground parking saved me from the first dose, but I'll be parked outside work for the next few days so I won't escape the next lot.

JAMES VTI S

No worries, snow foam + and blast

Mc Love

yeah i mentioned it early on in the motors chat thread.

toastedpickles

And what about us that have no access to power hoses/hoses of any kind eh??

randy hickey

toastedpickles wrote: »

And what about us that have no access to power hoses/hoses of any kind eh??

Then its the local jet wash for you - NOT the automatic carwash mind you!

toastedpickles

randy hickey wrote: »

Then its the local jet wash for you - NOT the automatic carwash mind you!

Oh heavens no! back away not today disco lady!

Noccy_Mondy

toastedpickles wrote: »

And what about us that have no access to power hoses/hoses of any kind eh??

Pfft, cave men up them parts are we.. :pac:

toastedpickles

Noccy_Mondy wrote: »

Pfft, cave men up them parts are we.. :pac:

No no we just have no water hoses :pac:

CNTRLR

toastedpickles wrote: »

No no we just have no water hoses :pac:

you don't need a hose, just use lots of water, even use a flower watering can if you have no other way, just make sure not to rub the surface of the car as it will have the same effect as sandpaper if you just rub the sand off

georgefalls

Detailed "inside" the engine. Does that count..?

Had the Terraclean guys round on Friday.
Car running a lot smoother, and quieter. MPG went from 29-ish to 35

Money well spent.

Curran

georgefalls wrote: »

Detailed "inside" the engine. Does that count..?

Awh we'll count it, even if it wasnt you!

What car was it on?

SeaFields

Gliptoned the leather seats this morning. Well the front ones anyway. Will do the back tomorrow. Delighted with the result. Too be honest they didnt seem much cleaner after the cleaning solution was used but that gliptone conditioner is mighty stuff. Lovely shine to the seats and lovely smell

MetzgerMeister

Sorry to burst your bubble but shiny leather is dirty leather.

SeaFields

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

Sorry to burst your bubble but shiny leather is dirty leather.

I am probably describing it wrong. They look new, a lovely luster to them and the back seats which aren't done yet, look very 'dead' compared to them. Im happy anyway

georgefalls

Curran wrote: »

Awh we'll count it, even if it wasnt you!

What car was it on?

Alfa GT JTS.
Noticeable difference in throttle response as well.
Being direct injection, the procedure's different from that big machine on wheels that they usually use.
Just a little compressed tank, and a pipe fed straight into the air inlet on the throttle body.
Whole thing took about 15 mins.