Detailing chat

Curran

The bonnet or boot lid is usually where I start, as its easier to work on level surfaces....however, generally the passenger's side of the car will be worse, given this is the ditch side of the car. Doing the bonnet will give a good idea of what most of the car will be like but expect to have to do a bit more on the passenger side and a bit less on the roof.

Mantis Toboggan

Anyone recommend a good air freshener?

Not really interested in the generic ones in fuel stations.

I've heard sprays are better. Is it possible to get the new car fragrance in the form of a spray?

MetzgerMeister

I always like to start on the boot lid as it's the most comfortable part to do when it comes to settling into a routine/movement and time etc. Split it in half with a strip of masking tape and work away on one side, remove the tape to compare before and after and try to overlap by half a pass where the tape used be.

Spike Witwicky

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

With Audi paint or any German paint from my experience, it takes time to make any difference even with an orange hexlogic pad and FG400/FG500.

I found using a combo of FG400 and a CG Microfibre cutting pad quite good on Mercedes paint. Though the Menzerna polish can be dusty as others have pointed out before.

Spike Witwicky

Anyone used Meguiars Gold Class paste wax? Got given some as a present but havent got around to using it yet.

MetzgerMeister

Spike Witwicky wrote: »

I found using a combo of FG400 and a CG Microfibre cutting pad quite good on Mercedes paint. Though the Menzerna polish can be dusty as others have pointed out before.

Personally I'm not a fan of the MF pads. I've used them but I found they were smaller than the Hexlogics and they caked up easier.

Spike Witwicky wrote: »

Anyone used Meguiars Gold Class paste wax? Got given some as a present but havent got around to using it yet.

It's grand wax but not very durable. Better off with Collinite 845 (liquid wax) or Fusso paste wax.

Spike Witwicky

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

Personally I'm not a fan of the MF pads. I've used them but I found they were smaller than the Hexlogics and they caked up easier.

Yeah i found they did cake up a bit. I'd give it a couple of passes and then clean the pad with diluted apc mix and a tea towel

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

It's grand wax but not very durable. Better off with Collinite 845 (liquid wax) or Fusso paste wax.

Never tried Fusso but i do like Collinite. Maybe ill try it out in the summer when i dont mind reapplying every few weeks.

crasy dash

As usual the weather changed and I didn't get a chance to start as I have no shed only a driveway.

I'll try taping half the bonnet as recommend and I'll try a before and after picture.

On a better note my order from detailing shed arrived so now I'm the owner of a built hamber clay and dry me crazy towel.

Curran

Some of the updated MF pads have a hole in the centre to help prevent the gathering of polish. It is an issue with them for sure...but for the extra cut they offer it can be worth the extra hassle!

But then again there are plenty of options to get lots of cut without MF pads. There would be more cut from other polishes and pads that have been previously mentioned. I always loved Scholl Concepts S3 Gold on their Blue pads on harder BMW paint; but even since then the game has moved on. CarPro Velvet and Denim pads offer the effectiveness of 2000 and 3000 grit sandpaper for example.

bbari

crasy dash wrote:

On a better note my order from detailing shed arrived so now I'm the owner of a built hamber clay and drive me crazy towel.

crasy dash wrote:

On a better note my order from detailing shed arrived so now I'm the owner of a built hamber clay and drive me crazy towel.

Drive me crazy towel. .. the best investment ever!

MetzgerMeister

The DRY Me Crazy towel is also a great thing :pac:

I have 3 of them

Curran

Ahhh poor bbari... he's so fond of it...it drives him crazy! :P

crasy dash

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

The DRY Me Crazy towel is also a great thing :pac:

I have 3 of them

Ahem damn autocorrect:D




If i could spell that might help as well though

bbari

MetzgerMeister wrote:

The DRY Me Crazy towel is also a great thing

Curran wrote:

Ahhh poor bbari... he's so fond of it...it drives him crazy!

Oops

It does drive me crazy when I'm able to drive (i mean dry) the car using half of the towel

crasy dash

So my order from detailing shed yesterday all going well I might get a chance to clay the car tomorrow.

Foxhole mentioned to use a combo of water and shampoo as lubricant when doing it.

Any other tips lads

Curran

- Make sure to de-tar the car thoroughly before claying
- Use plenty of lubricant
- Work in sections 1.5ft * 1.5ft and move on when all the surface feels like ice - the clay should glide really nicely on the surface, no grabbing
- Do not drop the clay bar - if you do, dispose of it - the clay bar can be cut into 3 or 4 sections, so you will have plenty
- Weather wont be in your favour, so clay might be a little hard and difficult to form, so a cup or jug of warm water will help - just drop it into every time it gets tough to form, for about 20 seconds; that will soften it nicely

A sheet of plastic on the ground, under the area you are claying, will save the claybar if you do drop it - otherwise dirt and grit will bond to it, and rubbing that back and forth on the paintwork is far from ideal.
It will take you a while to settle into a rhythm the first time using the claybar, but you'll do it in half the time the second time out - and when you finish and see the results, it will be worth it.

nd

So was looking for a quick cheap option for getting white wax marks off black trim and saw a youtube vid. about peanut butter. Skeptical, but tried it and it works briliantly.

bbari

is it ok to wash the car (2BM), spray on Quick Detailer (AG Rapid Detailer) and then dry the car with towel (dry me crazy towel)?

Or i should dry the car 1st, spray on QD and wipe it off with a mf cloth ?

Foxhole Norman

bbari wrote: »

is it ok to wash the car (2BM), spray on Quick Detailer (AG Rapid Detailer) and then dry the car with towel (dry me crazy towel)?

Or i should dry the car 1st, spray on QD and wipe it off with a mf cloth ?

You can do both, it depends on the QD really, some QD's are meant as drying aids that you mist on to wet panels and wipe dry and others are best suited to spraying on dry surfaces and wiped off as a quick shine boost/wax.

bbari

Foxhole Norman wrote:

You can do both, it depends on the QD really, some QD's are meant as drying aids that you mist on to wet panels and wipe dry and others are best suited to spraying on dry surfaces and wiped off as a quick shine boost/wax.

Thanks FN.
The car hasn't been waxed since July and beading is almost dead. I thought to start using QD till weather improves a bit, atleast it will give some protection and shine. A quick Google doesn't tell whether the AG detailer is a drying aid or not so i assume it isn't.

Curran

What he said!

To get the most of of any protection thwy may offer, it's better on a dry surface!

Comhrá

I have a brand new car arriving next week. It's a metallic grey finish.
How should I go about optimizing the finish from the get-go to make it look it's best?

Is it necessary to clay a brand-new car, or can I just start with a thorough wash, then maybe a couple of coats of Collinite 845 which I saw recommended earlier in this thread?

Any guidance appreciated.

bbari

tippman1 wrote: »

I have a brand new car arriving next week. It's a metallic grey finish.
How should I go about optimizing the finish from the get-go to make it look it's best?

Is it necessary to clay a brand-new car, or can I just start with a thorough wash, then maybe a couple of coats of Collinite 845 which I saw recommended earlier in this thread?

Any guidance appreciated.

There are few recent threads here discussing the same what you asked;


http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057528198

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057524160

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057408262

bbari

Curran wrote: »

What he said!

To get the most of of any protection thwy may offer, it's better on a dry surface!

Can I wipe it off with the same towel which I used to dry the car?

Curran

You can, but then your towel will have the product on the surface; which when used the next time, may push the water around, rather than absorb it. Unless you wash the drying towel after every wash, which isn't necessary.

Curran

tippman1 wrote: »

I have a brand new car arriving next week. It's a metallic grey finish.
How should I go about optimizing the finish from the get-go to make it look it's best?

Is it necessary to clay a brand-new car, or can I just start with a thorough wash, then maybe a couple of coats of Collinite 845 which I saw recommended earlier in this thread?

Any guidance appreciated.

Your car's paintwork will be near perfect, or at least should be, so your priority should be to keep the paintwork in its near perfect state. Ensuring you wash it correctly, using the Two Bucket Method and drying it with a quality drying towel, will ensure the paintwork will look great for many years to come. Keeping it protected and optimizing the finish will mean applying a wax or sealant, and Collinite 845 that you have mentioned is a very capable performer.

Do you need to clay a brand new car? That depends on the conditions it has been in pre-delivery. It may have been sitting in a yard for a few weeks, or whatever, so potentially it could. Will it be heavily contaminated, unlikely. Will it make huge difference to the appearance if you were to do it, unlikely. I would, ask the garage not to wash the car on delivery; just remove any delivery plastics, etc, and wash the car yourself, give it a few coats of a wax or sealant - enjoy driving it for a few weeks, and then perhaps when the weather gets a bit better, consider claying it and re-applying a few coats, so its fresh for the summer!

*Kol*

Was reading the instructions of a turtle wax clay bar today and it says not to rub the bar back and forwards on the panel in case you deposit some of the contaminants that you removed? I am not sure how you are supposed to do that? Any claying video I have seen they rub the clay back and forth in straight lines? Have I been doing something wrong?

*Kol*

Speaking of clay I notice that rainex have a 50g clay bar kit for windscreens with a little bottle of lube ( who doesn't need a little bottle of lube?!!) and a bottle of rainex for your windscreen for €14. Not a bad deal. At least you have the clay bar. That's in Halfords.

Disclaimer. I am not a stooge of Halfords, Rainex, clay, or anything else. Just saying.

Curran

Don't see how rubbing it back and forth is any different to any other motion. Once the surface is kept fresh by constantly kneading it, any motion is fine.

edburg

*Kol* wrote: »

Was reading the instructions of a turtle wax clay bar today and it says not to rub the bar back and forwards on the panel in case you deposit some of the contaminants that you removed? I am not sure how you are supposed to do that? Any claying video I have seen they rub the clay back and forth in straight lines? Have I been doing something wrong?

They are most likely thinking for safety reasons (USA suing nature) to rub against surface in one direction, pull away, need and start again etc etc. Avoid getting that letter that says I rub my car with your clay bar and it scratched the paint because tar got stuck to it.

Most instructions these days are about not getting sued I think, nuts may contain nuts etc etc. Don't think I really read them anymore, maybe sub conscious thought, just get on with whats comfortable for you.