Anyone into detailing cars?

halo

pitdogg2 wrote: »

I may have to give that mothers 2.0 thing a try. I've looked at it a number of times yet was pretty skeptical that it would work.

Worked well. No marring that I saw. Paint was smooth afterward. Try to use it with the Armor All Ultra Spray Wash. seriously, we had the car done in no time flat.

pitdogg2

halo wrote: »

pitdogg2 wrote: »

I may have to give that mothers 2.0 thing a try. I've looked at it a number of times yet was pretty skeptical that it would work.

Worked well. No marring that I saw. Paint was smooth afterward. Try to use it with the Armor All Ultra Spray Wash. seriously, we had the car done in no time flat.

How many cans did your car take?

halo

pitdogg2 wrote: »

halo wrote: »

pitdogg2 wrote: »

I may have to give that mothers 2.0 thing a try. I've looked at it a number of times yet was pretty skeptical that it would work.

Worked well. No marring that I saw. Paint was smooth afterward. Try to use it with the Armor All Ultra Spray Wash. seriously, we had the car done in no time flat.

How many cans did your car take?

Not even 1. Maybe a 1/4 to an 1/8 of the can. The Speed Clay 2.0 can be used up to 50 times IIRC.

pitdogg2

halo wrote: »

pitdogg2 wrote: »

halo wrote: »

pitdogg2 wrote: »

I may have to give that mothers 2.0 thing a try. I've looked at it a number of times yet was pretty skeptical that it would work.

Worked well. No marring that I saw. Paint was smooth afterward. Try to use it with the Armor All Ultra Spray Wash. seriously, we had the car done in no time flat.

How many cans did your car take?

Not even 1. Maybe a 1/4 to an 1/8 of the can. The Speed Clay 2.0 can be used up to 50 times IIRC.

Thanks

halo

pitdogg2 wrote: »

Thanks

NP

Here's a video from a professional detailer:
https://youtu.be/2-ZUbojCwjs

halo

Wife drove the car last night during a downpour.

Best I could do for a pic of the paint after using some Wolfgang Uber rinseless wash on the paint. The car was absolutely filthy before I did that.

tonyb

Is there a good product out there, off the shelf, for doing a deep clean on the paint before waxing ? You know....to clean that junk regular washing doesn't quite get .

halo

tonyb wrote: »

Is there a good product out there, off the shelf, for doing a deep clean on the paint before waxing ? You know....to clean that junk regular washing doesn't quite get .

Yes, but it all starts with the soap you use to wash the car. I’d actually recommend blue dawn dish soap. It’s designed to cut through grease and grime and it may help to strip old wax off the car’s finish.

Like Ivan and I discussed above, you may want to pick up a Mother’s Speed Clay 2.0 or a Nanoskin fine grade clay towel to “clean” the paint before applying a compound, polish, wax, or ceramic coating. The better the surface the paint is prepared, the better the final layer of protection can bond and the longer it will last.

As I mentioned above, you want to use the Armor All Ultra Spray Wash in conjunction with the synthetic clay (whichever one you choose). You can drop the clay on the ground and rinse it off with soap and water and it’s good to go. If you drop a traditional clay bar you have to toss it in the bin. Heck, maybe you and Ivan can go halfsies with the synthetic clay and the Armor All Spray Wash. You’d easily have more than enough material to do 2 cars.

Anywho, from there I’d guess you want something simple to protect the paint and I’d go with the Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Wax or a Cleaner Wax from your favorite brand.

Also, get some microfiber towels for the application and removal (use separate towels for each). A nice microfiber wash mitt will also be good for you. A microfiber wash mitt from Meguiar’s is ~ $5 on Amazon. You don’t have to break the bank here and, if you wash the towels and mitt on cold and dry on low, they’ll last you a while. Same with the car care products, everything I listed should last you a while if stored properly.

I hope that helps.

Willow

Next spring I have to learn how to use a claybar then wax it properly not just washing them.

halo

Willow wrote: »

Next spring I have to learn how to use a claybar then wax it properly not just washing them.

The new synthetic clay towels and mitts make life easy when claying. Same stuff as the Mother's Speed Clay but a little better for getting into tight spaces. All up to your personal preference.

Don't push down on the paint when using it, just let the bar/towel/mitt do the work for you.

tonyb

I already use Armor all wash. Maybe I'm asking about compound cleaners, that really do a deep clean.

charley95

Tony, You gonna apply by hand or use an orbital after ya wash,clay...?

halo

A buffer is your best bet here Tony. It's the only way you'll have any chance to get out the "love marks" i.e., swirls and light scratches.

Following the compound with a polish will further reduce the swirls and scratches and enhance the depth and clarity.

The types of pads you use will be important here as well and, you should "clean" the pads after every section you go over (removing all that dead paint will gum up the pads pretty quick and you want to clean them, repeatedly, for consistent results).

Now, what are you looking to spend on this little endeavor Tony? Do you want the swirls reduced or eliminated? How much time and effort are you wanting to dedicate to this?

tonyb

By hand bro. I'm not even talking little scratches or swirls, just road grime that doesn't seem to wash off with normal washing.

Not going to do the buffer thing, if I wanted to do that I'd just take it in for a good detailing and be done.

charley95

Tony, a cheap buffer would save ya a lot of time. I know you don't want perfection but, doing it by hand involves a lot more labor vs. a buffer. I just use a $45 Craftsman orbital with $3 microfiber bonnets. The polish you use will work much better than doing it by hand. Just trying to save ya from having sore arms. I'll post a pic. of what I use once it loads.

charley95

halo

@tonyb

In regards to a buffer/polisher, one of these would serve you well and save your body from a ton of aches and pains.

All in one kit - something like this:

https://amazon.com/TORQX-Random-Orbital-Polisher-Items/dp/B01BKT63XM/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=random+orbital+polisher&qid=1569891628&sr=8-4

Less expensive, initially, but you have to buy pads and products separately - like this:

https://amazon.com/Bosch-Random-Polisher-ROS20VSC-Carrying/dp/B00BD5G9VA/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?keywords=random+orbital+polisher&qid=1569891870&sr=8-3-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUE4S0tJQTFONUdXOUEmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA5NTU2OTVERzRUUVNRVDhBNjMmZW5jcnlwdGVkQWRJZD1BMDU3MTU5MTNBMlNNTFczMVU5Mkkmd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl

charley95

I don't think I'd even be into detailing if it wasn't for a buffer. I think of all the years wasted I polished by hand and didn't get the results vs. a buffer. It's pretty hard to damage your paint with an orbital as long as you're not using a heavy compound.

Willow

ok perhaps this fall I'll try clay and I'll borrow my dad's buffer. Get the main vehicle ready for winter. The old 2007 rav well I won't be putting too much work into that one.

tonyb

I might be more into detailing if I lived in a climate where I could appreciate my efforts more. Here in Chicago, the winters and road salt beat the fook out of a car.

Tried some Maguire's cleaner wax yesterday, did a decent job getting more of the grime off a 10 year old car.

BDT

I bought a Griots Garage DA polisher awhile ago.....and it's the bees knees.

My full on routine:

I like to wash with Dawn and dry. Clay.....now, the Olds has old single stage paint so there is only so much you can do to it so I don't don't truck with heavy abrasives. I have some Mcguiars fine cut cleaner if I have some oxidation. Apply with GG DA polisher (orange pad) and wipe with terry cloth. If I don't use that...I go straight to Mcguiars #7 with orange pad. wipe. Finish with liquid carnuba (red pad). Buff with terry cloth...

I like Zaino products but they seem to be more compatible with clear coat finishes. Their AIO is pretty awesome....

YMMV

halo

BDT wrote: »

I bought a Griots Garage DA polisher awhile ago.....and it's the bees knees.

My full on routine:

I like to wash with Dawn and dry. Clay.....now, the Olds has old single stage paint so there is only so much you can do to it so I don't don't truck with heavy abrasives. I have some Mcguiars fine cut cleaner if I have some oxidation. Apply with GG DA polisher (orange pad) and wipe with terry cloth. If I don't use that...I go straight to Mcguiars #7 with orange pad. wipe. Finish with liquid carnuba (red pad). Buff with terry cloth...

I like Zaino products but they seem to be more compatible with clear coat finishes. Their AIO is pretty awesome....

YMMV

Troy,

If you like a straight-up wax, you may want to give Collinite a try. No. 476 is the highest durability. No. 845 is supposed to be really good as well.

tonyb wrote: »

I might be more into detailing if I lived in a climate where I could appreciate my efforts more. Here in Chicago, the winters and road salt beat the fook out of a car.

Tried some Maguire's cleaner wax yesterday, did a decent job getting more of the grime off a 10 year old car.

lol! I used to live in Chicago Tony. The Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wax will hold up well against the road salt vs the cleaner wax (or most straight waxes for that matter). However, a dedicated ceramic coating like CarPro CQuartz UK 3.0_30ml Kit will protect the finish for a full year. If you top it with Carpro Gliss and apply when washing regularly, it may last even longer.

TroyD

I’ve found that the process is more important than the products involved.....and in my case, the paint job on the Olds was a DIY by my uncle with lots of flaws so there is managing expectations as well.....

tonyb

Sweeet looker. Always had a woody for those cars. Plus they were built like tanks.

polrbehr

All this talk about detailing had me looking around Amazon since I hadn't bought anything in awhile, so I fixed that.
I bought a 1/2 gal of CG Microfiber wash, supposed to launder them better than conventional detergents. If anyone is interested I'll post my findings after doing some.
Also bought 2 more waffle weave drying towels as backups, easier than waiting for the few I have to air dry. Also ordered some WildAuto clay bars, though that didn't arrive yet and I'm skeptical about how it's going to compare to Mothers. Anyone tried this yet? There are two 100g bars for $6.99, a lot cheaper than Mothers but I'll try it
out on my work van first as that's the vehicle I care the least about if I damage it LOL.

tonyb

Cool bro, let me know how that wash works out. No interest in the clay bar, I'd probably mold it into an ashtray.

motorhead43026

I second the Collinite 476.

halo

FWIW, I've used the CG microfiber wash soap and I find it no better than detergents that are free of dyes and fragrances. So far, Purex Free & Clear has worked very well and it isn't too expensive. Just be sure to wash your microfiber towels in cold water and tumble dry on low heat or no heat.

polrbehr

Good info @halo, too bad I didn't ask before I bought.... Oh well, at 1-2 oz per load of towels, that 1/2 gal of CG stuff should last a long time.

halo

polrbehr wrote: »

Good info @halo, too bad I didn't ask before I bought.... Oh well, at 1-2 oz per load of towels, that 1/2 gal of CG stuff should last a long time.

It works. It will clean your towels. Who knows, maybe the way it interacts with my water here in St. Louis isn’t as effective as it is where you live?