The Detailing Thread

[thewizard16]

I need to bring my car to you just for detailing. It's nowhere near that dirty, I just want someone to make it all sparkly and pretty like you do to those cars.

[giant_mtb]

I need to bring my car to you just for detailing. It's nowhere near that dirty, I just want someone to make it all sparkly and pretty like you do to those cars.

Next CarSPIN GTG...detailing party in the Yoop!

[12,000 RPM]

I did a paint restore on the G w/stuff you recommended... still have it

Optima might be able to get away with a good cleaning and wax but I'd like to get it 100%. It can probably get away with the lightest orbital polish possible

[giant_mtb]

I did a paint restore on the G w/stuff you recommended... still have it

Optima might be able to get away with a good cleaning and wax but I'd like to get it 100%. It can probably get away with the lightest orbital polish possible

Probably, yes.  Unless you're super anal, a single-stage/light cut is all you need, especially if you're waxing after.

Post before/after pics!

[Eye of the Tiger]

I need to restore paint on all three of my trux...

[giant_mtb]

I need to restore paint on all three of my trux...

Good luck...?

[BimmerM3]

I need to restore paint on all three of my trux...

I sanded paint chips and put a bunch of Rust-Oleum on the roof of the exploder today. Does that count?

[12,000 RPM]

I'm confused on what protectant to use

Synthetic wax seems straightforward and long lasting but supposedly doesn't retain much shine

There are some consumer grade ceramic coatings but that just sounds sketch

Have you heard anything about stuff like CQuartz?

[giant_mtb]

You're thinking about it way too much. Just get some wax and wax it twice a year. Ceramics are barely worth the money...if they were as amazing as they say, they wouldn't have to sell "recharge" products right alongside of them.

[12,000 RPM]

Fair enough, I am just looking to deal with this paint as little as possible. Might just have to bite the bullet and find a decent detailer down here

[Speed_Racer]

I'm confused on what protectant to use

Synthetic wax seems straightforward and long lasting but supposedly doesn't retain much shine

There are some consumer grade ceramic coatings but that just sounds sketch

Have you heard anything about stuff like CQuartz?

I apply synthetic wax a couple times per year, but top it with carnauba whenever I want that deep shine back

[giant_mtb]

Fair enough, I am just looking to deal with this paint as little as possible. Might just have to bite the bullet and find a decent detailer down here

If you're looking to have the paint buffed out and stuff and don't wanna do it yourself, it wouldn't be a bad idea to have it professionally done. Then, you have a clean slate that you can maintain. With good maintenance and careful washing, you can get a couple years out of freshly buffed black paint. Wax "hides" a lot of the superficial scratches you get, and a hand polishing once a year on a clean slate should keep her fresh for quite some time.

[giant_mtb]

I've detailed 82 cars since March 25th.

[Eye of the Tiger]

I think I've done 82 oil changes. Ugh.

[giant_mtb]

Nope, I lied.  78.  But probably 82+ if you include keeping my parents' vehicles clean, my truck, and a couple little jobs here and there for friends.

[BimmerM3]

S2000 was real nasty. Now it is not.

[FoMoJo]

Hey, good job.

[giant_mtb]

[BimmerM3]

Hey, good job.

Thanks!

Are there any tricks to removing wax other than elbow grease? That's the only part of the process I really hate. Wears me out.

I did two coats today - a Maguiar's cleaner wax first, then their "Gold Class" which I guess is a carnuba with additives.

[giant_mtb]

Thanks!

Are there any tricks to removing wax other than elbow grease? That's the only part of the process I really hate. Wears me out.

I did two coats today - a Maguiar's cleaner wax first, then their "Gold Class" which I guess is a carnuba with additives.

I like that Gold Class.  Used it a lot back in the day.  No tricks, just elbow grease.  If you're finding it difficult to remove, try using less wax, as caking it on too thick is a recipe for painful removal (this is usually the error I find when asked this question, it doesn't need to be thickly applied).  That, or don't let it completely dry out before you wipe it off.  Just let it flash a bit and you're good to wipe off.  If you're waxing by hand, the time it takes you to wax the next panel is plenty of drying time for the previous panel.

If you're waxing it outside, even a slight breeze will dry the wax out quickly, so getting to the wipe-off before it's totally dried is key for easy removal.

[giant_mtb]

Did a complete reconditioning of mom's Q5's paint.  Washed, clayed (with the trusty clay bar mitt), buffed, and waxed.  Haven't done it in a few years at least, so it was due.  Picture doesn't do it justice, but just look at those reflections!

Meg's Diamond Cut 2.0
Meg's Swirl Remover 2.0
Collinite Insulator Wax

[giant_mtb]

bett3r pix

[r0tor]

I often wondered if the clay mitt worked as well as a clay bar

[giant_mtb]

I often wondered if the clay mitt worked as well as a clay bar

Yes.  And it's so much easier and more convenient.  Clay barring with clay is a time consuming process.  Clay mitt is quick and just adds a step to the wash process.  Lasts a long time, too.  I usually go through just two every summer.

[HurricaneSteve]

When you say clay bar mitt are you referring to the nanoskin or do they really have a mitt that you can attach clay to? Also, how many times can you use cutting/swirl remover compound before the clearcoat thins too much? I'm hesitant to try those products for that reason.

[giant_mtb]

When you say clay bar mitt are you referring to the nanoskin or do they really have a mitt that you can attach clay to? Also, how many times can you use cutting/swirl remover compound before the clearcoat thins too much? I'm hesitant to try those products for that reason.

Nanoskin.

How many times?  I don't know.  But an annual/bi-annual polishing is not going to do any harm.  These products wouldn't exist if they weren't safe.  If you're doing it by hand...never worry.  Best thing to do is to do one heavy cut and then maintain it so you don't need to cut heavy ever again.  If you get that pristine base-line with a heavy compound, you should be fine with an annual/bi-annual once-over with a lighter (polishing) compound to get it back to baseline for the life of the vehicle.

EDIT:  Er, not bi-annual.  Whatever the word for 2 years is.  Polishing every 1-2 years.

[BimmerM3]

EDIT:  Er, not bi-annual.  Whatever the word for 2 years is.  Polishing every 1-2 years.

Biennial.

But those words are confusing. Bi-weekly can either mean twice per week or every other week.

[giant_mtb]

Also, with a random-orbital polisher, you increase the safety factor because they don't heat the paint as much as a traditional rotary polisher. 

https://itsbetterwaxed.com/blogs/detailing-tips/50694340-what-s-the-difference-with-dual-action-random-orbit-and-rotary-buffers

I have a "forced" dual-action polisher (the Flex 3401 VRG mentioned in that article) which combines the safety of a random-orbit and the power of a traditional rotary polisher.  So it has the power for serious paint correction, while utilizing the safety factor of a random-orbit (ie, doesn't produce as much heat to the paint).

[HurricaneSteve]

Excellent, thanks for the info. I do like the Nanoskin to save time, although I'd imagine a clay bar would be more precise and effective? I bought a $30 B&D orbital buffer off of Amazon awhile back to learn with but I just haven't gotten around to finding time and doing it. The goal is to work my way up so I can correct some of the swirl marks on my Miata that I'm assuming the dealership inflicted before they sold me the car.

Nanoskin.

How many times?  I don't know.  But an annual/bi-annual polishing is not going to do any harm.  These products wouldn't exist if they weren't safe.  If you're doing it by hand...never worry.  Best thing to do is to do one heavy cut and then maintain it so you don't need to cut heavy ever again.  If you get that pristine base-line with a heavy compound, you should be fine with an annual/bi-annual once-over with a lighter (polishing) compound to get it back to baseline for the life of the vehicle.

EDIT:  Er, not bi-annual.  Whatever the word for 2 years is.  Polishing every 1-2 years.

[giant_mtb]

Clay bar and the mitt will produce the same results, just take your time and check your prigress. I've always hated clay barring (the process, not the results), so the mitts are a godsend, especially as a time saver.

Don't worry too much about buffing...I had the same fears the first couple times I did it as well.  You'll quickly learn that it's really quite easy once you get a handle on how the machine likes to work, and the results will be fantastic.  Start off by practicing with a round of finishing polish or even just a wax job at low speed to get a feel.  You literally can't make the paint worse, so just go for it!