NA6C-Guy

iTrader: (1)

This ^^^ This

In the future, I will probably be paying someone to do it. It's too costly to do it yourself, and I have never done as good of a job as someone who does it every day for a living can do.

Mach929

iTrader: (3)

i detailed cars at a high end car dealer for 7 years in high school and through college. I've detailed thousands of cars, literally. i could ramble on about this topic for hours, but honestly like the old saying goes, there's more than one way to skin a cat.

sam, a lot of the info you posted there i don't really agree with but that's ok, there's also a big difference between doing it for fun and doing so to make money.

things that bother me. go into any good reputable place or any body shop and you'll see guys using rotary buffers, not orbital. people tend to be way too into claying cars, it does have merit but if you're going to break out the buffer, many times you can remove the grit at the same time. If they car is cleaned regularly you may only have to ever clay your car one time, ever. amatuers tend to use way to many silicone products especially in the inside.

Doppelgänger

iTrader: (12)

I hate silicone based products...except for tire shine and that I put on with a cloth (not a sponge). On the dash I use soap and water and every once in a while when it starts getting dull, I'll wipe it with some good ole' fashion dino oil. Yup. Plastic = petrolium product....so it makes sense to hydrate plastic with a petrol product.

I don't get the wheel cleaners/brushes. What is wrong with using a "ok" wash mitt with the same soap and water used on the car (obviously not using the same bucket of water to wash the car)? I've been doing this for years and my wheels never have embedded dirt or brake dust...even after being on the track. I do occasionally wax my wheels though.

I don't think using a DA is bad if you know how to properly use it and use it with decent products. I also use the DA to remove wax....by putting a fresh pad on it and covering it with a microfiber. I know it's 'bad to swirl wax as you remove it' because it can work swirls back into the finish, but I've not noticed any increase in swirls/haze/hologram since using the DA to remove wax/polish. I do constantly flip the cloth though. Having friends in the detailing business have given me some pointers, but overall they agree that what I do works well for the paint on my car.

hustler

iTrader: (6)

I clay my *****, then buff them with a terry-cloth orbital (I don't want to get too much heat into my *****), and seal them with a silicone glaze applied with a sponge prior to tea-bagging your girlfriends and mothers. Its the least I can do.

TurboTim

iTrader: (9)

What about Zaino?

hustler

iTrader: (6)

For your ***** or the car?

wayne_curr

iTrader: (8)

You might have been kidding but nothing has quite brought the flat out of my faded bumpers than a good puke from my old roomate after our 120 beer night.

I saw no mention in this thread of the very fundamental way you must wash your car. Always wash back and forth the way air moves over the car, never in circles. You'll inevitably scratch your paint every time you wash it and this makes them less noticable.

Having said that, I stopped washing my car over a year ago. Its such a waste of time. Kind of like making the bed.

TurboTim

iTrader: (9)

For a car. I don't need help on products for my ***** but thanks for asking stud.

NA6C-Guy

iTrader: (1)

Don't completely stop. At least wash it every few months, or at least bring it to the car wash and spray it off and splash some soap on it. Paint always seems to take a dump when you ignore it for a while. I have a '91 Accord that used to be in amazing condition, until I stopped driving it regularly and stopped washing it often. Within a year the paint had gone from excellent condition to having chunks of clear coat flaking off, and the colors began to fade. Paint likes to have a little attention.

TurboTim

iTrader: (9)

Ehh I'll tend to agree. Except for myself, my entire family is extremely ---- about their cars. My dad washes his car every morning, waxes it christ almost everytime I see him. That's why I was asking about the Zaino, it's all they use.

My car is covered in about .060" of chopsaw wheel dust. Is that bad? My old subaru had some sort of fungus or mold growing inside the paint. haha. I'd rinse it off with miracle grow.

grego9198

I spent a good chunk of my bonus last year on detailing products, bought a PC DA buffer, a bunch of different pads, optimum polishes, MF clothes, etc... The miata doesn't take too long to detail because it's so small, I do a proper wash, clay, polish, wax once a year then just upkeep on the wax. I've been using dodo juice supernatural the last couple of cars and have been quite happy with it.

P21S I found is a really good wheel cleaner, spray on, agitate a little then rinse off. Using an old mitt and soap would probably work too, as long as you don't leave your brake dust on them for too long.

For a non glossy dash sealant try 303 spray protectant, you can use it on vinyl and leather and plastics and doesn't leave that ugly glossy finish that armor all leaves that attracts soo much dust.

ScottFW

iTrader: (4)

I might have tried some if I could keep the goddamn numbers straight. That Z-2, Z-5, Z-7 business is too confusing. With a million different products out there, I'm going to grab one with "wax" or "sealant" in the name. But if you have access to some of your dad's stash, might as well try it and see if you like it. My impression was that there is a layering process involved with the different Z-whatevers, and while I don't loathe waxing my car, there are other things I'd rather do.

Making the bed is a waste of time because the only people who see it are me and all of your mothers. OTOH, the car goes out in public and I won't be seen driving a really filthy vehicle unless it's my truck.

Savington

iTrader: (31)

I used to care a lot, I still have a PC DA buffer and a few Meg's compounds laying around. Now the car gets a little QD and a rag every so often to keep it looking presentable.

TurboTim

iTrader: (9)

I use the stuff too just not often. It's all I have used, but that's just because it's what's easy to get, easy to apply and remove, lasts an unusually long time, smells great, etc. I never researched it to see how it compares to other boutique products, however my dad sells a TON of the stuff mostly to older corvette drivers haha. Plus Zaino got me my job here at Jesel so I have to use his stuff (Sal used to work for Jesel way back in the day.) The only thing I currently have is an old bottle of the car wash.

GeneSplicer

iTrader: (14)

^^^^triple this... I'm lazy as ****...

y8s

iTrader: (8)

i washed my car for the first time in about 2 years on sunday. in direct hot sunlight. out of one bucket. I clayed it, then "waxed" it with nufinish. because I had it. would autopia tell me that was worse than not washing it another year?

zaino is still acceptable. I always had good results with it when my car was < 3 years old.

Sparetire

I always took pride in having a car that the rust-bucket 5.0 guys turned their noses up about.

I think it would be pretty sweet to see the results of someone baking a turd, then using a whole regimen of these products on it. My guess is that it would end up looking great.

wayne_curr

iTrader: (8)

I used to think it was fine to grind and cut near my car but then my friend brought up a good point. Grinding sparks stick right into glass. My windshield is fugged and so is the little window in my garage (which I care less about).

TurboTim

iTrader: (9)

Ahhh crap. I didn't think about that. Damn. Time to increase prices.

wayne_curr

iTrader: (8)

Tell me about it lol. I need to get some of the welding dropcloth from harbor freight.