[emlS03]

Sorry should have been more specific, is there a trick to polishing with the PC on the corners and creases? and when the swirls are removable what is the best way to determine what cut pad/polish to use?

Originally Posted by Peleg

You can polish in 2 ways: with a microfiber towel or with the polisher like the Porter 7424.

I like to apply the polish to a microfiber pad, let it haze and take it off with a towel. The polisher works great as well.

An easy way to evaluate the swirls is to run your fingernail on it, if you finger nail gets caught in the scratch, it's too deep.

Most swirls are into the clear coat, so you can use a polisher to take them off.

[stlb5]

Start with the least aggressive set up and work your way up until the swirls are gone. Some of the more aggressive polishes will leave some micro swirls, so you'll actually have to work your way back down to less aggressive polishes to finish up. Think of polishes like variable grit sand paper. The polish may start out as a 1200 grit, but by the time you're done working it in with a polisher, it breaks down to a 2200 grit. Now that may leave some micro swirls so you'll need to use a less aggressive polish that starts at say a 2000 grit and works down to a 3000. These are all just numbers, no polish is going to say "comparable to a XXX grit", but conceptually, that's how it works.


On another note, there's a lot of great info in here, I can't wait to try some of the wheel cleaer products. I've been a novice detailer for a while and a big Porter Cable and Zaino user for a while and spend a lot of time on Autopia too. Here are a few suggestions I'll add to washing the car:

1 - Two Buckets!!! You made a brief mention of this on page 10, but didn't really describe it. One bucket is for soap/water, the other is just a rinse bucket filled with water only. The idea is once you've washed a section with your sponge/mit, you don't put all that dirt you washed off back into your clean soap bucket, instead, you throw the sponge/mit into the rinse bucket and get most of the dirt out there, then you'll keep your clean soapy water much nicer for the full wash.

2 - Wash in straight lines. Obviously you're going to take every precaution you can to avoid putting swirls in your paint while you're washing it, the 2 bucket method really helps with this. But just in case some of the dirt or whatever decides to stick to your sponge/mit just right and starts making swirls, it's better to wash up and down on all the doors and vertical pieces, and to wash front to back on all the flat surfaces. If you are scratching the clearcoat, the lines formed by washing this way will be much less noticable to the eye that if you are doing the standard circular washing method.

3 - The final rinse. Once you're done washing and spraying off the car, disconnect the hose from your power washer or nozzle and just use the full flow of water to rinse the car one more time. Start at the top and use the sheeting action of the water to your advantage. This will leave less water on the car for you to dry as it will just sheet away. This work awesome if you have a good coat of wax/sealant on, it also helps to be parked at a slight slope.

Anyway, hope that makes sense and helps some of you. Happy detailing!

[nonissan]

thanks for this fantastic detailing post guys. i think some of it may be a little over my head for now (detailing noobie). so, a few questions (please bear with me if some of this has already been covered).

1. what are the recommended intervals for all of this stuff? ie. wash weekly-biweekly, claybar when needed (how do you know if it needs claybaring?), polish 3 times yearly (i think i remember reading that), wax monthly??? also, do you do the interior/engine/wheels with every wash, every other wash, etc.

2. the polishing stage seems to be broken down into many different sub-stages. peleg says start with the least abrasive and work your way down as necessary. so, if i have no/little swirls, then i should only have to do one polishing, right? which polish?

3. are all the towels/mits/pads re-usable forever? as long as they are kept clean, should they last 1 year, 10 years, etc.?

4. anybody heard of/used malco products? they are supposed to be more for detailing shops, but i can get them for cheap/free...

5. what should i do to prep for a clearbra install? just a wash?

thanks so much,

tim

[Peleg]

Originally Posted by nonissan

thanks for this fantastic detailing post guys. i think some of it may be a little over my head for now (detailing noobie). so, a few questions (please bear with me if some of this has already been covered).

1. what are the recommended intervals for all of this stuff? ie. wash weekly-biweekly, claybar when needed (how do you know if it needs claybaring?), polish 3 times yearly (i think i remember reading that), wax monthly??? also, do you do the interior/engine/wheels with every wash, every other wash, etc.

2. the polishing stage seems to be broken down into many different sub-stages. peleg says start with the least abrasive and work your way down as necessary. so, if i have no/little swirls, then i should only have to do one polishing, right? which polish?

3. are all the towels/mits/pads re-usable forever? as long as they are kept clean, should they last 1 year, 10 years, etc.?

4. anybody heard of/used malco products? they are supposed to be more for detailing shops, but i can get them for cheap/free...

5. what should i do to prep for a clearbra install? just a wash?

thanks so much,

tim

Hello Tim,

Thanks for joining my thread!

To answer your questions:

1. Washing intervals really depend on how often you drive the car, how dirty it gets. My neighbor washes his M3 twice a week sometimes because he drives it daily. Me on the other hand, maybe once a month, since the STi is my weekend toy. It really depends, but it's a judgment call.

Polish is good about 2-3 times a year, so every 4 months or so. You can do it by hand or with a polisher. If your paint doesn't have swirl marks, you can go to either Meguiar's # 7 or Sonus stage 3. Then wax.

As for the wax, once in 5-6 weeks is fine. I like Meguiar's # 26.

Wheels: every time you wash the car.

Engine: once a year.

Interior: every time you clean the car. Now if you have leather, I would clean/recondition it at least twice a year.

2. As mentioned, skip the anti swirl polish and go to "final Polish". Either Meguiar's # 7, Sonus stage 3 and I believe there are a few other products out there. Zaino is another top candidate.

3. I like to throw mine in the laundry machine after every 3 car washes or so, including polishing pads, microfiber pads, towels, etc.

As long as the product does what you want, you can keep using it. Just make sure it's clean.

4. Haven't heard about those guys. (but that doesn't mean they aren't good)

5. Talk to the installer. If I remember correctly, you should remove all wax, polish (clay bar time), but talk to the installer first!!! I would also think the installer will include prepping the area for the clearbra as part of the service he/she is performing for you.

* Claybar - at least once a year, depending on the paint condition.

I just finished my best friend's G35 coupe. It's been a daily driver for 2 years. You should have seen the look on his face once we were done - priceless...haha and he thought his paint was "clean".

I let him wash the car, and told him to leave it wet.

A. Claybar the entire car. Hose off. (Meguiar's mild clay bar and quick detailer spray as lubricant)

B. Meguiar's # 7.

C. Meguiar's # 26.

Paint is in like NEW condition.

[Peleg]

Originally Posted by emlS03

Sorry should have been more specific, is there a trick to polishing with the PC on the corners and creases? and when the swirls are removable what is the best way to determine what cut pad/polish to use?

When I bought my Porter Polisher, they included 3 different pads, one for each stage of Sonus polish. (3 different stages)

Stage 1: for old paint that needs some serious attention.

Stage 2: for swirl marks.

Stage 3: final shine.

They mentioned NOT to mix the pads with different polishes.

I now use their system with Meguiar's, thus I like their products better.

You can get these pads at Autopia-carcare.com or Autogeek.net

[nonissan]

Originally Posted by Peleg

Hello Tim,

Thanks for joining my thread!

To answer your questions:

1. Washing intervals really depend on how often you drive the car, how dirty it gets. My neighbor washes his M3 twice a week sometimes because he drives it daily. Me on the other hand, maybe once a month, since the STi is my weekend toy. It really depends, but it's a judgment call.

Polish is good about 2-3 times a year, so every 4 months or so. You can do it by hand or with a polisher. If your paint doesn't have swirl marks, you can go to either Meguiar's # 7 or Sonus stage 3. Then wax.

As for the wax, once in 5-6 weeks is fine. I like Meguiar's # 26.

Wheels: every time you wash the car.

Engine: once a year.

Interior: every time you clean the car. Now if you have leather, I would clean/recondition it at least twice a year.

2. As mentioned, skip the anti swirl polish and go to "final Polish". Either Meguiar's # 7, Sonus stage 3 and I believe there are a few other products out there. Zaino is another top candidate.

3. I like to throw mine in the laundry machine after every 3 car washes or so, including polishing pads, microfiber pads, towels, etc.

As long as the product does what you want, you can keep using it. Just make sure it's clean.

4. Haven't heard about those guys. (but that doesn't mean they aren't good)

5. Talk to the installer. If I remember correctly, you should remove all wax, polish (clay bar time), but talk to the installer first!!! I would also think the installer will include prepping the area for the clearbra as part of the service he/she is performing for you.

* Claybar - at least once a year, depending on the paint condition.

I just finished my best friend's G35 coupe. It's been a daily driver for 2 years. You should have seen the look on his face once we were done - priceless...haha and he thought his paint was "clean".

I let him wash the car, and told him to leave it wet.

A. Claybar the entire car. Hose off. (Meguiar's mild clay bar and quick detailer spray as lubricant)

B. Meguiar's # 7.

C. Meguiar's # 26.

Paint is in like NEW condition.

thanks so much for the hyper-quick response, which, of course, gives way to more questions (sorry).

1. so, as long as i keep my paint in good condition with regular maintenance, i shouldn't ever have to do anything (polish wise) other than stage 3 (#7)?

2. still a little unclear on the claybar. it helps clean out debris? even with proper maintenance, it is still a good idea to do once a year?

3. what about the underside? how do you go about cleaning debris/salt from underneath?

4. what if you don't have a hose (i live in an apartment. i have a garage, but no outside hose. i could run one from the laundry room in the basement (far away from garage) if necessary). would you recommend going to a pay and spray but bringing your own tools, then drive home for the polish/wax?

thanks again!!!

[Peleg]

Originally Posted by nonissan

thanks so much for the hyper-quick response, which, of course, gives way to more questions (sorry).

1. so, as long as i keep my paint in good condition with regular maintenance, i shouldn't ever have to do anything (polish wise) other than stage 3 (#7)?

2. still a little unclear on the claybar. it helps clean out debris? even with proper maintenance, it is still a good idea to do once a year?

3. what about the underside? how do you go about cleaning debris/salt from underneath?

4. what if you don't have a hose (i live in an apartment. i have a garage, but no outside hose. i could run one from the laundry room in the basement (far away from garage) if necessary). would you recommend going to a pay and spray but bringing your own tools, then drive home for the polish/wax?

thanks again!!!

No problem.

1. As long as you keep your paint in good condition, you can use stage 3 or #7, no need for more abrassive stuff, unless you get swirls or other annoying issues.

2. Now when you drive your beloved machine out there, it's subjected to pollution, road grime, sap, bee pullen, microscopic metal particles and other nasty stuff. All this gets on top of your clearcoat with time, so when you rub your hands on the paint, it feels rough and not smooth like when you first got the car.

This is when claybar comes into play. The claybar (when used properly) will take off all this dirt, grime and pollution and bring your paint/clearcoat back to the "NEW" condition it was before.

Keep in mind, the claybar will take off any polish, wax, sealant as well as the dirt. It pretty much makes your paint "virgin". (ya, that's what I call it, virgin paint)

Once the claybar procedure is done, it is time to provide the paint with new layers of protection: polish and wax. Some people go with a sealant as well, I find that a good polish and wax does the trick. Some folks like to use a combo liquid of polish/wax/sealant like Klasse (which is good, but a bit of a pain to get off) or Mother's polish/wax. (forgot the exact name, but it works quite well.

You can read on the claybar in earlier posts, just do a search in this section.

3. For the underside, I get on the ground and use the spraygun to hose the entire underbody with water for about 60 seconds. Everything from the oilpan, suspension, frame parts, exhaust parts.

4. You can run a hose and even a long electrical cord. That's what I do. I have 100 ft of electrical extension. I take it with me when I detail at peoples' houses. I also have a 25 ft hose.

* If you got access to hot water, it's great too.

[nonissan]

peleg, you're a prince among men for answering all of my n00b detailing questions, but, questions always lead to (hope not many more ) questions...

1. we have a buffer. it is a cheapo shop force 2600 rpm model. is that sufficient, or do i need to get a porter?

2. the brand of my friend's company's products is presta, not malco. heard of them?

3. the products he gave me seem to have a lot of overlap. lots of polish's, lots of waxes... i will ask him which he recommends for what, but i'd also like your take.
- 1500 polish (i think it's like 1500 grit)
- 3000 polish
- cutting cream
- glaze II polish
- swirl remover
- fast wax
- best wax
- and ultra violet (brand) wash and wax (see below question)

4. the "soap" also has wax (see above). is that ok for all washes, even if i am going to clay and polish and wax afterwards, or should i buy a soap sans wax.

thanks again. i owe you a beer

[Peleg]

Originally Posted by nonissan

peleg, you're a prince among men for answering all of my n00b detailing questions, but, questions always lead to (hope not many more ) questions...

1. we have a buffer. it is a cheapo shop force 2600 rpm model. is that sufficient, or do i need to get a porter?

2. the brand of my friend's company's products is presta, not malco. heard of them?

3. the products he gave me seem to have a lot of overlap. lots of polish's, lots of waxes... i will ask him which he recommends for what, but i'd also like your take.
- 1500 polish (i think it's like 1500 grit)
- 3000 polish
- cutting cream
- glaze II polish
- swirl remover
- fast wax
- best wax
- and ultra violet (brand) wash and wax (see below question)

4. the "soap" also has wax (see above). is that ok for all washes, even if i am going to clay and polish and wax afterwards, or should i buy a soap sans wax.

thanks again. i owe you a beer

1. Is it a buffer or a polisher? If it's a buffer make sure you have the right pad. Some buffers spin quite fast. I would use some caution with it, maybe call the manufacture and see what they say or check their website on how to properly use it.

2. Haven't heard of that brand.

3. The 1500 polish sounds like a final polish and the 3000 is probably a more aggressive one for swirls or old dull paint judging by the grit ratings. (high # is less aggressive if I'm correct. Someone correct me if I'm wrong)

You can use a glaze after the wax, I don't.

Swirl remover is only if you have swirls.

As for the wax, I like the Meguiar's # 26, it's a hybrid between synthetic wax and carnauba. It's very easy to work with and produces great results.

Soap - Meguiar's gold class shampoo would do, Sonus has a good one (but it's expensive and you don't get a whole lot), P21S is great too.

I wouldn't worry too much about having wax in the soap, the purpose of the soap is to take off the dirt and pollution that sits on top of the paint. Afterwards, the claybar will take off care of the rest.

Make it a cold fat-tire.

[nonissan]

Originally Posted by Peleg

1. Is it a buffer or a polisher? If it's a buffer make sure you have the right pad. Some buffers spin quite fast. I would use some caution with it, maybe call the manufacture and see what they say or check their website on how to properly use it.

it says buffer and spins at only 2600 rpm..?...

Originally Posted by Peleg

As for the wax, I like the Meguiar's # 26, it's a hybrid between synthetic wax and carnauba. It's very easy to work with and produces great results.

Soap - Meguiar's gold class shampoo would do, Sonus has a good one (but it's expensive and you don't get a whole lot), P21S is great too.

yeah, i read on your recommended products, and would totally buy them if i didn't alredy have all this stuff lying around. my boy says it's really high-grade stuff only sold to detailing shops.

Originally Posted by Peleg

Make it a cold fat-tire.

mmmm fat-tire. they just started selling it here in chicago in '06. i love it.

[Peleg]

There are alot of products out there, it really depends on what you like.

After working with different polishes and glazes, I narrowed it down to what I'm comfortable with.

Give the products you have a shot and see what the results are. There is no other way to know, you'll have to try them and see.

[psuLemon]

Originally Posted by Peleg

There are alot of products out there, it really depends on what you like.

After working with different polishes and glazes, I narrowed it down to what I'm comfortable with.

Give the products you have a shot and see what the results are. There is no other way to know, you'll have to try them and see.

I believe the color of your car really determines your finish as well with certain waxes. IIRC the #26 is directed as darker color cars. And really unless you are in a show, why spend the extra $ on a DD car when stuff like meguiars and mothers will provide an excellent finish and protect very well.

[Peleg]

Originally Posted by psuLemon

I believe the color of your car really determines your finish as well with certain waxes. IIRC the #26 is directed as darker color cars. And really unless you are in a show, why spend the extra $ on a DD car when stuff like meguiars and mothers will provide an excellent finish and protect very well.

The #26 is by Meguiar's.

[Peleg]

There are 4 things I like to use on my wheels:

1. The pressure washer.

2. P21S.

3. Teflon brushes.

4. Leaf blower.


It's been 3 years, the wheels are pretty clean, but I plan on taking them to the next level.

Hopefully this weekend or the next one, I'm going to take the wheels off and do a write up on cleaning the inside and the whole 9 yards.

Pictures to follow.

Stay tuned....

[nonissan]

any reason why people use 'wheel wax' as opposed to regular wax? i mean, clear coat is clear coat, and wax is wax, right?

i tried some of that hot rimz or whatever it's called, and it worked like a charm!

peleg, sorry to nag on this, but do you think my shop force buffer 2600 rpm will suffice for the polish (assuming i get the correct pad), or should i get a better buffer? i can't seem to find any additional info on this buffer.