Peleg's Guide to Detailing

Peleg · 04-10-2006, 05:41 AM

Hello,

Someone PMed me a few days ago and asked how I detail my car. The process is made of a few stages, but I came out with a small write up. You can use this process and/or change it to fit your personal needs and situation.

Engine Bay cleaning can be found on page 2, post # 22.

Lets start with the conditions first:

A. Either wash it early morning if the sun isn't too bad, or the best time is later afternoon, like 6 when the sun is going down, but there is enough light for 3 more hours. I recommand this because if you wash it when the sun is hitting the car, you're going to get water spots all over. Don't worry if you haven't wax/polished and run out of time, that can be done inside the garage.

B. Don't wash it if you just got back from a drive or a track event. The brake rotors are hot, cold water will cause a rapid change in temperature, thus causing them to crack sooner or later. Let the car cool and start the next day.

Now let's get to what you need, here is what I use to detail, there are more ways to detail, but I've used and kept improving this system in the past 4 years and I feel it works great.

1. Husky 1800 Psi pressure washer. (or any other good pressure washer)

2. A bucket.

3. Meguire's NXT Car soap.

4. Meguire's wash mitt. (to be used ONLY on the paint! it doesn't go anywhere but on the paint and is kept in a big ziplock bag)

5. Meguire's wheel brush.

6. P21S wheel cleaner for the wheels.

7. Stoner tire dressing spray.

8. Stoner glass cleaner spray. (Works great with the Sonus glass towel)

9. Stoner bug/tar/sap remover spray.

10. Drying Chami.

11. Leaf blower. ($30 at hardware store)

12. OXO teflon brushes for the wheels.

13. Meguire's NXT metal polish for the exhaust tip, IC etc.

Process:

Raise the wiper blades. Hook up the Husky and hose the whole car with water. Set the Husky to a wide pattern so the water comes off as a strong mist, not a jet stream. Don't forget the underbody, fender walls and the wheels, exhaust too. The whole car should be soaking wet with water.

Once the car is all wet. Mix some Meguire's car wash soap (read the bottle for the correct ratio, I go by looking at how much, since I do this alot) in the bucket with 3 gallons of water. I use the Husky to mix the water with the soap. The end result should be a bucket filled with soapy water that look like milk.

Take the Meguire's wash mitt (keep it in a big zip lock bag when done ) , don't let it fall on the floor and don't use it on the wheels or any other surface. Use it only on the body and windows. Start from the roof and work your way down to the windows, doors, spoiler, hood and trunk, bumpers, etc.

Clean the surface well. The entire car should look like it's taking a big bubble bath. Let that sit there for a while. The fender wells area tends to get dirty than most other body panels, so use an older wash mitt for that area.

***NOTE***: once you are done using the mitt, give it a little wash and put it in a ziplock bag to prevent it from getting dirty. If you use the remaining soap and water for the wheels, don't use the mitt in there again. You don't want the dirt from the wheels going onto the paint.

Mix some water and 2 table spoons of P21S in a seperate spray bottle. Spray that on the wheels and use the teflon brushes to clean them. The P21S will eat the Bremo dust, but not your wheels. Let the P21S sit for about 5 minutes.

You're now ready to hose off the car. Take your Husky and hose off starting from the roof and going around the car until you get to the ground effects section and wheels. Hose off the wheels. Take your time and get all that dirt out of there. The pressure washer will cut the time on the wheels, don't be afraid to get the nozzle in between the wheels, don't forget the calipers.

You're now ready for drying. Start with the windows using a squeegy. Then use the Chemi to dry the body panels. Squeeze the Chemi once in a while to get the water out of it, so it can suck up more water. When you're done, the car should be about 80% dry. The windows should not have almost any water on them, and most of the body panels should be dry.

Grab your leaf blower, hook it up and use it to blow the water from the door handle areas, spoiler, front bumper, trunk, brake cooling ducts and other areas that have water. Use it on the wheels to get the water out. Your brake rotors may look rusty when you're done, that's normal! I spray mine with a bit of brake cleaner and when I start driving, they look like new again.

Once the car is dry you're ready for the windows. Use the Sonus special glass towel and Stoner glass cleaner to get the windows clean. They should look like mirrors. The Sonus glass towel will NOT leave any residue or lint.

Next is tire dressing, no need to brush it and it won't drip or stain. Just spray it over the outer wheel area. It will do the rest. (Stoner tire dressing spray)

* I will discuss claying soon, thus it's a whole process by itself or you can read about it using the link in my signature.

The car is now dry and clean and ready for claying, polishing and waxing. I will discuss these in the next post, thus it's a whole process by itself.

Hope this gives some new ideas on detailing your car. Here is mine after this weekend, it was polished with Sonus Stage 2 and 3 using the Porter buffer and then Klasse, I put 3 hours into it, but it was well worth it.

Big Cam · 04-10-2006, 10:55 AM

someone needs to make a sticky out of someones detailing thread.

Imprezive-WRX-sti · 04-10-2006, 01:52 PM

yeah this is a very good write up...good job peleg and thanks for sharing your info

SUBIRU · 04-10-2006, 02:24 PM

looks like someone's prepping a thread of interest. awesome!

***BoostJunkie*** · 04-10-2006, 02:32 PM

Trying to show me up, are you? I propose a detail-off

DChan · 04-10-2006, 02:45 PM

Yeah glass cleaner is a MUST for you Cali people. I made the mistake of not using any while I washed my car in LA and now I have to polish all my windows.

Peleg · 04-10-2006, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoostJunkie

Trying to show me up, are you? I propose a detail-off

LOL, I thought I'd share this, because it took me a few years to perfect this method.

Peleg · 04-10-2006, 07:22 PM

More "chapters" comming soon on polish/wax and interior.

Islandboy630 · 04-10-2006, 07:23 PM

Want to detail my car for me?

***BoostJunkie*** · 04-10-2006, 07:26 PM

Quote:

More "chapters" comming soon on polish/wax and interior.

I definitely think a guide to machine polishing would be useful for a lot of people. I haven't busted out my buffer in awhile myself, I'm probably going to do that when I do my big detail in May.

Peleg · 04-10-2006, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Islandboy630

Want to detail my car for me?

Sure, where you at?

25% discount to all STi owners for my services.

Peleg · 04-10-2006, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoostJunkie

I definitely think a guide to machine polishing would be useful for a lot of people. I haven't busted out my buffer in awhile myself, I'm probably going to do that when I do my big detail in May.

You should, I have the Porter 7424 and it works great. Cuts the time by half.

Peleg · 04-10-2006, 07:31 PM

Thanks for all the props btw.

***BoostJunkie*** · 04-10-2006, 07:39 PM

Quote:

You should, I have the Porter 7424 and it works great. Cuts the time by half.

Yeah I use a Makita (can't remember the model number) and it works really well. I prefer to do the polish and sealant by hand but for the swirl remover I find the buffer works best. What pads do you use?

Peleg · 04-10-2006, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoostJunkie

Yeah I use a Makita (can't remember the model number) and it works really well. I prefer to do the polish and sealant by hand but for the swirl remover I find the buffer works best. What pads do you use?

The Porter comes as part of the Sonus kit with 3 different pads, each for each polish. The are made from special foam.

04-10-2006, 05:41 AM	#1
Peleg STI Guru Car: 04 Subaru WRX STi Fav Mod: Whooshing sounds Location: NorCal Posts: 5,362 Join Date: Nov 2003 Trader Rating: (11)	Peleg's Guide to Detailing Hello, Someone PMed me a few days ago and asked how I detail my car. The process is made of a few stages, but I came out with a small write up. You can use this process and/or change it to fit your personal needs and situation. Engine Bay cleaning can be found on page 2, post # 22. Lets start with the conditions first: A. Either wash it early morning if the sun isn't too bad, or the best time is later afternoon, like 6 when the sun is going down, but there is enough light for 3 more hours. I recommand this because if you wash it when the sun is hitting the car, you're going to get water spots all over. Don't worry if you haven't wax/polished and run out of time, that can be done inside the garage. B. Don't wash it if you just got back from a drive or a track event. The brake rotors are hot, cold water will cause a rapid change in temperature, thus causing them to crack sooner or later. Let the car cool and start the next day. Now let's get to what you need, here is what I use to detail, there are more ways to detail, but I've used and kept improving this system in the past 4 years and I feel it works great. 1. Husky 1800 Psi pressure washer. (or any other good pressure washer) 2. A bucket. 3. Meguire's NXT Car soap. 4. Meguire's wash mitt. (to be used ONLY on the paint! it doesn't go anywhere but on the paint and is kept in a big ziplock bag) 5. Meguire's wheel brush. 6. P21S wheel cleaner for the wheels. 7. Stoner tire dressing spray. 8. Stoner glass cleaner spray. (Works great with the Sonus glass towel) 9. Stoner bug/tar/sap remover spray. 10. Drying Chami. 11. Leaf blower. ($30 at hardware store) 12. OXO teflon brushes for the wheels. 13. Meguire's NXT metal polish for the exhaust tip, IC etc. Process: Raise the wiper blades. Hook up the Husky and hose the whole car with water. Set the Husky to a wide pattern so the water comes off as a strong mist, not a jet stream. Don't forget the underbody, fender walls and the wheels, exhaust too. The whole car should be soaking wet with water. Once the car is all wet. Mix some Meguire's car wash soap (read the bottle for the correct ratio, I go by looking at how much, since I do this alot) in the bucket with 3 gallons of water. I use the Husky to mix the water with the soap. The end result should be a bucket filled with soapy water that look like milk. Take the Meguire's wash mitt (keep it in a big zip lock bag when done ) , don't let it fall on the floor and don't use it on the wheels or any other surface. Use it only on the body and windows. Start from the roof and work your way down to the windows, doors, spoiler, hood and trunk, bumpers, etc. Clean the surface well. The entire car should look like it's taking a big bubble bath. Let that sit there for a while. The fender wells area tends to get dirty than most other body panels, so use an older wash mitt for that area. *NOTE: once you are done using the mitt, give it a little wash and put it in a ziplock bag to prevent it from getting dirty. If you use the remaining soap and water for the wheels, don't use the mitt in there again. You don't want the dirt from the wheels going onto the paint. Mix some water and 2 table spoons of P21S in a seperate spray bottle. Spray that on the wheels and use the teflon brushes to clean them. The P21S will eat the Bremo dust, but not your wheels. Let the P21S sit for about 5 minutes. You're now ready to hose off the car. Take your Husky and hose off starting from the roof and going around the car until you get to the ground effects section and wheels. Hose off the wheels. Take your time and get all that dirt out of there. The pressure washer will cut the time on the wheels, don't be afraid to get the nozzle in between the wheels, don't forget the calipers. You're now ready for drying. Start with the windows using a squeegy. Then use the Chemi to dry the body panels. Squeeze the Chemi once in a while to get the water out of it, so it can suck up more water. When you're done, the car should be about 80% dry. The windows should not have almost any water on them, and most of the body panels should be dry. Grab your leaf blower, hook it up and use it to blow the water from the door handle areas, spoiler, front bumper, trunk, brake cooling ducts and other areas that have water. Use it on the wheels to get the water out. Your brake rotors may look rusty when you're done, that's normal! I spray mine with a bit of brake cleaner and when I start driving, they look like new again. Once the car is dry you're ready for the windows. Use the Sonus special glass towel and Stoner glass cleaner to get the windows clean. They should look like mirrors. The Sonus glass towel will NOT leave any residue or lint. Next is tire dressing, no need to brush it and it won't drip or stain. Just spray it over the outer wheel area. It will do the rest. (Stoner tire dressing spray) I will discuss claying soon, thus it's a whole process by itself or you can read about it using the link in my signature. The car is now dry and clean and ready for claying, polishing and waxing. I will discuss these in the next post, thus it's a whole process by itself. Hope this gives some new ideas on detailing your car. Here is mine after this weekend, it was polished with Sonus Stage 2 and 3 using the Porter buffer and then Klasse, I put 3 hours into it, but it was well worth it. This ad is not endorsed by this member. Please register or login to hide this ad. Last edited by Peleg : 04-09-2008 at 12:45 PM.

04-10-2006, 10:55 AM	#2
Big Cam Senior STI Driver Car: 02 RSX Type S Fav Mod: 4300 H.I.D. Kit Location: Fargo, ND Posts: 381 Join Date: Mar 2006 Trader Rating: (0)	someone needs to make a sticky out of someones detailing thread.

04-10-2006, 01:52 PM	#3
Imprezive-WRX-sti Junior STI Driver Car: 04 wrb sti Fav Mod: custom paint scheme Location: Tampa Posts: 112 Join Date: Apr 2005 Trader Rating: (0)	yeah this is a very good write up...good job peleg and thanks for sharing your info

04-10-2006, 02:24 PM	#4
SUBIRU Silver Member Car: 05 STi Fav Mod: fix-it tickets Location: sj, ca Posts: 872 Join Date: Oct 2005 Trader Rating: (3)	looks like someone's prepping a thread of interest. awesome!

04-10-2006, 02:32 PM	#5
*BoostJunkie* Sold My Soul For Mods Car: '05 CGM STi Fav Mod: Track Time Location: Bethesda, MD Posts: 6,282 Join Date: Jun 2004 Trader Rating: (11)	Trying to show me up, are you? I propose a detail-off

04-10-2006, 02:45 PM	#6
DChan Grassroots STI Racer Fav Mod: Harness Location: WA Posts: 505 Join Date: Mar 2004 Trader Rating: (1)	Yeah glass cleaner is a MUST for you Cali people. I made the mistake of not using any while I washed my car in LA and now I have to polish all my windows.

04-10-2006, 07:22 PM	#8
Peleg STI Guru Car: 04 Subaru WRX STi Fav Mod: Whooshing sounds Location: NorCal Posts: 5,362 Join Date: Nov 2003 Trader Rating: (11)	More "chapters" comming soon on polish/wax and interior.

04-10-2006, 07:23 PM	#9
Islandboy630 Spec C Club Car: 08 MBC300 Sprt 4mtic Fav Mod: RIP - 06 OBP STI Location: Chicagoland Posts: 2,156 Join Date: Jan 2006 Trader Rating: (6)	Want to detail my car for me?

04-10-2006, 07:31 PM	#13
Peleg STI Guru Car: 04 Subaru WRX STi Fav Mod: Whooshing sounds Location: NorCal Posts: 5,362 Join Date: Nov 2003 Trader Rating: (11)	Thanks for all the props btw.