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FlapYoJacks
Feb 12, 2009
Why hello there! As I was told in the what did you do to your ride today thread, a detailing thread may be interesting for some of you, so hopefully this thread will be helpful to some people.

What makes you qualified to make this thread?

Why not? Also I detail cars for money while going to college.

I want another forum with more OCD people like you and a wealth of information

If you want a good forum recommendation for a shitload of advice and helpful information, look no further than:

https://www.autogeekonline.com/forum

Specifically, look up Mike Phillips, he is a great guy and has TONS of tutorials on that site, it's also what got me more comfortable taking money to detail cars.


I make your daily driver good looking again! What should I do?

For the general daily driver I would ask yourself what do you want? Look at your paint on your car after you wash it, does it feel like sandpaper? Does it make noise when you go back and forth? If you want a real nasty feeling put your hand in a plastic bag and move it back and forth on the paint, I bet you it feels terrible!

Now at this point you have a couple of options. You could buff out your car, wetsand it in a few spots, spend 20 - 50+ hours making the paint perfect, polish it, opticoat and wax it, and wash it every week, but for a daily driver that's a ton of upkeep.

My suggestion for a daily driver is to wash, clay, and wax the car. If the swirls are really bad polish it even.

What are swirls?


What do they look like fixed?

Fixed:

How do I fix them?
With the appropriate tools, we will get to that later.

How long will it take to fix them?

Not long to really long, depending on what you want to do to the paint.


What was the silliest car you ever detailed?

A 2000 Daewoo Nubira belonging to my brother. He blew the timing belt from lack of maintenence, so I replaced the head and half of the engine, along with his rear subframe and control arms/struts/filter/fluids/axles (oh god why did he pay for my labor and time he is not good with cars.)

Well, I figured since I had replaced all of that, I should fix up the cars paint and interior, and it came out pretty decent.

If you give a poo poo, here is the album: http://imgur.com/a/NJA35

Random couple of pictures of it:



What tools do I need?

Well, there are several tools you could use, here are some of the basics to get a basic job correction done.

Soap to wash your car: Dawn liquid hand soap for dishes. It does a great job stripping wax off of old paint and leaving just the paint at your disposal.


Buckets: Any buckets will do, I use two 10 gallon buckets to wash my car. One bucket contains clean water, the other is used for the dirty water that comes off of your mitt.

Brushes NO, STAY AWAY FROM BRUSHES. They scratch your paint in general and damage it.

Foam gun: Foam lets the dirt rise from the surface of the paint and makes washing your car more fun at the same time! I recommend the Foam cannon HP which has always served me well.
http://www.autogeek.net/autogeek-foam-cannon-hp.html


Towels I generally stay away from towel drying my car for the most part, but if you must, I suggest looking into walmarts giant microfiber towel in the automotive section, I hear it works fairly well.

A Electric Leaf Blower This is what I use to dry my cars and it has always worked well, it also gets into the cracks and crevices that towel can't reach, and if you are detailing a car, you do NOT want water in the cracks and crevices.


A Buffer For the beginner I suggest a PorterCable 7424XP with a 5.5Inch backing plate. Here is a great kit to get you started: http://www.autogeek.net/porter-cable-flat-pad-kit.html


Pads There are so many pads I don't know where to start. I personally use wool pads to buff a car and then end with a Lake Country White pad to finish polishing the car out, a wool pad causes less heat but also causes a hell of a lot more dusting and holograms, so your millage may vary.

Clay: Clay removes the contaminates bonded to the top of your paint that makes the paint feel like sandpaper. When you move your hand over the top of your paint you shouldn't feel anything, it should feel smooth and clean, if you hear noise it has dirt on it. For 99.99% of your needs if it's your own car just pick up a Miguiars clay kit at your local Wal*Mart or HarborFreight.



Compouds
For 99% of your own cars needs stick with Miguiars Ultimate Compound and Ultimate polish, it works fairly well and you have less risk of chewing through your paint.



gently caress that I want some super compounds that feel like sand.
Meguiars M105 for buffing
Meguiars M205 for polishing




Oh god I have all this stuff but how do I buff I am not good at this?
There is always a good technique to buffing and polishing. The two biggest mistakes people make are:

1) Going to fast
2) Choosing to big of an area to buff.

So how do I buff?
I could write a huge long paragraph for this, but youtube is better and I am lazy.
In fact, all of these are good so here is the playlist:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3D7FB26D1D6B6611&feature=plcp
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...e-polisher.html

Hey what about trim and poo poo?
TAPE IT OFF! Trim doesn't like compounds. Use the green painters tape from Wal*Mart



EDIT 12/5/2013
My Glass/Windshield looks like poo poo and I am a danger to anybody at night/day/afternoon/when there isn't sun/when there is sun.

BUFF IT.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/product-reviews/58269-removal-glass-scratches-carpro-griots-da.html

It's messy:


It's well worth it though!

GO SLOW: Polishing glass heats up the pads really really quickly. Keep your area of buffing small and compact, and take your time, the results are well worth it!
Before:

After:


Cool, but what products do I need to buff glass?
The general consensus is this:

- CeriGlass Polish
- Lake County Glass Polishing Pads
- Painter tape
- A few used (clean) blankets you don't want or use anymore.

Well hey all this was useful! But what about some pretty pictures that you have shamlessly ripped off of the internet for this thread?

Sure thing! I don't know why this is my favorite, but it comes from autogeeks showNshine forum. It's a 88 Red Civic and here is the thread:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-n-shine/42776-23-year-old-swirls-top-swirls-88-red-honda-civic-pix-vids.html
Boxy is beautiful :colbert:

Here are some highlights:







They even made a youtube video :3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqCjLmwuZi0


edit*

Why don't you have poo poo loads of pictures?
Because I'm lazy and don't take pictures of my work very often, but I will start now.

FlapYoJacks fucked around with this message at 18:50 on Dec 5, 2013

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FlapYoJacks
Feb 12, 2009
I will put up some interior detailing poo poo later unless someone beats me to it.

*edit* INTERIOR TIME!


My car smells horrible! What do I do to fix such a thing?
Good question!

The best solution, and the only one I have found to work properly and consistently is a Ozone generator.

What is a Ozone generator? A Ozone generator is a device that bonds three Oxygen atoms together, this element destroys every smell possible, and will also kill mold and other organic immediatly.

Is a Ozone generator worth buying?

It depends! Will you use it more than once? Go ahead and buy one! They work great in the house as well. A good ozone generator will run anywhere from 150 - 1000$+.
THIS is the Ozone generator I bought and it has worked incredibly well for me.

Ok I have a Ozone generator but it killed my cat, why?

Because Ozone is toxic in high concentration, and I would suggest NOT sitting in the car with it going on. Let the car take a bath in delicious Ozone, and then let it air out for a hour or so.

I would like more information on Ozone

http://www.ozoneapplications.com/products/Residential/q&a_ozone.htm



My car is so pretty on the outside but the inside looks like a hobo would turn it down! Help me!

First off, if you don't have Meguires D103 All Purpose Cleaner, GET IT NOW. I use it for everything, from the house to the bathroom to the car, it works wonders.

Here: http://www.amazon.com/ALL-PURPOSE-CLEANER-PLUS-GALLON/dp/B001MPY54O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332728992&sr=8-1

It's a bit pricey, but it's concentrated, and works amazingly well.


Ok, but scrubbing sounds hard and I am lazy, but I DO have a dual action polisher such as the Porter Cable 7424XP, please help!

http://www.autogeek.net/porter-cable-brushes.html Now you can be a badass also! This saves a SHITLOAD of time, and these brushes are SERIOUSLY good investments, BUY THEM NOW.



Ok, but what if I am super lazy?
Buy a steamer. I am not too sure on steamers, and I know they can be really expensive, and I don't have that kind of money to throw around right now, so if anybody has any good product recommendations, please provide them and I will add them to the OP.

I am even too lazy for that, what should I do then?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-Gitd7-SKA
:v:

What should I do for a deep clean first?
remove the seats! This makes interior cleaning 100% easier, and only takes a few minutes of your time.

what about the windows?
Stoners Invisible glass works amazingly well, I use it for the house also.




Edit!

WETSANDING TIME!

Wetsanding: Fresh paint vs factory paint

If it has paint it gets polished

How to remove orange peel and sanding marks

These will ALL apply to the PC7424xp. This is all incredibly good and detailed information, and you should be just fine if you follow those instructions!


Coming from personal experience, I have wetsanded three cars in my lifetime and spot wetsanded countless others.

1) Wetsanding an entire car is awesome if done correctly, and makes everything look mirror glossy.
2) Always start with 3000 grit and move DOWN if needed.
3) I have made my friends rattle can matt-black finish 91crx si look like glass, it's very possible, and it took me almost 40 hours to do.
4) Spot wetsanding is always awesome too! It can knock out rough orange peel spots and small scratches. Don't worry about one small spot looking super shiny either.
5) If you are to wetsand a whole car, USE SANDING DISCS OH GOD USE THEM PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD USE THEM I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH THAT YOU SHOULD USE THEM I AM YELLING THIS BECAUSE YOU SHOULD USE THEM.

Seriously, don't wetsand a whole car by hand, you just bought a PC7424XP.

FlapYoJacks fucked around with this message at 00:40 on Apr 16, 2015

sellouts
Apr 23, 2003

Great idea for a thread!

Do you have any thoughts on the Zaino line of products?

They interest me because they're meant to be applied by hand which is easier and cheaper than buying a buffer, etc. But I am worried about their effectiveness as they're not sold at the usual detailing suspects online.

Lightbulb Out
Apr 28, 2006

slack jawed yokel
If you don't towel dry, how do you dry the cars off? Or do you?

Dradien
Jun 24, 2005
Ask me about shrimp.

Lightbulb Out posted:

If you don't towel dry, how do you dry the cars off? Or do you?

From the OP:

"A Electric Leaf Blower This is what I use to dry my cars and it has always worked well, it also gets into the cracks and crevices that towel can't reach, and if you are detailing a car, you do NOT want water in the cracks and crevices."

Lightbulb Out
Apr 28, 2006

slack jawed yokel

Dradien posted:

From the OP:

"A Electric Leaf Blower This is what I use to dry my cars and it has always worked well, it also gets into the cracks and crevices that towel can't reach, and if you are detailing a car, you do NOT want water in the cracks and crevices."

I am an idiot.

Slow is Fast
Dec 25, 2006

I like this thread. I've only used a bucket of soap and water to clean cars. I'd like to learn how to use a clay bar and wax properly someday when I have a car worth keeping nice.

PitViper
May 25, 2003

Welcome and thank you for shopping at Wal-Mart!
I love you!
I dunno, I spend all summer detailing for car shows, and I've always towel dried mine. I normally use smaller bath towel-style terry towels, and go through 2-3 getting the car dry. Crevices get blown dry using an air compressor, or just left to naturally dry if I'm not in a hurry. If the towel touches the ground, it goes in the "dirty" basket, and I grab a fresh one. Like these:

http://www.towelsbydoctorjoe.com/thinkthick-2-1.aspx

Quick detailing at shows is normally microfiber towels and detailing spray. I love the Porter-Cable buffer the OP recommends though, and an orbital buffer for applying wax is a huge help as well. Sears' 10 inch buffer is great, along with some microfiber or soft terry bonnets.

I'm personally a fan of Meguiar's products, but that's because they're easily available and not terribly expensive. I tend to wash/wax/detail every week or two during the summer, with a bigger cleaning every spring and fall when I pull the car from storage.

Phone
Jul 30, 2005

親子丼をほしい。
I bought a new car a few months ago and I want to keep it looking nice and clean. So far I have a few 5 gallon buckets, a few microfiber mitts, some spare microfiber towels, and Deep Crystal car wash. What do I need to add to my detailing list of things? I'm planning on waxing the car relatively soon, and I'm sure that buying a clay kit won't hurt.

adorai
Nov 2, 2002

10/27/04 Never forget
Grimey Drawer
lets pretend for a minute that I suck at detailing, and I didn't mask off the rubber/plastic bits before I waxed one day last summer. How do I get the wax off of these pieces without expending an entire days effort?

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

adorai posted:

lets pretend for a minute that I suck at detailing, and I didn't mask off the rubber/plastic bits before I waxed one day last summer. How do I get the wax off of these pieces without expending an entire days effort?

You do what I do: wait until next year.

I sujk at detailing. I'm hoping this thread will make me care more and/or teach me some tricks that are easiy enough to not exceed my laziness barrier.

FlapYoJacks
Feb 12, 2009

Phone posted:

I bought a new car a few months ago and I want to keep it looking nice and clean. So far I have a few 5 gallon buckets, a few microfiber mitts, some spare microfiber towels, and Deep Crystal car wash. What do I need to add to my detailing list of things? I'm planning on waxing the car relatively soon, and I'm sure that buying a clay kit won't hurt.

Clay would be the number one thing I would recommend. Claying a car lets the wax bond to the surface of the paint much better than without claying. Other than that, spray on wax every couple of weeks and I rewax my cars once every 3 months or so with a dawn wash.

adorai posted:

lets pretend for a minute that I suck at detailing, and I didn't mask off the rubber/plastic bits before I waxed one day last summer. How do I get the wax off of these pieces without expending an entire days effort?
Dawn the heck out of them and then restore the trim with Mothers Back To Black Trim Restorer(tm!)

Here is a good mini review of the stuff. I have also had good luck with it.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/product-reviews/32807-updated-2-21-mothers-back-black-vs-faded-florida-trim.html

PitViper posted:

I dunno, I spend all summer detailing for car shows, and I've always towel dried mine. I normally use smaller bath towel-style terry towels, and go through 2-3 getting the car dry. Crevices get blown dry using an air compressor, or just left to naturally dry if I'm not in a hurry. If the towel touches the ground, it goes in the "dirty" basket, and I grab a fresh one. Like these:

http://www.towelsbydoctorjoe.com/thinkthick-2-1.aspx

Quick detailing at shows is normally microfiber towels and detailing spray. I love the Porter-Cable buffer the OP recommends though, and an orbital buffer for applying wax is a huge help as well. Sears' 10 inch buffer is great, along with some microfiber or soft terry bonnets.

I'm personally a fan of Meguiar's products, but that's because they're easily available and not terribly expensive. I tend to wash/wax/detail every week or two during the summer, with a bigger cleaning every spring and fall when I pull the car from storage.

Understandable, and noted. As I said, I don't for a few reasons.

1) I'm lazy and holding a leaf blower is easier than towel drying.
2) Drying with a leaf blower is awesome
3) I don't have to take the extra step of using compressed air AFTER I towel dry
4) If water catches a pad from a crevice I missed, product gets slung everywhere, which is annoying.

Pr0kjayhawk
Nov 30, 2002

:pervert:Zoom Zoom, motherfuckers:pervert:
This is a fantastic guide for someone that wants to do a better job washing their car.

http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/how-to-properly-wash-and-dry-a-car/

The big thing is to have grit guards in your buckets and a spare wash mitt. The EZ detailer brush is awesome for keeping the exhaust tips and the inside of wheels clean. The towels recommended are key as well.

I know the correct methods for waxing/polishing include orbital buffers and all types of pads but I'm lazy and cheap so I just bought a $15 polisher from Harbor Freight and some microfiber buffer pads for the Zaino. Starting out I'll use a claybar and some swirl mark remover. After that it's a couple coats of Zaino every few months and it's looking better than 99% of the cars on the road.

got off on a technicality
Feb 7, 2007

oh dear
Sonax is by far the easiest way to clean wheels especially if you have pads that create a ton of dust or your wheels are fiddly basketweaves and so forth. Only drawback is that one tends to go through large quantities of it, and it's $15 a bottle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2lkDF5FxS4

Skip to 5:00 for the full bloody wheel effect, then skip to 6:30 where it all washes off

PitViper
May 25, 2003

Welcome and thank you for shopping at Wal-Mart!
I love you!

ratbert90 posted:

Understandable, and noted. As I said, I don't for a few reasons.

1) I'm lazy and holding a leaf blower is easier than towel drying.
2) Drying with a leaf blower is awesome
3) I don't have to take the extra step of using compressed air AFTER I towel dry
4) If water catches a pad from a crevice I missed, product gets slung everywhere, which is annoying.

Fair enough. I don't own a leaf blower, otherwise I'm sure I'd have tried it at some point! Also agreed on the product fling. Normally I'll wash one day, and wax the next. The car is parked in a garage all the time regardless, but then again it's not my daily transport, so I'm lucky in that respect.

FlapYoJacks
Feb 12, 2009

PitViper posted:

Fair enough. I don't own a leaf blower, otherwise I'm sure I'd have tried it at some point! Also agreed on the product fling. Normally I'll wash one day, and wax the next. The car is parked in a garage all the time regardless, but then again it's not my daily transport, so I'm lucky in that respect.

This too is a decent strategy. There are so many different techniques out there that I hope lots of people join in and share their experience. :)

Phone
Jul 30, 2005

親子丼をほしい。

ratbert90 posted:

Clay would be the number one thing I would recommend. Claying a car lets the wax bond to the surface of the paint much better than without claying. Other than that, spray on wax every couple of weeks and I rewax my cars once every 3 months or so with a dawn wash.

What do you recommend for not getting water spots? Wax?

Astroman
Apr 8, 2001


Oh, this is the car geek thread for me! I love detailing.

Last year I mastered the clay bar. This year I'm gonna borrow my buddy's Porter Cable to tackle the swirls.

I have a big question: what would anybody recommend for repairing leather? I've used SEM paint in the past and it did a great job on my DD, but before I even whip out the SEM for my 65 Caddy I have to do a massive seat repair job. Lots of cracks and some tears. I'm pretty confident I can do it, but I need to find the right stuff. One note: since I'm going to be dying the seats with the SEM I won't need to worry as much about color matching the crack filler as long as it's whitish-beige.

For anybody who wonders what I'm talking about with the SEM paint:
http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums/cadillac-tech-tips/162477-diy-freshen-up-leather-seats-20-a.html

This works wonders and is super easy!

Brain Issues
Dec 16, 2004

lol

adorai posted:

lets pretend for a minute that I suck at detailing, and I didn't mask off the rubber/plastic bits before I waxed one day last summer. How do I get the wax off of these pieces without expending an entire days effort?

This sounds ridiculous and you'll probably laugh, but, peanut butter.

Its insanely effective. Just put a tiny (and I mean tiny, you don't need much) amount of peanut butter on a piece of cloth (microfiber, cotton, paper towel, whatever) and rub the white wax residue with it and then wipe it clean with a clean section of the cloth.

It works immediately and doesn't dull the black trim at all. It's not messy at all unless you use too much peanut butter. I was skeptical at first of this too but I've done it a few times now and it works so well.

WD-40 works too but it's much messier.

Phone posted:

What do you recommend for not getting water spots? Wax?

Waterspots are somewhat inevitable especially with a darker color car, but wax actually makes waterspots worse in my experience because pollen sticks to the wax and wax causes the water to bead up on the surface with the pollen instead of laying flat, and then when it dries in the sun you get little spots wherever the beads of water/pollen were.

Sealants seem to work better than wax and seem to dramatically reduce water spots compared to waxes in my experience, I think because they bead up less than carnauba waxes and pollen/dust doesn't stick to them as much. My favorite is Ultima Paint Guard Plus, very dumb name I know but it's extremely easy to apply and it lasted 11 months on my car.

Brain Issues fucked around with this message at 01:58 on Mar 26, 2012

Qadaffi Taffy
Oct 1, 2006

3.14159 26535 89793 23846 26433 83279 50288 41971 69399 37510
I wash/detail my car every week when it's nice out and enjoy it thouroughly. I feel it is a calming, zen-like activity in which I can focus on something I enjoy (my car) and spend time outside. You can see the physical product of your time as well, which is a nice shiny car that will catch people's eyes. Good OP!

DJCobol
May 16, 2003

CALL OF DUTY! :rock:
Grimey Drawer
Spent about 12 hours over 2 days working on my roommates black Trans Am. Friday night we washed, clayed, washed and taped it all off. Saturday I started buffing with my porter cable buffer, lake country pads and pinnacle XMT 3 stage swirl mark remover. Started with one section of the hood to check the work:

Swirls on the top, glossy on the bottom.

And the finished product:

Stultus
Jul 22, 2007

I was looking for a thread like this as I definitely have OCD with my car.


Not sure if anyone else uses these products, but I use Adam's Polishes in basically every aspect of detailing my car from exterior to interior. Their stuff is a bit on the pricier side, but it's pretty much fool proof to work with and all of it seems to work amazingly on all the cars I've worked on.

Here's the website: http://www.adamspolishes.com/default.aspx and he even has a nice long playlist to showcase his products and how to use them properly for anyone that's interested in learning to detail http://youtu.be/gxhHK1-lCTw

FlapYoJacks
Feb 12, 2009

Phone posted:

What do you recommend for not getting water spots? Wax?

Water spots from rain? You can't avoid them. Wax and opticoat 2.0 help keep them at bay. Water spots from washing? If your tap water is leaving deposits you can always run it through a filter first, or buy distilled water.

Stultus
Jul 22, 2007

ratbert90 posted:

Water spots from rain? You can't avoid them. Wax and opticoat 2.0 help keep them at bay. Water spots from washing? If your tap water is leaving deposits you can always run it through a filter first, or buy distilled water.

Another thing you can do to avoid water spots while washing the car is to not wash a panel then rinse, and repeat that til the whole car is done. Soap drying on the car will come off when you do the full rinse, while hard water will spot while you're finishing up the rest of the car

FlapYoJacks
Feb 12, 2009

Stultus posted:

Another thing you can do to avoid water spots while washing the car is to not wash a panel then rinse, and repeat that til the whole car is done. Soap drying on the car will come off when you do the full rinse, while hard water will spot while you're finishing up the rest of the car

This is also very true but I forget to mention it because I foam all my cars now. :)

Stultus
Jul 22, 2007

I use the foam gun too. Probably the most essential step to avoiding swirls on your paint when washing your car IMO

PitViper
May 25, 2003

Welcome and thank you for shopping at Wal-Mart!
I love you!
A quality lambs wool or microfiber wash mitt helps with swirls as well, as long as your was bucket is clean. I'm OCD about avoiding sand when I wash, to the point that I have 3-4 wash mitts just in case one touches the ground. Also using a soft touch and clean microfiber towels when using detailer's spray.

What does everyone use for interiors? I HATE the super glossy Armor-All look, so I've been using a low-gloss Meguiar's interior spray. It cleans and leaves a very faint shine, but I'm wondering if there's something better I could try.

DeMoN
Feb 21, 2003
_^DeMoN^_
How long does it take to dry the car with blow dryer? I just use high quality microfiber towels and dry my car using motion mimicking how air would travel through the car.

FlapYoJacks
Feb 12, 2009

PitViper posted:

A quality lambs wool or microfiber wash mitt helps with swirls as well, as long as your was bucket is clean. I'm OCD about avoiding sand when I wash, to the point that I have 3-4 wash mitts just in case one touches the ground. Also using a soft touch and clean microfiber towels when using detailer's spray.

What does everyone use for interiors? I HATE the super glossy Armor-All look, so I've been using a low-gloss Meguiar's interior spray. It cleans and leaves a very faint shine, but I'm wondering if there's something better I could try.

I will try to make a interior post here in a bit, but i use Megs D103 APC at a 4:1 ratio and the upholstery brush attachment for the portal cable.

FlapYoJacks fucked around with this message at 03:38 on Mar 26, 2012

Brain Issues
Dec 16, 2004

lol

PitViper posted:

A quality lambs wool or microfiber wash mitt helps with swirls as well, as long as your was bucket is clean. I'm OCD about avoiding sand when I wash, to the point that I have 3-4 wash mitts just in case one touches the ground. Also using a soft touch and clean microfiber towels when using detailer's spray.

What does everyone use for interiors? I HATE the super glossy Armor-All look, so I've been using a low-gloss Meguiar's interior spray. It cleans and leaves a very faint shine, but I'm wondering if there's something better I could try.

I hate the glossy look too. I just clean my interior with Optimum No Rinse diluted to the quick detailing spray ratio whenever I wash my car, which is also what I use as my quick detailer. It's very cheap. If it's really dirty I use DP Interior cleaner.

FlapYoJacks
Feb 12, 2009
I made some changes to the OP and added a bit of info for interiors. Sorry that took so long!

Applebees Appetizer
Jan 23, 2006

DeMoN posted:

How long does it take to dry the car with blow dryer? I just use high quality microfiber towels and dry my car using motion mimicking how air would travel through the car.

I use a Ryobi 18v cordless blower, and by the time the battery wears out I can get all the nooks and crannies where water hangs out, and then I use "The Absorber" to dry up the rest. The Absorber is like a Sham Wow but better, it's like the ultimate chamois without killing a deer to get one.

salt the fries!
Dec 24, 2005
Hey have I mentioned yet that my license plate is "TOA5TER"? See, it's kyoot because it's a boxy car! ^_^
If you're into towel-drying, go with The Absorber. Works well (fast) and doesn't leave water spots. I do a final once-over and wheels/crevices with a nice microfiber though.

Frozen Peach
Aug 25, 2004

Heroes Never Die

I'm getting my first brand new car in a few weeks (build date is April 9th :dance:). It's nothing super fancy, just a Chevy Sonic Hatchback LTZ Turbo, but I'd like to try and treat it as right as possible.

A few problems in my case:

1) I live in an apartment and don't have access to a hose.
2) I don't have a garage so my car is parked outside and in the elements 99% of the time.

Once or twice a year I'll drive to my parents' house and wash/wax by hand, but that's not something I can do very often. Instead, I just put $5 in the Shell gas station's automatic drive through car wash and get it done. Someone in another thread said doing that is bad. What's the best way to do a good wash every now and then given my circumstances? I'd love to be able to wash once or twice a month, but not having access to a hose kinda kills it.

I'm considering paying extra for a carport or a garage, but that's another $30/50 a month, which solves #2, but there's nothing I can do about the first issue.

Also: what's so bad about a drive through car wash? I can see sperging out if you have a nicer car, but for a Chevy Sonic it seems kind of overkill.

Frozen Peach fucked around with this message at 04:35 on Mar 26, 2012

Mat_Drinks
Nov 18, 2002

mmm this nitromethane gets my supercharger runnin'

PitViper posted:

What does everyone use for interiors? I HATE the super glossy Armor-All look, so I've been using a low-gloss Meguiar's interior spray. It cleans and leaves a very faint shine, but I'm wondering if there's something better I could try.

I've had good luck with Griot's interior cleaner and their vinyl and rubber dressing isn't silicone based (which armor all is, hence the gloss).

I never thought of the leaf blower idea, but I really, really like it.

Also, you mentioned you "don't get swirls" because you use a foam gun? So do you foam, then scrub, then rinse or is it just foam and rinse?

Pr0kjayhawk
Nov 30, 2002

:pervert:Zoom Zoom, motherfuckers:pervert:
Be careful with leaf blowers. The intakes are not filtered so unless you're in a relatively clean environment you could end up "sandblasting" portions of the paint.

salt the fries!
Dec 24, 2005
Hey have I mentioned yet that my license plate is "TOA5TER"? See, it's kyoot because it's a boxy car! ^_^

Frozen-Solid posted:

Instead, I just put $5 in the Shell gas station's automatic drive through car wash and get it done. Someone in another thread said doing that is bad. What's the best way to do a good wash every now and then given my circumstances? I'd love to be able to wash once or twice a month, but not having access to a hose kinda kills it.


The hose at my apartment is under a tree that loves to drop stuff. Great place to wash your car.

What I do is trade use of hose at some friends' house in exchange for a once-over of whichever car I displace from the driveway. I spend 10-20 minutes taking better care of their cars than they ever do, and get to spend some quality time with mine without worrying. Plus, they appreciate the bit I do, which is usually a wash and dry with a wheel scrub.

FlapYoJacks
Feb 12, 2009

Pr0kjayhawk posted:

Be careful with leaf blowers. The intakes are not filtered so unless you're in a relatively clean environment you could end up "sandblasting" portions of the paint.

What horrible environment do you live in that a leaf blower would sandblast your paint? The Gobi Desert? :stare:


Frozen-Solid posted:



Also: what's so bad about a drive through car wash? I can see sperging out if you have a nicer car, but for a Chevy Sonic it seems kind of overkill.

Look at your paint, now look at the automatic car wash. Those giant bristles in the automatic car wash are full of grit, dirt, and grime from other cars, and they are spinning really REALLY fast.

My suggestion, find a detailer in your area and pay them to do a basic wash on your car every couple of months. That would help. Or go to a do it yourself wash with your own mitts and use their foam/your mitts to wash your car. That would work also. (This is also effective if you are traveling long distances.)

FlapYoJacks fucked around with this message at 05:44 on Mar 26, 2012

EightBit
Jan 7, 2006
I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

ratbert90 posted:

What horrible environment do you live in that a leaf blower would sandblast your paint? The Gobi Desert? :stare:

Most of anywhere that isn't currently experiencing tropical monsoons? Air is full of little particles of poo poo.

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FlapYoJacks
Feb 12, 2009

EightBit posted:

Most of anywhere that isn't currently experiencing tropical monsoons? Air is full of little particles of poo poo.

Huh, I'm in Boise and I have never had any issues with an electric leaf blower. I guess ymmv?

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