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Brain Issues posted:Lake country 5.5" CCS pads. http://www.autogeek.net/lake-country-ccs-pack1.html 3 orange, 3 white.
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Sep 26, 2012 23:39
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Brain Issues posted:Lake country 5.5" CCS pads. http://www.autogeek.net/lake-country-ccs-pack1.html 3 orange, 3 white. Is there a reason you prefer the CCS pads? From the things I've read it seems like most people prefer the regular flat pads and think the CCS thing is mostly a gimmick. I have no experience with them myself, although I do have a few of the CCS hand pads that I intend to use on really tight spaces. I couldn't find the normal flat hand pads, but of course there's no velcro on the backside of the hand pad, so I guess that side is effectively a regular flat pad. Lowclock posted:Thanks. Are the CCS pads really worth getting over the regular ones that come with autogeek's 7424xp kit? Would I still go with orange and white? Are you buying a new PC XP or do you already own one? GG6 for $90 at BJs Warehouse. On sale until 9-30, I think. FedEx guy delivered my GG DA yesterday. Can't wait to try it out.
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Sep 27, 2012 01:36
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Lowclock posted:Thanks. Are the CCS pads really worth getting over the regular ones that come with autogeek's 7424xp kit? Would I still go with orange and white? If you haven't bought a buffer yet I recommend buying the Griot's Garage 6" buffer and buying the pads seperately only if it's cheaper. The Griot's Garage buffer has a more powerful motor so it's easier to keep spinning under pressure than the PC7424xp. I believe the Griot's has a lifetime warranty also. You will definitely want 6 pads for the first time you do your car if it needs any decent amount of correction. Scott808 posted:Is there a reason you prefer the CCS pads? From the things I've read it seems like most people prefer the regular flat pads and think the CCS thing is mostly a gimmick. I have no experience with them myself, although I do have a few of the CCS hand pads that I intend to use on really tight spaces. I couldn't find the normal flat hand pads, but of course there's no velcro on the backside of the hand pad, so I guess that side is effectively a regular flat pad. I think this is because the pockets in the pad. Another reason I like them better is they seem to be more durable than my lake country flat pads, though I have no proof or way to measure this, you'll just have to take my word for it I guess. You're going to love the Griot's DA.
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Sep 27, 2012 02:40
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Is this Meguiar's kit a good deal for someone that is basically starting from http://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-Complete-Car-Care-Kit/dp/B0012ZEZ8A/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1348711680&sr=1-1 e: thanks buddy 
Mental Hospitality fucked around with this message at 04:32 on Sep 27, 2012 |
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Sep 27, 2012 03:17
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SouthLAnd posted:Is this Meguiar's kit a good deal for someone that is basically starting from http://www.autogeek.net/ultima-paint-guard-plus-4.html Not a wax but a sealant. Easy to apply, lasts a longg time. http://www.autogeek.net/optimum-no-rinse.html Mix this stuff up in various dilutions and use it for cleaning EVERYTHING. http://www.autogeek.net/griots-detailing-clay.html Obvious clay bar Meguiar's Gold Class Car wash Soap (or Dawn) A good wash mitt 2 buckets, grit guards. Just be extra careful washing it and don't take it to tunnel washes if you want to maintain the finish.
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Sep 27, 2012 03:34
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SouthLAnd posted:Is this Meguiar's kit a good deal for someone that is basically starting from I use Meg's Gold Class wash regularly, but I usually pick it up at Costco where it's under $8/gal. To me it makes sense to get shampoo in bulk sizes since that's what I go through the fastest. Recently I've been using it through a Gilmour Foamaster. I like the ability to use the Foamaster to presoak the whole car and then use it to flush the surface as I wash. I'm a fan of genuine wool/sheepskin wash mitts due to the fact that sheepskin releases dirt very easily when you rinse it out. As far as claybars - I've found the fine grade Auto Magic ones to be just fine, although in my experience the Mother's clay seems a bit more gentle. Clay really shouldn't be overlooked as it makes a huge difference in the smoothness/feel of the paint, even on new cars. You'd be surprised at how much poo poo the clay picks up, even on new cars. The downside of clay is you have to knead it constantly as you use it, and if you drop it you really need to dispose of it. Products like the Autoscrub and Speedy Surface Prep towel are supposed to do the same job as clay, but if you drop it you should be able to just wash it off rather than disposing of it.
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Sep 27, 2012 05:22
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What's the safest way to remove (or just make less noticable) light scuffs on the surface of body-colored bumper covers?
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Sep 27, 2012 14:56
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sean10mm posted:What's the safest way to remove (or just make less noticable) light scuffs on the surface of body-colored bumper covers? Depends on the type of mark. Is it on top of the paint or scratched into the paint? Is it scratches or stone chips? Need more information.
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Sep 27, 2012 15:05
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Brain Issues posted:Depends on the type of mark. Is it on top of the paint or scratched into the paint? Is it scratches or stone chips? Need more information. Looks like a bunch of small scratches on the surface, doesn't look like it penetrates the paint.
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Sep 27, 2012 15:13
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sean10mm posted:Looks like a bunch of small scratches on the surface, doesn't look like it penetrates the paint. Wash your car so there's no dirt on the area you'll be rubbing and buy some of the Meguiar's Ultimate Polish or Meguiar's ColorX and buff the affected area with it. You don't need to push hard, just make lots of light pressure passes until the marks are gone. Ideally you need a non-abrasive chemical polish but I'm not aware of any you'll find at a store other than ColorX. Meguiar's Ultimate polish is very light on the abrasive scale so as long as you're not pressing hard you shouldnt be removing much if any clear coat by hand.
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Sep 27, 2012 15:39
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Brain Issues posted:What do you mean by "gently buffing"? What did you use? I just used a microfiber towel and half-assed buffing the most noticeable spots. Since they disappeared after doing so, I gave it a bit of spray wax (yeah, I know its mostly worthless). I may just have to break down and claybar the car. I can't deliver it looking like crap. Thanks.
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Sep 27, 2012 15:59
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Viggen posted:I just used a microfiber towel and half-assed buffing the most noticeable spots. Since they disappeared after doing so, I gave it a bit of spray wax (yeah, I know its mostly worthless). Clay bar may not even work, look at the spots very closely and see if they have pitted the paint. I've had water spots so bad that they actually ate through part of the clear. If it's below the surface, clay bar won't do anything, and it will need to be machine polished.
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Sep 27, 2012 16:17
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Brain Issues posted:Clay bar may not even work, look at the spots very closely and see if they have pitted the paint. I've had water spots so bad that they actually ate through part of the clear. If it's below the surface, clay bar won't do anything, and it will need to be machine polished. I couldn't 'feel' any pitting, but this happened while the car was sitting in the side yard while I was waiting for parts and it was essentially immobile. I am on a shared water system and we do not have hard water, but it did make its mark. I've managed to buff the spots out of other cars with just a towel, so I was a bit surprised when these spots came back.
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Sep 27, 2012 16:46
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So I'm getting a new car, but I'm an apartment dweller so it will be living outside when I'm at home. I'm looking for some suggestions to keep the paint in good shape long term. I don't expect it to be perfect looking forever, but I see ~10 year old Hondas with disintegrating paint every day and really want to avoid that. What should I do beyond washing it regularly? I plan to do a claybar and sealant every few months, but if I'm using sealant should I do spray wax on top of that or will the sealant take care of everything? Also, I'm considering doing a clear nose bra of some sort to deal with road debris and rocks thrown up. Are these things a scam, or do they actually work to prevent paint chips on the nose of a car? Something like the VentureShield, just a clear film over the most vulnerable areas. Edit: Oh yeah how do you take care of leather? I had a car with leather seats once before, and the things were cracking and splitting and looked like Frankenstein's monster with stitching holding them together. That leather was extremely thin and crappy though, the leather in Mustangs feels heavier. I'm sure it's cheap, but at least it feels thick. Edit again: Apparently the seats are mostly Vinyl. Fine by me! I'll need to look for a different cleaner though, I guess. The users manual says to use Vinyl cleaner if in Canada but soap and water if elsewhere. Bizarre. Twerk from Home fucked around with this message at 17:36 on Sep 27, 2012 |
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Sep 27, 2012 17:11
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Weinertron posted:Also, I'm considering doing a clear nose bra of some sort to deal with road debris and rocks thrown up. Are these things a scam, or do they actually work to prevent paint chips on the nose of a car? Something like the VentureShield, just a clear film over the most vulnerable areas. I've had a 3M clearbra on my 2008 since early 2009. It actually has a few noticable pits from gravel and other debris, but the paint beneath is fine at least until I take it off. You can also go the 'hip kid' route and make a cover with PlastiDip. Cheaper, and a lot easier to refresh. Make sure you wax the car properly, first, to make it easier to remove, if you go this route.
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Sep 27, 2012 17:18
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Weinertron posted:So I'm getting a new car, but I'm an apartment dweller so it will be living outside when I'm at home. I'm looking for some suggestions to keep the paint in good shape long term. I'm in the same situation and had my car opti-coated and then bought all the stuff I needed to wash it in my parking lot without a hose. Seems to be working well so far.
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Sep 27, 2012 17:52
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I figure I will keep asking, some one is bound to know how to or their experinces. The seats in the Seville look tired. I want to keep this all on a very cheap budget, so I was wanting to re-dye the seats. Any experiences?
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Sep 30, 2012 06:24
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BrokenKnucklez posted:I figure I will keep asking, some one is bound to know how to or their experinces. What do you mean by tired? Could we get a picture?
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Sep 30, 2012 07:28
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BrokenKnucklez posted:I figure I will keep asking, some one is bound to know how to or their experinces. Vinyl, leather or fabric? Regardless of the answer, VHT has some awesome spray-dyes. I've only used them on vinyl, but man they give even coverage and professional results. Note: I've only used the black dye, I would be very careful with any other colors.
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Sep 30, 2012 19:16
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Here is some poor quality photos... but you can see what I am against.  Front  Steering wheel... I may just find one from a junk yard.  Passenger seat  Rear seat - This looks about the best. Its really the front seats and steering wheel that suck the worst.
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Sep 30, 2012 19:26
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I don't have personal experience, but I've heard a lot of good things about Leatherique: http://www.leatherique.com/standard-colors/
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Sep 30, 2012 20:31
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Personally I would first try to clean them with some D103 or OC and see how they come out. They look filthy to begin with.
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Oct 1, 2012 04:59
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Detail guys: Would you expect the paint to stay in better shape on a car that had been opti-coated, or one that had wax applied every 3 months? I'm considering getting an opti-coat done, the idea of never having to wax is appealing but I'm not completely sold on it being worth the money.
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Oct 1, 2012 17:15
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Does anyone have any hints for getting washer fluid stains off of white paint? I filled up my washer reservoir with a Rain-X fluid that has an orange dye in it, and it's left some spots on my hood that won't come off, even with vigorous scrubbing.
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Oct 1, 2012 21:54
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Weinertron posted:Detail guys: Would you expect the paint to stay in better shape on a car that had been opti-coated, or one that had wax applied every 3 months? I'm considering getting an opti-coat done, the idea of never having to wax is appealing but I'm not completely sold on it being worth the money. Neither wax or opticoat are going to keep it looking nice by themselves though, one bad wash will still leave you with swirls. Wash technique is the most important thing to maintaining your cars finish. That being said, Opticoat will protect your paint better than any wax or sealant that I know of from bird poo poo, contaminants, etc. Opti-coat is basically like another layer of clearcoat, so if it gets damaged you can hopefully buff it off and your actual paint won't be harmed, at least that's the idea. Wax is the same idea but more a temporary, less hardy protection than Opticoat.
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Oct 1, 2012 22:27
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zundfolge posted:Does anyone have any hints for getting washer fluid stains off of white paint? I filled up my washer reservoir with a Rain-X fluid that has an orange dye in it, and it's left some spots on my hood that won't come off, even with vigorous scrubbing.
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Oct 1, 2012 22:41
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zundfolge posted:Does anyone have any hints for getting washer fluid stains off of white paint? I filled up my washer reservoir with a Rain-X fluid that has an orange dye in it, and it's left some spots on my hood that won't come off, even with vigorous scrubbing. Try some Meguiar's ColorX.
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Oct 1, 2012 22:41
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I love detailing. My third car was a 1989 535i 5-speed, black on black, and I loved her so. I learned a lot about detailing by keeping her shiny. I made some side cash in college buying broken, ugly cars and bringing them back from the brink. Last summer I worked detailing boats. Some big boats. Some smaller boats. It's pretty similar to detailing a car, except waaay bigger. Also, you're hanging off the dock/side of the boat with the buffer in one hand, straining to reach some distant patch of hull, far more often than you'd like. This little guy is my workhorse. Is it a piece of poo poo? Yes. Would I rather have a Dewalt polisher? Hell yes. But after you've dropped a couple buffers in the water during the aforementioned detailing contortionism, you'll be comforted by the fact that you're only out $50 if it goes for a swim. I stick to the 3M family of chemicals, primarily. Their compounds and polishes are great. I especially like the newer ones that break down in abrasiveness during use, so you're basically compounding and polishing at the same time. It actually works well, which can't be said about a lot of gimmicky detailing products out there. I'm also a huge fan of Nu Finish, polymer waxes are the best thing. No more chalky carnuba residue making GBS threads up my trim and every crevice on the car? Yes, please. For the folks complaining about brown tires, here's my weapon of choice: Bleche Wite. Wet the tire, spray that on, scrub the poo poo out of the tire with a stiff plastic brush, rinse, repeat. You may have to make two or three passes if you haven't cleaned your tires in a while, you'll know when you're done because the foam you work up scrubbing won't be dark brown. Your tires will look like brand new black rubber again, but without that awful tire shine that is a dirt magnet and splatters all over your paint. I HATE TIRE SHINE  Also, using a leaf blower to dry your car off? No. Here's how to idiot-proof the drying of your car. First, after you wash your car, take the nozzle off the hose and give the car another rinse with that. The water should mostly sheet off. Then grab your silicone water blade, and gently skim all the water off that you can easily get with that. Then grab your super-absorbent synthetic chamois, and towel up any residual drips. If you're really picky, like me, you can also grab a microfiber and dry out all the door jambs and trunk, hood, fuel door, etc. You always remember to wash those thoroughly when you clean the car, right? Right? RIGHT? 
Big Taint fucked around with this message at 17:16 on Oct 2, 2012 |
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Oct 2, 2012 17:13
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I spent about ten hours over the past two days detailing my black 2011 4Runner thanks to this thread. When I bought the car it came with a card good for 200 free washes at the dealers lot, but the brushes in that thing were leaving noticeable paint swirls. So, I picked up a Porter Cable 7424xp and a bunch of mostly Meguiars supplies. Did the full treatment of wash, clay bar, buff, polish and then wax. Also took the opportunity to remove a couple of badges as well. The 4Runner looks (and feels) amazing now, and hopefully will be better prepared for winter.
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Oct 10, 2012 01:16
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I am disappointed because you didn't provide pictures. For shame.
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Oct 10, 2012 04:04
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ratbert90 posted:I am disappointed because you didn't provide pictures. For shame. Pics tomorrow hopefully, it was dark out by the time I finished up.
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Oct 10, 2012 05:13
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Ok here we go. Wasn't thinking, but I wish I had done some before pics. Sunday we went offroading out at the in-laws farm, so it was head to toe dirt and mud. Wheels and tires aren't clean yet, planning to pick some stuff up for that after work today. More pics here: http://imgur.com/a/uQyGL
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Oct 10, 2012 15:03
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Looks good, man. Black is beautiful.
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Oct 10, 2012 19:25
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That looks fan-freaking-tastic! I am very impressed!
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Oct 11, 2012 00:05
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What counterweights are people using with the PC? I noticed mine came with one that specifies a 5 inch backing plate, but wouldn't I technically want a 6 inch or bigger one since urethane backing plates weigh so much? Supposedly just the 5" LC without a pad on it weighs more than PC recommends even for the larger counterweight.
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Oct 12, 2012 23:26
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Lowclock posted:What counterweights are people using with the PC? I noticed mine came with one that specifies a 5 inch backing plate, but wouldn't I technically want a 6 inch or bigger one since urethane backing plates weigh so much? Supposedly just the 5" LC without a pad on it weighs more than PC recommends even for the larger counterweight. I think it doesn't matter. The PC counterweight was designed for use as a sander, not a polisher. I used my PC7336 with 4 inch pads this past weekend and it has the supplied 6 inch counterweight on it. The Dual Action Counterweight Controversy
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Oct 12, 2012 23:38
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Is there a particular type of wax that is more robust for winter duty? I have the best meguiars stuff.
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Oct 13, 2012 04:09
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THE BLACK NINJA posted:Is there a particular type of wax that is more robust for winter duty? I have the best meguiars stuff. Disclaimer - I come from an area where there is no snow, so "winter" is pretty much a foreign thing to me. But of the more conventional waxes/sealants, the ones I always read about being long lasting and durable are the Klasse or Werkstatt twins, Finish Kare FK100P, and a couple of the Collinite waxes. Some of the newer coatings boast pretty long durability times; my impression from reading about them on various forums is that Optimum Opti Coat is the longest lasting and is pretty much a permanent coating. The downsides I read about are that it's less slick feeling than traditional LSPs, possibly down on looks too, and you can't really top it since supposedly nothing will bond to it, not even more Opti Coat once it cures fully. quote:Optimum Opti-Coat 2.0 provides better scratch and mar resistance, better UV resistance, better chemical etch resistance, and has better release properties than factory clears. Optimum Opti-Coat 2.0 therefore keeps your car clean longer and continues to bead water and sheds dirt for years. Recently, as I've been polishing out panels, I've put Wolf's Body Wrap on them, and left Werkstatt on others. At first it seemed like Werkstatt shed stuff like bug poo poo easier than Body Wrap during a wash, but it seemed to even out a bit as time went on. In my own experience, I've never been dissatisfied with the Klasse/Werkstatt twins, but I just decided to try out something new for once. No real complaints about Body Wrap so far.
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Oct 13, 2012 12:35
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One thing I usually do for the winter is two layers of a sealant followed a week or so later by a carnauba wax. I've found the sacrificial layer of carnauba wax tends to stretch the life of the sealant. In the case of meguiars products, last year I used two coats of Ultimate Wax followed up by a coat of #26 Yellow Wax a week later. bull3964 fucked around with this message at 16:21 on Oct 13, 2012 |
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Oct 13, 2012 16:19
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My car isn't too shabby-looking right now, but it is a daily driver and winter is never kind to cars. I'd like to keep it looking nice, without being an outright showcar. The interior is pretty much as mint as it's going to get in a car that's actively being used, so no worries there. But I was wondering about the exterior. I have no idea what's actually been done to it before I bought it and I've been washing it in an automatic car wash (shock and horror!). A well-maintained car wash, mind you, but not a brushless. I'd like to treat it really well, especially before the winter. The paint is good, plenty thick and allegedly double clearcoated. I have access to a heated garage. My plan is to clean, claybar, polish, top coat and wax. Is this too much effort to spend on a car that will be daily driven in the winter? I want it too look nice and last as long as possible, but I'm too lazy to repeat the whole process every month. Clean and wax, possibly, but not the whole shebang. And are Turtle Wax products any good? I have a bottle of the good old hard shell shine (the seafoam green stuff) that I've been using on my bike with good results, and a local store is having a firesale on their top coat sealer. KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 11:58 on Oct 14, 2012 |
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Oct 14, 2012 11:55
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