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Outside of having an approximate knowledge of detailing, I have no idea what to buy to start out. I know that a PC 7424XP is the go to and there's something called Meguiars 105 and it's the bee's knees, but that's about it. I know about the 2 bucket system, clay bars, and wax (I used Gold Class last time, oh boy); nothing about DA polishers and what I should and shouldn't do when I get one. I've seen that autogeek has a few kits, but I have no idea if they're worth the money or even have decent pads and whatnot. Reading the Griot's catalog didn't really answer any questions either. Budget: Sub $500 for almost everything Cars: Black single stage and black with a clearcoat Phone fucked around with this message at 18:24 on Oct 11, 2013 |
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Oct 11, 2013 18:22
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My car got rear ended a couple weeks ago, got a new rear bumper cover and tail light at the body shop. There were a lot of scratches all over the car so I went for the $150 scratch removing "polish". To be honest it did get rid of a lot of the scratches. However, I can't believe they considered this acceptable work... It's going back, and if they don't have anyone competent enough to run the buffer to get those swirls+ out I want to just ask for my money back and go find a good detailer. I can't wait to hear what they think of it considering they didn't notice it in the first place. Modus Man fucked around with this message at 00:40 on Oct 12, 2013 |
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Oct 11, 2013 22:01
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So it's raining today and I'm noticing that the brand new blades on my brand new car are leaving streak lines. Is there ANY avoiding this ever??  Also weird question. I bought the gold class megs quick detailer. It owns. However, I noticed that there were others the regular and the ultimate. Is there REALLY a big difference between them? Or are the differences marginal?
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Oct 16, 2013 20:48
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I just bought a new black 2013 challenger a couple weeks ago and this is the first car I've given a poo poo on how it looks. I read up a bit on the autogeek site, but I'm still confused on what exactly I should be doing weekly. When I bought it, the dealer spent some time "cleaning it up" and it looked pretty sharp and shiny. When it gets wet, the water seems to bead up so I'm assuming the wax is holding up and I don't need to do that yet. If I don't need to wax and don't want to strip the wax off with soap, what should I be using on the weekly washes? Last week, I didn't know what to use so I just used water which seemed to work fine. I washed (I have a pretty bad rear end shaded wash port at my complex with pressurized water lines at each corner of the car) and hand dried with microfiber towels. There were a couple "water spot" looking things on the front of the hood I couldn't scrub out, but overall it looked pretty afterwards. Also, I bought some tire foam poo poo at Walmart that didn't work well. Any recommendations on a good product for making the tires shiny?
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Oct 16, 2013 21:32
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I actually really like the Armor-all foam tire product. It doesn't leave the tires greasy and keeps them looking brand new for up to a couple months. The golden standard for good DD car care is roughly: - Thoroughly detail car twice a year using Dawn dish soap, claybar, and then polymer paint sealant - Use quick detailer with microfibers as needed for water spots, bird poo poo, touch-ups, etc - Wash regularly with a specific car-wash soap. I like the moisturizing kind but it's harder to rinse. Wax is optional but recommended - Be extremely careful any time you make contact with the paint. Use the 2-bucket method, clean wash mitts, dry carefully - Don't do much else. You can often do more harm than good with a lot of products and methods.
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Oct 16, 2013 22:50
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I'm going to second the Armor-All tire foam poo poo. It works great and is easy as poo poo to use. Make sure you use it before you clean the rims. I recently bought and am trying the EXTREME SHINE aerosol. Doesn't foam to the level of the tire foam, but it also works quite well.
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Oct 17, 2013 15:51
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http://www.autopia-store.org/Ultra-Protectant.html I have been using this dressing after finding it in a local detail supply shop and its excellent. It has that consistency you can apply with a sponge or brush, stays shiny all week, and is water based.
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Oct 17, 2013 18:25
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JetsGuy posted:So it's raining today and I'm noticing that the brand new blades on my brand new car are leaving streak lines. Is there ANY avoiding this ever?? Have you cleaned the blades with a wet spunge or dry towel? During rainy weeks i sometimes use a spunge soaked in dish soap to remove any oils and dirt from the blades. You can also use cleaning vinegar to remove the thin film of dirt on your windshield, when it rains there's nothing for the water to stick on and it will bounce off, especially at highway speeds it might not be necessary to use wipers at all. Go over the glass with a dry towel or micro-fibre cloth, as vinegar does not evaporate without leaving streaks. I know, its pretty basic compared to high tech/class cleaning stuff, but it works great. (Keep in mind that using vinegar on rubber dries it out alot, and watch out not to drip on your car or it can strip wax right off) Gorillian Dollars fucked around with this message at 00:44 on Oct 18, 2013 |
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Oct 18, 2013 00:41
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JetsGuy posted:So it's raining today and I'm noticing that the brand new blades on my brand new car are leaving streak lines. Is there ANY avoiding this ever?? Wash your car, then use a clay bar on your windshield. After that, use a glass-safe sealant like Rejex or some of the Adams/Chemical Guys products. Also, make sure to scrub the soft rubber part of your wipers when you wash your car. That should fix your problem.
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Oct 19, 2013 06:58
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What does everyone use when cleaning the inside of a car? Are microfiber cloths still necessary for things like vinyl and all the plastic knobs and whatnot? Also does washing microfiber cloths destroy them or are they thrown away after they get too dirty?
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Oct 20, 2013 17:14
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I find a slightly damp microfibre is fine for most interior plastics. As for wasing them, I bung them in the machine and use the microfibre-specific detergent Chemical Guys do. As long as they're not ridiculously clarted up, they seem to come out ok. I tend to relegate nastier ones to dirtier jobs and use the newest ones for the nicer areas.
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Oct 20, 2013 17:23
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Protip on microfiber towels: http://tinyurl.com/mty8baj Once they get used a few times I just throw them out or put them in my kitchen cabinet for other more mundane jobs since they are so cheap.
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Oct 20, 2013 18:28
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Chinatown posted:Protip on microfiber towels: I bought these like 3 years ago, unless theyve changed theyre the shittiest microfibers known to man. Somehow costco has inadvertently stumbled upon technology that absorbs ZERO water. It will just push water around on your car. I can even put these under a faucet and water will slide off of it like i just sprayed the loving things in rustoleum never-wet.
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Oct 20, 2013 20:52
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Can anything be done for yellowed alcantara like this?  (not my car)
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Oct 21, 2013 02:40
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coolskillrex remix posted:I bought these like 3 years ago, unless theyve changed theyre the shittiest microfibers known to man. Somehow costco has inadvertently stumbled upon technology that absorbs ZERO water. It will just push water around on your car. I can even put these under a faucet and water will slide off of it like i just sprayed the loving things in rustoleum never-wet. I use them mainly for hand waxing and interior detail. Just wet and wring out one to use for drying and they work pretty well. I don't especially care if I don't get 100% of the water because I will be at least going back and using a spray detailer/wax to finish which would eliminate any steaks or spots.
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Oct 21, 2013 06:13
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blk posted:Can anything be done for yellowed alcantara like this? I'd take it to a dry cleaner. Seriously, some of them have long hoses/portable units.
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Oct 21, 2013 11:08
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EVERYWHERE 
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katkillad2 posted:What does everyone use when cleaning the inside of a car? Are microfiber cloths still necessary for things like vinyl and all the plastic knobs and whatnot? Also does washing microfiber cloths destroy them or are they thrown away after they get too dirty? What ever you do, don't use any armor all poo poo. I used the wipes a couple weeks ago and it just left greasy streaks all over my dash. I should have just dusted it or used a wet microfiber. Other than that, I heard Aerospace 303 is good. Haven't used it as I don't feel a need yet.
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Oct 21, 2013 17:37
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Some of you are making me cringe with your recommendations of armor all anything... I don't have any confidence in any of their product line and I'm just picturing lots of unnaturally shiny reflective dashes and tires. Rubber and plastic looks best (and should be) satin/matte in my opinion  katkillad2 posted:What does everyone use when cleaning the inside of a car? Are microfiber cloths still necessary for things like vinyl and all the plastic knobs and whatnot? Also does washing microfiber cloths destroy them or are they thrown away after they get too dirty? I have some small tool vacuum hookups and boars hair brushes that are great for getting rid of dust around knobs and in vents, then I use an interior cleaner (Griots is my current favorite) and finally a little bit of rubber & vinyl protectant on the spots that see the most sun. I'll typically use a smaller microfiber towel or a soft scrap of old cotton t-shirt depending on how much product I'm needing to use and the specific surface. Of the above I think my favorite is the boars hair brushes, they're really nice to use and I feel like they work really, really well.
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Oct 21, 2013 19:50
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Mat_Drinks posted:Some of you are making me cringe with your recommendations of armor all anything... I don't have any confidence in any of their product line and I'm just picturing lots of unnaturally shiny reflective dashes and tires.
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Oct 21, 2013 22:32
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InitialDave posted:No, really, their aerosol tyre foam is really good. Sure, if you like brown tires in a month. 
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Oct 21, 2013 22:38
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ratbert90 posted:Sure, if you like brown tires in a month. Brilliant engineering and marketing: now you always have to reapply it.
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Oct 21, 2013 22:41
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Seriously Armor All is loving garbage and you can get superior products at basically the same price point from local detail supply shops or online. 90% of detail products at Pep Boys/Autozone/etc are complete garbage.
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Oct 22, 2013 01:08
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Chinatown posted:Seriously Armor All is loving garbage and you can get superior products at basically the same price point from local detail supply shops or online. 90% of detail products at Pep Boys/Autozone/etc are complete garbage. Thank you for having the courage to say what I wanted to say, but was being too much of a pussy to come right out and say myself.
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Oct 22, 2013 04:24
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Seriously, read the OP. Your poo poo shouldn't be "shiny," it should be clean.
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Oct 22, 2013 05:44
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Meguiars has their own interior wipes anyway, dunno whats in em but they work well on my black/gray interior. http://www.walmart.com/ip/16550252?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=3
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Oct 22, 2013 15:20
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I have an
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Oct 22, 2013 15:42
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I use 303 Aerospace on my interior plastic and my tires. You can use it on exterior plastic too, but I'd only use it on lower body trim. It may run a bit if you use too much, and will leave an oily looking streak on the paint. It is not damaging and will wipe right off, but eh.
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Oct 22, 2013 15:49
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Mat_Drinks posted:Some of you are making me cringe with your recommendations of armor all anything... I don't have any confidence in any of their product line and I'm just picturing lots of unnaturally shiny reflective dashes and tires. Thanks for the boar hair brush tip, that sounds like a much better idea than what I was previously planning with a tooth brush.
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Oct 22, 2013 16:01
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The Armor All aerosol foam is not the same as the Armor All tire shine product that everyone knows and hates. It is wipe-free and does not leave any shine at all, nor does it sling all over your car while driving.
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Oct 22, 2013 23:54
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Cage posted:Meguiars has their own interior wipes anyway, dunno whats in em but they work well on my black/gray interior. Maybe I'll try that. It is kinda nice to just be able to use wet wipes to do a quick dusting/clean up job. I just want something that won't leave greasy streaks on my dash.
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Oct 23, 2013 02:18
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Haggins posted:Maybe I'll try that. It is kinda nice to just be able to use wet wipes to do a quick dusting/clean up job. I just want something that won't leave greasy streaks on my dash.
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Oct 23, 2013 15:14
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What are peoples thoughts on car covers? I'm in the midwest and some years we get barely any snow and other times we get a shitload. Can snow really hurt a cars exterior or will a good full detailing in the spring fix any issues snow would have caused?
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Oct 24, 2013 05:52
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Some guy from s2ki.com put together this extremely loving comprehensive detailing guide some time ago. While some of it is more or less specific to the s2k, it is pretty drat thorough, so I'm sure anyone can get some kind usefulness out of it. Just thought I'd share it, because this dude has quite literally turned detailing into a science, testing a lot of products against each other, and on different cars over the years. a digital orc fucked around with this message at 13:41 on Oct 31, 2013 |
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Oct 31, 2013 13:36
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Spent an intimate day with the wife's SUV. -Spray wash -Hand wash (Optimum No Rinse) -Clay bar -Klasse Twins by hand ugggg (All-in-One and Sealant)   Anyone here have the 3M film on their vehicle? Bought this one used with low miles but PO never really maintained the 3M. It's slightly yellow, and the contrast from 3M to paint is much more pronounced than my other white vehicle with 3M. In fact on my car it's hard to see the transition from the 3M to the paint. Any suggestions on how to make it look a little better?
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Nov 3, 2013 22:53
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Anyone try out Sonax's Net Shield yet? I don't really have the patience or time right now to do a full prep and one of the more permanent coatings, but this seems perfect. Easy to spray on a foam pad and apply, lasts for 6 months which should get me through winter. I may stop by Autoality Saturday morning and pick up a can. As much as I love having clean cars, I'm finding it more and more difficult to get the motivation to spend half my weekending futzing with them. If a product like this is as long lasting as people are saying, then I should be able to get away with applying it 3 times a year and only a quick wash the rest of the year.
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Nov 7, 2013 16:36
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So I was FINALLY able to remove my clear bra from my hood. gently caress those things forever. There is a bit of residual adhesive on the hood that remains after using WD-40 to strip the majority of it away. WD-40 was the only thing that worked FYI. Is is possible to take the rest off using a orbital and a heavy polish? Or will that just smash the adhesive further in?
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Nov 7, 2013 18:58
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Does anyone have sage advice on removing really crappy aftermarket tint that is rolled poorly off a rear window? I don't want to destroy my aging defroster or FM radio lines. Person who removed the front window tint before I got the car had used a razor and a heatshrink gun. Glad I stopped them there. 
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Nov 7, 2013 19:07
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Chinatown posted:So I was FINALLY able to remove my clear bra from my hood. gently caress those things forever. Did you use a steamer?
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Nov 7, 2013 22:40
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West SAAB Story posted:Does anyone have sage advice on removing really crappy aftermarket tint that is rolled poorly off a rear window? I don't want to destroy my aging defroster or FM radio lines. Person who removed the front window tint before I got the car had used a razor and a heatshrink gun. Glad I stopped them there. Use a steamer- won't hurt the defroster or lines.
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Nov 7, 2013 22:40
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LessThanThree posted:Spent an intimate day with the wife's SUV. I have had it on a few, but it never yellowed that I could tell (dark colored cars). Depending on who installed it- you may be able to get it warrantied. My friends shop installs it and has done a few on White cars due to this very issue.
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Nov 7, 2013 22:41
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