|
Are polished heads universal? I just bought a cheap one. What type is best for compound, polish and wax? Mine only came with a wool type one I think.
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2017 23:47
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 25, 2024 12:00 |
|
|
TheGoatTrick posted:It is done. Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light under two coats of Gtechniq Exo V3. I have washed the car properly only one time in the last 5 months and that was just to see how things were holding up. The surface remains slick to the point that you can set a soapy sponge on the hood and it'll slide a bit. Otherwise, I've just been going to the self serve car wash every few weeks. Hit it with the spot free rinse (or high pressure if there are water spots) and drive off. Half a mile down the road, all of the water has beaded off and the car is dry. Hell, you can park it in the rain and once you drive off, it's clean. I did find some excess coating that I had missed removing. But even a few weeks after application, I was able to get it off with one pass of M205 and an orange pad. So overall, I highly recommend this product and I'm totally on board with the concept of ceramic coatings in general. This one is also highly rated from what I've read on detailing forums. It's 1/3 of the price and way easier to apply. I bought a bottle for my other car. Haven't had a chance to try it but if it's even 70% as good I'll be very happy. TheGoatTrick fucked around with this message at 19:09 on Dec 9, 2017 |
|
#
?
Dec 9, 2017 18:44
|
|
|
Red_Fred posted:Are polished heads universal? I just bought a cheap one. The answer to this is yes by the way. I clayed, compounded, polished and waxed my car yesterday. However I found the polishing to not really work as expected. I was using Meguiars Ultimate polish after having clayed and compounded it. The directions said not to let it dry but this seemed impossible even when working in really small areas. I couldn’t really see a difference on the areas I had just compounded versus polished as well. Any ideas what I was doing wrong? I was using a cheap polisher and the pad I used for polishing was a bit softer than the one I used for compounding if that matters. Also my car is a metallic black.
|
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2017 20:59
|
|
|
Nightmare fuel for anyone who didn't see it in the chat threadcakesmith handyman posted:The update. I know it's a thirteen year old car but it didn't look or feel like it. Apart from PO was a vaper and there's a mysterious oily substance inside the centre console. Disgusting twat.
|
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2017 22:23
|
|
|
Remove it, and scrub it down/hose it out outside.
|
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2017 22:45
|
|
|
InitialDave posted:Remove it, and scrub it down/hose it out outside. It's probably too gooey for hose removal... I'd take some warm Simple Green and pour it in, let it sit for a bit, then start removing the loosened sludge. Nasty, but recoverable. TheGoatTrick posted:5 month update: I have nothing bad to say. Look at this hydrophobicity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEg_WBY-FRs Thanks for this. Gonna try this and 9H.
|
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2017 23:58
|
|
EVERYWHERE 
|
cakesmith handyman posted:Nightmare fuel for anyone who didn't see it in the chat thread The gently caress is it?
|
|
#
?
Dec 11, 2017 02:21
|
|
|
I think it was spilled vape oil, but it was brown. Got most of it out with paper towels and just washed the rest off with hot soapy water in the sink.
|
|
#
?
Dec 11, 2017 08:17
|
|
|
Is there anything to know in advance if I have a fender vinyl wrapped? Is just standard wash and wax good enough?
|
|
#
?
Jan 2, 2018 06:39
|
|
|
TheGoatTrick posted:5 month update: I have nothing bad to say. Really thinking hard about doing this with my new GTI.
|
|
#
?
Jan 12, 2018 06:01
|
|
|
Speaking of the new GTI, did it literally come with spiderwebbing pre-installed in the paint? I washed it yesterday (first wash on a day with clear skies), and holy crap I almost had a heart attack. Did I just not see them as it's been basically cloudy since I bought the car? And the car is black, to boot. I'm using all new stuff to wash it (buckets, mitt, microfiber towels, drying towels, Chemical Guys Honeydew wash stuff, the whole deal).
|
|
#
?
Jan 14, 2018 18:53
|
|
|
a mysterious cloak posted:GTI, black Found the problem. My Jetta was a nightmare, especially after I started not caring about the paint and letting my wife drive it. Good luck!
|
|
#
?
Jan 14, 2018 19:03
|
|
|
a mysterious cloak posted:Speaking of the new GTI, did it literally come with spiderwebbing pre-installed in the paint? I washed it yesterday (first wash on a day with clear skies), and holy crap I almost had a heart attack. Did I just not see them as it's been basically cloudy since I bought the car? And the car is black, to boot. It was probably fine before the dealer "prepped" it. The lot boys doing the washing at most dealers are often the lowest paid most entry level positions.
|
|
#
?
Jan 14, 2018 19:04
|
|
|
Get some poorboys black hole as a filler polish it works quite well.
|
|
#
?
Jan 14, 2018 19:05
|
|
|
a mysterious cloak posted:Really thinking hard about doing this with my new GTI. a mysterious cloak posted:Speaking of the new GTI, did it literally come with spiderwebbing pre-installed in the paint? a mysterious cloak posted:the car is black
|
|
#
?
Jan 14, 2018 21:27
|
|
|
Thanks guys, never owned a black car before, but I knew they were waaaay more prone to showing defects. Seems like one side gathers gunk while I'm washing the other side! But it looks freaking sweet when it's clean. I had gotten some Chemical Guys quick detailer the other day, tried it on the obvious spidery spots and it really seems to hide them well. Plus the paint looks crazy black.TheGoatTrick posted:Do it! Bape Culture posted:Get some poorboys black hole as a filler polish it works quite well. So you guys brought something else to mind - if I get some Poorboy's on there and it knocks out the swirls, just put the Crystal Serum Light over the top of it, correct? Or will the stripping process just undo that (for instance, if I used the Gtechniq Panel Wipe as my last step)?
|
|
#
?
Jan 15, 2018 04:35
|
|
|
Pretty much all new cars come "ruined" from the factory. Just look at all the "new car prep" videos on YouTube. I installed CQuartz UK on my dads black Volvo this summer and it's a pretty big undertaking, especially as I had to do it outside. Now this car was actually quite spared from insane swirls, but like all coatings you need to thoroughly clean the car, clay it, polish the car to the standard you want it at, panel prep it so that there is as little as possible contamination (oils etc) on the paint. Then you apply the coating per the instructions. Often you have to keep the car dry for 24 hours to avoid water spots. CQuartz UK comes with a hydrophobic top coat that can be applied after an hour, which protects the coating so I didn't have to leave the car inside. You can't apply a filler and then apply crystal serum light. The coating needs to bond to the paint, and if there are other products in the way it'll be like repainting a window frame without scraping away the flakes of old paint. Of course you could just apply the CSL to the car with swirls and still get the easy to clean, hydrophobic properties. But the swirls will be there to be seen, and you kinda need to polish the CSL off if you want it removed.
|
|
#
?
Jan 15, 2018 08:43
|
|
|
MrOnBicycle posted:Pretty much all new cars come "ruined" from the factory. Just look at all the "new car prep" videos on YouTube.
|
|
#
?
Jan 15, 2018 09:18
|
|
|
InitialDave posted:If you can get it straight out the factory, without a dealer touching it, it's probably a lot better. Yeah, the vast majority of the swirls are from dealers. But if you want a "perfect" car you'll need a proper detail even if you get it directly from the factory. Even high end cars have swirls, sanding marks and/or buffing trails. To be honest, most people don't notice the insane swirls of a brush washed car that is years old, so I get why it's not a priority. But an easy way to minimize damage is to tell dealers to not touch your car when you leave it for service. Especially after having had coatings put on it as it's usually a pretty expensive affair.
|
|
#
?
Jan 15, 2018 10:14
|
|
|
MrOnBicycle posted:But an easy way to minimize damage is to tell dealers to not touch your car when you leave it for service. Especially after having had coatings put on it as it's usually a pretty expensive affair. When buying my GTI, I told them "Please don't wash it. I'll take care of it." Guy said he had heard a couple people request that before rarely, but didn't see the big deal because they hand wash them and use buckets. Just. Don't. When I picked it up, it was washed anyway.  I didn't have time to do much prep before winter (bought in Oct. or Nov.) so I just washed in 40 degree weather and threw some sealant on there. Good nuff for now.
|
|
#
?
Jan 15, 2018 13:38
|
|
|
I thinkI'm going to hold off on the ceramic for another month or so, I put some Opti seal on there and have some quick detailer and microfiber in the back for bird crap and such. Plus it's likely I'll get a Porter Cable and polish out the scratches before I do the coating or it'll drive me absolutely nuts.
|
|
#
?
Jan 15, 2018 23:17
|
|
|
Is there a guide you folks would recommend for someone who knows practically nothing how to accomplish the most basic car washing possible (paint, wheels, and glass)? Detailing stuff like waxing and clay is definitely out of my reach for now. I have access to a hose and an outdoor driveway. I can buy everything else that I would need.
|
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2018 00:50
|
|
|
Hackjack posted:Is there a guide you folks would recommend for someone who knows practically nothing how to accomplish the most basic car washing possible (paint, wheels, and glass)? Detailing stuff like waxing and clay is definitely out of my reach for now. Larry @ Ammo NYC recently made a whole training series just for that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awLX5qlY-Ts Larry's videos is what got me hooked on detailing. He really knows his poo poo, but is also humble enough to bow to the other masters.
|
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2018 09:17
|
|
|
Hackjack posted:Is there a guide you folks would recommend for someone who knows practically nothing how to accomplish the most basic car washing possible (paint, wheels, and glass)? Detailing stuff like waxing and clay is definitely out of my reach for now. Glass is a bitch for streaking, but here is something I learned from my dad that might help: You'll need: Windex, or some knock off brand poo poo Blue Scott's shop towels. Available at pretty much any parts store. An old news paper, I find crumpling it up a bunch of times, then folding it in to quarters works good, otherwise, it seems too hard to hold (for me anyway). Soft cotton cloth, clean and dry. Pull off two blue shop towels, fold along perforated line between then and then fold that in to quarters. Spray windex on glass. Wipe back and forth, up and down several times. with blue towel When its almost dry, wipe that poo poo with newspaper to get rid of streaks. Wipe again with soft cloth. I can usually get 2 or 3 windows done with the blue towels before it gets to saturated, but when it is saturated, you can use that poo poo for mirrors, inside sunroof etc. Newspaper likes to rip though but it'll last 1-2 windows before needing to be replaced. If you're doing both inside and outside of windows, wipe one side up and down, the other side to side, that way if you still see some streaks, you know which side of the glass they're on. wesleywillis fucked around with this message at 14:02 on Jan 17, 2018 |
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2018 13:59
|
|
|
That is an incredible amount of steps for just cleaning glass. Mine is two steps and two products. Products are window cleaning specific micro fiber towels and invisible glass cleaner. Mist lightly over the window and wipe with the towel until clean/dry. Less cleaner than you think you'll need seems to work better for me.
|
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2018 20:25
|
|
|
100% Dundee posted:That is an incredible amount of steps for just cleaning glass. Mine is two steps and two products. Products are window cleaning specific micro fiber towels and invisible glass cleaner. Mist lightly over the window and wipe with the towel until clean/dry. Less cleaner than you think you'll need seems to work better for me. Yep. Invisible Glass aerosol and a microfiber is all you need.
|
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2018 20:59
|
|
|
I got a new 2018 civic and this is the first car I've owned that didn't already have 150k miles on it so I'd like to try to take good care of it. I'm mostly interested in just protecting everything rather than doing corrections since it lives outside in my apartment parking lot anyway. Anyway, I'm not sure how to best protect some of the exterior surfaces: - Glossy black trim (piano black finish) - Matte black plastic trim - "chrome" (plastic?) trim - Exterior rubber trim Is there a one-product-fits-all for these? Would Opti Seal do it? Is regular wax safe on any of them too?
|
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2018 22:28
|
|
|
The trick with cleaning glass is to use one rag to wipe off the cleaner, and then use another rag to wipe it dry. Streaks happen when you don't wipe the cleaner off completely. This tends to happen when you only use one rag because it gets saturated.
|
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2018 23:41
|
|
|
100% Dundee posted:That is an incredible amount of steps for just cleaning glass. Mine is two steps and two products. Products are window cleaning specific micro fiber towels and invisible glass cleaner. Mist lightly over the window and wipe with the towel until clean/dry. Less cleaner than you think you'll need seems to work better for me. Its actually not that bad, but maybe its because I'm used to it. I don't even bother with the outside glass usually. Spray, wipe with towel, wipe with newspaper, maybe wipe with soft cloth.
|
|
#
?
Jan 18, 2018 12:31
|
|
|
Had my WRX in for Oil etc, peeked out the window and saw a porter drying it off with a chamois that had some miles on it, good thing my car is silver... I don't go to that dealer anymore.
|
|
#
?
Jan 18, 2018 19:35
|
|
|
it's worth mentioning that windex has ammonia in it and you should never use that on windows with tint i buy this stuff from costco in a six pack and it takes a while to use all 6 cans: https://www.amazon.com/Sprayway-Glass-Cleaner-Aerosol-Spray/dp/B0052V1JA2
|
|
#
?
Jan 18, 2018 19:44
|
|
|
Well, aftermarket tint anyways. Factory tint won't matter since it's actually colored glass rather than a film.
|
|
#
?
Jan 18, 2018 23:29
|
|
|
This stuff beats the pants off of Invisible Glass, and is cheaper. O'Reilly's carries it, as well. That company used to make a surface cleaner that was equally as amazing (better than Awesome orange aka straight 2butoxy-ethanol) but its discontinued. 
|
|
#
?
Jan 19, 2018 06:07
|
|
|
Invisible glass spray is better than spray away. And thats coming from someone that grew up in a house that always had at least one of those white cans lurking around.
|
|
#
?
Jan 19, 2018 06:56
|
|
|
MrOnBicycle posted:Larry @ Ammo NYC recently made a whole training series just for that. Thanks for the recommendation! Watched the whole hour and found it super informative. Are there any recommended cheaper, more commonly available, or better alternatives to the branded formulas in the video? Ammo Foam in particular.
|
|
#
?
Jan 19, 2018 12:30
|
|
|
Hackjack posted:Thanks for the recommendation! Watched the whole hour and found it super informative. foam? which product specifically? Griot's Garage products arent cheap per se but its a lot less expensive than the stuff on that site.
|
|
#
?
Jan 19, 2018 15:36
|
|
|
Hackjack posted:Thanks for the recommendation! Watched the whole hour and found it super informative. Though I haven't tried his products but Larry's stuff is considered to be great, though at "boutique" prices. Anything from Megiuars will be very good as well. I recently discovered a brand called Bilt Hamber, and boy do they make awesome poo poo that they sell for cheap. Don't know if they're available in the US though. The Autodetailing subreddit has a wiki with product recommendations for beginners and different price ranges: https://www.reddit.com/r/autodetailing/wiki/recommended Depending on how much you get sucked into the detailing sphere you'll probably try different products over time and find stuff that you really like. If you do, try to find the bulk version of it as you'll save loads of money by diluting the products yourself. VVVV: Bilt Hamber seem to win most tests people do on YouTube. I've bought their metal fallout remover (Karosol) and the one for rims, Surfex HD (APC / degreaser) and Autofoam in big 5 liter jugs, their claybar is amazing as well. Haven't had a chance to use the Autofoam yet. MrOnBicycle fucked around with this message at 23:24 on Jan 19, 2018 |
|
#
?
Jan 19, 2018 15:49
|
|
|
Forensic Detailing on Youtube seems to really rate the Bilt Hamber foam for value for money.
|
|
#
?
Jan 19, 2018 18:56
|
|
|
I had a look for them in aussie, seems ppc co are the distributor, (they get most of the premium stuff like por15 and leatherique). Anyway, needless to say, expensive as gently caress. They don't sell in large quantities to major retailers, just trade and independents mostly at low volumes and typical 'held hostage' aussie mark ups because if you want it you can't get it anywhere else and it goes through a long chain of everyone adding markups (E: and it would be on an 'order in' basis for the retailers at the end of the chain) Fo3 fucked around with this message at 10:42 on Jan 21, 2018 |
|
#
?
Jan 21, 2018 10:40
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 25, 2024 12:00 |
|
|
Fo3 posted:I had a look for them in aussie, seems ppc co are the distributor, (they get most of the premium stuff like por15 and leatherique). If you mean Bilt Hamber, jesus christ you weren't kidding. I checked some ppc co for the foam, and it's 40% more expensive than what I bought mine for. Interestingly, the guys I bought my Auto Foam from (Slim's detailing) charge exactly what Bilt Hamber themselves do, i.e. £16,97 for 5 liters. MrOnBicycle fucked around with this message at 12:41 on Jan 21, 2018 |
|
#
?
Jan 21, 2018 12:39
|
|