Car Care Prescription (detailing)

[DECIM8]

Hey just a tip guys, I no he says no sponges but ive found a sponge which works wonders.. Its avaliable at super cheap .. I forget the brand but you can get a green and orange one, Its a sponge with a cover and has woolen-like-arms on one side.. Actually protects the paint as it goes..

Ive lost 3 and keep going back to them everyone knows sponges are shit but these are great, Assasin and all the guys who see my car will vouch for me.

[DaveB]

Its pretty much impossible to get out as far as i know. Your best bet might be an air freshener + time.

About the ciggy smell, buy that Vanilla Deodouriser from AutoBarn. Does the trick, smells great!

MR_XTC

Thanks guys... first i think i will pull the seats and do a full shampoo vac of the carpets & roof lining (which I have heard traps a lot of the smell). Will let you know how it goes...

DaveB

[allthewaytotheskyline]

how do i clean calcium/rust build up on chrome wheels???

[sleak]

Swirl Marks are best removed by a professional with a good quality variable speed buffer.... failing that, Meguires Swirl X is a great product that you can purchase easily (There are a lot better brands out there then Meguires, but they are good for their price / availability!). Apply with their hand applicator pads, then buff off with a soft buffing cloth. Finish with a polish / wax to keep it protected.

Check out their Youtube demonstrations. Works quite well.

Windows.. Your issues with streaking (not the nudity type) is one of the biggest things detailers have to work with. I personally use three cloths when doing windows to make sure there are no streaks... A lot of the time you cant see them until a certain sunlight hits them, and I want to be 100% sure they arent there... ever!

I start by spraying on our Glass treatment (Ours is anti fog / cleaner product) and use a very soft cloth to wipe that over in circular motions, then quickly (while the treatment is still wet on the glass) use another very soft cloth and go over it once again... By using a soft cloth, it absorbs the dirty glass treatment each time, so reduces any chance of streaks. I lastly use a microfiber polishing cloth and go over it once again to make sure all streaks etc are removed.

*tip* Never try and clean windows in the sun, or hot glass... Makes the job a million times harder!

I also like to use the two bucket wash process. Have one bucket with the detergent in it, and another full of clean water. After using a very fine sponge over the car, rinse it EVERY TIME in the clean water bucket, then into the detergent bucket. Makes sure that your using clean detergent on the car each time, and not recycling the dirty water over your car!

Just some tips I have learned along the way. Take them or leave them!!

Check out www.detailparadise.com.au for more tips on detailing etc!

[Volk34]

Fantastic read, im going to follow it step by step today and upload some before and after shots later this evening

[Dorifta]

good thread,

What about good wax like mothers, its natural unlike polish, and lasts alot longer but takes twice as long to apply and has a far superior finish.

Wheres the best place to buy claybars, most automotive places dont even know what its is.

When I wax or polish my car, It wont see suds for atleast 3 months, Just pressure washer and shammy, otherwise bye bye to the wax or polish

Whats ur choice and why, Wax or Polish, Or polish with claybar then WAX

[Fry_33]

Thanks guys... first i think i will pull the seats and do a full shampoo vac of the carpets & roof lining (which I have heard traps a lot of the smell). Will let you know how it goes...

DaveB

Don't forget the things you can't see.. eg the air conditioner. Filters etc in the system can hold those stinky smoke in them too. Maybe try and use an air freshener/ odor eater and put the air con on full blast and let it idle on recirculate. Nil Odor doesn't smell that well but after a few applications over a few weeks we got basically all of the smell out of a mates car.

[Dani Boi]

Why would you use 4 chamoi's to clean your car haha. You need one for drying far out. Use a wool mitt to wash your car and get appropriate soft bristle brushes to clean spoked rims and under wheel arches.

Where's the wax step? You put all that polish on and it's not even going to last (not to mention most light-medium colour car's dont need a polish)

With clay bar you should really use a proper lubricant when wiping it down with clay, you can get meguiars kits from supercheap.

[DaveB]

Don't forget the things you can't see.. eg the air conditioner. Filters etc in the system can hold those stinky smoke in them too. Maybe try and use an air freshener/ odor eater and put the air con on full blast and let it idle on recirculate. Nil Odor doesn't smell that well but after a few applications over a few weeks we got basically all of the smell out of a mates car.

Good tips, I did that. Also I replaced the air-conditioner filters with new ones off ebay, which I think has helped a lot. I have never finished the roof though; too worried about getting it too wet and streaking through. I have seen the Meguiars interior cleaner at work though and I might give that a go. It's about 90% gone at the moment; smell only returns when the car's been sitting with the windows up getting hot for a while in the sun.

[NISMO]

good thread,

What about good wax like mothers, its natural unlike polish, and lasts alot longer but takes twice as long to apply and has a far superior finish.

Wheres the best place to buy claybars, most automotive places dont even know what its is.

When I wax or polish my car, It wont see suds for atleast 3 months, Just pressure washer and shammy, otherwise bye bye to the wax or polish

Whats ur choice and why, Wax or Polish, Or polish with claybar then WAX

Every couple of years i go all out and then maintain from there.

All out

- Wash car

- Clay

- Wash

- Remove swirls - Buffer

- Wash

- Clean paint and polish ( i use Zaino Z-AIO )

- Seal polish - ( use Z-CS )

- And then a layer or two of another sealer called Zaino Z-8

Takes pretty much a weekend - cause I'm too lazy to do it in a day, but well worth it.

When finished the paintwork is very slippery and nothing sticks to it. Washing the car takes about 5 mins from here, and everything just falls off. Bugs, tar from track days - everything!

To maintain it, twice a year I clay and re polish and seal.

Don't have any pics of the GTR with me, but here's how the V35 looked. And this is 3 months after the all out i did.

[MRSAMO]

Thanks for this thread, did my car a well deserved clean today. Bought all the stuff from supercheap, only had mostly ArmorAll, Mothers and Maguairs so I got the Maggies, wanted to get Zaino or Optimum which I heard was even better.

[z0mbieJesus]

Cheers for the write up, will give it a go

[Go Pro Detailing]

ok fellow forum goers this will be a guide to how to take car of your car as a detailer would take care of his own. the products that i have mentioned are what i use, that are not the one and only product that does the job similar products will do the smae job, but just make sure you do your homework on them.

1: The wash

first things first never ever wash your car with a sponge, broom, or drive through car wash. these are the enemy of paint.

- you want to start with your engine bay. spray lightly with water to remove excess grime then apply a degreaser and wash off. this works the best with a high pressure wash.

- now the paint.

- get all the heavy muck off with a pre wash washdown

- you want to get a chamois in warm water with some Megiuars Soft Wash Gel (personally think this is best wash available to public, expensive though.

- now clean with the chamois in the same style as a sponge (NO SPONGES ON PAINT)

- now hose the car down using a high pressure washer or hose.

- wash your wheels lightly with a sponge. do not scrub hard.

- scub under wheel archs with a kenco handle broom or similar.

by now the cars exterior should have a nice coat of wax and a shine.

2: The After Wash

once the car is washed you can ran your hand across the paint and feel that it is not smooth, this is called fallout it is crapp that falls out of the sky, such as brake dust, train dust, sap, etc. this can be removed by claying the car. this is using a process with a 3M perfect III or the better one (SOFTER) the eraser bar for your car by clay magic. apply water in a spray bottle keeping the surface damp then rub lighty DO NOT press hard as it may scracth. another point you drop a clay bar you throuh it out.

This stage you will need 4 chamois, the euka-fill ones are the best (the big big ones.) 1 for the paint, 1 for the wheels, 1 for the door jams and 1 for under the hood.

This is simple chamois down, different chamois for different areas.

[b]3: Polish [/b]

there are many ways in which to polish a car and many polishes. the way i do my own car is with a Megiuars applicater pad.

- once you have chamois down the car time to apply the polish.

- you cant go past the Megiuars polishes that are unreal compared to that of turtle wax, kitten etc,

- you can follow there step by step method but i just use the carnuba based polish. this is real thick and yellow and smells awesome. it is also a cleaner polish so it cleans your paint as you work.

- apply the polish in an even circular motion trying not to miss pacthes.

- allow to sit for a 10 - 15 minutes so it can set.

- now comes the hard bit getting the stuff off, but once its done its soooo worth it. using an Aquatouch microfibre polishing cloth (this are awesome because they never scratch) or similar microfibre cloths, if you cant get these you get a real soft nappy (RAG) and take the polish off, concentrating on panel by panel.

you should have a nicely clean polished machine now with your paint sparkling.

i forgot to mentioned the area in which you work, under fluroes or under the sun light, different types of light portray different aspects of your paint work so its up to you, but this isnt a major issue because you can see most things.

4: Engine Bay Looking like New

this is very time consuming and for optimum results needs to be done more than once.

- this is the way i do it there are hundreds of different ways though

- thick grime use Multipurpose Cleaner by ArmourAll to get it off.

- chrome or alloy stuff can be polished up nicely with a product called PURPLE STUFF with some of on a rag it will macco.

- plastics and rubber you use an AUTOGLYM product (cant remeber the name but will put it on here tmorrow) it is a plastic cleaner. put it in a spray bottle water it down about 1/4 product to rest water, apply evenly then leave for 5 - 10 then wipe with a rag. this stuff is real expensive, but it lasts and lasts , well worth the money

- another way is to use ArmourAll orignal protectant with a sponge and rub onto the palstics and rubber. this will have to be redone after each wash.

5: Windows

- Polyglaze is the best stuff a few cleans and the rain bouces off it.

- get an Aquatouch microfibre window rag(if not just get two rags) and a scourer pad with the white and yellows sides (this are the soft ones, green will scracth the hell out of windows so be warned.) also need a nappy(RAG)

- outside windows spray, wipe over with white side of the scourer pad softly, wipe with microfibre rag then wipe again to dry with second rag.

- inside. as most people have tint do not use the scourer pad on the inside of tinted windows. just spray and wipe.

6: Wheels[/color]

brake dust is the devil to a nice set of rims

- do not use acid based cleaners and no really harsh cleaning utensils.

- ArmourAll multipurpose cleaner is the best.

- spray and scrub lightly with a tooth brush

- wipe off

- now to repel brake apply (trust me this works, dont knock it till you try it) apply Mr Sheen Waterguard (must be waterguard other MrSheens will hurt you wheels finish) to you rims all over with a rag. now when you wash your wheels the brake dash just falls off. do this each time you wash your rims and it gets easier and easier.

[B]7: Door Jams [/b]

- again multipurpose cleaner by ArmourAll with a tooth brush to clean the hinges and what not.

- you can get a shine in there by polishing or MrSheening it(watergaurd). this also works for paint under the bonnet.

8: Interior Dash/Vinyls

- wipe down with a damp chamois

- apply AmourAll original protectant with another scourer pad, yellow side, evenly to all that it can be applied to.

- do this once a week for 1 - 2 months and you will always have a nice shiny dash from there on.

9; Carpets/Seats

- try to vac once a week/fortnight to avoid bulid up

- stains are best left to the professionals and they will usually steam clean them

- minor stains can be addressed again with ArmourAll multipurpose cleaner with a clean toothbrush. then vac and allow to dry.

thats about it.

also make sure you throughly clean every thing you use after every time you detail your own car.

hope this helps any problems with scratches or swirling of the paint you can give me a call and we will have a look at what we can do, my business is as below

A & M Detailing

52254816

Cnr Cavendish & Smyth St

Geelong

thanks for time, enjoy,

ICER33

hi i found a DIY Car detailing course that is probally the first in sydney its good it even shows u how to start your own car detailing business

[Jawssh]

Fantastic info, cheers for that.

One issue i always am concerned about is cleaning the engine bay. After spraying a degreaser in the engine bay, is it OK just to squirt a high pressure hose around in there? (am i going to stuff up any electrics?)

Just don't go spraying directly at the backs of the plugs (electrics) they have a compound which is waterproofed to an extent so they don't get moisture inside them, high pressure cleaning the plugs will result in destroying that waterproofing.

[mickk]

good to know, i always ruine my chamois so quick

[Neuroglider]

Awesome guide, curious about one thing atm.. Recently I degreased my engine bay and the rocker covers have oxidisation on it, got off most the white powder when i washed it all off and gave it a bit of a rub with degreaser on a rag. Still some remnants though of the powder, any other products I could try using or would it have to be a "sand down and buff" job?

[skyline[32]]

Nice tutorial mate. Just a quick question about engine bay detailing, i have an r34 and my coil packs don't have a cover. What can i use to cover it to make sure i don't get any water in there?

[GTR6]

Just a note with interior cleaners/shiny stuff.. make sure it doesn't have silicon in it.. Silicon makes it look nice when first applied, once its exposed to sun the silicon contracts and can over time, crack your dash.

For exterior cleaning, I would recomend the 3 step maguires kit.. its excellent if you like keeping your car spotless.

[tranman]

Nice tutorial mate. Just a quick question about engine bay detailing, i have an r34 and my coil packs don't have a cover. What can i use to cover it to make sure i don't get any water in there?

plastic bags, or aluminium foil to act as an umbrella. No need to water proof it as such.