*Official* Ask A Detailer Thread

What would you guys do for rust speckling on the rear fenders? This winter was pretty rough on the truck.

 

Have you clay barred the truck?

 

Just wanted to say a big THANK YOU SIR for the info. really do appreciate your time & efforts for sharing.

 

Great thread, but way too much info,lol. I've been reading it for an hour and still don't have the answers I'm looking for. Here are my main questions:
Which car wash is the most recommended?
I've gathered that sealer is better than wax, but no consensus on which is easiest/best/longest lasting. Comments? Opinions?
And also, I'm hoping for a sealer that won't stain the black fenders on my Off Road.

 

Be prepared for thousands of different opinions. There are several great products out there if you skip past Walmart. I would recommend any car wash by Optimum, Chemical Guys, Blackfire, Carpro, Adams....just to name a few. Autogeek is great place to buy from and have a huge selection.

As far as sealant, I love Optimum Opti-Seal. If done correctly is a wipe on walk away product. Plus it won’t stain black plastic. The price for a bottle may seem high but you next to nothing to cover a vehicle.

 

I just added a bottle of optimum OPTi seal to my cart at Amazon $25....that’s expensive,,,but it says you’ll need drops for your vehicle. Description of the product makes it sound like it came from NASA & you’re going to space with it. Lol.

 

A little goes a long way! Make sure you have a good applicator. I bought a bottle a couple of years ago and I don’t think I have used a 1/4 of it.

 

WOW,,, that’s lasting a long time! good to hear. It comes with one applicator pad. I’m thinking I should scoop another one though eh.

 

Hey, I've also got a pro, clay barred and currently applying JetSeal. I'm so close to removing the decals, as others have suggested to make life easier. Haha. I've wasted a lot of time researching and think I may get some matte JetSeal.

What did you come up with on yours? I avoided them and went by hand to get as close as possible. My ocd says all the painted areas need wax .

 

What you have there is a combination of surface defects that can be remedied through detailing and a few that will require re-painting. The surface staining / contaminates can be pretty easily removed with clay. The remaining staining can be polished away and you will end up with a smooth surface ready for wax, sealant or a coating. These steps will make the area look significantly better.

The more troubling issue I can see in your pictures is stone chips that have penetrated the paint and primer causing the metal underneath to start to rust / corrode. Unfortunately, the only real fix there is fresh paint. Sorry to be the bearer of sad news there.

 

Don’t lay any products on the decals that isn’t intended for decals.

I honestly would remove them and all the badges. It makes life easier.
Plus do you actually like them? Lol

 

What is the best way to clean the engine bay want to get it looking better especially get all the old oil off from when I had a valve cover leak engine bay hasn't been cleaned in over 5 years with countless desert trips

 

I use a degreaser on the engine when it's cool. Brush stubborn spots with a bristle brush then rinse , i use 303 protectant on the hoses and plastic parts after degreasing.

 

Spray Nine works well. Use brush as previously mentioned. I spray with meguiars dressing and let it sit overnight

 

Does anyone know why people end up with swirl marks on black trucks? Is it rag or sponge washing on a dirty body?Or is it from waxing in a circular motion.

 

Could be combination of different things. One is improper washing techniques. Not using a 2 bucket wash. Using wrong wash media or a soap with poor lubricity. Getting debris caught in wash media. Waxing with dust on a vehicle. Probably several more reasons out there.

 

Have you heard of a product called Diamond Kote? It is offered by Toyota here in Canada it is suppose to be really tough and protect your paint.Is it any good?

 

Not familiar with it. Ceramic coating is the way to go. Keeps paint cleaner so less touching of the paint is required.

 

Thanks I will remember that.How is ceramic coating applied?

 

All of the above. Id say majority of vehicles have some degree of swirl marks, just easier to spot on darker vehicles