*Official* Ask A Detailer Thread

That was my thought too, Griots makes decent stuff I just don't know their lineup well enough to know if their wheel cleaner(s) are also an iron remover. I looked up Eagle One, I believe this may be the one and you should be able to find at the auto parts stores: https://www.eagleone.com/black-plasti-coat-wheel-cleaner-23oz

Not sure what the deal with the change was, probably they were selling it too cheaply and did a redesign. Same thing just happened with Turtle Wax Seal and Shine, got a little too much praise so they did a "redesign" and upped the price.

 

Awesome. Is there a polisher and kit with pads and polish you would recommend?

 

Griots G9 is a good all around entry level polisher backed with a lifetime warranty. Can't really recommend any particular kit as kits always come bundled with an occasional good item or two and the rest is just filler. As for pads, I'm personally a fan of their BOSS pads but there are various Lake Country or Buff and Shine pads that are fine too. The best deal on pads is usually at Autogeek/Autopia (same company) depending on which is running the better sale at the time. The polisher itself generally does not qualify for the sales they have but all else should. Depending on the pad line they've got 6 packs you can buy where you get to choose the pads you want. Like with the Griots BOSS for example: Note that the G9 comes with a 6" backing plate so be sure to get the corresponding 6-6.5" pads. Or get a 5" backing plates and get those pads. Smaller pads are cheaper and will likely correct better as they spin easier. Check out Apex Detail, Car Craft Auto, Ammo NYC on tips for polishing between those 3 you should have MANY hours of info and tips. Don't focus too much on product choice, particularly with Apex as he reviews A LOT of products.

 

Right on. So mostly its just up to what sort of work you want to do. I mean I'm literally just trying to fic the oxidation and put a sealer on to protect my paint from the sun. Its got scratches and other stuff that isn't getting fixed even with a polish as they're too deep. I also have a ton of rock chips on my hood which sucks.

 

Pretty much but the universal answer when it comes to pad/liquid choice it the answer is always to do a test section. Now as someone whom doesn't even have the machine or pad yet having a handful of things to test with is a tall ask. The general practice is to use the least aggressive approach possible but that generally doesn't mean a super fine abrasive with the least aggressive pad isn't going to fix much. But whatever is going on with your truck is unique to others, hence you need to have some variables. Particularly with single stage paint, so you can't even compare what worked for someone with a base/clear paint job from the same year. Just as you can't assume that the same year, same color will work the same. Technique also comes into it, for instance with the same exact manchine/pad/abrasive one guy leans on the polisher just a little bit more and gets a different result from you who is not applying pressure. Car Craft Auto on Youtube breaks this down better than anybody else. I know he's got it in several of his videos where he is breaking down the thought process there. Problem is this info can be kind of scattered across his videos. He may have a video specifically about this but in another video which is about a full car detail might have a better explanation of the process.

3D One is a pretty good liquid abrasive that would be a good choice to start with as it will tailor itself to the pad you choose. Not that this can't be done with other liquid abrasives but this one is very user friendly and doesn't sling dust everywhere and has plenty of work cycle time.

 

Last year, or year before I think, I got mine looking pretty good.
Wash.
Clay.
Wash.
Buff or polish, don't remember and can't find any of the stuff used, except my buffer and pads blame goes to the ex-ex girlfriend for touching things in my garage.
Wash.
Old school Turtle Wax.

I hated doing that, but it got rid of some nasty scratches I had to about 15% visibility in the right light at the right angle.

I used a buffer/polisher from walfart, cost ~$50. I think a Meguire's compound of some sort, not a cutting compound iirc.
I was scared to death to do this. Never attempted it in my life and there were multiple people telling me I needed to be careful not to burn the paint since 040 is a single stage. But, turned out pretty good, until yesterday however, couldn't tell I ever did any of that after the initial 3ish months.

 

Found those, not super informative lol. Much more enthusiastic just a short time ago. Much more cynical now

 

Was in a car stereo/tint/etc. store today and the guy there said that ceramic coat offer no paint protection. They are strictly for appearance to make the paint look glossy. Is this true? It’s not what I understood them to be. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not unreasonably thinking that they’re going to stop all scratches or whatever but I would think they would protect the paint a little at least.

By the way, thanks for all the help here. I put the Cquartz 3.0 on my wife’s car about a month ago and it’s awesome! I definitely didn’t do a perfect job because I didn’t have the best lighting. Learned that lesson. But there’s only a few spots that are not perfect and not a big deal.

 

Maybe if he qualified it with no more protection than a wax or sealant he might have a point especially with something like UV. If your vehicle lives outside and is exposed to bird shit you're telling me the paint with a coating on it wont fair better, same for water spots. Both potentially can etch clear coat to the point of a polisher not fixing it. The anecdotal evidence is the people that have been applying "protection" products vehicles always look better than those that don't the longest. This site is a great example with a vehicle that holds up longer than most you've got guys with really old paint looking better than those that are just a few years old already oxidizing or failing outright.

 

He is full of shit. You can’t expect it to be PPF but in my opinion it’s better than a wax or sealant.

 

After getting done I left the little 4 x 4 suede applicator sitting out and it was completely set in the position that I left it. I could move it and bend it all over and it went back to its exact position. That alone tells me that there’s something tough in there. A layer of that going on the paint has to protect it somewhat.

 

Fake news!

 

So I got a deal on this CarPro Hydro2. Regular price was like $100 per litre so pretty crazy. You just mix this with water, spray on, and hose off and its kind of like a mini ceramic coat. I ran it through the winter last year and people were wondering where I was washing my truck. I said I wasn't washing my truck, it was this coating that just kept the truck clean. I shot a vid so you can see a before and after.

https://youtu.be/O_jO-67RD40

 

i might suggest that you're using about 4x the amount you really need to. That would drop the cost per coating significantly.

 

I've been using the same thing now for about 1 year. LOVE IT! It works great, and the application cannot be any easier.

 

I think you are right, when I was doing the roof, just the overspray for the doors made most of the roof bead before I even sprayed it so you are right.

 

Thanks for all the good info. I was able to buy a whole kit from detail garage for a steal of a deal. $100. A buddy of mine knows some people there. I know people like to hate on CG products but to get a DA, pads, and 4 compounds for $100 i can’t beat it. I’m gonna give it a shot on my truck this coming weekend.


My plan is to wash, clay bar, wash, cut, then polish.

 

$100 for just a DA sounds like a steal, even the Porter Cable listed at the bottom of this page is $120.

 

Yeah. It's the Torqx. From CG. Now I gotta figure out what compounds and processes to use to cut and polish my oxidized paint. I also have rock chips I want to take care of.

 

I was going to recommend if you've got a spot of free time in the next day or so to give a test section a shot. Clean up a door or somewhere that represents the rest of the paint and give it a go. That way if you don't like the results you can stop and go back to the shop to explore options.

Also depending on what you clay with, you likely don't need to rewash after claying. I've always used rinseless wash mixed at a clay dilution so you really don't need to clean up after it, just dry it off. Not that it would hurt to wash but if you're talking 2 step polish that's a very busy day. Can't recommend enough to get a helper, maybe someone who can use a polish too.

Good luck