*Official* Ask A Detailer Thread

Sweet, I'll give it a try! Thanks again!

 

Then there's guys like me who are cheap. When I was a lot younger, I used to go out and buy all those expensive waxes and stuff, like Zymol, etc etc. But seriously, at the end of the day, you really can't beat good ole' Meguier's caranuba wax. Its $5, and does a great job. The other thing I've found is that some of the wax products for campers are better than car wax. Since its made for people who only wax their camper ( never knew anyone actually did this) maybe once every few years, the wax is a lot thicker and concentrated. I bought a bunch that was on sale for $3 a bottle. I think it was also made by Meguiers. Stuff works better than anything I've used.

As far as washing and drying, I use a soft camper or boat brush. For drying- whatever towels from the bathroom happened to have been relegated to the rag pile. Either way, my truck is going on 14 years old and people have actually asked me if it is new.

 

No biggy. Just wanted to clarify for those reading the thread.

 

Ok a few questions.

1. When using a polish do you use this over the entire painted surface or just on scratches?
2. Since you had a tacoma what polish did you use -mShu7?
3. What would you reccomend to apply the polish? Would you think that those paint balls made by Mothers (I think) would work, the one you attach to a power drill?

Thanks for all of the help

Oh I forgot when claying after the bar is all nasty should you try to scrape all the crap off of it?

 

1 - Depends on your goal. If you want to remove scratches, you can do spot polishing. If you want to add shine to the entire car, do the entire car.
2 - I was using mostly Optimum Polish or Optimum Poli-Seal. Check out AutoGeek.net for all Optimum products...they are all great.
3 - Foam applicator. The Meguiar's ones are really good. I would avoid the Mother's balls on the paint. Use them on wheels with confidence though.
4 - If you can't kneed the clay and get a clean "surface", you can either demote it to wheel duty, or just throw it away. When you get a new clay bar, cut it into smaller pieces so that you have some left over when this becomes the case.

 

I meant to ask but forgot

1. Are bug and tar removers safe to use on your paint or will a clay bar get rid of these. I think that I saw a pinnacle sponge just for this just wondering what your opinion is?
2. Are microfiber applicators good for wax?
3. Do you need a machine for polishing or you wasting your time not using a machine?

 

1 - Bug & tar removers are safe. If you've used a B&T remover and there are still contaminants on the surface, bust out the clay bar. But just remember, both items will remove any wax so be sure to re-apply.
2 - Yes, MF applicators are good for wax. I actually prefer foam though.
3 - Since I only use a machine these days, you'd never catch me polishing by hand, especially if the purpose is swirl removal. If you wash weekly or bi-weekly, clay every 4-6 months, and wax every 1-2 months, your truck will look better than most out there. If you want to remove swirls, I'd find a REPUTABLE and KNOWLEDGEABLE detailer in your area to take care of that part.

 

I'll try to make this my last question for a while

You gave a time line for wash, clay, and wax but what about polishing?

Should I wash and clay then have a detailer polish my truck then take it home and wax it?

Also should you seal a car and wax it or just one or the other?

 

No problem!

1 - Polish is a personal preference. I personally do a complete detail, including polishing, twice a year. Once you remove all the swirls and scratches, if you can wash with proper products and techniques, the goal is to extend the time between polishing. In general though, twice a year is good.

2 - A good detailer will want to do everything himself. I don't allow people to do any of the "easy" work because I want to make sure it's done correctly and to my standards. Plus, if people are just looking to save a buck by doing some of it themselves, I don't really care to do business with them.

3 - You can do one or the other, or both. Just remember sealants need to bond to the paint; they won't bond over a wax. This one is mostly personal preference.

 

I just watched the rinse-less wash vidio at the beginning of the thread and I have a couple of questions. I tried to read through the previous 10 pages so I hope I'm not repeating something that has already been covered.

Do you use a rinse bucket for the wash mit? In other words; after washing an area, putting the wash mit in the rinse bucket to dislodge any grime, before hitting the soap bucket agian.

Do you use distilled water with the soap so that no spots appears if one is delayed at drying off the truck?

Also, I think I read somewhere in this thread to rewash after using a clay bar; is this necessary? Thanks.

 

My answers are in blue!

 

when i bought my truck i got the dealer to put the acid rain sealant on by final coat.
it says that i don't have to wax the truck for 5 years. is this a load of crap and i just lost my 500 dollars? can i go ahead and wax it anyway just to be safe?

 

guaranteed to be a load of crap!!! they dont do anything more than wash it and spray some shiny crap on the tires.

go ahead and wash, clay bar,polish and wax it..........................you will be surprised in how it looks and how smooth the paint is afterwards.

 

As tacomaman said, it's a bunch of BS. There's no magic potion that will protect your paint from the elements for 5 years. If there was, I'd definitely be offering it. I'd recommend a complete detail (wash, clay, polish, wax or sealant) twice a year with a bunch of wash & wax details in between.

 

I know its been a couple weeks, but I finally tried the Plastx. It wasn't too much of a help. There really wasn't any noticeable difference. That's ok tho. I guess I'll just have to live with it. Thanks for your help!

 

Hey Mike!
Haven't been on the Ask the Detailer thread since you left so I had no idea you were back on. Great to have you back! Congratulations on the upcoming birth of your child and sure hope the new shop works out for you. Also hope your surgery was successful. Sure am glad you're back for at least awhile. Now I know where to go if I have any more detailing questions.

 

I use the liquid Ice. I don't think it lasts as long as others that I've used but I find it pretty hassle free with having the black flares. Its convenient going right over everything and not worrying about having to clean it off.

 

Sorry for taking so long to get back to you. Here's my answers:

A) Almost! Here's the process:

1 - Wash
2 - Clay (if you wipe down the panel after claying, you don't need to wash again.)
3 - Polish (enhancing the shine of the paint)
4 - Wax or Sealant (protecting the paint)
5 - Maintain (wash weekly or bi-weekly)​

B) In general, it should be safe on all areas. Just be sure to read the back of the bottle to verify.

C) For longevity, I'd go with some sort of Collinite product. 845 Insulator Wax is very easy to work with, doesn't stain trim pieces, and lasts a very long time. Many people use it as a winter wax because they know they aren't going to be able to wax again for a long time and Collinite is very durable. D) It's probably garbage, but if you can post the name of the product on the bottle, please do. I'd still go with Collinite.

E) Honestly, I'm not real familiar with the TW Ice stuff. For over-the-counter products, I typically recommend Meguiar's or Duragloss. It's typically only the cheap consumer products that stain trim. Collinite does not stain trim so even if you were to only wash, clay, wax with Collinite, you'd be much better off than if you had used anything from TW.

F) For "How To's" on each step, check out this link: http://www.autopia.org/publish/categories/Auto-Detailing-and-Car-Care/Guide-To-Detailing/

Let me know if you have anymore questions. Good luck!

 

Sorry to hear that it didn't do much for you. I wish I knew of something else that could fix it, but I just can't think of anything.

 

Heya! Thanks for the kind words! The back is getting better and I'm getting the shop in order so things are moving along nicely. I'll be sticking around here for a while, although with things getting busier it may take me a little longer to answer Q's. Anyway, good to see you again too!