*Official* Ask A Detailer Thread

I'm planning on detailing my Tacoma with all the steps but didn't see anything regarding temps. With the cold weather setting in , should I just wait till the Spring. ? I do have a garage but its not heated.

 

I will wax at 50 degrees or more. Its is more important to protect it before that try to reverse some of the damage after the fact in the spring.

Wash it the night before you have a free day when the forecast is nice. That allows for more of the water in the seams to dry out, making them less of a nuisance when working on it the next day after it warms up.

You should still have a few good days that will work.

 

alright, what polish or compound do you reccomend?

thank you

 

anyone know how to remove hairline scratches on the rims?

 

What kind of finish does the rim have? If it's painted, you can polish it just like you would the paint. Meguiar's ScratchX 2.0 or Meguiar's Ultimate Comound should do the trick in that case.

 

ok thanks yeah i think its alloys painted black...

 

Ok then what I mentioned should work. Good luck!

 

Hi, I would like to thank mShu7 for all his time he has put into this thread. I spent a while reading the thread from begining to end and have learned a lot not only from mShu7 but all you other guys. I had not heard of detailing clay prior to tonight and I am anxious to get some and rewax my truck. We have a serious bug problem as I live in the swampland of Florida. Love Bugs are by far the worse but there are many other kinds of little critters flying around here.

Anyway I would like to add my opinion on Armor All. I have used Armor All for a long time. A couple of my friends also used Armour All in car detailing businesses. I had never heard of or experienced any of the complaints I read about on this thread. I personally have only used the basic Armour All and the low shine version. I have not had any complaints as far as the interiour goes. I have also used it on my tires until I moved into the swamp. I like the product. I can tell one funny story about Armour All. I was a Sheriff's Patrol Deputy many moons ago. I had a new 1991 Caprice Patrol Car. I spent a whole day shining it up and detailing the interior. The car had a big vinyl bench seat. On my first car pursuit I almost wrecked due to sliding on the Armour Alled seat. Also do not Armour All your brake pedal.

I do not know if Armor All caused a window film on the interior of my car a few times in the last few years. It is very hot here in the summer expecially if you park a car for a while in the sun. After a few days I have noticed a slight film on the interior glass a couple of times.

Anyway I am going to buy some 303 for my interior trim, and maybe some 303 fabric protector for my seats and carpet. I am anxious to try it. It seems as though my Taco's interior shows hand prints and such much eaiser than any previous vehicle I have had. I have not used any cleaning product on the interior due to the new car smell. It has been six months so maybe it is time to try some new things.

One question. Have you guys ever heard of zep car wash? I have only seen the commercial version that the fire department here uses on thier vehicles. It did a super job and left the vehicle with a very nice shine. It comes in a yellow one gallon jug. I have been thinking of buying some. Also another good product I used was airplane wash. A local airport had a small plane wash rack and there was a product there labeled airplane wash. It also did a great job on cars. One of my co-workers who was a Piper Aircraft supervisor turned me on to Toothpaste. The Toothpaste removes the glaze on headlights. Piper Aircraft used it to clean aircraft canopies. I used it on my wife's corolla headlights with good results and it is cheap.

 

Thanks for the kind words charliegates! Much appreciated!

I think you'll find that once you use 303, you'll probably want to throw the AA in the trash, haha! I would bet money that AA is what caused the window film on your interior.

My own opinion on why the interior pieces show finger prints so bad is because of the hard plastic materials they use. I wouldn't apply any type of dressing to these areas b/c the product won't absorb into the surface like it would soft plastic/vinyl surfaces. Just make sure when you apply 303, you've thoroughly clean the surfaces so there's no AA on them.

I've not used Zep car wash or airplane wash, but I would once again bet money that you could find a better car wash. If you are wanting to maintain a vehicle that's already been waxed, I'd recommend Meguiar's Gold Class. If you want more cleaning action, Meguiar's NXT will do the trick. These are both over-the-counter products.

As far as toothpaste is concerned, leave it in the bathroom where it belongs. Even if it does work, you don't know what long-term effects it could have on certain automotive materials. If you want a polish that will clean-up the headlights, paint, etc., pick up some Meguiar's ScratchX 2.0 or Meguiar's Ultimate Compound. UC is more aggressive.

 

I bought my truck used, only 14k on it. but it still smells like the previous owner even after 10k. I've tried using fabreez auto on everything but to no avail. Any ideas?

 

Being a full-time detailer, I'd recommend having it detailed by someone that will steam clean the interior (which is what I do). However, for the time being I would look for some Meguiar's Odor Eliminator.

http://www.autodetailingsolutions.net/g2310.html

 

Thanks, too bad you werent closer I'd have you steam it. Any tools for home use that may be close to what you would use?

 

No problem, glad to help. The only thing you might try is a Bissell Green Machine. You could use it on the carpets & cloth upholstery (if it's cloth). That would help remove the source of the odor. The only other places that would hold the oder are the headliner and maybe the AC system, but start with the carpets/upholstery first.

BISSELL Little Green ProHeat Turbo Carpet Cleaner, 1425B

http://www.amazon.com/Bissell-1425B...1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1260321973&sr=8-1

 

i need help applying wax to my truck.. what do you guys use to apply it? i have a squirt bottle type of wax so i am constantly putting the wax on a rag and it doesnt seem to really get me anywhere... my coating is never even all the way around... is there any sort of towel or osmething that i should be using to apply the wax? it seems as if im wasting a lot..

 

Microfiber applicator pads are pretty good. A very soft foam applicator works well too.

I like spray waxes...just spray evenly on the surface and wipe with a microfiber. My favorites are:

Meguiar's Ultimate Quik Wax
Duragloss Aquawax
CSI Q-7 Wax

Yes, I sell the CSI Q-7 Wax, but all three are great products.

 

ok thanks

 

Dumb question what do you use on the front windshield because it has some sort of film plastic or 3m on there? or something someone was telling me not to use the napa stuff and i havent but i was wondering what you use and a special cloth maybe?

 

Looking into purchasing a buffer with some tax return cash and have a couple of questions. I worked at a recon shop for two years (5 years ago) and used both a Makita and Dewalt, not sure what model #'s. I realize the Porter is orbital and Makita is rotary so they are two different devices, but they do basically accomplish the same thing. I like the fact that the Porter is 100 bucks cheaper but I'm worried it won't have the capabilities I was used to with the Makita. I was just hoping someone who has used both could offer some insight about the positives/negatives of the Porter Cable compared to a Makita/Dewalt.

Thanks,
Jason

 

The only benefit of the oribtal is not be able to burn paint. It is slower than a RO. Will need much more work to get out tough defects. There is a small learning curve on the PC vs the RO. The only way you will damage your paint is if you drop the PC on the truck. The RO, wel.....

I would say each has thier own place. If you are experienced in a RO, go that route. As it will save time. If not, go with the PC. You can't go wrong with it.

 

Great thread!
I will be taking delivery of a Timberland Mica Access Cab 4x4 in April (as of now). I have requested the dealer do not wash it so I can avoid the swirls and light scratches from the get go as well as no dealer badge.
As soon as it arrives I will spend the first weekend cleaning and detailing it with the Mothers stuff I have and some newly ordered Dodo Juice products. I still have to get a few more items before I can do a full on proper clean/detail. This thread has been a great help.
Next up will be replace the factory stereo then Rust Block the entire vehicle. I think I have my work cut out for me.
b.