*Official* Ask A Detailer Thread

clearcoat protectant? im guessing its the sealant kit they sell you which is basically a toyota brand sealant and then they give you a bottle and tel you to only use this?
pinstripes will come off iwth a mild paint thinner and towel.. just dont let it sit very long or you can use a 3M Stripe Off Wheel that you attach to a drill. It works like an eraser, you run it up high speed and it removes the paint stripe but wont damage the paint.
Only place ive seen stock the 3M wheel is Napa, make sure you get the "kit" and not the "refill", the kit comes with the drill attachment, its about $40.

Its also good for taking off the sticky residue from removing emblems, etc.

 

well they didnt give us anything. i think it was just a sealant for the paint. but i think i will ask them to do a car wash( wax etc. and ask them to take the stripe off.) but if i cant get them to do it what im asking is if i take the striping off(vinyl stripe) will it leave a mark if i just heat with a blowdryer and peel?

 

I have swirls forming in my black 09 already, is there a special way to apply the polish? and is there a limit as to how often you use a polish seeing how it "cuts" into the paint? I apply a sealant coat of wax on my truck by hand every two weeks, I do it in small quick circles, is this the best method?

 

When working with polish, try to stay out of direct sunlight. Only work in a 12"x12" area at a time. When starting out, it is best to "dial" your technique down. What I mean, is take a test section and polish that one section, wipe off and inspect. If it is to your likings, then you have the correct procedure. (ie how many passes, level of cut etc) If you still have swirls, you need to do it again. This is why an oribital polisher comes in handy.

I would get two polishes, a heavy one and a fine one. Meguiars 105 and 205 work wonders here. 105 is for cut, 205 is for finish. Use the 105 whenever there is alot of swirls etc. Then, I would use the 205 every couple of weeks on black.

 

i am a dri wash - n -guard distributor

i have been since 1996

its the best thing you could ever use or do for your vehicle

easy to use

check it out

http://www.dwginternational.com/home.shtml?index=

 

Thank you very much. So is it true that a polish lightly cuts into the clear coat of the paint? Im excited to try it out, I thought the swirls just get worse over time and there was no way to get rid of them.

 

Yes, polishing does in fact remove clear coat. Depending on what type of polish (ie, finishing or cutting) and pad (ie, finish or cut) and application (by hand, oribital polisher or rotary polisher) you will remove more/less. This is why getting your technique down on that test spot is so key. You do not want to remove too much clear, yet you want to remove enough to remove the defects. Just like sanding a piece of wood. When polishing, go vertical and then horizontal to ensure you have got all of section good.

Swirls will be the bane of that black Taco you have. You will just look at it wrong and you will get a swirl. However, when kept right nothing is sharper. That oribital polisher will make short work of it. First time out, wash and clay the car. After than, hit each panel with a cutting polish on a cutting pad (orange color). Remeber to either change your pad or wash it after a few panels. Then go around again with the finish. Keep a bottle of 90%+ alcohol mixed 50/50 with DISTILLED water. You mist the section and wipe clean to see how your work is coming. Oh yeah, grab A LOT of soft microfibers. Try to get Korean instead of China.

if you are polishing by hand, ask for arm donations.

 

after you get it polished real nice to where youre satisfied with it, lay down a coat of sealant to help protect it.
depending on the sealant you use, when it fuly cures (usually 24 hours) you can add a coat of wax on top and it will help keep the "pop" and swirls out to where youll only need to polish when the sealant gives which can be about 6 months.

 

My last Tacoma was black sand pearl, so I know your pain....

Read about the Two Bucket Method (2bm) over at the forum section at autopia.org. Most swirls are inflicted as you wash your vehicle, so you should adopt a wash routine that does the least amount of damage.
Good luck.

 

i have an 06 bsp and as well feel your pain. first ill address what you can use to take out the swirl marks. i just got through applying wolfgang concours swril remover, finishing glaze, and high gloss paint sealant with a porter cable dual action orbital polisher. the results were unbelievable man. ill get some pics up here soon. i had swirl marks like crazy and it took them out, i have a mirror finish no joke.

now here is how you can prevent them. first off like one already said, use two wash buckets when you wash your truck. make one full of just water and the other just soapy water. after you are done washing, drop the mit in the clean bucket of water to get all the dirt off instead of putting it back in the same bucket.

next, use a waffle weave microfiber towel. i buy mine at autozone for 9.99 and they pick up any remaining dirt and "tuck" them inside the little impressions to prevent you from drying your truck with a dirty towel.

if you use these things u will reduce swirl marks. you can get a kit from autogeek.net with all you need for . i know that seems like a lot but i promise you it is worth every penny!!

 

Does anyone know of a product or have any tips as to how i get that dried white wax, polish, and swirl remover off of my plastics on my truck?

 

You can try peanut butter. Or if you want to purchase something try this
http://www.meguiarsdirect.com/product_detail.asp?T1=MEG+M3916

or #40.

 

How do you do the peanut butter trick?

 

An all purpose cleaner like simple green agitated with a small brush or toothbrush should take polish and wax right off.

 

Ok Pollen season is here...That stuff builds up on my truck in a few hours after I wash it?


The problem is when my truck is nice and waxed and looking good it will rain one night

Then next morning the wax made the water bead on my hood

But then when the water beads dry, I'm now left with round pollen spots all over the hood and roof?

What kind of wax will make the rain water SHEET OFF and not BEAD so the pollen won't gather on it?

Thanks for any help

 

sweet thinks

 

Wax makes the water bead. When you see it sheet off, your wax is on its way out. There really isn't much you can do about that. Your best bet would be to keep a bottle of detail spray, or better yet some waterless car wash handy along with some MF towels. Mist on and wipe off clean. You should be able to do the whole truck with 2 towels and 15 mins.

 

Just smear it onthe trim, let sit for about a min and clean off. Same thing with veggie oil. For some unknown reason , the veggie oil will pull that stuff off. Kinda a pain, I would only do it if I was really cheap or had no cleaner. Use a cleaner is way easier.

 

Couple of questions/concerns.
I have a parrot which enjoys sitting on my shoulder while I drive. I need to keep the interior fabreeze and teflon free.
Also I have a clear bra on my truck.
1. What is a good teflon free interior (fabric) clearer?
2. Will waxes and polishes damage the invisible bra?

 

Sealants are better at that then a wax, but even then its not all going to compeletely bead off. Look at the Optimum Opti Seal, look up vids on youtube, great stuff.

Not sure about the interior cleaner... waxes etc wont damage the clear bra BUT can get caught on the edge and make the line where the bra is more visible as wax gets caught on there. Id mask it off with tape just to not have to worry about it.