*Official* Ask A Detailer Thread

with the clay bar replacement. how much is it? if you go one Amazon. you can get a 200 gram meguiars pro clay bar( or 4 of those little white ones) for 20 bucks

 

3 bars for 19 bucks.
I should probably get the Meguiars Mirror Glaze #205 Ultra Finishing Polish in place of the scratch x - seems like a finer polish and since my truck is new I'm assuming it's better to clay and skip the polish, doubt fresh paint needs a polish, I don't want to start off eating up the clear coat.

 

or get 4 bars( one big bar you can break into 4 pieces and have the same amount of clay) for 20 bucks haha

 

Cool. Thanks Caleb.

 

your welcome. enjoy your 2011 tacoma.

 

I have a question... What is the best scratch removing product? I took my brand new truck out on a rather narrow trail, and came back with a lot more scratches than I intended... pesky trees!

Out of the listed brands, which one, or two, do the best job at hiding scratches?

Thanks for the help!

 

Detailers unite! I need your help on this one!

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/detailing/111815-what-would-you-guys-do.html

 

i have consistantly had the balancing of my wheels fucked up by different places and the latest place today put the weights on the outside of the wheel so i assume that it will scratch the inner lip of my new black rims. Do you think i could just put some black finger nail polish on the scuffs once i get the weights off to cover it up? Or would some other type of paint work better?

 

I have the same issue. I'm about to buy a random orbital polisher from autogeek and a few pads. They have a deal for 199 you get the polisher, 5 pads and a few bottles of some stuff. I'm gonna get the Orange, Course Green, White, Grey, and Blue. Are these good pad choices for that type of scratches?

 

I use all those pads except for the green. I've just never had the opportunity to use one.
In fact, the green pad's level of "cut" is so close to the orange, that I would not purchase the green pad.

My suggestions would be:

For a truck of this size, I use 2 pads per color.

2 orange, 2 white and 1 grey.

Use an orange pad to compound 1/2 the truck (spurring the pad with an old toothbrush every panel or so), then switch to a fresh orange pad for the second 1/2 of the truck.

Repeat this process with the white pads and polish.

You can use the grey pad to apply wax, but I just apply by hand.

Take your time and you'll achieve great results.

Good luck.

PS: You may want to purchase a 3" backing plate and some 3" 'spot' pads which are just smaller pads for the tighter, harder to reach areas.
The spot pads also offer a bit more correcting ability, so they may help with some of your scratches.

 

I had good luck with the Scratch X. It "removed" alot more scratches then I thought it would. Did it by hand and had a little trouble removing it in some spots. My question is can you re use the clay bar or should I just pitch it?

 

I've recently clay'd, and put too much pressure on the clay in a small area of the hood. I realized my mistake quickly but, that area is somewhat marred, looks like a bunch of greasy fingerprints. Is there a particular product i should use to remove this?

 

would it be okay to layer a coat of carnuba wax over a synthetic-polymer? like one coat of Megs gold class over NXT 2.0?... or vice versa?

 

i already clayed and polished. Just wondering if there was any benefit in doing 1 coat- sealant and 1 coat- carnuba.

 

Its been argued from both points of view. Some say you get the durability from the sealant and looks of the carnauba, while others will say that the solvents in the carnauba removes any base layers. I guess it partially depends on the exact product being used too.

Personally, I do one layer and find it sufficient.

 

Just noticed you asked about nxt. Its a cleaner wax, so that will want to remove any base layers. I would not recommend any one-step type products as the top layer. If you do want to layer, go w/ a pure sealant/carnauba.

 

We have a CLS 500 thats black and has some swirl marks on it. What's the best way to get rid on them?

Thanks.

 

Using a porter cable 7424 and a combo like Meguiars 105 on a 5.5" orange pad, then follow w/ megs 205 on a 5.5" white pad. After that you should be ready for your last step, whether it be a sealant or wax.

 

will meguiars, or any other tire shine, stain a painted black wheel?

 

As a lot of tire dressings are petroleum based, it would be a concern if you did not have a clear coated wheel.

If you're using a water based tire dressing, you stand much less a risk.

The best thing is to use proper technique when applying tire dressings. If you use proper technique, you will get better coverage, use less product and won't have any overspray on the body or wheels.

Use a fat brush. Spray your dressing on to the brush. Apply to tire. You will get dressing in the cracks of the tires like never before. If you apply too much, use whatever towel to mat it out.

Just like this: