*Official* Ask A Detailer Thread

Thanks for the kind words Coheednme13. I completely agree about the news of our first child.

Thanks again!

 

mshu7 I hope your 09 is great! Whats the best way to clean and uv protect a vinyl tonneau cover and what products do you recommend? Thanks for your advice.

 

Thanks stevigee! As for the bed cover, I would just wash it with regular car was and then protect it with Aerospace 303 Protectant. There are a lot of places you can buy it so feel free to price it out on the net, but here's a link to AutoGeek.net where I buy a lot of my supplies:

 

Thanks for the reply. What do you recommend to remove the black shoe marks, gunk and tar deposits on the interior plastic door panels?

 

Hmm....You can try using a Magic Eraser. To a test spot first though to make sure it's not going to cause any damage to the plastic. Other than that, you could try a good APC like Simple Green.

 

Sorry to hear about your mom mShu7, I lost my mom suddenly last year. Things do get better.

 

It was actually my dad, but regardless, thank you for your condolences. Sorry to hear about your loss as well. It's definitely tough to lose a parent, especially when it happens earlier than expected.

 

thanks for the good advice msh +1 for you! now i just gotta get around and do all those steps....

 

Steering wheels were discussed earlier in this thread, but I'm looking for a little reassurance. I have a leather wrapped wheel and I am wanting to protect it so it doesn't start cracking eventually. Am I better off using a conditioner such as Meguiar's Gold Class Leather Conditioner, or just putting 303 on it? Thanks

 

bcgrednek3006 - No problem! Glad to help!

klittle250 - I think you would be fine with Meg's, but 303 is so terrific that it's what I would highly recommend. It's basically sunscreen for your vehicle. Apply it to the wheel, let it dwell for a while, and then buff off any extra residue with a clean dry MF towel. It should have the leather looking and feeling great! If you want to take it a step further, park your truck so the sun is shining on the steering wheel so the heat opens the pores of the leather. Or, you could use a hair dryer as well.

When I'm cleaning/conditioning leather, I use a steamer which does a great job of opening the pores. While it's still hot, I apply the conditioner, allow it to soak in, and then go back and buff off any remaining residue.

 

Wow, I wasn't expecting a response that fast. Thanks. I already have both products thanks to you/this thread. Got the conditioner for the gf's car, but I'll just use the 303 for this.

While I have your attention, how do you feel about Pinnacle Paintwork Cleansing Lotion?I was looking to use this as my polish for a while, as the truck is only a month old and I don't really need any abrasives yet. Thanks for all the info.

 

HAHA, i sit at the 'puter all day waiting for posts...j/k. Actually, I get the email notifications when someone posts to this thread and I just happened to be sitting here when you posted.

Anyway, I've not used the Pinnacle Paintwork Cleansing Lotion. Looking at the description on AutoGeek.net's website, it appears that the product is just a pure polish or glaze. Use this product with confidence! It should give your truck a nice shine to it! It's hard to go wrong with any product from Pinnacle. Any that I've tried have always been great.

 

Are there any other pure polishes/glazes I should look at before ordering?

 

Oh, if you haven't ordered it yet....

I would check out Clearkote products, specifically Vanilla Moose Hand Hand Glaze and for protection Carnauba Moose Wax.

http://www.specialtymotoring.com/clearkote.html

I know a very well respected detailer in TX that uses Carnauba Moose Wax a lot and says he likes it more than Pinnacle Souveran. Plus, it offers really good protection.

 

My truck came with some sealant from the factory, and I had planned on using it up before I looked into another sealant/wax. If I go with the Moose Glaze, would I be better off using a carnuba wax like theirs instead of sealant?

 

Unfortunately, the sealant that came with your truck is probably not even as good as the boutique sealants on the market. They are complete BS. Don't feel bad though, I fell for it too a few years back before I knew it was just a HUGE profit service for the dealer.. If you clay or use any kind of polish (abrasive or not), you'll end up removing the factory sealant.

 

I don't feel bad about it at all, I knew I was getting ripped off with it, but it the only truck in the Gulf States region that had all the options I wanted and was magnetic gray. I've never really detailed my vehicles before, so if I'm going to do it I'd like to start the right way with quality products. Rep added for all the good info.

 

If you start with claying, and then move onto the Clearkote products I listed, your truck will be looking great and will be well protected!

 

I have a question. My aggravating.....uh, I mean lovely, wife, put her flip flops on the area above the glovebox below the dash. They had these fake diamond things on them and she put fine scratches in the plastic. I've tried a couple things to get rid of them (like AA before I read this thread) but I am about as good a detailer as Obama is an economist (just kidding, I'll try and stick to the subject). What can I do to get rid of these scratches? Will the 303 do that at all?

 

LOL @ the Obama joke!

So about the scratches. AA nor 303 will do anything for them. Unfortunately, interior trim scratches are hard to fix because of the materials. Is there any chance you can post a picture?

My only thought (and it's hardly a thought), is to get some Meguiar's PlastX and use that. It's made for clear plastics (ie - gauge cluster), but I'm wondering if it might do the trick on the dash. I would test it in an inconspicuous are first though.

Disclaimer: Interior scratches are a very hard to fix so proceed at your own risk!