Newbie Guide to Detailing

[M3TA5IN]

I am personally a detailing n00b. I was thinking maybe we could get a good guide together on the basic and in depth stuff of detailing. 1 to help me and 2 anyone else looking for advise. Maybe if we get something good going here we can sticky it.

So I've never really detailed detailed a car. I've always had Jeeps were it wasnt really a concern, it was just going to get plastered the next weekend.

So what are the proper steps and products I should be using? Currently I just hand wash the exterior and wipe down the interior...



Exterior Paint
What is the best way or procedure for cleaning/maintaining and the products? Keep in mind, I have never waxed a car or used a buffer or anything like that?

I set a laptop bag on my roof and when I pulled it off, the dust scratched the paint some, can I buff this out?

Wheels
Any certain product I should be using on the wheels? I currently use McGuire's wheel cleaner.

Interior Surface
What do you guys recommend on the interior surface? I've tried a couple different armor all products but they leave a nasty oily film all over everything.

Interior Leather
What is the proper way to maintain/clean the leather? Again I have some mothers leather treatment/cleaner, but I don't know if I was doing it wrong, but it didnt really seem to do much.



Any areas I missed or something I just dont know about please feel free to add. It is starting to get warm out and I would like to properly keep the girls looking good and all :)

[nike001]

Exterior Paint
What is the best way or procedure for cleaning/maintaining and the products? Keep in mind, I have never waxed a car or used a buffer or anything like that?
-- This summer I'll be using Klasse sealant and Chemical Guys XXX paste wax. I've heard many good things about them, so think they'll be a good start for you.

I set a laptop bag on my roof and when I pulled it off, the dust scratched the paint some, can I buff this out?
--Yes, probably. I've buffed out scratches in my step dads 335 with a porter cable and just a blue polishing pad matched with some Mothers wax I got from the store. If you're doing it without a machine, more elbow grease will be required. Some Meguiars M105 and/or M205 will probably make the precess a bit easier as well.

Wheels
Any certain product I should be using on the wheels? I currently use McGuire's wheel cleaner.
--I use Sonax. Only probably about a bottle or two a year. I use it when I'm cleaning good. Other than that.. for daily washes, I just use my wheel cloth in soapy water and that does the trick pretty well.

Interior Surface
What do you guys recommend on the interior surface? I've tried a couple different armor all products but they leave a nasty oily film all over everything.
--Leatherique, perhaps, if you're trying to restore or deep clean leather.. I use meguairs quick detailer. It leaves a nice matte finish without that crappy armour all smell. I cringe when I see armour all products because of the grease they leave behind.

Interior Leather
What is the proper way to maintain/clean the leather? Again I have some mothers leather treatment/cleaner, but I don't know if I was doing it wrong, but it didnt really seem to do much.
--I use the BMW stuff every now and then to hydrate the leather. I have leatherique now, which I'm waiting for a detail day to use. Day to day cleaning, I use the Meguairs quick detailer i mentioned above.

I'm by no means a detailer, and I'm sure others here are much better at it than I am (Kyle :thumbsup) but the stuff I've been using has been working perfect. I'll more than happy to answer any other questions that you may have.. and ones that I am smart enough to know the answer to.

[danewilson77]

This is pretty good.

http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?5799-M0nk3y-Detailed-2007-E86-M-Coupe

[zhpnsnv]

All you need to know:

Wax on. Wax off.

[RITmusic2k]

Autopia Car Care is a great site for this sort of info; they're a retail front-end but they have a ton of great tutorials (http://www.autopia-carcare.com/how-to.html).

[M3TA5IN]

Autopia Car Care is a great site for this sort of info; they're a retail front-end but they have a ton of great tutorials (http://www.autopia-carcare.com/how-to.html).

Thanks man!

[M0nk3y]

Sorry. Busy with school now.

I'll get back to this later tonight and answer everything. Meantime I always lurk on autogeek.net

[mLuMaN83]

I'm curious to know as well. I guess I need a clay bar, swirl remover, polish, and wax? Not sure what to get either.

The time to do a full detail for the first time on my car is coming real close here. Once it hits the 70's it's on.

[danewilson77]

I'm curious to know as well. I guess I need a clay bar, swirl remover, polish, and wax? Not sure what to get either.

The time to do a full detail for the first time on my car is coming real close here. Once it hits the 70's it's on.

The kit Kyle instructed me to get, last year, was:

The Adams clay bar, and spray. The spray has since run out, and now I just use the meguilers detail spray.

Mazerna polishes-deep, medium, fine cut. 3 bottles.

Wolfgang 3.0 sealant.

Dodo juice hard candy. I am using dodo juice banana now.

I have 2 yellow wax/polish applicators, and blue (4) and orange (4) buffing pads. I think they are Lake Country.

HTC Thunderbolt+TT

[Nerius]

Although I am certainly not a professional nor do I have Kyle’s experience detailing, I have amassed quite a collection of detailing products and I like to spend a good 6-8 hours on a Saturday detailing the ZHP a couple times a month. In addition to the Autopia tutorials, I’ve found a ton of great info over at Detailed Image’s Detailing Guide (http://www.detailedimage.com/Auto-Detailing-Guide/). Here’s what I use for each step in my Spring full detail:

Wash:
Chemical Guys Citrus Wash & Gloss
Gilmour Foamaster II Foam Gun
Microfiber Wash Mitt
Two bucket method w/ two Grit Guards
Iron X (as needed)
Einszett 1Z Anti-Insekt Bug & Tar Remover (as needed)

Drying:
Toro Leaf Blower
Waffle Weave Drying Towels
Prima Hydro (“wax-as-you-dry” in between wax applications)

Wheels:
Sonax Full Effect
Prima Wheel Armour
Prima Nero (for dressing tires)

Clay:
Wolfgang Clay
Prima Glide Clay Lube

Polish:
*Applied w/ Porter Cable*
Menzerna Super Intensive Polish w/ Cyan Lake Country Pads (3x)
Menzerna Super Finish Polish w/ Tangerine Lake Country Pads (3x)

Glaze:
*Applied w/ Porter Cable*
Prima Amigo w/ White Lake Country Pads (2x)

Sealant:
*Applied by hand*
Prima Epic w/ Blue Lake Country Pad (1x)

Wax:
*Applied by hand*
Prima Banana Gloss w/ Blue Lake Country Pad (1x)

Exterior Trim:
Black WOW

Exhaust:
Optimum Metal Polish

Interior Trim & Plastic:
Prima Nero

Interior Carpet:
Sonax Upholstery & Carpet Cleaner
Hoover Steamvac (as needed)

Leather Care:
Leatherique Prestine Clean
Leatherique Rejuvenator Oil (2-3x per year)

Glass:
Prima Clarity

Wheel Wells & Engine Bay:
Meguiars APC (cleaning)
Prima Nero (dressing)

Rubber Door Seals:
Einszett 1Z Gummi Pflege Stift Rubber Care Stick

Microfiber Towels:
Waffle Weave Drying Towels (3x)
All Purpose Microfiber Towels (15+)
Microfiber Wash Mitts (2x - in case one falls on the ground during the wash)
Microfiber Glass Towels (3x)
Chemical Guys Microfiber Wash Cleaning Detergent

Brushes & Miscellaneous:
Detailed Image Leather Brush
Detailed Image E-Z Detailing Brushes
3M Blue Painter’s Tape (for taping plastic trim before polish)

As far as the scratches from the laptop bag go, without looking at the paint and seeing the scratches it’s hard to tell what you’ll need to buff them out. I’ve had decent luck with the Menzerna SIP and Cyan pad for most swirls and light scratches on my vehicle with the Porter Cable though.

Hope that helps and isn’t too much information! :eeps

[M0nk3y]

I am personally a detailing n00b. I was thinking maybe we could get a good guide together on the basic and in depth stuff of detailing. 1 to help me and 2 anyone else looking for advise. Maybe if we get something good going here we can sticky it.

So I've never really detailed detailed a car. I've always had Jeeps were it wasnt really a concern, it was just going to get plastered the next weekend.

So what are the proper steps and products I should be using? Currently I just hand wash the exterior and wipe down the interior...



Exterior Paint
What is the best way or procedure for cleaning/maintaining and the products? Keep in mind, I have never waxed a car or used a buffer or anything like that?

I set a laptop bag on my roof and when I pulled it off, the dust scratched the paint some, can I buff this out?

Wheels
Any certain product I should be using on the wheels? I currently use McGuire's wheel cleaner.

Interior Surface
What do you guys recommend on the interior surface? I've tried a couple different armor all products but they leave a nasty oily film all over everything.

Interior Leather
What is the proper way to maintain/clean the leather? Again I have some mothers leather treatment/cleaner, but I don't know if I was doing it wrong, but it didnt really seem to do much.



Any areas I missed or something I just dont know about please feel free to add. It is starting to get warm out and I would like to properly keep the girls looking good and all :)

I guess I start with the bare bones, because I really don't know what YOU want to achieve. I can go on and list all of my products, but if it's something you don't want to achieve than it does no good...yes?

Anyways, I'm assuming that you want to wash and do some general upkeep?

Anyways, here is what I use for wash:

The 2 bucket method is the most key thing that you need to do. This eliminates from picking up dirt each time your mitt hits the paint.

Mitt - Sheepskin
Shampoo - Chemical Guys Wash and Gloss and Maxi Suds II
IronX (Only if Clay is needed)
Waffle Weave Drying Towels.

A Dual Action polisher can eliminate swirls to a certain extent, as long as the scratch doesn't catch your nail.

This is MY polishing line-up.

Correction:
Makita 9227c Rotary (Which I don't recommend for you)
Porter Cable DA
Menzerna Power Gloss - PG
Menzerna Super Intensive Polish - SIP
Menzerna Nano Polish - 106FF
Menzerna Micro Polish - PO85RD
Meguiars M105
Meguiars M205
LCC PFW, Orange, White, Black, Blue, Gold Pads
LCC HydroPads Cyan and Tangerine.

Protection:

Waxing is extremely easy...I always apply by hand with a foam pad.

I personally use Dodo Juice Hard Candy and Rainforest Rub...but this is expensive and I realize some people don't want to go that route.
I used before Poorboys Nattys Wax before and it's something that should be given serious thought.

For sealant, I'd still use Wolfgang 3.0 or Jetseal 109. They are both expensive, but well worth it. Klasse Sealant is another option but it's harder to remove, and I personally hate it.


Wheels:
I use Meguiars D104 APC+
When needed, I use IronX from build-up

Interior
Strictly Aerospace 303. Just use it.

Leather
Leatherique.

Refer to my thread for further detail

Feel free to ask anymore and I'll answer in detail. I'm tired, it's a long day and my brain is fried

[M3TA5IN]

Thanks for all the input guys, I am going to read through all this and get some products. Read up on some DIYs and then report back and better format my first post once I understand what the hell I am doing... much appreciated as always familia!

[zhp43867]

For leather: the Leather Masters lineup (strong cleaner, protection cream, and vital) are the best bar none. Get a soft leather brush too, it'll really help pull the dirt up. I have used Zaino, Chemical guys, 303 and Optimum cleaners, as well as the Leatherique and Leather Therapy lines.

Sealant wise: I'd recommend Optimum Opti-Seal. I used Klasse and it works well but is a bit of a pain- it also doesn't really stand out for any specific quality (durability, ease of use, shine), but it's good all around. Opti-seal is a product you just spray on an applicator and wipe onto freshly polished paint, no wiping off, etc.

It looks like other posters have got most of it down, just thought I'd add my $.02.

[JohnnyGraphic]

A bit of advice-take your time and research. Visit as many detailing forums as possible. Get an OVERALL view of what to do. Start off with the basics.

1) The right products/tools/microfibers. In other words, don't cheap out on the products. The RIGHT products etc will always be more expensive.
2) Technique.
3) Don't get caught up on "X" is better than "Y". Once you start with a quality product, the end product will always be a quality job. The rest is preference.
4) Start off simple. Don't go hog-wild and buy polishes to last forever and mitts and towels for every possible purpose. Start with the basic wash tools, then polishes/pads etc for minor scratches.
5) Work on getting the basics down. It's fairly easy to do. Get the minor scratches out etc first. Then, the next detail session, work on the next offending scratches etc.
6) Set aside time and MONEY. This all gets very time consuming (not just the washing/waxing), but the research and the buying and the doing and doing and doing some more. It is a never ending cycle.
7) IF you can, find someone local who is a respected detailer and see if you can help/watch him work and find out the what's and why's of what he does and doesn't do.
8) DON'T fall for any of those 'one-step clean/polish/wax makes your car go faster'. They don't exist.

Enjoy the trip and shopping!!!

Johnny

[HokieZHP]

What do you all use to dress tires with? I've tried a few different ones and they all fling all over my wheels and paint when I start driving and it's very irritating!

[Hermes]

What do you all use to dress tires with? I've tried a few different ones and they all fling all over my wheels and paint when I start driving and it's very irritating!

I've use this stuff a lot and I like it for the practicality of it. I especially like the fact it's a gel and not a spray. It doesn't have the highest gloss "wet" look but the color stays clean for much longer than any other product I've used.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51VEdyNQZPL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

I just walked into the garage to take another look at my car. I used it on these tires 9 days ago, still looks good and hasn't turned that dingy color yet. (Pardon the slight layer of brake dust on the wheels)

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c288/jhermes/tireshine.jpg

If I want the high gloss wet shine I'll use one of those sprays on the tires right before/when I arrive at a place where I'm going. I don't like those much because they never last long

[HokieZHP]

I'll give it a shot. I tried the armorall gel this past time and when I got back to school I noticed little specs of it all over my wheels!

[Hermes]

The way I do it is put it on a sponge, smear it evenly across the sidewall, let it soak in for about 5 minutes, wipe off excess.

[M0nk3y]

What do you all use to dress tires with? I've tried a few different ones and they all fling all over my wheels and paint when I start driving and it's very irritating!

Best way to solve this is going with a water based type dressing that actually goes into the tires and not onto the tires.

This, as well doesn't contain the chemicals that turn your tires brown.

http://www.detailedimage.com/Poorboys-World-M1/Bold-n-Bright-P36/16-oz-S1/

Just an example. Downfall is that the lifetime of these isn't as much compared to gel

[nike001]

Yeah I used to use some sort of gel on my old Pirelli tires, and they turned brown after a while.

I just use the spray stuff now, as I don't want brown tires again. As mentioned, the spray stuff never lasts long though. Go through a rainstorm and you can kiss it all goodbye.

[zhp43867]

I use Chemical Guys VRT Dress All, it works quite well and doesn't fling. Optimum Opti Bond tire gel and Wolfgang Exterior Trim Sealant both should last a LONG time (1-3 months).

Almost everything you can buy OTC is silicone based, will fling, turn your tires brown, etc.

[brettbimmer]

What do you all use to dress tires with? I've tried a few different ones and they all fling all over my wheels and paint when I start driving and it's very irritating!

I've had good luck with Zaino Bros. Z-16 Perfect Tire Gloss. No slinging of the product, and gives a good clean appearance, not too glossy. However, as you can see, everyone has their favorites! Find what you like, or take in some ideas when comparing side by side in perso at the Mafia Meet.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

[zhp43867]

That's a very good one. Now that I think of it maybe a little better than the VRT- although watery in consistency also IIRC?

[nike001]

I bought some endurance tire dressing today.. we'll see how that ends up.

Still waiting on my detail session with the gentleman above :)

[HokieZHP]

or take in some ideas when comparing side by side in perso at the Mafia Meet.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

That's exactly what I was thinking haha