03DJ

Yes, I am aware. I do have before and after pics with lighting but I have to dig down my before pics on the computer. If I get a chance, I will post them tomorrow, k?

03DJ

Mustang detail: I used Meg's Ultimate Compound, Wolfgang's Total Swirl Remover, WolfGang's Finishing Glaze, Meg's Black Wax.
Before:

After:

Hadtohaveit'13

Wow big improvement! Don't let it get so bad next time! K?

shurtual86

03DJ

Thanks. Don't worry, I will be be taking good care of it from now on...

Mustang Freak

Do any of you guys use Black Magic Tire Dressing? I've always used this and was wondering if you guys prefer something better/different?

Hadtohaveit'13

I do. It works great as you probably know. There probably is better though. I thought about trying some of the new paradise road lines tire dress out. Supposed to not sling and really safe

Glenn

If I took my car somewhere to have a wash, clay bar and wax job done, about how much would that cost me??

CCTking

Somewhere north of 100 bucks in most places. It all depends on the quality as well

FromZto5

Think of it as by the hour. Most places charge 40 - 50/hr. I refuse to just take on wash and wax jobs. I won't wax any surface that's not been clayed. That's like ice skating on concrete. Needs to be smooth. So adding clay barring time will make it more. Then again, I refuse to wax a swirled surface, so add to that buffing time. You see the cycle I am in??? lol

CCTking

Im workin myself into that cycle lol
Once my budget and time are more consistent/stable my garage will become a detailers bay. Clay bars, polishers, waxes, polishes, sealants, and just about every **** thing you can imagine!

shurtual86

Hahaha

ColSaulTigh

I'm relatively new to the forum, and even newer to taking care of my car. I am trading in my 12-year old beat-up pickup truck on a new 2014 Mustang GT 5.0 in solid Black.

I've instructed the dealer not to wash it when it arrives, and also to de-badge it (they didn't pay me to advertise their dealership).

I have a few questions:

1) Assuming there are relatively few swirls from the factory - I think my first detail should be Wash > Blower Dry > Clay > [Correct Swirls if any] > CG Black Light > CG V7 Sealant. Should I add a paste wax (Carnauba or otherwise) on top of this combo?

2) How often should I have to apply the Black Light/V7 combo? I work from home, but this is my DD. I would guess I drive appx. 700+/- miles/mo max. Car will be garage kept. I live in Orlando, FL.

3) I know Marc and others don't particularly care for Chemical Guys products, so once I've used these up, what brands do you recommend? I've read the entire thread, and it seems y'all think highly of Dodo Juice products. Yes?

4) I understand sealants take time to 'cure' between coats. Do I have to re-wash the car before the 2nd coat, or just clean the dust off with detailer (v7) before I apply another coat?

I have a Porter Cable 7424XP with multiple color pads, and plenty of different microfiber towels/cloths and applicators (I went kinda nuts when I decided I was going to buy a new car...).

Thanks for your input! Looking forward to many years of a brand-new looking car - with your help and guidance!

mikenapoli

Congrats! Great color for a Mustang, but be prepared for many, many, MANY hours in your garage taking care of her. Black cars demand your attention at every turn! Also, smart move not letting the dealer touch the car, and one that I wish more people would do. Dealership prep can range from ok to just sloppy to downright wretched, so it's always better not to risk it.

1. Sure, top it if you'd like. Using a carnauba topper is a popular option for a lot of enthusiasts. Just remember that carnauba waxes can be dust magnets, especially on a black car. But that first time you pull it into the sunlight....you'll love that moment!

2. Don't expect either of those to give you legendary protection or longevity. If it were my DD, I'd probably skip the BL altogether. Polish it well, then maybe consider a coating such as OptiCoat for ultimate protection or Cquartz Finest for a little extra pop. After that, add another shot of V7 after a wash to keep it looking fresh.

3. CG products are ok, and if you find one you like, use it. They are reasonably priced (usually) and easy to use (again, usually), but I would consider most of their line-up as solid base hits, with very few home runs.

4. If you're doing it on back to back days and the car hasn't left the garage, you can use a quick detailer for the light dust build-up. I'd recommend something like Zaino Z6 or Meguiar's Final Inspection. Both are "clean" detail sprays and don't leave much on the surface. Detail sprays that leave protection behind, such as V7 or Griot's Speed Shine, can be prone to streaking.

MarcHarris

I'm with Mike Nappalicious on a lot of this, though it seems he's not as fond of a good carnauba for an enthusiast as I am
Of course carnauba won't last long on a black car in FL, so maybe that dude Mike Neopolitian is onto something...

I'm not a fan of Blacklight; I've used it once and quickly realized it had no durability and would rather use the application time on something that does. I have V7 though have yet to try it, so I can't comment much on it.

I actively use a lot of CG stuff, but I'm not die-hard on them. Guys in Europe LOVE their stuff though. You sound well research and versed enough that you're going to get great results with anything you use. Just make sure to take pics of everything and share them for all of us to see and appreciate.


OK Mike - aside from Opti-coat, what's going on most cars you work on lately?

mikenapoli

Lol, I'm glad I have an easy name to pick on ya jerk!

I know you're a big 'nuba guy, but I've always been a sealant fan myself, maybe because I do more DD's than anything else. Honestly, Opti-Coat has been huge lately but aside from that I usually go with stand-bys like Collinite 845, Duragloss 105 and HD Poxy. I still have some of that AutoFinesse Tough Coat I picked up from MartinD last year, and aside from the smell, I love that stuff. It lasted on my DD a legit 6 months.

MarcHarris

I have a couple awesome new avatars for you:





But seriously, I don't use a lot of carnauba on client's vehicles because of durability concerns. The majority of vehicles I work on are also daily drivers after all. Lots of Blackfire an Powerlock in addition to Opti-Coat. Carnauba only seems to go on the big big big jobs, to include the one at the center of the new write-up I have around the corner.

That Tough Coat is legit and I loved it. Very very very easy, great clarity, decent durability.

Steven

The Blackfire Wet Diamond I have is super runny, almost a water like consistency. I've never gotten a clear answer on this, but is that the norm for that product? Do I need to shake it a lot more than I already do?

I like carnubas in the summer when I can get out and take care of the car often. Sealants in the winter. Of course now that I have a nine-month old little girl, "often" is a relative term!

I was reading a detailing forum where they were discussing the stripping of LSPs. Dawn was mentioned but some posters who seemed to know what they were talking about said it was an ineffective stripper for sealants. What's the go to method for removing a sealant?

DaGonz

Posted by ColSaulTigh
What kind of badging did they put on it? You may be better off doing it yourself rather than let the dealership do it.

If it is a decal style, warm it up with a hair dryer and very gently peel it back. Any residue can be removed with a solvent like Goo Gone or 3M adhesive remover.

If it is a plastic stick on style, take a piece of dental floss and place it behind the badging and gently saw it with an up and down motion, then remove the remaining adhesive with the aforementioned solvents.

If they are the type of dealership that drills holes and rivets it on....

PS: love the screen name... I'm a huge BSG fan!

ColSaulTigh

So I've some some preliminary reading about the OptiCoat 2.0 product - interesting!

Can someone explain in more detail how it differs from a traditional base/sealant/wax combo? It looks like it's basically 'artificial clear coat', which I would assume to be a good thing, since the "shine" comes from the paint itself, not from any products put on top of the paint (as I understand it, anyway).

Thanks!