shurtual86

They're ok, I would get the cheaper one (Meguiar's)

FromZto5

Yes, just "ok". Tends to be a bit towards the hard side, which equals mores marring than usual. I use pinnacle clay. Softer the better.

Glenn

I have used both with good results imo. The mothers clay seems to be a bit softer, don't know if that mattered much in the end.

Skylar

So I should clay bar before I wash the car, right?

shurtual86

After

FromZto5

ewwww... no sir. Once you get this basic thought/understanding down, the rest will be easy common sense.

What causes scratches/swirls is substances rubbing against your paint.

So, if you clay BEFORE you wash your car??? Just think what that would do to your paint. Heck, even claying AFTER you wash your car can lead to marring/scratching because the contaminants you remove can scratch the paint. Imagine how much more if you clay BEFORE you wash your car.

Skylar

Yeah, that makes more sense. I had never even heard of a clay bar until a couple months ago.

MarcHarris

FromZto5

lol lol Marc...

CCTking

^^ whoa guys take it easy, go show some love to your paint!

kylerohde

Ok FromZto5 and others, I tried to do a spring exterior detailing on Lucy and ended up so frustrated I quit after only getting the hood waxed. Here's the process I went through - looking for your opinions on where I messed up:

• Washed Lucy 2x using my alternative-to-the-2-bucket method (Griot's wash bucket and thoroughly rinsing the mitt with the hose before it goes back into the bucket)
• Pulled the car into the garage so it was a nice, cool 65 or so inside, waited for the car to cool.
• Went over the entire car with a nice, new clay bar from Griot's and Meguiar's Quik Detail spray - divided the car into eight sections and did each of them one at a time
• Went over the entire car once more with QuikDetail spray/Griot's speed shine cloths (which are amazingly soft and perfect for that stuff)
• At this point, I considered doing a polishing using the Meguiar's Ultimate Polish I had, but decided against it because A) I'm impatient, B) my paint's in pretty darn good shape (though not up to FromZto5 standards) and I didn't think an abrasive (even a mild one) was absolutely necessary, and C) I had issues using it last fall (more on that below).
• So, I put a brand new grey pad on my Porter Cable DA polisher, set the RPMs at 1,000 and put probably a 1.5" diameter circle of brand new Griot's Best of Show wax on the hood, after shaking it well.
• I divided the hood into four sections in my head and started with the first, going back and forth one direction slowly and then going over the same section in the opposite direction.
• I then did the same with section #2 prior to going back to section 1 to remove the excess wax with a microfiber towel. At this point, not 2 minutes later, the wax was so hard to remove from the hood that I had to push on it to the point that I could feel the hood flexing.
• Something's not right about the process when it gets to that point, so I thought maybe I had too much wax on the pad. So without adding more wax, I did the other side of the hood and removed it not 15-20 seconds after applying, but it was still difficult to remove (though not as hard as previous try)
• Thinking maybe I did something wrong with the DA, I did the fourth section of the hood by hand, but had the same issue. So, I cleaned up the hood and quit for the day.

So...where did I go wrong? I had this exact same thing happen using Meguiar's Ultimate Liquid Polish last fall, which is why I haven't used it. However, I had zero issues using a red pad and applying Meguiar's Ultimate Synthetic Wax, which I love. It's reasonably priced, can be applied by even an idiot like me, and it is still beading well on the car after a long winter and 6 months time.


My other question, FromZto5, is how much should a good professional detailer charge for doing this work (clean, clay bar, polish, wax)? I'm debating whether I'd be better off paying somebody to do it 2x a year for me, since between the material cost and the aggravation, it's not cheap for me to do. And how would you go about deciding if somebody is a good detailer or not? Or how much would you charge?



One thing I did figure out is that treating the black plastic trim on our cars (lower front clip, windshield wiper area, side skirts, rear lower valance) using a simple, small foam brush like you use for wood stain/paint works fantastic, so at least I got that right!

FromZto5

Kyle... I understand your frustrations a bit. From what I deduce from above, here's my thoughts.

Claying is a must. Abrasive? sure. But you MUST remove contaminants with clay, especially before waxing. More on that in a moment. So with claying, you KNOW you are done claying if you stick your hand in a sandwich baggie (not the ziploc baggie), and run your fingers on the paint and feel it. If you can GLIDE effortlessly? then you're done. If not, keep claying. Go NUTS on it. You may marr/scratch paint, but that's what buffing is for.... don't worry about it.

My guess is your wax was hard to remove because of a combo of the following reasons.

1) Griots BOSW imo, is really not that good. There's plenty other LSP's to choose from that are VERY easy to apply and remove. Try some sealants, or some higher tiered Nuba waxes.

2) Your hood was too hot to the touch. Never wax on a hot surface, whether it's in shade or not.

3) Don't let nuba waxes sit on paint for a long time... it becomes a bear to remove. Refer to instructions of specific wax. Usually, I use WOWO type waxes... wipe on, wipe off (immediately, or within a few minutes).

4) Your hood/paint is really not that smooth to begin with. You have onboard contaminants that interfere with application and removal of said LSP. Get that paint crystal smooth. That must be your #1 priority. A lot of work, yes, but must be done. Imagine drawing a painting on a canvas that's dirty... it'd be like that. Must be a clean, pure surface.

5) Your application of wax via your DA may be flawed. Are you spending too much time on each pass? Using a DA for applying waxes (liquid) must be no pressure at all (no compression of pad), and must be no greater than speed 3. Going over the paint 1 to 2 times is enough... just coat it. I can wax an ENTIRE car with my DA in about 5 minutes or less. Then wipe clean with a soft clean MF towel.

I hope that helps.... let me know Kyle.

p.s. don't pay anyone else to do it. Do it yourself. Fun and easy to learn, and very rewarding.

ColSaulTigh

Hey gang, it's time for more obscure questions!!!

1) Does anyone have a preferred brand/type of hose they use for washing the car? I need to replace my old hose anyway because it's dry-rotted. Anyone had any experience with those collapsing hoses "As Seen on TV"? I've read that they don't give you as much flow and the fastener ends are cheap plastic. I need 50' max, and I want something that won't be a monster to wrestle with when I'm done.

2) When using a DA for polishing/waxing/etc. - how do you normally deal with getting those areas that are either up against plastics, or tight spots where the DA won't reach (like between the GPS antenna and the spoiler)? Are these areas an "elbow grease" zone?

Thanks again for all the knowledge!

MarcHarris

1. Two ways to look at hoses: cheap and replace, or go crazy and get a killer one.
Those ultra-thick crazy ones can cost some good money, and it makes sense to get a decent hose reel for them. The $15 units are cheap enough to replace every other year. It's your call.
I have one of the crazy tan colored, super reinforced, survive the apocalypse ones, but it's a hassle. I plan on buying one of these soon: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Liberty-G...1#.UazOmNKsiSo

That way I can keep it out of the sun in the garage without issue (so it lasts), but it'll be nice and easy to use.

2. Apply product around the vehicle, take off pad, use it as a giant hand applicator to tighter areas for better control. Laugh because you never considered using a big foam pad by hand but it completely makes sense.

FromZto5

Marc, you see my post above for Kyle! You agree?

MarcHarris

I agree 100%, which is why I didn't add anything

ColSaulTigh

Regarding the hose - I don't have room to store a big rolling cart/wheel thing - the hose either needs to live outside (so el-cheapo may be the way to go), or one of those collapsible ones I can store in a small space (I have a 1-car garage and live in a townhouse).

Follow up question on the application of polish/wax (great idea on removing the pad, btw!) - what do you to do get wax off those plastics if you accidentally do get some on there? Also, general question about what you use to treat those plastic parts - any recommended products?

Thanks!

MarcHarris

Told you

Use either a magic eraser (careful not to hit your paint!) or peanut butter (the oils dissolve the residue somehow).

You can use anything from Black Wow, Cockpit Premium, 303 Aerospace protectant, Back-to-black, etc, etc, etc.

DaGonz

1. Buy the heavy duty rubber hose and get a cover for the hose reel.
The same UV rays that cause damage to your car also damages the hose.

2. I have a Griot's Garage 3" DA that I use in the tight spots. For really tight spots I do what Marc Harris suggested with the 3" pad off of the polisher.

3.Taping all areas you do not want to get polish or wax/sealant on is a must. I use 3M painters tape to tape off moldings, plastics, windshield gaskets, etc. taking the time to tape off these areas beats trying to remove wax/sealant and polish from these areas afterwards!

FromZto5

LOL... good point