Ask a Professional Detailer
09-02-2011 | 09:59 AM
#162
Here.
The main ones I'd get so I have all my bases covered, Meguiars 105 and 205, Menzerna Super Intensive Polish (SIP) and 106FA (Nano) as well as PO85RD. Those are the 5 I use more than anything else.
As for wax, I'm not a big fan of waxes. I prefer sealants. But I'll give you my recommendations on both. Wax: Swissvax Concorso, or if you can afford it, Swissvax Crystal Rock. Doesn't get much better than those. Note, it DOES get more expensive than those, but not better IMO. Meguiars #16 if you can find it (epic wax), P21S 100% and Autoglym HD Wax are both good too.
For sealant, my favorite is Blackfire Wet Diamond, followed closely by Menzerna Powerlock, and Zaino Z2pro and Z5pro.
The main ones I'd get so I have all my bases covered, Meguiars 105 and 205, Menzerna Super Intensive Polish (SIP) and 106FA (Nano) as well as PO85RD. Those are the 5 I use more than anything else.
As for wax, I'm not a big fan of waxes. I prefer sealants. But I'll give you my recommendations on both. Wax: Swissvax Concorso, or if you can afford it, Swissvax Crystal Rock. Doesn't get much better than those. Note, it DOES get more expensive than those, but not better IMO. Meguiars #16 if you can find it (epic wax), P21S 100% and Autoglym HD Wax are both good too.
For sealant, my favorite is Blackfire Wet Diamond, followed closely by Menzerna Powerlock, and Zaino Z2pro and Z5pro.
09-03-2011 | 12:05 AM
#163
Here is the CR Spotless system:
http://www.autogeek.net/cr-spotless-water-systems.html
I like the Zaino Z7 soap and Meguiars Pro Line Shampoo Plus.
For the detail spray, if I finished a car with Blackfire, then I'll use Blackfire's Detail Spray, if its finished with Zaino, I'll use the Zaino Z6 or Z8 detail spray. So whatever brand of wax or sealant is on the car, thats what you should use for detail spray.
http://www.autogeek.net/cr-spotless-water-systems.html
I like the Zaino Z7 soap and Meguiars Pro Line Shampoo Plus.
For the detail spray, if I finished a car with Blackfire, then I'll use Blackfire's Detail Spray, if its finished with Zaino, I'll use the Zaino Z6 or Z8 detail spray. So whatever brand of wax or sealant is on the car, thats what you should use for detail spray.
Thanks alot bud this thread is great for people looking to step up their personal car care.
09-03-2011 | 11:07 AM
#166
Jeff as always I enjoy reading your threads. Its tough for me to start out learning/trying to do something I really don't know anything about. I just want to be able to do it! It's like anything else, you have to start somewhere.
One of the reasons I like reading your posts so much is you aren't trying to push a product on anyone. You say what works and what doesn't. I have been on Autogeek and Adam's Polishes recently and have learned a lot but I am skeptical about the products they use sometime. They are there to make money and I know that. It seems like every few months there is some new "super" product that will work better than anything in the past.
I have a few quick questions. Hopefully I won't be the first to re ask a question
1. I have watched Adam's videos on how to use the PC. With his products he said when they turn translucent the product is done and to stop working it. I saw you mention some of the stuff you use doesn't break down. How do you know when you stop using it?
2. My wife has a 05' Avalanche. It has the black plastic on the lids for the bed cover. What do you reccommend for that? She has tried probably 1/2 a dozen different products but they all either seemed to run or were washed away. None really seemed to soak in.
3. The tail lights on my Firehawk have some scratches in them. They are just scratches not gouges or anything. Whats the best way to get those out?
4. Can you explain why you like a sealant instead of a wax and what the differences are between the two?
5.(Last one I promise, for this post anyway) On a curvy front bumper like a Firebird how do you get in where the the holes are for the lights? I assume you just do it by hand?
Thank you again for your posts and this thread.
One of the reasons I like reading your posts so much is you aren't trying to push a product on anyone. You say what works and what doesn't. I have been on Autogeek and Adam's Polishes recently and have learned a lot but I am skeptical about the products they use sometime. They are there to make money and I know that. It seems like every few months there is some new "super" product that will work better than anything in the past.
I have a few quick questions. Hopefully I won't be the first to re ask a question
1. I have watched Adam's videos on how to use the PC. With his products he said when they turn translucent the product is done and to stop working it. I saw you mention some of the stuff you use doesn't break down. How do you know when you stop using it?
2. My wife has a 05' Avalanche. It has the black plastic on the lids for the bed cover. What do you reccommend for that? She has tried probably 1/2 a dozen different products but they all either seemed to run or were washed away. None really seemed to soak in.
3. The tail lights on my Firehawk have some scratches in them. They are just scratches not gouges or anything. Whats the best way to get those out?
4. Can you explain why you like a sealant instead of a wax and what the differences are between the two?
5.(Last one I promise, for this post anyway
) On a curvy front bumper like a Firebird how do you get in where the the holes are for the lights? I assume you just do it by hand?Thank you again for your posts and this thread.
1. You work it as long as the cut and finish it gives you is beneficial. M105 has a short working time and dries out fast, M205 though has a long working time. You balance the time to keep working to get the desired results VS the time it would take to re-apply. Play. with it a bit.
2. Try Black WOW on it. But if the plastic is sun bleached already, your results will just be ok and you'll have to keep up on it regularly. From what I hear, the new Ultima Trim Guard is good too.
3. You can polish the tails just like the paint. M105/205 work great for this. Just don't let heat build up.
....posting from my phone, will be back on later to answer more questions.
*time lapse*
Back home now so I'll answer a couple more then I gotta get back to work
4. Sealants have more durability than wax (3-6mo vs 1-3mo) generally. Sealants give off crisper reflections and more shine enhances metallic or pearl flake, waxes give more depth and color and slightly mute the flake or pearl.
5. Getting in them? I assuming you mean polishing. I have a selection of small 3" pads and I get in as far as I can. The rest I will polish by hand. This is why it takes so long to do the bumpers, well at least to do a good job.
Last edited by GoFast908Z; 09-03-2011 at 11:41 AM.
09-03-2011 | 11:45 AM
#167
What do you recommend for a Monterrey Maroon Metallic car for a hand wax/sealant and a quick detailer/ gloss enhancer? I don't mind spending a little bit of money, I recently bought the Americana Paste Wax, but I'm really not seeing much of a difference from the other store bought waxs I've bought. Looking to get something that enhances the color as best as possible, and a little scratch and swirl filler would be bonus. Thanks!
Outside of that, hands down my next choice would be Blackfire Wet Diamond.
Best method, wash it there. Bring a couple buckets with water and use Optimum No Rinse to wash the car on site. Minimal water usage and its safe (as long as you're washing properly) for the paint. I do not recommend using a detail spray after driving as you will marr the paint and put some light swirls in it. But if there is no other choice, mix up some ONR (Optimum No Rinse) as detail spray and use that heavily when wiping the car down.
09-03-2011 | 11:53 AM
#168
How much better is a rotary polisher over the 7424 or the flex xc 3401? Im interested in possibly switching to a rotary for using m105/205 and menzerna intensive and final polishes. I got to try out the flex this past weekend with some menzerna and over my 7424 i didn't see much of a difference at all other then the flex doesn't vibrate as much as the pc. Ive had my pc for 7 years and its starting to wear out my only concern with the rotary is having to constantly keep thinking if im not moving it enough and am going to burn the paint, whats your personal experience?
Do yourself a BIG favor, go to a bodyshop and get some junk panels (they will be happy to give them to you) and practice on those. Don't just practice making them look good. Practice hacking them up with the rotary. Burn the paint, put HEAVY swirls in, deep buffer trails, etc. This will help you learn the capabilities and dangers of this machine and what exactly will cause that kind of damage. So spend time learning that. Experiment with it. Then see if you can reverse the damage.
I practiced for 3 months with a rotary on junkyard panels before ever touching a clients car with one. I probably put 120+ hours into those junkyard panels before doing my first car with a rotary. Practice, practice, practice. And stay away from youtube videos on rotary usage unless it comes from a REAL pro (ie, someone you'll find well known on the detail forums).
09-03-2011 | 01:06 PM
#169
For sealant, my favorite is Blackfire Wet Diamond, followed closely by Menzerna Powerlock, and Zaino Z2pro and Z5pro.
For wax, I'd recommend Swissvax Concorso and their Cleaner Fluid (need both). Or Meguiars #16, if you can find it, and whatever it costs, its worth it.
09-03-2011 | 01:22 PM
#170
GoFast-
Thanks for putting this thread together. After seeing your work I have really gotten into the art of detailing cars. Every time I come to ls1tech I always go to the Appearance and Detailing section to see if you have posted anymore work. I am not a pro by any means but feel like I do a pretty good job.
Recently I got the opportunity to detail a family friends 66 Vette. This car has a single stage paint and was really nice to work with. My process was M105 LC orange pad, M205 LC white pad, and some Black fire wet diamond to top it off. The paint came out great, corrected about 95% of all the problem areas. I did run into a potential problem when I started to wipe the car down with alcohol before the sealant. I didn't dilute it and it started turning the paint white. Is that because I didn't dilute it or should you not wipe single stage paint with alcohol? Also the white walls didn't come out real great, what do you recommend for cleaning stained WW tires?
Forgive the crappy pictures. I couldn't get any outside because fuel was leaking from the bottom of the carb and I couldn't move it.
Thanks for putting this thread together. After seeing your work I have really gotten into the art of detailing cars. Every time I come to ls1tech I always go to the Appearance and Detailing section to see if you have posted anymore work. I am not a pro by any means but feel like I do a pretty good job.
Recently I got the opportunity to detail a family friends 66 Vette. This car has a single stage paint and was really nice to work with. My process was M105 LC orange pad, M205 LC white pad, and some Black fire wet diamond to top it off. The paint came out great, corrected about 95% of all the problem areas. I did run into a potential problem when I started to wipe the car down with alcohol before the sealant. I didn't dilute it and it started turning the paint white. Is that because I didn't dilute it or should you not wipe single stage paint with alcohol? Also the white walls didn't come out real great, what do you recommend for cleaning stained WW tires?
Forgive the crappy pictures. I couldn't get any outside because fuel was leaking from the bottom of the carb and I couldn't move it.
You're very welcome! I'm glad I've inspired you to get even better at detailing. And its always nice to hear people are anticipating the next thread I'm going to post. Got some good ones coming up!
Thats a beautiful 66! To answer your question, I've had the same issue with single stage paints and the IPA wipedown. What I found works better is doing another Dawn wash. It may take a little longer, but it will still strip the polishing oils that the IPA would strip, and it will remove any dust in the cracks that might be left over from the M105.
For the tires, I love Meguiars Pro Line Degreaser. Has worked great on white walls for me. But if that doesn't do it, there is a product you should be able to get locally. Its made just for white walls. I can't remember what its called, but its got "Bleach" in the title. You can give that a try.
Last edited by GoFast908Z; 09-03-2011 at 01:45 PM.
09-03-2011 | 01:48 PM
#173
09-03-2011 | 02:03 PM
#174
On The Tree
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 118
Likes: 1
From: md
what would a good way to :
1.clean an engine bay. getting grease,mud, what ever is in their off to make it look all nice and spiffy. that won't leave a crappy residue?
2.clean the bottom of a car/ suspension and all stuff under a car. and not just have pretty paint.
3. get carpet to look fresh ( mines not bad but i feel like their could be some tricks to making it look even better.
4. when detailing,where is the best place to start on the car?
5. is it possible to get a car to look killer with stuff off the shelf from places like advanced auto,pepboys and so on?
1.clean an engine bay. getting grease,mud, what ever is in their off to make it look all nice and spiffy. that won't leave a crappy residue?
2.clean the bottom of a car/ suspension and all stuff under a car. and not just have pretty paint.
3. get carpet to look fresh ( mines not bad but i feel like their could be some tricks to making it look even better.
4. when detailing,where is the best place to start on the car?
5. is it possible to get a car to look killer with stuff off the shelf from places like advanced auto,pepboys and so on?
09-03-2011 | 10:41 PM
#177
what would a good way to :
1.clean an engine bay. getting grease,mud, what ever is in their off to make it look all nice and spiffy. that won't leave a crappy residue?
2.clean the bottom of a car/ suspension and all stuff under a car. and not just have pretty paint.
3. get carpet to look fresh ( mines not bad but i feel like their could be some tricks to making it look even better.
4. when detailing,where is the best place to start on the car?
5. is it possible to get a car to look killer with stuff off the shelf from places like advanced auto,pepboys and so on?
1.clean an engine bay. getting grease,mud, what ever is in their off to make it look all nice and spiffy. that won't leave a crappy residue?
2.clean the bottom of a car/ suspension and all stuff under a car. and not just have pretty paint.
3. get carpet to look fresh ( mines not bad but i feel like their could be some tricks to making it look even better.
4. when detailing,where is the best place to start on the car?
5. is it possible to get a car to look killer with stuff off the shelf from places like advanced auto,pepboys and so on?
1. Meguiars Degreaser works great on engines too. But most degreasers you can find locally will work well too. Shield the electronics, scrub with brushes to help clean better, and then rinse GENTLY. Run the motor for 5-10 min to help dry it off (important for LS motors so water won't corrode the knock sensors). Some 303 Aerospace Protectant will give a low shine to any engine bay plastics giving it a nice factory look without looking like it came from a used car lot.
2. Suspension and underbody can be cleaned with a general APC (All Purpose Cleaner), again the Meguiars one is great here and cost effective. Some brushes and a lot of old rags that would never be used on the paint are great for dirty greasy jobs underneath the car.
3. Having it professionally extracted is the best as it leaves no soap behind to attract dirt and has immense cleaning power. Outside of that, the only carpet cleaners I'd recommend are 303 Aerospace Carpet Cleaner which is water based. It cleans quickly, easily, smells good, and is inexpensive ($7 for 32oz). Folex is a good choice as well, though I don't use it, many have found it very useful.
4. I always start on the wheels early in the morning. After that I rinse the car, foam the car, rinse again, refoam and begin washing with the 2 Bucket Method.
5. For a brand new car that hasn't be hacked up by the dealership wash jockies, yes, you can get a decent finish. Outside of that, its not so easy. The OTC (over the counter) products are inefficient at removing swirls and the waxes rarely last more than 6 weeks. Autogeek, Autopia Forums, Detailed Image, and Detailers Domain are the best places to get supplies IMO.
09-03-2011 | 10:49 PM
#178
09-03-2011 | 11:59 PM
#180
Staging Lane
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 55
Likes: 0
From: Aurora, IL
5. For a brand new car that hasn't be hacked up by the dealership wash jockies, yes, you can get a decent finish. Outside of that, its not so easy. The OTC (over the counter) products are inefficient at removing swirls and the waxes rarely last more than 6 weeks. Autogeek, Autopia Forums, Detailed Image, and Detailers Domain are the best places to get supplies IMO.
Collinite 845 is a Hybrid Wax/Sealent that lasts 6 months and looks great on cars. I use either Collinite or Power lock on most of my customers cars.
It can be picked up at Advanced auto for $16. I would have to say its the one of the most durable waxes on the market.
A lot of people like ZEP all purpose cleaner which can be purchased at Home depot or Lowes.
Also for carpet cleaner Folex and Krud cutter are very effective and can be purchased at Home depot and lowes.
I usually get all my stuff from autogeek, but I am one of those people that don't like to order my stuff online all the time. Also I know where to get this stuff in a pinch.
Not trying to hijack your thread, just adding to it