Contest-winning detailer tricks?
Contest-winning detailer tricks? OK, so lots of us keep our cars clean and waxed. Many of us have gone the extra mile of cleaning the engine bay, polishing out the scratches and swirls, and removing the fog from the headlamps.
And then there's Todd...
However, what are some of the tips and tricks the contest winners use? What are the spots the average enthusiast might not think of cleaning/polishing that make the car stand out?
Some examples I've seen/heard:
- Windows (often overlooked)
- Cleaning the wheel wells
- Door sills
- Interior trim
-Mike
And then there's Todd...
However, what are some of the tips and tricks the contest winners use? What are the spots the average enthusiast might not think of cleaning/polishing that make the car stand out?
Some examples I've seen/heard:
- Windows (often overlooked)
- Cleaning the wheel wells
- Door sills
- Interior trim
-Mike
Last edited by chupr0kabra; Mar 31, 2005 at 10:57 AM. Reason: grammar
TECH Addict
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,374
Likes: 0
From: Amarillo, Texas
Most of the cars I see don't even have properly polished paint, but some things that people often overlook are:
Area above exhaust tips
Door jambs
Inner wheel
All the little nooks and crannies
Area above exhaust tips
Door jambs
Inner wheel
All the little nooks and crannies
On The Tree
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 149
Likes: 0
From: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Here's a couple of tips that have worked for me.
Clean the inside of the exhaust tips and inside the door mirror cowlings. And then there is the whole underside cleaning thing - polish the drive shaft, coat the wheel wells with rubber/vinyl protector, clean the inside of the wheels, polish the exhaust pipes/muffler, etc., etc., etc.
Clean the inside of the exhaust tips and inside the door mirror cowlings. And then there is the whole underside cleaning thing - polish the drive shaft, coat the wheel wells with rubber/vinyl protector, clean the inside of the wheels, polish the exhaust pipes/muffler, etc., etc., etc.
You'd be suprised just how often parts of the body are overlooked. Wax, polish, leaves etc all get built up in some area's and ppl dont think to take a Qtip or something down there and clean it out. Here's some others
Glass - Not just the outside but the inside too!
Jambs - Not just the doors, dont forget the trunk, hood, hood cowling etc.
Trim - Shine it up with some type of protectant
Rims - The inside needs cleaning too, not just the outside
Wheel Wells - At the very least, degrease 'em. The vinyl/rubber protectant thing isnt for everyone
Exhaust tips - Inside and out for @ least 6" beyond the exhaust tip (Depends on show, and what setup you've got - being thats what most judges are gonna be able to see)
Interior - Shine it up w/ some protectant. Dont forget to vacuum UNDER your seats, inbetween the seat(s) and the center console as well as any place else you'd think a dust bunny would hide
Glass - Not just the outside but the inside too!
Jambs - Not just the doors, dont forget the trunk, hood, hood cowling etc.
Trim - Shine it up with some type of protectant
Rims - The inside needs cleaning too, not just the outside
Wheel Wells - At the very least, degrease 'em. The vinyl/rubber protectant thing isnt for everyone
Exhaust tips - Inside and out for @ least 6" beyond the exhaust tip (Depends on show, and what setup you've got - being thats what most judges are gonna be able to see)
Interior - Shine it up w/ some protectant. Dont forget to vacuum UNDER your seats, inbetween the seat(s) and the center console as well as any place else you'd think a dust bunny would hide
Door,hood,trunk jambs are a must, i even wax them.Wheel wells,paint them.you can use armorall or something like that for daily cleaning but for a show they must be painted and clean.Also at least the front and rear underside of car where somebody could get on there knees and look at.
Underside of the hood is a common missed area I see.
Using Z6 to wipe it down actually makes it kinda shiny. Easy to do.
Insides of wheels and wheel wells are often not done too.
My wheels are easy to clean, I shoot some Eagle One A2Z Wheel/Tire Cleaner on them, wait 60 seconds, and hose them off.
For the wheel wells, well, since I race my car alot, often the first thing I have to do is scrub all the rubber out. I've found the best tool for this is my fingers...yes, ouch, but you get used to it, hehe. After that I hose them down and scrub them with a brush quick, then when they're dry I drench them in Armor All. No, it doesn't last, but it makes them look nice for a show.
In my experience with cleaning the engine bay, the method that has worked best for me is (cool engine bay) spray Simple Green Automotive on everything not black, wait 5 minutes, and hose the entire engine bay down, light water pressure. Then once it's dry (it takes 15-60 minutes depending on the weather) use Armor All or any tire shine or plastic shine to dress up the airbox, hoses, plastics, etc... the black stuff.
Get a few small detailing brushes for wiping dust out of the creases and crevices of trim, weather stripping, interior screws, panels.... you name it. Those brushes come in very handy!
Simple Green Automotive also works well for cleaning up exhaust and the undercarriage.
Using Z6 to wipe it down actually makes it kinda shiny. Easy to do.
Insides of wheels and wheel wells are often not done too.
My wheels are easy to clean, I shoot some Eagle One A2Z Wheel/Tire Cleaner on them, wait 60 seconds, and hose them off.
For the wheel wells, well, since I race my car alot, often the first thing I have to do is scrub all the rubber out. I've found the best tool for this is my fingers...yes, ouch, but you get used to it, hehe. After that I hose them down and scrub them with a brush quick, then when they're dry I drench them in Armor All. No, it doesn't last, but it makes them look nice for a show.
In my experience with cleaning the engine bay, the method that has worked best for me is (cool engine bay) spray Simple Green Automotive on everything not black, wait 5 minutes, and hose the entire engine bay down, light water pressure. Then once it's dry (it takes 15-60 minutes depending on the weather) use Armor All or any tire shine or plastic shine to dress up the airbox, hoses, plastics, etc... the black stuff.
Get a few small detailing brushes for wiping dust out of the creases and crevices of trim, weather stripping, interior screws, panels.... you name it. Those brushes come in very handy!
Simple Green Automotive also works well for cleaning up exhaust and the undercarriage.
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If you use armor all, you're just begging for your plastic trim pieces to dry out and crack and break. Use something with more quality like the Meguiar's Trim Detailing spray, it's a red bottle with a black nozzle, works wonders, and it won't dry your plastic trim and dash out like armor all does.
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Verdad Gallardo TECH Addict
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,374
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From: Amarillo, Texas
Originally Posted by meissenation
If you use armor all, you're just begging for your plastic trim pieces to dry out and crack and break. Use something with more quality like the Meguiar's Trim Detailing spray, it's a red bottle with a black nozzle, works wonders, and it won't dry your plastic trim and dash out like armor all does.
Tech Addict
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,205
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From: Marysville, WA
Originally Posted by chupr0kabra
And then there's Todd...
-Mike
and thank you !Like OctaneZ28 mentioned...
One simple thing that I found out is using a soft 1 inch wide paint brush and dusting the cracks, under wires etc. with it in the engine compartment.
Around the below area... it is a huge help, a towel just can not fit in those tiny cracks\areas under and around the braces etc.. Then if you get crazy follow behind the dusting with a vacuum cleaner.
TECH Regular
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 442
Likes: 0
From: Greybull, Wy
For those with 5 spoke wheels, a plastic handle toilet brush is an easy way to clean the inside of the wheels without removing them. I spray Simple Green, then brush with soap & water, rinse well. The brush also works for wheel wells.
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the thing i often see @ car shows is spiderwebs, although theyre not concours car shows i still think it counts. Streaky windows, i also dont like when someone gets out the aerosol(sp) dressing and decides to spray his tires after everyone around him/her is parked. Wax in crevices around lights and side markers. Doorjambs need to be waxed. I wetsanded mine and polished them.wheels polished exhaust tips polished and so on. Glass polished, plastic polished, trim dressed matte not glossy, the inside of the windshield is usually never clean & if it is its all streaked up. the most common thing i see @ car shows is everyone using those california dusters or detail spray with a terry cloth towel
