Car Detailing!?!?

[morticianaxe]

So Lets See who uses what products, how many times they wash, Tips, Techniques. With everyone being in different regions and climates i want to know what people are using out there for Washing, and Detailing their rides. (One Issue i have is rims..)

[irvings tC]

Well i wash my car like 2 to 3 times a week since the weather is really gross here in Austin Tx. Sometimes is nice, sometimes is just nasty like today... Anyway i ALWAYS use Meguiars For EVERYTHING. It's a little expensive but the results are AMAZING! lol . I got everyone in the scikotics austin chapter to get into meguiars because they just loved the way my tC looked All the time. they said it looked like a mirror, and the surface of the car was as smooth as a piece of glass if not smoother.

to get Amazing results i reccomend you getting..

1) Meguiars Gold Class Car Wash Shampoo & conditioner (about 10 bucks)
2) Meguiars Clay Kit (About 15 to 20 dollars)
3) Meguiars Cleaner wax (About 7 bucks)
4) Meguiars NXT generation Paste Wax (15 to 25 Bucks)
5) to get better results use a brand new Microfiber towel for great results..
6) for tires use Black magic tire GEL! NOT MEGUIARS... i personally love the GEL kind. it lasts way longer than usual tire shine.
7) and for rims just use meguiars rim cleaner. ( i dont know how much $ it is)


And there u Go! youre gonna have a SWEET A** looking scion! < and by the way, it will protect your paint finish and clear coat. :) !

HAVE FUN DETAILING YOUR SCION!!! :cool1:

[Shadowmajik]

I to wash my twice a week just depends on my schedule. Meguiars is some great stuff and usually can find it everywhere. Also Check Mothers they make great products as well. Start from the top work your way down doing wheel wheels and tires etc last...I actually bought brushes for all that makes life easy. And I don't use a bucket...ewwww
What I've got in my deatil basket for right now is:

Meguiars Gold Class Shampoo - $8.99
Mother's Pre-Wax Cleaner - $5.99
Mother's Sealer and Glaze - $7.99
Mothers Pure Carnuaba Wax - $10.99
Lucas Products Slick Mist - $7.99
California Customs Purple Metal Polish - $14.99 ( I've got black wheels and there is SO much shine out of this stuff)
Mothers All Wheel & Tire Cleaner - $7.99
I recommend a Tire Gel holds better and doesn't throw like a liquid right now im using ICE works pretty good, Alot of people I know are hooked on foams though.
Mother's Back To Black - $8.99
Spray-away Glass Cleaner or Invisable Glass - 6.99
Meguiars Natural Interior Detailer -$6.99

cotton terry towels to dry and microfiber to polish
It's really gonna come down to what you like...I know a few professional guys and not one of them uses the same products

Have FUN

[irvings tC]

lol i forgot to mention that mothers is also a GREAT product!

The only product i really dont recommend you to get is Turtle wax!..
it doesnt work as well, and it's just a waste of time and money! < thats what i think**<

[racersky]

I use a variety of products depending on what the situation is. For the most part I use Meguiar's Gold Class soap doing the 2BM. For wheels I'd recommend using P21s Wheel Gel as that is a water based solution so if you have nice wheels it will not mess it up. For detailing in terms of compound and polish I use Meguiar's M105/M205, and most of the Menzerna products.

[SpeedRacer]

I am going to need a really long list. I use different things depending on how dirty the car is. If it is dirty I have a group of things i use and if it is clean I have a different list of things. My car is a BSP so it takes a lot of work to keep clean. It always turns out looking like a mirror in the end. Everyone at work is pissed since they say my car makes theirs look bad. But I used to be a professional detailer so when it comes to detailing my car, it always looks good, even if it takes me 8 hours lol.

Meguiars NXT generation wax and Meguiars Gold Class are the best. As for rims, Meguiars Hot Rims is good stuff too. I have been using it for awhile and it works great. I do tend to use a lot of meguiars products, but they work great.

[Toastid_Metal]

I happen to agree with everyone here lol. I was going to quote everyone one by one, but it would take too long lol. But Meguiars is the ONLY brand I use, for everything. I love all of it. They actually have forums on their site, did you guys know that? It's pretty cool. I'm on there, just haven't logged on in a while. :)

I can't wait till the weather gets nicer up this way. I want my xB shiny again!

[SpeedRacer]

Yea that is the one bad things I am going to miss about leaving hawaii. I can detail the car whenever I want since the weather is always good here. I try to at least wash mine once a week. I perfer in the morning early 30-45mins after the sun has come up. Since normally it is nice and cool and you dont have to worry about the sun drying your car to fast. Plus many many cotton terry towels and microfiber towels. I need to start buying these things in bulk. But microfiber is the best way to go. Do not use towels that you dry off with after a shower, horrible thing to do.

[Toastid_Metal]

I always buy my microfiber cloths in bulk. Because I never use them more than once. If you wash them, they become stiff and could scratch your car. So I don't even bother . . . I just throw them out or leave them in the garage for someone to wipe their greasy hands with. I know you can buy a special detergent to wash them in that makes them soft again, but I've never tried it . . .

[SpeedRacer]

Yea I have seen that stuff to clean the microfiber towels, but it seems cheaper to buy new than have to use that every time. Though here in Hawaii it is had to find good ones. They only have the cheap ones that suck. I used to buy in bulk but here is it expensive. The cheap ones are walmart that come 12 to a pack suck and Kragen is the only auto parts store and theirs are 6 to pack and there 20$ and still suck. I just order a good set off this one detail site, so I am waiting to see how those work out. They are supposed to be one of the best sets.

I wash my microfiber, well the ones I use to rims. You can soak them in hot for an hour. Then ring them out and let them air dry on a towel. Since it seems to work better with age, at least this one does.

The Meguairs Hot Rims here is like 7-10$ a bottle.

[Kid Morbid]

During the Summer I wash my car at least once a week. Depends on my work schedule and weather of course. But I've got a mix of mostly Meguires and Mothers products. Prety much the same list everyone has and same technique. Start at top, work you're way down. I usually even and this depends how dirty it is, go to a bay car wash first, spray it down to get most of the stuff off, then go to the house and clean by hand.

My biggest thing on my mind every time I clean my car is seeing microscratches or swirls afterwards. I can't stand seeing them but I know there is now way to really avoid them. I've used a few different products to dry with but I'm not sure yet which works best. Tried microfiber, cotton terry, lately I've been using the Absorber towells. They work pretty good I just don't feel as comfortable since it's not as soft feeling as a normal towell. But I hear it works better for most people.

[SpeedRacer]

Yea that is the one thing I hate with the BSP is the swirl marks and micro scratches. I tried swirl x but that didn't work as well as everyone said. It lightened them up somewhat but you can still see them. I heard this stuff from Wolfgang, there swirl remover is supposed to be really good, but I haven't tried it. As long as you stand 5ft away from my car you can't see the swirl marks.

[racersky]

I am going to need a really long list. I use different things depending on how dirty the car is. If it is dirty I have a group of things i use and if it is clean I have a different list of things. My car is a BSP so it takes a lot of work to keep clean. It always turns out looking like a mirror in the end. Everyone at work is pissed since they say my car makes theirs look bad. But I used to be a professional detailer so when it comes to detailing my car, it always looks good, even if it takes me 8 hours lol.

Meguiars NXT generation wax and Meguiars Gold Class are the best. As for rims, Meguiars Hot Rims is good stuff too. I have been using it for awhile and it works great. I do tend to use a lot of meguiars products, but they work great.


haha i know what you mean about time but it's all worth it in the end lol. I recently cleaned my friend's car and he asked me if I could try to get the swirls out. I only charged him 80 bucks because he was my friend (we go way back) and he thinks that's expensive lol.....you should try to ask what detail shops charge hourly lol

Give you an example of what one section looks like

Before
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc15/mfninja/detail/IMG_27081.jpg

After
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc15/mfninja/detail/IMG_27091.jpg

I must say not bad for a two step lol

[Kid Morbid]

haha i know what you mean about time but it's all worth it in the end lol. I recently cleaned my friend's car and he asked me if I could try to get the swirls out. I only charged him 80 bucks because he was my friend (we go way back) and he thinks that's expensive lol.....you should try to ask what detail shops charge hourly lol

Give you an example of what one section looks like

Before
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc15/mfninja/detail/IMG_27081.jpg

After
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc15/mfninja/detail/IMG_27091.jpg

I must say not bad for a two step lol

How'd you get rid of them? Share your secret!!

[muzachead]

well to cover a couple others places on the ride...since i agree with the below....i don't like the meguires tire shine so i use armor all extreme tire shine because i like how it sprays on easy. Also on chrome like my intake and strut bar (NOT my rims) i use blue magic for chrome. shine soooo sweet but stinks to high heaven, a buddy showed me it at a truck stop in the club.

also www.girotsgarage.com (http://www.girotsgarage.com) is really sweet. i like there bottled spray-on car wash. you can basically spray it on and wipe it off. honestly i really like alot of their products. also like the speed shine. they had a warehouse pary here a while back and ended up trying a couple things.

[morticianaxe]

yeah sorry i havent responded to anything been a little busy. however, i do use all meguires products. the thing i have the most problem with is my rims. i get so much grime on them not dust but the crap that is hard to scrub off. what out on the market can make it easier?

[racersky]

yeah sorry i havent responded to anything been a little busy. however, i do use all meguires products. the thing i have the most problem with is my rims. i get so much grime on them not dust but the crap that is hard to scrub off. what out on the market can make it easier?

road grime as in tar? if that's what you are referring to than the Tarminator is your friend made by stoner.

[muzachead]

Tarminator is your friend made by stoner.

LOVE THEIR PRODUCTS....also invisible glass! http://www.stonersolutions.com/

[racersky]

How'd you get rid of them? Share your secret!!


haha No problem. Menzerna 203 with a polishing pad and then more to Menzerna 85RD. The picture above was before wax.

[Hix]

Best stuff. It removes all the swirl marks I get pretty well. I don't wash my car too often because I don't wanna draw too much attention to it. At shows I use NANO wax, it helps to keep the shine.

http://www.blackmagicshine.com/images/products/wet-shine-liquid-wax.png

[racersky]

Best stuff. It removes all the swirl marks I get pretty well. I don't wash my car too often because I don't wanna draw too much attention to it. At shows I use NANO wax, it helps to keep the shine.

http://www.blackmagicshine.com/images/products/wet-shine-liquid-wax.png

Just to give you a heads up Wax does not remove swirls it covers it up until the wax wears off

[SpeedRacer]

Meguiars 3 stage wax with NXT as final gives you a really good shine. As far as rims, the Meguiars Hot Rims works great for me. I don't even have to scrub or anything. The stuff works great and I have never had any problems. But I still have stock rims too :( .. So yea. But if you have stock rims with built up crap on them. Use a little polishing compond, it make take you some time, but it will get that crap off.

[CARxBON]

I just used a new product to clean my windows after they were COVERED with road salt and it was amazing: INVISIBLE GLASS with rainrepel. I am now a fan :wave:

[ellaellaeh]

I'm a meguiars junkie.
I use the absorber towel to dry my car before I hit it with the quick detail or any waxing or polishing I wish to do. It works great you HAVE to wet the towel before you use it. I know it sounds nuts, wet the towel before you use it. But thats actually what the directions say to do, and it works great.

For my tires I use the Armor all cleaner and tire shine gel.
The windows I use invisible glass and newspaper

[njforcedlife77]

zaino best stuff to use hands down.ninja you know how my car always looks clean and shiney check out my pix I took after I cleaned up xb on sat check that link.

http://www.scikotics.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1978196#post1978196

[racersky]

zaino best stuff to use hands down.ninja you know how my car always looks clean and shiney check out my pix I took after I cleaned up xb on sat check that link.

http://www.scikotics.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1978196#post1978196

So true that your car is always clean as hell. Definitely gonna have to put a finger print on the car so you can go nuts. But then you would probably kill em lol :wohow:

[Hix]

Just to give you a heads up Wax does not remove swirls it covers it up until the wax wears off

I wax it everytime I wash it. Plus I clay bar it pretty often.

[Kid Morbid]

Clay barring is by far the best thing you can do to help prevent swirls. I'd probably clay bar once a month, or at the least every 2 months.

[racersky]

Clay barring is by far the best thing you can do to help prevent swirls. I'd probably clay bar once a month, or at the least every 2 months.

Not all clay bars are good. I have some aggressive claybars and they can do serious damage in the wrong hands.

[muzachead]

Clay barring is by far the best thing you can do to help prevent swirls. I'd probably clay bar once a month, or at the least every 2 months.

ok i wax every 6 months....doing that every 2 just seems overkill

[Kid Morbid]

It just depends on how dirty your car is really. If you are actively washing your car then obviously you can do it less. But thing is the more often you claybar, the less is going to be in your clear coat, meaning it's going to help on scratches when you wash.

Mitch do you quick detail when you wash it?

[racersky]

i'd recommend waxing after claying

[jayydm]

I always use Eagle 1 because i saw an infomercial on it and got hooked lol but it seems like it works with the nano tecnology and everything. Ive never really tried out the mothers stuff although i heard its good also.

[muzachead]

It just depends on how dirty your car is really. If you are actively washing your car then obviously you can do it less. But thing is the more often you claybar, the less is going to be in your clear coat, meaning it's going to help on scratches when you wash.

Mitch do you quick detail when you wash it?

well.....i only use quick detail if i wash and then it gets a dusting on it like...washing it going to a show...then some donkey drives by and puts a big cloud of dust on your car.

i use that ICE stuff when i waxed it and it did fine..it is still smooth for a daily driver with nicks on the front from people...from 2yrs of on the highway and people at shows it needs a new paint job anyway

[SpeedRacer]

I ended up trying the Wolfgang swirl remover with my porter cable buffer and no more swirl marks. It worked great and the paint looks like glass now. You can actually tell its a BSP now, it doesn't look black anymore.