Car Care and Detailing Thread

[lewdog]

Others mentioned I should start this thread in my other thread. And while I won't have the new car for a while, I'd like to hear some thoughts and recommendations so I can have most of it on hand before the car shows up. My other thread had a lot of great posts in it and you guys have been a big help.

While black cars looks great clean, keeping it relatively clean in Phoenix might be the death of me. But I'll sure as shit give it my best shot.

I actually like cleaning and waxing our current cars but it's not like I am being meticulous about it. I've never had a car with rims either and I know those can get dirty quick. I've never owned a dark colored car and I've never had a car with leather. I plan to take really good care of this car and would like some tips on doing so. But I'm just a ****ing n00b.

I'll throw some links out from Amazon as I mention things.


Some of the things already on my list are:
1. Not sure if everyone recommends wool wash mitt over micorfiber here but many people I know do?
http://www.amazon.com/Mothers-Genuin...wool+wash+mitt

2. Grit guard and two wash buckets. One for rinse and one for soap/water.

http://www.amazon.com/Mothers-Genuin...wool+wash+mitt

3. Waffle Weave Drying towel. There are tons of towels out there but this seems to be able to take up a lot of water.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001Q8DMA0/...I21164SXVV1AWB

4. Car Wash

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009IQXFO/...b_recs_2_title


Some mention that after washing you should use a paint cleanser before waxing. But wondering if washing then clay baring is sufficient prior to wax?

I've seen this P21S Paintwork Cleanser mentioned on a few reads. Looks like good use for water spots and swirls prior to waxing if needed. Not sure if you would do entire car first or just use it for bad spots before waxing?

http://www.amazon.com/P21S-12350B-Pa...twork+Cleanser


Also, a company called Zaino has great reviews and recommendations. They have a package that looks like it includes all products I'd need together including wash, polish, wax, leather and tire care.

http://www.zainostore.com/mm5/mercha...y_Code=prokits



I do not have a polisher and would need to get one of those as well but not sure where to start on that front.



Can't wait to see what you guys have tried and recommend.

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by Silock

I don't get too hyped up by brand names.

Clay bar of any ilk will work wonders. My wax of choice is Colinite. It's AMAZING.

http://www.amazon.com/Collinite-Liqu...ywords=car+wax

Shine is amazing and it's tough as nails. I believe it was originally developed for boats, but it works better on cars. And because it's so tough, it really holds up to the rough weather here, in terms of all the salt and heat.

Looks like good stuff. I'll definitely keep it on the list. You always know your shit. Very versatile mr. Silock.

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by KC native

This is the kit my friend has for his Challenger. He loves it.

http://www.chemicalguys.com/Black_Pa..._p/hol_201.htm

One of my good friends uses Zaino's stuff. He loves it as well.

I bought an orbital polisher from Harbor Freight for about $50 and it has worked perfectly.

I can't say enough good stuff about the Chemical guys stuff though. They have stuff for every experience level and price point.

NO DICK PICS PLEASE!

So if you buy an orbital from them, where do you get pads that fit it? $50 sounds nice!

The Zaino stuff looks great. I'm just leery with how many coats they say you get out of a bottle. Like 20 applications for that small bottle. Not that I care if it's half that and works well. Chemical brothers looks good too. What do you use of theirs?

[KC native]

Originally Posted by lewdog

NO DICK PICS PLEASE!

So if you buy an orbital from them, where do you get pads that fit it? $50 sounds nice!

The Zaino stuff looks great. I'm just leery with how many coats they say you get out of a bottle. Like 20 applications for that small bottle. Not that I care if it's half that and works well. Chemical brothers looks good too. What do you use of theirs?

I bought my pads from Chemical Guys.

Chemical guys has sales and discount codes all the time as well.

I use Inner Clean for my interior. Shit is awesome. It makes the plastic look like it is brand new. No gloss. I use their Fabric Clean for the fabric stuff as needed. That shit is awesome (dilute per their recommendations). It made our 2008 3's interior look great after my wife and kid had trashed it. I use the Vintage Series Satin shine stuff for exterior plastics and tires. It's awesome for covering up any wax you may get on trim pieces.

For the exterior, I use a polish that I don't think they sell anymore (it was nano-blah blah blah). I use their Pete's 53 wax and Jet Seal as a paint sealant.


Edit: The quality detailing stuff like Chemical Guys and Zaino's really do work best with a less is more philosophy. The stuff I've bought has lasted a long ass time.

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by KC native

I bought my pads from Chemical Guys.

Chemical guys has sales and discount codes all the time as well.

I use Inner Clean for my interior. Shit is awesome. It makes the plastic look like it is brand new. No gloss. I use their Fabric Clean for the fabric stuff as needed. That shit is awesome (dilute per their recommendations). It made our 2008 3's interior look great after my wife and kid had trashed it. I use the Vintage Series Satin shine stuff for exterior plastics and tires. It's awesome for covering up any wax you may get on trim pieces.

For the exterior, I use a polish that I don't think they sell anymore (it was nano-blah blah blah). I use their Pete's 53 wax and Jet Seal as a paint sealant.


Edit: The quality detailing stuff like Chemical Guys and Zaino's really do work best with a less is more philosophy. The stuff I've bought has lasted a long ass time.

Pardon my dumb questions. So if I buy a polisher from somewhere, I can get pads to fit it from anywhere? That black kit from chemical guys looks legit! So for paint that would be all I'd need you think? Inner cleaner is chemical guys? This is leather so I'd find a conditioner to avoid the cracking in this heat.

I'm still leaning to Zaino because that bunch covers paint, wash, leather and tires in one. You aren't the first whose mentioned it's good. Just not sure it's best for black but it probably would be fine.

[KC native]

Originally Posted by lewdog

Pardon my dumb questions. So if I buy a polisher from somewhere, I can get pads to fit it from anywhere? That black kit from chemical guys looks legit! So for paint that would be all I'd need you think? Inner cleaner is chemical guys? This is leather so I'd find a conditioner to avoid the cracking in this heat.

I'm still leaning to Zaino because that bunch covers paint, wash, leather and tires in one. You aren't the first whose mentioned it's good. Just not sure it's best for black but it probably would be fine.

Ah, yea, I forgot. I use their Leather Conditioner product too. I don't have much leather in my interior so I forgot about it. Don't use Innerclean on leather.

And yes, you can get pads from anywhere. You just have to make sure they work with whatever backing plate is on it. Mine has the velcro backing plate so anything that has that works for it.

[lewdog]

So let me see if I can figure this out.

If I order the Porter Cable polisher

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002654I46/...I34OXS7VFQ8C11

Add a different backing

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003CH3Z8W/...I3E41CSBGR5S3T

I can use whatever pads I want on the polisher, like these below, with a new backing?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002UQAY8/...=IFUOMQ21HBFID

http://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys-...=polishing+pad

[Buehler445]

OK, I don't know what you have available in Pheonix, but there is a guy in town that runs a detailing shop. Quite frankly he can do it better than I can and probably cheaper. He did some work for my dad. His pickup was pretty freaking dirty. We have some fine ass dust out here, and it got into the texture on his dash and I flat out couldn't get it clean. I worked at cleaning it for like 3 hours and he did it for like $90 and made it far better than I could.

He just cleaned my wife's TrailBlazer. It was freaking dirty. It's the one we take the dog in all the time and it goes on all the country roads and we hadn't touched it for over a year since our baby was born and he washed, waxed, (I think) he used the Clay Bar, windows, tires, shampooed the carpets, and made it interior look better than I ever could (including cleaning the AC vents. To this ****ing day I have no idea how to get the dust out of the AC vents). Did all that shit for $125. I know I was talking to him and he had monthly programs that are probably damn reasonable.

Something to look into. I always thought I did a nice job keeping care of my cars (when I was single LOL) but this guy is better than I am and damn reasonable too.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by lewdog

Is that bullshit from you? I mean, do you really own a Camaro or is that the inside CP joke you are using?

I own a 1999 Z28 that will do 12.2 in the 1/4. That being said, Zaino Bro's is the bomb. I love that shit. It makes any of the crap you get off the shelf look like, well, crap.

[Warpaint69]

Originally Posted by lewdog

Great post. The confusion on the Griot site was trying to find descriptions of all those pads and which to use? You pretty much polish and wax with pads/polisher and buff by hand right? I've never really been told best method and having a polisher will be new. I've always done it all by hand.

You can do every step with the polisher. If you buy a Griot 6" I suggest getting a 5 inch backing plate and 5.5 inch pads. I use Lake Country Pads mainly currently and have used Buff and Shine. With the Lake Country Flats yellow is your heavy cutting, orange is light cutting, white is polishing, grey is fine polishing, and blue is finessing like glazes and sealants. I have a different kind of Lake Country foam called CCS I use the Reds to apply wax. As far as polisher speeds you're talking setting 4-5 maybe 6 with cutting, 4-5 polishing, and I use 1 to lay sealant and wax thin and even. Depending on the condition of your paint will dictate how many pads you want to purchase. A dry pad works better than a wet pad. It also depends on what you want to spend.

As far as the Chemical Guys Hex Pads I believe they are made by Buff and Shine for Chemical Guys. Phil at Detailers Domain rebrands buff and sine pads he's simplified it down to printing on the back of the pad what that pad does. Phil offers 5 of the buff and shine pad line yellow is cutting, orange is medium polish, green polish, blue glaze/final polish, and black glaze/wax/sealant.

I'm not really into using one line and one line only, I've found certain companies have strengths with some products and weakness in others or just way over priced all together. If you're reall not sure on what you all need call auto geek and they can put you together a kit. I put my product assortment together from a bunch of reading on various detailing forums and asking questions. If you have and questions I can try to help just PM me.

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by petegz28

I own a 1999 Z28 that will do 12.2 in the 1/4. That being said, Zaino Bro's is the bomb. I love that shit. It makes any of the crap you get off the shelf look like, well, crap.

Interesting. Based on their site, the products go on easy and they say to NOT use a polisher? Do you really do all those coats of the products by hand? None of their products are listed as wax, just different polishes and enhancers. I'm assuming their polishes do both jobs as all other companies sell various polishes followed by waxes. How does that work?

[Silock]

Originally Posted by petegz28

I own a 1999 Z28 that will do 12.2 in the 1/4. That being said, Zaino Bro's is the bomb. I love that shit. It makes any of the crap you get off the shelf look like, well, crap.

Why so slow, bro?

[lewdog]

****. Posted this in wrong thread earlier so here it is.

Was thinking about just a simple orbital polisher such as this. I read somewhere that orbital is better than rotary to avoid swirls. The same one linked here is $25 at Walmart. Not sure if I would go with 6 or 10 inches though? I know I couldn't use the chemical guys polishing pads if I went with the 10 inches and they seem to have a lot of options.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0038YNA16/...I29JLNCRSHPM8Z


Here's the 6 incher (No KC NATIVE)

http://www.amazon.com/Carrand-94000A...bital+polisher

[Bugeater]

Second linky no worky. I have a 10' Craftsman orbital that is over 20 years old that's similar to the one you linked and it works fine. I use a terry cloth bonnet for applying and a wool one for buffing. Although I don't have any experience with taking care of black so there may very well be better products for that.

[MIAdragon]

Brother that's worthless. Here going to make it easy on you. But this, thank me later.http://www.autogeek.net/meguiars-da-correction-kit.html

[Miles]

Originally Posted by lewdog

****. Posted this in wrong thread earlier so here it is.

Was thinking about just a simple orbital polisher such as this. I read somewhere that orbital is better than rotary to avoid swirls. The same one linked here is $25 at Walmart. Not sure if I would go with 6 or 10 inches though? I know I couldn't use the chemical guys polishing pads if I went with the 10 inches and they seem to have a lot of options.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0038YNA16/...I29JLNCRSHPM8Z


Here's the 6 incher (No KC NATIVE)

http://www.amazon.com/Carrand-94000A...bital+polisher

The big advantage of a dual action polisher vs. the rotary or orbital is its much more difficult to do counterproductive stuff or even burn through the clear coat.