[ibimmer954]

This detailing stuff is getting too addicting for me. Today I spent about $75 on new detailing equipment...

Toro 7 amp Electric Blower (trying for the touchless dry)
50' extension cord for the blower
New hose -- wore the old one out
More MF cloths
... and top it all off ...
Meguiars Clay Bar Kit

I just spent 3.5 - 4 hours or so on my Acura TSX:

1. Clay bar treatment with Meguiars QD spray. The car is 4 years old and I've never used clay before. I'm really impressed that the clay brought back a lot of the smooth feel to the paint. I could really feel it working.
2. Meguiars Cleaner Wax
3. Zaino Z5 polish
4. Meguiars Gold Paste wax (carnuba)

This is all practice before I attempt to do it on my E93. Luckily, the E93 is still in pretty good shape, so it doesn't need the full treatment yet.

[SpecC]

nice! i think it's slowly becoming an obsession to all of us

[chrisE92]

Originally Posted by SpecC

nice! i think it's slowly becoming an obsession to all of us

+1... luckily im on summer vacation soon. i'll have some time to do a complete detail on my own

[ibimmer954]

The only problem I have with this detail is that it brought out the rock chips in my paint. Before, the grime just covered 'em up!

[cyba]

electric blowers are awesome a must have to dry your car

[i8_it]

i still say the best bet for a blower is actually those air compressors they sell. Im not sure how much they are but my buddies dad had one and when we wash our cars at his house we always use it.

[cyba]

I was going to get an air compressor but those take too long because the tips are too small. The blowers have a huge tip about 1.5 inch in diameter and works just as good for small cracks...mine only cost $30 bucks.

[haper]

Originally Posted by ibimmer346

1. Clay bar treatment with Meguiars QD spray. The car is 4 years old and I've never used clay before. I'm really impressed that the clay brought back a lot of the smooth feel to the paint. I could really feel it working.
2. Meguiars Cleaner Wax
3. Zaino Z5 polish
4. Meguiars Gold Paste wax (carnuba)

are these in order of how you used them? b/c it should be clay, polish, cleaner wax, wax?

and i have used my leaf blower for over 5 years now - the looks i get from the neighbors are priceless.

[AJerman]

Just wait until you start buying the higher end products, then you'll really start feeling the (price) pain.

Originally Posted by haper

are these in order of how you used them? b/c it should be clay, polish, cleaner wax, wax?

The cleaner wax isn't really a good idea. Cleaner wax is more of a one step product for someone who isn't going to do the whole process, but if you're going to clay, polish, and wax, you've just eliminated the need for a cleaner wax. Plus, you're polishing with wax already on the car (if you a cleaner wax before polish) which will just slow you down and gunk up your pads. Definitely toss the cleaner wax. If you want to use a chemical cleaner, use a paint cleaner, but you don't want the wax too.

[cyba]

Originally Posted by haper

and i have used my leaf blower for over 5 years now - the looks i get from the neighbors are priceless.

[TRICKE90]

+1, I'm hooked. My wife thinks I spend way too much time detailing my car & truck & motorcycle. She does'nt complain when I do her car though

[ScheerSpeed]

watch out with air compressors... once the inside of the taks start to age and get rusty on the inside... (it's inevitable for steel tanks) then those bits of rust get shot at your paint. and if you wipe a cloth afte that, you might as well wash your car with a brillo pad

[328i]

That's why it's important to drain your compressor tank often.