[theskunk]

Originally Posted by Detailed Image

Seal - Protecting the exterior right away will preserve the paint and make future cleanings easier. I highly recommend the Blackfire Wet Diamond w/polycharger because it looks amazing, applies with ease and protects for months (4-6). I also use it on the headlights, exterior glass and wheels for added protection. You only need about 1 oz per coat for a medium size car so apply it nice and thin for best results. Blackfire Wet Diamond with Polycharger)

Full Detail
I generally just wash and protect my car throughout the year as desired. At a minimum do this every 3 - 4 months and the paint will look very good. If you want the paint to look exceptional try adding in a full detail 1 - 2 times per year. For the full detail I'd wash, dry, clay bar, polish, sealant, wax (optional)
- Wash and Dry (see above)
- Clay bar and clay lube (DI Packages DI Gentle Fine Grade Clay Bar 100g & Clay Lube)
- Polish (Meguiar's Ultra Finishing Polish M205)
- Sealant (Blackfire Wet Diamond with Polycharger)
- Wax - sealants provide more than enough protection but if you'd like more protection and shine I'd suggest the Chemical Guys 50/50 Limited Series Concourse Paste Wax or you can use the Poorboy's World Liquid Natty's Blue Wax


Greg @ DI

Greg,

Thanks for the information -- can all of this be applied by hand? or do I need to go ahead with an orbital for best results?

[UncleWede]

So, I started to wash the truck this weekend, it was covered with splatter from the rains. I rinsed everything off and was ready to get my bucket of suds when I find out one of the boys broke my bottle of suds.

Which causes less scratching? 1) my new wash mitt with just water 2) a bucket of DoDo's clay lube. I went with the clay lube. Sure, it's a bit expensive, but less than the scratches I may have caused with just a wet mitt.

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by bimmergeek

I like the thread on doing your own new car prep, but don't have the time or skills for it. Any recommendations on someone who can do this for me on Long Island (NY)?

thanks

Sorry for the super slow response. A good shop that is not too far away is Justin from Detailing Technology - http://www.detailingtechnology.com/. Good luck!

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by theskunk

Greg,

Thanks for the information -- can all of this be applied by hand? or do I need to go ahead with an orbital for best results?

Everything can be applied by hand. However polishing is arguably the most important step and this step will come out significantly better if you use a buffer. Let me know if you would like more information about the safe and easy to use Porter Cable 7424XP Random Orbital Buffer. Take care!

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by UncleWede

So, I started to wash the truck this weekend, it was covered with splatter from the rains. I rinsed everything off and was ready to get my bucket of suds when I find out one of the boys broke my bottle of suds.

Which causes less scratching? 1) my new wash mitt with just water 2) a bucket of DoDo's clay lube. I went with the clay lube. Sure, it's a bit expensive, but less than the scratches I may have caused with just a wet mitt.

Oh boy....I would personally just wait and get a bottle of shampoo or use something generic. If I had to choose I'd pick option #2 because it will help the mitt glide over the surface better. However clay lubes don't have the cleaning power that a shampoo will so you may need more pressure, which in turn cause more micro-marring of the paint. Maybe mix some generic shampoo from around the house with the clay lube if you are in a pinch?

[VWtoBMW]

I am planning on ordering teh Porter and Cable polisher from your site but have a few questions.

My car is a 2011 335i Coupe in Vermillion Red. It is about 6 months old and ha very light and fine swirl marks from a few bad hand car washes done by who I thought was a good detailer.

I recently purchased a few Swissvax products... Clay kit, Cleaner Fluid Regular and their Blau Weiss wax. The Swissvax site and Handbook only describe applying the products by hand. There is no mention of the process if using a polisher.

If I want to use the Cleaner Fluid properly so it is effective and getting out the swirls, what do you suggest I use for pads to apply, bush and polish when using cleaner fluid. Also, same question when applying, buffing and piolishing using the Blau Weiss wax?

I have a bunch of towels and polishing cloths from Swissvax as well, which I will use at some point, but for the first war on my swirls and the wax that will follow, I want to make sure I do this right the first time.

Your help is appreciated!

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by VWtoBMW

I am planning on ordering teh Porter and Cable polisher from your site but have a few questions.

My car is a 2011 335i Coupe in Vermillion Red. It is about 6 months old and ha very light and fine swirl marks from a few bad hand car washes done by who I thought was a good detailer.

I recently purchased a few Swissvax products... Clay kit, Cleaner Fluid Regular and their Blau Weiss wax. The Swissvax site and Handbook only describe applying the products by hand. There is no mention of the process if using a polisher.

If I want to use the Cleaner Fluid properly so it is effective and getting out the swirls, what do you suggest I use for pads to apply, bush and polish when using cleaner fluid. Also, same question when applying, buffing and piolishing using the Blau Weiss wax?

I have a bunch of towels and polishing cloths from Swissvax as well, which I will use at some point, but for the first war on my swirls and the wax that will follow, I want to make sure I do this right the first time.

Your help is appreciated!

Thank you for the inquiry. It sounds like you have a good set up to start with but I think you'll need just a few more things for an outstanding detail. The PC is a great start because you'll need the extra power to really remove the swirls, not just hide them. The cleaner fluid is going to remove very faint surface imperfections if you apply it with a white polishing pad and the buffer at speed 6. However I think many of the swirls will still remain since this is just a cleaning formula and it doesn't have polishing particles. To get more noticeable results I'd highly recommend the Meguiar's M105 and M205. The results of this combination can be seen here - http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-P...ars-m105-m205/. Certainly you may want to start off with what you have but from my experiences I think you may be frustrated from the lack of swirl removal. The shine will be great and it can help hide some of them but permanently removing the swirls will require more polishing. Here are two kits to consider purchasing if interested:

DI Packages Porter Cable 7424XP, Meguiar's Polishes and Hydro Pads Basic Kit
DI Packages Porter Cable 7424 XP, Meguiar's Polish and Hydro Pads

The wax you listed is a paste wax and you'll need to apply that by hand. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Greg @ DI

[spiike32]

A question that has bugged me for quite some time is what is the benefits of waffle weave? If I was to buy 70/30 plush microfiber towels, would 70/30 waffle weave perform better? Both are supposed to minimize swirls and both supposedly hold lots of water.

Also a question on pads. I'm going to place an order from your website very soon and want to make sure my process is ok. I got a random orbital buffer and a set of pads for christmas =) So, I'm totally new at this.

M105 with the orange lake country pad for heavy swirls (I have a couple on the side of the hood)
M205 with the white lake country pad for rest of the swirls and refine the area from the 105
Glaze with black pad
Blackfire wet diamond with the blue pad

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by spiike32

A question that has bugged me for quite some time is what is the benefits of waffle weave? If I was to buy 70/30 plush microfiber towels, would 70/30 waffle weave perform better? Both are supposed to minimize swirls and both supposedly hold lots of water.

Also a question on pads. I'm going to place an order from your website very soon and want to make sure my process is ok. I got a random orbital buffer and a set of pads for christmas =) So, I'm totally new at this.

M105 with the orange lake country pad for heavy swirls (I have a couple on the side of the hood)
M205 with the white lake country pad for rest of the swirls and refine the area from the 105
Glaze with black pad
Blackfire wet diamond with the blue pad

I can tell you've done some research, our routine is spot on! This should make the paint look significantly better.

In my opinion there is no comparison between the absorbency of a traditional microfiber towel (even really good ones) and the Waffle Weave ones. The Waffle Weave Towels can hold about 5x - 10x times their natural weight when absorbing water, most other microfiber towels are in the the 2x - 3x range at best. In terms of safety both should be relatively equal, but the absorbency has not even been close in my opinion. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Greg @ DI

[tofu-]

car is being fully repainted
i have no garage
i live in nyc

what can i do during the 60-90 day period to prevent damage to my new paint? I know i can't wax or seal it. what happens when a bird decides to unload on the car while i'm asleep and can't get to it quickly enough, or i am unable to remove the calcium deposits from rainfall?

is it pretty much a given that i'll need to have the car fully compounded and polished 3 months from now due to not having anything on the clearcoat to protect it?

[sorryiwasnapping]

I am looking to get a porter cable 7242xp in the next few weeks. I will be using it with the typical swirl/scratch, polish, glaze, seal, wax (i may do the latter 2 by hand).

With that said any recommendations on the Pads I should purchase, size, and the quantity of which I should purchase?

(for reference will be using a chemical guy's swirl/scratch remover, ez creme glaze, p40 polish, jetseal, and 50/50)

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by tofu-

car is being fully repainted
i have no garage
i live in nyc

what can i do during the 60-90 day period to prevent damage to my new paint? I know i can't wax or seal it. what happens when a bird decides to unload on the car while i'm asleep and can't get to it quickly enough, or i am unable to remove the calcium deposits from rainfall?

is it pretty much a given that i'll need to have the car fully compounded and polished 3 months from now due to not having anything on the clearcoat to protect it?

Unfortunately there is not much you can do. At most you can put a glaze on the paint assuming it's one with no wax or sealant at all. It will provide extremely limited protection but it doesn't seal the paint and trap in gasses. You can also wash it as much as you like in the mean time to remove build ups. If bird droppings happen, clean it right away and polish it just like normal.

Greg @ DI

[tofu-]

thanks greg, that's what i figured

[UltraRacer13]

I am in the process of a detail- so far-

wash
clay
wash
I am using pc 7424 with orange LC pad and menzerma IP-- it is not getting all of my swirls / minor scratches out. What should I do? press hard/ more passes?? My next steps are
klasse aio- white or black pad (which pad?)
the Klasse SG.

Help please!

car is sapphire black

[koifish420]

Recently purchased used wheels and need help on what products to buy to clean, maintain, protect them. They are 3 piece forged, face is powder coated matte black, with chrome lips. Chrome has water marks and grime build up. Also the inner barrels/rivets have a lot of build up as well. Faces are in very good condition. I'm trying to get them back to as close as new as possible. Thanks!

[WDBi]

is it safe to clay my car without waxing it after

[sorryiwasnapping]

Originally Posted by WDBi

is it safe to clay my car without waxing it after

HIGHLY recommended that you finish a clay job with either a sealant or a wax.

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by TXSailor

I am in the process of a detail- so far-

wash
clay
wash
I am using pc 7424 with orange LC pad and menzerma IP-- it is not getting all of my swirls / minor scratches out. What should I do? press hard/ more passes?? My next steps are
klasse aio- white or black pad (which pad?)
the Klasse SG.

Help please!

car is sapphire black

The Menzerna IP is an older formula so you may want to consider upgrading to the newer Menzerna Super Intensive Polish PO83 or the Meguiar's Ultra-Cut Compound M105. With any of these polishes it's critical that the pad is clean, I usually polish with 2+ pads so the pad stays fresh. Go nice and slow and apply medium pressure so the pad slows down just a little bit but certainly does not come close to stopping. Put one black mark on the backing plate so you can readily see how fast the backing plate/pad is moving. Do overlapping passes and move slow and steady. Try this process and let me know how the results turn out.

It's also important to note this combination will not remove all imperfections, it should remove about 60% - 70% of the surface imperfections.

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by koifish420

Recently purchased used wheels and need help on what products to buy to clean, maintain, protect them. They are 3 piece forged, face is powder coated matte black, with chrome lips. Chrome has water marks and grime build up. Also the inner barrels/rivets have a lot of build up as well. Faces are in very good condition. I'm trying to get them back to as close as new as possible. Thanks!

I would give them a cleaning with a pH neutral formula like the SONAX Wheel Cleaner Full Effect. It helps remove just about anything your wheels can face and it leaves them very clean. If there are stains, oxidation, etc. then I would use a metal polish on those areas. The Optimum Metal Polish is a great choice and on sale if interested. Just take a few small drops on a soft cloth and buff it on with light to medium pressure. Then buff off the residue with a clean cloth for a like new shine! This product provides a tiny bit of protection as well. If you want some stronger protection that will help repel road grime and brake dust check out the Poorboy's World Wheel Sealant. It's safe on all finishes and it makes future cleanings much easier while preserving your wheels. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask.

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by WDBi

is it safe to clay my car without waxing it after

You never have to wax after using a clay bar. However the point of a clay bar is to deep clean the paint. Therefore after such a thorough cleaning it makes a lot of sense to protect the paint right after with a sealant or wax. If you have any questions or if you'd like a recommendation don't hesitate to ask.

Greg @ DI

[DCTepper]

If I'm polishing with a 3-step process (i.e. Sonus SFX-1, SFX-2, SFX-3), will I benefit from using Klasse All-in-One before Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze?

[MaximusJ]

Noob question here:

Can you polish bumpers? Do you have to go with a softer polish or is it pretty much the same process as the body polish? Using same products or?

Thanks; appreciated as always.