|
TrueChaos posted:How bad of an idea is it to wax a car in say 35-50F degree weather? The miata is now away for the winter, and I'm going to give it a good clean / clay bar / wax, but I've waited too long and it's not likely to be warm any time soon. Shouldn't be a problem, depends on what type of wax/sealant you plan on using and how you're applying it. Machine application of paste or liquid wax would be easiest, you've got the heat generated from the pad to help with the wax application. Liquid waxes by hand are probably next easiest, with paste waxes being most annoying in the cold, might take a bit more effort to get an even coat and some more elbow grease to finish it off but shouldn't be too difficult. Plus the colder temps make it easier to work without breaking a sweat.
|
# ? Oct 31, 2014 05:40 |
|
|
# ? May 28, 2024 16:16 |
|
MY WIFE'S car doesn't get washed as much as it should, and it needs a good detailing. I just washed it pretty well, but there are still residual water spots / other spots that didn't come off. I have a ton of car detailing supplies, but I haven't used most of them in years. I do have a couple of clay bars lying around, and a bunch of mothers or meguiars cleaner wax for some reason. I think it came with the clay bar kits. Is my best bet just to do a thorough job with the clay bar and some detailing spray, or is there any value in the cleaner wax? I remember using the cleaner wax on my car years ago, but I wasn't sure if it did much because I always kept my car pretty clean. Do polishes actually go bad? Some of mine are probably ~5 years old by now, but my garage doesn't get below freezing in the winter for the most part. *edit* Feel free to suggest steps if I want to go full sperglord on this, like wash it with vinegar first if that will help with water spots
|
# ? Oct 31, 2014 20:48 |
|
Scott808 posted:An awesome summary Thank you for that, I have been using a 15+ year old PC and have never really paid attention to the advances. That's a good summary.
|
# ? Oct 31, 2014 22:14 |
|
MomJeans420 posted:MY WIFE'S car doesn't get washed as much as it should, and it needs a good detailing. I just washed it pretty well, but there are still residual water spots / other spots that didn't come off. I have a ton of car detailing supplies, but I haven't used most of them in years. I do have a couple of clay bars lying around, and a bunch of mothers or meguiars cleaner wax for some reason. I think it came with the clay bar kits. I've used Klasse AIO by hand (with some elbow grease) to remove water spots from sprinklers before. The cleaner wax is just another AIO variant so it'll probably lift water spots with some effort, depending on how bad they are; I know for sure the Mother's claybar kits used to come with tiny bottles of their cleaner wax. CarPro also makes Spotless, which is some sort of chemical water spot remover. Most people say it works like magic, but I know one guy on Autopia recently was complaining that it ruined his windshield to the point that he's replacing the glass. 3D/HD makes Eraser, but it contains Ammonium Bifluoride, so use the proper PPE as directed. It is nice that 3D/HD is one of the few companies that makes their MSDS readily and easily available. Chemicals can definitely go bad or at least change sitting on the shelf. The most obvious one I've had was Optimum Polish, which separated in the bottle and would not come back together even with vigorous shaking. I have other bottles of stuff that still seem to work, but it's obvious that something is happening to them. The bottles are collapsing due to solvents escaping, I think. The products still seem to work okay, but you've gotta think the formulas inside have changed in some way. The collapsed bottles only happened to bottles left alone unopened on the shelf; identical products purchased in the same order that get opened don't have collapsed bottles, so it's not obvious at all that anything is happening, but surely the same changes are happening to the chemicals inside the bottle... Last night I was trying to reorganize some stuff and found an old tube of Glass Science Fog Clear that had the opposite issue - the tube had expanded and looked like it was bursting at the seams. I don't use it at all anyway, so I just tossed it.
|
# ? Nov 1, 2014 04:11 |
|
There's a new DA available from CG - http://www.torqtoolcompany.com/ Still has an 8mm throw like every other "traditional" DA. There's speculation that Meguiar's is also set to unveil some new polisher soon, maybe at SEMA.
|
# ? Nov 4, 2014 13:31 |
|
Amazon has some nice deals on Chemical Guys products right now. http://tinyurl.com/mj4u6ho
|
# ? Nov 4, 2014 19:03 |
|
Phone posted:There are always deals going on for DA or DA kits. I have a post here with an excel sheet of what I'm using. Scott808 posted:For DAs the Porter Cable is like the old tried and true workhorse, but there are other options out there. Anything on this list thats either bad or simply out of date? Its birthday/x-mas stuff, mostly, so if something is available for $5 less elsewhere simplicity still wins. http://amzn.com/w/3KSX2591KTKGW ilkhan fucked around with this message at 20:10 on Nov 4, 2014 |
# ? Nov 4, 2014 20:06 |
|
ilkhan posted:Thanks to both of you. If you're getting both the Foamaster and the CG MF noodle mitt, you may want to think about this - http://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys-HOL_302-Blaster-Items/dp/B00F5MCL1E/ The foam gun in there is a private labelled Foamaster. IMO you're better off ignoring the soap/water lines and doing the math for the premix yourself. Whoever makes labels/writes directions/product descriptions for CG has exhibited an inability to understand dilution ratios on their own products. I would get a DA kit more like this. With a kit like that you can pick and choose your own pads. There are some experienced detailers who would advocate for skipping every other pad as they don't think the 100ppi difference between each step is enough to care about. Aggressive pads seem to get more wear and tear than finishing pads with the same amount of use. Keep in mind you'll want to get a brush of some sort to clean pads as you use them. I just use a denture brush. If you buy through Detailer's Domain make sure to look around first for a discount code - Phil has standing 10% off codes on various forums, I think there's a first timer order discount of 15%, a standing 15% veteran's discount, and 20% specials here and there. The CG description on that PC kit which says that you get a counterweight and wrench in the kit is sort of misleading; these come with the PC by default, whether you buy it from them or off the shelf from a hardware store. The pad cleaner and conditioner stuff is also not necessary.
|
# ? Nov 5, 2014 02:55 |
|
The new Meguiar's DA - MT300 8mm throw, Digital Torque Management Michael Stoops posted:Great questions! Wattage is 500W but that doesn't even begin to tell the story of any tool. The Rupes 21 is only rated at 500W but it's quite the defect slayer. Plus new foam pads and a new backing plate. A one year sealant that's only $9.99 for 16oz. New headlight restoration kit. Aerosol spray UV coating claiming one year or more of durability. Supposed to do 2 sets of headlights. MSRP $19.99 . On one hand, the headlight kit is way cheaper than Opti-Lens, but presumably you have to mask off the car since it's an aerosol. And Opti-Lens claims "permanent" durability compared to one year. On the other hand Opti-Lens is expensive, and my leftover product is now visibly curing in the syringe. Edit: Another SEMA reveal CarPro Immortal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLX0ZUVbcpw Scott808 fucked around with this message at 10:14 on Nov 5, 2014 |
# ? Nov 5, 2014 03:30 |
|
Dear god claying a 4Runner sucks. There's. So. Much. Surface. Area.
|
# ? Nov 5, 2014 22:11 |
|
Is it a major faux pas to do your detailing work in a bay of the self serve car wash where you wash it if it's not busy and you're not keeping anyone else from being able to get in? I don't really have any place to do things properly, and being able to shut both doors and get things done in there sounds really nice.
|
# ? Nov 5, 2014 22:24 |
|
AlternateAccount posted:Is it a major faux pas to do your detailing work in a bay of the self serve car wash where you wash it Yes, it is.
|
# ? Nov 5, 2014 22:45 |
|
PBMA announced that they acquired Autopia.Org. There were hints that something would be settled for good, but I thought it was a lawsuit over the Autopia name or something along those lines. I don't know how many of you were around when Autopia.Org and Autopia-Carecare.Com were the same entity, but at one time they were owned by the same people. Later, they were split into two separate entities; one owner ran Autopia.Org, and the other took the Autopia-Carcare storefront, and that decision eventually led to two Autopias. Seems like there is some bad blood left from that mess, because after buying out Autopia-Carcare PBMA then made the AutopiaForums and it seems the old timers from Autopia.Org felt like PBMA was deliberately trying to steal the identity of the Autopia.Org forums. There's also a feeling that Autopia.Org is more "free" than the PBMA forums, but that was a bit of an illusion under the original ownership. Before selling to 3D/HD there were threads that were disappeared by the owner, including the original Opti-Coat thread. Autopia.Org is so old there's a lot of detailing history buried on those forums, and I hope the transfer of ownership to PBMA doesn't lead to the loss of those old threads.
|
# ? Nov 7, 2014 14:01 |
|
paging ratbert90... how did the Volvo go? Here's a pic of mine, I dug it up for the car game thread, might as well post what a detailed XC90 looks like in silver (which is just like every other silver XC90, since silver is a terrible color for detailing):
|
# ? Nov 8, 2014 01:01 |
|
meatpimp posted:paging ratbert90... how did the Volvo go? I'm working on it! I washed it but that's about it. I have been working 60 hour weeks lately and haven't had time. I feel bad. That being said your xc90 looks fantastic!
|
# ? Nov 8, 2014 06:00 |
|
So I went and made the horrible mistake of buying a black car and then reading this thread. As you can see, the paint was in awful shape: So I did the dawn wash thing and claybarred the car. It was horrible what was embedded in the paint. I was perplexed by the stuff coming off in the bar being generally reddish in color, like the top. I used distilled water with a drop of dawn as the claybar lube. I then used meg's NXT 2.0 because I can't afford even the harbor freight DA at the moment, but I wanted to see what just waxing would do for the paint. Mabye it got rid of some of the rids? Nah, they're still there, but it looks a good deal better I think. The touch ups by the PO look like utter dog poo poo I have the notorious NC canvas top bubbling that I'm going to try to get off with some goof off. I'll hopefully have enough money together to put a new roof on the car by next year. I love my miata PS: how do I clean that grille? It still looks like poo.
|
# ? Nov 9, 2014 15:09 |
|
Taco Box posted:So I went and made the horrible mistake of buying a black car and then reading this thread. As you can see, the paint was in awful shape: Nicely done! Do you live in an area with heavy rail traffic? The red/brown that came off on the claybar could be rail dust, oxidizing on the paint. As for the grille I would remove it and scrub the dead bugs off with a brush, then paint it.
|
# ? Nov 9, 2014 15:19 |
|
How do I be not so terrible at touch up paint? Also FogHelmut posted:Is orange peel on the top of the clear coat, or is it between the clear coat and the paint? Just a followup on this - the Sonax seems to have kept the beading going for the 6 months it claimed. Not as great as when new, but it didn't not bead. Also I had been waxing with the NXT once a month through the summer. I missed September and October due to a busy schedule, but it seems to have held up despite the dirt. To get ready for winter, yesterday I washed, then did a once over with the Meguiars Quick Detailer and a microfiber, then clay bar, then the Sonax. I did not wax, mainly because it was getting dark and I was tired. I want to fix the chips, then I'll probably do a Meguiars Quick Wax spray, and get around to doing a real wax next week. Also, clay bar the headlights. You'd be surprised what it picks up. FogHelmut fucked around with this message at 15:34 on Nov 9, 2014 |
# ? Nov 9, 2014 15:25 |
|
I've never had good results with any of the off-the-shelf wheel cleaners; I've always used simple green and elbow grease. I got some Sonax Wheel Cleaner Plus at the recommendation of this thread. I bought it specifically to use on my e46, but I haven't driven it much since I got my M Coupe, so I decided to try it out on that today, even though the wheels weren't terrible yet. Before During After I simply sprayed it on, waited a couple minutes, then washed it off with the hose. No scrubbing. It works as advertised! Needed a small amount of spot cleanup after, but that stuff wiped away easily. I only have one gripe. The nozzle on the bottle it comes in sprays the product in a stream, not a mist. Therefore, it's harder to get it all over the wheel and end up using a lot more than is probably needed. I used about 1/2 the bottle doing just 4 wheels, and they weren't that bad to begin with. I'll probably get a separate spray bottle to use in the future and see how that works. I still need to try it on my other car, which has really badly caked on brake dust. Excited to see how it fares on that one.
|
# ? Nov 10, 2014 05:00 |
|
I wish I had a faucet and a hose at my apartment, but about the best I can do is rinseless carwash, clay barring, and this Ultima Paintguard Plus stuff. I'm not convinced it's any better than waxing, but it's super easy to apply at least.
|
# ? Nov 10, 2014 07:54 |
|
Don't get Sonax Polymer Netshield on your windshield. Its not easy to get off.
|
# ? Nov 10, 2014 12:48 |
|
GentlemanofLeisure posted:I only have one gripe. The nozzle on the bottle it comes in sprays the product in a stream, not a mist. Therefore, it's harder to get it all over the wheel and end up using a lot more than is probably needed. I used about 1/2 the bottle doing just 4 wheels, and they weren't that bad to begin with. I'll probably get a separate spray bottle to use in the future and see how that works. I still need to try it on my other car, which has really badly caked on brake dust. Excited to see how it fares on that one. I don't have the "Plus" but my bottle of Sonax wheel cleaner has settings for both stream and mist on the nozzle, you just keep turning it. I still use the stream though as most of the time the wheel is off the car when I'm cleaning it.
|
# ? Nov 10, 2014 15:23 |
|
Seat Safety Switch posted:I don't have the "Plus" but my bottle of Sonax wheel cleaner has settings for both stream and mist on the nozzle, you just keep turning it. I still use the stream though as most of the time the wheel is off the car when I'm cleaning it.
|
# ? Nov 10, 2014 16:57 |
|
Took a long drive from Baltimore to Mississippi and got a good lot of bugs on the front of my car. I want to get them off. Two ~*~life hax~*~ have suggested I try either using 100% Super Clean degreaser on a wet car, or by putting a dryer sheet in a spray bottle with tap water, and using another dryer sheet to scrub the bugs off. I ask you guys, how can I easily and effectively remove bugs from the car? One method involves buying a harsh chemical, the other doesn't. With such a huge variance in methods I'm not sure which to use! Does anyone know of another way to get bugs off?
|
# ? Nov 24, 2014 01:16 |
|
Plain car wash. If that doesn't take it off then you probably are lacking in paint protection. Clay it and put a good sealant on it.
|
# ? Nov 24, 2014 01:27 |
|
revmoo posted:Plain car wash. If that doesn't take it off then you probably are lacking in paint protection. Clay it and put a good sealant on it. I've seen clay bars in car parts stores and never knew what they were for. What do you use them for?
|
# ? Nov 24, 2014 01:30 |
|
PRESIDENT GOKU posted:I've seen clay bars in car parts stores and never knew what they were for. What do you use them for? To remove surface contaminants, usually much smaller than bugs, but... yeah, it'd work for bugs. Easier to just use soap, though.
|
# ? Nov 24, 2014 01:36 |
|
The car is used, and the previous owner smoked in it so I can guarantee they didn't care for it enough. I'd like to see about getting some of the scratches off the trunk, but I don't know if I should get the things for clay/polish/wax/seal myself or just take it to a detailer.
|
# ? Nov 24, 2014 01:37 |
|
Just got done at the local pay and spray car wash and Jesus Christ idaho put so much salt and sand on the roads. I was pressure washing brown sludge off the bottom of my car. Pressure wash your cars weekly during the winter folks if your local government uses salt and sand on the roads. Meatpimp, I will get to the xc90 soon, but it's been 4 outside for the last few weeks. :/
|
# ? Nov 24, 2014 03:09 |
|
So the bottom of my engine and the whole bay is a mess. I have easy access to a pressure washer. Is doing the underside of the engine/transmission a no-no?
|
# ? Nov 24, 2014 04:16 |
|
ilkhan posted:So the bottom of my engine and the whole bay is a mess. I have easy access to a pressure washer. Is doing the underside of the engine/transmission a no-no? I did mine a couple months back and got all the grease off, no problems to report as of yet. I just covered the alternator and intake, put the nozzle on 30* and had at it. Degreaser helps a huge amount as well, spray a load of that on ten minutes before you plan to pressure wash it. Leaves everything looking great after
|
# ? Nov 24, 2014 05:42 |
|
ilkhan posted:So the bottom of my engine and the whole bay is a mess. I have easy access to a pressure washer. Is doing the underside of the engine/transmission a no-no? Let me put it this way: if pressure washing your engine damages it in anyway (provided you taped off the electrical), your engine was in terrible shape to begin with.
|
# ? Nov 24, 2014 06:39 |
|
ratbert90 posted:Let me put it this way: if pressure washing your engine damages it in anyway (provided you taped off the electrical), your engine was in terrible shape to begin with. Within reason. As long as you're using the wand at a reasonable distance and don't have a 0* nozzle on there... Less posting and whining, more XC90 shining.
|
# ? Nov 24, 2014 15:34 |
|
I think I'm going to dip my toe into the world of rinseless car washes this winter. My usual routine is just to take the car to the coin op place close to my house and blast the salt and road grime off of it which is good for an 80% clean and keeping it from getting really nasty. However, this year I really have two functional cars for most of the winter and I want a way to keep the car that's currently spending time in the garage pretty clean.. I'll have all seasons on the BRZ and will drive it around in the winter when it's not really nasty and sloppy, but I want to be able to clean it up well when I put it away during nasty spells and it seems like a rinseless product is the way to do it (after a pressure washing.) The real question is which to try. Right now I'm thinking D-11501 though ONRWW is slightly cheaper. Figure this would make a good "small business sat" purchase assuming Autoality is open this weekend.
|
# ? Nov 24, 2014 19:03 |
|
So is there a long(er) term solution to spider webbing, other than wax? My car looks great for about 6 weeks, then the webbing comes back again. It still beads and looks great when it rains, just looks crazy when in direct sunlight. Goober Peas fucked around with this message at 19:38 on Nov 24, 2014 |
# ? Nov 24, 2014 19:32 |
|
What type of wax? I would switch to a synthetic sealant.
|
# ? Nov 24, 2014 19:47 |
|
Chinatown posted:What type of wax? I would switch to a synthetic sealant. I've tried Maguires Next Wax and their Carnauba wax. The Next Wax looks better but the Carnauba lasts about 2 weeks longer before the webbing returns.
|
# ? Nov 24, 2014 19:54 |
|
Anyone need a polisher? On Amazon right now: Dewalt DWP849X ROTARY - $148.95 shipped. As of right now, it's $173.95 - $25 off selected $100 Dewalt tools Black Friday special. Home Depot is also running the $25 off, but the price is a couple bucks more right now. Griot's Garage 6 DA with 10 foot cord - $99.97 for the machine and a free pad, or the machine only.
|
# ? Nov 27, 2014 15:43 |
|
I tried (emphasis: past tense) to clean a seat I just bought with my parents' "steam cleaner". Its an old Bissell Green Machine that apparently has a heating element, but the water coming out the noozle was colder than the water that was in the tank. So I just bought this Actual Steam Cleaner: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G00BTEA How much a bad mistake did I make? How much of a pain in the rear end is it to use an irl steam cleaner? I did a minimal amount of research before pulling the trigger and all I know is that I should use a microfiber cloth as a buffer.
|
# ? Nov 28, 2014 04:26 |
|
|
# ? May 28, 2024 16:16 |
|
Phone posted:I tried (emphasis: past tense) to clean a seat I just bought with my parents' "steam cleaner". Its an old Bissell Green Machine that apparently has a heating element, but the water coming out the noozle was colder than the water that was in the tank. So I just bought this Actual Steam Cleaner: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G00BTEA That steam cleaner is really good and you will enjoy it. As far as cleaning a seat with it? I would just use a brush, folex, and a rug cleaner.
|
# ? Nov 28, 2014 07:20 |