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I use Meguiar's stuff most of the time, save for Armor All tyre foam, which I find gives a nice finish, and Wonder Wheels for cleaning alloys. For when you're masking off trim to stop polish stains, I'd recommend 3M's 3434 masking tape, it's fantastic stuff. Also, UK guys: Looks like Halfords is 3-for-2 on cleaning stuff at the moment, and they carry a much better selection than they used to.
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Mar 30, 2012 19:25
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UK guys! Car cleaning stuff (anything in a tub/bottle, not hardware) is buy-one-get-one-free at Halfords over the Easter weekend, and if you spend £50 you get a £10 voucher for next week.
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Apr 6, 2012 15:58
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I'd do that, clean with washing-up liquid or similar, but maybe try Armor All's aerosol foam tyre dressing. I find it has a good "clean new tyre" look rather than  shininess.Also, cross posting from the toolbox thread - No-one made exactly what I wanted for a toolchest to hold all my detailing gear (and most of the bigger stuff was way more pricey/overbuilt than necessary for such a simple job), so I built my own mutant one from a couple of basic Halfords ones and some cunning hidden fasteners, along with much better wheels and door pulls for manoeuvering the thing:  For reference, it's a little under six foot to the top of the open lid. No way I'd trust it for heavy work, but to carry cleaning stuff, cloths and all that gubbins it's perfect. Now all my stuff is in one place, and I can roll it out onto the drive easily instead of going in and out the garage every two minutes.
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Apr 18, 2012 23:59
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Motronic posted:I need that sticker. coolskillrex remix posted:i find tire foams are completely useless. Almost all poo poo you can buy from autozone and stuff typically IS useless with the exception of meguiars.
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Apr 19, 2012 07:26
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Yeah, when I was an idiot teenager I treated wax like some kind of facial mudpack for the car. You really only need a thin hazing of it over the panel.
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Apr 19, 2012 21:08
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Cakefool posted:I'm in the UK so not all of these product recommendations work for me, also my car is a state as I've only washed it once in nearly 2 years. Anyway, walk me through this please: If you're looking for a relatively easy/cheap introduction to claying, I'd say you couldn't go far wrong with buying Meguiar's Smooth Surface Clay Kit (this includes a decent microfibre cloth, a small bottle of their cleaner wax, and some detailer spray as lubricant). If you wash the car, use the clay kit as directed with its included cleaner wax, you'll probably have the thing looking way better than you did before any you've only spent £25. I'm going to let everyone else comment on removing spiderwebbing and similar artifacts. I find Megaiar's Deep Crystal paint cleaner and polish do a reasonable job, but they're very much on the mild end. I'm actually condidering getting myself a machine too.
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Apr 29, 2012 16:49
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Touch up paint can be crap, but treat it like what it is, painting a car, and don't just blob it on everywhere. Taking your time, doing several thin coats, and wetsanding it can do quite a nice job.
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May 18, 2012 22:12
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Or just wrap it in vinyl of your choice.
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Jun 2, 2012 16:08
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Looks like a Peugeot 304 to me.
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Jun 17, 2012 16:42
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Yeah, if it's still clean except for the rain, that's exactly the situation quick detailer is made for. I like Meguiar's Ultimate one.
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Jun 21, 2012 18:12
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Etrips posted:So I just picked up a new car and want to start taking care of it properly (Sexy Metallic Candy Blue mmmmm). The OP is really great and all but I'm still a bit lost on what to do after washing the car then claying it. I need some sort of wax / sealant? quote:The OP mentions compounds after the clays, but I'm not exactly sure what compounds do? quote:I think getting a leaf blower for drying the car would be a good idea, how strong of one do I need? Would something like this work? quote:I'm kind of on a budget ($100~), would anyone mind helping me on picking some products out, this is a bit overwhelming and I want to keep my new car looking good Meguiar's gold glass twin pack with one bottle of shampoo and one bottle of carnuba wax. Meguiar's clay bar starter kit. This includes some detailing spray as a lube, a decent microfibre towel, and a bottle of their cleaner wax. Mequiar's ultimate quik detailer spray TWO buckets for washing A pack of half-decent microfibre towels A microfibre "noodle" sponge If you wash with the gold class shampoo using one bucket for the solution, and a second to rinse the sponge every time it comes off the car, then claybar it, then use the cleaner wax, then the gold class wax, then the quik detailer. Repeat washings can be just the shampoo (always the two bucket method) and the quik detailer if you do it regularly, maybe some wax if it needs it. You shouldn't need to clay or use any kind of cleaner or compound on a regular basis if you keep on top of it. Any extra cash? I would recommend a decent alloy wheel cleaner (I like Wonder Wheels, but I don't know if you can get it in the US), a glass cleaner (Windolene etc is fine, really, lots of people like Stoners invisible glass it seems), and maybe some tyre shine (I like Armor All aerosol foam, everyone else seems to hate it so YMMV).
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Jun 26, 2012 21:04
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If you wetsand, compound and polish it as well, you can get drat close to making it disappear, especially on a metallic colour.
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Jul 24, 2012 23:11
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ratbert90 posted:Uh, no you won't
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Aug 5, 2012 21:31
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If you are using rubbing compound correctly with the correct techniques there won't be those marks at all.
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fknlo posted:Is there anything special that needs to be done when washing micro fiber towels? Can I just wash them with regular detergent? chutwig posted:Would a clay bar even do anything against this?
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Sep 11, 2012 18:33
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zundfolge posted:Does anyone have any hints for getting washer fluid stains off of white paint? I filled up my washer reservoir with a Rain-X fluid that has an orange dye in it, and it's left some spots on my hood that won't come off, even with vigorous scrubbing.
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Oct 1, 2012 22:41
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Yeah, I've used straight water with Meguiar's clay bars and it works fine.
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Dec 16, 2012 13:00
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davebo posted:Also it has air-cooled seats with all those perforations, so do I need to watch out for any conditioners that would end up just filling those gaps? Actually, I'd recommend most of Ammo's videos, some really good stuff in there. It's the same guy who does the detailing stuff on Drive. Have a look at his other leather/interior videos, he runs through a few different approaches. For leather cleaner, I've found Meguiar's Gold Class to be a good mild one. It's a cleaner/conditioner so it's more of an all-in-one solution, and that does mean it won't get heavier stuff out as well. For a straight cleaner, Gliptone has an excellent reputation, but I don't know if you can get it in the US.
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Apr 9, 2013 09:54
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Could you give a couple of photos of it? People might have different suggestions depending on the make, year, how far gone it is and so on.
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Apr 9, 2013 11:41
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I agree with revmoo, that looks like it's etched itself into the clear good and proper. To remove any sap that's still on there, I'd use a claybar, but from the picture it looks like the sap itself has been removed, and it's now just the damaged paint we're looking at? I would try wetsanding it, then use some compound to remove the sanding marks. How effective that would be depends on how deep it's gone in, and if it's actually damaged to the point of coming away from the colour coat, there's not a whole lot to be done.
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Apr 11, 2013 18:25
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Hmm, unexpected (ok, expected but completely forgotten about) refund cheque for a thing a few months back has appeared. Thinking of grabbing myself a Meguiar's G2 polisher, but I notice the cleanyourcar.com DAS-6 and DAS-6 PRO (850W motor) are cheaper, the regular one significantly so. Would I be paying for the name with the G2, or is it better than the DAS-6 PRO? From what I can see, the main advantage is the "cruise control" to maintain the RPM under loading, which admittedly sounds like a neat trick, but I've never found cleanyourcar to steer me wrong with what they sell. What say you, shiny happy people? No Porter Cable or Griots ones are available in the UK, and I don't trust myself not to totally gently caress things up with a rotary.   Edit: Apprently the DAS-6 PRO is the Griots polisher, just in a UK spec. InitialDave fucked around with this message at 23:07 on Apr 11, 2013 |
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Apr 11, 2013 22:55
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As long as you'll be waxing it in the near future, nothing wrong with that at all. EDIT: I thought you meant the car. The clay? I'd make sure you pick out any bits of dirt with tweezers, then try washing it to remove anything else. Give it a first use on an inconspicuous area, and have a drat good check that you aren't putting any scratches in that you won't be able to buff out with compound or polish. I'd say include at least some kind of compound in your process, after washing and claying but before waxing. I tend to use Meguiar's, and either their Deep Crystal #3 or Ultimate Compound are reasonable. They also do a Cleaner Wax if you want an "all in one" product, their clay bar kit includes a small bottle of it, plenty to do a car. Remember these basic guidelines when you're choosing what it is you want to do: Washing is removing the loose dirt on the paint Claying is for pulling out embedded particles in the paint Cleaning is cleaning up the surface of the paint itself Polishing is for making it shiny Wax/sealant is for adding protection and giving a final gloss/lustre to the paint InitialDave fucked around with this message at 08:35 on Apr 14, 2013 |
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Apr 14, 2013 06:15
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Scott808 posted:People can do whatever they want, but when my bar of clay is less than $10 for the whole thing versus scratched up paint I'll toss the clay. InitialDave fucked around with this message at 10:56 on Apr 14, 2013 |
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Apr 14, 2013 10:54
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Compound is likely a good first step, but my preference is to try some bug & tar remover first, particularly if it's largely black marks from bumper/tyre scrapes. You definitely want to get some wax on there after using compound etc though. And then you'll have the "one clean spot" problem...
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Apr 18, 2013 19:09
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Tree sap in the middle of summer is ridiculous. It's either the stickiest substance known to man, or some kind of diamond-hard indestructible dried snot. Pine trees come with the added bonus of those drat needles in all the nooks and crannies, jammed in the window and door seals, getting trodden into the carpets and burrowing themselves in there.
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Apr 28, 2013 23:27
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Voltage posted:Any opinion on AMMO NYC stuff? It looks solid and the guy's youtube channel is crazy OCD good, but I wonder if the products work - I kinda want to buy this: http://www.ammonyc.com/shop/ammo-paint-regimen-kit/  .
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May 1, 2013 22:45
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Can you get Gliptone brand cleaner in the US?
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May 29, 2013 23:04
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Sorry, I was thinking of the seats. Not sure on the dash, but whatever he uses, a soft toothbrush or nailbrush to get into the grain of the plastic helps a lot.
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May 29, 2013 23:25
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They can be ok for specific rinsing of wheels etc, but they don't really have the flowrate to do anything that's "hose" based, and I've always found that they tend to create a spray of droplets rather than a sheet of water when rinsing, which doesn't sluice its way off the surface as neatly. If you can't get a hosepipe to where you are, I would wash by hand using the two-bucket method, and rinse with a watering can (without a rose on it) - you can easily grab a nice big ~25 gallon water container to decant the clean water from for the rinsing. The 12v pump hose systems that run off a battery or cigarette lighter are a bit more convincing if you want portable hosing-down ability.
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Jul 5, 2013 21:47
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This is my normal "good enough" scratch/chip fixing routine: Clean the rust out the scratches first, layer up the paint as per its own guidelines for time between coats until it's proud of the surface, and leave it as long as you can to harden (preferably a few days) before wet-sanding it with very fine wet and dry. Then use compound etc and detail the relevant panel as normal. You'll be able to see where you've done it, but it'll look much better, and all it stands you is a touch-up pen and a bit of wet and dry. Ammo have a good video of attempting this technique on something that really is just way too far gone for it to be appropriate, but it illustrates how it can make a big improvement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmEhsuO2cKY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5QAjWbx03s
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Jul 20, 2013 23:31
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Aren't Subarus notorious for having soft paint?
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Sep 6, 2013 19:42
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QuarkMartial posted:E: Also, educate me on touchup paint. I have a really nasty patch on my passenger door. It's a deep and long scratch going down to bare metal in spots. I figure usual paint prep is standard, but will touchup paint hold up? Is there something I can put on top to make it last? It's a truck, so I'm not concerned about it looking absolutely perfect, I just don't want rust or a bright yellow stripe on my door. Basically, do everything you can to get rid of any rust that's starting where it's down to bare metal and prime those bits, build up the touch-up paint in the scratch layer by layer, and wet-sand it back flush when it's 100% dry. Give it a good buffing up, and if you've used a paint that's a decent colour match, it should look a hell of a lot better.
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Sep 24, 2013 09:08
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I find a slightly damp microfibre is fine for most interior plastics. As for wasing them, I bung them in the machine and use the microfibre-specific detergent Chemical Guys do. As long as they're not ridiculously clarted up, they seem to come out ok. I tend to relegate nastier ones to dirtier jobs and use the newest ones for the nicer areas.
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Oct 20, 2013 17:23
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Mat_Drinks posted:Some of you are making me cringe with your recommendations of armor all anything... I don't have any confidence in any of their product line and I'm just picturing lots of unnaturally shiny reflective dashes and tires.
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Oct 21, 2013 22:32
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shoophobo posted:So did I do good for preparing for babby's first detailing? When you say you want to fix any swirls, what do you have for doing that? If you're sticking with Megairs, they do both a compound and a polish in their "Ultimate" range. quote:Anything else I should know for washing and detailing a new car for the first time? Use good quality glass cleaner. quote:Oh, and how can I keep brake dust from accumulating on my wheels? Is it possible?
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Nov 8, 2013 00:34
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shoophobo posted:Should I clay the wheels first (after washing) to make sure I get all the brake dust, then wax? Should you want to, though, keep a old or dirtier bit of clay just for the wheels. Speaking of clay, particularly on a car that was transported by rail, you'll be amazed how much iron oxide you pull out the first time you do the paintwork.
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Nov 8, 2013 11:11
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shoophobo posted:I'll see, maybe contact the HOA. I doubt anything will get done, they're a bunch of jokers too. quote:I'll see about Wonder Wheels, I have some sort of Mothers Wheel Cleaner laying around here somewhere as well. There seems to be a lot of dust for just 300 miles, probably because the brakes are new. Saying that, my experience is that if you clean the wheels intensively once, even without waxing or sealing them, a weekly clean down is really easy, and I use a less aggressive cleaner for that (Muc Off, a pink cleaner/degreaser normally used for mountain bikes and ATVs etc).
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Nov 8, 2013 19:07
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UK goons, Euro Car Parts have a weekend sale thing on, and for £25 (reduced from £48), they'll sell you a Meguiar's kit containing this: - Gold Class Car Wash 473ml - Gold Class Quick Detailer 295ml - Meguiars Clay Bar 25g - Ultimate Compound Polish 295ml - Gold Class Carnauba Plus Wax 177ml - 2 x Microfibre Cloths - 2 x Soft Foam Applicator Pads http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/p/car-accessories/car-cleaning-accessories/exterior-cleaning/car-gift-packs/?549776251&0&cc5_598 They have other similar deals also. They have these kinds of things with a different bent to them on a very regular basis, but this particular one ends tomorrow night.
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Nov 17, 2013 01:00
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Those anti-frost sheets you put over the glass and then remove in the morning can work, but if you get any moisture behind them when putting them on, that freezes, and you're back to square one.
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Dec 1, 2013 09:26
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Good degreaser, a selection of cheap brushes with a variety of size and stiffness, and one of those pump-up garden sprayers to rinse off, that should work well, especially if you put hot water in it. If it's really mucky and baked on, wallpaper scrapers are good for getting the majority of it off, and there is also a lot to be said for using something cheap like paraffin or petrol to do most of the work, and finishing off with the "good" degreaser as a last step. Also, gloves, clothes and a work area which are all okay to get a splatter-pattern of oil from the brushing. I have a small (kettle-sized) steam cleaner which, although very limited in cycle time, is great for spot-cleaning small areas when you just want to remove a component without dirt getting into the hole from around the edge.
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Dec 26, 2013 19:25
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| # ¿ May 11, 2024 11:15 |
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Just use a paintbrush and a good wheelcleaner. You shouldn't really need to scrub, just "agitate".
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Feb 2, 2014 19:43
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