Thanks, I ended up ordering the DI Package with M105, M205 and ordered additional pads to get four of each in white, blue and orange. Hopefully, this will give me a good start to apply polishes and sealant.

 

Is there a way to get out scratches from behind the door handles without taking them off??

 

hi greg,

what do you recommend for getting my tires that nice wet black look? also, what about exhaust tips? lastly, what do you do with the chrome trim accents?

Also, can you school me on the difference between a quick detailer and a spray sealant? i don't know if I should get the ONR and do the QD mix or get the CG Hybrid V7? I compounded, polished, sealed, and waxed my car. I have removed most marks, but there is this area on the hood that looks weird (I'll up a picture later). I want to know how to keep the paint fresh on a daily basis since this is my daily driver and I have to park outside. Just want to keep the car nice and clean

Thanks again!

 

Thank you for the purchase I hope you are enjoying the new products!

Greg @ DI

 

I typically buff them as best as possible with a buffer and something like M105 and M205, but you won't get all of it, after that I do the rest by hand. This usually provides a noticeable improvement but it may not be enough the really hard to reach areas well and it may not remove the deeper scratches. Let me know if you have any other questions and I'll be happy to help.

Greg @ DI

 

For the tires the TUF SHINE Tire Clearcoat is the longest lasting dressing and with two coats it's very glossy. If you prefer a more traditional option try the Poorboy's World Bold 'n Bright.

For the exhaust tips and chrome (even coated plastic looking chrome) the P21S Metal Polishing Soap is an exceptional product. It's a great metal polish that is very easy to use while cleaning your car that really makes the metal pop!

In my experience there are three different types of quick detailers, which can be called many different names.

Cleaning Quick Detailers - The same exact thing as a clay lube. It's just meant to help you remove loose particles safely or let a clay bar glide softly across the paint. It offers no protection to the paint.

Gloss Enhancing Quick Detailers - Have similar cleaning power to the products above but have a tiny bit of polymers in them to help enhance the shine. It doesn't leave a coating of durable protection so the shine they create is normally pretty temporary.

Spray on Protection Quick Detailers - These products are not meant for cleaning they have a heavier concentration of sealant or wax in them meant to enhance the shine and add a coating of protection.

The ONR and V7 are totally different. The ONR heavily diluted is meant for cleaning where as the Hybrid V7 leaves behind more protection and enhances the shine much better. I'd suggest something like the Poorboy's World Spray & Gloss (S&G) or the SONAX Brilliant Shine Detailer, both help clean and enhance the shine. If you want more pop in the paint afterwards use the V7. I hope this helps!

Greg @ DI

 

So after claying my car I see this on my hood...how do I get rid of it? Will applying m105 or m205 remove it? I'm afraid that whatever it is might be actual paint being removed. Also, I bought the Red Foam Applicator Pad by Lake Country. What's the best way to care for them after using them for caranuba wax? Just throw them in the bucket with water and the snappy cleaner?

 

Sorry to hear about those marks on the hood. Any idea what it could be? Are they build ups on top of the clear coat or are they etched in to the clear coat? If they are build ups on the surface I would wash it and follow up with a clay bar to help remove surface contaminants. It's possible the clay bar will remove those marks but if not I'd move on to a stronger cleaner like the Stoner Tarminator. If that doesn't work maybe try a polish like the Meguiar's M205 and M105.

To care for the foam you can rinse it right after cleaning and soak it in the Snappy Clean solution. Let it soak for at least 10 minutes and then massage the pad and rinse it out thoroughly. If it looks and feels clean you should be all set, but if not repeat the process.

Hope this helps!

Greg @ DI

 

Hi Greg,

it looks like it's etched in to the clear coat. i did two attempts with 105/yellow pad and it took out very little. should i just attempt it two more times or go with a harsher compound like M95 compound?

Thanks!!!

 

Assuming the etchings are light in the finish and not too deep you should be able to keep polishing to help improve the appearance. The M105 and M95 have the same cutting power so no need to pick up that product. My only suggestion would be to pick up the Surbuf R Series MicroFingers Buffing Pads and use it with the M105. This is a very powerful combination that may assist you by removing more of this defect. This would be more effective and leave less haze behind compared to the yellow pad. I hope this helps!

Greg @ DI

 

So I think I have a major issue with my wheels.

I don't think any detailing would be able to bring it back, but I'm trying to avoid it getting worse.

I have CCW LM20's which are anodized gold. They were purchased in January 2012, and the car is barely driven. I heard this was fade because of the sun (there's less than 200 miles on the wheels lol).

So what can I do to prevent this from getting worse?



I heard Wheel Wax should help, but just wanted to make sure. I searched for Wheel Wax on google and was going to buy it from there, but then I remembered that Detailed Image was on G35Driver so I just went to your site and looks like I'll just order from there, since I may need some other detailing stuff anyway.

Just wanted to know if there was any other product I could possibly try along with Wheel Wax that will help with the problem.

Thanks.

 

whats the proper way to clean an engine bay

 

^ I just do it by hand. I could never risk just covering the intake and spraying it down with a hose. Just take a cloth and wipe down everything.

 

I was wondering if there was a product that was safe on the rubber and plastic and electronics that would clean it and shine it up

 

Hi Greg

I've finally had time to do my first detail using the PC. Overall, I like the results. I have some general questions and comments I was hoping you could help with. I used my wife's Honda Civic since it's the smallest car we have and I thought it would be easier

1. Using the PC was relatively easy but my thumb is hurting. The PC is a little large for my hands and I must have been gripping too hard. I didn't like using setting #6, so during polishing, I stuck to #5.
2. When I was polishing the roof, the PC vibrated a lot. I think the roof is thin so the PC kept bouncing. Any idea how to deal with that?
3. Since the paint was in pretty decent shape, I used M105 on areas that I knew had scratches, then M205 everywhere else. Is that the proper way? I was unable to remove scratches with M105, so I'm not sure if the scratches were too deep or if my polishing method was incorrect.
4. In the future, after the sealant wears out, what is the method to reapply sealant? Do I wash, clay, seal or do I need to do a polish before sealant?
5. For the black trim pieces, I use 303 Aerospace Protectant, but the pieces don't really turn back to black. It looks good as I apply it, then it dries up to the grayish faded color. I've tried applying several coats with little luck.
6. I am assuming that I should hand polish and seal the areas that I could not hit with the PC, what should I be using to do this by hand?
7. If I wanted to apply wax after sealant, is there any option of using the PC to save time?
8. Can I use the PC on a clear bra in any way?

Sorry for all the questions but I'm trying to keep my cars really clean!