Hey greg, I bought the DI polishing pal with a couple lake country blue 4in finishing pads from you guys. I love the concept and ease of use but these particular pads seem to soak up a lot of product and waste it. I have used them with cg xxx hard core paste wax, cg blacklight, and poorboys ex sealant all with the same problem. I have a blue LC 5.5 in pad that I use with the porter cable and it's not nearly as bad. Can you either tell me a technique to use to not soak/waste so much product or recommend a different pad? (different color, different brand, or maybe different type/thickness)

Thank you

 

Vince,

Congrats on the new car! My biggest tip is to not let the dealership do their prep unless you're really short on time or unless you are not overly concerned about a great finish. Unfortunately the vast majority of dealerships detailers are forced to work so fast with limited supplies that they don't have the resources for quality work. They often look good for the moment but after you see the paint in better lighting you'll often see tons of swirls in the clear coat.

Here are a few things I recommend for new cars.

Washing and Drying
Most swirls come from the washing and drying process so make sure you use good technique (see our Detailing Guide) and use quality products. If you need to upgrade your materials check out these three package deals:
http://www.detailedimage.com/DI-Pack...-Package-P148/
http://www.detailedimage.com/DI-Pack...mate-Kit-P141/
http://www.detailedimage.com/DI-Pack...nced-Kit-P368/

Exterior Protection
Protecting the exterior right away will preserve the paint and make future cleanings easier. I highly recommend the Blackfire Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection 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.

Microfiber
Microfiber is paint safe and highly effective at removing the left over clay lube, polish, sealant, wax, etc. For this process I would suggest getting 5x - 10x of the DI Microfiber All Purpose Towel (http://www.detailedimage.com/DI-Micr...03/16-x-16-S1/). These towels are also great for interior cleanings, apply protection, leather care, glass care and so much more!

Interior Protection
303 Aerospace Protectant protects just about the whole interior (vinyl, plastic, rubber, leather). It blocks out UV rays and preserves the finish so apply it to the dashboard, doors, console, arm rests, exterior trim, rubber moldings, etc. etc. Protecting the carpets and mats is super easy just mist the 303 High Tech Fabric Guard on them and you are done! It will help repel moisture while keeping the fibers flexible and soft.

Wheel and Tire Care
To clean the wheels I highly recommend the SONAX Wheel Cleaner (Full Effect http://www.detailedimage.com/SONAX-M...525/500-ml-S1/). It's my favorite wheel cleaner because of how effectively it breaks down brake dust and road grime. Best of all it's pH neutral so it's safe on your wheels and you don't have to worry about any staining or discoloration. After you have thoroughly cleaned them you can protect them with virtually any sealant or pick up a wheel specific product like the Poorboy's World Wheel Sealant (http://www.detailedimage.com/Poorboy...t-P40/8-oz-S1/). It's a great way to protect the wheel's finish and it makes future cleanings much easier! It applies with ease, smells amazing and one jar can protect 100+ wheels.

TUF SHINE Tire Appearance Kit is easily my favorite tire care product (http://www.detailedimage.com/TUF-SHI...ance-Kit-P545/)! First you have to thoroughly clean the tires with the supplied cleaner and brush because the tire clear coat won't bond to road grime, etc. When the tire is clean apply the tire clear coat with the supplied applicator just like you would any other dressing with a nice thin coating, I personally apply two coats for more gloss. When you are done you will have a shine that does not last days or weeks it lasts months and the protection will generally last over a year! It's incredibly durable and looks amazing for so much longer than any other dressing I've used.

If you follow these basic pre-cautions your vehicle will look great for years to come and keep the re-sale value up! If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask. Take care!

Greg @ DI

 

Picus is a quality detailer and the basic principles of his thread still hold true today. The only differences are that there are some newer polishes out there (Meguiar's M105 and M205 for example) that may be a big help. Certainly you can try to do this yourself but considering how large that area is please note that it can be difficult to do this perfectly especially on your first try. So if you're expectations are more reasonable I think it's fine to try it however if you want results closer to perfection often times a body shop is a better bet for first time touch up work. Good luck!

Greg @ DI

 

This pad blue pad we carry from Lake Country has the most amount of pores per square inch therefore it will absorb more product naturally. If you try the black or the crimson pad it may do that a little bit less. I would also recommend trying less product, with all of the products you mentioned "less is more". With a product like the CG Blacklight I can do the whole car with about an ounce, for the paste waxes a half ounce is usually plenty. Stretch the product as far as you reasonable can before using more. Midway through the detail I'll press the pad down on a clean towel or on the paint itself to help get rid of some excess sealant or wax before applying a tiny bit more. With only the 4" pads I also recommend using two pads per coat, for polishes you almost have to use a few of these pads per coat.

Good luck and I hope this info helps!

Greg @ DI

 

Thanks Greg. I think I have most of the stuff you mentioned here. I am running low so expect an order from me very soon. I am currently using Menzerna Power Lock Sealant. Is Blackfire much better? If so, I can make a switch when I run out. Thanks again.

 

Thank you Greg. I tried to go very thin, but it seemed like it was abosrbing the product faster than spreading onto the car. I tried to apply no pressure, but maybe did in the attempt to spread it thin. Not to mention this car color is the hardest color that I have ever worked with in telling exactly where I applied product, and where I didn't. I think I am going to try the crimson.

 

i stripped most of the clear from my aluminum lip, now i want to polish to a mirror shine. do i just wet sand with steel wool then use mothers metal polish? will the steel wool remove some of the clear that's left in some spots?

 

Greg, i live a few blocks from the beach and was wondering if there are any waxes i can apply to at least try to keep the moisture off my car. There are days when i wake up and its soaked.

i dont know if such product exists but if theres something that will repel water id like to try it.
also, any waxes or products that will keep cats away? lol

 

Hey Greg I am looking into two products and i am not sure what one is best for me. 22ple VX1 Pro and Optimum Opti-Coat 2.0 both seem like the same type of product. A few questions first once it is applied is there anyway to strip it off? Like will harsh soaps dish detergent strip it? Out of the two what one seems to be more user friendly? I have a work truck that does not get the care that my cars do. I want something with long protection. I work at a body shop that is right next to a railroad so overspray and railroad dust happens very often. So i have to clay very often if that makes a difference.

 

I have both and have used both...22ple is much easier to use than opticoat but isn't permanent like opticoat, it lasts about 24 months. Opticoat is a done deal when its one, 22ple I'm not to sure about if it will come off anything, haven't tried yet.

 

Thanks for the reply. I wanted something more permanent but I hear opticoat can be tricky. I just ordered the 22ple to take advantage of the 25% off and free shipping from detailed image. I hope it will be worth the price.

 

Opticoat take some practice for sure, it took me a couple time to get right. 22ple is easy to apply, just make sure you throw away the towels and applicator pad when your done, they're useless after using 22ple. DI also has a great write up on it, here's the link..

http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-P...ng-and-review/

 

How to properly detail and polish a topspeed exhaust system? What materials to use?

 

chemical guys metal shine!!!!
http://www.detailedimage.com/wax.php...P193/16-oz-S1/

pretty sure same product, new name

 

So I did the 22ple last night on my truck. A few things I wanted to say and ask. First off the stuff is very easy to apply. Goes on very fast and buffs off even faster. Its hard to see where you are putting it but that's to be expected. I don't think it adds any extra shine or glow to the paint like a wax or sealant would. I bought the 30 ml bottle thinking that's what I would use. I hardly used half a bottle. So a little goes a long way.

I hate the bottle it comes in and the top they supply. It needs to come in a squeeze bottle or something else that it can be dispensed out of easier.

OK so my questions would be after the 5 day cure time would adding a wax give it any extra benefits? Because this is a hard coating on top of the paint how would you strip off the product if you wanted to? Any products that I should stay away from?