BlackTalon, welcome to the forum, thanks for making your first couple of posts on this thread, it sounds like you have some great detailing experience. I look forward to reading more of your posts. Thanks for the positive feedback so far, we do our best to help everyone get the most out of every detail.

I'm glad to see that you've tested and tried various products. The last time I tested Rain-X was years ago (maybe 8?) with the yellow bottle and the small spout flip top. My biggest problem was it was very streaky and durability wasn't that long. Have you had a chance to use the Aquapel treatment? I know some detailers like that as well. I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts. I have found that the Rain Clear doesn't work nearly as well when the glass isn't properly prepped before hand. Their Glass Scrub is a great product, have you had a chance to use that too?

I agree, I hardly ever use my wipers, unless it is during the light mist during slower city driving.

Before trying anything else, try a mix of distilled white vinegar and [distilled/filtered] water. This can help remove mineral deposits. If the spots are etched in, this won't help much and you will have to resort to some sort of glass polish or an abrasive polish.

Glad to hear that you had good luck with the Menzerna products. FTG's main objective is to fill in and hide light imperfections. If you applied the FTG on a brand new vehicle with minimal imperfections, there just isn't much for it to fill in.

Re: smoothness - it could be a combination of a few things. The Blue Coral shampoo could be heavy on the cleaners and it was stripping off your protection significantly with each wash. I think you'll really enjoy the Poorboy's Shampoo as it is easy to work with, has lots of lubricity and uses gentle cleaners that maximize the durability of your protection. Also, the initial surface slickness of FMJ only lasts about a week. When you first apply and remove FMJ it gives you a great feeling of the paint being very slick and almost like you used clay on your paint. The bad weather could have significantly impacted your durability as well.

If anything, you never want to use more pressure when washing. A lot of detailers have the misconception that the pressure exerted on the mitt cleans the paint, it's not. It's the shampoo that does most of the lifting of the dirt, the mitt helps remove it from the surface. I use very little pressure on my mitt and if the contamination isn't completely removed, I'll treat it with a bug & tar remover or clay it off.

[See above] It certainly could be the BC shampoo hindering the durability. If you applied FMJ on a contaminated surface, that certainly would hinder the durability as well. If that was the case, then yes, using a clay bar prior to your next application would certainly improve your durability. The 2 coats without the cure time would just result in 1 thorough application of FMJ. You should certainly still see more protection than 3 weeks. Can you go into more detail about your bad weather? If your car was outside during a storm of some sort, that alone could have a major impact on the durability as well.

Usually you just want to stick it out until your next polishing process and actually remove them. You wouldn't want to apply a glaze on top of a sealant or wax and using Natty's would not necessarily fill in the swirls. Sometimes sealants and waxes actually enhance the swirls because it makes the surface more reflective.

Congrats on the new vehicle Fireproof. For a quick by hand fix, try picking up some Meguiar's ScratchX which can be found locally at any automotive store, or even Target or Walmart have it usually. It utilizes small abrasives that allow you to apply a good amount of pressure without marring the paint. It requires some elbow grease to get results, so expect a sore arm and a few hours to accomplish this by hand.

From what you described in your post, consider applying a sealant as your base underlying protection, the maintain with a spray on carnauba wax. Poorboy's Quick Wax Plus would be a good option. You can use it on top of a sealant or an existing layer of wax to enhance the shine and durability. I see you have some Pinnacle Clay, Pinnacle also makes a Liquid Souveran that is pretty good as well.

You can use any of the spray on waxes after a wash. To save time, you can spray it on while the car is still wet, prior to drying, and dry and work in the wax in 1 step. I'd follow up with another microfiber towel to ensure there is no streaking.

Let me know if you guys have any questions on anything.

George

 

Thanks for the suggestions. I like your detailed replies. I'll have to give the wife a few of your links for XMas gift ideas.

 

I haven't tried Aquapel but have heard of it, I'll report on it vs. Rain-X most likely next year when I have funding to purchase a bunch of different products. Detailed Image, can I call you DI for short?, I will definitely try the vinegar/water mix on the water spots thanks for the suggestion! I have used a bio-degradable abrasive on a friend's car to remove some really bad spots(they probably were etched in), but I believe it also contained some pumice stone finely ground which scratched the glass, not enough to fog it but bad enough to see and imperfect glass in any way is like nails on a chalkboard to me. It was some proprietary home/auto glass cleaner which my friend gave to me after fixing up a rental apartment(he was using it on the bathroom mirrors). I totally agree that the Rain-X doesn't last long. It only holds full power through one bad rain, after two, I need to re-do it. Of course, I found that the Rain-Clear performed with maybe 50% effectiveness of the Rain-X as far as water beading/repelling and lasted even shorter. I usually got lazy and would water down some Klass AIO on a damp cloth, then dry cloth to clean the glass in-between full washes/polishes.

A brief run-down on products I have tried:

Turtle Wax(pastes that came in the green, round can that looked like a giant hockey puck with a paint can lid). Used to clean the folks' Buick Regal and Cutlass Supreme in the 70's-80's with this. It's a wax, not much more to say.

Eagle One Wet Look Synthetic Polish with Teflon - Came in a black plastic bottle with a pop-up nozzle(just like the Rain-X cap). Filled in swirl marks pretty well but created a lot of white dust when removing and tended to cake up in hard to clean areas. Durability was only slightly better than waxes.

Various Mothers/Meguiars/misc carnuba cleaner waxes. Not much to say that I can remember, only that they all performed about the same, durability was very poor, one drive in the rain was about all it could handle for slick feel and proper water beading.

Zymol(the blue bottle ~$26.00/10 oz bottle or so), apparently, this is not the real Zymol which runs around $100/oz. - This product contains a high purity Carnuba Wax along with polishing compounds so it is more of a cleaner wax. Okay product and brings out a nice, deep shine but durability is only about a month or two drives in the rain. Product, like most polishes/waxes is very difficult to remove from porous/matte areas and cracks. Also, when removing residue after dry, creates an inordinate amount of dust.

I can't remember the brand, I think it may have been Eagle One, some kind of polish/protectant that you applied with a foam applicator, let sit for a few minutes, then used a steady stream of water(not spray), to sheet off. I believe the directions indicated you were not supposed to have to dry it though it never quite worked out that way. The product went on clear and was supposed to be some "high-tech" UV protectant/polish. Never really kept the paint slick longer than a week even if the car was garaged the entire time.

Pledge(Lemon Scent) - yes, the furniture polish. A friend said he used it on his motorcycle and I tried it on my '93 white integra and the boss's black E500 mercedes. Great shine and superior slickness on the lighter colors. Black was very difficult to polish evenly. Durability was pretty sad but it slicked the paint better than anything I have ever tried. I was young and willing to try a lot more brazen things...don't recommend it as there are far superior dedicated products out there now that are easily accessible.

Dry Wash and Guard - A MLM company product. I used this exclusively on my Black '98 GSR for years. It seemed to cut through prior waxes and I rarely washed the car with water. It was great because it cleaned as well as polished the car and brought out a nice shine/slick finish and I didn't have to worry about water spotting from washing and I could work on the car in the sun if necessary. It also didn't leave much residue(unlike waxes), and even if build-up in cracks/hard to reach places occurred, you could remove it even 8+ months later without much hassle. It was a great quick-detailer to remove bird crap/misc road crap and clean the glass between Rain-X treatments. Its UV protection must have been decent as my paint lasted 6 years and still looked new before I switched to Klasse.

Crystal Guard Pro - I am not sure if this company is still in existance. Last I read, the importer to the US was having problems with its distribution rights from the Japan manufactuer. This is a PTFE product(Petro-Tetra Flouro-Ethylene- SP?) based product. Very expensive. I ruined my clear coat by trying to overzealously prep my already beautiful paint job(I tried to hand polish out the light swirl marks with Mothers Medium Grit polish and applicator and Meguiars Gold Fine grit polish-next time I try something that stupid I will use a PC). Other than that, the wash/strip/application process is a very time consuming process - 2-3 days, and the curing was supposed to take 2-7 additional days. One kit ran around $150 and was good for two medium-sized car applications. My friend said my car really seemed to pop at night(he almost didn't recognize it due to the shine), but I had trouble seeing the difference. I would strongly recommend using gloves as I believe absorption of these types of PTFE products can be quite hazardous to your health. The CG Quick makes for a great quick detailer(I currently use it on my G to wipe down after light rain). Lastly, due to the high shine it supposedly gives, instructions recommend doing extensive paint prep to remove swirl marks and imperfections.

Klasse twins(Klasse AIO and Klasse SG) - Great product which I have been using for the past 3 years to present. I use a modified Wipe on-Wipe off method for the SG. I love this product as it is so easy to use and the results are good enough for now. The AIO is a great chemical cleaner meaning you shouldn't need to apply much pressure to clean the paint/clear and it doesn't have any residue like a wax. Very easy to apply/remove and you can use it everywhere-paint/glass/rubber/trim/rims. My current regimen is:
1)Wash and scrub tires with a brush and heavier Zymol car shampoo concentration, rinse
2)Wash with two separate MF hand mitts-one for the tops and upper sides of paint, one for the rims and lower paint areas/bumpers/paint behind the tires.
3)Pat dry with an Absorber and Super Chamois(I think that's what it's called).
4)Clay Bar with Clay Magic Blue bar and Meguiars Quick Detailer spray
5)Clean with AIO and dedicated MF terry towel
6)Seal with SG x2 coats on first day, 1-2 coats on second using MF terry sponge applicator slightly dampened with tap water, wait a few seconds, wipe with one MF terry towel, polish with 2nd MF terry towel. Finish by running over entire car painted area with a waffle weave MF towel.
7)Rain-X the glass, wait 15 mins, wipe with doubled over paper towel, polish/wipe with dedicated MF terry towel
8)Polish/UV protect trim areas with BlackJack Black-Again
9)303 rubber seals on door, internal plastic, incl. dashboard, entire interior(I love this stuff)
10)Wipe tires with Wheel Wax rubber treatment
11)Polish rims with Wheel Wax cleaner wax
12)Clean painted areas under hood with AIO/SG.

This process takes anywhere from 6 to 10 hours for me. So I often just wash, dry, Klasse AIO and Klasse SG between full sessions.

After reading DI's earlier posts I realized that I am missing a true glaze step, this should eliminate the light swirl marks and give depth. The Klasse twins don't seem to fill in the swirl marks. Any critiques/comments are eagerly awaited. BTW, yeah I know I should pick up a Porter Cable, just been putting it off for years as I know I will have to research/pick up pads/bonnets polishing compounds and learn how to properly use it all and I have just been too lazy.

 

Hey guys, thanks for the replies.

Fireproof, if there's anything I can give you a hand with, please do not hesitate to ask.

BlackTalon - Thanks for such a detailed explanation of your routine and the products you've used. It looks like you have a good thing going. If there's anything I can do to help improve your results, you know how to reach me.

George

 

Thanks George, I'll post results next week. I'm hoping to be able to stretch 6 months of daily driver out of full regimens (washclaypolishFMJwax) and fill in with weekly washings and monthly Natty's blue.

Talon: where do you live? In Houston, a daily driver can never stay clean for more than 3 days. So we need more frequent, simple regimens and occasional full monty treatments.

 

DI, thanks, I will most likely be contacting you in the near future for Glass cleaners(if the vinegar mix fails this weekend) and wheel cleaners if I can't find any Mothers Wheel Mist fails or is unavailable locally. My Klasse supply is fairly full but I lost my local source last year so I may also need to hit you up for that if your pricing/shipping rates are competitive.

RocketScientist, I live in Honolulu and especially during the winter months, it rains pretty frequently depending on where you drive/live. I have been fortunate in the past few weeks since I got my G and I have only had to drive in the rain 3 times. I garage my car and fortunately my working place also offers great covered parking where I can work on my car if it rains on the drive in. I also have a fairly flexible schedule so I try to time my commutes to avoid the early morning showers. I have noticed that a lot of dust seems to gather on my rims. Not sure if it is the brake dust from the Brembos or dust from our really poor roads.

Fortunately, I have not been too busy so I have the time and ambition to keep the car extra clean, especially since I just picked it up earlier this month. I'm sure in a few months, I will get tired of wiping it down and it will regress from the daily wipes and once a month full detail to monthly washes and full detail 3 times a year or less. I find that this is highly dependent on the work schedule and woman schedule/pressure.

If you look at the bottom of my regimen, I usually get lazy and just do a wash, Klasse AIO or wash AIO/SG combo in-between full details. Light dust/grime doesn't bother me too much but when it rains and spots, I usually can't stand seeing spots on my black paint for longer than a few days and have to at least do a wash/AIO treatment.

 

Talon: My wife was born in Honolulu, but moved to Minnesota when she was 1 - she never quite forgave her parents for that.

I did the G this weekend. It already had a good FPII, FTG and FMJ treatment a few weeks ago, so this was just wash, dry and 2 coats of Natty's blue. Herein the report:

The Poorboys shampoo does seem to make a significant difference. It feels slicker under my sheepskin mitt and the car definitely came out feeling cleaner than using the cheapo Blue Coral wash. I didn't bother to clay bar it as it seemed pretty good. It seems to me that the FMJ did last, but the car was just still dirty after my last washing.

The Natty's was pretty easy to apply, but not as easy as the FMJ. It isn’t as slick feeling as the FMJ either. What it does do, however, is give the car a presence. Looking at it close up and critically, I didn't see much difference from the FMJ. But stand back 20 feet and the car just somehow looks different and stunning.

Now that I have the right products and technique, I'm really happy we got a black G. Wow does it ever look good.

 

Thanks for the update RocketScientist. I think a lot of detailers underestimate the importance of a quality shampoo, especially when it is a product that touches your vehicle more than any other product.

The Menzerna FMJ has one of the slickest feelings afterwards, almost like you just clayed your vehicle. This does not last nearly as long as the protection from the FMJ, but it is extremely easy to apply and remove because of it.

I feel exactly the same about the Natty's on top of the FMJ. Up close, there isn't much to see as far as a difference, but overall as a whole when you step back, it radiates a nice warm glow that brings out more of that "wet look".

Thanks for sharing your experience, and I'm glad that you enjoy owning a black car again.

George

 

George,

I scuffed underside of polished stainless exhaust tip. Does not look too bad or feel really deep. What would be the best course of action to repair? I know it is on the underside where no one can see, but it will bother me. Any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks.

 

Hey George

I need to buy some stuff..

starting with shampoo, wash mitt, and a wax. Your experienced suggestion is needed. Offcourse I'm going to oder from DI as I did before


Also going to read all the post here before doing anything once I get time

Let me summarize the condition of my OB car.

I got lazy this last few months and stopped hand washing by myself. I took it to dealer hand car wash which done same harm as the machine car wash. There are lots of swirl marks visible now. I have IP and FPII and clay bar so no worry. Now just need a good wax to top it off after the FMJ is put on. I never thought about Glazing though I have read in numerous forums about it's purpose.

So far the sampoo and wax is bothering me, wanting to get better ones. Also a good wash mitt. The sheepskin mitt I bought from autogeek is useless. There are couple of choices that I seen and I don't wanna make it into a argument which wax is better.

Hopefully by saturday My long waiting deatil of my car will start. As soon as im done with finals.

 

Sorry for delayed reply DRG35R. For correcting some deeper imperfections on exhaust tips, I'll use a combination of metal polish and some steel wool, starting with grade 0000. Follow up by reapplying the metal polish with a foam applicator pad or microfiber towel. This should help minimize the scuffs.

blindg35,

What shampoo and wax are you currently using? For a shampoo, I'd suggest Poorboy's Super Slick & Suds. It's one of the best shampoos that I've used and we happen to have it on sale for a great price until the end of the month for $10.99. Here's a review of this shampoo from a G35Driver member, MikeyC.

Let me know what wax you were using so I can make the appropriate recommendation for you. Natty's Blue is a good bang for the buck wax on darker colored vehicles. We also have this on sale this month for $11.99 (normally $17.99)

For an alternative to the sheepskin wash mitt, consider the Lake Country Ulti-Mit. When used correctly it is paint safe and is going to be significantly more durable than a natural sheepskin wash mitt. The key to using this safely is to let the shampoo do the work and to gently glide the mitt over the surface. The black reverse side, I do not use on my paint, but for wheels, tires, wheel wells, etc.

Here are my thoughts on using a glaze. If you are trying to fill in imperfections with a glaze, I'd rather spend that same time polishing my vehicle to remove the imperfections, not hide them. Glazes do not fill as much as you'd think and some argue that it will lessen the durability of the sealant used on top. If you're looking for added pop, I do use more of an oil based glaze for more depth and gloss. The downside to using a glaze like Clear Kote Red Moose Glaze is that sealants have a difficult time bonding to it. I'll use this combination for a show vehicle, that I only plan on using a wax on top. I hope this didn't sound too confusing.

Let me know if there's anything else I may be able to help you with.

George

 

I did some searching before posting and I couldn't find any information on how to remove some fine scratches I have on my interior aluminum trim. Mostly the scratches are around the shifter and on the door handle inserts.

 

If the trim is coated with a clear coat or gel coat, etc. you can treat it the same as your paint and use a finishing polish to remove the scratches. Go easier on these surfaces though because they are typically more sensitive to work on. Consider something light such as ScratchX or PlasticX, which can be found locally.

Hope this helps.

George

 

Hey George,

Sorry for the late reply, have been busy with the Finals. I have been using off the counter shampoo and the NXT waxes.

So far the items you have mentioned are are good and I will be getting the poorboys shampoo and the Natty's blue wax. Since I have the Polish to cure the scratches I'm thinking about not getting the glaze.

Also one more question sent in pm

 

One More question about cleaning the engine Bay. I never cleaned my engine bay since I have got my car. So i'm not familiar with what product to use. Im thinking of ordering the BIO APC degreaser.

Thanks for the pm reply, I re activated my account