Ask a Professional Detailer...
#602
Jin,
Good question. I like to use a good degreaser when cleaning the engine bay. We just got in Chemical Guys Bare Bones degreaser, which I heard works quite well in the engine bay. I usually use P21S Total Auto Wash or Poorboy's Bio Degradable APC when I degrease engines, but I'm looking forward to trying the new CG stuff. The Total Auto Wash is the safest of them all since it's a citrus cleaner.
Basically my process is to wet the engine bay area with a stream of water. Mist degreaser starting from the bottom of the engine bay and working up. Then for stubborn areas, I'll agitate the surface with a brush or a towel. Rinse down the engine bay. Blot dry with a towel. Then follow up with your choice of dressing. I typically use 303 Aerospace Protectant as my dressing. If you have painted areas or polished metal, you can polish those as well to enhance the look of your engine bay.
Here's a link to an engine bay detail similar to the process I use.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
George
Good question. I like to use a good degreaser when cleaning the engine bay. We just got in Chemical Guys Bare Bones degreaser, which I heard works quite well in the engine bay. I usually use P21S Total Auto Wash or Poorboy's Bio Degradable APC when I degrease engines, but I'm looking forward to trying the new CG stuff. The Total Auto Wash is the safest of them all since it's a citrus cleaner.
Basically my process is to wet the engine bay area with a stream of water. Mist degreaser starting from the bottom of the engine bay and working up. Then for stubborn areas, I'll agitate the surface with a brush or a towel. Rinse down the engine bay. Blot dry with a towel. Then follow up with your choice of dressing. I typically use 303 Aerospace Protectant as my dressing. If you have painted areas or polished metal, you can polish those as well to enhance the look of your engine bay.
Here's a link to an engine bay detail similar to the process I use.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
George
#604
Registered User
iTrader: (5)
Love the website you guys have, George. Definately a superb how-to section and advice on different products.
What's your take on the following process:
- wash with Zaino car wash
- Zaino claybar w/ zaino car wash + water mixed in spray bottle for lube
- quick wash with Zaino car wash
- Bad swirls: Menzerna Intensive Polish P091E, okay or light swirls: Menzerna Final Polish P085U
- 2-3 layers of Zaino Z-5 Swirl polish w/ layers of Zaino ultra gloss in between the glaze
- finish off with Zaino Z-8 grand finale spray seal
My friend passed the advice on to me so I wanted to get some opinions on it from other pros and experienced detailers (so anyone else feel free to chime in on it). Sounds legit. I have a OB coupe that's swirled up the a**. Oh, and I'm definitely buying from you guys from now on.
What's your take on the following process:
- wash with Zaino car wash
- Zaino claybar w/ zaino car wash + water mixed in spray bottle for lube
- quick wash with Zaino car wash
- Bad swirls: Menzerna Intensive Polish P091E, okay or light swirls: Menzerna Final Polish P085U
- 2-3 layers of Zaino Z-5 Swirl polish w/ layers of Zaino ultra gloss in between the glaze
- finish off with Zaino Z-8 grand finale spray seal
My friend passed the advice on to me so I wanted to get some opinions on it from other pros and experienced detailers (so anyone else feel free to chime in on it). Sounds legit. I have a OB coupe that's swirled up the a**. Oh, and I'm definitely buying from you guys from now on.
#605
Originally Posted by pavelpg
Love the website you guys have, George. Definately a superb how-to section and advice on different products.
What's your take on the following process:
- wash with Zaino car wash
- Zaino claybar w/ zaino car wash + water mixed in spray bottle for lube
- quick wash with Zaino car wash
- Bad swirls: Menzerna Intensive Polish P091E, okay or light swirls: Menzerna Final Polish P085U
- 2-3 layers of Zaino Z-5 Swirl polish w/ layers of Zaino ultra gloss in between the glaze
- finish off with Zaino Z-8 grand finale spray seal
My friend passed the advice on to me so I wanted to get some opinions on it from other pros and experienced detailers (so anyone else feel free to chime in on it). Sounds legit. I have a OB coupe that's swirled up the a**. Oh, and I'm definitely buying from you guys from now on.
What's your take on the following process:
- wash with Zaino car wash
- Zaino claybar w/ zaino car wash + water mixed in spray bottle for lube
- quick wash with Zaino car wash
- Bad swirls: Menzerna Intensive Polish P091E, okay or light swirls: Menzerna Final Polish P085U
- 2-3 layers of Zaino Z-5 Swirl polish w/ layers of Zaino ultra gloss in between the glaze
- finish off with Zaino Z-8 grand finale spray seal
My friend passed the advice on to me so I wanted to get some opinions on it from other pros and experienced detailers (so anyone else feel free to chime in on it). Sounds legit. I have a OB coupe that's swirled up the a**. Oh, and I'm definitely buying from you guys from now on.
The process you have outlined looks pretty good. The most important thing is getting the detailing process and techniques down. Polish recommendations are great, however, if you'd like even better results, I'd recommend going with Menzerna PO106FF finishing polish.
Also, for maximum results, you'll want to apply polishes with a quality buffer such as the Porter Cable 7424 or the Flex XC3401VRG.
Also, if you'd like to add some more depth and gloss to your paint, you could top Zaino with a carnauba wax. Since your car is black, you will definitely experience more of a wet look with a good wax. A great bang for the buck wax that works great on darker colored vehicles is Poorboy's Natty's Blue Paste Wax. Another great wax with slightly more depth and gloss would be Chemical Guys 50/50 wax. This wax is actually a pretty good value considering you get 16oz of product compared to most waxes are 8 oz or less.
Keep us posted on what you end up going with and what you think of your results.
George
#606
Registered User
iTrader: (5)
Thanks for the advice, George. I will take a look how these turn out and possibly get the other polish to try out later. I think I'll get the wax though. Speaking of that; so it is totally fine to put carnauba on top of the spray sealant (z-8)?
Could you also recommend some good cleaning products for the following:
- engine bay and other mechanical parts (undercarriage, suspension, etc)
- cleaner/polisher for polished steel/chrome
- claner/polisher for plastics (headlight and tail light housing)
I was wondering if you know of any good shade solutions. My driveway is not in the shade and my garage is too flat to wash my car in; it just floods and the water stays inside. What time of day and weather do you usually end up detailing in? Seems like it's either too hot (direct sunlight) or rainy here where I live. Is it worth getting a retractable car port or something?
Could you also recommend some good cleaning products for the following:
- engine bay and other mechanical parts (undercarriage, suspension, etc)
- cleaner/polisher for polished steel/chrome
- claner/polisher for plastics (headlight and tail light housing)
I was wondering if you know of any good shade solutions. My driveway is not in the shade and my garage is too flat to wash my car in; it just floods and the water stays inside. What time of day and weather do you usually end up detailing in? Seems like it's either too hot (direct sunlight) or rainy here where I live. Is it worth getting a retractable car port or something?
Last edited by 425skyline; 04-18-2008 at 07:37 PM.
#607
#608
Originally Posted by pavelpg
Thanks for the advice, George. I will take a look how these turn out and possibly get the other polish to try out later. I think I'll get the wax though. Speaking of that; so it is totally fine to put carnauba on top of the spray sealant (z-8)?
Personally, I'd probably skip the spray sealant and apply the wax on top of the Z-5. I don't think you'll get any added benefit by adding the Z-8 between the Z-5 and a carnauba wax, other than more work and more product being used. Spray sealants typically will not give as much protection as the regular Z-2 or Z-5, but it may cover the life of a coat of wax, which is roughly a month. You should be fine either way you decide to go.
Could you also recommend some good cleaning products for the following:
- engine bay and other mechanical parts (undercarriage, suspension, etc):
Chemical Guys Bare Bones is an excellent undercarriage, suspension, engine bay degreaser. Afterwards, Chemical Guys Silk Shine Dressing is great to use on the engine bay, wheel wells, etc. It also works well on your interior too. You can also use 303 Aerospace Protectant, but I feel the Silk Shine helps color in certain things like hoses deeper and richer.
- cleaner/polisher for polished steel/chrome:
I usually work with P21S Finish Restorer as my metal polish. If the area is really neglected, I may apply a coat or two using some 000 or 0000 grade steel wool, then follow up with a foam application to increase the reflectiveness and shine.
- claner/polisher for plastics (headlight and tail light housing):
I like to use Plexus Plastic Cleaner, Polish and Protectant for plastics, including your lights and gauges. It also works excellent on laptop screens, LCDs, Plasma TVs, DVD & Nav screens. It contains an anti-static ingredient which helps cut down on dust and debris that accumulates.
I was wondering if you know of any good shade solutions. My driveway is not in the shade and my garage is too flat to wash my car in; it just floods and the water stays inside. What time of day and weather do you usually end up detailing in? Seems like it's either too hot (direct sunlight) or rainy here where I live. Is it worth getting a retractable car port or something?
Personally, I'd probably skip the spray sealant and apply the wax on top of the Z-5. I don't think you'll get any added benefit by adding the Z-8 between the Z-5 and a carnauba wax, other than more work and more product being used. Spray sealants typically will not give as much protection as the regular Z-2 or Z-5, but it may cover the life of a coat of wax, which is roughly a month. You should be fine either way you decide to go.
Could you also recommend some good cleaning products for the following:
- engine bay and other mechanical parts (undercarriage, suspension, etc):
Chemical Guys Bare Bones is an excellent undercarriage, suspension, engine bay degreaser. Afterwards, Chemical Guys Silk Shine Dressing is great to use on the engine bay, wheel wells, etc. It also works well on your interior too. You can also use 303 Aerospace Protectant, but I feel the Silk Shine helps color in certain things like hoses deeper and richer.
- cleaner/polisher for polished steel/chrome:
I usually work with P21S Finish Restorer as my metal polish. If the area is really neglected, I may apply a coat or two using some 000 or 0000 grade steel wool, then follow up with a foam application to increase the reflectiveness and shine.
- claner/polisher for plastics (headlight and tail light housing):
I like to use Plexus Plastic Cleaner, Polish and Protectant for plastics, including your lights and gauges. It also works excellent on laptop screens, LCDs, Plasma TVs, DVD & Nav screens. It contains an anti-static ingredient which helps cut down on dust and debris that accumulates.
I was wondering if you know of any good shade solutions. My driveway is not in the shade and my garage is too flat to wash my car in; it just floods and the water stays inside. What time of day and weather do you usually end up detailing in? Seems like it's either too hot (direct sunlight) or rainy here where I live. Is it worth getting a retractable car port or something?
Originally Posted by speedunit84
I have the the ultimate detailing machine and used the Paint prep Plus from Ultima and wasnt able to remove the swirls on my car. My G is black so the swirls drive me crazy. What do i have to do to get rid of the swirls.
a) Use a more aggressive polish. I haven't used the Ultima line of polisher, but the general consensus of pro detailers is to stick with the Menzerna line of polishes.
b) Use a more aggressive pad combo
c) Invest in a more powerful buffer, like a Flex XC3401VRG or learn to use a rotary buffer.
You should be able to correct a good amount of swirls and imperfections (maybe not 100% of them, but a majority of them) with your UDM. How aggressive is the polish or pad you tried? Technique has a lot to do with your results on a UDM / PC. I'm assuming you ran the buffer at full speed and were applying some decent pressure on the unit? Also, how slow were you moving the buffer? and how many times did you go over a single area?
One thing you can do is to work in smaller areas, like 12" x 12" until you're getting the results you're looking for. Another option is to use smaller pads, like 4" pads for more cut out of your UDM. If you thought you were moving the buffer slow enough, slow it down even further. A general rule of thumb is to move the buffer at a speed of 1" per second and make sure you pass over each section of your 12" x 12" area around 6 - 8 times.
Hope this helps.
George
#610
George,
Thank you for the wealth of knowledge you provide this forum. I have learned a lot about car care thanks to you. However, I have a quick question for you, as I hope to learn more. I am picking up a brand new car from the dealership tomorrow, and would like to know the best course of action for protecting and taking care of the car. I am aware of the full process of washing, polishing, waxing, etc. (as I have read some of your tutorials), but does that also apply to a brand new car with less than 10 miles on it? I guess what I am asking is if all the other steps aside from washing and waxing are excessive for a brand new car, or if it should be clayed, polished, etc. right away. FYI, the car is Platinum Graphite in color. I appreciate the help, I just wanted to get off on the right foot.
P.S.- I plan on ordering the Porter Cable from you and some other necessary items, but didn't want to go overboard, because I know it would be easy to do.
Thank you for the wealth of knowledge you provide this forum. I have learned a lot about car care thanks to you. However, I have a quick question for you, as I hope to learn more. I am picking up a brand new car from the dealership tomorrow, and would like to know the best course of action for protecting and taking care of the car. I am aware of the full process of washing, polishing, waxing, etc. (as I have read some of your tutorials), but does that also apply to a brand new car with less than 10 miles on it? I guess what I am asking is if all the other steps aside from washing and waxing are excessive for a brand new car, or if it should be clayed, polished, etc. right away. FYI, the car is Platinum Graphite in color. I appreciate the help, I just wanted to get off on the right foot.
P.S.- I plan on ordering the Porter Cable from you and some other necessary items, but didn't want to go overboard, because I know it would be easy to do.
#611
Registered User
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 544
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Wax
Geo . . . . need your opinion on waxes please sir. Just so you'll know - gonna put you on the spot a lil bit. I'm looking for a priority list of the BEST carnauba waxes you carry. If you want to break them out between dark vs light colors feel free. I'm trying to choose between :
- p21S pure carnauba
- CG 50/50
- Pete's Black Pearl
Criteria is longevity + wetness.
Assume adequate prep with sealing.
Thanks .... that's probably enuff pressure for now.
- p21S pure carnauba
- CG 50/50
- Pete's Black Pearl
Criteria is longevity + wetness.
Assume adequate prep with sealing.
Thanks .... that's probably enuff pressure for now.
#613
My '07 G35 has 15,000 miles on it. Recently, I noticed my front left wheel has what looks like stains on their clear-coat finish. I'm guessing a car wash / detail place sprayed some type of chemical on the wheel and didn't rinse it off in time and the wheels were damaged. I tried a little rubbing compound on it to no avail. I didn't buff or rub that much. I'm wondering if working with a coarse rubbing compound makes sense... or maybe a Dremel tool with a polishing pad... or ??? Thanks for any ideas.
#614
Originally Posted by Offtrac
Have Bugs been discused yet? Whats the best way to get em off and keep em off?
The best thing that you can to help minimize additional work is to make sure your paint is always protected with a quality coat of sealant and/or wax. If you were to wash soon after the bug splatter occurs, it should rinse off pretty easily. There's nothing you can really do to prevent bug splatter though.
Originally Posted by Jlotempio
George,
Thank you for the wealth of knowledge you provide this forum. I have learned a lot about car care thanks to you. However, I have a quick question for you, as I hope to learn more. I am picking up a brand new car from the dealership tomorrow, and would like to know the best course of action for protecting and taking care of the car. I am aware of the full process of washing, polishing, waxing, etc. (as I have read some of your tutorials), but does that also apply to a brand new car with less than 10 miles on it? I guess what I am asking is if all the other steps aside from washing and waxing are excessive for a brand new car, or if it should be clayed, polished, etc. right away. FYI, the car is Platinum Graphite in color. I appreciate the help, I just wanted to get off on the right foot.
P.S.- I plan on ordering the Porter Cable from you and some other necessary items, but didn't want to go overboard, because I know it would be easy to do.
Thank you for the wealth of knowledge you provide this forum. I have learned a lot about car care thanks to you. However, I have a quick question for you, as I hope to learn more. I am picking up a brand new car from the dealership tomorrow, and would like to know the best course of action for protecting and taking care of the car. I am aware of the full process of washing, polishing, waxing, etc. (as I have read some of your tutorials), but does that also apply to a brand new car with less than 10 miles on it? I guess what I am asking is if all the other steps aside from washing and waxing are excessive for a brand new car, or if it should be clayed, polished, etc. right away. FYI, the car is Platinum Graphite in color. I appreciate the help, I just wanted to get off on the right foot.
P.S.- I plan on ordering the Porter Cable from you and some other necessary items, but didn't want to go overboard, because I know it would be easy to do.
I always recommend claying a new vehicle for a few reasons. The main one is to get any embedded contamination off of the paint during transit of the vehicle. A lot of cars are at some point transported via train and you can often find specs of rail dust on your paint. Using a clay bar will also properly prep the surface to ensure that your sealant and/or wax gives you the longest durability possible.
Polishing a new vehicle is completely up to you. If you inspect your paint and see no swirls or other imperfections, then there's no need to polish with an abrasive polish.
I personally performed a head to toe detail on my own vehicle, as well as performed my own new car prep and instructed the dealer not to detail it. If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to ask.
Originally Posted by SCoupe
Geo . . . . need your opinion on waxes please sir. Just so you'll know - gonna put you on the spot a lil bit. I'm looking for a priority list of the BEST carnauba waxes you carry. If you want to break them out between dark vs light colors feel free. I'm trying to choose between :
- p21S pure carnauba
- CG 50/50
- Pete's Black Pearl
Criteria is longevity + wetness.
Assume adequate prep with sealing.
Thanks .... that's probably enuff pressure for now.
- p21S pure carnauba
- CG 50/50
- Pete's Black Pearl
Criteria is longevity + wetness.
Assume adequate prep with sealing.
Thanks .... that's probably enuff pressure for now.
Originally Posted by pavelpg
Hey George do you guys sell the Ultimate Detailing Machine? I would be interested in an advanced kit from you if you had that particular machine. What do you think about it, anyway?
Originally Posted by garyjay
My '07 G35 has 15,000 miles on it. Recently, I noticed my front left wheel has what looks like stains on their clear-coat finish. I'm guessing a car wash / detail place sprayed some type of chemical on the wheel and didn't rinse it off in time and the wheels were damaged. I tried a little rubbing compound on it to no avail. I didn't buff or rub that much. I'm wondering if working with a coarse rubbing compound makes sense... or maybe a Dremel tool with a polishing pad... or ??? Thanks for any ideas.
Hope this helps.
George