George,
I was planning on using High Gloss Acrylic Shield after I put down some Menzerna FMJ. Would the sealant benefit from me putting down the acrylic shield or is it to be used more as maintenance after a wash? If putting it on right after the sealant would be beneficial, should I put it on immediately after putting on the sealant or should I wait at least 24 hours after putting on the sealant? Thanks for your time. Appreciate it.

 

I just tried your recommendation and it worked great. I am a bit worried about how much dust is "acceptable" for this kind of quick detail though. I didn't sit there and polish the paint with the towel and swirl the dirt, but I never know what several back and forth swipes may do, even fairly lubricated by a spray. Since my car is swirled enough as it is, I could not give you a before and after breakdown on what I ended up causing to it. I'm waiting for it to be repainted next week and then i can give it a full detail. Any recommendation on "acceptable" dust amounts before a full wash is required in order to avoid swirling w/ the microfiber + quick detail spray combo?

-Pavel

 

You're best bet to use the two products mentioned is to use the Menzerna FMJ as a base, and follow up with the High Gloss Acrylic Shield as your maintenance product after a wash. With any sealant, it's always best to let it cure 24 hours before topping it with anything, whether a second coat of sealant, a carnauba wax, or a sealant / wax enhancer like HGAS. I always say way a couple days or the following week, give the car a wash, then follow up with your product of choice. It makes your next wash that much more enjoyable too. HGAS is a great product to use over FMJ, it enhances the gloss and depth and brings back some of that surface slickness that FMJ leaves behind.

Pavel,

Great question, it's tough to describe exactly how much contamination is safe for this method of removal. Best way I can try to describe it is probably no more dust, pollen, etc. than if you let your car sit outside without driving it for 3 days. That's pretty much my cut off period on how much I let accumulate before cleaning with Spray & Wipe. The car should look relatively clean and not caked with dirt or pollen. The dirtier it is, the more product and towels I use. When it's as dirty as I let it get, I usually go through about 4 plush microfiber towels. You want to avoid using the same section of a towel if possible to minimize adding swirls to the paint. As far as product use is concerned, I usually give a panel or say a 2' x 2' working area about 4 ~ 6 sprays, let it dwell for a minute or so, then wipe. I often spray down 1 section, spray down the next, then go back and wipe the first section I sprayed. Before wiping the second section, I spray the 3rd section to let it dwell and continue on using that method.

Hope that helps. When in doubt, go for a full wash, that's always the safest.

Have a great weekend.

George

 

George,
I just got my PC and pads today from you. What is the best way to clean these pads after use? I didn't get the cleanser pkgs. Also, is the blue pad used for normal wax application? I mostly use NXT 2.0.

 

Good questions. For cleaning pads I recommend soaking them in water mixed with some sort of detergent right after use so that the product doesn't have a chance to settle and cake up. Dawn can work as your degreaser. Simply mix some in, let it soak, massage the pads with your thumbs, resoak for 5 - 15 mins, massage again... after you'd satisfied with the outcome, let them air dry face down in something absorbent, like a towel, then when completely dry, store in a Ziplock bag labeled with the product used for the pad.

Blue pad is the softest pad, and is best used to apply a sealant or a wax (not a paste wax though). Paste waxes should be applied by hand for best results, IMO.

Let me know if you have any other questions on anything. Thanks again for your support, greatly appreciated. Enjoy your new Porter Cable 7424!

George

 

Thanks George.

 

I have an 03 coupe and i live in the desert. i was wondering what was the best way to clean the engine bay.

 

My G is in perfect condition except for the etched in water marks on the chrome around the doors. I have tried several home remedies that peope have suggested with no change. What would you recommend to take care of these?

 

I bought a sweet preowned 04 sedan g35x but the interior dash and shift plastic looks "scratchy". Any ideas on how to detail this so it looks smooth and good without the heavy armor all grease shine?
Also any ideas on how to loose the horrible break dust on the front rims that just wont go away?

 

Here's what I do as a process for an engine detail. Make sure the engine bay is warm, not hot and not cold, maybe let it run for 2 minutes after it's been cool. I usually give a quick spray down of the engine bay. Then I treat it with a degreaser, something like P21S Total Auto Wash is a gentle but effective citrus degreaser to use in your engine bay. Chemical Guys Grime Reaper is a stronger degreaser as is Poorboy's Bio-degradable APC, all 3 work good on engine bays. I start from the bottom and work my way up to the top, spraying the degreaser pretty liberally. Let that sit for a few minutes and agitate heavily contaminated areas with a brush or a towel. Rinse down with water, inspect and repeat the process as necessary or spot treat any remaining contaminated areas. After you are satisfied, I pat down the engine bay with an absorbent towel then turn the engine on to let run for a minute or two. That helps dry the engine bay (and ensures that your car still starts for those who are nervous). Next I treat the engine bay compartment with a water based dressing, such as 303 Aerospace Protectant or Chemical Guys Silk Shine Dressing. If you have any exposed metal, feel free to polish that, and you can treat any exposed painted areas the same as you would your paint (clay, polish, protect).

If you have any other questions on anything, let me know.

Trim pieces can often be difficult to care for once damaged. The first thing I'd try is some distilled vinegar diluted with water. If that doesn't work you can try a chemical cleaner, like Klasse All In One, or something like Chemical Guys Water Spot Remover. If that doesn't work, you're next step would be to use an abrasive polish on the area. Be careful with this method as the coating on trim pieces is usually thin and it's easy to work your way through, which could potentially make it look worse. Some people have tried to get them replaced under warranty if you're still covered, or pay to have them replaced. If you do get the area cleaned up and fixed, be sure that you always have a coat of protection on your trim to prevent this from happening in the future.

For the plastic areas, you can try something like Meguiar's PlasticX to remove some light scratches from plastic. This can usually be found locally at any automotive store. After you clean up some of the scratches, I like to use 303 Aerospace Protectant on vinyl and rubber or Plexus on the plastic areas. Both products leave behind a matte finish that makes you're interior look like new again without any oil or grease look to it.

For the brake dust, you have a couple of options. Treat it with a good wheel cleaner, I'd recommend P21S Wheel Gel for aftermarket or high polished finishes, or Poorboy's Spray & Rinse for alloy wheels. Let it dwell for a minute or two, agitate with a wash mitt or a wheel brush, rinse off and inspect. If brake dust still remains either repeat the process or turn to a metal polish to give the wheels a deeper cleaning. I like to use P21S Finish Restorer. After you clean them to your liking, I'd recommend protecting your wheels with Poorboy's Wheel Sealant. This will make future cleanings a breeze and helps protect your wheels.

Sorry for the slow replies guys, missed the new posts somehow.

George

 

I go to the country every weekend and end up with dust and dirt everywhere... So my washes and detailing lasts only a couple of days... What's a good way to maintain or replenish the glory of the gloss? Any advice would be appreciated.

 

There's quite a few options, but first lets narrow down to what type of product you're looking for. Are you looking for a product to use after a wash to enhance gloss and depth? Or are you seeking a product that will remove a light layer of dust (not dirt) while improving shine?

Certain quick detailers are designed to clean the surface, others are designed to enhance the depth and gloss of the finish, some add a layer of protection, and some do a combination of them.

If you're looking for a product to use after washing and drying (to use on an already clean surface) consider using a sealant or wax booster. If the last step of your detailing routine for protection is a sealant, I recommend working with a product that is designed to optimize your sealant. A good option here would be Menzerna High Gloss Acrylic Shield. This product will add a couple weeks of protection, enhances surface slickness and gloss and shine. There are virtually no cleaners in this product, so you'd want to use it after a wash.

If your last step in the detailing process was a wax, consider using Pinnacle Souveran Liquid Wax. This is similar in the sense that it needs to be used on a clean surface, but it increases the depth and gloss more and gives off more of the wet look. Downside, it won't last quite as long.

Looking for a product to remove a light layer of dust without giving your car a full wash? Poorboy's World Spray & Wipe is my goto quick detailer for that. This product has lots of cleaning agents and surfactants to lift dust and debris away from the surface, allowing you to wipe clean with a plush microfiber towel.

Looking for a product that does it all? Chemical Guys ONE is the ticket. While it may not be the BEST cleaner, it does a good job on light dusting and contamination. It's recommended to wipe this product in one direction on a panel, let it form to a haze, then use a clean towel (or an unused part of the towel) and buff the haze off revealing enhanced shine as well as some protection left behind.

That's what I turn to depending on what situation best applies. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

George

 

thanx alot for the advice my engine bay came out spotless.

 

Glad to hear everything came out as planned! If you have some time to shoot some pics, I'd love to see how it turned out.

George

 

Hi George,

Here is a good one for you.

I have a friend who came out this morning to find that his car was spray painted in the night. He lives back in Ohio (I'm in AZ) so I don't have any pictures yet.

Do you think there is a chance his paint can be saved?


Thanks,
Tim