Hi George, I've talked to you before about what I use (Zymol) is there anything I could do to get rid of my Twilight Blue G coupe being a damn
magnet to every piece of grass...dust on the planet? I drive past someones
gardner mowing the grass and when I stop and get out the sides of my car
look like the gardner blew grass on the sides. I can understand this after
doing a fresh wax job but this never goes away. Whatdayathink?

 

Hey George how u doin? i recieved the products on monday, thanks for the prompt delivery. I wanted to ask u since i didnt see an orange pad in there, Can i use the Intensive Polish on a yellow cutting pad? i know i should use the white pad for the final polish. im just not sure which pad to use with the Intensive Polish? thanks man

 

Good question Gary, nice to speak with you again. One thing you might want to look into is a quick detailer with anti-static properties, which helps reduce dust and other contamination build up. The only one I've used with much luck is Finish Kare #425 Ultra Slick Poly Wipe Spray Detailer. I actually used that product on my laptop screen because it did help repel dust quite well. Aside from that, I'm stumped. Have you tried other products other than Zymol to see if this still happens? I normally do not have this problem you are describing.

Glad to see you got the order promptly

The hand applicator kits come with a yellow pad instead of an orange pad. Usually you want something with a little more bite by hand because its difficult to achieve the same constant heat and pressure by hand as it is with a buffer. If you are worried about this being too aggressive, you could apply the FPII with the black pad, start with the IP on the white pad see how it goes, and if you need it more aggressive, bump up to the yellow pad. Either one of those situations would work.

Let us know how you make out, are you getting snow today like we are? I can't wait till it is over!

George @ Detailed Image

 

Glad to see you got the order promptly

The hand applicator kits come with a yellow pad instead of an orange pad. Usually you want something with a little more bite by hand because its difficult to achieve the same constant heat and pressure by hand as it is with a buffer. If you are worried about this being too aggressive, you could apply the FPII with the black pad, start with the IP on the white pad see how it goes, and if you need it more aggressive, bump up to the yellow pad. Either one of those situations would work.

Let us know how you make out, are you getting snow today like we are? I can't wait till it is over!

George @ Detailed Image[/QUOTE]


ok great thanks, i was just curious and i didnt want to use a strong abrasive polish on the wrong pad. My paint seems like its in pretty bad conditions after all of those bad car washes it went through so im Just gonna use the IP on the yellow and the Final Polish on the white. and about the weather, today it seemed like a Hurricane outside, but no snow thankfully. im hoping to get good weather this saturday to get some detailing done finally. im anxious to see the results lol

 

Question: How do you clean the engine bay?

I've seen my friend spray some dishwashing detergent, srcub with a towel, hose down, and let dry. I'm not comfortable spraying a hose into my engine bay.

 

Great question. Engine detailing is one of the things I see most enthusiasts neglect to do when I feel that this is an extremely important step to take once a season (or as needed) to keep your vehicle looking its best and to maintain the highest resale value. Car buyers often associate a properly cared for engine bay with a car that has been babied or is mechanically sound. I will outline the steps I take when detailing a customers vehicle.

1. When doing an engine detail we recommend the engine be a little warm, so turn on the engine for about 1 – 2 minutes and then turn it off. If the vehicle has been driven or is hot from previous driving you want to let it cool down to avoid any potential damage to your engine bay.

2. When the engine is at a safe temperature you can start the process. Cover any exposed electrical components (usually there are a few electrical plugs you can cover at most) and anything else you do not want water in with aluminum foil or something similar. These work great because you can mold them around the specific components you do not want to get wet. Cover any exposed air filters and intakes so they don’t flood with water.

3. Spray the engine with a light mist of water. Spray an engine degreaser over areas with grease build-ups and other heavy deposits. Avoid spraying metals and other mechanical pieces. We recommend a 3:1 dilution of Poorboy's World Bio APC or P21s Total Auto Wash. Start spraying it low or deep in the engine and work your way up towards more easily accessible areas. Let it sit for approximately 1 - 2 minutes. If you use a stronger degreaser you may want to rinse it sooner or follow the specific product directions.

4. Spray down everything to remove all the degreaser and dirt and grime with a light mist from a hose. You don't want to use high-pressure water or tons of water if avoidable. Some areas may need to be wiped down with a towel or with a brush to break up heavy deposits. Multiple applications of the degreaser may be needed to achieve desired results. The debris should be loose now and fall off easily, don't rely on pressure from the hose to break up the debris.

5. Now I spot treat any areas that didn't get clean and the metals. I'll use an older microfiber towel and spray some degreaser on it and clean up any areas I see that need a light touch up. Don't forget to clean under the hood that has been flipped up.

6. Make sure you have removed the tin foil or saran wrap and all other products used in the detail from the engine bay. Start the engine and let is run for at least 1 – 2 minutes to help dry some of the water. Be careful touching the engine after because it can get hot fast. Then finish drying anything that may need it.

7. Now I recommend treating all the vinyl, plastic and rubber pieces with a water based protectant, such as 303 Aerospace Protectant. I mist most of the engine bay with this product (aside from large painted areas or metal shields or covers) and wipe down anything that’s rubber, vinyl and plastic. This will help prevent premature fading and cracking and keep the surface looking great. The 303 Aerospace Protectant has a low gloss - matte finish that looks great and helps prevent dust build up, unlike silicone based dressings or WD-40. Additionally if you have any exposed metal you can polish them now. We really like the deep polishing power of the P21S Finish Restorer. You can also apply a polish, sealant and/or wax to any painted areas in the engine bay or the under side of the hood.

8. Step back and admire a clean and sharp looking engine bay.

Here is a walk through of a similar process I just outlined along with some pictures:

Engine Bay Detail w/ Pics

If you have any questions on the routine, please do not hesitate to ask.

George

 

Does anyone have experience or info on using Menzerna Finishing Glaze on wheels ? Wondering how it would handle the heat.

 

Hey George,

I am thinking of doing a nice detail on my G this weekend since the weather here in NYC will be great, finally. I had a few questions regarding some things. First off, which is a really good wax that I can use that will give me great results, my car is Ivory Pearl (white). I have been using the platinum series liquid turtle wax, and although I really like it, I think I want to try a carnuba or something different. Second of all, do you sell any tire dressing that actually doesnt fly all over the place when you drive off and that looks really good? And lastly, can I put a wax over a sealent?
Ohh, and sorry, one more thing. I can apply sealent and wax with the pc7424 correct?
Thanx fopr any info.
Stef.

 

hello i was wondering if mustard stains..because ivebeen trying to wash it off but i can still see a light yellow streak from where it was before. will this go away over time or is it permanant?

 

SCoupe - I saw your post over on DU and apologize for not getting to it yet. Would you be trying to hide imperfections in your wheels? If so, I don't think it would last very long at all without protection on top of it. Even with protection on top of the glaze, you may sacrifice the durability of the protection which negates the importance of the protection. In my opinion it is not worth it.

GThIrtYFiZle and I ride G - I'll reply to your questions when I get back home tonight, I'm working remotely and leaving this location.

George

 

Thanks for the honest opinion George. Not trying to hide imperfections just wondering if it would help cut down on dusting.

 

George,
Thanks for all of the above advice and links. I have a question about windshield glass. I have a lot of tiny places on the windshield from debris hitting it while on highways. It is not deep enough to be repaired, it just shows when the sun is in front of the car. I had some type of rubbing compound years ago for removal of scratches from watch faces that worked very well. Is there anything available to help this issue?

 

Hey Stef, great questions. Supposedly NY is going to see some nice weather this weekend, I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for us.

Regarding a wax to try over your Ivory Pearl white, I really love the look of P21s Concours Carnauba Wax over lighter colored vehicles. Here's a few pics of another members Ivory Pearl G35 with Klasse Sealant and P21s on top to give you an idea. It's very easy to work with and best of all it doesn't stain your trim if you accidentally get it on there like some other waxes will.

For the tire dressing, if you are concerned about sling, you may want to consider a water based tire dressing. Typically sling happens from two reasons, either too much product was applied or you used a silicone based dressing. Water based dressings tend to get absorbed by your rubber tires and actually nourish them with proper oils, keeping them soft and flexible. Silicone based dressings often sit on the surface of the tire, potentially could lead to cracking, dried or even give that browning effect you see on some tires. Silicone based dressings do give off that ultra high gloss look though and is more durable, so you sacrifice that really glossy look for a better dressing for your tire. You can still get a nice gloss to it, however it does not last nearly as long in most cases. The product I use on my tires for a bold medium gloss is the Poorboy's Bold 'n Bright tire dressing.

Yes, you can layer a wax over a sealant. This is how you get the best of both worlds for durability (from the sealant) and that deep wet look that only a wax can produce. Keep in mind that this only works in this direction, meaning, you would not want to reapply a sealant over the wax.

You can apply sealants with the Porter Cable buffer, I suggest using a Blue Fine Finishing Pad. If you have a liquid wax, you can also apply it with a PC, however most natural carnauba waxes come in paste form, which would be hand applied. The P21s one I recommended comes with an applicator pad inside the jar as well.

If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Hope you get the nice weather you are looking for this weekend! Take some pics when you are done if you can.

George

 

I ride G - Where is this stain located? Carpet? Leather? Vinyl? etc. Once you let me know I can tell you the course of action I would take to properly treat it.

Windows are tough. I usually do not recommend trying to buff the glass because I'd hate to give advice that could potentially cause a lot of haze on the glass if done incorrectly and could severely hinder your visibility when driving. Glass care professionals will use a high speed buffer, much higher than your typical rotary buffer you'd use on paint, like 10 - 15k RPM buffers.

I honestly do not have enough experience in this field to give you the proper recommendations. If you do find a solution please share it with the rest of the forum so others can learn from it.

Thank you for the positive feedback as well. Sorry I couldn't help much with this.

George

 

George, I noticed you recommend using the blue fine finishing pad to apply sealants/waxes with your PC. Are there any issues using the black finishing pad?