detailing 101 information sticky

[rominl]

so over the past month or so i have been getting information from couple of members here on acuraworld who are knowledgeable in auto detailing. i see that a lot of people always have common questions and requests about "what's the best wax", "how to polish", what to do with swirls", etc...

so i figured a sticky would be very helpful. i sent out some invitations to people on board and got very nice replies from them. i will be posting their info here shortly with credits of course

so sit back, get a cup of coffee, and enjoy the reading

if you have any interesting tip or info you wanna post, just pm me. it's all about contributions

this thread will be closed and stuck. but i am not trying to discourage you guys from asking questions. please do. this just serve as a good reference for everyone, and i want to concentrate the information

[rominl]

i will just throw in my 2 cents first. i am a fan of zaino. been using it for 3 yrs and have nothing but good experience with them, so i am sticking to it. it actually works very easy so although the instructions on their site is long, it's just detail info that's all. i find myself spending less time on the zaino process than the other stuff i used. and the result is so much better, it's a no brainer.

in my shelf, i always have zfx, z2, z5, z6, and the z7. i also got the z18 clay bar just to clay my car, but that's like twice a yr at most. since i wash and wax my car very often, i hardly use z5 coz' swirls are minimal. but just there in case i need it.

putting on z6 between layers are actually very helpful i think. it doesn't take that long to wipe the whole car with a layer but it gives a very wet look, i like it.

[rominl]

the following msg is from jonw440 (jon). he's no doubt a very valuable source for detailing instructions and tips. he also has a list of good places to get all the detailing stuff. pm him if you need anything

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The PC 7424 is the only way to "properly polish paint". I have done polishing by hand for over 20 years and I can not get the same results by polishing by hand. The PC really does work much better.

The polishes I like to use for swirl mark removal is Menzerna Intense polish using the Orange PC pad then follow up with their Final polish using the Blue PC pad.

OR 1Z (Einszett Paint polish and their "Metallic Polish" work the same way but are easier to polish by hand. The Metallic polish has a small amount of wax in it.

Once the paint is polished to a good gloss I like to use Klasse All in one paint cleaner and then finish using their Sealant Glaze. NOW once the sealant glaze is on you can add as many layers as you wish. (Just make sure you wait 24 hours between coats).

I have added 10 layers but really 3 or 4 is sufficient. Then for more of a wet look put a carnuaba wax topper on the SG. I like P21S or Sovereign Pinnacle.

For touch ups between washings, I found 1Z is the best detail spray I have used so far!!

Make sure you use quality Micro fiber towels. Autopia has fantastic towels. Their buffing towels come in a pack of two and are far softer than anything I have used.

For exterior trim and tires Einszett Tiefenpfleger. It will not wash off from rain, snow or car washing. (that was the requirements when they developed it.

For rims P21S wheel cleaner or Sonus. (I just tried Einszett wheel cleaner yesterday for the first time and I found it to be a little strong. I am staying with Sonus or P21S.

After the rims are clean put the Klasse All in one and the Sea;lant Glaze on them. The Klasse will stand up to brake temps, and road temps, unlike regular carnuaba waxes which doesn't.

For cleaning tires I use Mother's rubber cleaner and a stiff brush.

For a car shampoo. Sonus is great.

Make sure you use a natural sheepskin wool mitt.Use the SOnus ultimate drying towel to dry.

For glass I just got Einszett glass cleaner but have not tried it , so I would recommend Eagle One 20/20. Use two MF towels to clean one to clean and a dry one to buff the glass. Have you used clay before?

If not that would be the first step in paint cleaning.

I clay using car shampoo as the lube. I wash rinse and re soap one panel. Then take the clay and with slight pressure rub back and forth. You will feel the crud stuck on the paint. Once the paint feels smooth without any little nubs of resistance re wash then rinse. DO one section at a time. Like the fender, then hood, etc.

For interior care I like to use Einszett Tiefenpfleger. Or to clean first they do have a vinyl cleaner then add the Tiefenpfleger. For carpets Wurth interior cleaner is great. Spray and agitate with a small hard bristle brush. The wipe off with a damp white towel. Finish with a dry white towel. It may take a few applications, but once the white dry towel can not pick up any more dirt, vacuum after an hour.

For weather stripping Einszett make a convenient "roll on dressing"

For door jambs use the Einszett detail spray.

Breakdown of recommendations
CAR WASH...Sonus
CLAY............Autopia brand or Clay Magic
BUFFER.. Porter Cable 7424
BUFFING PADS... Sonus Pad Kit (you get 4 foam pads,backing plate and MF buffing pad. Great kit!!)
POLISH .......Einszett Paint Polish Or Menzerna Intense polish
FINAL POLISHING... Einszett Metallic Polish or Menzerna Final Polish 2
PRE CLEAN SEALANT... Klasse ALl In One
SEALANT....Klasee Sealant Glaze
QUICK DETAIL SPRAY... Einszett "Lackfinish" or Sonus
WHEEL CLEANER ....P21S or Sonus
TIRE CLEANER...Mother's
WHEEL WAX...Klasse All In One then Sealant Glaze
VINYL RUBBER PROTECTANT......Einszett Tiefenpfleger
WEATHER STRIP PROTECTANT..Einszett "Camouflager"
INTERIOR CLEANER (carpet/seats) Wurth interior cleaner
INTERIOR VINYL...Einszett Tiefenpfleger(Or for a "MATTE" finish use their "Cockpit Premium")
GLASS CLEANER...... Eagle One
MICROFIBER TOWELS....Sonus Buffing towel, Drying Towel, and Detailing towel(All three are Really great towels!!)
WAX APPLICATORS (by hand) Micro fiber or foam)
GENERAL PURPOSE CLEANER(under hood,suspension parts, etc)...303 Aerospace cleaner (It's safe for aluminum)Don't use "Simple green" on aluminum!
Well there is a list for you.

[rominl]

the following is from 91LSMAN, another great guy here with a beatiful legend

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Polisher/Buffer: Porter Cable 7424
http://www.properautocare.com/porcabuldetm.html

For Swirl Removal/Paint Polishing: Poorboys SSR line of products and Poorboys Pro Polish

Sealant: Poorboys EX

Wax: Natty's Paste Wax (Also made by Poorboys)

For Poorboys Products:
http://www.poorboysworld.com/

Wheel Cleaner: Eagle One All Wheel Cleaner

Wash: I either use Eagle One or Meguires.

Sidenote-I may change wash and wheel cleaner. Poorboys has both of those things in development and I was one of the testers.

[rominl]

more info from 91LSMAN

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I purchased my pads from the link I sent you in the first PM. If you click on that link and scroll down you can purchase the DAP-KIT or the individual pads themselves. There are many places to purchase pads from though, some of it is just personal preference. And no I don't go to Autopia at all. I think I browsed it once though. Maybe I'll register one of these days when I'm bored. I go to DETAILCITY.COM for all my detailing needs. It's a great detailing forum and some of the guys from Autopia are also on detailcity.

More Stuff For the list:

When I buff off sealent or wax I do it by hand and only with a Microfiber towel. I buy these from Poorboys as well. They have a pretty good selection of different sizes, etc.

Interrior
On my interrior plastics I use Vinylx right now, but who knows, they way it's been going lately with all these great Poorboys products I may switch to one of their products soon.
When my tan interrior gets really dirty I've used Goof Off to really get it clean. I'll put a little bit on an old rag and rub the intterrior plastics. When I'm done the rag is black and nasty looking and the plastics are clean, but very dull. After that I follow it up with Vinylx or any other vinyl protectant.

I vacuum out my car at least once a week with a shopvac, but when the mats just get too dirty I need to shampoo them. When I need to do a deep cleaning I use the stair attachment of an upright carpet shampooer. Once they are clean I follow that up with a spray on scotch guard so next time I need to clean the dirt will come off easier.

Quick Detailer
For a while I have been using "Mother's Showtime" with great results. I recently ran out and decided to order Poorboys QD+ which is a Quick detailer spray that contains Carnuba. I should have that order this weekend.

Engine Bay
I cleaned my engine bay recently for the first time since I bought it. I used "Gunk" Citrus Engine Bright. It's a cleaner and shine in one bottle. Very easy to use and produces great results. My engine bay was too dirty so the before and after pics don't show a huge difference, but it is much cleaner.

[rominl]

from stinkboy:

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wd40 takes off tar and bugs.

[rominl]

from janda janda:

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don't use fabric softener when washing your cotton towels - it lessens their absorbancy

[rominl]

here's the result of 91LSMAN's detailing work on his car:

**Wanna See A Clean Engine Bay?**

[rominl]

a demonstration of detailing miracle by jonw440 :

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Black Swirls

[rominl]

the following again is from jonw440. awsome guide to anything you need to make your detailing job no difference from professional:

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To download your copy of Autopia Guide to Detailing to your Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000 or XP system Download THE Guide HERE. Save the file to your Windows Desktop and click on the car icon to start.
Autopia Guide to Detailing contains 17 chapters packed full of car care 'how-to' information. This is a beautifully illustrated guide that shows you step-by-step how to properly maintain your vehicle's appearance. You'll find hundreds of problem solving tips and techniques. NOTE: You will be required to register your book. Registration is required so that we may keep you informed of new versions. You may opt-out at any time. Autopia Guide to Detailing will show you how to:

* Properly clean a car inside and out
* Use dressings to beautify and protect
* Remove paint contamination
* Operate a buffer to achieve results not possible by hand
* Prepare your car for winter
* Remove unsightly spots and hideous smells
* Make your tires and wheels stand out
* Detail your engine like a professional
* Master the art of The Perfect Shine
* Get rid of swirl marks and water spots
* Easily polish metal to a brilliant finish
* Deal with paint & body shop repairs
* Start your own detailing business

Autopia Guide to Detailing is an electronic book (ebook) for MS Windows PCs. The ebook format gives you immediate access to the information. The ebook will run on all Windows versions from Windows 95 through Windows XP. We're sorry, but a Macintosh version is not available.

If you are hesitant about downloading the "EXE" file, I have added some articles NOT in the download, Enjoy and hope they answered some questions you may have., Just click on the links to read.
Enjoy!!
Just click on each chapter you want to read .
How to clean with clay

Interior cleaning

Engine detailing

Glass and Plastic care

The Perfect Shine

Polishing Paint

Quick Detailing

Removing Swirls & Water Spots

Removing Bugs,Tar,and Tree Sap

Detailing Trim

Washing and Drying

Waxing

Detailing Wheels and Tires

Products to use with Zaino

Microfiber

Enhanse your Klasse Finish

Modern Paint Care

How to use the PC 7424
If you do have ANY questions please feel free to contact me.
Jon

[rominl]

more info from 91LSMAN

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Tire Shine:
For the longest time I was using Eagle One Tire Gel. It gave a good shine, but no matter how long I let it dry it would always "sling" on the paint. I recently started using Poorboys Bold-N-Bright. This is the first tire shine that I have every used that DOES NOT SLING. It's amazing. It's a water based product that drys to the touch. In the past when using Eagle one, whenever I would touch the tire, even if it was 1 week later I would get a greasy mess on my fingers. With Poorboys Bold-N-Bright, there is no greasy feeling and it provides a shine that lasts.

For Detailing Touch Ups:
I was recently introduced to Poorboys Spray and Wipe. It is advertised as a "Waterless Wash." I have used it every day this week with excellant results. I just spray it on and then wipe it off with a Microfiber towel. It works wonderfully.
If I feel that the "Shine" needs a touch up, I turn to Poorboys QD+. When I originally ordered this product I thought it was some type of detail spray. It turns out that it is not. It is more of a "quick wax." It can be used multiple ways, but I spray it on the car and spread it with a Microfiber towel. Then I let it dry to a haze and buff off just like a wax. As Poorboys advertised, it provides that instant "POP" to your paints finish.

[rominl]

we got more info from 91LSMAN (thanks!)

nterrior:
I recently started using Poorboys Natural Look on my interrior. It is advertised for use on Vinyl, Leather, plastic and other interrior materials. I've even heard of some people using it on their tires. You use it just like any other interrior dressing: Spray on a rag, wipe and buff if you want, for a slightly duller, but clean looking shine. This product smells great, goes on easy and dries quickly so when you touch the interrior of your car, you don't get that greasy feeling on your hands. I did my entire interrior and it looked and smelled great!!!!

Exterrior Touch Ups (Continued):
Poorboys recently released a new product called Spray and Gloss. It provides a great glossy look that gives your car that extra "POP" after a wash. It can also be used to remove very light dust, but for heavier dust they recomend using Spray and Wipe. I actually like Spray and Gloss better than Spray and Wipe for my purposes being that I use S&G after a wash for extra shine, not to clean.