Car Detailing Thread

Here is my usual plan of attack for a full exterior detail.

1) In the morning before the sun is full and after vacuuming I start the wash. I start with a sponge on the wheels, rinse and then refill the bucket with clean water. I never use any products on my wheels because many products can cause staining of your chrome or painted wheels. Soap and water is typically enough. Using a microfiber mitt I wash the whole car and rinse. Drying is done with a large waffle weave towel.

2) Still in the morning before the sun is high I break out the clay bar and give the car a full over using a quick detail spray to keep the surface slick. Honestly one of the best clay bars is Clay Magic which can be bought at any AutoZone. The high priced ones are a waste IMO.

3) I would wash the car again at this point if I was going right to a wax but if I am doing polishing/compound there is no need.

4) I now take out the blue 3M light tape and tape the entire car off.

5) I break out the Porter Cable orbital buffer and start on any larger scratches using Optimum Compound and an appropriate cutting pad on level 4-6. I then either use Optimum Polish or just step up to a lighter pad for the polishing phase at speed 5-6 to remove minor scratches and swirls. I wipe the car using MF pads between passes.

6) With the correction complete I move to the "wax". I use Jeff's Werkstatt Prime Strong which is an acrylic polymer that replaces traditional waxes. It lasts longer and provides a great shine. It also acts as a minor polish to help remove fine lines. Wipe off with a fine MF towel.

7) After the Prime Strong I layer on a coat of the spray on acrylic sealer, Jeff's Werkstatt Acrylic Jett Trigger which is a wipe on wipe off deal. It locks in the shine and provides an extra coat of protection. Apply to the whole car and then wipe off with a MF towel.

8) I now remove the tape and wait at leats a few hours but better a day or so for the AJT to harden. I then spray on a QD called Duragloss Aquawax which just adds another layer of shine. I add a coat of the Aquawax every other time I wash the car. Easy to use, wipe it on and wipe it off.

9) I now do the windows using just simple wiper fluid and then do all the trim and interior with Poorboys Trim Restorer. It's great because it brings trim back to life and is more of a satin finish. It smells like the tropics too. Using a foam pad I spray tire cleaner into the pad and wipe onto my tires.

10) Sit back and enjoy the hard work.

Originally Posted by Huntsman

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What do you use on your leather, LK?
I use Zymol. How about you? I also like 303 Sun Protectant; it imparts a nice shine to whatever plastic parts I spray it on and it protects the dash from those sun rays. I have found Meguiar's Quik Detailer to be useful for those small incidents.

I am going to talk to Sal Zaino tomorrow and will post what I end up buying and any tips he imparts. As I posted before in a different thread, I have an LR3 (please hold all comments about reliability) and it might seem counter intuitive to have a clean Land Rover, but I enjoy mainting my cars and keeping them in nice condition.

I used to use Ziano, now I use Klasse products for the exterior. I use Connolly leather care products for the inside, nothing beats this stuff. It cleans and conditions very well, but just as important keeps the factory matte and not shiny look to the seats I prefer, Lexol makes the leather shinny.

The micro fiber towels, drying chamios, etc are bought from Griot's.

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Where are the Connolly leather products available? I agree with you regarding the look of leather in a car, as I can't stand the shiny look that often develops. That, coupled with cracking that I have seen, makes leather look terrible. How often do you treat the seats with the Connolly products? Is there a rule of thumb?

Originally Posted by Pink22m

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Where are the Connolly leather products available? I agree with you regarding the look of leather in a car, as I can't stand the shiny look that often develops. That, coupled with cracking that I have seen, makes leather look terrible. How often do you treat the seats with the Connolly products? Is there a rule of thumb?

I use it once every two weeks. I find it has kept a clean and matte finish (no shine) and keeps the leather from cracking or even creasing. Here is a pic of my 40k mile track car. I took the pic of the driver's bolster as this area usually wears the most from sliding in and out, dove colored leather can be a pain to keep clean as well. Any shine is a result of the flash, it looks almost as good as the day I picked it up new.





Here is where I buy it
http://www.autogeek.net/conhid.html?...FRpzYAodajfkrQ

I get Klasse at the same place, it is imported from Gemany and originally developed for boat hulls. The stuff is, imo, better than Ziano for paint.

http://www.autogeek.net/klasse.html?...FRcvYQodewSWvg

Wow, from your picture, the Connolly products appear to work quite well! I will definitely check them out. Thanks for the information.

Just bought a Connolly moisturizer through your link. Thanks for the tip.

Originally Posted by LSeca

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I use it once every two weeks. I find it has kept a clean and matte finish (no shine) and keeps the leather from cracking or even creasing. Here is a pic of my 40k mile track car.
Looks great, do you use both the cleaner and the conditioner?

Originally Posted by Maxten

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Looks great, do you use both the cleaner and the conditioner?

Thanks. Yes, I use the kit which includes the cleaner. The directions for the cleaner call for dillution with water, and I use more water than it calls for as I use it so often.

Btw, when I get home, I will share some pics of the car with the Klasse sytem on the paint. I will repeat it is the best stuff for the exterior of the car, very easy to use and long lasting. I use it twice a year and the paint always has a wet look to it. The sealant is acrylic based, very durable and with a thin coat of regular wax on top it will give show-car results.

Anyone have a good source for a wide range of microfiber towels?

These companies have a wide variety of microfiber towels Pakshak http://www.pakshak.com/ AutoGeek www.autokgeek.com Also as a tip, target sells some good quality microfiber towels. They sell 3 different types. Their lowest ones aren't very good but their orange ones (typically a 8-10 pack medium weight) are good for door jams, wheels, etc and their grey (3 pack) are good for wiping off compounds, polishes, and waxes. The grey are thick and good quality.

I wanted to share my exterior regimen. As earlier mentioned, I use the German imported Klasse which is an acrylic compound very good for older paint. It fills in scratches and swirls and gives the paint a wet look that lasts for 6 months or so (I wouldn't use it on a new car though). I do not use an orbital pc, just microfiber towels. Clean windows and wheels will go a long way in making your car look great. I always make sure my windows are perfectly clean, no chemical needed, just use the microfiber to wipe away dirt and streaks. Use a cheap wax on wheels as it makes clean-up quick and brake dust won't build up as easily. Another thing I always make sure of is the rotors and calipers are clean from rust and dirt, nothing worse than clean wheels and dirty brake components. I apply tire shine thinly with a sponge so there is no excess to spray up onto your fenders.

I have used one of these pics before, but it is a good representation. I have thrown in a few extras. Btw this is a five year old car with a lot of hard miles, except for the rock chips, I think the paint looks good a new.

Originally Posted by LabelKing

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I use Zymol. How about you?

I also like 303 Sun Protectant; it imparts a nice shine to whatever plastic parts I spray it on and it protects the dash from those sun rays.

I have found Meguiar's Quik Detailer to be useful for those small incidents.

Thanks, I was curious. Like LS, I use Connolly products -- I assumed since its their leather their gear would be good. I keep wanting to send in a swatch and get some die for some time when I might need it.

Laguna, I've said it before but that's one awesome Beamer.

Regards,
Huntsman

Originally Posted by Beckwith

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Anyone have a good source for a wide range of microfiber towels?

I bought mine at Costco. I also have some from Griot's Garage that were about 6x more expensive, but don't think there's any meaningful reason to pay that.