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      03-19-2015, 12:55 PM   #1
wjbender
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Spring is almost here - what do you all use for polish and shine?

Hi all,

Spring is just around the corner and I want to give my baby a nice detailing. I know I could just bring it to a detail shop, but I love working on a car; I'm sure some of you do too. I want to hear suggestions for detailing products:

wax, polish, buffing, tire dressing, glass, wheel, and leather cleaner etc.

What is a good soap and foam attachment for my power washer?

Does anyone use a buffer for polish and wax?
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      03-19-2015, 01:39 PM   #2
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Wash with micro fiber and two bucket system.

Clay bar.

Polish if needed.

Chemical guys jet seal to wrap it all up.

This is my process every six months on all of my cars.
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      03-19-2015, 01:48 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wjbender View Post
Hi all,

Spring is just around the corner and I want to give my baby a nice detailing. I know I could just bring it to a detail shop, but I love working on a car; I'm sure some of you do too. I want to hear suggestions for detailing products:

wax, polish, buffing, tire dressing, glass, wheel, and leather cleaner etc.

What is a good soap and foam attachment for my power washer?

Does anyone use a buffer for polish and wax?
Here is my thread with post result pics.
http://f15.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...&postcount=475

I have used below steps for detailing:

1. Wash
- Pre-rinse with pressure washer
- Use foam gun to loosen dirt
- Rinse with pressure washer again
- Wash with 2 Bucket method with Grit Guard
- Use Meguiar's Deep Crystal Car Wash soap for 2BM

-Got this foam gun from ebay
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pressure-Was.../221273980713?

-and used Chemical Guys CWS40216 Mr. Pink Super Suds Car Wash Soap and Shampoo - 16 oz for foam gun
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

2. Prep
- Clay with Meguiar's Smooth Surface Clay Kit

3. Polish
-with Meguiar's Ultimate Polish

4. Two coats of Wax/Sealant
- Meguiar's Ultimate Liquid Wax

I used Meguiar DA Power system to apply polish, wax etc. It really cut down the time for applying polish, wax by hand. You can finish the whole car in 30min-1hr.

Meguiar's G3500 DA Power System Tool

http://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-G3500...uair+DA+system
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      03-19-2015, 02:08 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wjbender View Post
Hi all,

Spring is just around the corner and I want to give my baby a nice detailing. I know I could just bring it to a detail shop, but I love working on a car; I'm sure some of you do too. I want to hear suggestions for detailing products:

wax, polish, buffing, tire dressing, glass, wheel, and leather cleaner etc.

What is a good soap and foam attachment for my power washer?

Does anyone use a buffer for polish and wax?
I love working on my cars, but I must say taking it to a perfectionist detailer is the way to go after the hard winter we get in NJ. I have been using Detailer's Domain for the last 9/10 years and I must say its worth every penny. From there I do feeding with Zymol Destiny Glaze every month on top of the Opti-Coat applied. I never use soap, I just power wash with water to remove dust/dirt, I use Sonax Wheel Cleaner for the brake dust, rinse and blow dry water off. I wipe down entire car (windows/wheels included)with Groits Garage Speed Shine. From there I vacuum and wipe down the entire car inside with Griots Garage Interior Cleaner. I then feed the leather every other month.
I will tell you this, my paint is really f'ing smooth and nothing sticks to it! Been doing this since 1989, never failed me yet.

Joe
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      03-19-2015, 02:29 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by abhiku View Post
Here is my thread with post result pics.
http://f15.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...&postcount=475

I have used below steps for detailing:

1. Wash

I would do pre-rinse with only the hose and not pressure washer.
If you have a lot of sand and grit, you can scratch the clearcoat with the pressure washer

Pre-rinse with water, use foam gun to loosen dirt, then rinse with pressure washer


- Pre-rinse with pressure washer
- Use foam gun to loosen dirt
- Rinse with pressure washer again
- Wash with 2 Bucket method with Grit Guard
- Use Meguiar's Deep Crystal Car Wash soap for 2BM

-Got this foam gun from ebay
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pressure-Was.../221273980713?

-and used Chemical Guys CWS40216 Mr. Pink Super Suds Car Wash Soap and Shampoo - 16 oz for foam gun
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

2. Prep
- Clay with Meguiar's Smooth Surface Clay Kit

If you have a DA, get the NanoSkin, your arm and shoulder will thank you
You can buy Optimum ONR and make your own lubricant. Also is useful for washing your car in the garage in the winter


3. Polish
-with Meguiar's Ultimate Polish

Polishing is a tricky one to answer. This all depends on much you need to "correct". You will need different pads and different polishes of various coarseness to deal with each condition.

4. Two coats of Wax/Sealant
- Meguiar's Ultimate Liquid Wax

I used Meguiar DA Power system to apply polish, wax etc. It really cut down the time for applying polish, wax by hand. You can finish the whole car in 30min-1hr.

Meguiar's G3500 DA Power System Tool

http://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-G3500...uair+DA+system

my notes inline above

Last edited by NVRfollo; 03-19-2015 at 03:34 PM..
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      03-19-2015, 03:27 PM   #6
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+1 for both Nanoskin and DA Microfiber system. I use both with the Porter Cable 7424XP and get great results.
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      03-19-2015, 05:34 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NVRfollo View Post
my notes inline above
Can NanoSkin be used with Meguiar's G3500 DA Power System Tool?

send me link pls.
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      03-19-2015, 05:58 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by abhiku View Post
Can NanoSkin be used with Meguiar's G3500 DA Power System Tool?

send me link pls.
Do you know what size pad the G3500 takes? The Nanoskin pad come in 4" and 6". It has hook and loop backing.

http://www.detailedimage.com/NanoSki...Pad-P625/6-S2/

http://www.detailedimage.com/NanoSki...Pad-P625/4-S1/
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      03-19-2015, 08:45 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Taran.J View Post
Wash with micro fiber and two bucket system.

Clay bar.

Polish if needed.

Chemical guys jet seal to wrap it all up.

This is my process every six months on all of my cars.
Plus 1 one chemical guy seal
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      03-20-2015, 12:15 AM   #10
leasehackr
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NVRfollo View Post
Do you know what size pad the G3500 takes? The Nanoskin pad come in 4" and 6". It has hook and loop backing.

http://www.detailedimage.com/NanoSki...Pad-P625/6-S2/

http://www.detailedimage.com/NanoSki...Pad-P625/4-S1/
Thanks for the link.

DA power system uses 4" pad. I will take a look and order it for my next detail.
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      03-20-2015, 11:22 AM   #11
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I use Zaino products all around (in and out), great, long lasting results. Beyond that, just the standard 2 bucket wash, claybar, and wax. Works for me.
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      03-20-2015, 02:58 PM   #12
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Nothing works better for a wash then BMW shampoo. Even when i did not have X5 i used to purposely drive to BMW dealer and buy their shampoo. Awesome. I avoid power washer at all cost unless it is specifically designed to be safe on vehicles ( after i power washed some chrome off), Just hose it down, HAND wash, every 3-4 washers clay bar, every 2 wash wax. I practically never use any cloth to wipe off the car, instead i use leaf blower to blow off water, and then suede cloth for windows. It pays off. After 8.5 years of owning Touareg i sold it and it still looked like it is a brand new.
PS, now i use snow shovel to get to my X5... Yeah, March 20th...

Last edited by artem123; 03-20-2015 at 11:06 PM..
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      03-20-2015, 08:17 PM   #13
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I would never use a power washer/pressure washer on my car. I lived in Ohio for 19 years with salt and crap and never used it. Using a pressure washer to get the dirt and salt from the nooks and crannies, and seals on our cars, actually pushes that crap deeper into the joints. In addition, you're adding water to the salt residue and forcing it into a joint that doesn't dry easily, so you are actually creating a worse situation.

This is why you use a good automotive soap and warm or luke-warm water. This is efficient in taking away salt and chemicals without pushing the crap deeper into the joints/seals/etc. Let the water and soap dissolve the crap and remove it with a gentle stream of water.

This is my opinion based on painting (by removing doors, fenders, rocker panels, et al) and repairing car bodies since 1980.
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      03-20-2015, 09:43 PM   #14
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I use the pressure washer - but please use a wide fan nozzle and stay way back. I use a foam gun to get the soap on and rinse. Then follow up with the two bucket system. Use properly it can be a good tool, but as others have said, you can cause damage if misused.
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      03-21-2015, 12:27 AM   #15
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What about polish for the exhaust tips? The drivers side really needs.
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      03-21-2015, 06:56 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chem14 View Post
What about polish for the exhaust tips? The drivers side really needs.
The best money can buy. mothers.com
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      03-21-2015, 11:03 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chem14 View Post
What about polish for the exhaust tips? The drivers side really needs.
Anything that leaves a coating of some type runs the risk of discoloring the metal where heat is involved. Tips probably don't get hot enough, but why risk it. The best metal polish I have ever used is Simichrome (it leaves a film/coating too). I have a tube that's over 10 years old - that's how little you use on each application.
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      04-04-2015, 12:35 AM   #18
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Any recommendations on removing tree sap
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      04-04-2015, 06:03 AM   #19
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jpsjr70 I've heard good things about Sonax Polymer Net shield sealant so I drove to DetailersDomain and met Phil and picked one up
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      04-04-2015, 08:53 AM   #20
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Wash well - dry off by hand and a smooth microfiber cloth.
Using Autoglym quick detailer and the Clayklut(R) (clay-cloth) to rub off the worst "sandpaper-like" layer on the doors etc. Similar as clay -just so much easier and done in a few minutes. This leaves a slightly matte surface.

Then, possibly or partially, a layer of Swiss Wax FINE or MEDIUM Cleaner Fluid and after that some kind of wax.
Now, on our new car with a dark color, I used Meguiars Dark Wax.

I may repeat the same procedure in May/June - for the summer.

Best
Bent
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