Share Your Detailing Tips

[RickOKC]

Woo hoo! I finally got to polish & wax my VX and it sure looks purty! I did find an issue that cannot be fixed without repainting and wanted to warn others. Most people will already know this, but even if it helps one person, I'll feel better. Then I started thinking that I learn great new tips all the time and maybe I could learn even more great stuff from others in addition to sharing what I've already learned.

So… spill it! What are your favorite detailing do's and don'ts?

[RickOKC]

I'll start. The issue I mentioned above is a scuff in the paint. I'm positive that a previous owner walked up one day and found a speck of dirt or tar or bird poo or something on the paint. Wanting to remove it, he grabbed a tissue, napkin or paper towel and started scrubbing. I did the same thing one time when I was new to vehicle care and always regretted it.

Tip: NEVER use anything made of paper on your paint. The result is similar to using sandpaper. Here is one of the 5 scuffs in my paint that I would have to risk burning off my clearcoat to remove (it's the light horizontal & vertical scratches in the dark section of the photo, not the squiggly reflection thing going down to the bottom-left corner):

http://members.cox.net/radamsokc/NoPaper.jpg

[RickOKC]

I'm not sure why I tried this one night, but I do admit I like beer. I know the reason I had some Silly Putty handy is because I was using it to gauge where two points on a part were fitting together too tightly.

Tip: Silly Putty works great for removing dried wax in those little recesses in your brake and marker light lenses (especially the lettering.) Sometimes I just spread it across an area and let it sit, other times I push it into the spot and twist it back & forth using my thumb. The fresher the wax, the easier it is to remove:

BEFORE
http://members.cox.net/radamsokc/Putty1.jpg


AFTER
http://members.cox.net/radamsokc/Putty2.jpg

[Y33TREKker]

RickOKC, you may be able to remove those scuffs more easily than you think. A low speed orbital buffer with a sponge pad and some good clearcoat polish can sometimes work wonders.

I've met a lot of people who believe that only high speed buffers will make any difference, but are afraid to use them for fear of burning through their paint, but in my experience, a slow speed orbital can be sufficient.

And for removing wax on taillight lenses, around trim, decals, emblems, etc, I've found that a hard bristle toothbrush is also good. I'd never heard of using Silly Putty.

Another trick I can think of is for cleaning glass. Windex and black and white printed newspaper works very well.

[Ldub]

Always be careful with the very powerful shop vac...:yesgray:

[vt_maverick]

Okay I'll throw my $.02 in:

Products that I use / have found to be good:

1) Meguiar's NXT Generation Car Wash & Wax - The car wash greatly reduces the number of spots you get after washing and won't strip your wax. The wax does a GREAT job of filling in / reducing the appearance of scratches, swirl marks, etc. and is super easy to apply. You'll definitely want to apply the wax in the shade though, as the same ingredients that fill the scratches will quickly become white powder in sunlight. And I've also found the NXT wax to do a good job of re-darkening the hood insert.

2) Meguiar's Gold Class Endurance Tire Gel - Also known as "grape jelly," I've found this gel to last much longer than other tire black products, including Meguiar's own Hotshine and NXT Generation Insane Shine products. The other plus is that (at least to me) it produces a lower sheen than the other products, which gives the tires more of a naturally black look (as long as you don't cake it on). TIP #1: Always use the gel-from-a-bottle tire treatments, as the aerosol type will almost inevitably blow residue on your cladding and/or paint. The aerosol types are also well-known for being less adhesive than the gels, sometimes resulting in "throwing" the coating off the tire while driving. TIP #2: Pick up tire "swipes" from Auto Zone / Advance Auto to apply the gel rather than a rag or cloth. They're made of absorbant foam so application is much less messy.

3. Mr. Clean Car Wash Kit - I was absolutely devastated to hear that Mr. Clean was discontinuing this product because IMHO it's the best thing out there for eliminating water spots period. Basically the kit consists of a gun and (Brita?) water filter that you use to rinse the vehicle after washing it with normal water. Don't bother with the Mr. Clean car wash, it's nowhere near as good as the Meguiar's car wash products, although the thickness of the Meguiar's stuff means you can't use the soap-from-the-gun feature.

4) Eagle One Glass Cleaner - Most glass cleaners are alcohol based, with the obvious advantage being the cleaning action you get from alcohol. The downside is that those products dry/evaporate VERY fast, making it difficult to give the glass a good wipe-down before it disappears, leaving behind a residue that you'll see when the windows fog up or at night with your headlights on. Eagle One's glass cleaner is water based (I think) which means it sits on the glass until you're doing wiping it down. It requires more or less the same amount of elbow grease as the alcohol based products, but it leaves your glass remarkably clear.

5) Mother's Back to Black - My experience and RickOKC's tests seem to confirm that although this product attracts dust, it darkens the cladding better than most anything out there. It does wash off in the rain, but I've found that if you apply it thick enough, it will last for several weeks even in the rain without streaking. TIP: Use B2B as preventitive maintenance for your cladding, not just after each wash. When you see streaks occur, use a small amount of B2B on the streaks to blend them back in with the overall cladding color. I've also found that B2B does an amazing job of removing gas stains from under your fuel door. I spilled a LOT of gas on the cladding a few months ago (I was at one of those old gas stations that doesn't have the auto click-off feature) and after slathering B2B on it the stain was completely gone. At the time I thought I was covering it, but even several washes later, the stain has never returned.

Okay so maybe that was more like $2.00. :p

[etlsport]

for cleaning wheels..

never clean them hot! cold water on a hot wheel is bad news, also more likely to scratch a wheel if you are scrubbing it while its hot.

on chrome i use mcguires hot rims chome cleaner, comes in a red spray bottle, wet wheel, spray on, let sit for a few minutes, rinse off and dry by hand, works wonders and is very little work!

they also have hot rims aluminum and painted for the 99's or those with aftermarket wheels

[nfpgasmask]

OK guys, I can't offer much in the way of tips, but I am a big proponent of a product called "NuVinyl" for the interior plastics. Works great and doesn't leave a film as bad as ArmorAll.

And on the subject of waxing and buffing. I am going to have a go at buffing out the tree scratches on my VX as best I can.

So, does anyone have any tips on what tools to get? I am going to invest in some pro buffing tools and pro compounds. I know I am going to have to do some wet sanding as well. I wish I could take a class in scratch removal or something. :rolleyes:

Bart

[nfpgasmask]

Also, does anyone have any tips on removing stubborn brake dust and dirt from rims?

I've been really working hard at bringing back the white Impulse rims. I've got them pretty good, but there is some serious gunk built up in the corners. I carefully tried a little brake cleaner, and that helped and didn't take any of the paint/powder coating off. I'm tempted to try some carb cleaner but I am worried it might ruin the finish. I'm thinking maybe I'll try some Easy Off oven cleaner next and see how that does.

Bart

[vt_maverick]

Also, does anyone have any tips on removing stubborn brake dust and dirt from rims?

I've been really working hard at bringing back the white Impulse rims. I've got them pretty good, but there is some serious gunk built up in the corners. I carefully tried a little brake cleaner, and that helped and didn't take any of the paint/powder coating off. I'm tempted to try some carb cleaner but I am worried it might ruin the finish. I'm thinking maybe I'll try some Easy Off oven cleaner next and see how that does.

Bart

Try some of the Meguiar's HotShine All-Wheel Cleaner mentioned above. Comes in a semi-transparent pink spray bottle. Directions say to wash off after 15 seconds, but I think you could probably go longer without too much risk.

[Hiredgoon]

I use Autosol metal polish on the chrome rims and it works like magic. A little time and elbow grease and you can see your face in it. I suspect any good silver polish would do it as well.

As a side note though, do NOT use this stuff on the puffy "chromed" decals, it will completely remove the finish from them, leaving you with a yellowish, jellied-looking shape that makes you sad.

[tom4bren]

... leaving you with a yellowish, jellied-looking shape that makes you sad.

ROFL

Goon - love the way you turn a phrase.

Sorry 'bout your decals tho!

[VX KAT]

And on the subject of waxing and buffing. I am going to have a go at buffing out the tree scratches on my VX as best I can.

So, does anyone have any tips on what tools to get? I am going to invest in some pro buffing tools and pro compounds. I know I am going to have to do some wet sanding as well. I wish I could take a class in scratch removal or something. :rolleyes:

Bart

I know yours are more severe (I think) than what I worked on here, but it may give you some ideas...
http://vehicross.info/forums/showpost.php?p=157562&postcount=5

[Triathlete]

My big secret is a time or two a year I rinse the VX off with some water, wipe with a sponge, rinse again and then dry!:bwgy: Once the monsoon season ends and it dries out a bit here I think I will get rid of the May Moab dirt.:bwgy:
Only adverse affect from the above "detailing" is it tends to bring out all the custom desert pinstriping!:yesy:

[vt_maverick]

Oh forgot one... I also use Meguiar's NXT Generation Quick Detailer to quick-clean stuff like bird droppings, tree sap, etc. off the paint in between washes.

If you're like Billy and hate washing your VX frequently (;)) try brushing the body with a California Car Duster every day or two and use Quick Detailer as required. You'll find that you can go MUCH longer between washes.

[Ascinder]

Step 1: PM rickshaw

Step 2: Do what he does

Step 3: Realize you don't need any more tips or hints on detailing because your VX may never again be touched by human hands because of it's now perfect glowing finish.

Step 4: Spend plenty of time regretting all that work you did to get it this pretty because now it seems like absolutely everything in the world is conspiring against you to make it dirty.

[vt_maverick]

Step 4: Spend plenty of time regretting all that work you did to get it this pretty because now it seems like absolutely everything in the world is conspiring against you to make it dirty.

Nah, you've got to get over that if you really want to enjoy your vehicle. I was that way with my G35 (first vehicle I ever bought, right out of college) and it drove me crazy. Plus it didn't help that it was black, so while it looked amazing when clean, it looked terrible (at least in my previous opinion) when anything got on it.

Fortunately I learned a lot about detailing products on that car though, so my VX reaps those rewards. Nothing wrong with working hard to keep your car's exterior/interior in good shape, you just can't obsess over it or you stop enjoying the truck.

[RickOKC]

Y33TREKker: Thanks for the encouragement! The photo I posted of one of my scuffs was from after I'd hit it a couple times with a buffer and a light compound. I'm to the point that I feel like I need to leave it alone before I make a weak spot in the clearcoat. I'm a little worried after reading posts here about "thin paint." Is there an advantage of using a sponge pad over the terrycloth pads I typically use?

I really love something you motioned…

TIP: If you're shopping for an orbital buffer, get the one with the slowest speed. Faster doesn't mean you will finish quicker or the end result will look better. You will just increase the likelihood of accidentally burning through to your primer. Also, the heads come in many sizes. I recommend getting the smallest one you can find (usually 5" - 7" in diameter vs. the larger ones - 9" to 12".) A bigger head covers more area, but a smaller one is a LOT easier to manage along the curves. Bigger doesn't mean faster unless you have a perfectly flat surface. In fact, on a vehicle with a lot of curves, the opposite is true. Also, buy the bonnets online in bulk for 1/2 price and keep plenty in stock. :)

VT Maverick's tip (posted elsewhere): Don't use fabric softener on your car drying towels/rags because it makes them less absorbent.

Which brings me to…

If you have a good wax coat, a California Duster works MUCH better. Also, when I need to use Meguiar's Detail Spray to remove water spots, bird poo, etc., it doesn't leave streaks. Oh yeah, my point - the detail spray smears badly if you remove it with a towel that has been washed with fabric softener or dryer sheets.

Protect your wax coat by using a soap designed to prevent removing the wax. I was taught to wash vehicles using dishwashing soap but it turns out that's a great solution for instantly removing all your wax!

[Ascinder]

A lot of places sell adjustable speed controls for woodworking routers. They just plug in between the router and the wall. No reason they wouldn't work for a buffer too to slow it down if necessary. They're pretty affordable too.