whats the best

[00xtreme85]

well i'm starting to get serious about cleaning and waxing my truck lately, so before i go buy all sorts of stuff, what are some good brands that i should look for. i've already got invisible glass for the windows, turtle F2 i think it was called for the interior, black magic tire shine and thats all so far. i figure the soap is pretty basic, and i need to get a good wax and spray detailer. are there any other things i should look for? and i'd love it if anybody felt open enough to share some of their cleaning/detailing tips with me thanks

[GreenNoma]

go on www.autopia.org

[00xtreme85]

awesome, thanks

[Daveman2]

What I do to get a good shine is wash regularly with a proper car wash soap, make sure you buy non-scratch mitts and a good chamois to dry off.

I do 6 stages in waxing when I really watn to get serioues
1.Wash well!
2.Claybar
3.Touch Up Paint
4. Rough Compound(For big scratches/nicks)
5.Meguiar's Scratch-X, for light scratches and buffing out the rough compound's scuff
6. A good paste wax over the whole car

Then Tire Dressing, window cleaning stuff, etc. all the detail stuff, chrome polsih (I use No.7)

Use Tuff Stuff on the interior carpeting

For wheel polishing I would use Mother's Metal Polish with Flour, look up the thread on how to polish wheels!

[00xtreme85]

thanks, i washed and waxed my truck for the first time last sat, heres what i did:

1. wash with armorall soap concentrate and microfiber sponge
2. dry with chamois
3. windows with invisible glass
4. interior with turtle F2 cleaner ( i didn't have a vaccum or anything, so i only cleaned the dash and door panels)
5. wax with megs NXT wax
6. then spray tire shine

i'm planning on clay barring it soon, any recommendations?

[Dan Plante]

Ok you won't find a better company on the market than Formula 113. They are by far the best I have ever used. They have amazing wax and there quick shine is called BeadX. It is a purple liquid. They sell it at local hardware stores up here in New England so you will have to order from their website. Just google formula 113 and it will pull up the site. I think it is www.formula113.com but not positive. That is all I use on my truck.

[dropped1]

Theres no "best" product out there. They ALL have their pros and cons. Hell a lot of whats out there is the same exact stuff re-labeled and with a different color or scent all claiming they produce the "best" products out.

Some waxes/sealants are for durability, look etc...

The key is proper paint prep...thats what transforms the paint, the wax/sealant just protects the finish.

If your really getting serious, read as much as you can over at autopia.org.

[raider600]

clay barring is pointless. do you have anyidea what thats for? clay barring is for overspray removal from paint. get a good buffer and just buff your paint with a decent compound like "Pro Gold" http://www.prowax.com/waxes.shtml
http://www.prowax.com/1gifs/P-34.jpg use a 3000 RPM buffer http://www.stewart-design.com/prod43311.html
pray some water on it. lay down some compound then buff away till dry. and wash.

[dropped1]

Quote: Originally Posted by raider600

clay barring is pointless.

Not neccessarily, one of its main purposes is removing overspray. But it also removes other surface contaiminants Such as...

Quote:

Rail dust - Tiny, sharp bare metal shavings that can adhere and imbed into the paint finish and cause serious damage when left untreated. Over 70% of new vehicles are transported from the factory using the rail system. In many cases, new cars are stored near a railroad and becomes infected with rail dust.


Brake Dust - Similar to rail dust, brake dust is also in the form of tiny, sharp metal shavings. In recent years, asbestos brake pads were replaced with metallic brake pads, which are actually brake pads made from tiny metal or metallic shavings. Anytime a vehicle is braking; brake dust is disbursed into the air and onto the paint finish. Since the brake dust is now actually tiny particles of bare metal, this form of brake dust can seriously damage the paint finish when left untreated.

Industrial Fallout - A general term used for pollution and can be found in many forms. Eventually, pollution settles onto the paint finish of all vehicles and can cause serious damage when left untreated.

Tree Sap, Road Tar, Bug Residue, Paint Overspray, and Acid Rain Deposits -- These contaminants adhere to or imbed into the paint finish. Left untreated, they will cause permanent damage to your car's paint work by staining and weakening the protective properties.

[LikeaRock]

I always clay a vehicle before I polish. You'd be suprised what it can pick up...

[TnHombre]

Quote: Originally Posted by raider600

clay barring is pointless. do you have anyidea what thats for? clay barring is for overspray removal from paint. get a good buffer and just buff your paint with a decent compound .

dont listen to this

this is the number one problem i find with a customers car....unexperienced people "detailing" cars.....buffing a car with a highspeed buffer is and should be the LAST RESORT!!!
ANYBODY can wash or buff a car but to diagnose it correctly is what I get paid to do...not buff the hell outa it because "i dont like clay".....know your facts BEFORE you attack the car.....

[raider600]

Quote: Originally Posted by TnHombre

dont listen to this

this is the number one problem i find with a customers car....unexperienced people "detailing" cars.....buffing a car with a highspeed buffer is and should be the LAST RESORT!!!
ANYBODY can wash or buff a car but to diagnose it correctly is what I get paid to do...not buff the hell outa it because "i dont like clay".....know your facts BEFORE you attack the car.....

ok man. ive just been detailing cars for 5 years now. and i have been working with the owner of the shop who has detailed cars now for 15 years. we dont clay unless we have too. its buff. not all the time but sometimeswe ill cut, polish then seal. other times its polish dry then wet buff to get the swirls out. ya ill get you a video and some pictures to show you what i mean.

buffing is great for getting scratches out, scuffs, and bringing back the clearcoat shine. claying isnt for everything.

and besides 3000RPM isnt "highspeed" i would think the 6000RPM one we have is "highspeed"

[TnHombre]

Quote: Originally Posted by raider600

ok man. ive just been detailing cars for 5 years now. and i have been working with the owner of the shop who has detailed cars now for 15 years. we dont clay unless we have too. its buff. not all the time but sometimeswe ill cut, polish then seal. other times its polish dry then wet buff to get the swirls out. ya ill get you a video and some pictures to show you what i mean.

buffing is great for getting scratches out, scuffs, and bringing back the clearcoat shine. claying isnt for everything.

and besides 3000RPM isnt "highspeed" i would think the 6000RPM one we have is "highspeed"

lol it doesnt matter how long youve been detailing...its how much experience that you have....
buffing is a last resort as i said....when you buff a car your removing a layer of clear unlike a claybar....

and you said that the highspeed is good to re,move scuffs....why would you use something as harsh and abrasive as coumpound and a wheel?....clay will remove it 98% of the time without the harshness of compound....

clay on the other hand removes all the surface contaminents and THATS what makes a finish not look shiney....contaminents blocking the surface....

and also if your buffing out cars at 3000 rpm's than id hate to be YOUR customer!

highspeed = buffer machine

[TnHombre]

Quote: Originally Posted by raider600

ya ill get you a video and some pictures to show you what i mean.

lol naw i dont want to see a video of you buffing...itll only make this discussion worse ...besides he's new to detailing...he's not going to be using a buffer....

[raider600]

buffing with the right pad and compound wont take off any clearcoat. your only polishing it up like when your at the dentist. they arnt taking enamel off your teeth.

cutting is the most extreme, thats where you have oxidation and over spray on your paint. where you actaully take off a small layer of coating. but its so small you dont know it. and there are several coats of clear anyway.

years of detailing = years of experience

[TnHombre]

Quote: Originally Posted by raider600

years of detailing = years of experience

hehe ive been detailing cars (profesionally) for 14 years now and have owned my own business for 6+ of them years

[raider600]

im sorry for YOUR customers then. clay barring is like wet sanding. i assume you use claybar wet?
what about scratches? you gonna rub on those with a towel and compound till they come out? what about deeper scratches and swirls?

[LikeaRock]

Quote: Originally Posted by raider600

im sorry for YOUR customers then. clay barring is like wet sanding. i assume you use claybar wet?
what about scratches? you gonna rub on those with a towel and compound till they come out? what about deeper scratches and swirls?

Noone ever said you use a clay bar to remove scratches and swirls... And years don't count for experience...I worked for a guy who detailed for 15 years and when I came into the scene I already knew more than him. I've been doing detailing for lonly a year and a half and I've already got a reputation

Ever notice how f'ing dirty your pads are after polishing/compounding some cars? That's all the contaiminates getting trapped in the pad, causing more swirls and scratches...

Explain to me, how in the F U C K is claying anything CLOSE to wetsanding???

[TnHombre]

Quote: Originally Posted by raider600

im sorry for YOUR customers then. clay barring is like wet sanding. i assume you use claybar wet?
what about scratches? you gonna rub on those with a towel and compound till they come out? what about deeper scratches and swirls?

HAHAHA a clay bar IS abrasive but NO WHERES NEAR as abrasive as compound .....
and yes i use it wet VERY wet with a spray wax.....i feal sorry for the fool that uses it dry...

i dont get scratches from claybar, NEVER!!! if you drop your clay or mistreat/use it you WILL have scratches....

Quote: Originally Posted by raider600

ok man. ive just been detailing cars for 5 years now. and i have been working with the owner of the shop who has detailed cars now for 15 years.

i WOULD like to know where this "shop " is that you work at with the guy with 15 years exp. because he is training YOU improperly my friend....
i have done all types of cars from one-of builds to rolls royce phantoms and i DONT have complaints or errors bud...

[TnHombre]

Quote: Originally Posted by LikeaRock

Explain to me, how in the F U C K is claying anything CLOSE to wetsanding???

^^^^

i was waiting for you to come join me on this funny topic....

WELCOME

Quote: Originally Posted by raider600

we dont clay unless we have too. its buff.

that just isnt right man...its supposed to be the other way around....

[raider600]

Quote: Originally Posted by LikeaRock

Noone ever said you use a clay bar to remove scratches and swirls... And years don't count for experience...I worked for a guy who detailed for 15 years and when I came into the scene I already knew more than him. I've been doing detailing for lonly a year and a half and I've already got a reputation

Ever notice how f'ing dirty your pads are after polishing/compounding some cars? That's all the contaiminates getting trapped in the pad, causing more swirls and scratches...

Explain to me, how in the F U C K is claying anything CLOSE to wetsanding???

ok defending my statement again.
foam pads dont get as gunky and when they do i would spray them off.
as for a polish pad when that gets gunky we use a "spur" and apply that to the pad and it comes off. its simple really.

since we are on the subject of swirls and scratches. Claybar wont do shit for that so what do you do when you get swirls and scratches? i want to know mr ive detailed longer. sure you can put 3 coats of wax on your car hoping the swirls go away, just depends on the product. we use a lot of Stoner products wich dont have a lot of silicone in them. they use polymers for most of their products wich cuts down on swirls.

[TnHombre]

Quote: Originally Posted by raider600

what do you do when you get swirls and scratches?

than i charge a MINIMUM of $150 for the EXTERIOR that somebody else fcuked up
if you buff properly you wont have swirls...

[raider600]

Quote: Originally Posted by TnHombre

HAHAHA a clay bar IS abrasive but NO WHERES NEAR as abrasive as compound .....
and yes i use it wet VERY wet with a spray wax.....i feal sorry for the fool that uses it dry...

i dont get scratches from claybar, NEVER!!! if you drop your clay or mistreat/use it you WILL have scratches....




i WOULD like to know where this "shop " is that you work at with the guy with 15 years exp. because he is training YOU improperly my friend....
i have done all types of cars from one-of builds to rolls royce phantoms and i DONT have complaints or errors bud...

hes not training me improperly mang. this is just the way we do it. we have a clay bar but we havnt used it since we did a car with overspray
what other products do you use? car bright? pro? stoner? blue ribbon? luster glaze?
i live in indiana, lots of cars we get are scratched and scuffed up really bad. we buff every car that comes in that needs it. maybe its oxidized, scratched up, or the paint is fading, and we need to bring back the color and shine. if it doesnt need buffed we just wash and wax it. i got a few pictures id really like to show ya of some of the things ive buffed in the past. ill get those up when i go to work tomorrow.
feel free to show off your work too. we are all in this business together. haha
i would say 70% of the vehicles we get its actually reconditioning them they are so dirty

[raider600]

Quote: Originally Posted by TnHombre

than i charge a MINIMUM of $150 for the EXTERIOR that somebody else fcuked up
if you buff properly you wont have swirls...

we charge 130 for full details. in and out of the car. that price includes buffing. and shampooing carpets scrub vinyle. the usual

[TnHombre]

Quote: Originally Posted by raider600

what other products do you use? car bright? pro? stoner? blue ribbon? luster glaze?

i use 3M, optimum, pro, P&S,malco, a few house brands and a few other trade secrets that i dont tell....

Quote: Originally Posted by raider600

feel free to show off your work too. we are all in this business together. haha

CLICK HERE!!

Quote: Originally Posted by raider600

i got a few pictures id really like to show ya of some of the things ive buffed in the past.

931carwash@gmail.com

[raider600]

that car is white...of course its going to look good. you cant see swirls or scratches as good as a darker color like red, maroon, or hell black one of the harder ones to get perfect.

edit* went to the other pages haha. not bad. but they were good when you got them. no way in hell i would buff a car that was nice when we got it.

[95projectS-Dime]

To settle this dispute I have an Idea , both of you come and detail my truck and We will deside who does better ..LOL..it does need it bad though ,,hint hint HOMBRE

[TnHombre]

Quote: Originally Posted by raider600

that car is white...of course its going to look good. you cant see swirls or scratches as good as a darker color like red, maroon, or hell black one of the harder ones to get perfect.

lol look at page two for black cars or i could send you an email of any car youd want...
i LOVE doin black cars...my specialty

[dropped1]

Wow. Raider660, you need to do some reading on detailing.

Clay Bar = VERY light abrassive, should be almost NO marring if used properly. Don't drop it, use plently of lube and nead the clay.

Buffing/Polishing etc. all takes layers of clear off. What do you think is happening when your polishing?

Now using a finishing pad applying a sealant or wax, that is not taking any of the clear off.

The only way to "cut down" on swirls is to properly wash the car, using proper washing and drying techniques. Sounds to me like you're using products with fillers to "cut" down on the swirls.

and first of all,the car should be SPOTLESS before even trying to buff.

White cars, bah. I hate black cars, but I love the challenge of correcting peoples poor paint care.

Serious Marring:

After I got ahold of it:


PROPER PREP IS EVERYTHING.

[TnHombre]

Quote: Originally Posted by 95projectS-Dime

To settle this dispute I have an Idea , both of you come and detail my truck and We will deside who does better ..LOL..it does need it bad though ,,hint hint HOMBRE

call and make an appointment like the other 65% of this town does....lol

im out of this topic now....ya'll are on your own here now ...lol

[raider600]

edit* went to the other pages haha. not bad. but they were good when you got them. no way in hell i would buff a car that was nice when we got it.

[95projectS-Dime]

Shoot me a pm with a number and I will do that .

[raider600]

Quote: Originally Posted by dropped1

Wow. Raider660, you need to do some reading on detailing.

Clay Bar = VERY light abrassive, should be almost NO marring if used properly. Don't drop it, use plently of lube and nead the clay.

Buffing/Polishing etc. all takes layers of clear off. What do you think is happening when your polishing?

i dont know what you people use on your cars to buff. but we dont take clear coat off. what are you using? a cutting compound?
shit we got an s10 in the shop. the kid use SPRAY paint on his truck. i took some water and fine sand paper. BAM! spraypaint gone. polished it up looks like new. and just as smooth and shiny as your car you have

[dropped1]

Quote: Originally Posted by raider600

i dont know what you people use on your cars to buff. but we dont take clear coat off. what are you using? a cutting compound?
shit we got an s10 in the shop. the kid use SPRAY paint on his truck. i took some water and fine sand paper. BAM! spraypaint gone. polished it up looks like new. and just as smooth and shiny as your car you have

All I can say is. WOW. Read up on detailing some more buddy.

[raider600]

i dont need to read up on shit mang. that car that you did how long did it take you?

[dropped1]

The outside took 3 - 4 hrs MANG.

[95projectS-Dime]

Who is MAng ? or does he mean MAN??And actually you are taking clear coat off , you just can't see it ........

[raider600]

we could do a full detail in 3-4 hours. sure you can do paint. but that only lasts till it rains. claybar what you want and take 4 hours ill buff and take less time and still have it perfect without removing clearcoat like you all think.
here these guys are buffing and no swirls! oh NOES!!
http://www.detailworks.com/auto_detailing.htm

[95projectS-Dime]

OK , if you say so , we beleive you man......lol

[TnHombre]

Quote: Originally Posted by raider600

we could do a full detail in 3-4 hours. sure you can do paint. but that only lasts till it rains. claybar what you want and take 4 hours ill buff and take less time and still have it perfect without removing clearcoat like you all think.

[raider600]

ya this really sucks. just tryin to help out. i wouldnt clay anything. id biff something that is real ****ed up is what im trying to say. you guys have all nice cars to work on. i must be in the wrong detail shop if i keep getting billybobs damn trailblazer all scratched up.
id like to have an easy detail job where all i have to do to them is wax them. nooblets

[TnHombre]

Quote: Originally Posted by raider600

we could do a full detail in 3-4 hours. ]

hhhmmm thats odd.... heres a quote from that site you gave........

" Detail Works spends 8 to 10 man hours on the detailing of each car."

[95projectS-Dime]

Got you there didn't he

[raider600]

haha thats crap i know.
heres pedro polishing
http://www.detailworks.com/auto_d103.jpg
go pedro go!!! looks good to me. no swirls and oh man the clearcoat is still there!

[TnHombre]

Quote: Originally Posted by raider600

clay barring is pointless.

oh WAIT!! heres a picture .....whats he doing there??!! omg HES USING.....................................




ISNT IT PAST YOUR BED TIME?!??

[raider600]

haha oh noes!!! ya got me there!
ill show ya what i do fool. its good work

[95projectS-Dime]

Hey dude , the clear coat is still there , just THINNER than before you all got ahold of it . Ask any REAL PRO what you are doing that poor clear coat , not your half assing boss.........

[raider600]

tell pedro that too. cuz obviously hes doing it wrong too in their 8-10 hour session

and rember i said buffing is used in extreme cases. not everything. dont get your panties in a bunch!

[95projectS-Dime]

Who is PEDRO????

[LikeaRock]

Quote: Originally Posted by raider600

ok defending my statement again.
foam pads dont get as gunky and when they do i would spray them off.
as for a polish pad when that gets gunky we use a "spur" and apply that to the pad and it comes off. its simple really.

since we are on the subject of swirls and scratches. Claybar wont do shit for that so what do you do when you get swirls and scratches? i want to know mr ive detailed longer. sure you can put 3 coats of wax on your car hoping the swirls go away, just depends on the product. we use a lot of Stoner products wich dont have a lot of silicone in them. they use polymers for most of their products wich cuts down on swirls.

HA! Someone knocking my work in a serious matter, can't remember the last time that happened

Point is, your pad SHOULDNT get dirty while polishing. It's totally unavoidable to polish a whole car and not get SOME dirt, but if you have to stop and clean the pad or clean it after every detail then you're not doing things properly.
You use products with SILICONE, aka FILLERS! FILLERS fade away over time and the car is left in the exact same condition or worse than when it was "detailed". I DON'T hide imperfections, I remove them by using a foam or wool pad, compound and polish. Swirls from a buffer are one thing, swirls from basic car washing are another. If you're talking about car wash swirls/scratches, you can use a mild polish and a polishing pad and remove most of them, compounding will get rid of a lot more. It is COMPLETELY IMPOSSIBLE to fully remove cobwebs/swirls in your paint, there will always be some left behind.
So even though YOU'RE not removing a MICROSCOPIC layer of clear, you're really not doing anything at all by hiding stuff...
When it rains and I go back and wash one of my family's vehicles or a neighbors, it still looks thesame. No fillers here!

I still don't see why you brought up the idea of using a clay bar to remove swirls/scratches, that's what's confusing me...

Give Eric or Tim at Golden Gate North Distributing a call, see if they have anything bad to say about my work. Call my bosses. I'll ask my neighors if I can give out their numbers for references. I do good work, I take pride in what I do and I make every second of my time count. I'm not just some 18 year old who thinks he can wash, wax, and shampoo carpets in a car. I know a hell of a lot more than most people think, and when they find that out they respect that. A lot of detailers have HUGE ego's, I ain't one of em and don't plan on becoming one either.

Quick clay on the hood/deck lid of this car, 2-step polish and Poorboy's Natty's Blue paste wax. 2.5 hrs work time...