Products to detail cars?

[MissTwisties]

So what do you guys use for cleaning your car? Now that I got a black car, I know that it's the worse color to see all scratches, dings, etc.

I've been told never to use soap that is not safe for clear coat. So basically, I guess that rules out for me to go wash my car in one of those garages where you use their hoses since they probably put cheap soap in there. I'd think it's difficult to use a hose in your driveway in winter when your garage is small and not heated...I also want to keep my wheel covers clean without any brake grease. I'd like to keep my tires black and shiny. I got scotch guard to spray on my seats to help repell any spill my kids might do when we go on long trips, but I'm trying to keep them from eating or drinking in my car (just hard to do on long trips tho). I got Rain-X for inside and outside the car windows. I got Black Magic spray for the dash board and door panels (was using Armorall before). Also, I'd like to keep the under hood engine and what not clean, just like it is now. So what products do you recommend for each task? Any tips on how to preserve the paint and general aspect of the car during winter? (sand, salt, sleet, ice on the car...??) I hear Mothers and Black Magic are good products, but then again I have a bunch of other people telling me it's all the same...

So....products for:

Black paint care (against scratches/blemishes):
Keeping the tires black and shiny:
Keeping wheel covers clean:
Keeping everything under the hood clean:

[Sidewinder]

Sand paper I say about 2000grit shines her up real nice!

[MissTwisties]

Originally posted by Sidewinder
Sand paper I say about 2000grit shines her up real nice!

Are you serious? I'll have to try that.

[legalspeed]

So....products for:

Black paint care (against scratches/blemishes): Zano 89$ kit ~ 100$ shipped.

Keeping the tires black and shiny: Eagle tire wet (use the Eagle brand)
Keeping wheel covers clean: Wesley's wheel bright (be careful; it's acid)
Keeping everything under the hood clean: MaQuire's leather care(sp)

A cheap alternative to the Zano is Mothers.

1st: NEVER wash with a mit or towel (you seem to already know this). That is where the micro swirls are produced . I don't like the wand, I use the laser touchless. It is far more economical for me, I have a very large truck - Avalanche.

After you wash at the touchless, bring it home and use the clay bar. Next use the mirror glaze / scratch filler, followed by the claener wax, then the wax-wax.

As I wax, I constantly use new towel surface. I go through about 10 towels before finishing. The towels tend to collect grit, this gets swirled into the finish.

Don't cheat any of the above. You can use the cheaper Mothers stuff, but it will cost you more because it takes a lot of product to do a car and once on ; only lasts about four months. With the Zano, I use very little, and only have to do it once a year.
89$ in mothers will last me 2 years for one truck; 89$ in Zano will cover two trucks for five years.
That makes the Zano much cheaper in the long run.

My other truck is a black Escalade.

[Doc]

I have a 4x4 black Xterra.

I try to keep it clean and ANY warm day in the winter I go to the car wash and spray the salt of it.

I have heard some people say that is not a good idea but it works for me.

[legalspeed]

BTW, I did not like the Zano clay bar, I use the Mothers clay bar and the Zano wax products.

The Showtime chemical Mothers supplies with their clay smells like cinnamon candy. I like cinnamon candy, maybe that's it.

More importantly; do not use armor all, it dries and cracks plastic while leaving a white chalky film that I have never been able to remove.

[MissTwisties]

Originally posted by legalspeed

Keeping everything under the hood clean: MaQuire's leather care(sp)

"leather" care? I meant to keep everything under the hood (motor/engine, hoses, etc. ) clean...?

Originally posted by legalspeed
1st: NEVER wash with a mit or towel (you seem to already know this). That is where the micro swirls are produced.

Yeah I know, those car wash with all the brushes/dragging towels is the worse for your paint.

Originally posted by legalspeed
After you wash at the touchless, bring it home and use the clay bar. Next use the mirror glaze / scratch filler, followed by the claener wax, then the wax-wax.

I think I saw that clay bar at Pep Boys earlier today...how do you use it? Never seen that thing before. What brands of scratch filler, wax cleaner (you mean the stuff to remove previous old wax?), and wax do you use? That Zano stuff? Is this all included in the kit? I'll have to try that...I'm just pissed that winter is coming and I probably won't be able to give it a good treatment for the winter now... I need to know someone with a spacious heated garage!!

[MissTwisties]

Doc, I have heard that too....that you shouldn't wash your car in winter... What do you guys think??

LegalSpeed...you mean I shouldn't use Armor All on my dash board vynil? So how do you keep it shiny after you clean it? Any product that you know of that would help keep the dust away for a little longer and keep it shiny, or don't you use any of that stuff? I got a bottle of black magic today...

[legalspeed]

No armor all!!

Use Mcguire's leather care (foam works better than the wipes) on all plastic/vinyl/leather etc.

Yes, leather care Mcguire's for all belts and hoses and platic under the hood.

ANY towels; do not use a towel to wash your car (by hand or otherwise). Only use a clean terry-cloth cotton towel for waxing, constantly turning. Like I said, I go through a snot load of towels.

Use the clay bar; it comes with directions. If you drag your finger across the paint on a section that has not been clayed, you would never go without it again. The clay absorbs grit and stone chips which put the swirls in your paint.

All wax products I mentioned that are not Zano, are Mother's. IE the glaze, cleaner wax, clay bar, and carnuba are all Mother's products. These are common products within most wax systrems, I just like the Mother's for a cheap wax, but Zano does a far better job.

The micro swirls are the biggest issue. do not use an electric waxer or buffer, they tend to pick up the grit and it only takes one minute to put 1,000 micro scratches in your paint using a buffer at 1000rpm. If you put your nose up to a car's finish and look into the sun's reflection, you will see 1,000's of these swirls.

Unless it's one of my cars.

[MissTwisties]

Too late for the 1000's swirls...someone before me already did it...but I won't make it worse by adding and doing the same thing. We have an electric buffer....I'll use my hands... (good exercice, too)

[Dianne]

Make the bitch that hit you come to your house each and every day and remove every last blemish and grain of salt while you stand and laugh at her and kick her in the...

[Punjistick]

I have always read that it was a good idea to occasionally wash and wax your car in the winter because it get's the salt off which eats metal and the wax acts like a layer of protection between the paint and the elements. I don't see how washing your car in the winter can be anything but good but I'm sure someone has a valid reason I just haven't heard of.

[Daytona440]

I'm drafting a response...have it up tomorrow night some time..

[richw]

Also winter get the under car sprayed using a pressure washer

Unfortunately EPA DEP F*up make them recycle most of the water a few times so even sprayed off its with some salt.

Seriously if there are an occasional good rain, know somewhere with good puddles, drive through them a few times to rinse off the under carriage.

I am sure that ALL abrasive containing things including clay are removing a layer of surface every time. Maybe if there is heavy wax that's what gets taken off.

If your a normal person a year from now the kids will be writing

WASH ME

in the crust.

[MissTwisties]

I am NOT a normal person when it comes to my car/bike. I like them CLEAN. I might actually get the teflon clear coating for the exterior AND interior done soon, it's garanteed 5 years, apparently my car will look like a mirror, literally. Any of you ever had this treatment done to your car?

[legalspeed]

Originally posted by richw
I am sure that ALL abrasive containing things including clay are removing a layer of surface every time. Maybe if there is heavy wax that's what gets taken off.

I've heard that before and don't believe it. My clay only has dirt, grit, and grime in it, no pigment.

My truck is 3yrs old with no washing, only clay bar. She looks great and gets compliments all the time.

[beet]

Originally posted by legalspeed
I've heard that before and don't believe it. My clay only has dirt, grit, and grime in it, no pigment.

My truck is 3yrs old with no washing, only clay bar. She looks great and gets compliments all the time.

Clear coat has no pigment.

[MissTwisties]

On the other hand....I have just finished reading on a certain car forum that dealership applied "paint sealant" is a rip off, and only profit money....*sigh*...

It's cold out now...how the hell am I supposed to do a protectant job to my car before the snow, ice and all the shit comes falling down? I'll be freezing my hands, and I can't even do it anyway right now because of the accident.

[Punjistick]

I don't know about you but I saw temps as high as 56 today in my yard. Plenty warm enough to clean a car.

[a13x]

I wash my 2005 black Silverado 2500HD about 4 times a year, maybe. Just sprayed it off the other day (it was gray with salt from a Burlington / Lake Placid drive) with a firehose at Mototown.

Those firehose fucking BLAST water out man!


Needless to say, I don't get many compliments on it's shine

[richw]

Twisties Go to the car wash

Get her clean

Have the kids do a spray wax..

wax on wipe off

better then nothing while your recuperating

[MissTwisties]

Oh Mi God! That clay bar from Mothers is doing a wicked awsome job! You gently rub your finger on the paint, compared to the next section that haven't been treated, and it's soooooo smooth!! Thank you thank you thank you! Oh and wouldn't you know, there is a touchless lazer car wash about 2 minutes from my home. $8.00 washes the car, under it and dry it. Drive home. Claybar and wax away.

[legalspeed]

Be careful now, it's just a prep for the wax. You need to apply the wax right after.

Good for you V!

[RandyO]

I've heard that old fasion DOT 3 brake fluid works the best for removing flaws in paint a detailers secret

[MissTwisties]

I'm done. I didn't do the whole car, my neck and shoulders are killing me so I'm gonna pay for this. My daughters helped a little. I did the hood, all around the bottom of the car, the wings around the wheels, the trunk, both bumpers, the roof, the mirrors and all the door handles. Got 2 layers of carnauba wax. The car is so shiny, it hurt my eyes...LOL No need for the dealership so called "teflon" coating now. I also gave a second treatment of Rain-X to the windows.

You can see my house on the hood...




Trunk