Detailing Questions/Comments. Deep down, we all like a clean ride.
 

In the midst of this covid stuff, I’ve dwell in detailing more and more. Something I’ve always done to my cars since my high school car (black ‘91 Eclipse GS). Fast forward 20+ years and a dozen cars later, it’s still therapeutic and visually rewarding. Deep down, we all clean our cars. Some just keep it cleaner than others, some are just in the dark about it.

With that, I hope this thread may help you clean, keep clean, and show others that you are a car person beyond just driving an FRS/BRZ.

Disclosures:
1) No way I would call myself a guru. I’m just a student always willing to learn. Just sharing my experiences publicly and more often lately, privately. This one is public.
2) I am biased! You like the reviews of a product, use it. It’s your money. I am biased of 2 particular mainstream brands tho, may or may not reveal it.
3) Keep an open mind. We are a sharing community. What you may use a Flex machine on, I may use a Rupes machine on. Same result, different tools.
4) Keep it simple. Be cool. A 2-bucket wash may be overkill for some but if you like the brushed carwash tunnels, that’s cool too. It’s your paint.

So to start, ceramic coating:
What is it? A (semi) permanent “glass” protection over the entire car’s paint, glass, and wheels. Repels most anything from sticking to the car’s exterior. Keeping the car clean and shiny is much easier after ceramic coat. It is strenuous to prep a car for ceramic coating - let’s say 90% prep, 10% ceramic coating application. Is it for everyone? No! Is it for anyone? Yes, especially if you have a fairly new paint, want to maintain that paint, yes!

Would you recommend a porter Cable DA polisher as an entry level tool?
With the porter Cable, what simple products would you recommend for basic detailing? I plan to spend 5-10 hours my first go around.

If you’re referring to the 7424xp, out of the box with it’s 6” attached pad, yes. Basic 1-step paint enhancement with a light/medium compound should be fine.

Given your time, give the pad time in between panels to cool off. Don’t allow the pad to get hot to the touch. If the pad is warm to the touch, let it cool off. It is your only pad out of the box.

Neat, thank you. Any recommendations for a compound/brand? I've been reading and am brainwashed towards using sonax

I use a couple Sonax products. They work great but are relatively expensive. I’m cautious of what I use them on.

If you have a local detail shop, hit them up. Describe to them exactly what you are wanting to do. You support them as well as get some face to face info. If not, Meguiars is everywhere - just make sure the light/medium compound is DA friendly. Meguiars 105 followed by 205 is a go-to combo.

Thank you! I'll pick up the meguiars polishes and see what happens. Vermont is pretty sparse, no detailing shops that will work on anything but boats or 60s muscle cars. I'm comfortable trying this out, I don't have a scrap of vanity and would drive my car around with hail damage, I just wanted to give it a shot and help friends out if I get decent. Thank you so much!

I've got one, had it for years. Good starter.
For not much extra you can grab a backing plate that allows you to use standard Velcro pads. Lake country flat pads have worked for me. Flat pads are more versatile for wider range of polishes. I also have some chemical guys hex pads, but they don't work with DAT polishes. I used them with megs ultimate compound and polish with decent results.

Aside from M105 and 205 being mentioned, I've had good results with menzerna.

auto parts stores just about everywhere seem to carry meguiars stuff. though due to limited shelf space, they don't always carry all of the same things..

i generally order from autogeek. it lets me get a little pickier on which stuffs i want.

Agreed. Basic detailing, it’s good as it is out of box.
But if the original questioner wants to divulge on how to make the 7424xp more versatile, then yup, mod away haha

What are your thoughts on Adams polishes products and DA polisher ?

Adams has a large catalog of products. Perhaps the 2nd largest collection of products. I’ve used some, kicked over some open bottles by accident oops, and given some away but I always find a reason to keep buying their blue Car Shampoo. I like blue I guess. Their stuff smells good so that’s a plus.

I’ve personally never owned an Adam’s DA. Having spoken to few that has used them, it’s got good ergo, prices, and their SK line outperforms higher priced DAs. They warn me not run it past it’s higher rpm range tho

This is always fun! I tend to add an engine clean on cars I detail. I use an engine cleaner or apc and a medium detail brush. For deep engine bays like the MR2 pictured, I used a heavy duty degreaser and steam in areas the brush and I can’t get to. It’s a rewarding outcome.

Always the comment of “...I’m afraid of the electrical...”. My response is “well that’s good, you should be. Because you are, you’ll avoid flooding those electrical areas with cleaner/water.” I don’t cover anything but I always inspect what is and what shouldn’t be. For example, a stereo ghetto wiring and any other drive-thru wiring job will be addressed before cleaning. Final dress-up of any engine bay is with a silicone-free dressing.

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Recommended steamer?

Depends on your budget and how often you will use it. There’s industrial Mytee/Dupray in the upper hundreds and more or 100-200 ones for personal use. I’m currently using a McCulloch mc1275 from HF. Inexpensive, small, versatile, and very mobile friendly. Bissell has some recommended multi use machines as well. More importantly than what brand, follow factory instructions like only use distilled water and depressurize it when not in use.

I’m on my 2nd mc1275 because I loaned the first one to my sister. She didn’t follow the instructions haha. Gotta love HF warranty 👍

Just take my money already!! My car sat out for like a year or two, during some family situations and It’s so damn horrible man.

Is there any product to use on alcantara/micro fiber crap?

A damp microfiber towel works best in my experience. You do not want any residue in the fibers, that will make them stick together and make the alcantara look worn down.

There are products for it, but water and elbow grease should do it.

My old is had alcantara and when totaled they noted ‘sweat stains’. Very bothered by getting into my car after perspiring in the summer heat because of the shame that insurance agent bestowed.

And to add, if you have upholstery cleaner, use it lightly. Trick is to use a small amount of the cleaner and a mf towel. Gently wipe dry, softly vacuum to remove more moisture, use a clean dry mf towel to stand the fibers again.

I have to see it to believe it lol. But I’m glad the car’s back to driving mode. Family first, that’s for sure

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PFA and detail oriented, a BMW experience polishing this! Ceramic coated including calipers, wheelwells, glass, and engine compartment.


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Last post I promise haha.

Been successful helping a few people out offline. Basically, if you’ve never clay’ed your car, you should. A hint when you should clay, after a wash and the car still feels like sandpaper, it’s time for clay. +30 min max after a wash. Google/YouTube how to claybar a car. I prefer a clay bar vs a clay mit/glove/block/towel/etc.

Supra looks so good in red! Nice job detailing it.

A little piece of my heart dies though every time I realize it only comes in automatic in the US.

Is there any way to get good results buffing headlights from a drill attachment?

yes. i would look specifically for a 3-step process method though.

1st step should involve a compound that strips/sands the headlamp to remove the oxidized layer.
2nd step should involve polishing it smooth/clear.
3rd step should be some sort of protective coating to keep it looking spiffy for years to come.


personally, i do them by hand(rubbing compound, polish, and a wax sealant do all of the things mentioned). but if they're so oxidized that hand rubbing would take a significant amount of time, i get new housings..

on the cars in my past, it's been a $70-200 cost, which is cheaper in the long run... on this car, the oem housings can run upwards of $400-800/ea for the brz, so it's a little more worthwhile to put some elbow grease into them!

I've done the method soundman98 has used.

I also found sanding the lights down, then working to about 600 grit and applying a clear coat with UV inhibitors. Wet sand and polish for perfect finish.
You'll typically get longer lasting results vs polish + wax/sealant, but its more labor intensive.

Yep, but ya gotta be quick - :D

Where ya been, there, finch1750 - haven't seen much out of you lately?

It looks incredible. How many hours into it and what coating did you use? I didn't know you could use it on plastics or in a hot engine bay.

this is what i consider more of a 'nuclear option'.

if the clearcoat on the housings is yellowed/foggy only, the previous process i talked about should take care of it.

if the clear coat on the housing looks like cracked glass, or is flaking off, or appears to be missing in places while also looking like a matte, yellowish finish, than replacement of the coating like you describe is the best option.

but it's extremely labor intensive wet-sanding, and many of the better coating options are more closely related to very fumy 2-part epoxy systems.

so unless the headlamps have a lot of personal meaning, it's much easier to replace consider replacing either just the lens from another good headlamp, or to consider replacing the entire assembly with a factory-fresh headlamp.

it is typically better to go with replacing the entire assembly, as when most housing lenses reach this point of degradation, it is extremely common that the oem components within the assembly have degraded to some extent as well, and all that work into the outer lens still won't benefit the end result as outright housing replacement.

i've done a little of all of it with my past retrofitting hobby ;)

lately, been trying to get out of civilization for at least a weekend a month. Just hard to get on the forums since I don't have service at work and they keep increasing what gets blocked by our firewalls :mad0260:

Yeah, I'm way to lazy to do by hand but will look into some quality compounds. I've paid to have them done before but figure over the course of time and multiple cars would be cheaper to do it myself.

Too many hours spent unfortunately but that is expected when trying to polish BMW paint.