tw2

Just thought I would post some pics. I have never known how to properly wash a car or even knew there was a proper way to do it. I have been reading autogeek and the show/shine part of the forum. I now have multiple buckets, wash mits, foam pads, microfibre cloths, several bottles of stuff and and a whole pile of crap I did not know existed.









I used meguires wash and wax for the wheels. I will use it for the whole car next time but for the first time I wanted to use something stronger to get all the crud including any old wax off. Then meguires bug and tar remover. Then mothers 1, 2, 3 system with Carnauba wax. The meguires tyre shine. I think it came out quite well for my first attempt ever.... actually my second, I used the mr2 as a test subject. If you place something on the trunk lid it will slide off.

xxaarraa

Nice job. Nice MR2. TT?

macbryanie

Looks very clean.. Nice mate, exactly the same as mine with the plm and flat AMG badge on the hood (except mine is debadged on side markings). Just a hell of a lot cleaner... I am inspired.

tw2

Its a 94 JDM turbo. Its nice, I have had it 2 years. Has been a great car but I am selling it since I have bought the C32. I also have a very modified celica gt4 which I will hang on to.

Thanks. I am not pretending it will stay like this but if I can do it every 4-6 months it should protect the paint and make washing it in between waxing a whole lot easier. The finish is now silky smooth which apparently makes it much more difficult for grime, bugs, tar etc to stick.

The hardest part was getting it clean. It has to be spotless before doing the prep, sealing and wax layers. Getting all the tar spots and bugs off was difficult. Petrol is great for getting rid of tar and considering people spill it all over their paint when the fill up, it can't be too bad for it.

AMGnut88

i am a detailing fanatic Heidi gets washed every week, interior redone every week the works. and twice a month usually i strip and rewax. its painful but she is my passion

AMG3.2

I am also a detailing fanatic!

What products do you use to correct the paint?

Sealants and waxes?

Also, what do you use for the seats?

tw2

That is some dedication. I find it hard to just clean the brake dust from the wheels once per month. Do you have all the mechanical buffing equipment? that would make it a lot quicker.

AMG3.2

I do have a griots garage dual action polisher for paint correction and applying glaze.

Here's a tip for you OP. If you have a waxed car, you won't want to be using Meg's Wash and Wax because it has fine cleaners in it which will dull down or strip the wax. You are going to want to use a pure car shampoo such as Griots Garage Shampoo. With this, you will see much more durability with your wax or sealant. Also, carnauba wax is among the most non durable waxes out there. High shine, but it will last only a few weeks if that. For real durability, look for a sealant called "Klasse Sealant Glaze". It is one of the best sealants on the market out there and will not break your wallet.

AMGnut88

AMG 3.2 to answer your q's. i usually clay bar and its got just about all the imperfections out. the little scratches and what else stil in my paint i think is too deep for my own skill level so eventually im probably gonna take her in a shop to get repainted. as for waxes im a caranuba man and usually mothers or maguires. mothers sells a prewax stripper to get any old wax off i use that from time to time. in between waxes instant detailer does a good job for me in bringing the shine back out. now for the leather i think its maguires gold class or something leather cleaner and conditioner. i do that to all the leather atleast twice a month and it does a great job for me in keeping it clean and healthy and not cracked out. i put it on witha microfiber and then let it soak a bit then kinda buff it away and work it into the leather. any tips or tricks you have please do share cause im all about finding ways to keep my girl in tip top condition. the shots of your car are flawless what do you use? for the most part for me personally as long as i got a coat of wax on my paint hasnt gotten disturbed to much inbetween the clay barrings. i washed the car yesterday when it was in the 20's and it was a pain cause it was freezing before i could dry it all haha that was a challenge. but i got the wax on and shes happy for the time being. my next claybar session is the first 60/70 weekend in NY that comes haha.

Chedeng88

Welcome to the wonderful world of auto detailing!

Do you just detail by hand or use a machine polisher? I have been detailing cars by hand for the longest time. It was a tedious process, but manageable when working with Japanese paint. Then I encountered MB's ceramic nano clear coat. It took forever just to get swirl marks out even with the supposedly aggressive Meg Ultimate Compound (by hand).

So because of this, I decided to give machine polishers a try (Porter Cable 7424XP to be specific) in tandem with Menzerna polishes. It was one the best moves I made in my life and I just wish that I should have done it sooner!

Menzerna products works so well with MB paint. The Super Intensive Polish and Super Finish corrects the paint in no time and their Power Lock Polymer Sealant is my all time favorite. It just makes the finish so slick that insects couldn't even stand on it, they slide right off! LOL! Just search Menzerna and Mercedes nano paint and you'll see what I mean.

AMGnut88

I have a bad history with power tools haha. Im gonna have to check that stuff out though.

AMG3.2

Seems like you are still using OTC products ( over the counter ). While those products are great, there are others that give you a much better bang for your buck. Next time you go buy a sealant, grab some klasse sealant glaze. Seriously good stuff and it will last forever when washed with a proper shampoo. As for pant correction, I used megs ultimate compoind, similar to m105, and then ultimate polish similar to m205. Over just moved on to a new product called he uno. I use two pads for that with my d/a polisher. A ccs orange pad and then a ccs white pad. The I use menzerna po85rd to finish the correcting process. After that, I use Chemical guys ez creme acrylic glaze around the whole car to make it pop. Then for my last step product I use klasse sealant glaze. Eventually o build it up to around 6 layers. I put a new coat on every week after the wash. This would last me like a year if I didn't strip it off and start from scratch like I do ever so often.

For my leather I use pinnacle leather cleaner and conditioner as well as leatherique pristine clean. This works great for me and won't harm the stitching over time.

I also use 303 aerospace protectant for the dash and all vinyl or plastic surfaces.

Windows are always cleaned with an ammonia free, tint safe window cleaner such as invisible glass.

Wheels are cleaned with griots garage shampoo, and my beloved swissvax wheel brush. Then they are glazed and sealed just like the paint. Brake calipers as well.

If you have any questions at all regarding detailing or product choice, feel free to ask !

MIKESV8

I love the detailing aspect and keeping my black car clean, but I can't factor spending over $50 every 3-5 months on cleaning equipment.

AMGnut88

AMG3.2 many thanks for all the info ill have to try that out, i do love invisible glass thats all i use myself for the glass. ive never really touched sealants i guess thats my next step haha.

tw2

It depends how intensive you want to go. These guys ^ must spend a fair bit. I am still a noob to car detailing buying my simple "products" from "shops" but it ends up being approximately $5-10 each time I do the car which I am not planning on being any more frequent than 4 monthly.

The initial outlay is about $150 for all the buckets, towels, mits, products etc but it all lasts a very long time.

AMG3.2

Yes it is!

Check out this link for more info about Klasse.

http://www.autogeek.net/klashiggloss.html

Yeah, it is quite an expensive hobby I guess. But I just love getting into a clean car. People really do take notice of it.

But like you said, the products do last a very long time.

MIKESV8

i 100% agree with you. i'm a sucker for a shiny car though. i just went to walmart to pick up school supplies and ended up leaving with that and a new carnauba wax

Chedeng88

But it's our black cars that need it the most -- minor swirls show up easily at the proper lighting angle, minor dust/dirt makes the car look really filthy compared to other colors.

You don't have to spend $50 per application though. Well, the initial investment could be around $50 to a few hundred, depending if on the quality of the stuff you are getting (and if you're getting and DA polisher). But once you have everything, it's just mostly time you're investing. Your initial supply should last you a very looong time. If you're doing it properly, you don't need to apply excessive amounts of polish/wax/sealant. "The more the better" doesn't apply here, it just goes to waste.

MIKESV8

yea that's right. i get all my cleaning supplies from walmart and my car comes out just fine. i've tried every over the counter solution and i've learned not to waste my money on the initial shampoo and just get something decent, but to get good waxes and claying supplies. this is the end product.

AMGnut88

ive learned new ways to make my girl shine, thanks to all who posted and learned me a thing or too. Mr Wallet will be unhappy however haha

AMG3.2

Hey guys, if you just wanna go to the store and pick up some shampoo buy Meg's Gold Class. It offers great lubricity and its a very decent over the counter product. Also, make sure you are using the two bucket method and rinsing off your sponge every half panel or so. You don't want to be smearing dirt on your paint...

pointman

When in the washing process do you use the clay?

AMGnut88

after ive washed and dried the car i use the claybar with instant detailer as the lubricant( it was a mothers claybar kit so it all came in the package)

pointman

Awesome! Thanks.

MIKESV8

all found at walmart