jackrycheung

Hi guys, wat do u use to wash your car, wat types of brushes and sponge, and wat is the steps to clean it?

gsrjc

I got this from Detailed Image and it is great. Check out my thread of my photoshoot to see the shine of the car.

- DI Packages - Washing and Drying Starter Kit
- Clay Magic Clay Bar and Poorboy's World Spray and Wipe (clay bar and lube)
- Menzerna PO106FF (polish - this is probably the least essential step for a brand new vehicle, but it is a big help)
- Chemical Guys Jetseal 109 (sealant)
- Chemical Guys 50/50 Limited Edition Paste Wax

303 Aerospace Protectant - UV protectant and matte finish dressing for vinyl, leather, plastic and rubber surfaces. It's a major help for preventing slow fade and keeping the interior, trim, engine bay, etc. looking top notch.

303 Fabric Guard - Fabric Protectant. Just spray it on to help prevent staining and makes future cleanings much easier.

UGOTMOPPED

just go to www.autogeek.net

they got tons of products too..cheaper..also check out www.autopia.org to get some detailing tips..

I use Duragloss 901 Car Wash - P21s Wheel Cleaner - FK425 Detail spray and etc.

so many products.

ScottW911

Here is a link to my personal favorite car care products forum.

http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/index.php

This site has all the "how to" stuff and a link to purchase the products they talk about.

Those of us forturnate enough to live in Southern California where treated to an awsome (and free) day of hands-on class, at the MBWorld.org day at their HQ, a few months back.

jackrycheung

Big hugs to all of you guys, now I know how i should clean my dear c63

dlbello

What do you think about Zano products????

jackrycheung

hey, guys。 I would like to know that if any of you use the electric polisher or buffers on your new car when u doing the detail works? or u just use it by your hand motions. If I use dat machine to do da work, will it thinner the clear coat of the car?

gsrjc

By hand... I've never used the machine. I do know that if you do use the machine then you should make sure not to put too much pressure on the car.

jackrycheung

I c, u mean if I use da machine then put much pressure on it can actually make the clear coat of the car thinner, right?

peet

I use a machine and I put my weight into it. However - I know what I'm doing. Been doing it for about 15 years now... ruined some paint about 15 years ago

If you had to ask the question - DO NOT do this on your new car that's worth $65k+... that's asking for a cry fest.

Especially as I see you have a black car - you will want to shoot yourself after using a machine on it if you don't know what you're doing!!

king360

totally agreed. I've seen cars with circular marks all over their bodies. Black car makes the marks stand out more.

c32AMG-DTM

You can use a DA orbital polisher without much (if ANY) risk to your paint, and you'll get results that look much better than anything you can do by hand, period. I use a PC7424 on my gloss black C32, and it is amazing what it can do. Using a rotary polisher can provide even more paint correction, but is riskier - you can harm the finish if you don't know what you're doing.

Agree w/ the #2 post above, DI has anything & everything you could need or want; they also put together some great packages. They're a forum sponsor, and I can say first-hand that their product selection and service is outstanding... highly recommend them - www.detailedimage.com

To those of you who are new, there is a detailing subforum most of the way down the page. A lot of good info there as well.

gsrjc

Yes, you have to be careful of the pressure and the rotational speed of the machine.

ScottW911

I was a firm believer in hand waxing only,until recently. When the MBWorld class took place at Meguiars, we took a black C with bad swirls and scraches and taped it off to do a side-by-side comparison of hand polish and machine polish. It was no contest. The machine polish/wax was MUCH smoother with fewer swirls and scraches.

Now, the caviat here is this: you have to know what you are doing and what products to use. I ran out and purchased the Meguiars 110 orbital polisher with the proper "grit" polish. Spend the money on the right polisher and you will get superior results without much risk of damage to the paint. Go cheap and you will damage your paint. I feel that $150 for the good machine is well worth the cost when it comes to protecting my AMG.

Please take the time to read through the forum links I left here earlier. You will learn about the correct methods and products to use on your car. Most of the posters in that forum are professional detailers and it is moderated by a master detailer.

dlbello

Can you please supply the links you mention....I've been using Zano products for years. On my New C63 I may go with something different... Thanks

ScottW911

Check the link in post #4 of this thread. It contains forums on polishing by hand and polishing by machine, as you scroll down.

I can't stress too much, how informative the Meguiars forum can be to those that take the time read through it.

peet

Talk to a paint shop. What do they use? Most of them use 3M stuff you can't buy in stores. I too use their cutting compounds and polishes and the stuff just can't be beat. You can't buy it in stores, again, so it's an online hunt once you identify it.

To begin with though - you won't be polishing anything. These cars are so new that you should be ok with just wash and wax. Buffing with a machine buffer is fine - just make sure the bonnets are TOTALLY clean. Anything on the buffer and you're sanding the clearcoat.

Couple of washes and you may need a clay job then wax again - but still no polishing. No matter what, polishing is the process of removing material so you really want to minimize that. As one more intermediate layer, something like HD Clense from Zymol is a great step between clay and polish.

cheers.

ScottW911

Good point. I use "polishing" as a more generic term. Even still, I have used the Meguiars G110 Polisher with their finishing pad, to wax my car in the past. It looked amazing.

Clay-ing the car is a must, if you leave your car outside for any period of time. After washing, I use Quick Detailer (or the professional version of QD) spritzed on the car, quickly wipe the clay to remove any and all contaminants. Then you can apply wax.

c32AMG-DTM

In addtion to any other info, I'd highly recommend you check out the following, if you have any interest in learning how to properly detail your vehicle(s) for best results:

https://mbworld.org/forums/detailing-automotive-care-37/

www.detailedimage.com

http://www.detailuniversity.com/

Meguiar's stuff is good, I'd used it for years, but it's not the "end-all-be-all" of detailing either IMHO. The reason why I like Detailed Image is that they're a forum sponsor, and an independent shop who strives to find the absolute best detailing products available. In addition, their service is A++. Recently I've been using Menzerna polishes with Chemical Guys glaze, sealant, QD, etc., and the results are far better than anything I've ever experienced before.

saintreb

I was in the same boat as you in trying to read up on auto detailing before my OB C63 arrived. I live on the Gulf of Mexico so I am concerned about salt and the daily afternoon showers. Learning about detailing will drive you nuts, confuse the hell out of you, and, eventually, teach you alot of helpful information. Autopia, detailed university (forum from detailed image), Megs, the detailing thread here, and autogeek are all great forums to browse around. Learning to wash properly (2 buckets with grit guards) is the most important thing while the car is brand new. Another tip is to just start stocking up on MF towels (grab an 8 pack or three next time you're at Target). Regarding products NXT 2.0 Tech Wax from MEGS is pretty solid and doesn't require making a part time job out of car maintenance. I did this to get some protection while I was waiting for my detailed image order to arrive to. When my order arrived I got Full Molecular Jacket by Menzerna as a sealant and layered Natty's Paste Wax on top. The extra effort was well worth it. The paint looks like liquid metal and brings even more attention to the car than it already gets. It looks car show caliber and when it does rain it's cool just watching the water bead off. If I can help, PM, or talk to the guys at DI.