I want to detail my car...

[S4]

It's just so bad right now, but without a garage there isn't much I can do when it's 11 degrees outside.

 

ARRRGHHH!!! I love the snow, but hate the salt. I'd be completely happy if they just left 6" on the road and there'd just be subie's and SUVs (flipped over in the ditch) left.

 

Anyone else going through withdrawl?

[rony]

I have resisted, very much washing my car, for fears my neighbors would call the loony bin on me!!!

 

So, yes, I totally understand where you are coming from.

[Guest *Jedimaster*]

I feel the same way. People on my road spin their wheels coming around the corner (it's a slight grade) in the slick weather. I'm always thinking to myself "Get AWD or go home"

 

I can't wait to detail my car- I'm hoping the all weather mats I got over the summer will eliminate the salt stains on my carpet or at least decrease them.

[OCDetails]

Big time here. I want to wash it, but I know that driving a couple blocks on the wet roads is just going to make it look like crap again. Tomorrow is supposed to be nice, so I think I'll wash it then. It will be in the mid 40's all weekend. I think it is time for a mid winter wax. I just got some new product from www.premiumautocare.com that I want to try out.

 

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b182/OCDetails2/DSC03513.jpg

[rc0032]

you can use my garage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the small fee of detailing my car

[OCDetails]

Gladly. I have a broken pipe and it just happens to be the one attached to the hose. No washing in my driveway for the rest of the winter until I get that bitch fixed. Just bring your garage and car over to my place and I'll get you hooked up.

[miles]

In the winter I go to an underground parking lot in the downtown area.

The garage is below a shopping center & movie theatres.

A company details cars in this garage.

I get them to wash my car 2 times ($30) with my soap.

This way they are forced to empty their bucket and fill it with clean water.

Also, I provide them with clean towels for washing.

If outside temp is -30˚F the bottom floor of this garage is 68˚F (8 floors underground).

 

I then apply Zaino Z2 with ZFX so it cures quickly.

Due to my back problem (sciatica) I need a break.

So, I go see a movie.

 

After the movie the Zaino Z2 with ZFX has absolutely cured.

I then buff off the car (by hand) using microfiber towels.

[Slickvic]

I use the touchless carwash every time I fill up the tank. Sure it looks crappy a few days later but at least the salt is not caked on.

[OCDetails]

ZFX cures Z2 pretty much instantanously. That is the whole point of the product. That way you can layer multiple coats on in one day. For those of us that don't want to wait the 24 hours for the product to cure (note that there is a big difference between 'curing' and 'drying') the ZFX additive for Zaino helps out for layers. You don't have to leave it sitting on the car for it to cure. You can buff it off and it is ready for another coat. Usually people just let it sit on the car a big longer so it will dry and the excess product is easier to clean off. That usually takes a bit longer in the cold anyway, but I just thought I'd clarify that you don't need to let the product sit unbuffed on the surface of the car for it to cure. Since Zaino is the only sealant I know of that has an 'Instant Cure' additive you can get I just wanted to make sure people weren't driving around with Klasse or Wolfgang on their car for 24 hours before they buffed it off.

[LawGT]

Hey OCDetails,

 

Would there be any harm done to my paint if I use a PC to wax/polish my car w/o first claying? My car has sat outside for a couple of months now, so I'm sure there are some contaminants in the paint. I rather give it a quick polish/wax now (if it indeed hits 40 on Sunday) for the winter to come and leave the claying for after the winter. thanks.

[OCDetails]

Let me ask you this.... Imagine that you have a table with a 1" nail that is driven about halfway in. If you needed to polish the table and wanted to remove that nail while doing the least amount of damage to the surface of the table would you: A) Use a grinder to level off the nail right at the surface of the table and then use a metal eating acid to get the rest of the nail out, or B) Pull the nail out with pliers and then get on with polishing?

 

When you polish your car without claying it first then basically you are going with option A. You are leveling off the contamination that is already set into your paint. The problem with that is it becomes harder to pull the contamination out with clay later. The best way to get it out at that point is to use an acid bath and not a clay bar. Most acid bath products are not available to the public, so you would likely either have to order it from an industrial chemical company that makes detailing supplies (like www.autoint.com) or take it to a detailer to take care of. It's really not as scary as it sounds. It's just washing the car with something a lot more agressive than your average car wash soap. It gets everything that clay misses. On a seriously neglected car I always give it the Valugard ABC treatment. You can check out autoint.com for more detail on that process.

 

What I would suggest is that you wash the car and then feel the surface with your bare hand. If you can feel bumps and grit then you need to clay it. Claying takes very little time and it makes a huge difference. With all the extra contamination that gets dumped on a car when driving through the slush and road spray it is almost certian that your car needs to be clayed. I typically wait till spring to do that sort of thing. No matter how clean you get your car tomorrow, it will still need to be clayed and polished this spring. I just grit my teeth and bear it for a couple months knowing that my paint is fairly safe under the layers of sealant that I put on. A quick clay and light polishing in the spring and she is good as new.

[LawGT]

Let me ask you this.... Imagine that you have a table with a 1" nail that is driven about halfway in. If you needed to polish the table and wanted to remove that nail while doing the least amount of damage to the surface of the table would you: A) Use a grinder to level off the nail right at the surface of the table and then use a metal eating acid to get the rest of the nail out, or B) Pull the nail out with pliers and then get on with polishing?

 

When you polish your car without claying it first then basically you are going with option A. You are leveling off the contamination that is already set into your paint. The problem with that is it becomes harder to pull the contamination out with clay later. The best way to get it out at that point is to use an acid bath and not a clay bar. Most acid bath products are not available to the public, so you would likely either have to order it from an industrial chemical company that makes detailing supplies (like www.autoint.com) or take it to a detailer to take care of. It's really not as scary as it sounds. It's just washing the car with something a lot more agressive than your average car wash soap. It gets everything that clay misses. On a seriously neglected car I always give it the Valugard ABC treatment. You can check out autoint.com for more detail on that process.

 

What I would suggest is that you wash the car and then feel the surface with your bare hand. If you can feel bumps and grit then you need to clay it. Claying takes very little time and it makes a huge difference. With all the extra contamination that gets dumped on a car when driving through the slush and road spray it is almost certian that your car needs to be clayed. I typically wait till spring to do that sort of thing. No matter how clean you get your car tomorrow, it will still need to be clayed and polished this spring. I just grit my teeth and bear it for a couple months knowing that my paint is fairly safe under the layers of sealant that I put on. A quick clay and light polishing in the spring and she is good as new.

 

Point taken. I'll need to clay then. The thing is that I did not seal my paint before winter hit (I know, silly me). I did wax by hand with Meguiars gold class back in July (I think). I live in the city and my car sits outside often. In Chicago we had a period in late November and early December of much colder that average temps. Now that this week's tems have been mild, and it's supposed to hit 40+ on Sunday, I figured I should give the car some protection for the winter that lays ahead (I also got a PC for X-mas, and I would love to use it). You convinced me, I'll do the wash, clay (Meguiars), polish/wax/glaze thing. I'll buy some NXT to use instead of the gold class in the polish/wax/ glaze step from the local autoparts shop. My car is only 8 months old, and it does not have many swirls. I don't think I need to use a stand alone polish step now. Or do I? Will Meg's NXT work fine for now (applying it after the clay with a PC)? I just want something to protect my finish through winter until I can do a much thorough detail in spring (or when temps rise again above freezing, late April in Chicago). Thanks for all your help.

[OCDetails]

Just remember that a sealant will give you probably 8 to 12 weeks of protection and most waxes will give you 4 to 6 weeks. Choose your products accordingly. NXT is more of an 8 to 12 week product, but on the low end of the durability expectation for a sealant. It's still better than a wax for durability. That should coast you through February and then you can bust out for a full detail in March.

[LawGT]

Just remember that a sealant will give you probably 8 to 12 weeks of protection and most waxes will give you 4 to 6 weeks. Choose your products accordingly. NXT is more of an 8 to 12 week product, but on the low end of the durability expectation for a sealant. It's still better than a wax for durability. That should coast you through February and then you can bust out for a full detail in March.

 

Cool. Can I apply NXT after claying with a PC? thanks.

[OCDetails]

Yup.

[MUD]

This means I have to clay as well.

 

Fortunately for me... we're seeing very good weather this weekend, so I should be able to knock it out.

 

Just have to purchase the PC and the clay.

[EddieWan]

One of the things I love about living in North Florida. Suppose to be in low 60's tomorrow and I'm planning on doing some detailing work on my car. I do feel for you guys though that live up north. That would suck not being able to take care of your baby.

[OCDetails]

My only gripe about this time of year is that it is dark and freezing by the time I get home from work. That doesn't make for friendly detailing conditions. I much prefer it in the summer when it gets dark at 9 PM and I have all evening to wash the cars. If the weather isn't good on a Saturday then I just have to wait till the next one to get another shot at washing. I hate that. Thus the 5 layers of sealant on the car.

[LawGT]

One of the things I love about living in North Florida. Suppose to be in low 60's tomorrow and I'm planning on doing some detailing work on my car. I do feel for you guys though that live up north. That would suck not being able to take care of your baby.

 

Oh, it is killing me. The car sat out for 3 days. After 3, I repeat three days, it was so dirty that I could barely see out the windshield. It sucks. Must be the pollution in chicago, dust from the street, or both. I took it to a touchless car wash just to get the crud out until I can clean it properly this weekend. I can wait.

[LawGT]

Did it yesterday...even as it rained here in Chicago. Washed it outside and then moved it inside for clay and polish. Used the clay and it worked to perfection. Paint was very very smooth wheh I was done. Looks wet.

 

BTW, my PC "vibrates" moderately, fatige begins to set in after polishing 3/4 the car (at speed 4). I'm not a small guy (6' 190lbs). How do I know if it is not defective? I used the stock pad w/ 5 inch counterweight. The PC's shaft (where the pad screw's in) moves fore and aft while its turned off and makes a "clunking" noise when moved. Kind a hard to describe, but is this normal?

[shiggins]

Ahhh, the joys of winter. On Christmas Eve, it got up to 43 degrees here in Mpls. So what'd I do? I busted out the hose, hooked it up, turned the water to the outside back on and washed my car in my driveway. I really wonder what the neighbors think seeing some fool outside when there's 6+ inches of snow on the ground on Christmas Eve day washing his car. Not to mention watching me almost slip and fall numerous times on the layer of now very wet ice covering half the driveway. But what's a guy to do when you get a nice 40+ degree day in the middle of winter?

 

All you southern people and your 60+ degree days in the winter for washing your car don't know what kind of fun you're missing.

[wukindada]

Just did a full NXT detail this afternoon....78*...Oh & to cool off between coats.....2 dips in the pool:)

I will post pics in the morning;)

[OCDetails]

 

BTW, my PC "vibrates" moderately, fatige begins to set in after polishing 3/4 the car (at speed 4). I'm not a small guy (6' 190lbs). How do I know if it is not defective? I used the stock pad w/ 5 inch counterweight. The PC's shaft (where the pad screw's in) moves fore and aft while its turned off and makes a "clunking" noise when moved. Kind a hard to describe, but is this normal?

 

The PC will vibrate quite a bit no matter what you use. You'll also get pretty tired until you get used to the machine. I can polish out a car like a Legacy without breaking a sweat, but the first car I did took forever and I couldn't hardly move the next day. lol You'll get used to it.

 

I've never heard of a PC having a 'clunk' sound. It should just be more like a really loud blender sound. A little lower ton than a blender, but the same basic sound. If you got it at a Lowes then you might want to turn it on for someone there so they can compare it to other machines. Just a thought...

[RangerMan]

Washed my wife's car on New Year's Day since I needed to cool off (it was about 85) and will do my car this weekend. The wife has insisted that I buy a PC at once to make her black car shine again. Don't have to worry about the rain or snow or salt but the damn cedar pollen is everywhere! I will need to wash my car this weekend.

[LawGT]

Ahhh, the joys of winter. On Christmas Eve, it got up to 43 degrees here in Mpls. So what'd I do? I busted out the hose, hooked it up, turned the water to the outside back on and washed my car in my driveway. I really wonder what the neighbors think seeing some fool outside when there's 6+ inches of snow on the ground on Christmas Eve day washing his car. Not to mention watching me almost slip and fall numerous times on the layer of now very wet ice covering half the driveway. But what's a guy to do when you get a nice 40+ degree day in the middle of winter?

 

All you southern people and your 60+ degree days in the winter for washing your car don't know what kind of fun you're missing.

 

I feel you. My hands were so cold from the water...PITA. My neighbor did look at me like I was crazy. But I had to do it. Now I feel that my baby will have some semblance of protection for the very harsh winter to come.