OCDetails 1 - Swirls 0

[OCDetails]

Whew...! I just spent the last 5 hours out in my garage polishing the Legacy. I told them at the dealership that if they washed it then the deal was off. They had to bring it in from another dealership, so I guess they had already washed it once after they took the plastic off. They must have dried it with a crusty bath towel or something because there were some very interesting swirls. I forgot how much work a dark color car was. My last car was white. Actually, white is harder if you are trying to get the same results simply because you can't see all the swirls.

 

Anyway, first I washed it down. I gave it a treatment called "ABC". Its a three step process that will remove the gummy stuff from the plastic as well as any rail dust or industrial fallout. Its basically an acid bath. Here is how www.autoint.com (the manufactuer) decribes the process:

 

Product "A" -Acid Neutralizer removes waxes, storage stains and neutralizes acid deposits. An 8-1 concentrate that dwells for 5-7 minutes before rinsing.

 

Product "B"-Alkaline Neutralizer, removes alkaline deposits and ferrous metal fallout. Ready to use formula that dwells for 5-7 minutes.

 

Product "C"-pH 7.0 Surface Conditioner, an excellent 128-1 concentrate vehicle wash for every day use and the third step in our neutralization system. Ensures any chemical residues are neutralized and rinsed away.

 

 

It is something that I felt was good to do on the first detail. You never know what is on the car after being shipped all over the place.

 

I polished it with a Porter Cable 7424 dual action polisher. Its really the base line tool for swirl removal. Those el cheapo buffers at WalMart may wax your car, but they aren't capable of generating the heat and friction necessary to break down progressive abrasives in automotive polishes. Meguiar's #83 Dual Action Cleaner Polish is what I used first. Its about a 6 on a scale of 1 to 10 in the Meguiar's lineup. I could have used something weaker, but I wanted the swirls gone. The downside to using a cannon to kill a mosquito is you get something called 'micro marring' after you use the polish. So I used Four Star Ultimate Swirl Mark Remover (www.premiumautocare.com) to take care of the haze. 4* SMR is a lot more mellow. Its a great polish for cars that are already basically swirl free but just need a little polishing.

 

That part took the longest. You have to go one panel at a time and keep checking your work. Fortunately the car was only lightly swirled and it didn't take as long as it could have. The fun part was applying the sealant. I am using Wolfgang (also available at www.premiumautocare.com) for my paint sealant for now. There are dozens of choices, but I really like how this one looks. Its a two step process. One step is the pre cleaner that cleans off any oils from the surface and creates a good base for the sealant to bond to. That's a good thing to use right after polishing with 4*SMR because it does leave a little oil on the surface. Step two is the sealant. I had just enough left for one coat. You have to let the sealant cure for 24 hours before applying another coat. This isn't wax we are talking about here. There is a chemical process taking place on the surface that you have to wait to finish for best results. I'll have to wait till I get some more Wolfgang before applying another coat. Fortunately my good deed several months ago is paying off. I sent a buddy in NY a bunch of samples from my aresenal of products and he is being kind enough to send me a few ounces of Wolfgang to get me by till I order more.

 

I'll have to take a picture tomorrow. Obviously its pretty dark outside and I don't think a picture of it in my garage would tell you much. I can't wait to see what it looks like tomorrow. If any of you are looking for a good product to enhance the look of your car, then I highly recommend Wolfgang. I've got a products page on www.ocdetails.com and there is a gallery there of some cars I have detailed with it. This stuff will knock your socks off.

 

Stay tuned for pictures!

[MotoFanatic]

Man, I thought I was obsessive! Where you located, maybe I can get you to do my car! Great work.

 

I do have a question though, I have the obsidian black sedan and when I debadged it, I guess I rubbed a little too hard or something but I noticed that under certain lighting/angles, you can see a A LOT of tiny scratches where I rubbed. I have to say most of the time you can't see it but other times it's obvious (ie when headlights are shining directly at it)

 

I've read on the forum about using clay and others say 3m imperial microfinishing compound but I was wondering what your input is?? I definitely don't want to make it worse. Is it worth getting a detail shop to handle it or should I do it myself? What products do you recommend?

 

Thanks for any input.

 

-Moto

[Guest *Jedimaster*]

Not reading all that. Cliff's?

[OCDetails]

There is an easy solution to those scratches. Meguiar's makes a product called ScratchX that is really good on small areas that have scratches. Its pretty cheap too. Look for a black tube standing on its cap with red letters on it. That's the stuff. You should be able to find it at places like Target or WalMart even.

 

The best way to use it is to apply some to the corner of a folded towel and then rub it in the direction of the scratches. Don't use too much or else it will take forever to use and won't be as effective. Just put a little on the corner and if its not enough then you'll know it. Use another part of the towel to wipe it off and then use some Quick Detailing mist to wipe down the paint and check your work. I think you'll find that it will work pretty well on your situation.

 

The short version is I polished my car. That isn't really helpful though, is it? I thought I'd be detailed about it so the post would actually be a useful addition to the site. Maybe the polls are right and nobody really does care about detailing here... I sure hope not.

[Nick]

Not reading all that. Cliff's?

 

Obsessive-compulsive guy uses a bunch of expensive products on his car and it looks good afterward.

[OCDetails]

Expensive? Nah... That stuff is cheap. Its just not on the shelf at PepBoys is all. I probably spent a dollars worth of product doing all that.

[ExRex]

That's quite an extensive regime for the car's first detail, I'm impressed. I was able to avoid "dealer-installed scratches and swirls," so my first detail was a simple claying, followed by DACP and then waxing with Pinnacle Souveran.

 

All was well and good until I got aome minor cosmetic damage to my front bumper. When I went to pick the car up from the body shop, it was obvious they had taken the car through a mechanical car wash and were drying it with a dirty shop rag. It looked like someone had washed it with brillo pads! I was so freakin' pissed. Anyway, I spent all of Sunday just hitting the hood with 3M SMR and my PC to try to get rid of some of the scratches. Still not close to where I would like it. I'm so pissed about it all that it has really taken a lot of the fun out of doing the detail work.

[OCDetails]

You might want to try bumping up from SMR to something else. 3M SMR is mostly fillers and really doesn't work that great. Meguair's #9 even works better, although that is still full of fillers.

 

Have you tried Meguiar's NXT yet? It has fine abrasives and a little filler, but it does a great job via PC at cleaning up minor swirls. Plus it looks really nice. Its almost got a Zaino-esqe shine to it when you are done. It would probably look really great on dark blue.

[hadvw]

The short version is I polished my car. That isn't really helpful though, is it? I thought I'd be detailed about it so the post would actually be a useful addition to the site. Maybe the polls are right and nobody really does care about detailing here... I sure hope not.

Ok, so.. For someone not quite as obsessed.. You seem like the Wolfgang stuff.. http://www.premiumauto.com has the "gloss" kit for $49.95 + ship. Is that good for someone who wants to take care of the car, but isn't obsessive, and isn't really into using a power buffer?

 

Or is it MUCH easier to use a power buffer? I'm afraid that without any experience, I can also mess things up much faster with a power tool..

 

I don't mind spending SOME $$ (i.e. $50 is ok) to take care of the car. I also don't need super-show-finish-shine, but "showroom shine" would be nice.

 

Also - when should one start treating leather?

 

btw, I have obsidian black, NOT blue.

 

HV

[OCDetails]

You should start caring for your leather the day you get it. I've got a somewhat basic guide to leather care here on OCDetails.com if you are interested in that kind of thing. The leather conditioner that I use smells like leather and I am hesitant to use it yet because I like the new car smell so much. lol Not that new leather doesn't smell just as good, but it may be awhile before I get a car that smells like this again.

 

I am a huge fan of Wolfgang. I've been a product tester for a long time and have tried just about every new produt that has come on the market for the last 2 or 3 years at least. Wolfgang is really a great product that is worth every dime. Considering what you are getting in that kit, its really not that expensive. It will have everything you need in it for a great showroom shine. Actually, it will be better than a showroom shine. The polymers in the product refract light differently and the appearance is really stunning. You have to see it in person to understand. Pictures just don't do it justice.

 

You can apply the products in that kit by hand. The polisher is only when you need to remove swirls or oxidation or something like that. When you are just waxing your car or applying a sealant then you can do that by hand. Wolfgang doesn't have anything that will remove swirls or fill them, but most people don't really notice swirls anyway. I'm a little crazy, so I notice stuff like that. Anyway, power buffers just speed up the process when waxing. Most of them don't do much for swirl removal, but they are dangerous in the wrong hands. I've seen some interesting damage caused by people who break out the Craftsman buffer and go at it with their car. Eechhh... Their $45 buffer purchase costs them well over $200 in the end when they have to pay someone to fix the damage. Stick to waxing by hand if you can. The Porter Cable 7424 is really a fool proof tool and that is why I recommend it. I've never seen anybody cause any damage with it.

[Nick]

Ya know, I also have a Regal Blue GT. I let the dealer PDI it. I use Meguiar's soap, 3M Imperial Hand Glaze (with my PC 7424), and Megiuar's NXT wax, all of which I buy at Pep Boys. Some times I even go through a local automatic car wash when it's too cold out. And despite all of this, I have no scratches, no swirls, and I would bet my car looks 98% as good as yours.

[OCDetails]

NXT has swirl fillers in it as well as fine abrasives. If you apply it with your PC then you are probably buffing out most of them.

 

That isn't my weekly process I posted there. That is just what has to be done when you tell the dealership to take the plastic off and hand it over. They didn't remove any of the glue left from the plastic and if they did wash it then they dried it with something that caused swirls. I was just bringing it back to where it should be. Proper maintainance will keep it looking good without a lot of work.

 

Besides, new cars are new cars. I highly doubt there is a great deal of difference when comparing two brand new cars that are freshly waxed with different products. Its all personal preference. I have a detailing business that I operate durring the summer that funds my hobby. I probably wouldn't be nearly as nuts as I am if I had to pay for all this stuff. lol Once you find a process that works for you then i would suggest you stick with it. Its too expensive to hop from one product to the next. I've been really happy with Wolfgang on the cars I've done for the last year and so have my customers. I'm sticking with that for awhile.

[IwannaSportSedan]

Is wolfgang anything like liquid glass? I have been using that stuff for the last year or so, and it seems to be really good stuff, like you said, not wax, but a chemical paint sealant that has to cure.

 

Although I haven't had the opportunities or the equipment to get as "fanatical" as you, maybe this spring I'll have the time to get back on track with the finish care on the cars. I'd be interested to hear more about your product knowledge. Perhaps in another thread...

[MotoFanatic]

Hey OCDetails,

 

Thanks for the advice on the ScratchXand you seem to have a great website. It haven't had the time to go through and read it all but it seems like a wealth of knowledge. I wish I had the patience that you have when it comes to detailing. There's nothing more satisfying than seeing your own car with that show room shine....well until that first rain drop....

 

Thanks again!

-Moto

[OCDetails]

Is wolfgang anything like liquid glass? I have been using that stuff for the last year or so, and it seems to be really good stuff, like you said, not wax, but a chemical paint sealant that has to cure.

 

Although I haven't had the opportunities or the equipment to get as "fanatical" as you, maybe this spring I'll have the time to get back on track with the finish care on the cars. I'd be interested to hear more about your product knowledge. Perhaps in another thread...

Liquid Glass is the same concept. Like you said, its a chemical paint sealant instead of a natural carnauba. Liquid Glass is really old technology. They have made it much better since then. If we can get a detailing forum going then I may be able to attract a sponsor who will hook us up with sampler kits of various sealants. Its too expensive to try them all at full price and I would love to read more about what people thought of them.

[OCDetails]

It probably looks just as good as the rest of your cars when they are clean, but here it is. Man, I love that color.... I can't wait for some time to get some better pictures. All I had time to do was pull it around in the parking lot to an empty section. lol

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v74/Jngrbrdman/Scooby1.jpg

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v74/Jngrbrdman/scooby5.jpg

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v74/Jngrbrdman/scooby4.jpg

[offthacliff]

What can be done for small rock dings" on the front bumper and hood?

What is your weekly washing routine? What can be done to prevent damaging your paint...?

[OCDetails]

Not much can be done for rock dings other than to pull them out or touch up the paint. Touch up paint can either be obtained from paintscratch.com or the dealership. Paint touch up is another story all together....

 

My weekly wash routine consists of washing with a double bucket method. That is where I have one bucket with the soapy water and another with clean water. After soaping up the car I rinse the mitt in the clean water to clean off anything that would make the wash water dirtier than necessary. Nothing is worse than washing you car with dirty water.

 

I wash with a sheepskin mitt. I don't like sponges because they can trap dirt in the pores and redeposit them on the paint so they can scratch. The best way to prevent damage to your paint is to use the best tools for the job. Using a good mitt and clean water is a good way to start.

 

To dry I use a waffle weave microfiber towel. I've tried every chamois there is as well as a dozen synthetic drying towels. A waffle weave microfiber towel is the best drying tool that I have ever used that has the lowest risk of swirling your paint. It is soft and absorbant and relatively large. Its about the only part of my washing regiment that I can't get locally. I have to order my microfibers. Generally I get them from www.premiumautocare.com, but there are a lot of places to get them. The best ones are online. You can get small microfiber towels just about anywhere, but the waffle weave you have to get online.

 

I have a couple articles on www.ocdetails.com if you want to do some reading. They are fairly extensive and not weekly projects. However, if you are going to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a car, then the least you can do is care for it so it will look new for as long as possible. My last car was 6 years old and it looked brand new the day I sold it. Well, minus a couple door dings and some rock chips in the bumper. It is possible to keep your car looking new inside and out with proper upkeep.

[Dagopher007]

OC, what is you recommendation for water spotting? I don't know what the dealer used to wash the car, but the glass has faint waterspotting that I cannot get rid of? Tried the Wolfgangs' glass cleaner. Tried a dilute vinegar/water combination. Still those annoying water spots.

Thanks!

[OCDetails]

There are glass polishes out there with really fine abrasives in them that will work. RainX used to make one that I still use. I stocked up on it when I found it on the clearance table one day.

 

Another option is to use an acid like a wheel cleaner or even muratic acid. Muratic acid is usually what I use. You can find that at pool and spa supply stores. The acid will disolve the calcium that is causing the spots. There may be some etching that needs to be polished out, but at least you can get the spots off.

 

Don't use any acid or wheel cleaner on your paint. That is a solution for glass only. Keep it off your paint.

 

If you have water spots on your paint then there are other options. I haven't found anything off the shelf that can do it. I buy my products for that kind of thing from www.autoint.com. They have great products that are used by detail shops and dealerships all over the world. Most detail shops will do what is called an 'acid bath' to the car. Its basically the same thing that you need to do to your glass, but it is safer on the paint. Autoint has an 'ABC' system that I use. It is basically an acid, an acid neutralizer, and then a wash that cleans everything off. It does the trick for watespots. I use it on cars that have parked in sprinklers and then let the spots bake in. Once you get the spots off then you can go to work polishing out the etching. Waterspots are a pain in my butt.

[offthacliff]

I read your article on Leather... How do you feel about the Mcguires leather "wipes? I have been using them so far... Every other week... To much?

[OCDetails]

Its not too much, I just don't hold much stock in a wipe as a leather conditioner. I can see it being good for cleaning, but consider this.... if your hands were really dry would you buy a lotion wipe or a bottle of lotion? The wipe is a quick way to care for your leather, but using a bottle of conditioner is a much better way of deeply caring for your leather. Meguiar's usually pleases me a great deal, but their leather care products and their clay has been a disappoinment. At least it smells better than Lexol... Lexol I feel works better, but it smells like goat urine. Blech.... That is why I prefer a leather conditioner that smell like leather.

[PGT]

Muriatic acid on the windshield? Seems extreme. That stuff is used to get stains and paint out of concrete and brick.

 

You can get a product called 'C/L/R' that is meant to break up Calcium/Lime/Rust left from your hard water supply. You should be able to find it at a Wal-Mart or grocery store. I would try that first before buying straight muriatic acid.

[OCDetails]

Its not going to hurt the glass. I've tried the CLR on waterspots many times. It may work on minor cases of spotting, but on serious cases it doesn't even scratch the spots. Its a very common thing that detailers will use on your glass to remove waterspots.

[IwannaSportSedan]

here's a vote for a car care forum, this is a very informative thread, and Thanks for the information. Lots of stuff that I would not know about if not hearing it from someone who makes it their business, quite literally.

 

in the future, I would like to learn more about interior care, pertaining to upkeep and preservation of materials. I have a nasty crack in the door upholstery of my miata, where my wife's elbow sits on the passenger side (she drives and I drive, but if I am in the car, I only fit in the left seat! hehe ) that is going to require door panel replacement. Keeping that material supple and flexible, rather than hardened and prone to cracking would be good. No Armor All, that is for sure. I know that dries out the rubberized vinyl.