Next stop detailing

Started by cptspaulding, April 17, 2023, 13:53

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cptspaulding

I've always been shit scared of using any products beyond car shampoo or wax on my paintwork. I've had a bottle of G3 scratch remover for a while but only used it with the G3 waffle pads to brighten up my headlights as required.

I bit the bullet this weekend, bought a clay mitt, some G3 all-in-one polish. Didn't go straight for the Porsche but had a practise on a couple of areas on the dog-mobile daily to get some confidence. Couple of scuffs were quickly removed but a few scratches on there are just too deep.

On to the Porsche. I had a white scratch on the bassalt black paintwork on one of the wings due to me own carelessness reversing by a bush. It upset me to even look at closely it until this weekend. Two goes with the scratch remover & you would be hard pushed to spot the remains of the scratch if I didn't point it out.

Then the mild panic. As the instructions state, the paint may look a little faded after use & not to worry (really? don't worry?), use a little of the all-in-one polish to restore the paintwork. Did as instructed & that wing looks fkg amazing next to the rest of the panels.

Next was a blemish from a bird poo on the bonnet that I'd washed umpteen times & was unable to remove. Lighter touch on the scratch remover & it's gone but with a faded patchabout 9" square on the bonnet. Heart in my mouth I then took the all-in-one polish & applied that again with the black waffle pad. Clean off with the microfibre cloth &.... Omfg, bonnet looks better than I can ever remember.

Can't believe I've never done this before. I have a DA polisher in the garage I bought in Halfords on a deal months ago but never got around to using. I feel a detailing day coming on to get this car looking back to (near) its best. Shame I'm selling it, but needs must.

 
Former owner 2003, 2zz conversion.

s12vea

Detailing is very rewarding, use good products and take your time and the results will speak for themselves.
Another one won't hurt  .....

Gaz mr-s

Be wary on Japanese cars though, I've just been told that they have soft paint.  I found out the hard way....

Dev

I used a similar all in one called Optimum GPS which stands for Glaze, Polish and Seal. I used a pad that was in between a finishing and polishing pad for spider web marring blemishes which it did take out with its light cutting action.

The result was good but not as optimal with what can be done with a dedicated polish. The sealant that is used is good and I am sure it will last long but I found it to be too shiny without any depth so I decided to top it with Carnauba paste wax.



Dev

Quote from: Gaz mr-s on April 17, 2023, 18:12Be wary on Japanese cars though, I've just been told that they have soft paint.  I found out the hard way....

The budget Japanese cars do have soft paint that can get marked up badly but they tend to hold up ok for many years. That is why I would never use a wool pad only foam.

 

SuperArt

Anyone able to share what steps they take to get good results and what minimal amount of kit I would need to procure to go down this rabbit hole?

I am looking to tidy up "Friday" a bit and figure while I can't pull dents I can at least address some swirls and scratches myself.
Best regards,
Arthur
Essex - "Always happy to meet up for a weekend drive"
Making demented squirrel noises since 2014
TTE "Turbo Dodo" - https://www.mr2roc.org/index.php?msg=797148
TTE Turbo "Friday" - https://www.mr2roc.org/index.php?topic=73711.0

Dev

Quote from: SuperArt on April 24, 2023, 22:58Anyone able to share what steps they take to get good results and what minimal amount of kit I would need to procure to go down this rabbit hole?

I am looking to tidy up "Friday" a bit and figure while I can't pull dents I can at least address some swirls and scratches myself.

Are you planing to machine polish?


SuperArt

Quote from: Dev on April 25, 2023, 03:01Are you planing to machine polish?



Yes, seems to be what the top guys "ammo nyc" etc use.
Best regards,
Arthur
Essex - "Always happy to meet up for a weekend drive"
Making demented squirrel noises since 2014
TTE "Turbo Dodo" - https://www.mr2roc.org/index.php?msg=797148
TTE Turbo "Friday" - https://www.mr2roc.org/index.php?topic=73711.0

Dev

Quote from: SuperArt on April 25, 2023, 10:19Yes, seems to be what the top guys "ammo nyc" etc use.

 
 There are a lot of detailing channels and hobby channels that do not know what they are doing.
 I checked out the ammo nyc channel on Youtube and they are legit. I like that he uses the right tool which is a rotary polisher and the guy is very knowledgeable.

 It is a bit controversial and I am opinionated but random polishers or dual action are a waste of time and energy with sub par results but better than doing it by hand. The only thing they offer you is a large margin of safety. What they tend to do is remove the sharp edges of the scratch so its less visible but they dont really correct for it. I had a good D/A polisher along with my Rotary and sold it because it was sub optimal and takes forever. I would rather pay a professional with a rotary and then after that it should be good for three to five years with adding my own sealants every year.

A Rotary polisher will correct for blemishes and can burnish paint to a very high luster. It does require some skill and knowledge but anyone can do it if you have the interest to learn. The problem comes when you get over confident and then accidents happen.

 Rotary polishers are also cheap to buy so it not a big investment, it is all skill and knowledge.
 The best way to learn is buying a salvaged painted body panel. Learn how to make passes with it and observe your results. Once you get the hang of it then take the polisher and try to burn paint with it to know the limits. Once that is done then you will have the confidence of using it without any issues. Next phase is to polish an old neglected car maybe a friends and then you will graduate to your cars and have a skill for life that not many hobbyists have.





Dev

It looks like I am behind the times.
 There are better random orbital machines now that have good cutting action from the time I started. They will be more forgiving than the rotary polisher but it's not exactly superior just a preference. I would still prefer my method because it gets the job done quickly with great results.

 
   


 

MikeBoo

#10
Quote from: SuperArt on April 24, 2023, 22:58Anyone able to share what steps they take to get good results and what minimal amount of kit I would need to procure to go down this rabbit hole?

I am looking to tidy up "Friday" a bit and figure while I can't pull dents I can at least address some swirls and scratches myself.
Before you touch a car with polish whether by hand or machine it needs to be clean first otherwise you'll be grinding grit/dirt/contaminants into the paintwork.

Ideally remove the wheels and clean separately so that these and the wheel arches can be fully cleaned.

If you don't want to spend ages reading up/watching videos on the absolute best products for each specific area then in the UK the best value for money products are generally the Bilt Hamber range and assumed in most of the below process. Also no powered equipment is required as this can all be done by hand and with a hosepipe but a pressure washer is useful.

If leaving the wheels on them I'd recommend the following:
1) Use auto wheel cleaner on the wheels and lower body panels (Korrosol is body specific but the auto wheel cleaner can be used instead). Then rinse off.
2) Snow foam the whole car including wheel arches. Then rinse off.
3) Clean with car shampoo using the 2 bucket method.
4) Repeat the 2 bucket wash a second time.
5) Use a strip wash product to remove as much of the existing wax as possible. Something like dish soap aka Fairy (yes maybe salt based but if fully rinsed it's not an issue) or a car detailing product such as Garage Therapy /ZERO: Decontamination Shampoo.
6) Dry with a quality drying towel to ensure no water spots.
7) Tar remover as required on stubborn deposits.
8) Rinse the whole car well and dry again.
9) Clay bar the whole car a panel at a time using plenty of water/lubricant (look at Optimum No Rinse). Then dry each panel when completed.
10) Polish the panels to remove any marring from the clay bar and to remove minor defects. This can easily done by hand but a lot of people tend to use a dual action polisher. Going the mechanical route is an expensive option in comparison to hand polishing and opens up a rabbit hole of knowledge and opinion.
11) Wax.

The success will be down to following the product instructions and doing ALL of the above in one session on the same day unless you have the luxury of putting the car indoors in a garage. Depending on how fast you work and how bad the car is, I would guesstimate this will take 4-6 hours as an amateur for the MR2 as it's a small car.

One very important point of note, never ever let a product dry on the vehicle.

If you've got this far on this post, then one channel that I can recommend to watch on YouTube is 'Forensic Detailing Channel'.


2001 Toyota Liquid Silver (1D0) with hard top & original soft top.
Yokohama AD08RS all round.
Replacement manifold, BC coil overs,
Whiteline anti roll bars front & rear.
Location = East Hampshire, UK

SuperArt

Love this forum. Thanks @Dev @MikeBoo
"Friday" is not very pretty at the moment so I have little to lose practicing on one of her worst panels. Will be doing "Dodo" once I get a bit of experience under my belt.
Best regards,
Arthur
Essex - "Always happy to meet up for a weekend drive"
Making demented squirrel noises since 2014
TTE "Turbo Dodo" - https://www.mr2roc.org/index.php?msg=797148
TTE Turbo "Friday" - https://www.mr2roc.org/index.php?topic=73711.0

Dev

#12
I don't mean to throw shade at Mikeboo but I personally do not have that many steps anymore and I get the same or better results for a lot less money and time saved. At one time when I was in the hobby I use to have a lot of detailing supplies, foam guns and all kind of in between step products but I found it to get expensive and be a waste of time with too many processes. A lot of the detailing industry is making profits on stuff that is boutique and redundant because owners love their cars and are willing to throw money at it. Maybe if you are planning to compete in a concourse but even then it comes down to the skill of the operator during the machine polish stage.

 These days my steps are simple.

 1.I just wash the car normally but do it twice if I plan to detail.
 2. I am now using a clay mitt that only requires water and can be completed  right after the car is washed while it is still wet.
 3. I use a waffle weave drying towel.
 4. Straight to machine polishing and clean up with MF towels. This is where all the difference is made in the result. Hand polishing is so much effort for no correction.
   After that it is just maintenance using a detailer or topper every six months. No need to detail every year if the paint is properly corrected and maintained and I can go as long as three to four years.
 Either way there are many ways to detail a car and everyone has their own method to their madness. Over the many years I find ways of simplifying the process and expense.

 





steveash

The cleanyourcar.co.uk website is a treasure trove of car detailing products but be prepared to empty your bank account!

cptspaulding

Quote from: Dev on April 26, 2023, 20:442. I am now using a clay mitt that only requires water and can be completed  right after the car is washed while it is still wet.

@Dev I have the clay mitt. I'm unsure as to how wet the mitt needs to be or how much pressure to apply. Should it just slip over the surface? Any help appreciated.
Former owner 2003, 2zz conversion.

Dev

#15
Quote from: cptspaulding on April 27, 2023, 14:59@Dev I have the clay mitt. I'm unsure as to how wet the mitt needs to be or how much pressure to apply. Should it just slip over the surface? Any help appreciated.

 If it is the same one I have which has black impregnated clay over a large area of the mitt then what you do is  walk around with a hose and spray water on one panel at a time after the car is washed and rinsed. Rub the clay side over the car like you are washing it but go back and forth with very light or no pressure and if there are any contaminants it will feel like sandpaper.

If at anytime the mitt feels grabby keep lubricating it with more water and it will glide over the surface or you can use car wash shampoo to make it slicker but I found that with water I could feel the roughness better. Once the sand paper effect is gone as you are rubbing, the mitt will glide smooth you are done. Make sure to rinse the panel with water.

  The clay used for these mitts is not the aggressive kind so there is no worry of any kind of damage to the paint even if it grabs.  You will find that some areas are more sandpaper like than others and that is due to iron from the brake dust or contaminants found on the engine lid. 

 I hope that helps.



 

MikeBoo

If anyone is after a top quality pressure washer, then look at the Kranzle range.
My cheapo washer bit the dust due to the pump internals being plastic, so after lots of cogitation, I opted to open my wallet on the K7/122 with 10m Hose & Short Quick Release Gun & Lance.

The benefits of the Kranzle is that it's super quiet compared to any other pressure washer I've come across as well as fully repairable and will have a good value on the used market if I ever sell it.
2001 Toyota Liquid Silver (1D0) with hard top & original soft top.
Yokohama AD08RS all round.
Replacement manifold, BC coil overs,
Whiteline anti roll bars front & rear.
Location = East Hampshire, UK

Dev

Quote from: steveash on April 27, 2023, 13:10The cleanyourcar.co.uk website is a treasure trove of car detailing products but be prepared to empty your bank account!

 The professional dealers that I have seen would go bankrupt with that kind of business model if they used some or all of that stuff. I was checking out some Youtube channels and it seems it is high on advertisement product promotion sponsorship.
This is worse than women's cosmetics. The best result comes interest to learn the skill which is free not the wide range of assorted products with fancy nano graphics.





 

steveash

Quote from: Dev on April 27, 2023, 18:08The professional dealers that I have seen would go bankrupt with that kind of business model if they used some or all of that stuff. I was checking out some Youtube channels and it seems it is high on advertisement product promotion sponsorship.
This is worse than women's cosmetics. The best result comes interest to learn the skill which is free not the wide range of assorted products with fancy nano graphics.
 

Not unlike photography!  ;D

Dev

Quote from: steveash on April 27, 2023, 19:23Not unlike photography!  ;D

Or high-fi audio. It makes me think the worlds economy is supported by shilling for things we don't actually need.
    I am certainly guilty as charged as I have shelves of detailing products to do over 100 cars worth.






Dev

I am about to detail my other car which is much larger and has better paint. I have everything to do a good correction with ten year old technology. It has been a long time since I checked out any detailing advancements so I have been spending time going over all the new technology with pads and newer machines to see what advancements have come about. 

 I found these two videos enlightening because everything I believed back then from my own experiences is coming to light. This is why this industry is full of misguided speculation that you need to keep upgrading when the result is the result if it is achieved. I switched to a DA polisher for a short time only to find the result was not as nice as the rotary. It was popular convention to start with a rotary and finish with a DA.

 What I am trying to emphasize to others contemplating to machine polish is to not be afraid of the rotary polisher as many of these YouTube shills are trying to get people to buy expensive machines that cost a fortune so they can get revenue from their channel by discouraging the cheaper rotary. If you use a finishing pad and some light polish you will not burn paint unless that was your objective. rotary polishers are cheap and they work well even for the beginner. My misconception was I thought they were more dangerous than DA or forced rotation which they are not.

 


tets

I thought about starting a new thread but i'll keep it here if it's ok?

I have the MR2 which needs a bit of TLC so the above stands but I also have another job to do.

I have a T4 camper which i'm going to be putting up for sale soon and want to make it look it's best.

It's been washed a couple of times a year in my ownership but it's that dull it almost looks like it was painted and not clearcoated. I'm sure it wasn't but it has never had a shine of any sort.

I'm looking at a DA (watched the above vids and plenty of reviews from what i think are "proper" detailers.

Problem I have is i'm not sure what cutting (or rubbing) compound to try before I try the polish. Also not sure what mit and polish to use as every one recommends a different one. (i'm also from Yorkshire and don't want to break the bank.

The only product i've ever used was 3M final glaze after I had restored a Sunbeam Ti back in the day.

Any help really appreciated before I send the thing to the bodyshop for a blow over

Alex Knight


Chilli Girl

I've used the glass polish of that stuff - bl—-dy brilliant. ;D
Ex owners of Chilli red facelift 52 reg called Chilli, silver 55 reg called Foxy and blue pfl W reg MR-S called Sapphire. Now 2 less!

Dev

If you are starting out then what Alex pointed out as a kit is probably the best way to go.
Thats is how I started out long ago but I got my own pads based on recommendations reading detailing forums.
The various kits have an instructions and they are easy to follow but in your situation with very dull paint I would get a rotary polisher. Use it a low speed until you will get the hang of it. You just need a spray bottle of water to keep the surface and pad lubricated as you go along and you should be fine. As you can see in the video the operator doesn't add any pressure and lets the machine glide to do the work.

 







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