Detailing Tips & Tricks....

[Lish]

Hey all
I have detailed new & used cars for about 3 years and it was suggested that I should share my knowledge with you all when it comes to making your babies shineeeee. So, if you have any questions about cleaning the inside and outside of your car, I will do my best to help you out!

Del

[MarzVP]

Can you make mine look Better?

[Lish]

hahaha marz....yer with a spraycan full of paint and an airgun

[MarzVP]

Thats about what I thought. Kmart have spray guns for 99 bucks.

[vlv8vic]

lish ive got an old camry, 90 model in red. no doubt youve seen what older red camrys paint goes like.
I got it cheap cos the guy said it would need a respray, it didnt. i polished my butt off for about a week and got the thing looking like new. looked fantastic, but after a few washes and a bit of sun it eventually goes back to being slightly powdery, although not as bad and when i got it - just really dull i guess.
Is there a polish that will sorta bring it back permanently, or am i doomed to monthly rub-downs to keep her shiney? (doesnt bother me too much, just hope there is a nicer way!)

piccy is of the cammy after i gave it a home detail....


also, girlfriend has a newer magna, metallic paint, someone told me you cant polish the newer paints? or is there a special polish i can use for the clear-coated newer beasts? thanks!!!!

[Lish]

ok - the camry ....wow! looks like yo did a fab job! you could try the polish with red tinting ...can't remember the brands, might bring it up a bit - but I really think you are up for regular polishings to keep it looking good ..sorry
Your g/f's car... we have a 2000 metallic tiger mica and I use 'Turtle Wax scratch and swirl remover' (ideal for clear coats) because we had a few lil scratches near the door handles and on the front body kit. It's not your real thick type polish and it brings the car up a treat! It gets rid of those little marks, water marks and the car has a brilliant shine to it. Same as other polishes, work in small areas - use a damp cheesecloth to apply, allow to dry slightly and buff with dry cheesecloth then I go over with a buffing soft cloth to give it that extra shine! We can really tell when it's due for another going over.
DON'T use a wax polish or cut polish..you will reduce the metallic shine on the car. Polishes such are those are purely for old weathered paints such as your camry.

[vlv8vic]

awsome, girls car looks nice just feel as though it could really shine up sometimes.

and thanks for the positive feedback on the cammy, im quite proud of the effort considering how it looked when i first dragged her home!

[Lish]

not only is a nice shiny car nice to look at - but it also helps prolong the life of the paint - specially metallics. It provides a coating over the car which beads off the water and acts like a sunscreen on your car. All cars should be polished with the right polish, even brand spankers. You don't want the Magna going like the Camry's paint!

[shaggerz]

How can you repair stone chips? I don't want to see a little crater glazed over with touch up paint, but a perfect, smooth, shiny look like you'd never know there was ever a stone chip.

Or am I dreaming? :P

Also a couple of small spots on the rear bumper where the paint has bubbled (altercation with a 4wd bull bar ) and is flaking slightly.

Btw I have a silver VS

[Lish]

you would need to talk to a spraypainter for those ones lol ...no amount of detailing is going to miracously make the chips disappear! Same with the flaking - only a respray is going to stop it from flaking more... sorry - wrong sticky!
If that's not an option then you could always try waving a magic wand

[minux]

lish good thread, only thing is be clear this is detailing for everyday cars not show cars, big difference in products and how things are applied.

vlv8, you should try a few layers of zaino across the camry, it bought up my little sisters car trumps, 3 layers of show polish lasted 5 months before a redoing.

This is just my suggestion, but i dont reccomend using anything but zaino for polishes/wax and mother earth for cleaning agents, just my 2 cents

[Lish]

very good point Minux ...I've never detailed show cars, only everyday cars and new cars for delivery to customers. Oh and traded filthy cars and 4wds to go on caryard for resale (the hardest cars I've ever cleaned!) so how to get dirt out of lil tricky areas and bring the interior up spick is one area I'm VERY confident on lol (it takes about 5-6 hours to detail a used car to caryard display, longer for non-cared for cars)

[shaggerz]

Lol heres one for you then...

is there an EASIER way to get bits of grass out of carpet than sitting there picking them out one by one?

vacuuming just doesn't cut it!!!

[Lish]

Lol heres one for you then...

is there an EASIER way to get bits of grass out of carpet than sitting there picking them out one by one?

vacuuming just doesn't cut it!!!

brush it first with something soft like a soft toothbrush - it will loosen the grass out of the carpet fibres then give it a good vacumn

Those rubber floor mats stop a lot of grass in carpets too

[Lish]

I never said detailing your car was sposed to be easy or simple...the fact of the matter is that giving your car (especially older ones with years of built up dirt and grime) a good clean takes nothing but elbow grease and sweat...it's hard work and takes time. If you can't be bothered with it or if it's all too hard then I suggest you pay to have it detailed by a professional car detailer - but expect to pay because it is hard work. But they remove your seats and upholster them and upholster all the roof lining, carpets and bring it back to virtually brand new! Then it's just a matter of keeping it that way with regular cleaning.

[Aggro_VE]

Another point, never polish in circles! the products say polish in circular motions that creates your swirl marks, polish in straight back and forth motions. I'm no expert but I know the experts.

[Lish]

ummmm I disagree there ShanghaiVZ...the reason for circular motions is so you keep even pressure with your hand, straight back and forth there is always more pressure when pushing forth with the heel of your palm. If you are getting swirl marks its because you are not using a soft enough cloth or one that is full of old polish residue from the polish before. I recommend cheesecloth and use a new one every polish. Always shake out your cloth as you are going to remove excess dry polish. Swirl marks can also appear if you don't apply the polish with a damp cloth - again cheeselcloth is the softest.

[Aggro_VE]

I understand your view, what's good for someone isn't neccesarily good for someone else. You heard of willwaxu?? you will know who I mean then. Im not going to argue with someone who details full show cars for a living he obviously knows what he is doing. And if he uses methods such as the way he polishes I won't be complaining. Overall a bloody good thread

[Lish]

I agree totally - some methods are better for others....your friend obviously has a fine touch when polishing which is hard to achieve and maintain when the arm gets tired lol. I guess for the forum readers it is up to you which method you find easier depending on your rythym or style so to speak lol. For someone being in the business of detailing show cars and having doing it for a long time then his technique is bound to be refined!
and thank you - hope this thread helps...

[blofly]

I have recently bought the mothers three phase system which includes a cut and polish, swirl remover and pure carnuba wax. I need to apply each one seperately.
I also bought a 240V 10 inch buffer from "discount auto parts"! and three pairs of aplicator pads and a big bag of rags too! my car is phantom mica so I need to do it in the shade since it heats up like a hot plate at daybreak! is there any tips I should follow while doing this?

[Lish]

ummm not really....only the ones that I have stated above. Work in small areas...dont let any of the polishes dry too long. Appy with clean, damp soft cloths. I personally wouldnt be using the cut and polish unless your paint is BAD... you will get dull marks on your phantom paint where it literally cuts back the paint. (it is designed to remove the damaged layer of paint, so unless its damaged I wouldnt use it) Just use the swirl remover and the carnuba wax...but please read the instructions carefully because phantom paint is one of the hardest paints to polish/clean without showing up any marks.
The buffer...again work in small areas and let the buffer do the work- don't force it or hold it too tight onto the car. You are polishing a very touchy colour here! Let me know how it comes up

[blofly]

okey dokey I will post a pic up when it is done I just need to find a shady area like a garage or car port to do it in! and I have neither The cut and polish isn't really a cut and polish it's more of a deep paint cleanser, well thats what the bottle says anyway. My car has a very mild roughness feel to it, I had a VR before and used kitten number 2 cut and polish on it and it came up smooth like glass, I then put Meguirs Gold Class Kit on after the cut back and it was so bright and shiny it hurt my eyes to look at it in the direct sun on a hot day

[sixshooter]

What can be done with polishing for metallic paints...

I just got a 2nd hand Calais and have just found out that it had a minor bingle which resulted in half the car being spraypainted... it an effort to color match the original paint...

The problem is I noticed the other day that it must have been a rush job... cause there's a huge curly blonde pube stuck on the bonnet inside the clear coat...

Can I buff this out...? or will a triple XXX wax help ?

but seriously...what can I do ?

[Lish]

wholey crap sixshooter..that got the old grey matter ticking over....
I can't think of any cut n polish that is going to cut back enough to enable you to remove the hair without leaving either marks where the hair was or really dull paint in the area that you have been buffing. I mean you could try cut n polish and buffing and buffing and buffing....maybe over time it will eventually come out.
I would strongly recommend taking it to a spraypainter who will remove it then respray the bonnet with clear coat.
THAT is one hell of a challenge sixshooter and one that doesnt come up often thank goodness LOL

[sixshooter]

Thanks for the advice Lish...

I think I'll just live with it until I can afford a full glamour respay & GTS kit