Hi, just read through this thread and thought I would share a few things I learnt through cleaning Taxis all day at work! The more often you clean your interior, the easier it gets! If you have stubborn bits of grass/dog hair/sand and grit in your carpet, try giving it a scrub with a stiff hand brush before vacuuming the carpet. If your cloth seats get little bobbles on them due to wear and tear, get a disposable razor and CAREFULLY shave them off the seat! Makes the seat look heaps better and isn't difficult to do. I never tore a seat or cut one in over 6 years doing this. Try using a small paintbrush with the bristles cut down to about 2cm to get the dust out of tricky parts of the dash. Use a small paintbrush with normal bristles to clean around the steering column cowl and in the air-vents. In my experience, the shallow swirls that appear on metallic paint over the years can be caused or made worse by automatic car washes with the rotating brushes. I always avoid these if possible! Not sure whats available in Australia, but I had a set of EBC Greenstuff brakepads in my car back in the UK and I never got any brake dust on the wheels. Brilliant! Anyway,thats my 2 cents added. Might be more but I can't think of it at the moment.
using windex will EAT YOUR TINT away!!!! so i was told anyway i use a chamois there is products you can buy that are safe for it but if i were you i stick to a chamois just to be safe.
that seems as though it's a good product how long does it stay there for before you have to put it on a again ?
Our trucks were coated 3 months ago, drivers are still happy with it lol, so i am not sure, back at work tomorrow so i will get the name of it.
Ok...I got an old tip from way back when I was mucking around with Torana's. If you want to bring back to life any old dried out rubber parts...ie window rubbers...boot sealing rubbers etc...all you have to do is give them a good wipe over with some "Mineral Turpentine"... I've just removed my boot sealing rubber to freshen it up a bit cause it got grotty...and the turps is really making it supple and newish again...
There actually is products to stop dust and make it easier to clean as it is a sealant and will hose the dirt straight off: http://www.waxit.com.au/products.asp?cat=29 I have been detailing my own cars & friends for years and only use the best products like, Zaino, Swissol, Pinnacle, Poorboys, Wolfgang! I dont think i have ever bought products from Automotive stores except Meguairs once every now and then. I always use a Genuine Lambswool Wash Mit & a Mircofibre Chamois.. Id recomend looking at these products, They are of the highest qaulity but if you want you car to look good they are worth the amount they cost. www.waxit.com.au Also, www.detailparadise.com.au has alot of pro detailers that can help out with problems and give expert advise, Some of there pictures are amazing of Ferrari's, Porsches, Chryslers they have detailed and the condition they were before hand etc. Here is my GF's Beetle before she sold it: Cheers, Scott
What do you need a fair number of swirls? A polish will not get your swirls out, Most off the shelf products will not get the majority of them out, You need to buff the vehicle in stages with different pads and swirl removers. You would start with a medium abbrasive depending on the swirls and then work your way to a light abbrasive then a polish to give it that extra shine. (As i said depending on the condition of the paint and the swirls) A simple cut & polish and buffing it off by hand wont do the trick, You will most likely leave most of the product on the paint and buffing behind is not aggresive enough to get most swirls out. You can get a pro to do the car for between $150-$300. It will generally take them between 4-6hrs for a decent job!
I know i shouldnt be stealing but wot the hell! I taxed this little number from the HSV forums site it goes on abit but its good reading i also dont use any of the products mentioned in this rite up as i beleive u get wot u pay 4 like DEFYET said http://www.hsvforum.com.au/forums/showthread.php?t=1672
Good read, I dont mean to be rude to the guy that posted the thread on the HSV forum but using Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo to wash your car? HAHA And the only proof he has is "Well because it's gentle enough not to irritate the eyes of a baby so it's gentle enough to use on your car without it damaging the polishes/waxes you spent hours applying." Is he kidding? The product is designed for babys, to be soft on there eyes not to be used as a car wash that does not strip wax, Maybe he should look at some top range car shampoo products, he might relisw these companys spend big money making a product that does that strip wax. I wouldnt be putting products on my paint unless they are designed to be used as a car care product.
hey a vl dash - plastic faded as is there any way to make this look a bit more fancy than a faded grey? door trim - has like some one has left the window down in a torential storm for 5 days like some one has poured a 2 l jug of water down it leaving water lines, is there any way to get these out?
My problems are window related. The mold on my window came off, we masking taped it, then i got glandular fever and a virus and was sick in bed for 3 weeks. hence the tape stuck really well and wont come off. Any advice for tape removal? Seondly. People seem to lick keying my car, not the paint just the windows. Inside the car looking out all you can see is scratches. What an be done for these?
my roof lining has come down on one of my cars,what sort of glue would be good to stick it back up,please...
Awesome thread However, can I recommend that people read the whole thread before posting. Not only will your question most probably already been answered, but you'll also find answers to the other 101 questions you were thinking about asking!
I'm also a detailer and I clean Mercs all day everyday. I'll try to help out the others in this thread too.
what paint you useing> 2pac or Acrillic? Cherry paint i have heard is tricky to paint too. Use 1200 grit wet and Dry sand the whole car (fix any small dints with Spot putty or something) if the base color is white and your goin a dark colour best to primer the car completly. Then place a Guide coat of black ( very lite mist that will sit in any little dints etc) then block the whole car, then the dints will show up. then it gives you the chance to correct em (spot putty). once your happy with the undercoat stage (that you have any dents / stone chips taken out) your just about ready to paint. tape up anything you dont want coverd. Surface prep before painting: completly blow all cracks that the dust can sit in. Then use a good quality Wax and greese remover and whipe the whole car from top to tail being very picky (even the oil from your finger tips can alter how the paint sticks) with 2pac dont ask wouldnt have a clue with the mixin If using accrillic: use only Premium thinners NOT general purpouse mixing the colour: mix 1part paint to one part thinners The clear (if metallic or if your useing it): 70% thinners to 30% clear remember clear is like GLUE! any thicker than that your gonna get Orange peal all over it and that aint pretty takes donks to get it out. once the paint and clear is on, cut the car back with 1200 or 2000 grit wet. buy a Good cutting compound from your local Auto Paint supplyier (eg B & L Paint supplyies) not from auto one or things like that. Then buff the car with the cutting compund, wash it once finnished. then put a nice pollish on top. wala
Nice thread, got one quick question, ive got a Black VS commodore, now paint is in pretty good condition which is suprising.. now i went out and brought just a polish, cleaned the car nice and clean and started applying, i havnt noticed a huge increase in shine is it possible that this could be because the car has been polished before i brought it? Using Meguirs showcar glaze.. im not too keen on going a cut and polish as paint isnt faded, or am i using the wrong type polish?
