Car Detailing

[headshotnz]

Good job . Should be sticked in no time.

[Amrit]

Yup, I can confirm heylins advice is great, he told me to do some of this stuff around when I got my car and it worked really well. Only thing is I have a metallic finish so I didn't use any of the cutting products.

Here is the paint restore instructions from Heylin that I follow exactly (except for step 4)..

Remember the thing that takes away shine the most is fine scratches in your paint, so you're basically trying to eliminate these by polishing away, and then maintain the shine by using correct washing techniques and good products on a regular basis.

First you'll need to get the following for your tool kit. (Easy to start from scratch and have the right stuff all there to use)

1) Microfiber towels from Godfrey's
3 Large ones, Use these for drying your car down after washing it. Microfiber doesn't scratch like cotton towels. Also get a couple of smaller fine plush ones for taking off wax \ polish.

2) Microfiber Wash Mitt
Get one of these from Supercheap, again it keep scratches away while you're washing, important to rinse in clean water between wipes on the car, I use 2 buckets one for suds and one for clean rinsing. Always rinse your car before washing and work form top to bottom (wiping in one direction then turning the mitt over).

3) Armourall Wash n Wax "Blue Stuff", $9.00 form The Warehouse
cleans well and leaves a nice shine on polished paint between waxing. Recommend 1 to 2 washes a week. I usually do mine on Thursday night so its clean for the weekend and Sunday so its clean till Thursday.

4) Meguiars Gold Class Wax + 2 Meguiars Applicator Pads
Easy 1 step system, easy to put on and easy to take off, good protection. Do once a month, or every 2nd week like me if you get bored. Use it on your mags too, and any chrome.

4) 3M Fine Rubbing Compound
Get this from a panel and paint supplier "like Autolink Distributors", doesn't cost much and use this first to get your shine back before applying your wax. Then do this to your car every 6 months to keep fine scratches at bay, always remember to wax immediately afterwards to add protection back.

5) Meguiars glass cleaner $14.95, ammonia free, ammonia ruins your black trim and rubbers. Its also safe for tints (ammonia isnt), repeat ammonia is bad.

6) Meguiars ultimate tyre shine, $20 a can but lasts for ages, way longer than the $5 Aussie export stuff.


Getting back your shine

1) Rub the car down with 3M Rubbing compund in a circular motion, using foam pads, work one panel at a time and buff off with a plush microfiber towel. Depending hoe many fine scratches you have it might pay to get a buffing machine or multi action buffer to speed up the process.

Wax the whole car after to protect the freshly exposed paint (or clear coat)

Maintaining it

Weekly washing, monthly waxing


Tips

1) Always wash the car from top to bottom in that order.
2) Rinse your microfiber wash mitt between wipes.
3) Wash your microfiber in Liquid detergent on warm (dont mix with other fibers and dont put into the dryer.
4) Avoid ammonia based window cleaners at all costs

[fevil]

And for that extra shine on vinyl and rubber. Once a month clean with Neopal furniture polish. Your interior will look like new and with regular applications stay that way.

[kim0663]

If you want it to shine like hell for ages, Don't use anything from supercheap, repco etc etc. They work good for handjobs, waste of time if you've got a decent polishing machine.

I use

- Makita rotary Polisher (also called sander) @ 2000~2500rpm
- 3M Perfect-IT Pad (black very smooth pad)
- 3M backing plate (provides easy use of the pad)
- 3M Fine cut compound 1200p (to rejuvenate maybe once a year)
- 3M finish touch

These are the stuff professionals use, they use it after a fresh paint job too.

I maybe shine my car once every three months? i used compound on it last year november, and waxed it maybe 1 every two or three months.

Stays shiny as hell. Looks like new paintjob. Takes 45~60 minutes to do the whole car with two coats of shine. Lasts forever.

Down side would be these are extremely expensive and would easily reach up towards $500 and over. each 3M bottles cost over $30+, let alone the Rotary polisher. But one purchase will last a few years (except polish pad)

When i use to use meguilars, i use to wax every 3~4 weeks to maintain.

[mista2]

Better than Sticky post, I've reposted this excellent topic on the main page. Now won't dissapear after 30 days.
http://mr2.org.nz/mr2ocnz/index.php?opt ... 9&Itemid=1

[kim0663]

maybe its the caranuaba makin it go off quicker.

Well, i use 3M and its hell of a lot easier to do for me.

btw: you don't wait for the 3M to dry off to a haze. U wet it as u wax it, even when its not a cutting agent/compound. Probably why you had clogging.

[methy sw20gt]

anytips for keeping the engine bay clean and tidy and what products to use and not use?

[mr.peal]

anytips for keeping the engine bay clean and tidy and what products to use and not use?

we use simply green, it came out great!

[James-NZ]

If I can add a tip to this very informative thread.

When drying the car after washing use air to dry as opposed to a chamois or towel. Most swirl marks are caused by drying the car, when you wipe the surface with the chamois it collects any fine particles that were not removed during washing or landed on the vehicle between the wash and dry stage, then as you dry these particles are wiped over the surface causing swirl marks in your otherwise perfect paint.

Using air to dry the car will prevent swirls in your paint. If you have easy access to compressed air this works very well but for me I choose to use a leaf blower to dry my cars, this has the added benefit of drying in the seams and hard to reach places, excellent if you intend to wax after you have washed. Drying time will vary depending on climate and the amount of air you are able to blow accross the surface.

The golden rule is limit the amount of contact with the paint, weather it be from your wash mitt, your polishing cloth, your chamois or even your hand. All of these things will mark your paint.

Now, if we want to get very particular.....used RO/DI (reverse osmosis/deionized) water to wash your car, this will prevent water marks as the water marks are caused by the H2O evaporating and leaving behind the solids found in most water supplies. These solids will also contribute to swirl marks....

Then we can also move on to the 3 microfiber towel 2 bucket process.....1 towel for the top of the car, 1 for below the windows and above the hip line and the 3rd is used below the hip line then finally the rims, once the rims are finished this towel is discarded and each towel takes a step down and a new one is used for the roof.....

Also a good idea (not sure if it was mentioned above or not) is to use egg crate plastic mesh in the bottom of your car was buckets, this will help trap the sediment in the bottom of the bucket.....

I could go on, but this is well more than most will ever use....

[James-NZ]

Also, I highly recommend the use of microfiber towels to wash your car, if you drop it, throw it away and grab another, they are dirt cheap and once dropped you will not be able to fully remove the particles it picks up. A dropped towel is handy to use while checking you oil or for other areas like detailing your engine bay....

Wash mitts cause scratches....

[matrox02]

Were did you get the gummi pflege? I really need to get hold of that chick i knew that worked for BMW in bulvaria lol.. i might have been able to import some of that stuff

[vvega]

id just like to state ive now seen Shane/heylin's car in person
and it is the one of the tidest examples and most well cleaned mr2 ive ever seen

anyone would do well to follow his advice on detailing

[jethro]

When drying the car after washing use air to dry as opposed to a chamois or towel. Most swirl marks are caused by drying the car, when you wipe the surface with the chamois it collects any fine particles that were not removed during washing or landed on the vehicle between the wash and dry stage, then as you dry these particles are wiped over the surface causing swirl marks in your otherwise perfect paint.

This is some valuable advise, i got some el cheapo turtle spray and wax for christmas and have waxed it three times, my swirls are gone, unbelievable, have been doing the up and down and going with the car technique and it definetly makes a difference, thx for that.

[2.R.M]

Sexy sooooo sexy Mr2, man whooooo good job!!!!

[heylin]

Heylins guide to paint restoration the ultimate shine and general tips and tricks for keeping your MR2 clean and shiney. (safe for clearcoat and solid colour).



>>>>> PAINT CARE>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

What youll need

- Double Action Polisher (any cheap one)
- 2 packs of replacement pads for polisher
- Meguiars Professional Medium Cut
- Meguiars Professional Fine Cut
- Meguiars Professional Swirl Remover
- Meguiars glass cleaner
- Meguiars all in one Cleaner Wax
- Armourall Blue Wash n Wax
- 2 Buckets
- Microfiber wash mitt
- Synthetic blue chammy
- 10 small Microfiber pet towels
- 2 large Microfiber towels


Step 1 - wash and dry the car

See washing tips \ method at bottom of this article, very important to wash your car before performing any paint maintainence.

Drying the car use synthetic blue chammy to remove excess water and finish drying with the 2 large microfiber towels.


Step 2 - restore the finish and shine

1) Park the freshly washed and dryed car out of the sun
2) Starting with a fresh cotton buffing pad, spray enough meguiars glass cleaner onto pad so that its moist and apply a swirl of Medium compound to the pad
3) Working with one panel at a time work the compound into the finish appyling just enough pressure so as not to slow the machine down (each swirl of compound should be enough to do 2 30cm squares of paint area)
4) once each panel is finished buff off using the microfiber pet towel (turning frequently to prevent build up). Use light spray of meguiars glass cleaner to assist in removing compound residue.
5) Repeat the above steps for both the fine and swirl remover compounds, ensuring that you change pads between compounds and use fresh MF pet towels for buffing off.
6) Apply wax over whole car and allow to dry to haze
7) Buff off using fresh MF pet towel
Go over car with final fresh MF pet towel to remove any residue left.
9) Wow people with your showroom shine


Step 3 - maintain the finish

- Weekly wash your car using the 2 bucket method descibed at bottom of article. Always dry your car after to prevent water spots.

- Monthly waxing to maintain paint protection and shine.

- 6 monthly use the fine compound and swirl remover

- annually use the full 3 compounds.


Looking after your microfiber towels

- Always warm wash in liquid detergent (powder contains fillers that dont fully dissolve and can scratch your paint)

- Air dry inside, do not tumble dry

General washing tips

- 1 bucket for suds, 1 bucket for rinsing mitt
- Always wipe in one direction,
- no more than 2 wipes per side of wash mitt then rinse in fresh water
- If you drop your mitt, dont use it, get another one.
- Start at the top of car and work your way down

Other paint care tips

- Removing bugs, spray bumper with meguiars glass cleaner or Simple Green, let soak for 2 minutes, then wipe dry with microfiber towel

- Preventing bugs from sticking : Before a long trip I will put a fresh coat of wax on the front of the car, and this stops bugs from sticking.




>>>>> Mag Wheel & Tyre Care >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Polished mags, painted mags and powder coated mags are just like your cars paint work and require the same care and attention to maintain their finish and keep them looking as new.

Products needed

- Meguiars Cleaner Wax
- Simple Green, Car Wash & or DeSolve It
- 2 Microfiber cloths
- terry tea towel
- Meguiars Ultimate Tyre Shine

A note on the microfiber cloths, dont use the same ones as you use on your cars paint work, and dont use them to wipe tar off (use the terry tea towel for that).

1) Initial Clean
Wash using simple green or your favorite car wash, to remove tar and heavy build up follow up with a citrus based product called "Desolve It" can be used spray it on and leave for 5 minutes then wipe off (watch the tar and grease melt away).

2) Clean, Restore and Protect
If your mags are scratched, oxidised or dull use the same method as the paint restore guide in the above section, otherwise a product called "Meguiars Cleaner Wax" will remove any remaining buildup and also leave behind a nice shine and protective wax coating.

3) Maintain
To maintin the shine and condition of your mags, weekly wash n wax and repeat step 2 above each month, or start at step 1 if you have managed to pick up alot of tar and other nasty stuff.

Tyres
Ive used alot of tyre shines over the years and Meguiars Ultimate Tyre Shine lasts a long time, gives the ultimate shine and has a handy nozzle to adjust for your tyre profile.

Stone chips on Shadow Chrome
You can make your own shadow chrome touch up paint by mixing black enamel and alminium colour spray paint.


>>>>> Window Care (Inc Tints)>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Products needed

- Meguiars Glass Cleaner
- Meguiars Cleaner Wax
- Simple Green
- Fine steel wool pads
- Repo Ultra Cut Compound
- Plexus Plastic Cleaner
- 2 Microfiber Cloths

A note on the microfiber cloths, always use one for the outside and one for the inside, especially if you have tinted windows as you dont want to risk scratching them.

1) Removing Water Marks
Now this might sound a bit harsh but watermarks are pretty hard buggers to remove so requires some pretty hefty tools and compounds. I have done this on many cars and acheived perfect results everytime on the worst glass.

1) Working on 10cm sqaure sections of glass at a time dip your steel wool pad into the Repo Extra Cut, and using good pressure rub in a small circular motion moving a few cm at a time, making sure youve always got enough compound to keep the surface wet.

2) Wipe the area clean and if water marks remain repeat step 1

3) Once all marks removed, re-apply wax protection by using Meguiars Cleaner Wax, this will help prevent water marks in future. Reccomend new wax applicaiton to exterior windows every 4 weeks.


2) Cleaning Interior Windows
Buff clean with Meguiars Glass Cleaner and Microfiber Cloth.

3) Cleaning Exterior Windows
If you have baked on bugs spray with strong mix of simple green and let soak for 2 minutes, bugs will wipe right off. Buff clean with Meguiars Glass Cleaner and Microfiber Cloth.

4) Cleaning Tints
Never use ammonia based glass cleaners on your car, ammonia destroys rubber, plastic, vinyl and your tinted windows. Plexus is a great product as it cleans, fills in fine scratches and protects tinted windows in one easy step.

Simply spray on and buff until dry (turning the cloth frequently).

*Tip, plexus is great for indicators, rear garnish, tailights and any plastic on your car.

>>>>> Restoring Plastic (Indicators, Taillights etc) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

- Meguiars Professional Fine Cut
- Meguiars Professional Swirl Remover
- Meguiars all in one Cleaner Wax
- 2 microfiber polishing cloths

1) wipe of any dirt\dust with seperate cloth (not your polishing ones)
2) starting with fine cut, polish in circular motion using firm pressure the plastic surface to be restored, enusring you add a little polish every now and then
3) Wipe \ buff off polish
4) Repeat until plastic is shiney
5) Repeat using swirl remover for final polish
5) Repeat using cleaner wax and wipe \ buff for final shine \ protection.