List your best detailing products and cleaning tips
#32
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Posts: 637
Car Info: '04 JBP STi
Where can you get this " Real Zymol "? I usually rinse the car down, use Meguiars Gold Class soap, use a mircofiber cloth to wash and then use that $15 shammy from wamart (the one that comes in different colors red, green, yellow, purple) and then Meg Gold class to polish. For the outside glass I use Rain-X in the spray bottle and inside i use armor for the interior glass and that armor all dash shiner for everything inside (dont use it on the steering wheel > dangerous) then i use the ACS shiner stuff for the tires. I MISS THE MEGUIARS high endurance tire gloss (purple gel) !!!! No one sells it anymore....
#33
I personally hate the squeeky sound that the absorber and some other shammies make, so i went out and bought a whole mess of those microfiber towels they have at costco.
I rinse, wash with meguire's gold class, rinse and repeat twice in case i missed anything. Then i dry with one microfiber towel, going around the car twice. Once i get the water to be just a little streaky and to the point where the wet mf will no longer absorb, i use a fresh mf to finish the job. Then i bust out my compressor and hit the spots in the mirrors and around the lights/trim to get all of the water out.
Finally, depending on how much unwashable junk is on the car, i clay then i go at it with 2 coats of NX wax from meguires. I used to use gold class but this new stuff seems to be a bit smoother than the old stuff.
I use stoner's more shine less time for my tires and stoner's invisible glass for all my windows. The rims i clean with a mixture of goldclass and filtered water in a spray bottle, plus a really soft toothbrush for harder to reach areas, otherwise i can wipe it down with an mf towel. For tough tar i hit it really fast with WD40, or get the WD40 on a paper towel and wipe gently.
I rinse, wash with meguire's gold class, rinse and repeat twice in case i missed anything. Then i dry with one microfiber towel, going around the car twice. Once i get the water to be just a little streaky and to the point where the wet mf will no longer absorb, i use a fresh mf to finish the job. Then i bust out my compressor and hit the spots in the mirrors and around the lights/trim to get all of the water out.
Finally, depending on how much unwashable junk is on the car, i clay then i go at it with 2 coats of NX wax from meguires. I used to use gold class but this new stuff seems to be a bit smoother than the old stuff.
I use stoner's more shine less time for my tires and stoner's invisible glass for all my windows. The rims i clean with a mixture of goldclass and filtered water in a spray bottle, plus a really soft toothbrush for harder to reach areas, otherwise i can wipe it down with an mf towel. For tough tar i hit it really fast with WD40, or get the WD40 on a paper towel and wipe gently.
#34
Originally Posted by RAGEWRX
Where can you get this " Real Zymol "? I usually rinse the car down, use Meguiars Gold Class soap, use a mircofiber cloth to wash and then use that $15 shammy from wamart (the one that comes in different colors red, green, yellow, purple) and then Meg Gold class to polish. For the outside glass I use Rain-X in the spray bottle and inside i use armor for the interior glass and that armor all dash shiner for everything inside (dont use it on the steering wheel > dangerous) then i use the ACS shiner stuff for the tires. I MISS THE MEGUIARS high endurance tire gloss (purple gel) !!!! No one sells it anymore....
I know that at the very least Daiei and Checkers sell Meguiars tire gel.
They sell Rain-x in a spray bottle?
#35
Originally Posted by EtchyLives
Thanks. I suppose I'll have to track this down online.
#38
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Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Plymouth, MN
Posts: 2,518
Car Info: 94 T-Leg Sedan and a 00 M5
There was SO MUCH white residue. I would recommend against it. It looks nice, but it's a lot of work. I like Meguiars gold class, but the wife insists I use all of this. I'm going to try Meguiars NXT, next.
#40
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Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Plymouth, MN
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Car Info: 94 T-Leg Sedan and a 00 M5
I let it haze on the first coat and then did it tacky (if possible. that shtuff dries FAST) like the directions specified for the 2nd coat. It looked MUCH better after the 2nd coat, but I don't know if that is depth or technique showing through.
Directions recommend doing a 2x2 foot area and slopping it around before the white flakes form. IMPOSSIBLE. The flakes form as soon as the wax gets spread onto the car, however there is less when it's tacky. However, I went through A LOT of wax, and many many waxing cloths (I use clean cotton drop cloths that seem to work pretty well. Almost no red fuzzies). I think I used 1/2 a dozen or more. I'm going to try rewashing them to save a bit of $$$. It DOES look good, if I do say so myself. But I'm biased after 4 hours of work.
Directions recommend doing a 2x2 foot area and slopping it around before the white flakes form. IMPOSSIBLE. The flakes form as soon as the wax gets spread onto the car, however there is less when it's tacky. However, I went through A LOT of wax, and many many waxing cloths (I use clean cotton drop cloths that seem to work pretty well. Almost no red fuzzies). I think I used 1/2 a dozen or more. I'm going to try rewashing them to save a bit of $$$. It DOES look good, if I do say so myself. But I'm biased after 4 hours of work.
#41
Yeah that one does dry a lot quicker than the genuine ones. The i could understand using 6 towels though....from my experiences I'd say 4 is about right for almost any wax you use, most people don't change towels enough
I'd say try it for atleast a couple waxings.....its not unusual for it to get easier with future applications....especially when you use the real stuff. I won't lie, the first times a b**** since you have to HD cleanse in addition to the wax. But hey, all good wax are multi stage! I've found that it really helps to use 2 towels at a time. One to wipe the initial bulk of the wax, and a second (microfiber is by far the best for this part) for the final buffing.
I'd say try it for atleast a couple waxings.....its not unusual for it to get easier with future applications....especially when you use the real stuff. I won't lie, the first times a b**** since you have to HD cleanse in addition to the wax. But hey, all good wax are multi stage! I've found that it really helps to use 2 towels at a time. One to wipe the initial bulk of the wax, and a second (microfiber is by far the best for this part) for the final buffing.
#42
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iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Plymouth, MN
Posts: 2,518
Car Info: 94 T-Leg Sedan and a 00 M5
Spots In My Wax!
I woke up this morning and decided to finish the job by vacuuming out the car. I walked out the garage door, and was admiring my beautiful wagon when I noticed that there were little spots all over the hood that were shinier than the others. There were SPOTS in my wax that were not there last night.
I couldn't figure it out until I realized the white residue was pretty much gone... GRRR! The white residue turned to crappy spots. So I spent another 20 minutes buffing out the spots. This is the last time I use this crap. EVAR! I'll use it all up on my wifes car on Saturday. She'll think it's cuz I love her. I'll know it's cuz I want the NXT.
I couldn't figure it out until I realized the white residue was pretty much gone... GRRR! The white residue turned to crappy spots. So I spent another 20 minutes buffing out the spots. This is the last time I use this crap. EVAR! I'll use it all up on my wifes car on Saturday. She'll think it's cuz I love her. I'll know it's cuz I want the NXT.
#43
Registered User
iTrader: (10)
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Posts: 637
Car Info: '04 JBP STi
checkers and wal-mart dont sell the purple meguiars anymore. No one on the island does. Only place to get it would be internet.....The Zymol stuff seems to be a pain in the *** to use..Nice detailing job Rain-X in a spray bottle at walmart. Yellow spray bottle with a black spray top.
#45
Originally Posted by RAGEWRX
checkers and wal-mart dont sell the purple meguiars anymore. No one on the island does. Only place to get it would be internet.....The Zymol stuff seems to be a pain in the *** to use..Nice detailing job Rain-X in a spray bottle at walmart. Yellow spray bottle with a black spray top.