Finished my first detailing... lots of questions now :)

m3avrck

New member
Hi guys!



Well today I just finished detailing my car, first time I've ever done this (consider ingI just bought my car recently and am still in college), and have to say, the car came out great. Total time was 6 hours, with a break for dinner in there.



Anywho, my main followup questions are in relation to the exterior of the car. Since I bought a white 95 BMW, the color in it definetly was lagging and there were bunches of marks, so obviously it need a good wash/polish/wax. Here is what I did:



Wash: Meguiars Gold Class

Polish: Meguiars Crystal Paint Cleaner

Wax: Liquid Glass

Trim: Turtle Wax Wet N' Black

Windows: Windex + RainX



After using all of those, the car came out looking amazing, almost brand new looking too. Also, for the polish, I used my new PC 7424 with the yellow pad, to apply the polish.



So now, here are my questions:



1. What products would you recommend I change/upgrade, keeping in mind I'm not looking for super expensive stuff yet?



2. Is there something I should have used or didn't do?



3. Now what do I do, say in a week, to maintain all of this? Just wash car?



4. How long till my next wax, say about a month? What about next polish, a few months? (I know these depend on conditions, but just general approx works)



5. What wheel cleaner would you recommend (I ended up using Castrol Degreaser on the wheels, since it works good with those, but soon I'll be putting on clear coated/painted wheels, so need something that isn't as harsh)?



6. Is there any good way to clean that yellow polish pad with the PC? I was just rinsing with water but noticed it was quite black :nixweiss



And I think that's it. Overall, I'm extremely pleased with the results, learned a great deal, and am even more into keeping my car clean then ever. Thanks for all the help guys, it's much appreciated :xyxthumbs
 
Things that stand out at first glance :



1) Dump the Windex for the glass - get to Walmart and buy yourself a can of Stoners Invisible Glass.

Easier to use and doesnt streak !



2) Alot of folks dislike rain X .. I think thats more personal taste to be honest.



3) Wheels & Tires I've come to like the Eagle 1 stuff from AutoZone or Checker.



The wheel cleaner actually works and doesnt smell nasty, plus the tire stuff is super easy to apply and lasts without slinging off.



4) I clean PC pads in warm water with some liquid soap, squeeze it out and 'spin dry' it on the PC at top speed.



Works for me.



I wont comment on the polish/wax side of things because theres so many products to choose from its best to try a few and settle on your own favourite.
 
If you're pleased with your results now, I don't see why you'd want to necessarily change any of your products, but since you asked...



1) Did you manage to remove all the swirling to your satisfaction? If not, you may want to get some proper swirl remover or other product of appropriate strength to do the job. You've already invested a lot of money in the PC and accessories so it doesn't make sense to skimp on products now - they go hand in hand.



2) Does the car need claying? It sounds like it should.



3) Wash it as needed... just like a normal car. ;) QD it afterwards or whenever you feel like it.



4) You may want to try applying more Liquid Glass in the next day or so and see if you can build up a few layers of it for better appearance and more protection.



5) Eagle One A2Z. That's what I suggest but I don't know if you would consider it "harsh" since it is very strong. Run a search on this product.



6) Clean it out with some dish detergent in a sink, bucket, etc. You have to squeeze and compress it a bit, but don't be too hard on it or the velcro.



EDIT: Didn't notice the word "Windex" until now. :p Leave that in the house and get SIG or Eagle One 20/20. You may also want to get something to dress your tires. A2Z works for cleaning them too.
 
1) Did you manage to remove all the swirling to your satisfaction?



Well since I finished later in the day, I couldn't give it a thorough final inspection, however, nothing did stand out when I checked. Tomorrow I'll know for sure. And I agree on the products, might as well use something better, since I did buy the PC just for that :) The Paint Cleaner was all that my dad currently had, so that is why I chose it.





2) Does the car need claying? It sounds like it should.



Actually, not sure on this one. I really haven't read too much about claying and such, but after polishing/waxing, the surface was very smooth and such, so not sure if clay is really needed.



3) Wash it as needed... just like a normal car. ;) QD it afterwards or whenever you feel like it.



What is QD?



4) You may want to try applying more Liquid Glass in the next day or so and see if you can build up a few layers of it for better appearance and more protection.



Very true. However, tomorrow it is supposed to rain. Maybe I'll just have to wash it next weekend and wax again.





5) Eagle One A2Z. That's what I suggest but I don't know if you would consider it "harsh" since it is very strong.



Yea that seems to be the one everyone uses. When I say harsh, I mean the Castrol Degreaser I was using is intended just for that, not for wheels, and hence, in the notes, it said it could cause damage on painted surfaces, so be sure to test it first. Would just feel at ease with a real tire cleaner :)



Thanks for all the help too, greatly appreciated.
 
m3avrck said:
Anywho, my main followup questions are in relation to the exterior of the car. Since I bought a white 95 BMW, the color in it definetly was lagging and there were bunches of marks, so obviously it need a good wash/polish/wax. Here is what I did:



Wash: Meguiars Gold Class

Polish: Meguiars Crystal Paint Cleaner

Wax: Liquid Glass

Trim: Turtle Wax Wet N' Black

Windows: Windex + RainX



After using all of those, the car came out looking amazing, almost brand new looking too. Also, for the polish, I used my new PC 7424 with the yellow pad, to apply the polish.



So now, here are my questions:



1. What products would you recommend I change/upgrade, keeping in mind I'm not looking for super expensive stuff yet?



Go to Autozone and get Eagle One 20/20 glass cleaner. It contains no ammonia, doesn't streak, and is safe for tinted windows. Also, if you're not using them, try out some Microfiber towels (like the turtle wax kind at Autozone). Make sure you rip the tags off though.



2. Is there something I should have used or didn't do?



You definitely want to clay your car. Do that in your next detail. Autozone carries claymagic for $10. Probably the best $10 you can spend too, as the clay will do so much for restoring your paint.



3. Now what do I do, say in a week, to maintain all of this? Just wash car?



If the car is outdoors all the time then yes, but you could buy yourself a Quick Detailing spray (such as Meguiar's Quik Detail or Mother's Showtime) and with a microfiber towel, spray and wipe the surface maybe everyday or every other day.



4. How long till my next wax, say about a month? What about next polish, a few months? (I know these depend on conditions, but just general approx works)



If it's outdoors, probably in 2-3 weeks. Honestly I don't know the durability of liquid glass. But if you were to use a carnuba wax, I'd recommend Meguiar's #26 (you can easily pick it up at the autoparts store, and it's durable). If you are looking for all out durability, then a sealant would work, but those you'll most likely have to order online. Klasse happens to be a good all around product.



5. What wheel cleaner would you recommend (I ended up using Castrol Degreaser on the wheels, since it works good with those, but soon I'll be putting on clear coated/painted wheels, so need something that isn't as harsh)?



Eagle One A2Z should work fine. You can get that at Wal-Mart. If the wheels are very soiled, you might need a brush to agitate.



6. Is there any good way to clean that yellow polish pad with the PC? I was just rinsing with water but noticed it was quite black :nixweiss



I've never washed a foam pad for a PC, but on my regular foam applicators I've used full strength citrus degreaser and it has worked fine.
 
I wouldnt say dump Windex. They have a new windex with vinagrrrrrr taht works great. Personally I cant stand stoners invisible glass. Stick with what you like and what you are comfortable with. Dont follow the hype of everything. It will save you time and stress. Its like mah man Too $hort said "Get in where ya fit in".
 
Great, thanks for all the tips guys, definetly helps out. I'll be sure to pick up some new goodies this week. Thanks again :)
 
FUEL said:
I wouldnt say dump Windex. They have a new windex with vinagrrrrrr taht works great. Personally I cant stand stoners invisible glass. Stick with what you like and what you are comfortable with. Dont follow the hype of everything. It will save you time and stress. Its like mah man Too $hort said "Get in where ya fit in".
I believe Windex has ammonia in it, which makes it unsafe for tint, and can cause damage to rubber and plastic over time. Eagle One 20/20 is inexpensive, widely available, and alcohol-based. I'd suggest to the original poster trying EO, Stoner's, or another auto-specific glass cleaner, and using whatever you find works best for you.



Lately, I've been using Poorboys Spray & Wipe as a glass cleaner (safe for all surfaces on the car), and find it works wonderfully with a MF towel.



Tort
 
TortoiseAWD said:
I believe Windex has ammonia in it, which makes it unsafe for tint, and can cause damage to rubber and plastic over time. Eagle One 20/20 is inexpensive, widely available, and alcohol-based. I'd suggest to the original poster trying EO, Stoner's, or another auto-specific glass cleaner, and using whatever you find works best for you.



Lately, I've been using Poorboys Spray & Wipe as a glass cleaner (safe for all surfaces on the car), and find it works wonderfully with a MF towel.



Tort



Yup ... NEW WINDEX! with ammonia D.



Good luck usin it on yer car Fuel.



Rather you than me.



I use Stoners because theres no streaks and it wipes off sooooo easily while removing water marks etc.
 
m3avrck said:
Actually, not sure on this one. I really haven't read too much about claying and such, but after polishing/waxing, the surface was very smooth and such, so not sure if clay is really needed.



What is QD?
There is an article about claying in the Member Articles section of Autopia University. There are simple things you can do to tell if you need it or not, but if the paint feels smooth you may have already knocked most of the contamination off with your polishing job. That's not the recommended way to get rid of that stuff, but what's done is done. ;)



As you probably figured out from Acura_RL's post, "QD" is short for Quick Detailer, even though I think these products are properly called detailing sprays. Useful for evening things out after buffing, after-wash sprucing up, aid in applying products, light dust removal, etc. etc. Lots of uses really, and probably extends the life of your wax too.



A great thing to do to delay washing and getting dust off your car is to get a Calif. Car Duster (CCD for short) and combine that with QDing. Run a search on this nifty tool. There's always more and more stuff you can buy, and pretty soon it all starts spiraling out of control... :D
 
m3avrck,



I'll be interested to hear your findings on the condition of the swirling or scratching in your paint. I also have a white '95 M3. My paint looks good until you really look closely and in the right light, then you'll notice the light scratching. I had to use a yellow pad and 3M Fine Cut Rubbing Compound (FCRC) to help remove them. While I didn't get all of it, I did reduce it quite a bit. I'll probably spend a bit more time with the PC the next time I do a good polishing on it.



Post some pics if you can.:cool:
 
Ah pics, that would be nice, eh? But the weather doesn't seem to be on my side, been raining ever since I finished polishing the car. Maybe tomorrow, eh? Although with so much rain and wind and stuff I probably have lost a bit of the super shine I had only a few days ago.



I'll try and post them as soon as the weather cleans up, that and the condition of swirl marks and such.
 
Not much different here in MA either. I finished detailing mine on Saturday by noon, but it started raining at 10:00a. I knew my first drive in it would be in the rain...that is depressing. It supposed to be sunny later today. Hopefully, I'll get some late afternoon light to take some pics of mine too. (After a little QD)
 
larry_bar56 said:
m3avrck,



I'll be interested to hear your findings on the condition of the swirling or scratching in your paint. I also have a white '95 M3. My paint looks good until you really look closely and in the right light, then you'll notice the light scratching. I had to use a yellow pad and 3M Fine Cut Rubbing Compound (FCRC) to help remove them.



Yes, after using the yellow pad with Meguiars Paint Cleaner, I think I do in fact have some light swirling. If you have the sun directly reflecting off the car and you look at the spot, you can notice "spider-web" like swirls around the sun lit part, which I guess I should attribute to the pad and cleaner??



Should I switch to a different polisher then? Otherwise, the paint looks very good except for above.
 
Notice the side skirts. Any idea what I can use to clean these up and make them brilliant in color? I've tried Turtle Wax's Tire and Shine (said can be used on other vinyl/plastic parts) but that didn't work. Tried some of Meguiars stuff but not much luck either.



Anyone know of a good product that can be used on these external plastic trim pieces and such?
 
I have heard of some people painting the side skirts to match the car. I would go to a professional body shop for that. It might not cost too much and would make the car look better (I'm biased, because the M3s have them painted!). I know alot of people complain about these gray side skirts.



BTW, the car looks good. How many miles on it? It's tough to make a white car look really spectacular, so don't try to compete with all the black and red car owners here. :)



Good luck.
 
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