Help me update my detailing inventory?

[buffettjr]

I used to be heavily involved in detailing my cars and stalked the Autotopia forums. This was a couple years ago, and at that time there were certain products that were generally regarded as the best. P21s car wash, Klass All In One and Klasse Sealant. Vinylex for interior surfaces, a California water blade to squeegee the car. Is that still the case? Are these products still top of the line, or have new things come out to replace them and become the enthusiast's favorites?



The Zaino line was popular back then too and after a cursory glance it appears that it still is loved by many. Do some people use exclusively Zaino throughout the entire process? Any help getting me caught up with the times would be appreciated!

 

[Accumulator]

BuffetJr- Welcome to Autopia!



There are a lot of advances these days, but there' snothing wrong with the stuff you used to use (which I assume you still have).



I've pretty much replaced KSG with FK1000P (a paste sealant), but there's absolutely nothing wrong with the Klasse.



Nothing wrong with Zaino, and I do sometimes use their AIO instead of the Klasse stuff. I'm sure some people do use their entire like (or go all Meguiar's, or all Optimum, or etc. etc.) but I wouldn't let what others do factor in too much.



You won't go wrong with something from one of the "big name, reputable" companies, but there's no need to change your approach just to "stay modern".



IMO many of the significant advances are related to polishes/etc. used for paint correction. In that field, there *are* some real winners that make the whole thing much easier and that's an exception to my "stick with what works for you" advice.



Heh heh, I'm no fan of the squeegee-for-drying, but that's just me.

 

[imported_icall]

Klasse AIO is still my go to for cleaning polish. I recently purchased some Blackfire Wet Diamond for a carbon black 550i that was previously sealed with zaino. I'm preferring the BFWD look, but its only the second week. We'll see in week 12-16.



For washes, I use a pressure washer with hose water as a pre-wash. I then use ONR with a grout sponge and deionized water (DI) and rinse the ONR off with a pressure washer hooked up to a CR Spotless system. The only thing that touches the paint is a grout sponge soaked in ONR. No wiping off the ONR.



Previously, I used Meguiar's Gold Class with a sheepskin mitt or Chemical Guys Wash and Clear 1oz to 5gals of water with a sheepskin mitt. I find the ONR with a DI rinse off leaves the car looking better with less of a chance of marring. I dry using a leaf blower. Any remaining drops dry without issue due to the DI water.



I still use Chemical Guys Wash and Clear with a sheepskin mitt on my rims and exhaust.



In the end, whatever works for you!

 

[buffettjr]

Thanks for the info; that's an interesting technique with a powerwasher and leaf blower. Sounds like a more manual version of the touchless washes. Is there any danger in hitting the paint with high pressure water? For example maybe where there is a lip in the metal and it might star blasting away the paint or clear coat?



Thanks.

 

[usdm]

Thanks for the info; that's an interesting technique with a powerwasher and leaf blower. Sounds like a more manual version of the touchless washes. Is there any danger in hitting the paint with high pressure water? For example maybe where there is a lip in the metal and it might star blasting away the paint or clear coat?



Thanks.

No real danger in using a pressure washer, but like anything else, discretion is the key. Sweep the paint with the pw, dont stay in one spot for too long a time, and carefful around delicate areas, such as around decals pinstripes, and the lot.