My "Ultimate" Detailing Plan...Plz critique...[LONG POST]

[mcnab]

Well fellas,



I just registered on this forum today. I've been here for awhile, I just lurk and never post But today I finally decided to join and get some of your advice on things. I would just read before, but now that I have a question I finally decided to join...So thanks for having me





I just got the car of my dreams. It's just going on the boan from Japan, and should be here within a month. When it gets here I'm doing the ultimate detail to it...



The car is a 1991 Nissan Skyline GTS-T TypeM. Lots of GTR Upgrades to it and other goodies. Here' a quick pic of it in Japan.

ANYWAY, enough of the new car blabber...I've put together a detailing plan for the car. I just want to see what you guys think of this...Let me know if you'd do anything different. I've already ordered some of the stuff I didn't have (like the glass polish and menzerna) but the rest of it I already have, like the sonus stuff and klasse etc.



I'll start by what Il be doing to the exterior (paint). All of the paint will be polished using a Porber Cable 7424 Professsional Dual Action polisher.



Exterior (Paint Polish In Steps)

1) Wash entire vehicle using DawnSoap (this is a harsher cleaner and removes ANY wax or contaminents on the paint)



2) Claybar entire car (med clay) This will remove any industrial fallout and other grime not caught in the wash



3) quick rinse/wash to remove any clay residue



4) Mask off all the windows + trim etc..So just paint is exposed



5) 1st pass on a DAS Orange Pad w/ SFX-1 Restoration Polish.



6) 2nd pass with DAS Green Pad w/ SFX-2 Gloss Enhancer



7) 3rd Pass w/ DAS Blue Pad w/ Klasse AIO



8) Menzerna FMJ. (I've also got HGAS to use as a booster)



I MAY top this with a carnuba (souveran) if the extra cash is there



That'll complete the cutpolish / wax end of things. While I'm at Im also going to polish all the exterior glass. The steps involved for thos will look like so.



1) Clean each window first using Stoners Insivible Glass and Newspaper. The inks and paper in the newspaper act as a fine polish. This will make sure that the windows are very clean before polishing.



2) 1 Pass on each window Using the PC7424 w/ AutoGlym Glass Pads and Autoglym Glass Polish. This get rid of ANY road film, scratches (tiny ones) or any etched water spots.



3) ** REMOVED *** ...I decided against using the RainX afterall WIll just polish the glass and leave it liek that...



So that's covered the windows and paint. Now I have the tires / inner fender liners to do. For the fender liners, this is how I will do them.



Inner Fenders:

1) remove tires to get good access to them. (and clean those later)

2) spray w/ heavy duty degreaser and brush. This will make sure they're superbly clean before I applying a plastic dye

3) Apply 2 thing coats Wurth High Build Underbody Aerosol. This stuff is JET black, and will keep them that way.



Rims & Tires

For the rims since they're just gunmetal, they'll just get a good diluted degreser and high power wash. This will keep em clean. Then some rim cleaner to keep away brake dust.



For the tires, they'll get 2 coats of Meguiers Endurance High Gloss Tire Gel.





Headlights:

1) quick wipe down with "never dull" to get rid of any road film or loose debrit. This also acts as a fine polish (since that's what is)

2) 1 Pass using Meguiers white pad & Meguiers Plastic Polish. This will give the headlights (projectors in my case) a COMPLETELY transparent surface any remove any light scratches or oxidation on the lense.



Taillights - Hand polishing using Mequiers Plastic Polish.



Any chrome parts on the car (I know off hand my tip/can is) will see a quick polish using the mothers powerball (ahah I love this thing) and mothers liquid metal. This makes anything chrome or silver REALLY SHINE...





INTERIOR:



The Interior will be getting a FULL STEAM clean. I've got a nice steam cleaner for doing this. So I'll be removing the entire interior (you can properly clean this way). I'll do all the carpet whilst it's out.



Before re-assembling the interior i'll dust everything (I've got all the proper horsehair brushes for vents etc). Then i'll give ANY vinyl or plastics a nice detail using one of the following:



Meguiers NXT Protectant (I like the high gloss it makes, althought im not sure if I will want that in this vehicle)

Aerospace 303 Protectant (this has a more matte finish to it, which is sometimes what im going for)



I'll see which one I like better in this interior when I do it...



Anyway, that's basically what I'll be doing for this ULTIMATE detail. This car will look like it rolled off the showroom by the time Im done with it. I expect this to take a full week to do working on it during the evenings (when Im not at work or school)





Also, I havent' even TOUCHED the engine bay for detailing yet. I'll save that for a nice weekend, grab some vodka and detail everything..I've also gotta paint the valve cover as well (going for a black and metallic blue scheme under the hood)



So, the products I'll be using are:



Dawn Wash

Mothers Claybar Kit (Medium Grade)

Mother QD for Clay Lube (yes I know I could use soap/water but I prefer QD)

Porter Cable (PC7424) Dual Action Polisher

Sonus SFX-2

Sonus SFX-1

Sonus DAS Pads (Blue, Green and Orange pads)

Klasse Twins (AIO and Sealent Glaze)

Menzerna High Gloss Acrylic Shield (Spray on)

Generic Highstrength Degreaser

Wurth High Build Underbody Aerosol

Meguiers Endurance Tire Gel

Meguiers Plastic Polish

Never Dull

Mothers Liquid Metal

Eagle One Chrome Polish

Mothers Powerball

Meguiers NXT Interior Protectant

303 Aerospace Protectant

Steam Cleaner (Also scotchgaurding carpet after against stains)



Hope that covers it all..





If you guys could give me any feedback on this detailing agenda im using that would be much appreciated. I've already ordred some of the stuff I didn't have in my collection already...



THANKS IN ADVANCE!

 

[Glossmaster]

Welcome to the addiction!! Love the car, by the way. Congrats!! Some others may chime in on this but I'd recommend that you skip the Dawn wash. Just use a quality car wash shampoo. Remember.....The polish you use will cut through any existing wax/sealant that might be on your paint. Also, when using detailing products.....Less is more. Enjoy the experience!!

 

[Sherman8r44]

Looks awesome! In addition what BlcTac said, here's my two cents....



1. How are you planning to dry?



2. Go with KSG. It will offer a hell of a lot more durability then just HGAS, but after 24 hours of letting KSG cure you can top with some HGAS.



3. IDK, the whole newspaper trick for the windows never worked for me. I say just use two microfiber towels, one for the initial wipes and the other dry one to get the streaks.



4. Rim cleaner doesn't repel brake dust, even the ones that claim to do so ineffectively. Instead, once the wheels are clean apply a coat of AIO and then KSG.



5. RainX does a great job, but when I have used it I always get wiper streaks and window glare. If you haven't noticed those ill-effects go right ahead, but you could always AIO then KSG just as with the rest of the car instead.

 

[mcnab]

Welcome to the addiction!! Love the car, by the way. Congrats!! Some others may chime in on this but I'd recommend that you skip the Dawn wash. Just use a quality car wash shampoo. Remember.....The polish you use will cut through any existing wax/sealant that might be on your paint. Also, when using detailing products.....Less is more. Enjoy the experience!!

Yah I have the mothers California Gold Car Wash...I REALLY LIKE THIS STUFF....Im willing to bet the car won't have any wax on it anyway, I just thought I would do the dawn wash....But if you reccomend just using a nice car wash shampoo (the stuff I have it nice) then I may just do that...



Thanks

 

[mcnab]

1. How are you planning to dry?

I use the California Wiper Blade to get most of the water off, then I use an air blower w/ an air filter on it to get the rest out of all the crevaces...After that I run over the whole car with a big microfiber towl to get ride of any moisture left over on it...



I also have a 190 PSI Air Compressor...Would you reccomend the w compressor to get the water outta all the other nooks rather than the air blower??



I know some people don't like using an air blower as they can be blowing some nasty particles at your paint at a rather high speed...But I've never seen to run into any problems using this method

 

[74 thing]

How are you getting that car past customs?



If you want to use Menzerna I would go with the FMJ-just wipe on and let it set up then wipe it off-offers good protection and then if you want to top it with a carnuba wait 24 hours or so for it to bond with the paint.

 

[imported_CkretAjint]

How are you getting that car past customs?



If you want to use Menzerna I would go with the FMJ-just wipe on and let it set up then wipe it off-offers good protection and then if you want to top it with a carnuba wait 24 hours or so for it to bond with the paint.

they are able to be legalized - just takes some money and connections

 

[mcnab]

How are you getting that car past customs?



If you want to use Menzerna I would go with the FMJ-just wipe on and let it set up then wipe it off-offers good protection and then if you want to top it with a carnuba wait 24 hours or so for it to bond with the paint.

The car is 15 years old, so it's legal to import into Canada. The states has "iffier" importing laws.



The car has to pass a provincial inspection (which is fine), then it has to be de-registered from Japan (I need both re-registration papers in english and certified translated Japanese). Once that goes through it'll get the provincial inspection (and if passed will recieve a BC Vin #). It's more work getting it off the dock when it arrives at the boat. Customs just makes you have the paper work from Japan, bill of lading, and some other stuff. It's really not as tricky it appears. But yes connections and a little money does help on speeding up the process



There's a few tricks to importing these cars, but all is well. Customs looks for certain things, and that I have ALL the paper work in order. I have to be carefull tho, customs goes by the date the Car was first REGISTERED in japan..So my car was manufactured in Jan 1991, but not actually registered until late Feb, so it's fine



If you dont' know what you doing and dont' research importing it properly...Customs will rape you.. This is all be done LEGALLY, so all is well :dance :woot::getdown



Regarding the FMJ, how long should it take to "set up". Also no one has answered, is this "layerable" like KSG?



With FMJ, do I spray it on like I would a QD (Ie a small mist) and then take MF towel and smooth it on? or is there another way to put this on? I've never used Menzerna FMJ before.



I thought about doing 2 layers of KSG then a layer of FMJ, I was just unsure if the KSG and FMJ would have any issues working together....But I may do it that way...will FMJ by itself give me higher gloss than with 2 layers of KSG and 1 layers of FMJ?



TIA!

 

[Sherman8r44]

Wait, are you talking about FMJ or HGAS? FMJ is applied like KSG, not sprayed. It is layerable and the general rule of thumb is that just about all sealants should get 24 hours to cure, including FMJ.



Your drying methods seem absolutely fine to me, except for the Blade. I have some nasty scratches thanks to the CWB, you have to be EXTREMELY diligent about cleaning it in between each swipe. Plus, squeaked like crazy which scared the crap out of me. If it works for you though, go ahead, it's a real timesaver.

 

[mcnab]

Wait, are you talking about FMJ or HGAS? FMJ is applied like KSG, not sprayed. It is layerable and the general rule of thumb is that just about all sealants should get 24 hours to cure, including FMJ.



Your drying methods seem absolutely fine to me, except for the Blade. I have some nasty scratches thanks to the CWB, you have to be EXTREMELY diligent about cleaning it in between each swipe. Plus, squeaked like crazy which scared the crap out of me. If it works for you though, go ahead, it's a real timesaver.

Sry I'm using HGAS....I thought FMJ was the older version of HGAS....my bad :think: ...

Can the HGAS be layered then? Also do I apply the HGAS as a mist like QD?



i've never had any problems with the CWB, I just use it on the major areas to get 70% of the water off. The rest I just blow off with the air blower. Saves me a lot of time. If I thought I was doing damage with the CWB, BELIEVE me I wouldn't be using it...Maybe for this particular instance, I wont' use the CWB...Black cars shows any sort of micro marring really easily, so maybe I'll opt out of using that in my drying this time and just use the MF and air blower...

 

[Sherman8r44]

Sry I'm using HGAS....I thought FMJ was the older version of HGAS....my bad :think: ...

Can the HGAS be layered then? Also do I apply the HGAS as a mist like QD?



i've never had any problems with the CWB, I just use it on the major areas to get 70% of the water off. The rest I just blow off with the air blower. Saves me a lot of time. If I thought I was doing damage with the CWB, BELIEVE me I wouldn't be using it...Maybe for this particular instance, I wont' use the CWB...Black cars shows any sort of micro marring really easily, so maybe I'll opt out of using that in my drying this time and just use the MF and air blower...

FMJ is Menzerna's full-blown sealant, more comparable to KSG. Yeah, apply HGAS as a mist, but remember less is more. Use the dry side of the MF (or another one altogether) for the final wiping to get rid of streaks.



Sounds good! :up

 

[mcnab]

FMJ is Menzerna's full-blown sealant, more comparable to KSG. Yeah, apply HGAS as a mist, but remember less is more. Use the dry side of the MF (or another one altogether) for the final wiping to get rid of streaks.



Sounds good! :up

Hmm...Wish I'd researhed that a little more before I boguht the HGAS...Anyway, what I'll do then is do 3 layers of KSG then do a mist of the HGAS...Thanks :woohoo: :dance

 

[Sherman8r44]

Hmm...Wish I'd researhed that a little more before I boguht the HGAS...Anyway, what I'll do then is do 3 layers of KSG then do a mist of the HGAS...Thanks :woohoo: :dance

No problem. That plan sounds great, good luck! Use HGAS monthly or twice a month after washing to keep up the shine and add more protection.

 

[Accumulator]

I use the California Wiper Blade to get most of the water off, then I use an air blower w/ an air filter on it to get the rest out of all the crevaces...After that I run over the whole car with a big microfiber towl to get ride of any moisture left over on it...



I also have a 190 PSI Air Compressor...Would you reccomend the w compressor to get the water outta all the other nooks rather than the air blower??

I finally quit using the CWB due to the potential for marring; some day you'll get a bit of abrasive grit between the CWB and the paint and then you'll have damage. I've come to the conclusion that the damage is simply inevitable. And most people move the CWB in a pretty long motion, so any scratch won't be 1/4" long, it'll be inches or even more.



I use a blower (an Air Wand, actually) to get most of the water off, no problems. I use the compressor to do the nooks and crannies, but a) I don't have the same PSI you do, I'd turn it down a bit for this job as ~120 PSI is enough to flutter some trim and make me a little nervous, b) I run filters at both the compressor and at the hose hook-up to make sure no abrasive particles or other [stuff] gets through, and c) make sure your air gun has a rubber tip because *some day* you'll end up hitting the paint with it no matter how careful you are.



Oh, and welcome to Autopia! Very cool car :xyxthumbs

 

[mcnab]

I've actually been re-thinking my plan lately. And I've got a question about my sealent choices..





Since it will be summer/sprint by the time the car shows up...I'm not worried about protection as much as I would be in winter...



Since this is a BLACK car, I'm interested if the products I chose will give the best results for the paint??



I'll do all my polishes then use the AIO and THEN I was thinking of going straight from AIO to the Menzerna HGAS rather than doing a few laters of sealant glaze.



The KSG worked really well on my red car....but I've read mixed stories about the Klasse Twins on dark colors...



I'm looking for the DEEPEST, GLOSSIEST / WET black look I can get on this paint....



Again, I'm not really that worried about protection on this, as I have the time to re-apply HGAS every couple weeks if I need to (since I wash it every weekend, maybe I'll reapply HGAS every 2nd weekend?)



So considering im not worried about prolonged protection...Will the Sonus polishes (starting with SFX-1 then doing SFX-2 Then Klasse AIO)...Should I just throw the Menzerna HGAS on after this to give me the MOST SHINE/ GLOSS / WET look rather than doing 2-3 layers of KSG then doing a layer of HGAS??



Thoughts/comments fellas Let me know if I didn't explain this well enough..I'm on a bit of a caffeine high here so i'm doing more typing than thinking

 

[gtbaka]

I'm pretty sure you may do more than a single pass on certain polish steps. Go as needed. I don't know about how well polish breaks down in a single pass.



But go ahead and put the FMJ. It is a beautiful sealant. And will provide you better protection than AIO. HGAS is just a quick detailer. Protection may not be a concern, but it will be once something easily marrs it like birds, washing, etc... The car will be easier to maintain once you have something on there.



If you're willing to shell out another 40 plus bucks, you might want to try Acrylic Jacket in place of the AIO, it's been described as being better. I have it but haven't tried it yet. I will try AJ/FMJ over a black Tribute when the rain stops here.



Before going with the SFX-1, see if you can start with SFX-2. This might save you a step, and some paint. Is that picture the actual car as is now? Hard to tell, but it looks as if you might not need a harsher polishing step.



My other advice is to save yourself some time and use your tools. I was telling myself it'd be easier if you had a pressure washer and a steamer when mentioning these steps:

1) Clean each window first using Stoners Insivible Glass and Newspaper. The inks and paper in the newspaper act as a fine polish. This will make sure that the windows are very clean before polishing.

Inner Fenders:

1) remove tires to get good access to them. (and clean those later)

2) spray w/ heavy duty degreaser and brush. This will make sure they're superbly clean before I applying a plastic dye

3) Apply 2 thing coats Wurth High Build Underbody Aerosol. This stuff is JET black, and will keep them that way.

It was funny because you turned out having them anyway. Use the steam cleaner on the windows with a squeegee and use the pressure washer in the wheel wells. You can use the steamer on your wheels and probably some parts of the wheel well also.

For the tires, they'll get 2 coats of Meguiers Endurance High Gloss Tire Gel.

Stick with one coat and apply as needed. I think you may get slingage with too thick a coat of the Megs Gel.



Finally, you have a nice process for a shiny black, but try topping it off with Souveran for that deep wet look. Maintain the Souveran with Crystal Mist. Process may be.



1)SFX-1 (Optional)

2)SFX-2

3)AIO (or AJ)

4)FMJ

5)Pinnacle Souveran

6)Pinnacle Crystal Mist



Anyway, have fun, I know I would. You've got yourself an awesome car. :grinno:

 

[mcnab]

Thanks for the quick reply GTBaka!



Regarding a few things on your response though..

I'm pretty sure you may do more than a single pass on certain polish steps. Go as needed. I don't know about how well polish breaks down in a single pass.

I may not have been clear enough..By pass, I mean an entire polish over the whole car...I didn't mean 1 swipe/pass across the panel with polish...I work on one panel at a time, working in the polish as I go back and forth on the panel. After doing this process to the entire car, I would consider it "1 pass". Perhaps I should have been clearer on this..

Before going with the SFX-1, see if you can start with SFX-2. This might save you a step, and some paint. Is that picture the actual car as is now? Hard to tell, but it looks as if you might not need a harsher polishing step.

About the SFX-1. I understand this is a more abrasive polish. On my previous integra, which had quite a bit of micro marring, I used SFX-2 with an Orange pad, then SFX-2 Again with a Green pad. This still didn't get as much of the micro marring out as I thought it would. I could still see a considerable amount under my 500 watt hologens...I know it will never be completely spotless (as it's 15 year old paint) but I still know I could have got more swirls out. I still considered the paint on my previous car "pretty good" and the SFX-2 didnt' bring down the amount of swirls I would have like using it with an Orange Pad (Sonus's most abrasive pad) then the Green Pad.



This is why I was thinking using SFX-1 then SFX-2 on the icoming car. My previous cars paint was still in pretty good condition consdering, but again it it's ANYTHING like my previous car (which was 15 years old as well) then I'd like to use the SFX-1 to get down on it a little more and remove some more of those swirls / micro scratches...



And yes that's a pic of the car the way it is RIGHT NOW...That's the pic taken from it's location in Japan...But I won't know for sure how much swirls etc it has till I see it...But you are correct, I will have to do a proper inspection on it BEFORE I jump with an abrasive polish like SFX-1. BUT from my previous 15 year old car, I believe it might be necessary..That's all..

HGAS is just a quick detailer. Protection may not be a concern, but it will be once something easily marrs it like birds, washing, etc... The car will be easier to maintain once you have something on there.

From my research, I thought HGAS was just that, an "Acrylic Sealent" (much like KSG) although in spray form. I relaize it won't give the same amount of protection as say FMJ (HGAS's big brother) or KSG.....But I didn't think it was just a quick detail spray....Perhaps my research on this product was a little misleading then :/ I was simply using the HGAS because I've read a lot of review about it's superior gloss on black/dark vehicles. Many rave about the AIO/HGAS combo...





2 Part question on here...The reason I listed SFX-1 then SFX-2 THEN Klasse AIO, was the AIO acts (from my research) as a very fine polish. overtop of the "gloss enhancer" (SFX-2). This is why I was using it instead of doing SFX-1, then SFX-2, then SFX-3...I basically substituted SFX-3 for Klasse AIO (which I already have)...I was also using AIO as a prep cleaner for a sealent (in this case possibly KSG topped with HGAS)...

Finally, you have a nice process for a shiny black, but try topping it off with Souveran for that deep wet look. Maintain the Souveran with Crystal Mist. Process may be.

Could you possibly link me to any product reviews and or discussion? I wasn't aware of this product.

 

[gtbaka]

Hmmm. This may be where the confusion occurs.



http://www.properautocare.com/mehiglacsh.html



This may have been what you were talking about:

High Gloss Acrylic Shield is not a quick-detail spray. It is a spray-on, polymer sealant.

I suppose it depends on your operational definition. HGAS is a diluted or weakened form of FMJ or has several of the components. This may be why Proper Auto Care (PAC) decided to call it a spray sealant.



However, my operational definition of a QD is something to maintain a finish between washes and resealing. Includes, cleaning, and maintaining shine and luster. In fact this is what HGAS was created for. To maintain an application of FMJ. In fact I have the bottle in front of me right now and it says, "Extends the durability of acrylic & polymer sealants."



A sealant should last at least 5-6 months by my definition. PAC says: "High Gloss Acrylic Shield is paint safe and lasts weeks not days!" Doesn't sound like a FMJ substitute.



Since AIO is a do all and is a sealant/cleaner. This is why you can use the HGAS to maintain AIO's finish aspect.



If you like the "spray-on" sealant concept they are available. I'd take a look at Jeff's Werkstatt Acrylic Jett or Optimum's spray wax. I have the former, but have yet to use it. I have way too much product to try the latter, but hope to eventually try.



Now as far as Souveran. There are many here who can attest to the depth and wetness it provides. It's specialty labeled even on the container says it's for it's black and red paints. But I like it on virtually everything. It darkens white so you can see some reflection.



Since I've been using PAC's site, here's their promotion of it.



http://www.properautocare.com/pin-312.html



Virtually all websites show Ralph Lauren's 1930 MB SSK concours winner wrapped in layer after layer of Souveran.

Here's some autopian reviews of Souveran:

http://www.autopia.org/reviews/cens...582e1bbfae1af20ef131730&cmd=details&itemid=22



But let me remind you what's the unofficial mantra here: concentrate on the prep. Finishing yields subtle differences, but the purists could tell the difference.

 

[mcnab]

I thought I would update my post



The car FINALLY arrived in Vanoucver on April 9th. It's gone through customs and is finishing it's provincial inspection this week. So I should be picking up my car this weekend...



My importer sent me a few more pics of the car after it was unloaded from the shipping containers from Japan. Here are the pics!!

In the end I ended up going with the FMJ / HGAS combo. I've stocked up on a lot of products for both my customers, and my car. So Im ready to go here



Looking at the interior shot, Im DEFINITLY going to have my hands full cleaning this thing. That's good though, I love a challenge, it makes the before/afters that much more dramatic!!



I've got my work cut out for me, that's for sure!! Those decals on the outside are first to come off



I've got a stock Skyline GT-R wing going on the car, as well as a set of 17" Panasport G7 C5C Superlite Racing Wheels (Gunmetal w/ a Polished Lip) These are wrapped in a brand new pair of Falken Azenis



Here's a shot of all the products stocked up on for use on:

So I'll update this thread again when I start working on this baby! I pick it up this weekend, I can't wait!!

 

[Accumulator]

Looking at the interior shot, Im DEFINITLY going to have my hands full cleaning this thing...

Think I'd just get new floormats rather than expect miracles with the ones that're in there now