0 i thought you wrote that write up from the best of all products in each catigeory.....anyways i think meguries is a bit too popular just because of advertisment and all and many pros actualy say auto glm is much better....at some car show a rep of auto glym came up to a guy who had his paintjob finished with meguries and told him to use his product and when he did he was amazed that it could get better than it already was
Yeah well meguiar's has a big name... But meguiar's also has products in which you cannot buy off the shelf too... But if you want to spend more $$$ you get better brands but yeah they are not off the shelf... I use both i cannot fault Meguiar's Mothers autoglym for off the shelf products... I use that many types of products at work its not funny... I use about 4 different types of polishes just to get the best effect as not every polish is the same... Autoglym is great to use alot of people dont know much about it, it comes from the UK Aston Martin Jaguar and McLaren use it on there cars... Yeah all of what i have said its just products in which you can buy off the shelf that i know work well... The fine cutting etc is used to cut the car but you can get heavy ones for deep scratches etc... I hope to have a couple more finished in the next couple of days to add them Its all about taking your time doing it thats the main thing mantastic001: thats good mate hope the zed is nice and shiney for month's to come Post up some pictures...
Car Care/ Paint Detailing Procedure Well done Zanjara, A fine effort in just typing all the information up into a post and providing a credible way of caring for your paint job! After years of personal research, talking to car detailers/painters and reading heaps of info in books/magazines/internet I can say that is fantastic advice. Living in a very harsh environment for the past 10 years and being a 'bit' of a fanatic for a nice paint job (I love detailing my car(s)) this is basically what I do and I can say it works a treat, but be prepared to spend some quality time with your beast and remind yourself that the sore arms/elbows are worth the glint and nice comments when people say how shiny your car looks. cheers, Kaz. Alice Springs N.T.
Dont worry i know what you mean... I detailed an F250 took 8 hours to do that was inside and out and polish the front bumper... I had a land cruiser to do the other week took 3 days to finish the roof was a killer took me about 3 or so hours just to cut and polish the damm roof... I do love my work i was sore after i first used the buff a few years ago but now its like nothing pick it up and go for it... One of the guys who i work with had never used a buff come to work the next day and goes no wonder your not sore your arms are big! i just laughed and said you will get use to it Got a new buff at work its so light its damm good cost a penny but oh well its worth it really hehe F250 i did a couple of months back at work One of many old stock black camry's that have been sitting around for over 15 months... Some have bird acid stains and been repainted and if not bad rubbed back and just cut and polished... This one was ok but yeah was full of crap after sitting for 18 months since it was first washed... Before: After: Took a total of 5 hours to finish inside was clean but outside on them are stuffed!
Ok another update for you all... HOW TO DETAIL WHEELS & TYRES Recommended products: Meguiar?s Non Acid Wheel Cleaner Meguiars Hot Shine Tyre Spray Autoglym Mag Wheel Spray Meguiars Hot Rims All Wheel Cleaner Autoglym Mag Wheel Spray Black Knight Tire Cleaner Old Sponge (cannot be used on the body of your vehicle) Wash Cloth Good Wheel Brushes Car Shampoo Detailing Towel Old Chamois WHEEL CARE: The wheels on your car can enhance the appearance of your car. Most modern wheels do present a substantial cleaning challenge as the heated dust particles from the brake pads bombard wheels and bake into the finish. If they are left on the wheels, a phenomenon which is known as a galvanic corrosion will set in which over time will destroy the appearance of your wheels. Most of the modern wheels today are painted with the same paint and clear coat which is used on the body of your car. It is durable but the clear coat finish on them can be damaged from acid compounds which includes (acid rain, acidic cleaners and hydrocarbons). Aluminum heels which are polished and anodized are not protected by a clear coat will react giving a dull or corrode look to both alkaline and acidic conditions. A downside is that your typical car wash soaps and household cleaners are not strong enough to break the bond between brake dust, road tar, road grime and the wheel. To clean the wheels properly in the car care industry has three groups of wheel cleaners. 1.) Acid-based Cleaners: This product is used by detailers, car dealers and car washes who do need to clean wheels in the shortest possible time and also with the least amount of effort. Acid based cleaners are typically 2% solutions of oxalic, phosphoric and hydrochloric acid. The Eagle One All Finish Wheel Cleaner is just one example of an acid based cleaner. Even tho acid based cleaners do pack a great cleaning punch, they easily etch the surface of your wheels. If you use an acid based cleaner n your wheels car must be taken if your wheels are pitted or have chipped surfaces. The acid will migrate into any fissures and accentuate flaking and peeling of the surface coatings. 2.) Acid-free Solvents: Mostly made up of mild solutions of alkaline solvent, usually ethylene glycol or butyl either, with a wetting agent. Theses types of solutions get under the dirty and brake dust which loosens and lifts surface grime. The non acidic cleaners do require at times some surface agitation (sponge or a wheel brush) which do not etch the wheels finish like acid based cleaners do. Only downside is that theses solutions do pose a serious health risk (skin irritation and respiratory distress). Always review the contents of the wheel cleaner. 3.) Detergents: Detergents are safe wheel cleaners to use but can be a little tough on tires and other rubber. All of the active wheel cleaner ingredients, detergents are very safe for both car and the owner. Detergents do require the most agitation (bushing) to completely clean your wheels. The benefit is that they will not harm delicate wheels and does not pose any health risk. TYRE CARE: Just like your wheels the tyres do have several formidable enemies which does include water, formaldehyde, petroleum distillates, ultraviolet (UV) light and the ozone. Water washes away the natural oils and waxes in rubber which keeps it elastic. Formaldehyde and petroleum distillates which act as a solvents which eats the rubber on contact. When both the ozone UV light are combined, a recation does occur which attacks the tyre and its polymers. It is very easy to keep the tires looking great and in good condition by treating them with a quality dressing at lest once a month. The Meguiars Hot Shine Tyre Spary is great for this and is every better as it has an adjustable nozzle depending on the size and profile of your tyres. A tip is to make sure that the tyres are free of dirt and silicones first before you do apply as it wont ahere to the rubber and does subsequently flack up the side of your car while driving. The best thing is to let the tyres dry over night before driving after an application as this allows the product to adhere to the rubber properly. A molecule called a competitive absorber is the best protestant against ozone and UV damage as it blends with the tyre polymer. Competitive absorbers work by capturing and absorbing UV radiation and converting it to heat which is dissipated harmlessly. All tire manufacturers use the same competitive absorber, called carbon black. This is why most tires are black. These absorbers are sacrificial, they expend themselves in performing their function of converting UV light to heat. However, as carbon black loses its ability to perform, it turns grey. This is one reason tyres tend to discolour with age. Tyre manufacturers add a wax compound into their formulas to protect the tyres from further ozone damage. When the tyres are in motion they do flex in which case causes the wax molecules to migrate into the surface. This forms the protective barrier between the air (ozone and oxygen) and the tyre polymer. This is called blooming in the tyre trade. When the tyres are packed for extended periods, blooming does not occur and the ozone quickly attacks the tyre polymer. When the UV light and ozone work in concert, the degradation is accelerated which results in drying, discoloration and cracking. To help combat the negative effects of water, solvents and UV light on tyres, The car care industry makes tyre dressings. There is two types of dressings one being an oil based silicone while the other is water based silicone. 1.) Oil-based silicone dressings: Theses put non penetrating coatings that seal rubber and vinyl. They are very good at providing a protective surface barrier. Oil-based silicone dressings create a glossy film that never really dries. Most of theses products do contain petroleum distillates as a cleaning agent. Petroleum distillates are harmful to rubber and vinyl which will cause cracking. 2.) Water-based dressings: They do not contain oils or petroleum distillates that can harm and dull the surface of rubber and vinyl over time. Most water-based dressings offer a non greasy, more natural looking satin finish, The down side is that they are not as durable as the oil-based products. TYRE & WHEEL CLEANING: To properly clean your tyres and wheels, you will need a bucket, a soft tire and wheel scrub brush, a sponge or wash cloth, a water hose and nozzle, Gerni (high pressure washer) car shampoo, and a spray wheel cleaner. Warning: Do not clean your wheels if they are still hot from driving. Let them cool, or thoroughly hose them down. If your brakes are hot, spraying them with cold water may cause severe damage. I have heard good reports about the Kenco Brake Dust & Wheel Cleaner Brush. Its sopose to be soft enough that it will not scratch theses expensive mag wheels, but it is hard enough to remove the debris from inside of the rims. Another product I have hard good reports about is the Kenco Tyre Contour Brush. This cleans the actual tyre itself. It has stiff bristles and is good for heavily soiled tyres. Here are some step-by-step tips to make cleaning easier: 1.) Clean one wheel at a time. 2.) Clean your tires and wheels first before washing the rest of the car. This prevents the splattering of cleaners, dirt and brake dust on already cleaned panels. Your car is also less likely to get water spots from drying while you wash your wheels. 3.) Mix a bucket of soapy water with your favourite car shampoo, using double the recommended strength. 4.) Thoroughly rinse the tire and wheel with water using a hose and spray nozzle. If it is exposed, rinse the brake caliper to flush away loose brake dust. Finally, rinse up into the wheel well to wash away road grunge, road kill, mud and other debris. 5.) If your tires and wheels have a heavy coating of brake dust or road grime, spray them down with your wheel cleaner. Allow the cleaner to soak for 30 seconds (minimum) to 3 minutes (maximum). 6.) Use a tire and wheel scrub brush and your soapy water to agitate the tire and wheel surface. Use plenty of soapy water. The soap acts as a lubricant to gently lift dirt and grit away from your wheels. Follow up with your sponge or washcloth to wash the remaining dirt from the tire and wheel. If your wheels have large open areas, use the sponge to get behind these areas. Make sure the tires are scrubbed. Many people put layer upon layer of dressings on their tires, but never clean them. The result is a brown or yellow discoloration. 7.) Use your wheel brush and soapy water to scrub the accessible areas of the wheel wells, too. This small detail keeps your car looking fresh and new. If your wheel has a lot of small nooks and crannies, use a parts cleaning brush. 8.) Thoroughly rinse the tire, wheel and wheel well. Use plenty of water. You need to ensure that all traces of the wheel cleaner. 9.) After washing your car, remember to dry your tires and wheels using a detailing towel or old chamois just for your tires and wheels. I do not use any tire cleaners containing bleach. Bleach is used in many tire cleaners to brighten whitewall tires, but they can turn tires a dull gray. Bleach will stain your alloy wheels permanently. Read the product contents on the label before you buy. You can use the Black Knight Tyre Cleaner to clean rubber effectively. Simply spray it on (DO NOT GET IT ON THE MAGS), leave it sit for 10mins, scrub the tyre then hose off and dry. If you have intricate wheels, a round brush, such as this 1 Inch Round Natural Detail Brush is a must. PROPER TYRE & WHEEL CONDITIONING: After you clean your tyres and wheels, you need to protect them. Tyre dressings accent the appearance of your tires and protect against cracking and fading. Likewise, waxing your wheels protects their finish from brake dust, and makes them easier to keep clean. Your wheels should be waxed, at a minimum, each time you wax your car. You can significantly reduce your wheel cleaning and waxing efforts by coating your wheels with a high quality acrylic. You can use Autoglym Extra Gloss, as it is heat resistant and will not yellow. TO APPLY TYRE DRESSING: Simply turn the nozzle on the Meguiars Hot Shine Tyre Spray to the right setting for your tyres. Spray it on in one even light coat DO NOT FLOOD THE TYRE WITH IT. Wipe over the mag to remove any over spray and simply let dry for a few hours (the longer is always the best). Keeping your tires and wheels clean and detailed makes a big difference in the appearance of your car. If you have invested in upgraded factory or aftermarket tires and wheels, spending a little extra time detailing them helps maintain your investment.
Nothing can save the wheels of my 280Z Except an acid bath or a sand blaster. #2 son who is driving the car would not know how to wash a car. He blames the water restrictions. So, what do you do when it's gone too far ?
What do you mean when its gone too far?? You can always have them re painted again... Depends on the rims tho... But at the end of the day if you dont look after the rims from day one later down the track you will run into problems and using the wrong sorts of cleaners dont help either and going to a car wash place that uses an acid based cleaner and leaving it on for too long... Stuff is great for rims full of brake dust.... We got a mag cleaner its pure acid it works a treat but you go to clean it off right away and cannot be used on all mag wheels... I got some acid based cleaner here but its pretty much 5% of it and 95% water... I dont use it on my rims tho its used on the truck...
Another update for the list... How To Clean Glass & Plastics Recommended Products: Meguiars No Smear Glass Cleaner Autoglym Fast Glass Spray Autoglym Glass Polish Microfibre Cloths How good does the windows look when they are perfectly clean? A lot of us do ignore the windows when we wash our car?s because it adds a few precious minutes doing them. Don?t worry about the time involved in keeping the glass clean for the moment. Did you know that a hazy, dirty windows can be a safety hazard? While driving a car which has dirty, hazy windows on a rainy night or in heavy traffic, straining to see is a driving impairment. You should consider this to be a true danger. When you clean your windows it can be one of the most tedious task that you will face, but it is worth doing them. As it can be a hazard, dirty windows can ruin the appearance of your perfectly polished and waxed car. After you have finished all of the other detailing tasks you can put the perfect touch on your car by detailing the glass. After you have waxed your car use a slightly damp microfibre cloth to buff the glass. If you do have some stubborn spots or heavy film spray a few shots of glass cleaner and buff off dry with a microfibre cloth. GLASS CLEANERS: I would not recommend using the use of ammonia based glass cleaners on your car. Even tho ammonia is great to clean the glass for the home, ammonia is harmful to many car surfaces, including vinyl, rubber and leather. The most important thing is using ammonia inside of your car is harmful to your health. You need to use a glass cleaner that specifically states it is safe to use on window tint. Theses types of glass cleaners are safe to use on your windows which have tint on them and will not harm any plastic or vinyl surfaces on your car. Glass cleaners in a spray bottle works fine. The downside is the overspray you get on your dash and upholstery as it is difficult to direct the spray of the glass cleaner. Its best to spray one side of a clean cloth, wiping the glass, then drying with the other side of the cloth. A lot of professional detailers use plain water for wiping and cleaning the windows and using newspaper to dry the glass. Newspaper does not leave behind lint like paper towels and most cotton towels do. The ink acts as a glass polish. The only downside to using newspaper is the ink which is left on your hands when you are finished. Its always best to wash your hands before you touch your upholstery. CLEANING CAR WINDOWS: Start your window cleaning with the driver's door and front passenger's door. If your door has a window frame, lower the window approximately 2.5cm to allow access to the top part of the glass in which case we don?t have to do. This part should be cleaned and dried first. Spray with glass cleaner and buff dry. Pay close attention to the corners or the windows as you will get most smear and streaks. Don?t forget to clean the drivers and passenger side mirrors. Its best to clean the inside of the windscreen from the passengers seat because your access is not obstructed by the steering wheel. Take your time around the rearview mirror as it is glued to your windscreen. If you do bump it hard enough or at the right angle you can break it loose from the glass. In a sedan the rear window is the most difficult to reach but lucky for us we got a hatch which is easy to do. MICROFIBER CLOTHS: I do recommend using microfibre cloths to clean your windows with. Its best to use two to clean the glass with. One should be damp with water or your glass cleaner while the other cloth should be dry for buffing. CLEANING SPOTTED GLASS: The front windscreen is mostly the overlooked surface on cars. You wash the car and spray it with glass cleaner when you can no longer see through the haze. Have you ever stopped to think about polishing the glass? While you are driving around your front windscreen is coated in a variety of contaminants that the normal glass cleaners cannot remove. The front screen also has the greatest vertical forward exposure which means it gets pelted with road stones and other debris. Automotive glass polishes that remove minor water spots and road contamination have been around for quite a while (although they are not always easy to find). Using a glass polish product can keep the glass clean and free of water spots. It is very simple to do. All you have to do is rub the polish in thoroughly with a applicator or a terry cloth applicator then buff drying using a microfiber cloth. Autoglym Glass Polish seems to work the best. One down side is that it has a strong chemical smell, but that goes away fast. If you do have severe water spotting you can use the Autoglym glass polish with #000 or #0000 which is synthetic steel wool (for use on the exterior only!) This ultra fine synthetic steel wool provides a bit more cutting power for the really tough jobs. NEVER EVER USE NORMAL HOUSEHOLD STEEL WOOL. Please be aware that a glass polish cannot fix glass damage from road stones and severe water spot etching. If your glass is badly pitted or etched, it may need to be replaced. WINDSHIELD WIPERS: Windshield wipers are essential for cleaning your windshield and rear window in rain or snow, or when your windows become bug ridden or dirty from long road trips. Wipers perform best when the rubber is in good shape and the glass is fairly clean. You should make it a habit to clean your front and rear wiper blades at the same time you clean your glass. After cleaning your glass, use a damp cloth to wipe the rubber blades, removing bug residue, wax and other dirt buildup. Although rubber dressing helps preserve, protect and beautify the rubber and vinyl parts on your car, you should not use dressings on your wiper blades. Rubber dressing on your blades will cause streaking and smearing, impairing your vision. The best overall maintenance of your blades is keeping them clean. CLEANING WINDOW TINT FILM: Tinted window film is often applied to the inside of windows to shade passengers or provide privacy. Tinted window film is a thin sheet of Mylar plastic. Mylar scratches easily and will be destroyed by ammonia. To clean tinted windows, you can use water, Autoglym Fast Glass or Meguiars No Smear Glass Cleaner. When the window tint film has been scratched it can be polished with cleaners which are designed for the vinyl windows which are often found on convertible tops. One such product that I have heard of to use is Plexus. I have used Plexus on a couple of car?s at work as some tinted windows were scratched. Plexus comes in an aerosol spary can and is safe to use on plastic, plexiglas and tinted windows. You can also use it on your tail lights and headlight covers. MAINTAINING CLEAR PLASTIC: Maintaining clear plastics and window tinting can be tricky. They can scratch very easily because of the materials and can lose their original clarity. You can use Plexus on plastic, window tint, convertible rear windows, headlight lenses, instrument panel lenses and other clear plastic surfaces. How to is it is very simple just spray and wipe that?s it. No need to buff, no mess and no waste. Headlight lenses on most new cars today are plastic. If you don?t look after them by polishing them in a few months they will yellow and get hazy. I know everyone does not really like cleaning the windows but if you find the right tools and cleaners it can be done much easier. With the use of microfiber cloths, cleaning windows has become much easier.
Nath. I've finally washed all that crap of the zed. Finished less than 10 min ago. Still have to fit the pads though. Get the mech at work to do it if we're quiet. Damn I'm lazy.
HAHAHA about bloody time... Now needs a good polish and wax and it will be set hehe thats cool mate i wouldnt get the mechanics at work to touch my car... You are so lazy hehe oh well enjoy the better braking
Great write ups But in all honesty... None of that would help my car. It's more the make that's the killer.
I have to get mine resprayed before I can start looking after the paint the clear coat has started coming away the paint. wouldnt mind a different colour other than red but i think it might be cheaper to stick with red. Ill keep this info for when im washing the shiny new paint one day
excuse me Zanjara.. you said you polish cars and take 3 days and stuff.. how much do you charge to cut and polish a zed? just a rough price if possible?
