Car Detailing - What products are your go to?

[Late braker]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

In terms of the word "polish", what are you referring to.

What I mean by that is, do you want something to remove scratches and hazing (a polish or cutting compound), or do want something to add some gloss and protection (wax, sealant or coating).

If you want to actually "polish" every 6 months but not necessarily a "cut and polish", I would look into a cleaner wax from Meguiars -

https://www.meguiars.com.au/product/cleaner-wax-paste/

If you want something that's easy to apply which will boost gloss and provides some protection, I would look at Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Detailer -

https://www.meguiars.com.au/product/...amic-detailer/

image

Thanks for that- I think more along the lines of the cleaner wax. I will look into that one

[prydey]

Apologies for putting ordinary pics in this thread

So today I decided to give the engine bay a pressure wash. I only used what I had on hand and no finishing off with Meg's coating or similar. So I had some Ech20 already mixed at 1:10 ratio which is for waterless wash. I sprayed a liberal amount around, gave it a bit of agitation with my little chubby wheel brush, which couldn't really fit in that many places, and then pressure washed it down.

Here is some before and after pics. I did use a cloth to give a bit of dry cleaning after but it needs another go with some products fit for purpose









Is it safe just to snow foam it or is that being too lazy? I still need better brushes though to get in the nooks and crannies better, but once cleaned out shouldn't need much to keep on top of it. I think that's the key to a lot of detailing.

I don't have a blower either at the moment so lots of places where the water can pool. Is this a problem when using the megs hyper dressing?

[FTE217]

prydey the after is pretty good for me for I'm not as anal as DFB might I add .....
Sure a bit of enhancer product on the plastics helps alot but about all I'll do myself but I prefer the normal natural look in the engine bay.
Mind you both my pride and joys are not daily's so they are not as filthy.
Foam is no worries I've used it liberally might I add, just make sure you have covered with placky bag areas of electronic concerns for protection.
No blower, just start it up let it idle for 15/20mins so plenty of water evaporates she'll be fine.

[prydey]

I did try to cover the battery with a bag but it just kept blowing off whenever I got close with the pressure washer. In the end I gave up and just tried to not spray directly on it. Started fine after and drove back in to the carport fine. Won't try using lights etc until it's fully dry.

Mind you, it's clear that a substantial amount of water and road grime sprays up, given where the stains were, esp on underside of the bonnet.

I don't actually lift the bonnet that often these days. Be lucky to be more than a few times a year. No need to. Now that I know I can just spray it down I might just try keep on top of it a bit more regular.

I don't think I've ever opened the bonnet on the wife's Escape yet and it's about 18months old now... DFB will be breaking out in a sweat

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by prydey

Apologies for putting ordinary pics in this thread

So today I decided to give the engine bay a pressure wash. I only used what I had on hand and no finishing off with Meg's coating or similar. So I had some Ech20 already mixed at 1:10 ratio which is for waterless wash. I sprayed a liberal amount around, gave it a bit of agitation with my little chubby wheel brush, which couldn't really fit in that many places, and then pressure washed it down.

Here is some before and after pics. I did use a cloth to give a bit of dry cleaning after but it needs another go with some products fit for purpose

image

image

image

image

Is it safe just to snow foam it or is that being too lazy? I still need better brushes though to get in the nooks and crannies better, but once cleaned out shouldn't need much to keep on top of it. I think that's the key to a lot of detailing.

I don't have a blower either at the moment so lots of places where the water can pool. Is this a problem when using the megs hyper dressing?

You did good! If you have some Carpro Perl mixed up, you can spray and wipe the black plastics for the final touch.

You can use foam if needed, but either an APC or the water-less wash is generally fine. In the pics of my XR8 above, I needed foam in this situation to ensure 100% coverage.

As for brushes, the ones you want are from EZ-Detail, I find these are better quality than the Maxshine equivalent, I guess it depends on how much you will use them. For this role, you want the larger version of either.

https://autobuff.com.au/collections/ez-detail
https://detailingshed.com.au/collect...-of-all-wheels

With the plastic bag, either use an elastic band as Go Further suggested or I placed a microfiber towel over the plastic bag, once wet its generally enough to weigh it down.

For Meguair's Hyper Dressing, the beauty of this product is that is self-levels. Mist it on and then walk away. As it dry's, the dressing levels out as the water evaporates away. A blower would speed up the process, but you can run your engine for a period as well. The next day, just wipe over any areas that are still a bit wet. Hyper Dressing comes pre-diluted or in the 3.8lt Detailer size. The pre-diluted bottle will be more than enough, it also can be used on tyres, wheel arches and interiors.

[DFB FGXR6]

A couple of interesting products I spotted in a Supercheap Auto email today -

This detailing cart is really good value at $99.99, I have seen a VERY similar item elsewhere sold at more than 3 times that price.

https://www.supercheapauto.com.au/p/...wk06-catalogue



And this detailing/garage roller seat is pretty good for $79.99. Similar seats sold elsewhere retail between $115 to $125.

https://www.supercheapauto.com.au/p/...at/610994.html

[DFB FGXR6]

My latest Waxit indulgence!



First off, I'm going to blame someone else for being "influenced" to buy something detailing related..............Carpro ECH2o...............but, but the other boys are doing it too!

https://www.waxit.com.au/products/ca...2&_ss=e&_v=1.0

Having used most of my supply of Carpro Lift earlier in the week, I felt compelled to order some more after have no trouble cleaning up a nicely dirty Mazda.

https://www.waxit.com.au/products/ca...t&_ss=e&_v=1.0

I have also decided to give Capro ReTyre another try. I was pretty harsh on it after my initial uses, this time it at least arrived with the correct foaming sprayer.

https://www.waxit.com.au/products/ca...t&_ss=e&_v=1.0

The Kwazar sprayers are a favorite of mine, they look as good as they spray. This one, along with a replacement sprayer head in each colour, is for spares/stock. I am also looking forward to a particular retailer introducing something new in sprayers to the Australian market very soon.

https://www.waxit.com.au/products/kw...r&_ss=e&_v=1.0
https://www.waxit.com.au/products/me...m&_ss=e&_v=1.0

And the sample size of NV Boost v2 was a freebie for sales above $50 that runs out at 11.59pm tonight.

I'm really looking forward to giving ReTyre another go as well as trying ECH2o.

[prydey]

Interested to hear your thoughts on the Ech20. You first recommended it to me as a spray and wipe type product for my bike. Something I'm yet to actually try... I eventually bought it to use as a waterless wash on the caravan after not being overly impressed with the cutting power, or cleaning properties of the autoglym waterless wash product that came with the vileda chamois.

After mixing a batch at a ratio of 1:10 and then washing the van after I'd used it again, I saw no noticeable difference to the autoglym product. Obviously not proper back to back testing but I didn't find it that powerful at that ratio. The front of the van gets quite spattered with muck flicking up from the car and neither product was good enough to remove that without considerable elbow grease.

It obviously has other uses at different ratios but I'm not sure I'll buy it again. If you find it works well at specific tasks I'll be keen to hear about it.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by prydey

Interested to hear your thoughts on the Ech20. You first recommended it to me as a spray and wipe type product for my bike. Something I'm yet to actually try... I eventually bought it to use as a waterless wash on the caravan after not being overly impressed with the cutting power, or cleaning properties of the autoglym waterless wash product that came with the vileda chamois.

After mixing a batch at a ratio of 1:10 and then washing the van after I'd used it again, I saw no noticeable difference to the autoglym product. Obviously not proper back to back testing but I didn't find it that powerful at that ratio. The front of the van gets quite spattered with muck flicking up from the car and neither product was good enough to remove that without considerable elbow grease.

It obviously has other uses at different ratios but I'm not sure I'll buy it again. If you find it works well at specific tasks I'll be keen to hear about it.

Do you presoak with ECH2o prior to using your towels? As in spray, allow to soak for a few minutes (without drying of course) and then wiping.

Bugs can be a pain, after tar, bugs are my most hated part of detailing. One thing you could try is spraying the affected areas with some bug remover first before applying the ECH2o. This would help to soften them down and remove a lot of the "elbow grease" needed with ECH2o. You would probably want to be pretty generous with the ECH2o to remove any remaining bug remover.

I have just finished reading a post regarding waterless wash products and phycology that comes with them. You will note that by and large, there are very few waterless/rinse-less wash products available in the Big Box retailers. Most associate "suds" or "bubbles" when cleaning cars, or anything with a soap really. A waterless wash does not foam up or produce suds. As such, consumers use these products and immediately hate them or think they are rubbish because of the no-suds factor.

Waterless/Rinse-less products are a different way of cleaning and it's something I struggle with mentally as well. I have generally always washed cars with water and lots of it. And lots of soap too. The lack of suds really takes getting used to with these products, and as such, the interaction with the chemical is just different. It's all about gentle wiping and using plenty of towels compared to a bucket, a single wash mitt and lots and lots of water.

For the most part, I tend to use these products for cleaning/wiping door jambs and as a quick interior cleaner/duster. I'm also being more mindful of perhaps using these cleaning methods when a full-on bucket and water wash is not needed.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by prydey

I eventually bought it to use as a waterless wash on the caravan after not being overly impressed with the cutting power, or cleaning properties of the autoglym waterless wash product that came with the vileda chamois.

Do you mean the Quick Refresh?

[prydey]

Originally Posted by GasoLane

Do you mean the Quick Refresh?

If that's the one you recommended, then yes. Don't get me wrong, it would do fine as a maintenance wash. The front of the van gets pretty dirty though if it rains. I still use it on the van.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by prydey

If that's the one you recommended, then yes. Don't get me wrong, it would do fine as a maintenance wash. The front of the van gets pretty dirty though if it rains. I still use it on the van.

Sounds like it, but it's not waterless

[prydey]

Regarding the van, I'm yet to purchase any fibreglass specific product but feel that once I give it a proper clean and some kind of coating, then future cleaning will be easier.

I'm just not comfortable hitting with a hose or pressure washer (apart from not being able to reach) as vans generally aren't designed to withstand water from below, well not pressurised, so prefer the waterless or rinseless methods.

With Ech20 I did follow the instructions and use liberal amounts before gently wiping off.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by GasoLane

Sounds like it, but it's not waterless

Rinseless

[pwr4ce]

I’ve got a challenge that I need some advice on

4 year old Everest that’s been ceramic coated from new - car sits out on the driveway exposed to the elements. Paintwork is holding up pretty well with the aid of the ceramic coat but the paint around the doorframe windows is starting to look second hand (particularly the side that sees most of the daily sun). Being a matt paint how would I restore it back to new (trying to avoid repainting if possible)




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[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by pwr4ce

I’ve got a challenge that I need some advice on

4 year old Everest that’s been ceramic coated from new - car sits out on the driveway exposed to the elements. Paintwork is holding up pretty well with the aid of the ceramic coat but the paint around the doorframe windows is starting to look second hand (particularly the side that sees most of the daily sun). Being a matt paint how would I restore it back to new (trying to avoid repainting if possible)
image
image


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have seen this happen on Ranger's pretty early in their life, it's actually already happening to my father's Wildtrack.

I'm not really sure how I would deal with this. These areas are normally a removable trim piece on most cars, although these ones look like a painted surface.

I'm assuming you have attempted to clean them with some APC or even IPA. The next step would be to see how they look after applying something like a trim dressing, think 303 or Perl. Otherwise, try polishing a very small section by hand and see what you get. If that works, do the rest and then apply something to protect them.

It actually looks like perhaps these were ceramic coated with the rest of the car and these areas are failing first. That would explain the dotty/splotchy appearance. It may even be worth reapplying the coating or taking it back to the detailer for them to access.

Good luck.

[ford12]

Is the hyper dressing ok for paint when used under the hood .

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by ford12

Is the hyper dressing ok for paint when used under the hood .

Pretty sure it's fine.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by pwr4ce

I’ve got a challenge that I need some advice on

4 year old Everest that’s been ceramic coated from new - car sits out on the driveway exposed to the elements. Paintwork is holding up pretty well with the aid of the ceramic coat but the paint around the doorframe windows is starting to look second hand (particularly the side that sees most of the daily sun). Being a matt paint how would I restore it back to new (trying to avoid repainting if possible)
image
image


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

What's the fine print say in the Ford warranty regarding paint these days? They might argue it's just normal wear but the fact the rest of the car is fine should give you a decent argument.

[pwr4ce]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

I have seen this happen on Ranger's pretty early in their life, it's actually already happening to my father's Wildtrack.

I'm not really sure how I would deal with this. These areas are normally a removable trim piece on most cars, although these ones look like a painted surface.

I'm assuming you have attempted to clean them with some APC or even IPA. The next step would be to see how they look after applying something like a trim dressing, think 303 or Perl. Otherwise, try polishing a very small section by hand and see what you get. If that works, do the rest and then apply something to protect them.

It actually looks like perhaps these were ceramic coated with the rest of the car and these areas are failing first. That would explain the dotty/splotchy appearance. It may even be worth reapplying the coating or taking it back to the detailer for them to access.

Good luck.

Thanks for the advice - I’ll will go and see a local guy who applies the same ceramic protection product that Ford had used back when it was new for his advice and see where it goes from there. Last thing I wanted to do was tackle a repair myself and void and product warranty that may have come from the manufacturer


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[DFB FGXR6]

The Rag Company just posted a video on headlight restoration which shows how easy it is to improve UV damaged examples.

[Mechan1k]

Decided to give a few products a try.
As i couldnt get the Scholl S20 Black .... I tried their S17+
I also bought some S40 as well has a finisher. But haven't really needed it. The S17+ finished down pretty nice for what it is.

The FG needed some attention as the bonnet needed to be finally fixed up and the roof was shocking. The boot lid had some marks as well.

Did a few other areas as well (front and rear guard tops was sun affected as well).

Also purchases a ShineMate 7" pad stack in flat.

There's still some areas that could do with some attention.
But did the majority of the worst areas that were really noticeable.

Tis up for sale now .... will miss this car ... has been such a great car over the last 10 years. But after something newer and nicer and more modern







Headlights polished up nicely as well.


The rainbow metallic in EGO is pretty good in the sun
Psychadelic even

[FTE217]

Looks really nice well done.....

[Mechan1k]

Originally Posted by FTE217

Looks really nice well done.....

Was still a workout .... and a bit dusty as well.
The roof was badly oxidised ... that took a lot of work.

I found the Scholl was a lot less effort than the Meguiars Ultimate Compound.
So it easy to cut through at least.

[DJM83]

That looks brilliant, well done.
Someone is going to get a nice car thats for sure.

[FTE217]

Scholl is a great proven product as you have experienced Mechan1k.
EGO is so close to Meteorite - pops so well in the sunlight.
When I had my XR8 my beater said it had around 10tints bugga to match up.

[Fast Eddie]

Juice Polishes and Waxes. My Focus MkI was recently detailed for the Sydney A.F.D. and came up a treat.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Mechan1k

Decided to give a few products a try.
As i couldnt get the Scholl S20 Black .... I tried their S17+
I also bought some S40 as well has a finisher. But haven't really needed it. The S17+ finished down pretty nice for what it is.

The FG needed some attention as the bonnet needed to be finally fixed up and the roof was shocking. The boot lid had some marks as well.

Did a few other areas as well (front and rear guard tops was sun affected as well).

Also purchases a ShineMate 7" pad stack in flat.

There's still some areas that could do with some attention.
But did the majority of the worst areas that were really noticeable.

Tis up for sale now .... will miss this car ... has been such a great car over the last 10 years. But after something newer and nicer and more modern

image

image

image

Headlights polished up nicely as well.
image

The rainbow metallic in EGO is pretty good in the sun
Psychadelic even

image

image

Ego is a magical colour and really rewards the effort.

Can't go wrong with Scholl!

[DFB FGXR6]

This is a nice little demonstration of the Maxshine Mini Cordless Polisher -

[Mechan1k]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Ego is a magical colour and really rewards the effort.

Can't go wrong with Scholl!

Dunno if i want to sell it now.
I have no room to have a 3rd car though ... or the funds.
Its replacement it on its way though.