Car Detailing - What products are your go to?

[fordomatic]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Make sure you watch a few video's on CeriGlass first, its very effective but has some challenges. It's very messy to use, and owing to the extremely abrasive nature, you have to be very careful removing residue from painted surfaces. I would actually lay down towels where possible. And taping of rubber trim is not optional. For wipe off, you will need plenty of towels on hand, along with either water and/or a prep spray.

Descale is brilliant.

Just watched a video.

Anyone want to buy some CeriGlass? Be buggered if i'm going to that effort of mess when i've had great results with a heavy cut and wool pad. I really should have watched a review before buying it

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by fordomatic

Just watched a video.

Anyone want to buy some CeriGlass? Be buggered if i'm going to that effort of mess when i've had great results with a heavy cut and wool pad. I really should have watched a review before buying it

I went into it a somewhat un-educated, only to realise its best reserved for when the proverbial sledgehammer is needed. However, it's the only thing that will have any effect on scratches in glass, and its extremely obvious the result it brings.

I've been using P&S Clarity Creme of late, its way less messy, still a bit of splatter, but easier to clean, less heat management. It actually makes glass polishing fun.

[fordomatic]

Absolute rookie error, should have just asked you for a recommendation.

My sportsman has a heap of water marks on the side window glass.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by fordomatic

Absolute rookie error, should have just asked you for a recommendation.

My sportsman has a heap of water marks on the side window glass.

It should deal easily with that. Don't rule it out before you try it, it's a very capable product.

[DFB FGXR6]

Waxit ran their Black Friday sale a week early, but from today and running till Monday, they are offering an expanded range of BOGO deals -

https://www.waxit.com.au/collections...uy-one-get-one

A couple of highlights -

Economax Clay Mitt + NV Purify 500ml (38% off) -
https://www.waxit.com.au/collections...39838955995225

NV Glass Coating + NV Clarity 500ml (I don't like Clarity, but this would be one of the cheapest ceramic glass coatings available) (19% off) -
https://www.waxit.com.au/collections...40395647975513

NV Lustre 250ml + NV Boost v2 500ml (41% off) -
https://www.waxit.com.au/collections...40213612036185

ShineMate Mini Rotary Kit + ShineMate Mini Polisher Kit (31% off) -
https://www.waxit.com.au/collections...40213668462681

[Mulva]

Air fresheners.

Was recommended Chemical Guys 'New Car Scent' but reading the reviews on Supercheap there are those that really rate it and those that really hate it...some saying it smells like burned plastic or electrical fire.

Is it one of those things where use too much and it is no good?

Just wish I could find the good ol' Forest Fresh smelly tree from the 80s and 90s

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Mulva

Air fresheners.

Was recommended Chemical Guys 'New Car Scent' but reading the reviews on Supercheap there are those that really rate it and those that really hate it...some saying it smells like burned plastic or electrical fire.

Is it one of those things where use too much and it is no good?

Just wish I could find the good ol' Forest Fresh smelly tree from the 80s and 90s

I have CG's New Car and it's an anquired taste, I don't mind it but could see where the bad reviews would be coming from. Best bet for you would be go down to Supercheap and have a sniff.



I have three favorites, two easily available, one quite prohibitively expensive.

Angelwax Eden and Bliss and delightful. I prefer Eden, but apparently the secret sauce is to apply both at the same time.

https://detailcentral.com.au/angelwa...eshener-250ml/
https://detailcentral.com.au/angelwa...eshener-250ml/





Griot's Fine Leather is very similar to the CG's New Car Scent, but you have to REALLY want it. But hey, its on sale at the moment.

https://www.obsessedgarage.com/produ...r&_ss=e&_v=1.0



Disappointments include the anticipated P&S Mango Fresh and Coconut Lime, both scents I adore in Bead Maker and Absolute, but they just don't have any lasting effect.





I also wanted to love Carpro's Skublu, inspired by the delightful Eraser, but it was just too strong for my nose.

https://www.waxit.com.au/products/ca...=6170234519580





I will say though, you do become "nose blind" to car scents, as in you get used to them lose the ability to detect. I think this is where trying and swapping scents from time to time becomes worthwhile.

Also, don't expect them to last forever. The oil based ones will last the longest, otherwise expect a day or two at the best.

[DFB FGXR6]

Circling back to headlights, I offered to clean up a colleagues 2006 Camry this afternoon. Seeing them in a photo, they looked ok, but on closer inspection, they were exhibiting failure of the UV clear coat.







These lights were rough and pitted because of the clear coat failure. This is a situation where polishing is not enough, the surface would need to be wet sanded in several steps to remove the failed coating, then polished and re-coated, a process I did not have the time for today.

In this case, I went at them with Rupes DA Coarse on a Rupes Coarse Wool pad on my 3-inch ShineMate. I did two sets of passes, then one set with Rupes DA Fine and a ShineMate blue foam pad. Results were hardly impressive, but they look better and will be safer on the road.

[fordomatic]

Originally Posted by fordomatic

Here is a few iphone photos that I used for the sale ad, also the link below to the Carsales ad.
https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/det...e-ad-16269555/

image

image

image

image

image

Aaaaaand she's gone. Had a heap of interest, first person to look at it, bought it, got a lovely message from the mum back as well. Sold it for $8000, my sister is stoked. She bought it for $8500 in 2017.

"Hi Jake, looks like there is one happy 18 yr old today, finally after months of looking for his first car and as he really wanted an Impreza your sister car will be going to a good home. Please thank your sister for me. We have spent months it's seems looking at so many crap cars round Jindy,Cooma and canberra . So happy parents and happy kid. Thankyou ..."

Another note, any cars in this price range, don't waste your time with carsales. Yes facebook marketplace is painful to deal with, but every car i've sold under $10,000 has sold on facebook marketplace, very quickly as well. I had 32 messages in 4 days from Facebook about this car. I had to pause the ad, too many messages. Of those 32 messages, 5 were genuine buyers.

[cs123]

Wrong thread

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by fordomatic

Aaaaaand she's gone. Had a heap of interest, first person to look at it, bought it, got a lovely message from the mum back as well. Sold it for $8000, my sister is stoked. She bought it for $8500 in 2017.

"Hi Jake, looks like there is one happy 18 yr old today, finally after months of looking for his first car and as he really wanted an Impreza your sister car will be going to a good home. Please thank your sister for me. We have spent months it's seems looking at so many crap cars round Jindy,Cooma and canberra . So happy parents and happy kid. Thankyou ..."

Another note, any cars in this price range, don't waste your time with carsales. Yes facebook marketplace is painful to deal with, but every car i've sold under $10,000 has sold on facebook marketplace, very quickly as well. I had 32 messages in 4 days from Facebook about this car. I had to pause the ad, too many messages. Of those 32 messages, 5 were genuine buyers.

That's awesome! And I'm glad it's gone to an enthusiastic young driver, should be a safe first car for him.

[DFB FGXR6]

Black Friday Sale 2- Obsessed Garage

I have to say, I ordered this last Monday, 7 days later it arrived from Lady Lake Florida!

When OG launched their vacuum solution, think of it like the wall mounted vacuum version of their pressure washer system, the comment was that "no one makes or sells good vacuum accessories". I thought, well will see about that, and then proceeded to spend multiple hours discovering that in fact, no did sell a good accessory package for car detailing.

Sure, after trawling the internet, I found most of what I wanted spread across several vendors, all asking for varying amounts of shipping to piece it all together. In the end, I just waited until the OG package was in stock and on sale for Black Friday, then just splurged and got it all in one hit.

https://www.obsessedgarage.com/colle...-accessory-kit



I have to say, this is an underserved market in Australia. As mentioned, nothing like this exists in total, and even with my online shopping prowess, I was left unrewarded.

I would say vacuuming is my least favorite detailing task, so having the good attachments to make the job quicker and easier is a high priority. Of the above, I love how the round brush attachment has longer bristles than what I could find locally, and the white brush attachment looks like it would be very useful. As is the turbo attachment for cleaning floor mats and the extra-long and flexible crevice tool, ideal for dealing the narrow space between the center console and seats.

Not pictured, but I also splurged another four of the Griot's dispensing spouts, so so good.

https://www.obsessedgarage.com/produ...t&_ss=e&_v=1.0

And because I'm completely stupid, I think this may be the only two bottles of the special edition Koch Chemie GF-X in the country. One bottle for use, one to keep.

https://www.obsessedgarage.com/colle...och-chemie-gfx



This limited edition version of GSF was launched specially for the US market only, Obsessed Garage getting the lions share of supply. It smells like cinnamon and pine, a heady aroma that is certainly unique among car wash soaps.

And I say all that as someone who positively hates Christmas.

[DFB FGXR6]

Some bead porn for your Wednesday evening.................

Can Coat EVO topped with Bead Maker.

[DFB FGXR6]

Latest Detailing Shed order, featuring some newly released Maxshine tools.



First, the Maxshine take on the Detail Factory Curveball Brush. These are offered in three formats, the ultra-soft bristle, a boars hair bristle and one with removable/interchangeable heads. I actually ordered the soft and boars hair variants but was sent two soft ones instead. Never mind, I would get more use out of the soft anyway.

https://detailingshed.com.au/product...44282249904343
https://detailingshed.com.au/product...44282208452823
https://detailingshed.com.au/product...rush-twin-pack







If you haven't tried this already, these super soft and dense bristles make for excellent tyre dressing applicators. And at $26.95, they are much more affordable than the $70 Detail Factory version. If you are using water based dressings, they can also be washed if needed using a little APC.

Next, Maxshine's new flat microfiber wheel brushes. These have a nicely presented handle and soft removeable microfiber socks.

https://detailingshed.com.au/product...44282012434647
https://detailingshed.com.au/product...44281938051287





Next something I had resisted for a while, The Detail Factory Wheel Brush Kit.

https://detailingshed.com.au/product...41099269013663





Hiding in the back, 13 new TRC Eagle Edgeless which will become my rinse-less wash towels, and a TRC Cyclone Ultra Wash Pad.

https://detailingshed.com.au/product...18519631560761
https://detailingshed.com.au/product...43065043845335

[CyberWasp]

I have a weird question that sort of lends itself to detailing in a weird way.

With a car not being a daily, and being parked for longer periods of time, pesky spiders / spider webs gather underneath the car.

I don't have a car lift so what methods can be used to get under there to keep them at bay? Merely sweeping them away does not last long, and spraying bug killer is hard to get in the places it needs to go esp on a low car like a Mustang.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by CyberWasp

I have a weird question that sort of lends itself to detailing in a weird way.

With a car not being a daily, and being parked for longer periods of time, pesky spiders / spider webs gather underneath the car.

I don't have a car lift so what methods can be used to get under there to keep them at bay? Merely sweeping them away does not last long, and spraying bug killer is hard to get in the places it needs to go esp on a low car like a Mustang.

Not sure really. I suppose you could set off one or two of those bug bombs that are typically used indoors.

https://www.bunnings.com.au/hovex-12...447?store=6412

Another option would be to get an undercarriage attachment for your pressure washer.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/16644298...evt=1&mkcid=28

[FTE217]

Originally Posted by CyberWasp

I have a weird question that sort of lends itself to detailing in a weird way.

With a car not being a daily, and being parked for longer periods of time, pesky spiders / spider webs gather underneath the car.

I don't have a car lift so what methods can be used to get under there to keep them at bay? Merely sweeping them away does not last long, and spraying bug killer is hard to get in the places it needs to go esp on a low car like a Mustang.

That isn't a bad question tbh even though I don't see webs etc but I see daddy long lags amongst other bugs around the inside edges of my garage and I'm in a bushland area so expected.
The "bomb" mention isn't a bad idea actually, having used bombs under the house etc I never really care what ifs/ofs but using one in the garage with the car inside does that product leave a film or chemical on the paint you think ?

[CyberWasp]

I will give these ideas a go.
The issue is they could be Red Backs so just have to be careful.

[FTE217]

Originally Posted by CyberWasp

I will give these ideas a go.
The issue is they could be Red Backs so just have to be careful.

This just sprung to my mind about using a bomb and car paintwork in the garage.
Not that I notice cobwebs or spiders on the car but they are in the garage and just in case there is any little varments underneath the car no harm making sure.
I'll put the car cover over the Sprint that will protect the paint getting any type of film from the bomb I guess.

[T3rminator]

Hi guys, when it comes to buffing, what has a greater impact on clear coat / paint? The type of pad used or the cutting / polishing compound?

Say for example, scenario A - using a polishing pad with a heavy cutting compound vs scenario B - using a heavy cutting pad with a light polishing compound, which would give a heavier cut?

[Mulva]

Originally Posted by CyberWasp

I will give these ideas a go.
The issue is they could be Red Backs so just have to be careful.

My mechanic showed me a family of redbacks living under my old Caprice - according to him they like underside of cars that are not driven regularly as they like to be out of the wind.

I had noticed I was getting webs between underside of my car to the ground, and in hindsight should have known they were redbacks as they were those messy disorganised/unstructured webs that redbacks build.

[Mulva]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

I have CG's New Car and it's an anquired taste, I don't mind it but could see where the bad reviews would be coming from. Best bet for you would be go down to Supercheap and have a sniff.

image

I have three favorites, two easily available, one quite prohibitively expensive.

Angelwax Eden and Bliss and delightful. I prefer Eden, but apparently the secret sauce is to apply both at the same time.

https://detailcentral.com.au/angelwa...eshener-250ml/
https://detailcentral.com.au/angelwa...eshener-250ml/

image

image

Griot's Fine Leather is very similar to the CG's New Car Scent, but you have to REALLY want it. But hey, its on sale at the moment.

https://www.obsessedgarage.com/produ...r&_ss=e&_v=1.0

image

Disappointments include the anticipated P&S Mango Fresh and Coconut Lime, both scents I adore in Bead Maker and Absolute, but they just don't have any lasting effect.

image

image

I also wanted to love Carpro's Skublu, inspired by the delightful Eraser, but it was just too strong for my nose.

https://www.waxit.com.au/products/ca...=6170234519580

image

image

I will say though, you do become "nose blind" to car scents, as in you get used to them lose the ability to detect. I think this is where trying and swapping scents from time to time becomes worthwhile.

Also, don't expect them to last forever. The oil based ones will last the longest, otherwise expect a day or two at the best.

Just to close the loop - took your advice and gave that CG New Car and few others the sniff test.

Ended up going with the Chemical Guys New Car scent as to me it is exactly that - smells like a new car - which is what I was after (wanted it to smell like a car, not some fruit or some perfume or something other than a new car interior).

Outside of the car I put 3 sprays on a cloth, then put the cloth under the driver's seat. That was over a week ago and no need to top it up yet, and that is after having done a couple of takeaway runs...get out with the car smelling like chicken and chips when I get home, get back in the next morning and it smells like new car again.

I can definitely see how if someone was to spray more than a couple or few sprays directly in the car then it would be over-powering - I reckon when I do need top up the cloth it will only take one or two sprays, so this little bottle that seemed so expensive is going to last a couple of years or more.

[DFB FGXR6]

I know, I know..............................



For a change, this order was someone influencing me, rather than the other way around. I guess this means I can blame them for the $175 sitting on that sink.

The DeliPad is extremely nice, specifically designed for soft paint, not that I would say I have any cars with soft paint. It's a touch thinner than I expected but plush and lush. I only ordered the regular IncrediPad, which is quite small compared to the equivalent TRC option.

https://store.primefinish.com.au/col...ess-delipad-xl
https://store.primefinish.com.au/col...ess-incredipad

I also ordered four of their 40x40cm drying towels, I'm still sort of on the hunt for the perfect sized and composed drying towel to suit my style. These are more in line with the TRC Gauntlet, but smaller than the medium and bigger than the small Gauntlet.

https://store.primefinish.com.au/col...0cm-x-40cm-new

Can't wait to try them all out.

[prydey]

For those that missed black Friday sales waxit is on to their xmas specials already.

[DFB FGXR6]

While Mirka has existed for a long time now, mainly focused on polishing and sanding machines for a variety of industries, the brand has only recently gained attention from the pro and "prosumer" detailing scene.

https://www.mirka.com/en-AU/au_diy/

In particular, the Mirka AROP-B 3-inch dual action polisher, which was mainly focused on commercial applications in factories. It's inclusion in the Obsessed Garage store means the world is now scrambling to get a slice of the action. While available from a couple of Australian retailers, The Detail Store is the first of the detail suppliers to jump -

https://www.detailstore.com.au/collections/mirka

https://www.detailstore.com.au/colle...v-complete-kit

https://www.obsessedgarage.com/colle...p-b-3-polisher









The two highlights of this machine are the supreme smoothness and torque. Both the ramp up and run down are butter smooth, with none of that bearing grumble from the likes of a Rupes HLR75 or ShineMate EB351-3/12.

But the elephant in the room is the price. For context, the Rupes HLR75 kit retails for $893.50. The ShineMate EB351-3/12 kit $696.75, the more compact EB350 sitting at $807.10.

The Mirka AROP-B is as skin costs $1,090.90, the kit commands a mammoth $1699.90! In other words, you can have TWO ShineMate EB350's with change to spare.

Personally, I couldn't justify that price for a machine I would likely use twice a year at best. And I do wonder if a professional detailer would justify it either.

[DFB FGXR6]

My hero / bad influence drives a Barra!

If you don't want to listen to a hour of waffle, a quick spin of the Barra powered GT350 is at about the 1hr mark.



For those that don't know, this particular GT350 was originally Matt Morman's car that was heavily featured in a lot of his earlier videos. It was traded back to the Ford dealer and bought by Adam LZ. The car then caught fire on track with Collete Davis at the wheel, caused by the well know vibration issue with that engine rattling the oil filter lose and dumping oil all over the exhaust.

https://www.youtube.com/@ObsessedGar...ch?query=GT350
https://www.youtube.com/@AdamLZ/search?query=GT350





The resultant fire and loss of oil destroyed the engine, which Ford warrantied, but Adam then decided to fit a Barra instead. As mentioned in the video, he had wanted to do something with a Barra, but due to height and length of the engine, it didn't fit in anything, save for a huge hood Mustang.



I'm not really into LZ's videos, he needs to lose that terrible mustache!, but it's cool seeing a local legend in the form of the Barra getting so much love and attention on the world stage. The relationship between LZ and Moreman is an interesting one too, almost father and son or big brother/little brother like.

[bfets]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

My hero / bad influence drives a Barra!

If you don't want to listen to a hour of waffle, a quick spin of the Barra powered GT350 is at about the 1hr mark.



For those that don't know, this particular GT350 was originally Matt Morman's car that was heavily featured in a lot of his earlier videos. It was traded back to the Ford dealer and bought by Adam LZ. The car then caught fire on track with Collete Davis at the wheel, caused by the well know vibration issue with that engine rattling the oil filter lose and dumping oil all over the exhaust.

https://www.youtube.com/@ObsessedGar...ch?query=GT350
https://www.youtube.com/@AdamLZ/search?query=GT350





The resultant fire and loss of oil destroyed the engine, which Ford warrantied, but Adam then decided to fit a Barra instead. As mentioned in the video, he had wanted to do something with a Barra, but due to height and length of the engine, it didn't fit in anything, save for a huge hood Mustang.



I'm not really into LZ's videos, he needs to lose that terrible mustache!, but it's cool seeing a local legend in the form of the Barra getting so much love and attention on the world stage. The relationship between LZ and Moreman is an interesting one too, almost father and son or big brother/little brother like.

I've watched that on the weekend as well. Sounds like he is really impressed with Bilt Hamber Touch-less and that might become to OG recommendation soon.

I've been meaning to try that but you have to buy like 5L of the stuff. I wish I could get smaller quantities to try. I also want to try Reset and GSF. So far I've been sticking to NV, but feel like trying something else for no reason except curiosity. Really happy with NV.

[FTE217]

Originally Posted by bfets

I've watched that on the weekend as well. Sounds like he is really impressed with Bilt Hamber Touch-less and that might become to OG recommendation soon.

I've been meaning to try that but you have to buy like 5L of the stuff. I wish I could get smaller quantities to try. I also want to try Reset and GSF. So far I've been sticking to NV, but feel like trying something else for no reason except curiosity. Really happy with NV.

I luv NV but also Carpro - if you haven't tried Perl whilst getting Reset do for your plastics, rippa product imo.

[bfets]

Originally Posted by FTE217

I luv NV but also Carpro - if you haven't tried Perl whilst getting Reset do for your plastics, rippa product imo.

I used to use Perl for my wheels. I now use Dark Side for that and find that it lasts a lot longer than Perl. I still use Perl for the plastics. Such an awesome and versatile product.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by bfets

I've watched that on the weekend as well. Sounds like he is really impressed with Bilt Hamber Touch-less and that might become to OG recommendation soon.

I've been meaning to try that but you have to buy like 5L of the stuff. I wish I could get smaller quantities to try. I also want to try Reset and GSF. So far I've been sticking to NV, but feel like trying something else for no reason except curiosity. Really happy with NV.

I've sent you a PM about Touchless.

As for soaps, I would 100% try Reset and GSF. Another I'll throw into the mix would be Opti-Coat M-Wash. This is a very nice soap with the easiest rinse-off you'll experience, smells nice and foams very well. It's a bit expensive at full price, but ZAS have it on sale at the moment.

https://detailingshed.com.au/product...366bef19&_ss=r
https://www.zas.com.au/product/915/o...ash_473ml.html



I also rate Optimum Car Wash, Shine Supply Shift and the Adam's Soaps.

https://detailingshed.com.au/product...1686a00a&_ss=r
https://www.waxit.com.au/products/sh...30220385943641
https://adamspolishes.com.au/product...a7e4e584&_ss=r
https://adamspolishes.com.au/product...-shampoo-16-oz