[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by Queenskid24

Hi george its Pete, its been a while. Hows everything? business and life in general? lol
Well anyway i recently purchased a ALL WHEEL ClEANER Meguairs Gold Class, i am reluctnat to use it. just wanted to ask your advice on this. I have Iforged Drifts with a polished lip. the wheels have have a clear coat gloss finish.(anthracite)
Im a big fan of all Meguairs products and i have never been let down by them from the waxes to polishes. SO do you think i should give it a shot instead of just using soap and water?

Hey Pete, things are going great, thanks for asking. We're very excited about the new Flex buffer and some potential product lines we plan on bringing on before the Spring. We have a lot in store for the coming months.

My opinion on using the All Wheel Cleaner, if soap and water is getting the job done, do not switch. You have an amazing set of wheels and to worry about oxidizing or fading the finish of your iForged wheels from using a non-pH balanced cleaner isn't worth it.

Here's a review on this product from another e90 member (go down to post #11 for the real info)

Your best bet is to apply a coat of Poorboy's Wheel Sealant (or some protection) on your wheels and continue to maintain them with automotive shampoo and water and a wash mitt just for your wheels. Safe, effective, and no use of harsh chemicals.

Thanks for the post, was good hearing from you Pete.

George

[midlife]

Originally Posted by Detailed Image

My opinion on using the All Wheel Cleaner, if soap and water is getting the job done, do not switch. You have an amazing set of wheels and to worry about oxidizing or fading the finish of your iForged wheels from using a non-pH balanced cleaner isn't worth it.

Here's a review on this product from another e90 member (go down to post #11 for the real info)

Your best bet is to apply a coat of Poorboy's Wheel Sealant (or some protection) on your wheels and continue to maintain them with automotive shampoo and water and a wash mitt just for your wheels. Safe, effective, and no use of harsh chemicals.



George

just a quick note here to confirm george is ABSOLUTELY correct (as always) with respect to the poorboy's wheel sealant. this stuff is amazing......my brake dust just wipes off (with just car soap, water, & a dedicated mitt) with the greatest of ease.

on george's recommendation, i bought once jar of this stuff with my first detailed image order. i just reordered with george again, and i think i ordered another 3 jars of PB wheel sealant.....gotta have it!

btw, thanks george for shipping out my last order so quickly.

[Queenskid24]

^^ thanks alot George, i was actually reading about the new buffer on your site, how would you compare it to the PC, also considering its a bit more $$.

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by Queenskid24

^^ thanks alot George, i was actually reading about the new buffer on your site, how would you compare it to the PC, also considering its a bit more $$.

My thoughts in a nutshell:

The Flex is a perfect transition for people looking for rotary like results but with the safety of a random orbital. Flex's motor has more than double the power in amps (3.7A for the PC and 7.5A for the Flex), so you can really give this unit all you have as far as pressure and it keeps on going. This helps for deeper paint correction since the PC can bog down pretty easily when you give it decent pressure. The OPM is 60% more than the PC or UDM at 9,600 OPM.

Flex doesn't leave me with that tingling feeling the PC does after running it full speed for a while. It still vibrates a bit but in long polishing sessions, the Flex is easier to work with. I personally like the ergonomics better on the Flex, especially the hand positioning. The variable speed trigger is a huge bonus too. The rotary I use (Makita 9227C) has a variable speed trigger and I always wished the PC did too.

The downsides right now are you are limited to the 6" backing plate, but there are already new backing plates in the works to use various sized pads.

The build quality of the Flex feels a lot more solid than the PC. My PC after continued use, the head of it rattles a lot and feels cheap, the Flex (so far) feels like a better built machine, which the price reflects.

If you have any other questions let me know. I'm not sure if you saw the Detail University post on the Flex but lots of great information on there as well, here's a link:

Flex XC3401VRG Buffer Review

Thanks Pete, enjoy your Thanksgiving!

George

[Queenskid24]

Originally Posted by Detailed Image

My thoughts in a nutshell:

The Flex is a perfect transition for people looking for rotary like results but with the safety of a random orbital. Flex's motor has more than double the power in amps (3.7A for the PC and 7.5A for the Flex), so you can really give this unit all you have as far as pressure and it keeps on going. This helps for deeper paint correction since the PC can bog down pretty easily when you give it decent pressure. The OPM is 60% more than the PC or UDM at 9,600 OPM.

Flex doesn't leave me with that tingling feeling the PC does after running it full speed for a while. It still vibrates a bit but in long polishing sessions, the Flex is easier to work with. I personally like the ergonomics better on the Flex, especially the hand positioning. The variable speed trigger is a huge bonus too. The rotary I use (Makita 9227C) has a variable speed trigger and I always wished the PC did too.

The downsides right now are you are limited to the 6" backing plate, but there are already new backing plates in the works to use various sized pads.

The build quality of the Flex feels a lot more solid than the PC. My PC after continued use, the head of it rattles a lot and feels cheap, the Flex (so far) feels like a better built machine, which the price reflects.

If you have any other questions let me know. I'm not sure if you saw the Detail University post on the Flex but lots of great information on there as well, here's a link:

Flex XC3401VRG Buffer Review

Thanks Pete, enjoy your Thanksgiving!

George

^ its funny that every single negative about the PC you mentioned, i felt the same about, everything from the cheapness to the feeling after thoroughly detailing a car. I havent had to work on any cars which have been in such a bad condition that call for anything more than the highest setting on the PC, so i guess i should be fine with it. The flex sounds like an awesome machine, i actually did read the article on DU about it. lots of guys on there seemed excited about it, i was pretty amazed when i saw the comparo btwn the PC and the Flex on that hood. . Definitely showed who came out on top. If i get further into the detailing this will definitely be something i may have to invest in, thanks again George and you have a happy thanksgiving also!!
Pete.

[bartman32]

HELP!!!!
For the last 4 months we have had our house under construction which meant that a lot of our crap was in our garage. I made sure to leave room for the BMW but the Ford has been out getting hit by sprinklers every night! LOTS of hard water stains! I spent ALL day on it and I think I've got 90% of it out of the paint with Scratchx and Meguiar's swirl remover. I probably needed something even more appraisive but that's all I could find. The real problem now is all of the trim and windows still have tons of spots. What might you suggest for that? Already tried 1/1 Vinegear/water spray. I even tried claying the window but that didn't work either.

Thanks

[BoLaS]

Originally Posted by bartman32

HELP!!!!
For the last 4 months we have had our house under construction which meant that a lot of our crap was in our garage. I made sure to leave room for the BMW but the Ford has been out getting hit by sprinklers every night! LOTS of hard water stains! I spent ALL day on it and I think I've got 90% of it out of the paint with Scratchx and Meguiar's swirl remover. I probably needed something even more appraisive but that's all I could find. The real problem now is all of the trim and windows still have tons of spots. What might you suggest for that? Already tried 1/1 Vinegear/water spray. I even tried claying the window but that didn't work either.

Thanks

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by bartman32

HELP!!!!
For the last 4 months we have had our house under construction which meant that a lot of our crap was in our garage. I made sure to leave room for the BMW but the Ford has been out getting hit by sprinklers every night! LOTS of hard water stains! I spent ALL day on it and I think I've got 90% of it out of the paint with Scratchx and Meguiar's swirl remover. I probably needed something even more appraisive but that's all I could find. The real problem now is all of the trim and windows still have tons of spots. What might you suggest for that? Already tried 1/1 Vinegear/water spray. I even tried claying the window but that didn't work either.

Thanks

If you've already exhausted using vinegar and clay with no luck, the next logical step would be to use a non-abrasive chemical polish on those areas, such as Klasse All In One.

Beyond a chemical polish, you'll start getting into abrasive polishes and progressing further and further with the level of abrasives until desired results are achieved. Did you happen to try the ScratchX on the trim and windows? If so, then yes, your next step would be to go with something more aggressive and perhaps introduce a buffer to the equation.

Let me know if you already tried the ScratchX on those affected areas and we'll go from there.

George

[bartman32]

Originally Posted by Detailed Image

If you've already exhausted using vinegar and clay with no luck, the next logical step would be to use a non-abrasive chemical polish on those areas, such as Klasse All In One.

Beyond a chemical polish, you'll start getting into abrasive polishes and progressing further and further with the level of abrasives until desired results are achieved. Did you happen to try the ScratchX on the trim and windows? If so, then yes, your next step would be to go with something more aggressive and perhaps introduce a buffer to the equation.

Let me know if you already tried the ScratchX on those affected areas and we'll go from there.

George

Thanks George. I hadn't considered using ScratchX on windows and trim just on the paint. I'll have to give that a try. I am also buying Meguiar's Fine-cut cleaner for the worst door panels. ScratchX and swirl remover did a nice job but didn't get all of it out. I should have taken before pictures as this car was looking REALLY bad but I see the end of the tunnel!
Thanks for all of your help!

[CaliKitkat]

Hi, George. I was hoping to order some MF towels before the Nov special expires. Firstly, how do I get the add'l 5% discount? Does that get applied when I check out?

Secondly, which towels do you recommend? The description of the All Purpose says they can be used to remove excess product. Does this mean they can be used to wipe off polishes, QD, waxes? I think the "excess product" is throwing me off. Also, would the All Purpose towels be the best towels for my intended use (removing polish, QD, wax), as opposed to say, the polishing towels?

Thank you.

[UncleWede]

e90post - 10% Off Coupon

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by CaliKitkat

Hi, George. I was hoping to order some MF towels before the Nov special expires. Firstly, how do I get the add'l 5% discount? Does that get applied when I check out?

Secondly, which towels do you recommend? The description of the All Purpose says they can be used to remove excess product. Does this mean they can be used to wipe off polishes, QD, waxes? I think the "excess product" is throwing me off. Also, would the All Purpose towels be the best towels for my intended use (removing polish, QD, wax), as opposed to say, the polishing towels?

Thank you.

CaliKitkat, thanks for the post.

The additional 5% comes when you select a towel as a complementary item to another product. For example, say you are looking at Menzerna Final Polish II, if you scroll down you'll see there is a towel listed there. When you purchase 2 items together like that, you instantly save that extra 5%. As UncleWede pointed out below, the 10% off code (not applicable on our homepage specials, buffers or vacuums) is e90post.

I just did a writeup on another forum I'm on and I think that this will help explain when I use certain towels and which towels I use:

Drying your vehicle:
Waffle weave drying towels are the standard for high end auto detailing professionals. They are paint safe and the waffle like texture makes them safer alternatives than flat chamois, water blades, or bath towels. With a waffle weave design, you are able to pull contamination away from the surface. A chamois is flat and has no nap, essentially you will just push the dirt around similar to using a traditional sponge during washing. Microfiber waffle weave towels are typically large and very absorbent. Our waffle weave drying towel is nearly 2' x 3' in size, has silk edges, no tags and remains fresh after many washes. I can usually get away with just using 1 of our towels to dry a car, especially after using the sheeting method prior to drying your vehicle.

Product removal:
I prefer medium nap microfiber towels for product removal. Using too thin of a nap won't pick up the excess product residue and longer nap towels are ideal for picking up lighter particles, such as dust, not saturating them with excess product. Our all purpose microfiber are perfect for this application. I would suggest removing the tag that is on these prior to using them on your paint for product removal.

Quick detailing:
I typically recommend a plush towel for quick detailing. The object is to pull the dust and other light contaminates away from the surface and the plush towels do this the best. Using too thin of a nap when quick detailing may cause micro-marring or swirls. Our Ultra Plush or reTHICKulous would be ideal for this application.

Interior product application or removal:
For applying or removing a product on say your dash or leather, I prefer a medium nap microfiber towel. Using too thin of a nap may not get into all of the little cracks and crevices of vinyl, leather and other textured surfaces. If you use too thick of a nap, the towel absorbs more product than is needed to get the job done. Again, the all purpose towels are great for this.

Interior dusting or wipe down:
When you aren't applying a dressing and you just want to wipe down your surface to remove a light dusting, I find that using a thicker nap is ideal. (Ultra Plush or reTHICKulous) You basically just want to gently glide the towel over the surface and let the static energy pick up the dust particles.

Glass cleaning:
For a final wipe down you want as low of a nap as possible. This will ensure you do not leave any lint behind and the pressure exerted on a low nap towel will ensure no streaking. For applying and removing the glass cleaner I typically use a medium nap towel, like the all purpose, but for the final wipe down, I use the low nap, glass specific microfiber towel.

Polishing metal:
We have a specific metal polishing microfiber towel for this application. It has one side that is designed for applying a metal polish and the flip side is similar to a jewelers rouge cloth to achieve the maximum finish. In general, a medium to low nap would be what I recommend for cleaning or polishing metal.

That covers most of the applications of microfiber towels that I can think of off the top of my head. Investing in quality microfiber towels is not a bad idea, especially if you know how to properly care for them. A well cared for towel can last years and withstand 100+ washes.

If you have any specific questions on anything, please do not hesitate to ask.

George

[F10aljay]

Hello everyone,

I have been a long time reader and I believe this is my third post since I joined. I need you guys to confirm the detailing steps I am going to do on my 2006 e90 sedan mystic blue, these are the stuff I have on hand and am not planning to get any more stuff anytime soon, due to christmas coming up. anyways:

1. wash car with dawn, sheet and pat dry
2. apply liquid clay bar by ICE, rinse with cold water pat dry
3. apply ZPC by Zaino with orange pad on my UMD, wipe off with MF towel
4. apply AIO by Klasse with blue pad on my UMD, wipe off with MF towel
5. apply sealant glaze by Klasse with black pad on my UMD, wipe off with MF towel.

I also have the white polishing pad. I just want to know If i am doing the right thing with what I have, this will be my first time doing detailing with a machine, I have read a lot of stuff on this forum, but mine is a different situation since I am mix and matching zaino with klasse. Thank you very much in advance for your help and happy holidays.

Alvin

[Detailed Image]

Alvin,

If the pads are from Lake Country, then I'd switch which pads you are using with each product.

For the Z-PC, I'd start with the white polishing pad and see what kind of results you are getting. If you need the product to be more aggressive, then move on to the orange pad. Between the black pad and the blue pad, the blue is softer and you'd want to use that for the Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze. The Klasse AIO is a chemical polish so you'd use the slightly more dense black pad for this application.

Other than that, your process looks pretty good. If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Happy Holidays,

George

[onehappydad]

I am looking to re-stock and upgrade some of my detailing supplies. From reading on here I am definitely going to upgrade to the Flex polisher from my PC. I also plan on trying the Menzerna polishes.

The one question I have is what color Lake Country pads to use for everyday maintenance and minor swirls marks/water spots. Is the orange too aggressive? What about the black, white, green, orange. I guess just curious what color pad with which products?

Thanks for your help. This forum has been extremely helpful.

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by onehappydad

I am looking to re-stock and upgrade some of my detailing supplies. From reading on here I am definitely going to upgrade to the Flex polisher from my PC. I also plan on trying the Menzerna polishes.

The one question I have is what color Lake Country pads to use for everyday maintenance and minor swirls marks/water spots. Is the orange too aggressive? What about the black, white, green, orange. I guess just curious what color pad with which products?

Thanks for your help. This forum has been extremely helpful.

If you maintain your vehicle using the proper washing and drying techniques, I maintain with Menzerna PO106FF and a black pad. I always recommend starting with the least aggressive combination to get the job done then moving up as needed. Yes, I feel the orange light cutting pad is too aggressive for normal maintenance. If anything, go with the white polishing pad.

When correcting deeper imperfections with either Super Intensive Polish or Intensive Polish, I tend to turn to an orange light cutting pad, or if I know it's a soft clear coat, a white polishing pad.

With the additional power of the Flex, I often find myself starting with one pad softer than I would with the PC.

If you're seeking a Flex, we have a couple left in stock ready to go as of now. If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Have a Happy New Years!

George

[Last E92 M3]

hello.
i've got a quick question about something (non bimmer)
i have infiniti g35c and when i was waxing, i accidentally wiped on the portion of the plastic component (the "pillar" that is connected to rear view mirror...i think it's black plastic component for e90/e92 as well but not sure).
so i have this white "scratch-like" on it...is there any way to remove this?

when it's wet, it goes away but when it's dried, that plastic part is white.

i was thinking of buying Mothers Plastic Polish or anything that will "shine" plastic components but i thought i should ask the expert
thank you!

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by Last E92 M3

hello.
i've got a quick question about something (non bimmer)
i have infiniti g35c and when i was waxing, i accidentally wiped on the portion of the plastic component (the "pillar" that is connected to rear view mirror...i think it's black plastic component for e90/e92 as well but not sure).
so i have this white "scratch-like" on it...is there any way to remove this?

when it's wet, it goes away but when it's dried, that plastic part is white.

i was thinking of buying Mothers Plastic Polish or anything that will "shine" plastic components but i thought i should ask the expert
thank you!

Couple of around the house fixes you can try before testing a product on that area. If it is caked up wax, you can try using a combination of isopropyl alcohol and water mixture (50/50) to dissolve the wax. Another old trick detailers use on trim is to rub a thin layer of smooth peanut butter and that can help remove excess product and restore trim.

Other than that, look for a plastic cleaner or trim restore type product.

Good luck!

George

[F32Fleet]

Expiration of AIO/SG. This stuff ever get old? I have some that is over 3 yrs old.

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by Socom

Expiration of AIO/SG. This stuff ever get old? I have some that is over 3 yrs old.

The average shelf life for auto detailing products is roughly 3 years. If you start to use the product and notice it has different tendencies or characteristics (consistency, ease of application / removal, smell...), it may have gone bad. Best thing you can do is store your products in the shade, around 65 - 70 degrees and shake them vigorously every 4 - 6 months.

Waxes are one of the few products that don't really have a shelf life.

George

[Queenskid24]

George, happy new year!!! i just wanted to thank you for the prompt shipping on my order this week. I purchased...the tarminator, 303 cleaners, 303 protectant, and Nattys red paste wax. Its my first time using paste wax, so that should be fun. I read good things about it on DU so thats why i opted for it instead of the cheaper blue wax from poorboys.
Any suggestions? would i follow the same procedure as i do with EX-p sealant and other liquid waxes??..
i also wanted to ask you a question about my headliner which is dirty from when i had wheels in my car. I guess they mustve rubbed the headliner and left traces of dirt which i just noticed recently. Should i use a toothbrush like instrument or would a terry cloth with some 303 do the trick after some rubbing??? i dont want to leave a worn look on the fabric, so im a little weary on this.
once again thanks George!!
Pete.

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by Queenskid24

George, happy new year!!! i just wanted to thank you for the prompt shipping on my order this week. I purchased...the tarminator, 303 cleaners, 303 protectant, and Nattys red paste wax. Its my first time using paste wax, so that should be fun. I read good things about it on DU so thats why i opted for it instead of the cheaper blue wax from poorboys.
Any suggestions? would i follow the same procedure as i do with EX-p sealant and other liquid waxes??..
i also wanted to ask you a question about my headliner which is dirty from when i had wheels in my car. I guess they mustve rubbed the headliner and left traces of dirt which i just noticed recently. Should i use a toothbrush like instrument or would a terry cloth with some 303 do the trick after some rubbing??? i dont want to leave a worn look on the fabric, so im a little weary on this.
once again thanks George!!
Pete.

Pete,

Happy New Year to you as well. Thank you for your recent purchase and continued support of Detailed Image.

Regarding Natty's Red application, Derek80 on DU made a great post on how he uses the Natty's Blue paste wax. Same recommendations would apply, the Natty's Red is just going to have better optical clarity and works well on both light and dark colored vehicles. Here's a link on how to maximize any of the Natty's Paste Waxes.

For the headliner cleaning, what I'd suggest doing first is spray a mist of your 303 Cleaner on a microfiber towel, and blot the dirty area. You want to avoid scrubbing too hard on the headliner for a couple of reasons. 1, you can stretch the material to the point where it becomes an eye sore if you scrub too hard. 2, you don't want to spread the dirt and contamination around further than it already is.

If you need some deeper cleaning than the blotting. Then use a soft bristled tooth brush and try not to agitate the area, much further than the stain, and blot with a microfiber towel to dry and pick up any loosened contamination.

Hope this helps! Thanks again Pete.

George