[Dackz]

George,

Had this posted in the forum but 70+ views and no replies so I figured Id come to you.

I went to work today and stripped the car with CG citrus, then I clayed it and used the dodo juice lube (that stuff is slick as snot, its awesome), then I went to work and hit Megs 105 on an orange pad with a PC7424 then I hit it with 205 on a white pad over the top.

I can still see some scratches/swirls, no matter what I do, there are some that are there, but I have to be at a great angle and my lightstand was at the right spot to see them, so are those never going away basically? I took the 105/orange and did a 2x2' area 3-4 times then hit it 2 times with the 205/white and it dulled them down and the shine was GREAT but the scratches/swirls are still there.

Also, when I took it out after my polish steps to wash it before sealant, some of the polish was still there and it dried up pretty quick, but most of it came off with the Optimum car wash. I dont have anywhere I can wash the car but in the sun, just no way around it at my house. How do you buff the polish off better? Should I have a bottle of IPA and spray it down next time RIGHT after hitting an area and buffing it out with my microfiber (the plush one with the 2 diff naps on both sides). Or is there a way to hit it with the PC and pull most of it out? I just buffed it out with the micro and then went on to next section.

Oh, after my wash, I saw that there was an 'arcing' layer of what looked liked swirls or something that was vertical and when I walked from side to side on the hood, it moved the opposite direction and in the arcing motion. Are those swirls? What can take those out, since I hit it with 105/205 and said pads above.

Car is now sealed though, BFWD, it LOOKS great, in direct sun you cant see anything wrong, but lets say when in the early early AM sun or LATE PM sun, at the right angle, you can see them. Direct sunlight, it looks flawless. Hope that helps.

[Ripper12]

How long does a new cars paint/clear need to cure before you can give it a complete polish & sealant?? Or is it competely cured a month after the car is built?

Is the any AIO, cleaners, polishes, sealant or waxes that you can or cannot use.

[Weaselboy]

Originally Posted by Ripper12

How long does a new cars paint/clear need to cure before you can give it a complete polish & sealant?? Or is it competely cured a month after the car is built?

Is the any AIO, cleaners, polishes, sealant or waxes that you can or cannot use.

Any modern vehicle has the paint fully cured before it gets to you. No need to worry about this.

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by spdy330

This question may be in the threads somewhere however looking through 53 pages will take forever.

How do you get rid of hard water spots on the windows and body of your car? Thank you!

If there are mineral deposits on your glass or paint, the steps I would take would be the following:

First try water and distilled white vinegar this would remove any calcium and mineral deposits that are just sitting on the surface.

If that doesn't work I'd try something like Glass Science Glass Scrub for the glass or Chemical Guys Water Spot Remover for the paint.

Beyond the chemical cleaners then you'll have to turn to some abrasive measure to put a dent in the etched water spots. You always want to start with the least aggressive approach and work more aggressive as needed. For your paint, something like Meguiar's M205 would be a nice starting point. For the glass, you could go with the Lake Country Glass Polishing Kit, that should do the trick, both require a buffer for optimal results.

If you get that far and the water spots are still there, let me know and we can come up with the next aggressive steps for you to take.

Originally Posted by crazydrummer

Quick question here. If i'm about to do a full detail and i don't completly stip all the old wax/ sealent off could this mess up anything? Or will i just come off when i start polishing anyways?

It wouldn't really "mess up anything" but what you may experience is the polishes could act a little different than if there were a completely bare surface. You'll be using the first part of the polishing to break down the sealant rather than to correct your paint. The difference may not be noticeable to you if you haven't polished a ton but stripping previous coats will ensure your polishes work the way they are designed to and give you the absolute best results, even if it's only a small percentage better.

Originally Posted by Dackz

George,

Had this posted in the forum but 70+ views and no replies so I figured Id come to you.

I went to work today and stripped the car with CG citrus, then I clayed it and used the dodo juice lube (that stuff is slick as snot, its awesome), then I went to work and hit Megs 105 on an orange pad with a PC7424 then I hit it with 205 on a white pad over the top.

I can still see some scratches/swirls, no matter what I do, there are some that are there, but I have to be at a great angle and my lightstand was at the right spot to see them, so are those never going away basically? I took the 105/orange and did a 2x2' area 3-4 times then hit it 2 times with the 205/white and it dulled them down and the shine was GREAT but the scratches/swirls are still there.

Also, when I took it out after my polish steps to wash it before sealant, some of the polish was still there and it dried up pretty quick, but most of it came off with the Optimum car wash. I dont have anywhere I can wash the car but in the sun, just no way around it at my house. How do you buff the polish off better? Should I have a bottle of IPA and spray it down next time RIGHT after hitting an area and buffing it out with my microfiber (the plush one with the 2 diff naps on both sides). Or is there a way to hit it with the PC and pull most of it out? I just buffed it out with the micro and then went on to next section.

Oh, after my wash, I saw that there was an 'arcing' layer of what looked liked swirls or something that was vertical and when I walked from side to side on the hood, it moved the opposite direction and in the arcing motion. Are those swirls? What can take those out, since I hit it with 105/205 and said pads above.

Car is now sealed though, BFWD, it LOOKS great, in direct sun you cant see anything wrong, but lets say when in the early early AM sun or LATE PM sun, at the right angle, you can see them. Direct sunlight, it looks flawless. Hope that helps.

The imperfections that you aren't able to remove may require more bit than what M105 / orange / PC could offer. This is where professionals turn to rotary buffers or perform light wet sands if they are that bad (usually you can correct with polishing in most cases though). The PC does have it's limits but it's a great tool for enthusiasts.

For the stubborn polish remains, yes a bottle of IPA after polishing should do the trick, or simply give it another rewash with a stripping shampoo. Either should loosen remaining polish and remove any residue or oils left on the paint.

The arching swirls you are describing, is it possible you added them after polishing, during the drying process of the 2nd wash? That would be my first guess, do you remember drying the vehicle using that same arch? Perhaps your drying towel was slightly contaminated.

Do you have any pictures of the imperfections?

My advice would be to try to properly maintain your car and keep it as is and in another few months give it another go, unless your itching to try something sooner. I just ordered some new pads that go with the PC and M105 that offer some excellent correction (more than the orange pads) and were designed specifically for the PC / M105 combo.

Hope this helps.

Originally Posted by Ripper12

How long does a new cars paint/clear need to cure before you can give it a complete polish & sealant?? Or is it competely cured a month after the car is built?

Is the any AIO, cleaners, polishes, sealant or waxes that you can or cannot use.

Originally Posted by Weaselboy

Any modern vehicle has the paint fully cured before it gets to you. No need to worry about this.

+1 You'll be good to go once you receive it from the dealership.

Let me know what else I can help with.

[spdy330]

Thank you. I will give it a shot.

[Dackz]

Originally Posted by Detailed Image

If there are mineral deposits on your glass or paint, the steps I would take would be the following:

First try water and distilled white vinegar this would remove any calcium and mineral deposits that are just sitting on the surface.

If that doesn't work I'd try something like Glass Science Glass Scrub for the glass or Chemical Guys Water Spot Remover for the paint.

Beyond the chemical cleaners then you'll have to turn to some abrasive measure to put a dent in the etched water spots. You always want to start with the least aggressive approach and work more aggressive as needed. For your paint, something like Meguiar's M205 would be a nice starting point. For the glass, you could go with the Lake Country Glass Polishing Kit, that should do the trick, both require a buffer for optimal results.

If you get that far and the water spots are still there, let me know and we can come up with the next aggressive steps for you to take.



It wouldn't really "mess up anything" but what you may experience is the polishes could act a little different than if there were a completely bare surface. You'll be using the first part of the polishing to break down the sealant rather than to correct your paint. The difference may not be noticeable to you if you haven't polished a ton but stripping previous coats will ensure your polishes work the way they are designed to and give you the absolute best results, even if it's only a small percentage better.



The imperfections that you aren't able to remove may require more bit than what M105 / orange / PC could offer. This is where professionals turn to rotary buffers or perform light wet sands if they are that bad (usually you can correct with polishing in most cases though). The PC does have it's limits but it's a great tool for enthusiasts.

For the stubborn polish remains, yes a bottle of IPA after polishing should do the trick, or simply give it another rewash with a stripping shampoo. Either should loosen remaining polish and remove any residue or oils left on the paint.

The arching swirls you are describing, is it possible you added them after polishing, during the drying process of the 2nd wash? That would be my first guess, do you remember drying the vehicle using that same arch? Perhaps your drying towel was slightly contaminated.

Do you have any pictures of the imperfections?

My advice would be to try to properly maintain your car and keep it as is and in another few months give it another go, unless your itching to try something sooner. I just ordered some new pads that go with the PC and M105 that offer some excellent correction (more than the orange pads) and were designed specifically for the PC / M105 combo.

Hope this helps.





+1 You'll be good to go once you receive it from the dealership.

Let me know what else I can help with.

Ill do my best to get a pic tomorrow. I dont think it would have been there from a contaminated towel though. I sheeted it off (that method works amazingly actually) but when I dried it, I just took the towel and gently drug it across like always. I will do my best to take some pics tomorrow. Its weird though, I think it was there before though, but it definetly is not a hologram or buffer trail, that is for sure.

All the stuff worked great though, I thank you for your suggestions. Ill get some pics tomorrow, of the finished product. Whatever wasnt fixed was for sure user error as it was my first time. I will leave it as is until most likely next year, and do my detail just before going to Mfest in Vegas. I am sure I can maintain it well until then. And in the meantime, I will do a couple friends cars to practice on, haha. Theirs, are MUCH worse then mine ever could and will be. So that willl be very good practice.

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by spdy330

Thank you. I will give it a shot.

Keep us posted how things turn out

Originally Posted by Dackz

Ill do my best to get a pic tomorrow. I dont think it would have been there from a contaminated towel though. I sheeted it off (that method works amazingly actually) but when I dried it, I just took the towel and gently drug it across like always. I will do my best to take some pics tomorrow. Its weird though, I think it was there before though, but it definetly is not a hologram or buffer trail, that is for sure.

All the stuff worked great though, I thank you for your suggestions. Ill get some pics tomorrow, of the finished product. Whatever wasnt fixed was for sure user error as it was my first time. I will leave it as is until most likely next year, and do my detail just before going to Mfest in Vegas. I am sure I can maintain it well until then. And in the meantime, I will do a couple friends cars to practice on, haha. Theirs, are MUCH worse then mine ever could and will be. So that willl be very good practice.

Glad to hear it. For your first time, it sounds like the detail was a great success. Good idea to practice on your friends cars, it'll certainly help when you go back to do yours again.

If there's anything else I can help with, let me know. Thanks again for your support.

George

[1QuikWS6]

George-

I just recently bought the Blackfire Wet Diamond Sealant & Midnight Sun Caruba Wax from you to use on my new Space Gray E92. Applied the sealant, waited at leats 8hrs, applied a coat of wax, waited 8hrs, applied 2nd coat of wax. I must say I didn't think it was possible to have new paint look even better!

Based on these results, I decided to do my Black WS6 Trans Am also - thinking that it should look even better on black paint.

This car is our show car, driven only on nice weekends, stored in heated/Air conditioned garage under cover rest of time.

As you know, no matter how well you try to take care of black - it always gets swirl marks that show up in direct sunlight Previously I have been using PC 7424 with either Menzerna Final Polish II or Intensive Polish (based on amount/degree of swirl marks), followed by Menzerna Finishing Touch Glaze and then finally Formula 113.

The 113 gave the car a great look, doesn't leave white residue, and the entire car can be waxed before wiping off - even in direct sunlight (which I never did neway), but it also leaves an oily/slippery surface that shows finger marks immediately.

So to make a long story short - I already had the car prepped with Menzerna Final Polish, applied coat of new Blackfire carnuba, waited 8hrs, then applied another coat. The finish is beautiful and deep gloss (heck my wife could use the car as a mirror to apply her makeup!)

But now I find that I might want to apply the BF Diamond Sealant to utilize it's UV & infared paint protection.

Can I simply apply the BF Diamond Sealant over the new coats of BF wax and then go back and rewax? or do I have to remove the exisitng new coats of BF wax first?

Thanx!

-Jay-

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by 1QuikWS6

George-

I just recently bought the Blackfire Wet Diamond Sealant & Midnight Sun Caruba Wax from you to use on my new Space Gray E92. Applied the sealant, waited at leats 8hrs, applied a coat of wax, waited 8hrs, applied 2nd coat of wax. I must say I didn't think it was possible to have new paint look even better!

Based on these results, I decided to do my Black WS6 Trans Am also - thinking that it should look even better on black paint.

This car is our show car, driven only on nice weekends, stored in heated/Air conditioned garage under cover rest of time.

As you know, no matter how well you try to take care of black - it always gets swirl marks that show up in direct sunlight Previously I have been using PC 7424 with either Menzerna Final Polish II or Intensive Polish (based on amount/degree of swirl marks), followed by Menzerna Finishing Touch Glaze and then finally Formula 113.

The 113 gave the car a great look, doesn't leave white residue, and the entire car can be waxed before wiping off - even in direct sunlight (which I never did neway), but it also leaves an oily/slippery surface that shows finger marks immediately.

So to make a long story short - I already had the car prepped with Menzerna Final Polish, applied coat of new Blackfire carnuba, waited 8hrs, then applied another coat. The finish is beautiful and deep gloss (heck my wife could use the car as a mirror to apply her makeup!)

But now I find that I might want to apply the BF Diamond Sealant to utilize it's UV & infared paint protection.

Can I simply apply the BF Diamond Sealant over the new coats of BF wax and then go back and rewax? or do I have to remove the exisitng new coats of BF wax first?

Thanx!

-Jay-

Hey Jay, good question. If you wanted the benefit of the underlying protection from the sealant under the wax, you'd have to strip off the coats of wax and start over. What I'd do is simply wait a few weeks for the wax starts to dwindle down on protection and strip it so your hard work doesn't go wasted.

When you apply the BF sealant, let that cure for 8 - 24 hours before topping it with the BF wax. Then any additional layers another 8 - 24 hours.

Snap some pics if you have some time, I bet it looks stunning!

Cheers,

George

[1QuikWS6]

Thanks!

As much as I use this car, and it sees the outside, I'll have to wait a year for the wax to wear off!

I'll b taking new pics soon and post them up

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by 1QuikWS6

Thanks!

As much as I use this car, and it sees the outside, I'll have to wait a year for the wax to wear off!

I'll b taking new pics soon and post them up

Haha, sounds good, looking forward to seeing some

[Ripper12]

What do you tape off for polishing and do you take the tape off when you apply sealant using a PC machine?

Is it OK get apply sealant on headlights, trim etc with the buffer?

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by Ripper12

What do you tape off for polishing and do you take the tape off when you apply sealant using a PC machine?

Is it OK get apply sealant on headlights, trim etc with the buffer?

I'll usually only tape off for polishing, then rewash to ensure you remove polishing residue, dust, oils and tape residue. Most modern sealants are safe to get on trim as long as they are wiped off immediately. I'd recommend sealant your headlights, emblems, chrome, painted trim, but vinyl trim I'll treat differently with a UV protectant.

Hope that helps.

[ajfcpajd]

I have a question I can't seem to get a consistent answer to. I had some minor repair and paint work done to my front bumper. How long do I need to wait before I have the car washed? I was told I could do it myself but not to use a car wash for at least 2-3 weeks. someone else said a month. any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by ajfcpajd

I have a question I can't seem to get a consistent answer to. I had some minor repair and paint work done to my front bumper. How long do I need to wait before I have the car washed? I was told I could do it myself but not to use a car wash for at least 2-3 weeks. someone else said a month. any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

You can wash the car right away. What you shouldn't do is seal it with a sealant or wax for around 90 days. The shop that did the work would be able to give you the best estimate on time. If they were able to bake the piece, it may be 30 days or less. It varies from shop to shop, the technology used, the temperature outside, etc.

You can wash, clay, polish, glaze, quick detail now, but leave it unprotected so the paint can cure properly.

Hope this helps.

[E90aL]

how do you remove thick coats of armor all (plastic/rubber/vinyl) protectant?

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by slEEpy_aL

how do you remove thick coats of armor all (plastic/rubber/vinyl) protectant?

I'd use an all purpose cleaner. Something like P21S Total Auto Wash, Meguiar's D103 APC+, Optimum Power Clean... any one of those at the proper dilution ratio.

Then follow up with a thin coat of a quality UV protectant. I like 303 Aerospace Protectant or 1Z Cockpit Premium

[pigbat]

I've been thinking about moving away from Zaino to Blackfire Wet Diamond sealer or the Opti-seal. I only have black cars in the family so I was wondering how the Dodo products layer on these? Should I just stay with the BF midnight Sun?

Also, do I need to keep both Dodo and BF waxes away from trim pieces?

[arc1880]

I have a few minor scratches and swirl marks. I was wondering if I can use Scratch X2.0 along with Klasse AOI and Klasse SG. So wash, dry, clay, Scratch X, AOI and then SG. Any info or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Other info:
Car color Sparkling Graphite
Not garaged
Car is driven daily
Working by hand (don't have experience in detailing in general)

[ucdbiendog]

Hi George,
I have a quick question for you. I washed my girlfriends car today (first time for me) and noticed there were a couple small rock chips down to the metal just above the windshield. Both of them had begun oxidizing, and it looked to me as though the oxidation had possibly spread underneath the surrounding paint (maybe a millimeter beyond the chip). Is this something that can be repaired with touch up paint? If so, how would I go about prepping the area? I read a few posts that mentioned putting sand paper on the tip of a pencil eraser, but I'm not sure if I trust myself yet to sand away that much paint. Thanks
~Ryan

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by pigbat

I've been thinking about moving away from Zaino to Blackfire Wet Diamond sealer or the Opti-seal. I only have black cars in the family so I was wondering how the Dodo products layer on these? Should I just stay with the BF midnight Sun?

Also, do I need to keep both Dodo and BF waxes away from trim pieces?

If you have the Blackfire Midnight Sun already, I'd recommend topping that over the Wet Diamond. Dodo Juice waxes would be a nice option as well but no reason to buy a new wax if you already have a quality one. Be sure to let the sealant cure first before using the wax.

Originally Posted by arc1880

I have a few minor scratches and swirl marks. I was wondering if I can use Scratch X2.0 along with Klasse AOI and Klasse SG. So wash, dry, clay, Scratch X, AOI and then SG. Any info or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Other info:
Car color Sparkling Graphite
Not garaged
Car is driven daily
Working by hand (don't have experience in detailing in general)

The process you have looks fine, but depending on how deep your imperfections are ScratchX may not be aggressive enough to give you the results you are looking for. If you need to move up from there and you are applying it by hand, then I'd look into Meguiar's M105 / M205 combo for maximum results. Then follow up with the Klasse Twins for your protection.

Originally Posted by ucdbiendog

Hi George,
I have a quick question for you. I washed my girlfriends car today (first time for me) and noticed there were a couple small rock chips down to the metal just above the windshield. Both of them had begun oxidizing, and it looked to me as though the oxidation had possibly spread underneath the surrounding paint (maybe a millimeter beyond the chip). Is this something that can be repaired with touch up paint? If so, how would I go about prepping the area? I read a few posts that mentioned putting sand paper on the tip of a pencil eraser, but I'm not sure if I trust myself yet to sand away that much paint. Thanks
~Ryan

Your going to want to clean and fill those chips in to prevent it from spreading further. Using some touch up would do the trick, but to properly prep the surface, you'll want to clean it up with some fine grade sand paper. Gluing it onto the eraser of a pencil is a pretty good idea since you can get some very accurate sanding. Use a hole punch to get the right size on the sand paper and super glue it onto the eraser.

After sanding, you'll want to mix up your touch up paint, apply, let cure, then sand down to an even level and polish away the wet sanding marks. That's the process in a nutshell.

If you have any other questions on anything, let me know and I'll see what I can do to help.

Good luck, keep us posted on how things turn out for you.

[quagmire]

I recently ordered DI Microfiber The Great White clothes. It says in the description to wash with the CG microfiber detergent ideally. Is it still safe to use regular Tide detergent or do you recommend ordering the microfiber detergent?