[Greg Nichols]

Calif dusters can cause more harm than good, but a lot of it comes down to how you use it.

I have taken care of all of Fords cars at SEMA for a few years and there is no way you can keep all the dust off them every hour. We use a duster like the Calif, but adjust the technique to try and minimize the possibility of issues.

the main part of the "mop" never touches the car, we only allow the "fingers" of the fibers to drag across the surface. The fibers are misted with a QD to help attract the dust. this method works well, not perfect but it works.

The rule to strive for it that if you touch the car, how can I minimize the chance and techniques and products can help.

Cheers,
GREG

[E90raw]

Hey, I posted a negative comment on Detailed images site about one of their products, and they deleted the comment! Whats up with that?

[SHEEDI]

Originally Posted by E90raw

Hey, I posted a negative comment on Detailed images site about one of their products, and they deleted the comment! Whats up with that?

LOL
If they dont introduce such products, like dusters,no rinse wash etc then how they going to sell compound, polishes and swirls removers and other paint correction products?

Once the car is outside after wash,never touch it,next time you touch your car when you do proper wash.
waterless wash,dust buster etc will create swirls and scratches

[Zero_09]

My brother is heading over to the states for a couple of days and I want to pick up some microfiber towels there since Canada don't have a lot of selection for a good price.

Any recommendations on what towels to get and where. Only place I know so far is Autogeek and Chemical guys. I'm planning to pick up 20 towels. 10 buffing towels and 10 rinseless wash towels GDM

[xtreme4ce]

Awesome site and store. I just put in my first order for the quick detailer. So excited... :-D

Thanks Greg.

[Mulehead]

Hey all - I just picked up a nice e92 328 coupe with low miles and a good bit of time left on the warranty (CPO). My last BMW was an E46 'vert that was just a blast, but that was 10 years and a couple degrees ago... now with school paid off, time to take the plunge again. SO glad i did...these cars are just awesome!

I'll be keeping this one a good long time and have started the detailing process with the engine compartment. It was relatively clean, however it seems to have a fairly thick film of oil residue everywhere. I used a bit of simple green, but that really didn't cut it and resorted to hot soapy water which did a bit better.

Would any of the available engine cleaners from Chemical Guys or AutoGeek work any better on the engine compartment?

Thanks much!

Well I think I found an answer to my question: http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-P...ur-engine-bay/

I would still welcome opinions on specific products though - cheers!

[BashShah]

My car is Sapphire Metallic Black.
I use Mothers Carnuba (by hand) most of the time, but it does not last beyond 4 weeks at the most.
I live in vancouver, bc, canada and it rains alot here.
but got lazy after the about 3 month of no detailing and decided to use the Mothers Syn-wax that came with the power ball.

I have to admit, the Syn-wax was a lot deeper, did not see any spider-webs, and it was a very wet black.
That was a week ago.

What I want to know is for someone who doesn't have a polisher or any tool save a drill; what do you recommend for someone that just wants the following:
1. Wash the car 1 pass, by hand.
2. Wax the car, again 1 pass.

But I want it to last the longest and have the deepest wet look.

Is there a quick cheap solution?
I drive the daily.

Thx in advance.
DN

[mjd335]

Hey George,
First off this is a great thread. I have an 07 BMW E90 and my headlights were involved in an accidental drop of a spray paint can while cleaning my garage and the can got punctured and sprayed all over the front of my car and other stuff. The only thing I had on hand was goof-off to clean off the green spay paint and they were left with a hazed/pitted/scratched, they weren't in the best of shape before the incident. The H.L's were the only area of my car that I couldn't get "repaired". So anyway I used Meguiar's H.L. restore kit, turtle wax H.L. restore kit, and then I found a company that has a professional kit (Dvelop), and still fine scratches are still there. Oh yea then I got the mother's red buff ball for the drill, I forget the exact name but used that with the polish that came with the Dvelop kit and scratchX (I think Mag's). What could be my next step. I used wet-sand paper grit 400, 1000, 2000, 2500, and 3000. Dvelop included only 400, 1000, and 2000, when that didn't work I used 2500, and 3000. I've restored H.L's on a few cars/trucks and came out great, but the BMW is really aggravating me. Should I go with M105 and/or M205? and what pads do you suggest? I figured I'll give you the whole story so you know where I'm at, so I apologize for this long question. I guess I would say that I'm not very knowledgeable about buffing and polishing plastic or painted surfaces except for the previous headlights I mentioned earlier. I tried inserting images but they were too big or something, if photos would you help me maybe there is another way for me to get you photos? Please save me.

[adriang]

Planning on detailing my car for spring.

Can I avoid using a buffer to polish and just polish by hand?

[Zero_09]

Originally Posted by adriang

Planning on detailing my car for spring.

Can I avoid using a buffer to polish and just polish by hand?

It depends if you have a lot of swirls. Polishing by hand is very time consuming and you will mostly not get it out by hand. Do a google search for the PC 7424XP. They got for around $100-$130. They work great for getting rid of swirls and fine scratches.

[adriang]

Thanks for you response,
Ive tried taking care of the paint on my car as much as possible so I don't believe there are that many swirls, I would just like to make the car look like new again for the summer.

My main problems are small scratches here and there which I've read need to be buffed out. Maybe it is worth investing in a buffer after all!

[rvladescu]

335 alpine white
I have been trying to remove some clear coat scratches with PC DA original backing plate and lake country orange pads and Menzerna ip 2000 without success. What am I doing wrong or suggestions as it feels that the clear coat is hard like a rock

[rvladescu]

Originally Posted by rvladescu

335 alpine white
I have been trying to remove some clear coat scratches with PC DA original backing plate and lake country orange pads and Menzerna ip 2000 without success. What am I doing wrong or suggestions as it feels that the clear coat is hard like a rock

No help?

[drodriguez31]

I just bought a 335i w/ m sport package and the rims have some kind of grease stain on it and I was wondering if you knew what I could use to best remove the stains. Thanks!

[jbnery6465]

After paint correction, I plan on protecting the paint with a sealant (potentially 2 coats fo Zaino Z2 Pro). After curing completely I'm thinking of topping it with 1 coat of carnauba wax. My question is: is there any harm of using a QD like Zaino Z8 on top of the carnauba wax? Will it cause the carnauba wax to detoriate faster or will it help prolong the wax life?

Thanks in advance!

[Game]

Greg,

I noticed you favor Meguiar's 205 as a finishing polish however how do you feel about Blackfire's SRC finishing polish? I've heard great things.

[spiike32]

Can I get people's thoughts on 22ple or opticoat? And which is "better" for BMW paint. I heard that the 22ple is shinier but the opticoat lasts longer. Is this true?

[jbnery6465]

Originally Posted by spiike32

Can I get people's thoughts on 22ple or opticoat? And which is "better" for BMW paint. I heard that the 22ple is shinier but the opticoat lasts longer. Is this true?

+1
Interested in this too. There was a review done on Autogeek and Gtechnic C1 was rated a little higher than Opti-Coat 2.0.

[akotten]

I have some water etching all over my roof, trunk lid, and hood. I just tried three passes on one 12x12" section with Menzerna IP 2000 and a LC orange pad, but with no progress. Can water etching be bad enough to need a cutting compound?

[Bonifaxio]

Hello,

I want to restore my headlights but don't know what product to use.
I tried a Mother's Kit over the weekend but with no success.
I'm wondering if I would need something more aggressive or did I just not spend enough time on it?

What would you suggest?
Thanks in advance!
Here is a pic...

[jbnery6465]

^ Looks like a wet-sanding job followed by 2-step polish and protecting it with a lens coating like Opti-Lens or clear film

[Bonifaxio]

Originally Posted by jbnery6465

^ Looks like a wet-sanding job followed by 2-step polish and protecting it with a lens coating like Opti-Lens or clear film

Recommendations?
Kit, products, brands etc?