[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by jsublime

Why do I need a separate wheel wax? What would happen if just used some sealant or wax that I put on my paint?

You certainly can use a paint sealant on your wheels. I wouldn't recommend a wax, the protection wouldn't hold up much more than a day or two. The wheel specific products are usually designed to withstand more heat and can often leave behind a slicker surface. They also are designed to work on various metal surfaces, where a paint sealant is primarily designed to bond to a clear coat. If you are looking for a wheel specific product, I recommend PB Wheel Sealant. Otherwise go ahead and use your paint sealant and you'll still get some good results.

[nmulax]

George,

Moved across the country at the start of winter, and of course the only box the shipping company lost was full of my detailing products. I still have some CG Maxi-Suds and CW&G, but lost the rest.

I'm looking for your recommendations on the following:
- wheel sealant
- wheel cleaner (something that will really cut through brake dust)
- general degreaser (wheel wells, engine bay, etc)
- tire dressing (not to oily/shiny)
- 2 levels of polish. A final polish, then a more aggressive one to get our deeper swirls/hazing.
- 2 pad suggestions to go with the polishes.
- a sealant or two (I prefer ones that can be layered and will last a while)
- a nice carnauba wax for that deep wet-paint look
- QD

Also, what are your thoughts on some of the spray-on-waxs out there? To use as extra shine/protection between details.
And what exactly are glazes for?

Working with my Silver-Gray Z4M, a Black Sapphire BMW. Then a white Cadillac SRX and dark-red Mazda 3.


Thanks,
Adam

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by nmulax

George,

Moved across the country at the start of winter, and of course the only box the shipping company lost was full of my detailing products. I still have some CG Maxi-Suds and CW&G, but lost the rest.

I'm looking for your recommendations on the following:
- wheel sealant
- wheel cleaner (something that will really cut through brake dust)
- general degreaser (wheel wells, engine bay, etc)
- tire dressing (not to oily/shiny)
- 2 levels of polish. A final polish, then a more aggressive one to get our deeper swirls/hazing.
- 2 pad suggestions to go with the polishes.
- a sealant or two (I prefer ones that can be layered and will last a while)
- a nice carnauba wax for that deep wet-paint look
- QD

Also, what are your thoughts on some of the spray-on-waxs out there? To use as extra shine/protection between details.
And what exactly are glazes for?

Working with my Silver-Gray Z4M, a Black Sapphire BMW. Then a white Cadillac SRX and dark-red Mazda 3.

Thanks,
Adam

Adam,

Sorry to hear about your detailing goods disappearing from the move.

Here's what I'd recommend for the products you were looking for...

Wheel sealant - Poorboy's World Wheel Sealant is your best bet.

For a wheel cleaner that really cuts through brake dust, Meguiar's Wheel Brightener is your answer. This is our most powerful wheel cleaner, but keep in mind it needs to be used according to direction and diluted properly otherwise you could potentially damage your wheels. Also keep in mind, this will strip off any protection you may have, so once you apply the Wheel Sealant, try to maintain your wheels with soap and water and only use the wheel cleaner when you know you can strip off the protection and reapply the wheel sealant. If you have after market wheels with a different finish, you do not want to use Meg's Wheel Brightener. For a safer (but not as strong) alternative, consider CG Diablo Gel Wheel Cleaner.

For a general degreaser, it's tough to beat Meguiar's D101 or Meguiar's D103. The main difference between the two is that the D103 is a low sudsing formula, making it more appealing to professionals who use a carpet extractor. Both products will perform very nicely even at a 10:1 dilution ratio.

For a tire dressing on the less shiny side, consider Poorboy's Bold 'n Bright. BnB does a great job getting absorbed into your tires and has more of a natural semi-gloss look to it. If you were to wipe it down, you'd be left with more of a new tire look. It's water based and won't sling onto your paint and actually does a good job nourishing your rubber, rather than drying it out like many silicone based dressings can.

Your best 2 step polish to tackle nearly any level of swirl and imperfections is the Meguiar's M105 and M205 combo. It's the polish of choice by many top professional detailers and you can achieve excellent results even on a random orbital with them. Here's a how-to on properly using the Meg's polish combo as well as an article on selecting the proper pad for M105/M205.

For a sealant that can be layered and lasts a while, consider Blackfire Wet Diamond or if you're looking for more of a spray on sealant, consider Optimum Opti-Seal. Both products are some of the more durable sealants on the market and look great on any color vehicle.

A glaze will help prep the surface for a sealant or wax to adhere to as well as often leave behind an additional layer of gloss and depth and sometimes it can fill in minor imperfections. If you're going the sealant route, then your best option is Chemical Guys EZ Creme Glaze since it's acrylic based. Oil based glazes typically don't work well with sealants because it can hinder the bonding of the sealant onto the paint.

For a carnauba wax, you could just stock up on some Optimum Car Wax and use that after each wash on the cars you have mentioned. This is one of the best spray on waxes and looks great on any color. It may give you a small percentage less depth and gloss than a higher quality carnauba wax, but it's very easy to apply, is as durable as most paste waxes and is affordable. If you're looking for an all around carnauba wax that looks great on all color vehicles, consider Chemical Guys 50/50 wax. It's a 16 oz wax vs many that are 8 oz or less, so if you're using it on a lot of cars, it's a great value.

Let me know if there's anything else I can help with. Many of the products mentioned are on sale through the end of the month, so if you act quick you can save quite a bit.

Keep us posted on what you end up going with and how things turn out once you get a chance to use your new products.

Cheers,

George

[bma]

Hey George,

I'm getting ready for my first detail on my jet black e92. I currently have a PC and 1 orange, 1 white, and 1 black pad. Do you think I need to order another set of pads, or will one of each be enough? I'm using SIP and PO106FF.

Thanks!

[TomE92]

I bought a whole bunch of stuff at DI yesterday, should be arriving tomorrow! Can't wait!
Never thought I'd be excited for cleaning products

Blackfire Wet Diamond with Polycharger
Porter Cable 7424 XP 6.5" Starter kit
Meguiar's Ultra Finishing Polish M205
Meguiar's Ultra-Cut Compound M105

and other various standard cleaning products

Too late now but do you guys recommend sponges or wash mitts?

[EpicE90]

Hey George. I have the original Menzerna Intensive Polish and Po106fa and im having a lot of trouble with this combo. Its very dusty , and after i try to take it off when its broken down its EXTREMELY difficult. It leaves that transparent coat of product behind. Im applying the IP with a yellow or orange pad depending on job. And the 106 with a white pad. I'm using a PC but its feels really weak for some reason. I have to go over a small area with at least 6 to 7 passes to actually take out spider web scratches. I'm pretty sure im using proper techniques moving the orbital in a slow fashion 1 inch per second blah blah. Please point me in the right direction

[only1]

Hi,

I have an 09 alpine white 335i. I have noticed recently that there is fallout/ rail dust all over the car and im not sure what to do to combat it or prevent it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by bma

Hey George,

I'm getting ready for my first detail on my jet black e92. I currently have a PC and 1 orange, 1 white, and 1 black pad. Do you think I need to order another set of pads, or will one of each be enough? I'm using SIP and PO106FF.

Thanks!

Typically speaking, for optimal results, I end up using 3 - 4 pads per coat of polish. You're much better off in the long run swapping out for a fresh pad every few panels for a few reasons. First is consistency, you'll get closer to the same cut (stronger cut) and finish (better finish) with a fresh pad. As a pad becomes too saturated with product, your results will diminish. If you were to use the same pad for an entire polishing job around a car, you'll notice the first panel you polish will yield better results than the last panel (assuming you aren't stopping every panel and cleaning out the pad, which is more work than it's worth). Using multiple pads will also extend the life of your pads. If you over saturate a pad with product, it's difficult to bring it back to a like new condition. Compare that to using 4 pads for the same job, that's 25% less product on each pad and it's much easier to restore them to a like new condition. For those reasons, yes, I'd recommend investing in a few more pads if you are looking for optimal results and maximum value from your investment. If there's anything else I can help with, let me know.

Originally Posted by TomE92

I bought a whole bunch of stuff at DI yesterday, should be arriving tomorrow! Can't wait!
Never thought I'd be excited for cleaning products

Blackfire Wet Diamond with Polycharger
Porter Cable 7424 XP 6.5" Starter kit
Meguiar's Ultra Finishing Polish M205
Meguiar's Ultra-Cut Compound M105

and other various standard cleaning products

Too late now but do you guys recommend sponges or wash mitts?

Looks like a great set of products you selected, you'll be very pleased with the results. For a wash media, either works well, the key is using proper technique to rinse off contamination after each working area. The benefit to using a sponge is they release contamination better than almost any other wash tool. The downside is if you are washing a very dirty area, and you are trapping dirt under the sponge, it's easy to mar the finish or add swirls. The dirty the area you are trying to clean, the more frequent you have to rinse out the sponge / mitt. I'd highly recommend using a 2 bucket wash setup, using grit guards in each bucket ideally. Another measure you can take to prevent adding imperfections is pre-treating the area with a foam gun or a trigger spray bottle full of Optimum No Rinse in a quick detailer ratio. This will allow the shampoo to begin cleaning without the need to touch your paint with the sponge or mitt, thus preventing the addition of swirls. Sheepskin mitts are nice that they clean the surface very well with minimal chance of adding swirls and imperfections, but the downside is that they are made of natural fibers and the durability is significantly less than a quality sponge. There are pros and cons to every wash tool, which is why many detailers will use different ones. The key is to use proper technique and either one should work fine.

Originally Posted by EpicE90

Hey George. I have the original Menzerna Intensive Polish and Po106fa and im having a lot of trouble with this combo. Its very dusty , and after i try to take it off when its broken down its EXTREMELY difficult. It leaves that transparent coat of product behind. Im applying the IP with a yellow or orange pad depending on job. And the 106 with a white pad. I'm using a PC but its feels really weak for some reason. I have to go over a small area with at least 6 to 7 passes to actually take out spider web scratches. I'm pretty sure im using proper techniques moving the orbital in a slow fashion 1 inch per second blah blah. Please point me in the right direction

The Menzerna polishes utilize diminishing abrasives that need to be worked quite a while (especially on a PC) to achieve good results. Menzerna specifically designed their polishes to be worked with a rotary buffer, but good results can still be achieved on a random orbital, but it will take more time and because of the additional time, have the tendency to dust a bit more and can be finicky at times. Many pros turn to a non-diminishing polish when using a PC, such as the Meguiar's M105 / M205. They vary their cut and finish based on the pad and how much pressure is applied to the buffer. Also, Menzerna IP is known for having dusting issues, which is one of the main benefits of SIP over regular IP, longer work time. If you aren't looking to invest in new polishes at this time, I'd recommend working in smaller areas and swapping out for fresh pads frequently for optimal results with the polish combo already in your hands. The smaller the working area, the more passes you can make before it begins to dust and the better results you'll get. A good starting point is 12" x 12", which is small, but if you're looking for optimal results, it's what you want to do.

Hope this helps.

Originally Posted by only1

Hi,

I have an 09 alpine white 335i. I have noticed recently that there is fallout/ rail dust all over the car and im not sure what to do to combat it or prevent it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

To remove the rail dust / industrial fall out, you'll want to use a fine grade clay bar. Make sure you use plenty of clay bar lubricant so that you don't mar the finish and add imperfections that need to be polished out. Here's a good read on properly using a clay bar.

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

George

[EpicE90]

George, thanks for the reply I really appreciate it. I did what u said and I worked in a smaller area And cleaned
my pads a bit better for optimal results and I acheived about 90% correction. However with sleepless nights the past few days researching I decided to order a BRAND SPANKING NEW PC7424xp kit with meguirs polishes from YOU!!! I also ordered a few other basic products. Your prices are great and I'm so F'ING excited to get my package! I applied the e90 post discount code as well. I hope that doesn't cut me out of the EASTER egg gift

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by EpicE90

George, thanks for the reply I really appreciate it. I did what u said and I worked in a smaller area And cleaned
my pads a bit better for optimal results and I acheived about 90% correction. However with sleepless nights the past few days researching I decided to order a BRAND SPANKING NEW PC7424xp kit with meguirs polishes from YOU!!! I also ordered a few other basic products. Your prices are great and I'm so F'ING excited to get my package! I applied the e90 post discount code as well. I hope that doesn't cut me out of the EASTER egg gift

Glad to hear things worked out for you. Not only is selecting the proper products important but pairing it up with the optimal techniques is how you achieve maximum results. My goal is to help point every one of our customers in the right direction to get the most out of their detailing experiences.

I greatly appreciate the support and look forward to hearing about your results with the new PC XP and M105 combo. The Easter Egg promo has nothing to do with our coupon codes, so you'll save with the coupon and still get your egg

Thanks again and please do not hesitate to ask if you have any questions on anything. Be sure to keep me posted on how things turn out for you.

Enjoy,

George

[Dackz]

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=371006

George, here is my car after the detail with info on what was used there. Really like how it turned out. I put the BFWD spray wax over the sealant earlier and it really, really shines and mirrors now. GREAT stuff. Thanks for the info/details and everything you guys put on your site, it really helped me make the right choices. Im going to get the starter kit PC/pads/meguires combo soon and then my detail this summer Ill do it myself. I have the proper ingredients to do it except that stuff so thats all I will need then.

Again, thanks!! It looks great. IMO, its the cleanest car I have seen on the road this year, lol.

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by Dackz

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=371006

George, here is my car after the detail with info on what was used there. Really like how it turned out. I put the BFWD spray wax over the sealant earlier and it really, really shines and mirrors now. GREAT stuff. Thanks for the info/details and everything you guys put on your site, it really helped me make the right choices. Im going to get the starter kit PC/pads/meguires combo soon and then my detail this summer Ill do it myself. I have the proper ingredients to do it except that stuff so thats all I will need then.

Again, thanks!! It looks great. IMO, its the cleanest car I have seen on the road this year, lol.

Hey Dackz, thanks for the update. The car does look sharp! I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the BF Wet Diamond and the BF Deep Gloss Spray. You have the right idea of doing it yourself once the weather gets nicer. Sounds like you already have the proper kit picked out as well. If there's anything else I can help with, please do not hesitate to ask.

All the best,

George

[JSH]

Originally Posted by Detailed Image

To remove the rail dust / industrial fall out, you'll want to use a fine grade clay bar. Make sure you use plenty of clay bar lubricant so that you don't mar the finish and add imperfections that need to be polished out. Here's a good read on properly using a clay bar.

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

George

Any recommendations for clay bars in Germany?

Normally whats off the shelf in US is not in Germany.

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by JSH

Any recommendations for clay bars in Germany?

Normally whats off the shelf in US is not in Germany.

What options do you have available to you?

[absix]

Stooooooopid question...

When you do a 2-step paint correction (SIP/106fa), do you do the entire panel or vehicle before moving to the next step?

[Jeff@TopGearSolutions]

Originally Posted by absix

Stooooooopid question...

When you do a 2-step paint correction (SIP/106fa), do you do the entire panel or vehicle before moving to the next step?

Personal preference, usually easier to just do entire car with one step, then do the entire car with the next step.

Also depends if you are trying to do a test section or if you already found out what works to get you the correction you are seeking after.

************

Here is my dumb question, I know a thing or 2, and have corrected many cars..

Except I cant help myself out

Problem..

I can correct my car after 6 hrs maybe even less...

use blackfire wet diamond and opti seal to seal the car.

No matter what I use as a protection, as soon as it rains;

Waterspots that will not come off without going to a 1 or 2 step polish.

What the hell can I use to stop this? Sealant wise? Oh yea Jet black of course

[TomTomTuning]

Interior question:

My car is a week old and the seats already have blue hue stains from my jeans.
What should i clean it with? And should i already start conditioning the seats?

Also: Leatherique vs Leather master?

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by absix

Stooooooopid question...

When you do a 2-step paint correction (SIP/106fa), do you do the entire panel or vehicle before moving to the next step?

Definitely much easier to do one entire step before moving onto the next. If you don't it would take me twice as long swapping out pads each panel, reaching for multiple dispenser bottles, and rewiping areas that you already polished with two steps since it's inevitable that you'll get some dusting or product overlap at some point.

As JPSlick mentioned below, the only time I'll do multiple steps on a panel is to ensure that the combination I selected will give me the results I'm looking for.

Originally Posted by JPSlick

Also depends if you are trying to do a test section or if you already found out what works to get you the correction you are seeking after.

************

Here is my dumb question, I know a thing or 2, and have corrected many cars..

Except I cant help myself out

Problem..

I can correct my car after 6 hrs maybe even less...

use blackfire wet diamond and opti seal to seal the car.

No matter what I use as a protection, as soon as it rains;

Waterspots that will not come off without going to a 1 or 2 step polish.

What the hell can I use to stop this? Sealant wise? Oh yea Jet black of course

Do you live in a heavy industrial area or known for having acid rain or anything like that? When you wash to do you follow up with a quick detailer and you still see the spotting? To me it doesn't sound like changing to a different sealant would solve your problem. If anything, try topping the sealant with a wax, since waxes tend to sheet water better than sealants and it may help having a second layer of protection that is probably better in protection. About all the advice I can offer on that one.

Originally Posted by TomTomTuning

Interior question:

My car is a week old and the seats already have blue hue stains from my jeans.
What should i clean it with? And should i already start conditioning the seats?

Also: Leatherique vs Leather master?

You can condition your seats as soon as you get your car if you wanted, it's never too early to start caring for the leather. Regarding the blue hue stains, you could remove them with a safe all purpose cleaner, like P21S Total Auto Wash, or you could use something like Leatherique Prestine Clean. I haven't compared Leatherique to Leather Master so I cannot provide any feedback comparing the two, but I can assure you that Leatherique has not let me down and is the choice of many high end professional detailers. If you go the Leatherique option, I'd recommend the full 2 step, at least once a year, ideally twice and Prestine Clean alone on alternating seasons.

Originally Posted by rheemix

George,

I just wanted to thank you for all the information you've provided in this thread (I think I read them all). It was very helpful for a detail novice like myself, and now I ordered a full set of products from your website. Thank you.

J

Thank you for your support. If you have any questions on anything you purchased, please do not hesitate to ask.

Have a great weekend.

George

[Jeff@TopGearSolutions]

Originally Posted by Detailed Image

Definitely much easier to do one entire step before moving onto the next. If you don't it would take me twice as long swapping out pads each panel, reaching for multiple dispenser bottles, and rewiping areas that you already polished with two steps since it's inevitable that you'll get some dusting or product overlap at some point.

As JPSlick mentioned below, the only time I'll do multiple steps on a panel is to ensure that the combination I selected will give me the results I'm looking for.



Do you live in a heavy industrial area or known for having acid rain or anything like that? When you wash to do you follow up with a quick detailer and you still see the spotting? To me it doesn't sound like changing to a different sealant would solve your problem. If anything, try topping the sealant with a wax, since waxes tend to sheet water better than sealants and it may help having a second layer of protection that is probably better in protection. About all the advice I can offer on that one.



Have a great weekend.

George

George funny you mention a second type of protection, I actually called DJ, I'm sure you know him, he mentioned to add a protection that might sheet better as opposed to just beading.

I dont live in an industrial area, far from it, im more in the mountains/woods.

I mean I literally did a 8 hr correction no more then a month ago. It rained for about 2 days straight this past week, sun came out, rained, then sun came out and rained some more. Next day I washed the car, waterspots GALORE, like no exaggeration it looks bad.

I've corrected and detailed many cars over the years, and no other car I've owned responds this way. I will try a light swirl remover on a black pad to see If I can get rid of the waterspots this week, then I might try a wax ontop of blackfire.

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by JPSlick

George funny you mention a second type of protection, I actually called DJ, I'm sure you know him, he mentioned to add a protection that might sheet better as opposed to just beading.

I dont live in an industrial area, far from it, im more in the mountains/woods.

I mean I literally did a 8 hr correction no more then a month ago. It rained for about 2 days straight this past week, sun came out, rained, then sun came out and rained some more. Next day I washed the car, waterspots GALORE, like no exaggeration it looks bad.

I've corrected and detailed many cars over the years, and no other car I've owned responds this way. I will try a light swirl remover on a black pad to see If I can get rid of the waterspots this week, then I might try a wax ontop of blackfire.

Sounds like a good plan to try the additional protection. DJ is a great detailer, one of the best, I enjoy chatting with him. Keep me posted with what wax you end up topping with and how things turn out next time around.

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by rheemix

George,

What's the usual order processing time? I had some time this Friday and wanted to detail my car, so I placed the order last weekend, hoping it'd get shipped out either Monday or Tuesday (I'm in two-day delivery zone). I just checked the status online, and it says it's still "awaiting shipment". I guess I'll have to wait until next week to detail my car, but I want to know if this is your normal processing time, so I can better time things next time. Thank you.

J

If we have everything in stock usually next day. Right now we have no back orders, so it should have shipped out already. If you want to PM me your order number I'll dig up the tracking and let you know the status. Sometimes if our warehouse had to delete a shipping label and didn't reupload the new tracking number, it would sit in that awaiting shipment state. We'll work it out, you shouldn't have a problem getting it by Friday.

Thanks again for your support.

George

[TomTomTuning]

Originally Posted by Detailed Image

You can condition your seats as soon as you get your car if you wanted, it's never too early to start caring for the leather. Regarding the blue hue stains, you could remove them with a safe all purpose cleaner, like P21S Total Auto Wash, or you could use something like Leatherique Prestine Clean. I haven't compared Leatherique to Leather Master so I cannot provide any feedback comparing the two, but I can assure you that Leatherique has not let me down and is the choice of many high end professional detailers. If you go the Leatherique option, I'd recommend the full 2 step, at least once a year, ideally twice and Prestine Clean alone on alternating seasons.

I went with the Leatherique route. I love the way the seats have a new/matte finish, do you know if the Leatherique will make them shiny/glossy?

Just ordered a bunch of stuff from your site:
32oz Leatherique clean & Oil
303 High Tech Fabric Guard
303 Aerospace Protectant
Bucket w/ Grit Guard

I'm ordered the Aerospace protectant, in hope for something to just damp on a towel and clean interior surfaces (doors, dash, kick panels, center console, molding etc). I'm not looking for any shine/gloss (aka armor all look). Was this product a wise choice?

EDIT: Crap I knew i forgot something. A leather cleaning bush.