[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by macboi

I wonder if it's too late to catch up.. 60 pages sure is a lot to read. Lol

If you want some organized content, check out our Ask a Pro Blog and our Auto Detailing Guide. Those will get you going in the right direction without sifting page by page through this thread. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

[jshutchens]

I am looking for the best product and way to get snow salt off rims, underbody, and engine compartment what would you recommend.

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by jshutchens

I am looking for the best product and way to get snow salt off rims, underbody, and engine compartment what would you recommend.

If you're looking for something that you can spray on and wipe off, then I'd use something like Optimum Opti-Clean or a QD ratio of Optimum No Rinse. Both of these options will be able to safely clean all of those areas while minimizing marring when used properly.

That's how I'd tackle it.

[McMuffin]

I glazed, sealed and waxed my car about 2 months ago, but It's been raining like crazy in SoCal. I know that process is supposed to last up to 6 months.

Should I repeat the process once it stops raining?

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by McMuffin

I glazed, sealed and waxed my car about 2 months ago, but It's been raining like crazy in SoCal. I know that process is supposed to last up to 6 months.

Should I repeat the process once it stops raining?

You could put a fresh coat of wax on the paint since that probably won't last more than 4 - 8 weeks. This will help boost the gloss and add some more protection, but the underlying protection of the sealant should still be on your paint.

If you were approaching 4 months or longer, then I'd probably suggest stripping everything off and starting with a fresh coat of everything.

[McMuffin]

Originally Posted by Detailed Image

You could put a fresh coat of wax on the paint since that probably won't last more than 4 - 8 weeks. This will help boost the gloss and add some more protection, but the underlying protection of the sealant should still be on your paint.

If you were approaching 4 months or longer, then I'd probably suggest stripping everything off and starting with a fresh coat of everything.

Thanks!! Can you suggest a car wash and wheel cleaner. My Griots is about to finish and don't know if I should buy it again.

Edit: Also clay bar!

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by McMuffin

Thanks!! Can you suggest a car wash and wheel cleaner. My Griots is about to finish and don't know if I should buy it again.

Edit: Also clay bar!

I'd recommend a fine grade clay bar for a regular cleaning. If your car is heavily contaminated, has sap, overspray, tar, etc. then you could go with a medium grade clay bar. If you need a clay bar lubricant, some good options are Optimum Instant Detailer or Dodo Juice Born Slippy. Both products are concentrated so you get great bang for the buck, I'd pick up a spray bottle if you don't have one available.

For a maintenance car wash, check out Chemical Guys Maxi Suds II. It's a great sudsing shampoo and gentle on your protective coats. Another nice maintenance shampoo is either Dodo Juice shampoo. These are low sudsing, high lubricity shampoos that very concentrated but effective.

If you have aftermarket wheels or a polished finish, I'd suggest going with P21S Gel Wheel Cleaner as our safest pH balanced wheel cleaner. Otherwise, I like going with Chemical Guys Diablo Gel Wheel Cleaner for a more cost effective option.

Let me know if there's anything else I can give you a hand with.

[CPWINCH]

I have black sapphire metallic. What wax and pads do you recomend?

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by CPWINCH

I have black sapphire metallic. What wax and pads do you recomend?

If you are looking for a one step process I'd suggest a sealant over a wax since they protect far longer than a wax. The Blackfire Wet Diamond with Polycharger and the Menzerna Power Lock Polymer Sealant. Both offer outstanding protection and a great shine that makes any color look awesome. They apply and remove with ease as well. Any foam applicator will work great, I really like the Lake Country Red Foam Applicator Pad. I hand remove every product with a quality microfiber towel like the DI Microfiber All Purpose Towel or the DI Microfiber Ultra Plush Two Sided Towel. If you think you would prefer a wax instead just let me know and I'll outline some suggestions.

[CPWINCH]

Originally Posted by Detailed Image

If you are looking for a one step process I'd suggest a sealant over a wax since they protect far longer than a wax. The Blackfire Wet Diamond with Polycharger and the Menzerna Power Lock Polymer Sealant. Both offer outstanding protection and a great shine that makes any color look awesome. They apply and remove with ease as well. Any foam applicator will work great, I really like the Lake Country Red Foam Applicator Pad. I hand remove every product with a quality microfiber towel like the DI Microfiber All Purpose Towel or the DI Microfiber Ultra Plush Two Sided Towel. If you think you would prefer a wax instead just let me know and I'll outline some suggestions.

Thanks for the help. If i wanted to do a two step could i use wax and sealent?

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by CPWINCH

Thanks for the help. If i wanted to do a two step could i use wax and sealent?

Yes in fact I love using both. I use the sealant first because it's generally far more durable. Then I layer the wax on top for some extra gloss and protection. If you have any questions or if you'd like a recommendation let me know.

[CPWINCH]

Originally Posted by Detailed Image

Yes in fact I love using both. I use the sealant first because it's generally far more durable. Then I layer the wax on top for some extra gloss and protection. If you have any questions or if you'd like a recommendation let me know.

Recommendation would be great, I guess best wax and sealent and pads

[Detailed Image]

I really love the Blackfire Wet Diamond with Polycharger and the Menzerna Power Lock Polymer Sealant for a sealant. Both last really long, provide strong protection, look outstanding while easy to apply.

For waxes on dark paint I really like the Poorboy's World Natty's Blue Paste Wax which is also a great value for such a high quality wax. It designed for darker colors so they look really glossy and "wet". If you are willing to spend a bit more the Dodo Juice Blue Velvet Hard wax is an awesome choice. It's also designed for darker colors and offers really strong protection along with that really deep and glossy appearance.

I apply both waxes and sealants by hand with a foam applicator. I love the Lake Country Red Foam Applicator Pad but a traditional yellow foam applicator (DI Accessories Foam Applicator Pad) works just fine. Make sure you have a separate applicator for each product. I hand remove the excess product with a clean microfiber towel. The DI Microfiber All Purpose Towel is a great towel and you can get three of these free with a purchase over $50 (see homepage of our site for details). If you really want to spoil your car use the DI Microfiber Ultra Plush Two Sided Towel. It's an outstanding towel that provides amazing results every time.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

[135IKP]

Can someone please recommend a good detailer in the Bay Area (preferably the Peninsula or South Bay).

Thank you.

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by 135IKP

Can someone please recommend a good detailer in the Bay Area (preferably the Peninsula or South Bay).

Thank you.

The closest I know of is in Fremont, which is http://www.acdetailing.net. Aaron does great work there!

[M-type]

My cars are white and balck. im looking into a good polish and sealant combo. Im curently using meg's nxt and looking to get better results would klasse sealant glaze or wet diamond on top of the nxt produce good results? Any suggestion would be appreciated. thanks

[Detailed Image]

First off I generally recommend a full detail 1 - 2 times per year which includes a wash, dry, clay, polish, sealant, wax (optional). In between you can wash and protect it as much as you'd like.

So after washing I HIGHLY recommend you use a clay bar which is going to deep clean the paint and enhance the results of all the following steps. The DI Packages DI Gentle Fine Grade Clay Bar 100g & Clay Lube is a great combo that will give you everything you need to deep clean the paint.

The NXT is a good all around product as it cleans, shines and protects in one step as it is a polish and sealant in one. However I think the results from breaking these steps up could provide a large benefit to both cars you listed. After using the clay bar I recommend using a light cutting polish. If you want a one step polishing process start off with just a light cutting polish. I would highly recommend using a polish like the Meguiar's Ultra Finishing Polish M205 first. It will help permanently remove swirls, oxidation and other blemishes on the surface so the clear coat is more optically clear.

After polishing protect the paint with a quality sealant like the Blackfire Wet Diamond with Polycharger it will be protected for up to 3 - 6 months. This products should last noticeably longer than the NXT. The Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze (HGSG) is another great sealant that is very durable, however it can be one of the more challenging sealants to work with. Most people don't want the extra effort, especially when you get great results from easy to use products like the Wet Diamond.

You can certainly stop here and you'll have a great shine with durable protection. However if you really want some extra deep gloss and added protection some people like to layer a wax on top of a sealant. If interested I'd recommend the Chemical Guys 50/50 Limited Series Concourse Paste Wax or the Dodo Juice Rainforest Rub Soft Wax because they both look outstanding on all colors. If you are looking for something more cost effective try the Poorboy's World Liquid Natty's Blue Wax.

Upon completion you should step back and really admire the shine!

If you have any questions about these products or any step in the process I outlined above don't hesitate to ask or check out our detailing guide. As always save 10% off as well with your e90 forum member discount code "e90post". Good luck!

[UncleWede]

So, with this Black on Black spray, how careful does one need to be with overspray on paint surfaces? I don't think I'm going to tape off my car to spray the bumpers, mirrors, and window trim.

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by UncleWede

So, with this Black on Black spray, how careful does one need to be with overspray on paint surfaces? I don't think I'm going to tape off my car to spray the bumpers, mirrors, and window trim.

The Chemical Guys Black on Black is a pretty user friendly product. If it hits the paint just wipe it off quickly and you won't have any issues. If you want to be extra careful taping off the surrounding area certainly makes sense.

This product was formerly known as Fade 2 Black as of a couple of months ago until this new and improved version was launched. Check out this review for more details and pictures of the results - http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-P...roduct-review/

[theskunk]

I've searched around a bit, and frankly am overwhelmed with the wealth of knowledge on this forum! I figured it might be easier to just ask.

I've taken delivery on my first BMW (2011 335d, titanium silver, black dakota interior) and am very impressed with the shine straight off the showroom floor.

I've done basic level detailing before so have a bit of knowledge, but the bay I worked in used all bulk supplies, and this was all about 8 years ago. I'd like to go through the process of the 'new car detail', and also find some good products to help keep my 193m wheels clean on a weekly basis. My mother has a 530i that has never really been kept dust-free, and now i can't seem to get the dust off, and I do not want that to happen to mine! (its just too pretty!)

Does DI have a good 'starter pack' of products that would be a good bet? Or could you help me piece together a shopping cart? Lets assume I have a bucket from home depot, and a 35 foot hose and nothing else... (i have a nozzle.. as long as my thumb is considered a nozzle...!)

Thanks!

[Detailed Image]

Congrats on the new car. If you can care for it right away you are way ahead of the game. I'll go over some of the basics I do with a brand new vehicle.

Exterior Protection
Wash - Most swirls come from the washing and drying process so make sure you use good technique (see our detailing guide) and use quality products. If you need to upgrade your materials check out these three package deals:
DI Packages Foamaster II Advanced Kit
DI Packages Washing and Drying Advanced Kit
DI Packages Washing and Drying Starter Package

Seal - Protecting the exterior right away will preserve the paint and make future cleanings easier. I highly recommend the Blackfire Wet Diamond w/polycharger because it looks amazing, applies with ease and protects for months (4-6). I also use it on the headlights, exterior glass and wheels for added protection. You only need about 1 oz per coat for a medium size car so apply it nice and thin for best results. Blackfire Wet Diamond with Polycharger)

Full Detail
I generally just wash and protect my car throughout the year as desired. At a minimum do this every 3 - 4 months and the paint will look very good. If you want the paint to look exceptional try adding in a full detail 1 - 2 times per year. For the full detail I'd wash, dry, clay bar, polish, sealant, wax (optional)
- Wash and Dry (see above)
- Clay bar and clay lube (DI Packages DI Gentle Fine Grade Clay Bar 100g & Clay Lube)
- Polish (Meguiar's Ultra Finishing Polish M205)
- Sealant (Blackfire Wet Diamond with Polycharger)
- Wax - sealants provide more than enough protection but if you'd like more protection and shine I'd suggest the Chemical Guys 50/50 Limited Series Concourse Paste Wax or you can use the Poorboy's World Liquid Natty's Blue Wax

Microfiber
Microfiber is paint safe and highly effective at removing the left over clay lube, polish, sealant, wax, etc. For this process I would suggest getting 5x - 10x of the DI Microfiber All Purpose Towel. These towels are also great for interior cleanings, apply protection, leather care, glass care and so much more!

Interior Protection
303 Aerospace Protectant protects just about the whole interior (vinyl, plastic, rubber, leather). It blocks out UV rays and preserves the finish so apply it to the dashboard, doors, console, arm rests, exterior trim, rubber moldings, etc. etc. Protecting the carpets and mats is super easy just mist the 303 High Tech Fabric Guard on them and you are done! It will help repel moisture while keeping the fibers flexible and soft.

If you follow these basic pre-cautions your vehicle will look great for years to come and keep the re-sale value up! If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask. Take care!

Greg @ DI

[bimmergeek]

I like the thread on doing your own new car prep, but don't have the time or skills for it. Any recommendations on someone who can do this for me on Long Island (NY)?

thanks