[AC Schvantzer]

Hi Greg,

First of all I just wanted to thank you for the wealth of information in this thread. As a newcomer to detailing (and this forum), it is great to have a resource like this to help navigate all the products, tools and processes that can often seem overwhelming to newbies like myself. Thank you.

I am not sure how they happened, but the picture below shows one of two quarter sized areas on my hood. It is almost as if someone hit it with a piece of fine grade sandpaper.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...eat=directlink

Would you mind a) diagnosing the severity of the scratch and b) offering your suggestion to remedy the problem.

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers!

[x3man1994]

DI,

This is my list-
http://www.detailedimage.com/Cart-Saved/921954911/


Do you guys see that I forgot anything?
I have some shitty amour-all silicon based exterior dressing I need to finish off, I also have a clay kit with some detail spray.

I also need to get some spray bottles, and some 5 gallon buckets

Anything else you would suggest? Keep in mind that I am 17 and don't have a ton of money, I'm going to use this stuff to start up a small detail business just to cover material costs.

Here is a video of the first car that we did, my dads

Please don't hate, saying that I don't know shit, because I do I have been reading a ton about all this stuff.

Also can I please do local pickup, I don't have the money for shipping?

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by AC Schvantzer

Hi Greg,

First of all I just wanted to thank you for the wealth of information in this thread. As a newcomer to detailing (and this forum), it is great to have a resource like this to help navigate all the products, tools and processes that can often seem overwhelming to newbies like myself. Thank you.

I am not sure how they happened, but the picture below shows one of two quarter sized areas on my hood. It is almost as if someone hit it with a piece of fine grade sandpaper.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...eat=directlink

Would you mind a) diagnosing the severity of the scratch and b) offering your suggestion to remedy the problem.

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers!

Thank you for the kind words and as always I'm happy to help when I can. It's tough to say exactly what happened there, may have a very tiny/light sanding job, could just be a scuff as well. I would start off with a wash and a clay bar just to clean the area up. After that start off with a light polish (Meguiar's Ultra Finishing Polish M205) and use a more aggressive polish if needed like the Meguiar's Ultra-Cut Compound M105. I think the M105 with some good arm pressure has a good chance to buff it out. If that doesn't work send me some pics of it again and we'll go from there. Generally the next step would be to do a light wet sanding followed by the polishes I just recommended but let's discuss it first. Good luck and keep us posted!

Greg @ DI

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by x3man1994

DI,

This is my list-
http://www.detailedimage.com/Cart-Saved/921954911/


Do you guys see that I forgot anything?
I have some shitty amour-all silicon based exterior dressing I need to finish off, I also have a clay kit with some detail spray.

I also need to get some spray bottles, and some 5 gallon buckets

Anything else you would suggest? Keep in mind that I am 17 and don't have a ton of money, I'm going to use this stuff to start up a small detail business just to cover material costs.

Here is a video of the first car that we did, my dads

Please don't hate, saying that I don't know shit, because I do I have been reading a ton about all this stuff.

Also can I please do local pickup, I don't have the money for shipping?

I believe we were exchanging e-mails last night so lets continue the conversation via e-mail.

We do have a shipping promotion ($4 flat rate) and 10% off with the coupon code July4Ship so that will help you with s/h (min spend $50).

Take care!

Greg @ DI

[rup]

Hi,
Been recommended to ask in here...

I had a can of holts tyreweld in the boot/trunk when i lowered the roof (on my z4), somehow the can got punctured and the foam went all over the boot and some onto the beige headliner.
Really annoyed as roof shield was down ok (else roof wouldn't lower) so bad design by bmw, and a warning to all here don't put anything liquid/foam in the boot!
Managed to clean boot but headliner still stained.
Does anyone know of a good cleaner for the tyre weld? Believe it's latex based. Tried warm water, helped a bit but still stained. Tried BMW upholstery cleaner, still stain there.
Thanks

[Detailed Image]

Oh man I'm so sorry to hear about that. I typically would use something like the 303 Cleaner & Spot Remover with a very soft brush or cloth. If that doesn't work or if you want to step up to the P21S Total Auto Wash which is a citrus based degreaser that is another one of my favorites. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Greg @ DI

[rup]

Originally Posted by Detailed Image

Oh man I'm so sorry to hear about that. I typically would use something like the 303 Cleaner & Spot Remover with a very soft brush or cloth. If that doesn't work or if you want to step up to the P21S Total Auto Wash which is a citrus based degreaser that is another one of my favorites. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Greg @ DI

Thanks for the advice, ordered a bottle of total wash, will advise how i get on. BTW, the bmw cleaner didnt help much.
As it's latex based, hopefully it'll bio-degrade anyway!

[ALL4_3SERIES]

Greg,

Just picked up my BMW the other day and I wanted to ask some questions. I was told by the German dealer to not wax or polish the car for two months after pick up so that the paint can finish curing, have you heard of this before? Also, I live in Germany and do not have a garage. I would like to polish my car and follow up with a sealant and possibly wax after that (DoDo Diamond White, since car is Alpine White), but I have no where to park the car out of the elements. Is there any other way to do this? My street is lined with trees so little bits of leaves and things will fall onto the paint. Any help with this?

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by rup

Thanks for the advice, ordered a bottle of total wash, will advise how i get on. BTW, the bmw cleaner didnt help much.
As it's latex based, hopefully it'll bio-degrade anyway!

Thank you for the purchase and good luck. Remember to test this product on s small (least visible) area first to ensure it's working as intended. You can also dilute it down if you want to be even more safe, but it is considered to be a gentle degreaser by most. Good luck!

Greg @ DI

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by ALL4_3SERIES

Greg,

Just picked up my BMW the other day and I wanted to ask some questions. I was told by the German dealer to not wax or polish the car for two months after pick up so that the paint can finish curing, have you heard of this before? Also, I live in Germany and do not have a garage. I would like to polish my car and follow up with a sealant and possibly wax after that (DoDo Diamond White, since car is Alpine White), but I have no where to park the car out of the elements. Is there any other way to do this? My street is lined with trees so little bits of leaves and things will fall onto the paint. Any help with this?

If the car is coming from the factory it should be baked dry which only takes a couple of days and it should be long since finished by the time it gets to you. Factory paint can be easily baked dry because the panels are exposed with no plastic trim or gas in the tank. When a car is repainted at a body shop you often need to wait 1 - 3 months for it to cure normally. Therefore unless your vehicle was re-painted you should be able to clay, polish, seal, wax, etc. virtually right after it's made. As for the process I'd suggest washing with the ONR and using a pop up tent to help shade and somewhat protect the vehicle. The only other option I know of is requesting to borrow a friends garage for the day. Let me know if you have any other questions.


Greg @ DI

[AC Schvantzer]

Originally Posted by Detailed Image

Thank you for the kind words and as always I'm happy to help when I can. It's tough to say exactly what happened there, may have a very tiny/light sanding job, could just be a scuff as well. I would start off with a wash and a clay bar just to clean the area up. After that start off with a light polish (Meguiar's Ultra Finishing Polish M205) and use a more aggressive polish if needed like the Meguiar's Ultra-Cut Compound M105. I think the M105 with some good arm pressure has a good chance to buff it out. If that doesn't work send me some pics of it again and we'll go from there. Generally the next step would be to do a light wet sanding followed by the polishes I just recommended but let's discuss it first. Good luck and keep us posted!

Greg @ DI

Greg - Thanks for your input, I'll be in touch!

William

[x3man1994]

I just Bought the grout Sponge from you guys, made by lake country. Is that sponge safe to use, or would I wash mit be better?

[churchillps]

I just purchased a 2009 Sapphire Metallic 335 coupe which looks like it was fairly well cared for, but not especially well. There are some small swirls, one 2 inch by 2 inch area with very small circular scratches (that I hope are only in the CC), a few chips on the edge of driver door, and some deeper, but still not horrible, scratches on the lower front bumper (aero kit) where the previous owner apparently parked into some curbs.

I took the car to a well reviewed "detailer" in San Antonio. I wad skeptical when it was only $200, and it appears to just be a wash, wax, and maybe glaze.

I'm extremely meticulous in caring for my cars, and time commitment is not an issue. I'd rather do everything myself as well. I'd like to keep my car looking the best as I possibly can. I feel like I have a sufficient grasps of what each product does, but with so many recommended routine out there I'd love if you could suggest a personalized schedule for me (especially if there's something special I should do for the first detail, and then any regimen for the future).

Also, any advice about the chips/scratches would be greatly appreciated as well.

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by AC Schvantzer

Greg - Thanks for your input, I'll be in touch!

William

Good luck and we look forward to hearing from you again!

Greg

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by x3man1994

I just Bought the grout Sponge from you guys, made by lake country. Is that sponge safe to use, or would I wash mit be better?

Yes it's safe, highly effective and it's durable. Let it soak in your shampoo and water mix for a minute and then start using it. Good luck!

Greg @ DI

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by churchillps

I just purchased a 2009 Sapphire Metallic 335 coupe which looks like it was fairly well cared for, but not especially well. There are some small swirls, one 2 inch by 2 inch area with very small circular scratches (that I hope are only in the CC), a few chips on the edge of driver door, and some deeper, but still not horrible, scratches on the lower front bumper (aero kit) where the previous owner apparently parked into some curbs.

I took the car to a well reviewed "detailer" in San Antonio. I wad skeptical when it was only $200, and it appears to just be a wash, wax, and maybe glaze.

I'm extremely meticulous in caring for my cars, and time commitment is not an issue. I'd rather do everything myself as well. I'd like to keep my car looking the best as I possibly can. I feel like I have a sufficient grasps of what each product does, but with so many recommended routine out there I'd love if you could suggest a personalized schedule for me (especially if there's something special I should do for the first detail, and then any regimen for the future).

Also, any advice about the chips/scratches would be greatly appreciated as well.

$200 most likely got you a wash and wax type process. Usually if they start polishing it's going to cost you a bit more for top quality work. Doing it yourself is not too hard with just a little bit of knowledge and the right product combination. Check out our Ask a Pro Blog and our detailing guide for tons of great info and I'm here to help.

The chips will require some touch up paint, wet sanding and polishing multiple times for best results. We don't carry the paints so I can't help you out there but it can be done if you have the patience.

Now for the more traditional detailing steps I'll outline a full detail below, that I'd suggest 1 - 2 times per year. In between you just need to wash and protect like every 4 months at a minimum. You certainly can wash and protect more frequently it's just up to you.

Wash/Dry - most swirls come from this process so quality products and techniques are critical. Check out our detailing guide for this step and other steps to maximize your efforts. Here are two awesome kits if interested.
DI Packages Washing and Drying Basic Kit
DI Packages Washing and Drying Starter Package

Clay Bar - This step deep cleans the paint so it's free from stubborn build ups not removed by the washing process. This may seem complicated or different but it's pretty simple and basic. In short spray some clay lube on the paint and glide the bar side to side and picks up micro contaminants in the paint. Here is an excellent value on a clay bar and lube - DI Packages DI Gentle Fine Grade Clay Bar 100g & Clay Lube.

Polish - This is the step where you really restore the paint to like new again. You can permanently remove swirls, oxidation, etc. not just temporarily hide them. I highly recommend you consider getting a Porter Cable (PC) as they are so easy to use, vastly improve your results while saving you time and energy. We have some affordable kits that give you the PC, backing plate, pads and polishes you would need here DI Packages Porter Cable 7424XP, Meguiar's Polishes and Hydro Pads Starter Kit or DI Packages PC 7424XP with M105, M205 and 5.5" pads. Both kits give you the M105 and M205 polishes with the PC that are going to help you really restore the paint to like new. Best of all the PC is easy to use and completely safe even for a first time user. Again check out our detailing guide for step by step instructions and other helpful hints.

If you prefer to do a hand application I generally just recommend a one step process with a foam applicator and Meguiar's Ultra Finishing Polish M205.

Protection - After polishing protect and enhance the shine with a sealant or wax. Waxes last about 2 - 6 weeks so we generally recommend a sealant which lasts 3 - 6 months. The Blackfire Wet Diamond with Polycharger is my favorite sealant. It provides a remarkable shine with durable protection while easy to apply. You can apply it by hand or use a blue pad and your buffer. If you really want to you can apply a wax on top of the sealant for added protection and shine. The Poorboy's World Liquid Natty's Blue Wax is a great option for a quality liquid wax that works on all colors. If you want a bit more gloss from a paste wax try the Chemical Guys 50/50 Limited Series Concourse Paste Wax or any of the Dodo Juice waxes. These options are applied by hand only but the exceptional gloss makes it well worth it.

I hand remove all of the excess product with a clean DI Microfiber All Purpose Towel. These towels are paint safe and help quickly remove the left over clay lube, polish, sealant, etc. I'd suggest getting about 5x - 10x of them.

Now step back and admire how awesome your vehicle looks. If you have any other questions please let me know!

Take care!

[churchillps]

Originally Posted by Detailed Image

$200 most likely got you a wash and wax type process. Usually if they start polishing it's going to cost you a bit more for top quality work. Doing it yourself is not too hard with just a little bit of knowledge and the right product combination. Check out our Ask a Pro Blog and our detailing guide for tons of great info and I'm here to help.

The chips will require some touch up paint, wet sanding and polishing multiple times for best results. We don't carry the paints so I can't help you out there but it can be done if you have the patience.

Now for the more traditional detailing steps I'll outline a full detail below, that I'd suggest 1 - 2 times per year. In between you just need to wash and protect like every 4 months at a minimum. You certainly can wash and protect more frequently it's just up to you.

Wash/Dry - most swirls come from this process so quality products and techniques are critical. Check out our detailing guide for this step and other steps to maximize your efforts. Here are two awesome kits if interested.
DI Packages Washing and Drying Basic Kit
DI Packages Washing and Drying Starter Package

Clay Bar - This step deep cleans the paint so it's free from stubborn build ups not removed by the washing process. This may seem complicated or different but it's pretty simple and basic. In short spray some clay lube on the paint and glide the bar side to side and picks up micro contaminants in the paint. Here is an excellent value on a clay bar and lube - DI Packages DI Gentle Fine Grade Clay Bar 100g & Clay Lube.

Polish - This is the step where you really restore the paint to like new again. You can permanently remove swirls, oxidation, etc. not just temporarily hide them. I highly recommend you consider getting a Porter Cable (PC) as they are so easy to use, vastly improve your results while saving you time and energy. We have some affordable kits that give you the PC, backing plate, pads and polishes you would need here DI Packages Porter Cable 7424XP, Meguiar's Polishes and Hydro Pads Starter Kit or DI Packages PC 7424XP with M105, M205 and 5.5" pads. Both kits give you the M105 and M205 polishes with the PC that are going to help you really restore the paint to like new. Best of all the PC is easy to use and completely safe even for a first time user. Again check out our detailing guide for step by step instructions and other helpful hints.

If you prefer to do a hand application I generally just recommend a one step process with a foam applicator and Meguiar's Ultra Finishing Polish M205.

Protection - After polishing protect and enhance the shine with a sealant or wax. Waxes last about 2 - 6 weeks so we generally recommend a sealant which lasts 3 - 6 months. The Blackfire Wet Diamond with Polycharger is my favorite sealant. It provides a remarkable shine with durable protection while easy to apply. You can apply it by hand or use a blue pad and your buffer. If you really want to you can apply a wax on top of the sealant for added protection and shine. The Poorboy's World Liquid Natty's Blue Wax is a great option for a quality liquid wax that works on all colors. If you want a bit more gloss from a paste wax try the Chemical Guys 50/50 Limited Series Concourse Paste Wax or any of the Dodo Juice waxes. These options are applied by hand only but the exceptional gloss makes it well worth it.

I hand remove all of the excess product with a clean DI Microfiber All Purpose Towel. These towels are paint safe and help quickly remove the left over clay lube, polish, sealant, etc. I'd suggest getting about 5x - 10x of them.

Now step back and admire how awesome your vehicle looks. If you have any other questions please let me know!

Take care!

I've read some people say you need to wash between sealing and waxing, is that the case? Also, I saved my cart here: http://www.detailedimage.com/Cart-Saved/118832674/ . Is this excessive?

[churchillps]

Originally Posted by churchillps

I've read some people say you need to wash between sealing and waxing, is that the case? Also, I saved my cart here: http://www.detailedimage.com/Cart-Saved/118832674/ . Is this excessive?

Also, my swirls are definitely in the "light" category (although there are a few areas with some superficial scratching). I've read the M105 is pretty intense, should I just be using it on the highly scratched area and using a different polish with a fine pad on the rest of the car (if so can you recommend a polish"

[rup]

Originally Posted by Detailed Image

Thank you for the purchase and good luck. Remember to test this product on s small (least visible) area first to ensure it's working as intended. You can also dilute it down if you want to be even more safe, but it is considered to be a gentle degreaser by most. Good luck!

Greg @ DI

Thanks Greg. Tried it out, has made the stain definitely better, will try again soon to see if a second application will help.
Used it neat after a test section.
Very good general cleaner, had a carpet stain (in my house) which it did a great job on.

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by churchillps

I've read some people say you need to wash between sealing and waxing, is that the case? Also, I saved my cart here: http://www.detailedimage.com/Cart-Saved/118832674/ . Is this excessive?

Thank you for the message I'd be happy to help. I apologize for the slow response I was away on vacation for all of last week and I just got back.
No you never want to wash between sealing and waxing. Your car looks great and it has many of my favorites so I can tell you did your homework. I don't see any must have items missing or things that must be removed. If you have any other questions please let me know.

Greg @ DI

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by churchillps

Also, my swirls are definitely in the "light" category (although there are a few areas with some superficial scratching). I've read the M105 is pretty intense, should I just be using it on the highly scratched area and using a different polish with a fine pad on the rest of the car (if so can you recommend a polish"

Even if you don't have a lot of swirls the depth of each individual swirl determines what polishes are needed. So while you may not have a lot a product like the M105 will help remove some of the deeper swirls. If you want to start off with just the M205 you certainly can and move up to the M105 as need be. However I've worked on many new brand new cars that required the M105. If you have any other questions please let me know.

Greg @ DI

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by rup

Thanks Greg. Tried it out, has made the stain definitely better, will try again soon to see if a second application will help.
Used it neat after a test section.
Very good general cleaner, had a carpet stain (in my house) which it did a great job on.

Glad to hear about your success, let me know if I can help you with any future detailing questions.

Greg @ DI