[MSCD]

[QUOTE=Detailed Image;21358225]If the tips are in good shape (ie new) then there is no need to use metal polish. Just keep them clean by regularly wiping them down during maintenance washes (which should be done every 1-2 weeks).

If they are used and have heavy carbon build up, you can use a metal polish.

Thank you Zach- will be wiping them done... brand new! Appreciate you quick reply.

[Aesthetics]

Got scratches on my front/back bumpers due to street parking. What kind of touch ups can I do to diminish them?

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by Aesthetics

Got scratches on my front/back bumpers due to street parking. What kind of touch ups can I do to diminish them?

Simply apply touchup paint that is the correct paint code. You can obtain this paint from your dealer or a variety of online sources.

[MSCD]

Zach,

Tail pipes look awesome, thanks. I have M brakes on my F31 and the brake dust is pretty bad. What's a reasonable priced wheel wax? Would you recommend or avoid? My concern is if I seal without a through clean and can't take the wheels off!

Thanks.

[Detailed Image]

I always recommend CarPro HydrO2 as the quickest and easiest way to protect your wheels. Another good option is Sonax Wheel Rim Shield.

Check out these articles....
CarPro HydrO2: Seal Your Wheels in Less than 1 Minute by Zach McGovern
Product Review: Sonax Wheel Rim Shield by Zach McGovern

[MSCD]

Originally Posted by Detailed Image

I always recommend CarPro HydrO2 as the quickest and easiest way to protect your wheels. Another good option is Sonax Wheel Rim Shield.

Check out these articles....
CarPro HydrO2: Seal Your Wheels in Less than 1 Minute by Zach McGovern
Product Review: Sonax Wheel Rim Shield by Zach McGovern

Thank you Zach. Will review and go for one of these products. Much appreciated

[originalgoods13]

Hi Zach,

I just got a Nanoskin 6" pad. What speed and how many passes should I do on my Black Sapphire Metallic paintwork? I will use rapid detailer as the lubricant.

I am preparing the paintwork for a paint protection film, thanks!

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by originalgoods13

Hi Zach,

I just got a Nanoskin 6" pad. What speed and how many passes should I do on my Black Sapphire Metallic paintwork? I will use rapid detailer as the lubricant.

I am preparing the paintwork for a paint protection film, thanks!

I'd encourage you to read these articles for more information on how to use the autoscrub pads...

NanoSkin AutoScrub Foam Pad by Greg Gellas

Product Review: Nanoskin Autoscrub Foam Pads by Ivan Rajic

You should find all of the info you need in there! Let me know if you've got any other questions.

-Zach

[originalgoods13]

Many thanks! This has been helpful for my next project!

[originalgoods13]

My go-to has been Menzerna FG400 and Yellow cutting pad. I cannot seem to get good results and thinking of moving to Purple Cutting Foam Pad. It is on a repainted BMW fender. What am I doing wrong? Some factors to consider:

-Temp is 40F or near freezing
-FG400 is 2 years old

I want to increase cutting power and using the same number of passes (6 passes on average).

Thanks!

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by originalgoods13

My go-to has been Menzerna FG400 and Yellow cutting pad. I cannot seem to get good results and thinking of moving to Purple Cutting Foam Pad. It is on a repainted BMW fender. What am I doing wrong? Some factors to consider:

-Temp is 40F or near freezing
-FG400 is 2 years old

I want to increase cutting power and using the same number of passes (6 passes on average).

Thanks!

I would try a microfiber cutting pad or wool cutting pad if you need more cut. Both of these options will be more aggressive than foam cutting pads.

The age of FG400 isn't likely an issue as long as it has been stored properly. Cooler temps can play a factor as you need to generate heat to level paint, but with 6 passes you should be heating up the surface a fair amount.

Pick up these and give them a shot...
- Microfiber cutting Pad
- Wool cutting pad


-Zach

[originalgoods13]

Thank you once again!

I will give the microfiber pads a try!

[Kismail1]

Hey Zach ,

Im kind of a newb when it comes to detailing , and im getting ready to buy some stuff for fully detailing my E90 jet black with some heavy swirls and snatches . Im looking at the Griots Polisher, but do not know what to get for pads . I hear the meguiars m205 and m105 for compound and polish are great . But what pads to do i get ? should i stick to Meguiars micro fiber pads ?

Also are there any kits you know of that are one stop shop to get everything in one ?

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by Kismail1

Hey Zach ,

Im kind of a newb when it comes to detailing , and im getting ready to buy some stuff for fully detailing my E90 jet black with some heavy swirls and snatches . Im looking at the Griots Polisher, but do not know what to get for pads . I hear the meguiars m205 and m105 for compound and polish are great . But what pads to do i get ? should i stick to Meguiars micro fiber pads ?

Also are there any kits you know of that are one stop shop to get everything in one ?

There are a lot of great compounds, polishes, and pads out there that can help you to accomplish your goals. A lot of it just comes down to personal preference, but since you're just getting started you won't have an opinion on which products you like to use yet, so I will share some of my personal favorites...

M105 is a great product, but I have found it to be not-so user friendly compared to some other options out there. I would recommend Meguiar's M100 instead. This compound has a longer working time than M105, meaning it will not dry up and will be a little easier to wipe off.

For polish, we love M205, so I won't mention anything else for the sake of keeping things simple.

As far as pad selection goes, I have a general "starter kit" that I recommend to most first timers. This selection will cover all of the bases and give you the tools you need to tackle most common situations.

Microfiber Cutting Pads - Great for heavy cutting & defect removal. Most commonly paired with a cutting compound
Light Cutting Pads - Great for moderate Cutting & swirl removal. Works great when paired with a cutting compound or finishing polish.
Polishing Pads - Great for light swirl removal, or for cleaning up haze left over after compounding. Typically paired with a finishing polish.
Finishing Pads (optional - rarely used) - Great to maximize gloss and for very fine swirl removal/use on delicate paint. Paired with a finishing polish.

Pad size is also an important factor to consider. I personally find the 6.5 " pads to be a bit too big for my liking. THe 5.5" pads provide the perfect size for the majority of the work, and the smaller size relative to the 6.5" means you will translate more force to the paint and therefore cut through defects quicker. For that reason, I recommend 5.5" Pads and a 5" backing plate for the majority of your work. For tighter areas, purchase a 3" backing plate and some 3" pads. I recommend 2-3 of the 5.5" pads in each category (i.e. 3 of the 5.5" microfiber, 3 of the 5.5" light cutting, etc) and 2 of the 3" pads in each category. This will ensure you have enough pads on hand to complete your job properly.


These articles may be helpful for you as well....
http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-P...our-test-spot/

http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-P...ucts-and-pads/

http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-P...any-do-i-need/

Please let me know if you have any other questions!

-Zach

[Kismail1]

Originally Posted by Detailed Image

There are a lot of great compounds, polishes, and pads out there that can help you to accomplish your goals. A lot of it just comes down to personal preference, but since you're just getting started you won't have an opinion on which products you like to use yet, so I will share some of my personal favorites...

M105 is a great product, but I have found it to be not-so user friendly compared to some other options out there. I would recommend Meguiar's M100 instead. This compound has a longer working time than M105, meaning it will not dry up and will be a little easier to wipe off.

For polish, we love M205, so I won't mention anything else for the sake of keeping things simple.

As far as pad selection goes, I have a general "starter kit" that I recommend to most first timers. This selection will cover all of the bases and give you the tools you need to tackle most common situations.

Microfiber Cutting Pads - Great for heavy cutting & defect removal. Most commonly paired with a cutting compound
Light Cutting Pads - Great for moderate Cutting & swirl removal. Works great when paired with a cutting compound or finishing polish.
Polishing Pads - Great for light swirl removal, or for cleaning up haze left over after compounding. Typically paired with a finishing polish.
Finishing Pads (optional - rarely used) - Great to maximize gloss and for very fine swirl removal/use on delicate paint. Paired with a finishing polish.

Pad size is also an important factor to consider. I personally find the 6.5 " pads to be a bit too big for my liking. THe 5.5" pads provide the perfect size for the majority of the work, and the smaller size relative to the 6.5" means you will translate more force to the paint and therefore cut through defects quicker. For that reason, I recommend 5.5" Pads and a 5" backing plate for the majority of your work. For tighter areas, purchase a 3" backing plate and some 3" pads. I recommend 2-3 of the 5.5" pads in each category (i.e. 3 of the 5.5" microfiber, 3 of the 5.5" light cutting, etc) and 2 of the 3" pads in each category. This will ensure you have enough pads on hand to complete your job properly.


These articles may be helpful for you as well....
http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-P...our-test-spot/

http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-P...ucts-and-pads/

http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-P...any-do-i-need/

Please let me know if you have any other questions!

-Zach

WOW thank you so much for your detailed reply .this makes my life so much easier . BTW do you guys ship to canada? id rather buy everything from one place !

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by Kismail1

WOW thank you so much for your detailed reply .this makes my life so much easier . BTW do you guys ship to canada? id rather buy everything from one place !

Happy to help.

I do not work directly with the sales side of the business, I am a professional detailer who helps monitor various forums that Detailed Image sponsors by providing helpful insight, tips, product recommendations, etc. so I am not 100% certain if Detailed Image ships to Canada or not.

Looking at their shipping information on their website, it does not appear that they do, but I would contact them to double check

http://www.detailedimage.com/Shipping/

Thanks
-Zach

[Kismail1]

Originally Posted by Detailed Image

Happy to help.

I do not work directly with the sales side of the business, I am a professional detailer who helps monitor various forums that Detailed Image sponsors by providing helpful insight, tips, product recommendations, etc. so I am not 100% certain if Detailed Image ships to Canada or not.

Looking at their shipping information on their website, it does not appear that they do, but I would contact them to double check

http://www.detailedimage.com/Shipping/

Thanks
-Zach

Does not seem like they do ... i have one last question . Now i get the steps Wash , Clay , Wash , Compound Polish . But for wax should I use the Buffer or do it by hand, and what product do you think is better. A sealant or Wax after those steps above . I do not think my car has ever been detailed lol so its gonna be alot of work, and i want to make sure i do it right

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by Kismail1

Does not seem like they do ... i have one last question . Now i get the steps Wash , Clay , Wash , Compound Polish . But for wax should I use the Buffer or do it by hand, and what product do you think is better. A sealant or Wax after those steps above . I do not think my car has ever been detailed lol so its gonna be alot of work, and i want to make sure i do it right

You can apply by hand or by machine, it makes no difference... I personally prefer to apply by machine because it is much faster and easier.

For better durability, use a sealant. My favorites are Blackfire Wet Diamond or Menzerna Power Lock.

-Zach

[e90Jeet]

Hi Zach,

Your work on this forum is really . I did learn a lot by reading your responses here.

And now I want to detail my car but have few questions before I start investing into this.

1. I do not have a garage with water supply, my garage is just enough to fit in the car and some space, that's it. However, I can bring water in couple of buckets.
So what I am thinking to get the car washed from the local hand wash (~$10) shop. It's half a mile away from my place. this will make sure to wash away heavy dirt. Once I am back in garage, do you think those rinseless wash (Optimum no rinse) will help to remove remaining/new dirt? Will it be enough to prepare the car for detailing?

2. Will the same product help to rinse after clay? After watching countless YT videos and reading forums learned that a thorough rinse is needed after clay. As i said, I don't have water supply so will optimum no rinse or similar products be enough?

3. To begin with, I would like to attack those swirls/scratches on B pillar (photo attached). This is to see if I am comfortable with the equipments. If it works then I would go ahead and do the car.

4. Last Q for now, car has few rock chips on the hood. However I don't plan to touch those up. Is it ok to use compound/polish on those? Or do I really need to get those fix first before I detail?

Appreciate any suggestions.

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by e90Jeet

Hi Zach,

Your work on this forum is really . I did learn a lot by reading your responses here.

And now I want to detail my car but have few questions before I start investing into this.

1. I do not have a garage with water supply, my garage is just enough to fit in the car and some space, that's it. However, I can bring water in couple of buckets.
So what I am thinking to get the car washed from the local hand wash (~$10) shop. It's half a mile away from my place. this will make sure to wash away heavy dirt. Once I am back in garage, do you think those rinseless wash (Optimum no rinse) will help to remove remaining/new dirt? Will it be enough to prepare the car for detailing?
Yes, that is a great way to keep your car clean. Actually, if your vehicle doesn't have a lot of gritty debris on it, you can skip the car wash all together and just use ONR. It is an extremely versatile and safe product when used properly! I use rinseless and waterless car washing to maintain my own vehicles and rarely do a traditional 3 bucket wash.

2. Will the same product help to rinse after clay? After watching countless YT videos and reading forums learned that a thorough rinse is needed after clay. As i said, I don't have water supply so will optimum no rinse or similar products be enough?
You do not need to rinse a vehicle after claying, especially if you used ONR to wash the car... here is how you do it.

Wash a panel or two with ONR, but do not worry about drying it (make sure you're in the shade to avoid residue drying on the hot paint. Now, with the remaining ONR solution on the paint, spray some additional ONR onto the surfaces that were just washed, and then clay them. Once they have been clawed, just go ahead and dry those panels. Then move on to the next panel or two... wash, spray with more ONR, clay, dry. Repeat until the entire car has been washed and decontaminated.

3. To begin with, I would like to attack those swirls/scratches on B pillar (photo attached). This is to see if I am comfortable with the equipments. If it works then I would go ahead and do the car.
Sounds like a reasonable plan.

4. Last Q for now, car has few rock chips on the hood. However I don't plan to touch those up. Is it ok to use compound/polish on those? Or do I really need to get those fix first before I detail?
No problem to compound/polish over rock chips. You will not cause any additional harm.

Appreciate any suggestions.

See my answers above in blue

Let me know if you have any other questions

-Zach

[e90Jeet]

Originally Posted by Detailed Image

See my answers above in blue

Let me know if you have any other questions

-Zach

thank you very much Zach, this gives me a good confidence to start the work. Will need your advise once I get to it in couple of days (after buying equipments).

[kgroschi]

Hello Zach,

first of all, thank you so much for providing so much information to all of us. I am new to the detailing world, and am overwhelmed by all the information online and all the products that are out there, so people like you are really really helpful and I really appreciate it.

That being said, to my question. I have purchased some towels on autogeek.com and before I start using them, I wanted to see if you recommend or can help me out what towels I should use for what. I am not sure if I bought towels that do similar things. Again, I am trying hard, but I am still confused.

I bought:

16x24 Guzzler HD Gold Waffle Weave Drying Towel (for drying the wet car I assume)

Supreme Micro - Chenille Wash Mitt - Grey (For washing the car with soap)

6 16x16 Supreme Buff Microfiber Buffing Cloth light grey (to work in products?)

16x24 Chinchilla Microfiber Buffing Cloth (similar use as the Supreme Buff?)

Black Microfiber All Purpose & Wheel Detailing Towel (For wheels)

16x16 Shine & Buff Waterless Wash Towel (gray/blue)


I attached a picture below of everything besides the Wash mitt.

Also, what would you recommend I do to make sure I don't cross contaminate. I mean I guess it's not ideal I have 6 of the gray buffing cloth towels. I might buy some more in a different color if I can't make it work. At this time I am using a waterless wash product from PolishPro. Meaning I first apply that, clean it off, the use another towel to work it in.

I am thinking to buy a high pressure washer to foam wash and get 2 buckets and some wheel brushes next.

Anything else you recommend?

Thanks a lot!