Recent content by imported_Dude

We need a recommendation for a body shop in Los Angeles. We are in the San Gabriel valley, but are willing to go anywhere in the area for the right place.

I usually spend about 1.5-2 hours per weekend detailing our two cars. Our second child is due on December 8, and I want to help my wife by taking care of the kids. Therefore, I would like to cut back on my detailing time if at all possible. What does everyone suggest? For the purposes...

Or so they claim: http://www.enduralast.com Has anyone tried this? It would be interesting to see whether the manufacturer's claims can be borne out.

I used Poorboy's Professional Polish and EX sealant for the first time yesterday. Professional Polish: This was applied with a PC and a Meguiar's yellow (polishing) pad. The polish is a liquid and has just the right consistency -- neither too thick nor too thin. It smells like oranges...

I'm thinking of color sanding my Jeep, and a portion of my wife's Mercedes. The Jeep suffers from terrible orange peel; the Mercedes has pretty flawless paint, but there are some scratches on the trunk lid that need to be sanded out. My main concern is the Jeep. I have heard that orange peel...

Okay, I'm about to take the plunge and get a rotary. My cars have several "tight spots" that are only a few inches wide. They are much smaller than the rotary pad. For example, the top of my rear bumper is painted and has a few swirls. It's about three inches wide and 36" long. How do I...

I am interested in learning how to do basic maintainence on my own car. Right now, I can put air in the tires and change the wiper blades, but that's about it. I don't even know how to change the oil. Which maintainence manual is the best? My Jeep dealer sells one, but I understand that...

I am eager to try BF II. However, I still have gallon bottles of Eagle One WET car wash and One Grand Show Off sitting on the shelf, and I would like to use them up. How much does BFII benefit from the BF QD and car wash soap? Is it like Zaino, which benefits considerably from Z6 and Z7, or...

My favorite wheel cleaner is Eagle One A2Z, but it doesn't come in gallon bottles. Can anyone recommend a good wheel cleaner or all purpose cleaner that is available in gallons? If you had to choose between EF HI and Meguiar's APC+, which would you pick?

The Vac N' Blo comes with a cloth waste collection bag. How do I clean the bag? Do I wash it?

This weekend, I stripped the Einszett from my blue Jeep (not that I don't like Einszett- I do- I just felt that it looked better on my wife's silver car). My original plan was to go back to Zaino. Just for fun, though, I decided to go the pure carnuba route for a week, just to see what it...

Anyone know of any stores that carry Gummi-Pflege (the door seal stuff) online or in the Los Angeles area? My local BMW dealership doesn't carry it.

Here's a copy of an email exchange I had with Mike at Einszett. It looks like it can be topped with a carnuba wax. Interestingly, like Zaino, Einszett can be removed with alcohol. I bet the two have a lot in common, although they are obviously very different products; Zaino is a paste...

Does anyone know what sleazy dealers use to cover up defects? When my wife bought her last Mercedes, the dealer used a glaze that covered up all the paint chips, areas of clearcoat failure, etc. What kind of glaze hides defects?

My father-in-law's beater is in sorry shape. The paint is heavily oxidized. I used some P21s paint cleaner, and it improved the car's appearance dramatically. However, some oxidation remains. It's time to break out the heavy artillery. I bought some rubbing compound yesterday. I chose...