first spring cleaning

[g34343greg]

Hi everyone!



this is my first post on here. i'm very much an amateur when it comes to detailing, but i do my best to take car of my cars and bikes.

i have a 2012 VW that i purchased in the fall. i clay barred and waxed it before winter using off the shelf Meguiar's products. unfortunately after putting on several thousand miles over the winter (80 mile round trip highway commute), my paint feels like sandpaper from the de-icer they spray all over the roads.



what do you suggest to remove it so i don't scratch the paint?



here's how it looked before winter:

and at the risk of sounding ignorant, what would i gain by switching to professional grade products? i assume they will be more durable and hold up better?

i don't really know of anyone that pays for high dollar detailing, so i just do my best and learn as i go.



this is a reflection in the door of my 2011 WRX. can someone post some pictures showing what i should be aiming for?

thanks!!!

greg

 

[pwaug]

Greg -- Welcome to Autopia!!! You're going to get allot of different opinions so be prepared. It's not so much "using professional products" as it is using the right products. I"m assuming you don't have a random orbital polisher such as the Griots or Portor Gable or even the Harbor Frieght and will be doing this by hand.



There are hundreds of different products out there--I'll suggest Duragloss as they are reasonably priced and have an excellent reputation.



1. Wash with a strong solution--you could use DAWN or better yet Chemical Guys Citrus Wash-- Chemical Guys Citrus Wash, 16 oz. - Chemical Guys Car Wash & Shampoos Don't use this wash all the time, just in the spring for clean up.



2. Clay the car again



3. Apply a coat of Duragloss 501--it is from thier Marine line and has some strong cleaners as well as a very durable sealant (many autopians use it on cars so don't worry) Duragloss Marine & RV Polish & Cleaner #501 - Marine & RV Care You can mix the 501 4 parts to 1 part of DG 601 bonding agent if you likeDuragloss Polish Bonding Agent (PBA) #601 - Duragloss to speed up curing of the 501 so you could then add a additional LSP after 2 hours if you like, but you don't have to--only mix up about 2 OZ of 501 to .5 OZ of 601 as this will be more than enough to do your entire car and wheels. If you don't use the 601 you should wait overnight to add any additional product.



5. DG 501 is very durable so it should last 4-6 months, but if you like you can put on another layer using DG 105 Duragloss Total Performance Polish (TPP) #105 - Duragloss or if you prefer the look of wax then you could do a layer of Collinite 845 Collinite Liquid Insulator Wax #845 - Collinite



All of these products should be put on as thin as you can so that buffing off will be easy. If you park your car inside you will easily get 6 months protection out of these products. If it's outside 24/7 it might be less, but you can always add an additional coat of either 105 or 845 after a wash and do make sure you add one just before winter.





Hope this helps!!!

 

[g34343greg]

Hi everyone,

I was about to create a thread for the best way to get the winter grit and grime off my car, but then I realized I already had a few years ago! but only 1 reply!

any new suggestions? is the best method to just clay bar it and keep kneading the clay into itself? I hate how quickly the clay looks dirty when a car is this rough, so it seems like no matter what i do i'll be dragging some dirt around.

thanks!!

 

[Accumulator]

Hi everyone,

I was about to create a thread for the best way to get the winter grit and grime off my car, but then I realized I already had a few years ago! but only 1 reply!..

Sorry, I somehow missed that or I would've offered my 2¢

any new suggestions? is the best method to just clay bar it and keep kneading the clay into itself? I hate how quickly the clay looks dirty when a car is this rough, so it seems like no matter what i do i'll be dragging some dirt around.

That is indeed a valid concern and IMO explains why so many people mar up their paint when they clay- the clay turns into sandpaper when it picks up something abrasive.

So frequent kneading/replacing of the clay is very important. I like to tear the clay into small pieces and I work very small areas at a time suing plenty of lube.

Also, I'm a big fan of chemical decontamination as an alternative to claying. It often works better and is basically just a matter of doing a series of washes with special stuff (e.g., the ValuGard "ABC" system).

Once you get it nice and clean, you might want to consider switching to a different wax/etc. One that sheds contamination more readily so all that [stuff] doesn't keep getting stuck to your paint.

 

[Priyaka]

Before using clay to remove above surface contaminants, you should definitely consider using a product like Iron-X to chemically remove contaminants that are bonded in the surface.

Here are some articles by Mike Phillips that talk about Iron-X and demonstrate an "aggressive" approach to car washing which may be beneficial in your case.

What is Iron X and why should I use it? - Auto Geek Online Auto Detailing Forum

The Aggressive Approach to Washing a Car - Auto Geek Online Auto Detailing Forum

 

[jrock645]

The Finish Kare system is great!

Also, iwould highly reccomend a nanoskin, much faster and easier to use than clay.

 

[g34343greg]

I will definitely read up on Iron-X and the ABC system more.

I'm intrigued by the Nanoskin though. Where do the contaminants go?? Is this safer than claying?

 

[Bill D]

You can't go wrong with the ABC system

 

[Accumulator]

A quick note about the FinishKare decontamination system- compared to ValuGard's ABC the FK stuff is quite potent.

"Grumpy" Ron K. (currently MIA here but still highly respected; he held high positions at both companies) considered the FK stuff to be *so* aggressive as to be an unwise choice. I won't go that far, but you do need to be careful with the stuff and neutralize it quickly if something goes wrong. Their alkaline product (PN 1119) is nasty stuff that smells awful and I wouldn't want it on my driveway (let alone the lawn). Their acidic product (eh, forget the PN, sorry...) oughta be kept off fragile surfaces and, according to Ron, is even a bit much for glass and plastics.

Not hating on it, and its worked well for me. But it's not as foolproof as the ValuGard stuff or products like IronX.