The most extreme & elaborate professional car detailing guide

[imported_jagman]

i've used my dad's chamois before and it's pretty old so it's all worn in and whatnot. i guess it's older than me, because he says he doesn't remember if he had to wash it a bunch or not. on to the present, i bought a new chamois from viking and am wondering how you wash it before you use it on your car. i started using it but noticed it was leaving a haze. i looked at the packaging and it says cod oil was used on it (hence the smell i guess, nasty!). now, i tried washing it in the sink (on my 5th or 6th time now) by filling the sink with water over the chamois and then just rubbing it or whatever till the water gets dirty (it gets a kind of hazy yellow color) so i know stuff is coming off. but it doesn't seem like it's going to end =P, what should i use to clean it?

 

[YoSteve]

Save yourself some trouble and get some microfiber towels, no hazing, not scratching, less hassles, so soft



About your chamois, soak it in Dawn, or use something like Tide Free.



Most people who use chamois on this board blot with it and use microfiber and some quick detailer.

 

[JonB]

The synthetic chamois is much better than the lambskin ones. Wizards Water Bandit and the Absorber are two examples. There is also a new enty, the Big Blue Towel which is a microfiber towel. I just got mine and have not used it yet, but those who have say it is superior to even the synthetic chamois!! Some use the regular MF's to dry, but I reserve those for buffing, wax,, windows and final wipe.



H

 

[vettefan67]

I blot with an Absorber (soon to be Water Bandit, thx b) and then dry with 2 MTs. Is it just me or do MT's absorb water better than neatitems? Anyways I use the method YoSteve outlined a while ago: dry majority of water off with 1 mt, wring as needed.



Spray QD on second towel / panels and QD the streaks away. Buff with third if needed. Use this towel to buff off SG if you apply another layer.

 

[Don2000g]

My preferred towel for drying, as many others here, is the Water Bandit. Great synthetic drying towel that has dimples on it. The result is the most absorbing towel out there. I then follow up with a high quality microfiber towel. You can find the Water Bandit at www.kleanride.com. Laters

 

[Buds]

I had used the Absorber for about 15 years and thought it was great but, I just switched to using the big MF towel from Neatitems a few weeks ago and love it. With the big towel I get the car completely dry and do not even have to wring it out.

 

[old_gonzo]

that if you use a wax on your finish, the natural chamois will pull the wax off, not exactly your goal. A synthetic chamois is less likely to have this undesired effect.



MF is excellent for drying, and I find MF much easier to work with than a natural chamois.:up

 

[offcenter]

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by puterbum [/i]
I blot with an Absorber (soon to be Water Bandit, thx b) and then dry with 2 MTs. Is it just me or do MT's absorb water better than neatitems?

That's odd. I find the neatitems and Yo Steve's MF's absorb water much better than my CMA and Tacscar MT's.

BTW, a large MF from neatitems will dry the car much faster and easier thatn the Water Bandit or Absorber, I tried 'em all.

 

[Don2000g]

I would really like to compare the difference in micromarring under a 30 x magnifier comparing a Water Bandit and a large microfiber towel from neatitems. Somehow I feel a bit safer using a Water Bandit and the blot approach. The "fastest way to dry" is not something that should be most desirable. Laters

 

[offcenter]

<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by Don2000g [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>I would really like to compare the difference in micromarring under a 30 x magnifier comparing a Water Bandit and a large microfiber towel from neatitems. Somehow I feel a bit safer using a Water Bandit and the blot approach. The "fastest way to dry" is not something that should be most desirable. Laters [/b]</blockquote>
Don2000g,

I hear what you are saying. The reason I use the large MF to dry the vehicle is because if an MF is recommended for removing wax, Klasse, Blackfire as well as QD's, why would it micromar when removing water from a clean car? Especially when using Pinnacle BS or Meguiars GC which has lubricating agents. I find that I very lightly drag the MF over the surface, just like many use the Water Bandit. I agree the water bandit was much better that the absorber for removing water but the blotting technique was not 100% effective in removing water so I always followed up with an MF. This became a 2 step procedure so I feel that just using a large MF once on the paint has less negative impact than a blot and wipe routine. Plus, a slighly damp MF should not mar at all and it still pick up all the remaining water drops.

 

[vettefan67]

<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by rad21 [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>
That's odd. I find the neatitems and Yo Steve's MF's absorb water much better than my CMA and Tacscar MT's.

BTW, a large MF from neatitems will dry the car much faster and easier thatn the Water Bandit or Absorber, I tried 'em all. [/b]</blockquote>I find that extremely interesting given that Steve's MF's are the <strong class='bbc'>same exact towel[/b] as CMA MT's.

I have tried neatitem and YoSteve's MF's as well as the Absorber and the Water Bandit and I will somewhat agree with the above statement. However it is very effective to start out with the water bandit or some other large towel and move down to small towels (I finish with a QD with an MT).

 

[offcenter]

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by puterbum [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>
I find that extremely interesting given that Steve's MF's are the same exact towel as CMA MT's.

puterbum,

The CMA MT that I purchased last summer is not exactly the same as yo Steve's towel. The CMA MT is a bit thicker and a different shade of blue but still lints to this day and does not pick up water as well as Yo Steves. Yo Steves towel is much better than my CMA MT's. The new CMA MT's might be the same as Yo Steves but believe me, the 2 MT's I purchased (one from CMA, one from TACSCAR) last summer are inferior to Yo Steve and neatitems MF's although they look like real quality towels, the performance is disappointing.

 

[imported_Intermezzo]

Most of the MT's from CMA last summer were bad. Since then, & I think YoSteve was very instrumental in this process, the poor quality MT's which lint like crazy have been replaced. The MT's being sold now (by YoSteve & CMA & Tacscar) are the good non-linting ones and are from the same supplier. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.



Oh, and my current method to dry is to blot the entire car as fast as I can with the Water Bandit and then gently wipe the rest off with an MF or the Big Blue Towel.

 

[JonB]

I used the Big Blue MF today for the first time. Very nice product. It is larger and conforms to the car better than a Water Bandit and is much lighter so if you do tend to drag it across the surface there is less pressure. I did find that I had to wring it out after about 2/3 way through, but the Water Bandit requires several wring outs. I think the drying time was cut in half from the WB. I still following up with a Charisma and then QD'd with an MF. All in all the Big Blue is an excellent product and will probably replace the Water Bandit for general drying purposes.



H

 

[imported_Intermezzo]

I wasn't able to do the entire car with the Big Blue either before it got saturated and required wringing.

 

[JonB]

I found Big Blue to work quicker and better than the Water Bandit. Though they are both excellent products, I think Big Blue edges out WB by a slight margin.... I am not sure about it's durability though, as the WB might last longer, but time will be needed to test that theory.



H

 

[imported_Intermezzo]

I pretty much agree with all of that. I think the Big Blue really stands out when it comes to ease of use and time. It's a bit thin (but still absorbs a lot) so it's very easy to dry places that are hard to reach with a synthetic chamois. As soft and malleable as the Water Bandit is, the big blue is still much easier to work with.

 

[Don2000g]

Good info Rad. Its just that I try to use the least amount of friction as possible on the paint. The more rubbing you do the worse it is for your paint. And yes as we all know, even rubbing your paint regularly with a microfiber towel is bound to cause some micromarring. So as a general rule I only use a microfiber towel with quick detailer. I prefer the lubricating properties of a quick detailer over simple water. And remember most swirls happen in the washing and drying phase. Hence, I love to use Brad B. pattented blot approach and then follow with a microfiber towel. I must admit that I haven't tried the large microfiber towel from neatitems. And to be honest, I'm a bit tired of spending huge amounts of "mula" on more towels. I need to call it quits for a while. I'm sure that towel is pretty good though as I was perhaps the first big fan of the regular size towel from that website.



On another noteI find it interesting that Steves towels are a bit different than the CMA microfiber towel. And better? I knew his towels were at least as good as CMAs. Good info guys. Laters

 

[kc's]

I have another great opportunity not just detailing any ride, but truly a great transformations detailing on this ultimate driving machines

this is the most comprehensive & elaborate thread i ever undertaken...over 150 ++ of careful pictures documented... covering every part before & after & the process of what took place......

never have i done any car for 2 sunlight day....... the amount of attention ...headache....heat that i endure was immense ... a total 19 hours of detailing...

this ultimate driving machine is slightly more than 3 years old, got repainted last year & the interior is beyond its age...
the owner specifies the interior detailing...

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

the residue left behind after a good bath

with the good old ONR no rinse wash - how does it work...it takes an average of 150 gallon of water to wash a car, from rinsing, to soaping & re rinsing...but with the technology, how 2 ounces of ONR in 2 gallon changes the water density & tension....whatever dust or dirt that is trap on the microfibers now is trap under the water tension.. was design to fight the global warming & environment issue



filthy interior - usually seen in chauffeur driven ride - but just a 3 years old ride only

close up & under proper lighting picture

extreme close up lighted picture ( to show you how filthy & neglected this ride is)

cant u believe the oils, stains, dirt just left it there

Picture of a neglected interior door panel ,,,not cared for

more picture of interior before
stains & shoe marks every where

more shoe mark stains before

more side steps stains

do you ever wonder why nike, reebok, adidas, timberland, red wings, foot joy has non-marking sole

coins compartment pics before

now the common issue..of germans car in malaysia ...interior knobs melting...the ageing & deterioration of..rubberised parts peeling

side rest of the interior door panel
filthy & not cared for

closer pic, extreme shot

more pics of rubber stained door panel

over all picture before

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

now peeling issue is so common in all german marque machines

how do you then deal with the peeling issue

ta da magic power clean

safe for ALL CAR interior & exterior area, best part that it can be diluted to 3 parts of water for heavy leather soil cleaning or 5 parts of mild leathers cleaning, exterior paint cleaning (safe for clear coat too) 8 parts for vinyl leaning

is an all purpose cleaner that safely cleans your vehicle?s dirtiest surfaces. Remove bugs, brake dust, and oily grime when using Power Clean full strength. Dilute it to clean leather, vinyl, and plastics. is an environmentally friendly, surface-safe cleaner that will leave your vehicle spotless

a powerful punch, yet it?s gentle when it needs to be. Clean everything from the engine and wheels to the leather and dashboard ...

ta da finishing picture

remember pic before...of the foot rest

after

more before

ta da

before floor mat pic

after

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
next section ....heavily soil leather seats

a 50% /50% seats detailing picture

i use power clean to remove old dash dressings and tough residues from interior panels. Wipe away spills and spots from leather seats. Special polymers and emulsifiers break down contaminants with minimal agitation

extreme close up

the leather seats & interior is protected & condition with Optimum protectant plus

gives your car?s leather complete protection and a low-gloss, non-greasy finish ? all in a convenient spray!her Protectant cleans and protects leather seats, vinyl, trim, and moldings. The innovative protectant provides impenetrable UV protection and restores the original color of interior surfaces


I want to replaces those preservative chemicals and restores the leather and vinyl to optimum condition without leaving an oily, shiny film. Your interior looks new, not dressed.

can use be use on exterior trim and molding, too!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
remember this pictures

after pics seat side

more peeling issue ....deterioration & ageing begin

power clean replaces several different kinds of products: a dash cleaner, a wheel and tire cleaner, an engine degreaser, a bug and tar cleaner, and a leather cleaner......

excellent for professionals and enthusiasts looking for a highly effective and safe all purpose cleaner


moving on carpets detailing

pics before
closer pics

water stains

steaming begin

agitate with Power clean & steam & WIPE AWAY


50 % / 50 % pic before & after

left after & right before


ta da

rear before

more

ta da

rear seats before

after

stubborn carpet stains before

after

passenger seats before

after

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Moving on to the real paint issue


pls note that this repainted paint is soft, so soft that even scratches slightest touch create frictions, even wiping a microfibres marred the paint

the owner was shocked

hacked by previous detailer

 

[kc's]

furiously looking at the hologram damaged paint

What causes a 'hologram' effect in paintwork and how do you get ...
1) abrasion holograms, often reffered to as buffer trails or machine marring, which are microscopic scratches in the paint caused by micro marring of the improper product, pads & improper technique (not clean & contaminated)

rotary buffed too long. You shouldn't buff till the product becomes a powder. This is called buffing to a dry buff. You should always stop before this while there is still a liquid film on the surface.


more scratched & swirled paint

more

close up shot

a 50% / 50% area set prior correction & previously hacked & deep scratches inflicted during the last rotary buffing - suspected pads were dirty & filled with sand & just scratched , not clean prior use


before

after...

the paint is so soft that even with the slightest Megs M#205 polishes hologram it...with rotary with megs cutting pad

although scratches is eliminated




later

ta da another breakthrough technology...cutting edge''spray polish & compound) one or only in the entire work...1st to receive in asia

Benefits and Features
This ground-breaking spray compound is fast cutting, ZERO dusting and user friendly. A unique blend of proprietary polymers and abrasives allows for rapid removal of sanding marks and deep paint imperfections and defects like swirls and scratches all while creating the look of a polish.

No chalky residue EVER!

This is the first commercially available spray compound. Made for quick elimination of paint imperfections in a factory setting, Compound Spray works fast with no dust and minimal - if any - compounding swirls

ta da
a beautiful 50/50pics

before

un polished paint
pics before

more

more

It is very "wet", which gives it a long buffing cycle (working time) and makes it easy to spread over the paint. Foam or wool pads simply glides over the surface on the wet compound. It's nearly effortless! And, because i can keep working the compound almost indefinitely,i'm able to remove all defects with a minimal amount of compound. it's a spray! The spray formula enables you to apply compound to the entire pad with just a couple of pumps of the sprayer


tada

after

lets see the bigger picture now

a mirage of the mirror finish paint

pics before last right 1/4 area

after

looks familiar

ta da bigger picture

further away