Basic Detailing - Supplies
 

Recent V8V owner here. So far its been a fantastic experience, although I do get a lot of judgement owning one at 27, my passion for cars/bikes far outweighs any of that.

The car is extremely solid, I purchased an 07 with less than 12,000kms. I did pay a premium but the condition is impeccable. I have probably put 1,000 since Oct and am limiting my usage to only weekend cruising, although putting kms on it a mental challenge.

No issues to report since Oct. A few minor things e.g., passenger airbag light is always off with/without passenger (I recall reading that it would require resetting etc)

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I got mine at 27, too :)

Check out this part of the forum, lots of info about detailing there and some specialists that contribute:

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/detailing-30/

Congrats on the car!

My take on detailing, FWIW:

Any step that touches the paint has the potential to scratch the clear coat. Aston clear coat seems fairly soft compared to some others such as the German brands. So minimize contact with the paint.

Most so called "detailers" are nothing but trouble and will scratch your clear coat with improper washing techniques; they will then follow this with polishes and glazes that temporarily fill in some of the scratches. They may even offer to "buff" your paint (this will create even worse damage). Dealers are also very effective at these damage techniques. If you are serious about properly maintaining your paint, learn yourself or find a proper detailer (for example, through www.autopia.org); there were a few Autopians circulating around Toronto a while back.

Learn to wash with the 2 bucket method. Consider investing in a foam sprayer. Does your condo have a wash bay? Get rid of the chamois. Pat dry with microfibre towels or better yet, air dry after rinsing with deionized water, or blow dry with a leaf blower to further minimize paint contact.

Clearcoat treatment is all about the prep (machine polishing, which removes a microscopic layer of clear coat down to the level of micro marring, thereby creating a smooth surface). Done properly, this is 99% of the job, but 99% of "detailers" will spend way more time trying to sell you a particular type of wax. Last step protection (LSP) can be with a carnauba based wax, but newer synthetic sealants are longer lasting. Don't waste money or time on super-expensive polishes, waxes or sealants. No LSP lasts forever; the key to great looking paint is proper polishing technique and proper washing technique in between polishes.

Leather in your car is a coated product and requires nothing more than a regular wiping down with a damp micofibre and occasional, light coating with a water-based protectant. Any heavier cleaning should be done with a water based product. Avoid anything with oil that makes silly claims to "feed" or "nourish" the leather (unfortunately, that covers most of the popular products, especially those available in retail stores). The oil will just sit on the surface and collect more dirt, accelerating wear. My personal advice is to avoid Leatherique (though some will argue strongly in its favour).

Congrats on the car, some great advice just given on detailing. And don't worry what anyone else thinks, just enjoy it and look forward.

Regarding the passenger air-bag: If the rear seat is moved too far back it will set-off that light. Try adjusting your passenger seat… move it forward to see if that light goes out.
As for detailing, I figure if I purchase the materials (which covers the cost of one good detailing) I'll really enjoy the savings each time I detail the car… rather than pay someone else to do it. Thankfully, I have a heated three car garage with a faucet. Hopefully I'll be able to do it as well as the pros. Time will tell. Non-metallic cars are a *****.

Gorgeous car, congratulations! Detailing is very fun (at least for me).

My wife asked me about spending so much time "cleaning your cars," and I told her "Hey, it keeps me out of the strip clubs and casinos!"

Nice car! congrats - One thing I really enjoy is keeping (and seeing) my AM clean. I have a 18v battery powered leaf blower for drying. If I didn't I'd invest in one. Enjoy the ownership experience!

I moved the seat back and front, the light just doesnt stay on when there is no passenger. When I turn on the ignition, it lights up, but as soon as the scans are done it goes off. Fine if there is a passenger but should stay on when there is no one.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/t...clean+my+Aston This is a good link

Any idea how to fix this?

The passenger airbag light should be off. If the passenger is of a certain weight, it will light up, saying the airbag is off, due to the small size of said passenger, thus avoiding tragic consequences to a small child under that specified weight. When the seat sensor senses no weight at all it will turn off. Or the light will stay illuminated if you turn the passenger airbag off on the passenger side dash cover between the dash and door close panel.

The passenger airbag light is always off regardless of if there is a passenger or not. I will check the airbag off/on button.

Regarding detailing, if I wanted to do a bit of minor cleaning work e.g., some mud or road debris on the car. Are the water-less options good? what do people normally do at car shows? Im a bit ocd when it comes to the appearance.

The airbag light will only light up if the passenger is between certain weight requirements. With no weight, the light is off, over a certain weight it also stays off. I dont recall the exact range but for example sake lets say its 8lbs and 75lbs. The light will illuminate Only when the passenger is between those set points, anythingvelse below and above it remains off. Its automatically controlled or overridden by the on/off override. Make sense? Unless you are driving with some milk in the passengers seat or a toddler, it will always stay off.
Art