I use this one for my wheels.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Meguiar-s...&wl13=&veh=sem


The edge is thin enough to get between the double spokes of the Sport pack wheels.

 

That is a common picture for my neighbors.

 

A few years ago I decided to pick up a variable speed dryer to help with dog grooming at home. I looked it over and saw that it has an inlet filter and decided to use it on the cars. It has a handle and rubber feet so it sits nicely beside you and is easy to move around. I drape the hose over my shoulder to keep from contacting the car. It works great with a microfiber towel to blow out and collect water from seams, especially around mirrors, door handles, lights, panel seams, etc. I also use it to dry my wheels completely (tire/wheel seams, lug wells, etc.). I found the best place to get them is Ryan's Pet Supply. This is the one I use: http://store.ryanspet.com/MVAFTD-1VC

 

It's not so much between the spokes, it's the spot where they meet the barrel, I typically have to use a fingernail to scrape off the hard built up brake dust.

I highly recommend the one that fits like a glove, it's much thinner and the back side is excellent for tougher stuck on stuff. They're not like the sticks in that you do have to move the car enough to get to the barrel that's by the caliper though.

 

I've never been much for taking my car to the car wash but there's a self wash near my house with the integrated hand dryers and it's become my "go to" place. Andrew (Sheriff dept) turned me on to the ceramic paint sealer stuff and my DBS was fortunate to get a treatment before I purchased it.. I always thought the stuff was a bit of voodoo nonsense but I'm a full on believer now. Andrew has been a huge help getting me straightened out in terms of the way I clean my cars..

Check out the video of the air dryer in action on my DBS.. The water just rolls right off and very minimal towel work is necessary at all.

https://youtu.be/MznhNlT735I

 

^^^^

When mine stops doing that I know it's time to wax

 

Alright guys, I haven't looked at this thread in several days and see where this turned into a detailing thread for the most part. I will provide ALOT of information below:

Anything touching your car has an opportunity of scratching or marring the surface. So you must think in respect to that. Whether its a towel, mitt, pad, or your hands and fingers. The more lubrication any of those items have, the less chance of marring the surface. So not only is the materials touching the paint a concern but also the amount of lubrication. Keep that in mind with the following.

Washing your car, you introduce or can introduce 25% of your scratches and swirls.

Drying your car ,you introduce or can introduce 75% of your scratches and swirls

Remember: YOU are creating the swirls and marring. Not the paint, you are the culprit. So blame your self

1. Washing----
Hand soap, dish soap etc... these soaps are great for grime and oils on the car, but WILL strip the surface of all wax. I use it to strip the surface to prep it for polishing.

Using proper wash soap, such as Chemical Guys Mr. Pink, Honeydew etc.... will not strip your wax and provide enough lubricant to your wash mitt so it wont scratch either. Scratches come from debris caught up in your mitt, or dragged across the surface.

2-bucket method of washing is where you have one clean water bucket, one with soap. You dip your mitt into the soap, then wash a panel, then clean the mitt in the clean water, before going back into the soap. They make Grit Guards for the bottom of the buckets to help scrape the gunk off the mitt when cleaning it. This process will help reduce the scratches installed on the car

Wash Mitts: micro-fiber mitts are the best IMHO, however quality ones should run about $10-15. There are low quality ones that can marr the surface. Wool ones are good also and likely to run $20 or more.

I take this process a step-further-- I wash the car with ONE bucket of soap. I take 15 MF towels I get from Costco (yellow pack of 30) and put them all in one bucket never re-using a towel or putting it back in the bucket.

Washing---- Do one panel at a time. Wash DOWN the car not up on the panels. Wash in straight lines, not circular motions (swirls). I use one towel per panel for my wash. Roof and windows is one towel. Trunk lid and lights another towel. Rear bumper, then lower side bumper behind wheels another towel. Each door halfway down another 2 towels. Lower doors each one towel, then use that towel for the rocker panel. Hood one towel, then use that towel on grill area, then lower under front lip area. One towel for rest of front bumper. One towel each for quarter panels front and rear with lower parts done last.

As you can see, I have minimized, through a process of not dragging any type of sand spec, dirt etc.... from one panel to another. My process is to prevent as much as possible the marring of the surface. Is it harder? No, actually easier and less time consuming than cleaning out a wash mitt each time. I know for a fact, my towels are clean each time they touch the paint. You cannot say that for a mitt.

Wash your MF towels on HOT with correct MF detergent in your washing machine. Dry the ONLY on low heat. High heat will damage the MF ends and they will lose their effectiveness. Inspect the towels for debris before folding them and putting them away. I usually wash once a week or so.


Drying a car:

You may use a MF drying towel, there are lots of them on the market. Any other type of towel, especially terry cloth or bathroom cotton, will marr the surface and create swirls. Remember, when drying with an appropriate MF towel, you are still dragging a dry towel across the surface so there is a chance of marring and swirl buildup over time. You can minimize that by lubricating the towel with AMMO NYC Hydrate product. Only one I know of that works and works well. But, the best way is to use a blower.

Leaf blowers inherently will not work well. Okay, it will blow some water off, but you will end up with water spots. The owner will typically take some type of towel and dry those or wipe those off. This again causes marring. The air is not focused enough, and the gas leaf blowers usually spray oil with the air due to exhaust fumes. Electric ones don't have enough focused air to do the job right.

Metro Vac has a solid line of products. I personally use the Metro Sidekick and the 8hp dedicated 30' hose blowers. I do not use a combination vac/blower set up. I don't want to take any chance of debris or dust coming into the air stream. So I use a separate vac system for cleaning.

http://www.detailedimage.com/Metro-V...k-Blower-P853/

http://www.detailedimage.com/Metro-V...73/30-hose-S2/

http://www.detailedimage.com/Metro-V...-Classic-P933/

The Sidekick is pefect to use and takes no space. But, there is a huge difference using the hose ones, especially the 8hp one.

Using these blowers you have a focused stream of air to blow the car dry and all the seams and cracks. There is no way at all to introduce dust or anything into the stream, and there is no need to use a towel for anything. Thus making the drying stage a swirl/marr/scratch free process. Thereby reducing the scratch opportunity by about 75%.

These blowers I also use to blow out the garage, driveway etc... but also sometimes blow the interior of a car out also. Works wonders blowing all the dust and crap buildup in the dash, air vents, center console, beside the seat and center console.

They are worth every penny spent, and no leaf blower compares ever.

Now onto detailing:

There are really two types of detailing. One being a Full detail, and one a paint correction.

Full Detail: a detailer throughly clean the car inside and out. Then applies a wax sealant to protect the paint. Also may wipe down interior with a type of protectant such as Armour All or variant of that. (rarely, but sometimes a One-Step cleaner polish/sealant is used during the process but slightly more expensive)

That process does nothing to your scratches or swirls in the paint. The one step polish/sealenat will eliminate some very minor swirls and add the wax to protect. But, basically your paying for a clean car, dressed up nicely with products, and protected from the elements. Costs for this are usually from $100-$300 or so. Depending quality and quality of products used.

Paint Correction: there are many levels of this process. After starting from a clean paint surface (i.e....washed with a dedicated product or Dawn dish soap) the car will be surface cleaned with detailing clay (or synthetic variant) to remove imbedded particles on the surface of the paint. Sometimes a product for Iron Removal will be used on the paint and wheels too during this time. Once the paint is surface cleaned then you start the process of correcting the swirls.

There are 1-step (mild swirl removal and polish w/ sealant added), 2-step (dedicated compound and polish used w/ no sealant), 3-step (dedicated compound, 2-step polish and no sealant). Prices go according to how much work is done. This can run into the thousands depending work quality and the quality of the detailer.

Sealants: There are basically two types of wax. Carnauba and Synthetic. Carnauba dissipates with heat and typically only lasts 4 week or so, and is used as a topper to synthetic sealants and provides a deep warm hue to the paint. Synthetic sealants last around 5-6 months and provide some added shine to the paint, but is basically your protectant. Both are good, but synthetics are utilized the most.

Coatings: ceramic or glass are the variants out right now. They last anywhere from 1yr to 3-4yrs. They do require maintenance. Coatings can build up a haze from road grime over time, and need cleaning also. Most companies like CarPro, Cquartz, 22ple, Modesta etc... have their own products to help maintain them. Prices for install range from $500 to over 1k depending product, if a primer is used, or how many coats. The initial products range from $100 to $500 depending manufacturer.


Personal thoughts: From my experience I find that most products available at your local store are not worth the money spent. Are there some to get there--sure but I always order my stuff through Autogeek.net or Detialedimage.com. When those places have sales, you can pay the same as the local store for items, but have a professional full strength product, instead of a consumer grade. So, my suggestion is buy online and use what your comfortable with. Most detailers or hobbyists find products they like or they think is best. There are a lot of good manufacturers out there that provide products at very good price. Such as Menzerna, CarPro, Griots Garage BOSS line, Blackfire, Pinnacle etc..... i personally use AMMO NYC for my waxes, coating, and basic supplies. I have tried a lot, but Larry's products do work as advertised, and he is available to consult if you need the help or advise. That counts for a whole lot in this industry.


Aston paint I find very finicky. Usually when doing a paint correction you test an area on a vehicle to see what pads, products, and speeds you need to get the best results. You start off with the least aggressive products and work to most aggressive, stopping when you fine the best. Well, on V8 Vantages, I find my normal orange LC Hydro 5" cutting pad with Menzerna FG400 compound works our great and finishes to a only very slightly hazy finish. Then a white polishing light cut LC Hydro pad with Menzerna SF3500 finishes it off to a perfect finish, less any deep scratches that cannot be polished out. I then usually top it with a sealant for protection. Or using AMMO NYC REFLEX (non semi-permanent coating) then AMMO NYC SKIN sealant. Works nice.

But, on my DB9 in Jet Black my test area went well with that process. I started on the roof first after the test, and dam if the paint wasn't the same and the process didnt work. I had to switch to a micro-fiber cutting pad and tried the same. Worked nice, but left a deeper haze. So tried with a MF-polishing pad with the FG400 compound and it came out better than perfect. Switched over to the white pad and SF3500 and found slight marring afterwards. So moved to a black non cut wax pad and the SF3500 and that worked out nicely. Now, onto the trunk lid. Tried the last workable solution, but came out no good. Then worked back to original process and that was better but not acceptable. Ended up moving to Meguires D300 pink compound and the orange pad, then white a SF3500 and this worked out nicely on the trunk lid. Etc.....Etc.... Each panel took a different product and pad combination.

Clearcoats are different. You have hard ceramic clear coats (BMW, MERC) and then soft clear coats like Porsche and Astons. They all take different processes and some, like my DB9, take different process per panel.

So Paint Correcting a car is tedious, time consuming work. A detailer can put 8hrs in a PC or 80hrs in a PC. For my personal cars I take my time, and add in a 2-step polish stage, then a jeweling stage with dedicated jeweling pad and Rupes Diamond polish. I usually will take 50-70 hrs total time in making mine perfect. Then its only maintenance from there on out.

I don't use a semi-permanent coating on my Aston. I use AMMO NYC REFLEX, SKIN, CREME. My car is possibly going to be a collector car (05' 6-speed manual, Aston didnt offer 6-speeds till 2006 officially) so I want to make sure there is enough clear coat on this car to last, lets say another 50 years or so. A coating will have to be taken off at some point to re-new it, or correct water spots, or road grime. It is difficult for any detailer to know exactly when the coating is off the car, so that increases substantially the removal of clear coat material when correcting the paint down the road. There is only so much, so I an extra cautious with that process.

Wheels--- I highly suggest any owner to remove their wheels, clean them just like you would the paint, polish if necessary, and apply a coating to them, barrel included. This not only protects them against the elements, but allow for much easier cleaning with no added chemicals needed. I hate degreasers. They cause so many issues with owners typically. So now I never use them, but once in a while on the tires themselves to clean them thoroughly.

Daily Drivers--- I would and do have a Coating on that and always will. Hand down the easiest process to keep clean, and I love the look, just not for my Aston, or future exotics.

The arguments for coatings is the shine and ease of maintenance. Well coatings should require the same amount of effort as using sealants and waxes. The coatings don't have to be, but should be cleaned with a dedicated cleaner like CarPro Essance and Reload. So which ever way you choose, you will still spend time applying wax, or enhancing the coating properties each 6 months.

Also, coatings do not prevent scratches or swirls. Yes they are a barrier to protect the paint, but you can still scratch the surface just the same as if you didnt have a coating.


I hope all this helps. This gives a pretty thorough overview of processes that can be done or should be done to a car. Please ask anything further if you like and I will be happy to help.

 

I clean my wheels as usual then steal a can of PAM from the ole lady's kitchen to coat the inside. Works for me.

 

Wax residue anywhere but especially edges of PPH: use spray wax and a mf towel and your finger nail edge. Spray in the area, then use the towel to wipe off. Yes, a light bristle toothbrush can work with spray wax sprayed on the panel and the brush. Then lightly work that along the edges and loosen the dried wax and then remove with mf towel.

See above posting links for the products

This is all a process and until its explained not many people really think about this. Most people do not know about paint corrections, and most have never even heard the term. Dealerships, even higher end ones, have never heard of the process. They think the detail guys will just buff (typically old school with rotary buffers and well used pads) the finish. They don't really see the swirls, somehow.


Dual action buffer (Rules or Flex) with pads and liquids will set you straight and you learn something out of it. Then you learn to criticize everyone else paint and work due to how hard it really is to maintain a perfect finish. But, the PC finishes are really noticeable compared to cars not taken care of very well.



Again, I hope the two posts I made above will help some of you guys out. Be happy to discuss anything offline if desired, but also happy to help out here. Should do this for a business, but my day job pays the bills, so cannot afford to

 

Sheriff has made a very detail and in depth post about how to properly wash a car. I just want to add that I do a prewash with a foam cannon, let it sit for a few minutes, then rinse off before I do 2 bucket washing. I have one grit guard on the wash and a grit guard plus washboard for the rinse bucket.
Depending on how hard your water is. I highly suggest investing in the CR rinseless water system. Larry from AMMO uses one too.
I myself am a big fan of Adam's polish stuff.

 

+1 - I like that a lot.
Took me a while to get away from 'washing my car' when I wash it. Used to see waxing as part of the cleaning and having to 'work it in'.

So a quick question. Anything to do about when you're waxing and the static you're creating in the process. Just seems to suck the dust right on to it. And with a black car - ARRGHHH!

 

IF your talking of how when you take the wax off, the static buildup pulls lint from the MF towels, yes I ran into that at Christmas.

The only alternative I have is to then rinse the car off, and blow dry it. Other than that I am not sure how to avoid the lint static. Just only ran into this once in a blue moon.

 

I found out that only washed towels have the tendency for the static issue.

Replacing the washed towel with a new, never used one resolves the static.

 

I've been using a Black & Decker electric leaf blower for several years now. It does a great job of drying my cars with NO water spots. In fairness, I use a CR Spotless rinse at the end of most washes, so the car would probably air dry spotless. However, I have sometimes used the blower without the deionized rinse, and as long as I dry while there is still plenty of water on the paint, there are no spots.

Not disagreeing that there may be better blowers out there, but just noting that it IS possible with the right leaf blower and technique.