Shine on my black car
12-14-2016, 04:28 PM
#32
12-15-2016, 12:04 PM
#33
Agree with most of the comments in this thread so won't regurgitate most but will highlight a few steps for you to consider:
1. Wash the car well
2. Decontaminate with an iron-releasing chemical (like Iron-X but there are plenty of alternatives)
3. Clay the car using either auto hand clay or a clay "towel". Use plenty of lubrication. I use car soap, others use quick detailer or other alternatives.
4. Polish the car and use a machine, don't waste time doing it by hand. Use a real random orbital, not a $20 "buffer". If you don't have one and don't want to buy one, then take it to a professional. You can get an entry-level random orbital (Porter Cable 7424 or 7424XP or Griot's) for <$100 or get a nicer one (Rupes, Flex, Griot's higher level, etc.) for quite a bit more. There are no shortages of polishes you can use but I use Sonax Perfect Finish because it is super easy to use, doesn't require a finishing polish step, creates minimal dust, etc.
5. After the car is polished to your standards (use very good lighting in a variety of angles to inspect), it is time to protect your hard work.
6. Many here recommend sealants or waxes. While both provide protection and good shine, they are not as stout at preventing new scratches as a paint coating. I use Optimum Opti-Coat / Opti-Gloss but there are plenty of other alternative products these days.
7. Use very good wash technique moving forward. I generally wash my car once per week and it never gets really dirty, so I am comfortable primarily with a rinseless wash. I uses Optimum No-Rinse Wash and Wax.
8. Like others have suggested, spend some time on the autogeek forums. http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101/
1. Wash the car well
2. Decontaminate with an iron-releasing chemical (like Iron-X but there are plenty of alternatives)
3. Clay the car using either auto hand clay or a clay "towel". Use plenty of lubrication. I use car soap, others use quick detailer or other alternatives.
4. Polish the car and use a machine, don't waste time doing it by hand. Use a real random orbital, not a $20 "buffer". If you don't have one and don't want to buy one, then take it to a professional. You can get an entry-level random orbital (Porter Cable 7424 or 7424XP or Griot's) for <$100 or get a nicer one (Rupes, Flex, Griot's higher level, etc.) for quite a bit more. There are no shortages of polishes you can use but I use Sonax Perfect Finish because it is super easy to use, doesn't require a finishing polish step, creates minimal dust, etc.
5. After the car is polished to your standards (use very good lighting in a variety of angles to inspect), it is time to protect your hard work.
6. Many here recommend sealants or waxes. While both provide protection and good shine, they are not as stout at preventing new scratches as a paint coating. I use Optimum Opti-Coat / Opti-Gloss but there are plenty of other alternative products these days.
7. Use very good wash technique moving forward. I generally wash my car once per week and it never gets really dirty, so I am comfortable primarily with a rinseless wash. I uses Optimum No-Rinse Wash and Wax.
8. Like others have suggested, spend some time on the autogeek forums. http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101/