Air Cooled Addiction

A few years ago I got into auto detailing and read up/watched/learned a lot about how to detail things correctly using a safer forced random orbital polisher.

I was still able to burn thru paint in a couple spots as I learned with this safe polisher but it works great otherwise.
Learning how to use and what works well out of the hundreds of products available was worth the time since using things in the right way and in the right order makes a big difference.

There are new "Glaze" products that replace traditional wax and they last years and water rolls right off!
I still need to try one on my ford.

Here are some before and after pictures of my wife's Red Bug that had bad oxidation and who's paint had been neglected.
This is a resprayed Porsche Red with modern clear coat that was done in the early 1990's (I think).

We...
Washed the Bug.
Clayed the Bug.
Applied Pinnacle Advance Swirl remover.
Applied Pinnacle Advance Finishing Polish.
Applied Pinnacle Wax.
Polished the Wheels and Bumpers with a metal polish.
Stoner (haha) window cleaner on the windows.
Used a "black" rubber re-conditioner on the running boards.
We cleaned the inside too.

This is the most improved car I have done so far and have been able to do the same treatment on our other cars.
I took all the swirls out of the Black paint on my wife's car too (in the background) and made it look show room new.

Sweet, very well done!!

Just like everything else I've seen from you, you've mastered the process and the end result looks phenomenal! What a vast improvement!

I have two questions:

65VW wrote:There are new "Glaze" products that replace traditional wax and they last years and water rolls right off!
I still need to try one on my ford.

This stuff does all the things wax is supposed to do? I've never heard of it at all. Is the application process the same or is there more too it?

65VW wrote:We...
Washed the Bug.
Clayed the Bug.
Applied Pinnacle Advance Swirl remover.
Applied Pinnacle Advance Finishing Polish.
Applied Pinnacle Wax.
Polished the Wheels and Bumpers with a metal polish.
Stoner (haha) window cleaner on the windows.
Used a "black" rubber re-conditioner on the running boards.
We cleaned the inside too.

Out of curiosity, how many man&woman-hours would you say you have in that particular vehicle? I've never done much more than a vigorous scrubbing and vacuum on ours. Working on a gravel drive, I'm walking in mud after the wash and the sun bakes the wax before I get a chance to rub it off

Thanks All,.

The before pictures were taken when the sun was out and the after were taken at night with no natural light coming in the windows.

All the work took about 8 hours total over a few days working 2-3 hours per day..
Each step like wash and clay, swirl remover, finish polish, wax, metal work, took no more than 2 hours and using a powered polisher is 95% faster than by hand. I am amazed how fast powered polishers speed the process up.

Here is a link that explains the difference between Glazes/synthetic sealants and wax;
http://www.autogeek.net/qude101.html

Some seem even easier to apply than wax and you need very little to do a whole car.
You dab some liquid on a small applicator and use your hand to rub it across the paint and it drys in smooth and shiny.

Some last longer than others and some are ceramic based and some are not.
Some videos show water literary rolling totally off a treated surface and these products work on windshields too.
Autogeek has tons of how to videos for every product, its great.
I bought a ceramic based glaze and plan to try it on my Ford soon, once I repaint/fix peeling clear coat.

Schwim, unless you are going 4x4ing a few time a week and you have a lot of mud to wash off your cars, try using a waterless car wash.
Basically you spray it on your car in a 3x3 area and wipe it off, poof..clean car.
http://www.autogeek.net/griots-waterless-wash.html

I first tried the waterless wash because they give out small bottles of it at many car shows in this area where Griots Garage is located and I found it works great when I tried it.

I almost never water wash my cars anymore because it takes longer to wash/dry them, even the Ford.
It takes way less time to do it in the garage with the spray and I dont put scratches back in the paint with the sponge/mitt.
.
Buy a package of cheap microfiber towels from costoco or wallmart and a waterless car wash product of some kind (most likely at wallmart too) and you wont have muddy feet anymore after washing your cars.

Waterless carwash! Where have I been hiding that I don't know about any of this?

I looked at some kits on Amazon and think I'll be giving it a shot on my wife's car. It looks to be the bee's knees.