Car cleaning

My point was the level of detailing information I'm interested in.

How to make a car with peeling clearcoat look 50% better for under $50? I'm sold! How to powerwash the interior of a ratty golf? Sweet.

How to apply tirewet in a counterclockwise motion with a $32 sponge to impress a concourse judge?

Not my style. Not GRM.

Stealthtercel wrote: I believe there was an intense/intensive discussion on here a while ago about clay bars and who sells them with a huge markup and where you can get exactly the same thing in bulk, like the hobby aisle at Walmart or something.....

There actually was a rather small reference to it (maybe earlier this year?). I was a bit surprised it wasn't a bigger article, but then again, it would really dampen the enthusiasm of some potential advertisers.

I'd be very interested, if it is written with a grassroots slant. Griot's stuff is too expensive for me and I don't use it. Best bang for a buck with alternative products would be very interesting.

andrave wrote: My point was the level of detailing information I'm interested in. How to make a car with peeling clearcoat look 50% better for under $50? I'm sold! How to powerwash the interior of a ratty golf? Sweet. How to apply tirewet in a counterclockwise motion with a $32 sponge to impress a concourse judge? Not my style. Not GRM.

Well put.

Bryce

I'd like to see some tips on cleaning in The Mag. Maybe also a discussion of HF power washers and their use in car cleaning. Gotta use those 20% off coupons, you know.

Wednesday night, in the rain, I was out washing the Esprit. It was the last time block I had before tomorrow's show. First time to wash the car in the rain. Really wasn't that bad. I didn't have to keep going around and wetting down the car when I'd move to a different section, and rinsing went really fast. Getting it dry was a bit more of a chore. Then I thought, hey, I can put it IN the garage and it will probably dry a lot faster.

alex wrote: I'd read that. I'd especially be interested in beginner's detailing tips beyond the obvious, especially for restoring/preserving paint - what product to use for what application, appropriate usage of power tools, basics of buffing, that sort of thing. Underhood cleaning also seems to be one of those things that separates the men from the unusually-anal-retentive men in the realm of car cleaning. Now that I have a nice car, I'd like to keep it that way, at least for a while.

+1.

To add: count me in as another who's not interested in an article that goes from one paragraph to the next, saying, "...and so we used (Avertiser's) product, and then we used (Avertiser's) product. After that, we used...you get the point.

Please sell all the detailing/cleaning ads you can around the article (I want you to make meeellions and I'll happily peruse the ads and maybe even patronize their businesses), but please don't put the stuff in it.

I'm pretty anal about my cars looks, but I'm also lazy, so I've got a few tricks that might work for some people.

Once a year Meguiars 3-step + clay bar, I don't care for the wax from the last step so I use Meguiars paste wax instead. I apply it with my fingers and then power buff it off ($20 wally world special buffer). Whenever I wash it, I follow up with Honda Spray Polish/Cleaner (will do my bike 10+ times, my car 2-3x), it's aerosol and you just wipe if off with a microfiber towl. Leaves a much better finish than any of the other spray detailers I've used. For washing & drying I use ONLY microfiber towls.

Interior I use simple green, diluted 16:1, for everything from the carpet to the headliner. For nasty carpet I let it soak a bit, then a course brush. All fabric gets wet/dry vac'd. Even takes out smoke smell and leaves a nice odor. Vinyl and plastic I use the old Honda vinyl/leather protector (squirt bottle). Can't get it anymore though, they switched to some goo stuff so I bought the last case of the old stuff from the dealer.

Engine bay gets Simple Green (diluted 16:1 if it's relaivly clean) & power wash, followed by liberal application of aerosol silicon spray. The silicone gives the plastic the shine back, but does not attract dirt like Armor All.

Wheel wells I just power wash out, then liberally apply flat black spray paint. It doesn't last long, but it's cheap.

My brothers 160kmi civic after the afore mentioned 3-step & clay bar.

Oh, the Honda Spray Polish/Cleaner works great on plastic headlights, taillights, and helmet visors really well also.