brewersprts

Well I searched through the forum and didn't really find anything like this, so I figured I'd start one.

I am just wondering what great tips or products people have used and would like to share. No one can know it all, and it's great to share information so we all benefit.

I figured you could put up a tip that worked well, or a product that you used and liked or didn't like. I also want to know why, was it the price, durability, effectiveness, performance, etc???

I guess I'll start.

As far as products, I used to always use Black Magic tire wet to dress my tires. It looks good, great shine and really wet, but it slings like none other. I would only use it for a car show or something now. After various sprays and foams from various manufactures (turtle wax, Meguire's), I now used Armor All Extreme Tire Gel. It does not sling at all, it lasts for a while, and it gives the tire a nice wet look. It's by far the best that I have used (although I haven't tried any other tire dressing gel, only sprays and foams).

Another product I love, is the Advanced Auto Parts generic brand 'Professional Series Wheel Cleaner'. It cleaned filthy daily driver wheels great and left no haze or anything. It only required scrubbing on the caked on dirt. I have used Mequire's Hot Wheels, Eagle One Wheel Cleaner, and the Turtle Wax nanotechnology stuff in the light green bottle didn't clean off a little brake dust, and it left a haze on my suburban's wheels, it was trash.

I also used the Eagle One Keep Clean. On the commercial on TV it made honey run right off the wheel, it sounded good to me. It was terrible. It did absolutely nothing to keep brake dust off of my wheels. On my Jeep I even did one side of the car with it, and didn't use it on the other 2 wheels. All the wheels were equally dirty within a week.

The Mothers Detail Spray does work quite well to get your car looking amazing between waxes, but I've never used another kind of detail spray.

I've also been pretty happy the Meguire's Leather Shampoo and Conditioner. Although I'm not sure that it lasts very long.


As far as tips, I have used Black Magic Tire Wet (which I don't used for my tires anymore so I have a bunch of it) to spray on my wheel wells and it makes them look nice.

I also used a clay bar while I am washing my car. It's must quicker than washing and using the clay bar afterward with a detail spray. The soapy water actually keeps the clay bar lubricated better. And either way gets your car very smooth and gets all the contaminates off.

0Killrwheels@Autogeek

http://www.autogeek.net/detailingtips.html

I hope this may help you and your friends with specifics on "how-to's" as sometimes as important as the product is, also how to use it properly can help really get the best from the product itself.

I would also suggest you consider broadening to some "boutique" products versus OTC products and see what manufacturers like us really can do when our budget for a new product is more about the ingredients and technology versus the label and advertising. Sure it costs a bit more, but even a good bottle of wax costs less than 3.00 per application and can last a year or more.

James92

You shouldn't use your claybar with soapy water, the soap will break down your clay bar much faster than normal.

0TH0001@properautocare.com

I'll add a couple of my personal favorite tips for general detailing

- Your tire dressing is as only good as your tire is cleaner! Spend some time with a wire tooth brush and a high quality tire cleaner like Eimann Fabrik Tire Cleaner. Cleaner tires will allow to the 'fresh' tire dressing to bond better to the tires surface reducing sling.

-Clean your wheels and tires before washing your car! This way you can devote the time and attention necessary to clean the faces of the wheels, the spokes, and behind the spokes (in the barrel of the wheels), as well as the brake calipers without fear of drying water causing water spots on the wheels surface.

-Use your mild wheel cleaner in combination with high quality brushes that allow you to reach all the areas of your wheel, brake caliper, and wheel arch. I recommend Eimann Fabrik 'Wheel Woolies'.

-Once your get your wheel really clean and detailed you should consider sealing the wheel (like waxing your paint) to add some protection, keep brake dust from sticking, and make future cleaning easier. A lot of Corvette Forum Members have fallen in love with Armor All Wheel Protectant, as it seems to do a really good job keeping brake dust from sticking to the wheels. However, it does seem that it takes about 1/2 a bottle for a whole car, so the cost for application is quite high. I have been using Wheel Wax for a little over a year, and have applied it over 130 car's wheels (540 wheels) and only used two jars so far. I can vouch for how good of a job it does do.

-If your wheels are cleaned and sealed, future cleaning will be a breeze! Put a little car soap solution and water in a spray bottle and use this instead of a wheel cleaner (as wheel cleaners will strip the Wheel Wax). Lightly spray, agitate with the Wheel Woolies, and rinse off. You will have freshly detailed wheels in minutes.



-Detail sprays are great products that serve many purposes, but they should only be used on clean vehicles. You can use a detail spray after washing your car (to assist in drying) and do clean light dust and finger prints off the surface, and in many cases to boost the wax protection already on the paint. If your car is dirty or has been driven more then a few blocks, it is best to wash it to avoid scratching the surface and creating swirl marks.

On a personal note: I would recommend following the common practice of washing your car and rinsing first before using a clay bar. Make sure the dirt is off your car (by rinsing the soapy/dirty water off) before rubbing the clay over the paint. I will use car soap as well but only if the soapy water is still clean and only after I washed and rinsed the dirt off.

-Use the two bucket method when you wash your car. One bucket is your mix for car soap solution and the second bucket is used to rinse out your wash mitt frequently. You wouldn't go to the beach and fill your soapy wash bucket up with sand, but if you don't rinse your wash mitt out frequently, you will contaminate your wash water with the grit and grime that you are trying to remove!

Wash a section of the car, then dunk your wash mitt in the rinse bucket first. Swirl it around then squeeze it out over the rinse bucket before loading the mitt up with fresh, clean suds. (This will also help keep your soapy bucket clean, so you can clay afterwards!).

You can see how well a rinse bucket works and trapping removed dirt!


-After washing and rinsing your Corvette, consider removing the nozzle from the hose and allowing the water to flood over the paint. Start at the top and work down with light pressure. The water will flood the surface, then the viscosity of water will cause it to sheet away. You can remove 80-90% of standing water just by flooding the paint.

ztheusa

No. It won't. Car soap is way faster and better than the spray that comes in clay kits.

John Ulrich

A new product idea: Lonn water saver nozzles.