Detail Gone Bad
Record Breaker
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,552
Likes: 0
From: Rockville, MD (right outside DC)
Alright, well im no professional, but have been a detail/clean freak since I first started driving. I've also had a few friends work at and manage detail and body shops, so they've taught me a few things.
First your equipment:
1. Basic wash
-1 bucket with your choice soap, i use meguiars, their product always gives me a deep gloss
-Another bucket with just clean water, to rinse your rag, mitt, etc after each time you clean.
-That Mr. Clean water purfier does work, so if you want to give that a try, but its not necessary.
When washing, start high and then go low, always wheels last. I usually even to the lower body last before the wheels. Always wash in straight lines, never circles. When scrubbing your hood, do w/e, but then before rinsing scrub from your windshield down to your hood, this pushes all the crap off and helps preventing stuff from staying on. When you rinse, rinse high to low. I usually start with the roof, rinse it, tail gate, top sides, rinse. Hood, grille, rinse from windshield forwards. Then lower sides, and wheels.
Prior to begin the actual detail, you can even use one of those spray detailers to make sure everythings off, because if you dont dry it will you will have water dots that will seal under the polish and wax. (i.e. they will be visible unless you get rid of them)
2. Polish- Liquid - DONT DO ON A HOT DAY, it will make the entire detailing process a pain
-Liquid Polish
-Buffer. I just use a cheap 16" one you can get at any store.
Polish a small area at a time, or 1 part of the truck at a time. Apply liquid polish to your buffer, and smear it on the truck before turning it on, other wise it will fling polish everywhere. Just like washing, i start further in or on the edges and work my way out, polish it slowly, you dont have to press hard, in fact really hard can leave marks. I usually just move it slowly. Once its dried, buff it off by hand or with another buffer if you have one. If its too dry and wont come off, use the spray detailer, it'll take it off.
3. Wax- Paste
I usually just hand wax, as the polish was to shine, and now the wax is just like a clear coat over top the polish. same process as polishing, one spot at a time, put it on, then take it off. Press hard, but not stupid hard, if you know what a i mean. just wiping your hand across the surface isnt really effective
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Avoid detailing on a hot day as it will have polish and wax alike harden too quickly and make the whole process a pain. Also it never hurts to use the spray detailer in between steps.
Then use your choice of wheel polish, and polish your wheels, then shine your tires. I've found meguiars "high endurance" is the best shine, its purple and smells like grape (just so you know what im talking about).
dont think i left anything out, its all close to common sense, high to low, straight lines when washing, liquid polish, paste wax.
First your equipment:
1. Basic wash
-1 bucket with your choice soap, i use meguiars, their product always gives me a deep gloss
-Another bucket with just clean water, to rinse your rag, mitt, etc after each time you clean.
-That Mr. Clean water purfier does work, so if you want to give that a try, but its not necessary.
When washing, start high and then go low, always wheels last. I usually even to the lower body last before the wheels. Always wash in straight lines, never circles. When scrubbing your hood, do w/e, but then before rinsing scrub from your windshield down to your hood, this pushes all the crap off and helps preventing stuff from staying on. When you rinse, rinse high to low. I usually start with the roof, rinse it, tail gate, top sides, rinse. Hood, grille, rinse from windshield forwards. Then lower sides, and wheels.
Prior to begin the actual detail, you can even use one of those spray detailers to make sure everythings off, because if you dont dry it will you will have water dots that will seal under the polish and wax. (i.e. they will be visible unless you get rid of them)
2. Polish- Liquid - DONT DO ON A HOT DAY, it will make the entire detailing process a pain
-Liquid Polish
-Buffer. I just use a cheap 16" one you can get at any store.
Polish a small area at a time, or 1 part of the truck at a time. Apply liquid polish to your buffer, and smear it on the truck before turning it on, other wise it will fling polish everywhere. Just like washing, i start further in or on the edges and work my way out, polish it slowly, you dont have to press hard, in fact really hard can leave marks. I usually just move it slowly. Once its dried, buff it off by hand or with another buffer if you have one. If its too dry and wont come off, use the spray detailer, it'll take it off.
3. Wax- Paste
I usually just hand wax, as the polish was to shine, and now the wax is just like a clear coat over top the polish. same process as polishing, one spot at a time, put it on, then take it off. Press hard, but not stupid hard, if you know what a i mean. just wiping your hand across the surface isnt really effective
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Avoid detailing on a hot day as it will have polish and wax alike harden too quickly and make the whole process a pain. Also it never hurts to use the spray detailer in between steps.
Then use your choice of wheel polish, and polish your wheels, then shine your tires. I've found meguiars "high endurance" is the best shine, its purple and smells like grape (just so you know what im talking about).
dont think i left anything out, its all close to common sense, high to low, straight lines when washing, liquid polish, paste wax.
Record Breaker
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,011
Likes: 0
Good stuff. I agree about using the detailer spray as needed. On the Adams videos, the guy there always give a spritz to the pads every time before he loads them up with compound or what have you. A little moisture goes a long way I guess, and detailer spray is better than water for a good shine.
Thread Starter
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Banned
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 3,865
Likes: 0
From: Maine
This morning my brother took some shots of my truck for me with the digital camera, but I'm not really crazy about the pictures lol, he shoots the pictures much too close. And for whatever reason the tail lights look like they aren't even smoked, probably the glare that was coming off the truck in the sunlight. I also had wanted him to get some shots of the cutout switch and the ipod hookup. I'll have to take some better pictures when I get a chance, but here's some of the more tolerable ones he took of the truck after the detail.
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Banned
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 3,865
Likes: 0
From: Maine
Thanks guys! I do like the exhaust going out the back, it just cleans everything right up. The exhaust tips are...ok, but I was stuck on getting magnaflow tips, and I wanted to try a new kind of tip style. I'm working until Monday morning, but when I get home Monday morning, I will take a few more steps back so you can actually get an image of the entire truck as a whole lol. Thanks again for the compliments guys!
Thread Starter
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Banned
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 3,865
Likes: 0
From: Maine
I had a chance to take my own pictures of the truck this morning and I made sure the lens wasn't 2 inches from the paint like my brother's shots were lol. As I said before, I'm really pleased with how the detail came out and it appears there aren't any swirl marks this time around.
Of course after spending the last few days happy about my truck, I just realized there is some kind of dent towards the bottom of my tailgate. At first I convinced myself it was just the glare of the sun creating an illusion, but it's pretty clear that it looks like some sort of baseball hit my tailgate or something. I know it had to been one of those annoying bastards on my street that did it, I am no longer leaving my truck out on the street. It just sucks parking the truck in our single wide driveway where you have four vehicles, I hate being trapped in the driveway. So I am going to want to get that taken of.
Exterior:
Interior:
Dent:
Of course after spending the last few days happy about my truck, I just realized there is some kind of dent towards the bottom of my tailgate. At first I convinced myself it was just the glare of the sun creating an illusion, but it's pretty clear that it looks like some sort of baseball hit my tailgate or something. I know it had to been one of those annoying bastards on my street that did it, I am no longer leaving my truck out on the street. It just sucks parking the truck in our single wide driveway where you have four vehicles, I hate being trapped in the driveway. So I am going to want to get that taken of.
Exterior:
Interior:
Dent:
Last edited by 05DodgeRamHemi; Aug 10, 2009 at 01:38 PM.