First Detail Questions

[Schris22]

Hey everybody,


I'm going to do my first detail most likely July 4th, and this car is quite a piece of work.

I have a white 98 lexus gs300 and I've done a little research and spent a lot of money today at big lots and some auto parts stores and hopefully I've bought everything.

This car has never been detailed and has plenty of fine scratches and some deep ones where you can see metal.

I would just like to write down my procedure and hopefully this checks out.


1. Wash car with Gold Class Car Wash Shampoo & Conditioner using Versa-Angle Wide Body Brush

2. Dry car with Water Magnet Drying Towel or absorber

3. Quik Clay System wipe with Supreme Shine Microfiber

4. Apply touch up paint to deep scratches.

5. Apply ScratchX with Viking micro fiber applicator, wipe off with micro fiber towel. (Entire car)

6. Apply Deep Crystal Polish with another Viking MF applicator pad, wipe off with micro fiber towel.

7. Apply Cleaner wax with another Viking MF applicator pad, wipe off with MF towel.

8. Apply NXT Generation Tech Wax with included foam applicator pad and wipe off with Supreme Shine Microfiber.

9. Clean tires with Versa-Angle Tire Brush and clean face of rims with Versa-Angle Wheel Face Brush using left over car soap.

10. Apply Foam wheel shine

11. Use NEW NXT Generation Glass Cleaner and Duo-Fiber Glass Towel. (inside and out)

12. Use NXT interior detailer with MF towel and Slide Lock Detail Brush on vents and gauges.

13. Wipe down seats with Gold Class Rich Leather Wipes.

How does this look? Two things I’m still worried about would be using the leftover car soap to wash the rims as well as the touch up paint. I've also heard that mixing the waxes can be the best of both worlds. Should I use just two coats of the cleaner wax? I got a bunch of that and quick detailer at big lots

Thanks,

Chris, your neighborhood newbie.


P.S. – I’ll be sure to take before and after pics and share them with yall.

[Murr1525]

Not to shabby... I'll just throw my 2 cents in along the way..

1. Good - Remember 2 bucket system, with Grit Guards if at all possible. You probably wont get a chance to buy any Grit Guards yet though.

2. Good - 3 Water Magnets seems like the perfect number to dry a car easily.

3. Good - Remember ot cut the bar into 3 or 4 pieces... If you drop one, throw it out. Also, you can clay Paint-->Glass-->Trim-->Wheels-->Exhaust tips. In that order. Do not go backwards, you might drag stuff across your paint htat can swirl / scratch it then.

4. Ok. Remember to swing past a craft store and buy the tiniest brush possible. Do not try to glob the paint in all at once. Apply some, let it dry for a couple days, apply more, wait a couple days, etc, until it is all filled in pretty good.

5. Yes, but avoid the touch up paint, you'll want to let it cure for 60 days before messing with it. And this part will ****.. you might not want to plan to ScratchX everything at one time. Might need a weekend or two to really do a good job. Also, you should not need this every detail. You will want to pick up some Deep Crystal #1 for future details.

6. Yes. Remember ,cleaners and polishes do not need to dry before removing. And avoid the touch up paint.

7. Not so much. A cleaner wax is an all-in-one product for if you dont feel like doing seperate cleaning and polishing and waxing. It is also failry mild. While it is good to keep some around, and great for painted door jambs ,etc, it probably isnt what you want here.

You would be better just applying a first coat of the Nxt Tech wax. And avoid the touch up paint.

8. A second coat of Nxt Tech wax is good. And avoid the touch up paint.

9. I would clean wheels before washing the car, not after all the waxing is done. Dont want to get water on your fresh wax. Also, when you do the wheels first, dump that water out before starting on the paint.

And it would probably be best of you can pick up a dedicated wheel cleaner. I really like the Multi-Piece Wheel Cleaner.

10. Yup.

11. Yup. Remember it takes a lot less than you think. 1 squirt on a MF cloth can do a whole side window. Maybe 2 for the outside.

12. Good. Just remember the Interior Detailer does not offer the same UV protection as the other dressings. In the future, you might want to pick up a bottle of something like the Nxt Tech Protectant, etc.

13. Sure.

Mixing waxes can be ok, nothing wrong with it. But dont complicate things yet. Once you start getting addicted to detailing, then you can make it complicated.

[Murr1525]

Wow.. you had fun with links while I was typing...

[Schris22]

Thanks for all the tips.

So I still have those three bottles of cleaner wax. Should I just do this every 2 weeks then wait another 2 weeks then rewax with NXT?

i'll pick up the deep crystal cleaner for the next few details instead of scratch X, hopefully I can do the entire car with scratch X, might devote a day to it.

What should I do if dirt and nasty stuff gets into my touch up paint, maybe the next day while I go to work. Do I just do a small quick detail over it and then apply some more touch up paint?. After I apply a few layers and it feels like it's above my current paint, do I go ahead and use scratch X to even it out?

Thanks again,

Chris


P.S- Subie eh? I love subaru's and was on NASIOC in the TXIC forums for a while. I never owned a subie just loved them.

[Murr1525]

Honestly. . try and take 2 back and trade them for the DC#1 and a wheel cleaner. Or ColorX.

My car is a daily driver, and parked outside all the time. So for me, doing a full detail every time isnt practical, as it takes a while and is dirty an hour later. So I often do this process instead of a full detail. Maybe it will give you some ideas for the future:

1. Wash
2. Clay if needed
3. Cleaner/Wax or ColorX
4. Wax - Nxt Tech Wax, or other pure wax.

Your touch up paint will dry within an hour or two, so no dirt will really be stuck in it. However, over the next 3 or 4 days, it will shrink as it cures. So, that is why you would want to just put in a think layer, and let it shrink. Then, come back after a few days, wipe the area/areas with soapy water, and dry. Then apply another thin coat. And repeat 3 or 4 times as needed. It still wont be 'perfect', but it will be better than a big shrunken glob sort of thing.

After the touch-up paint cures for 60 days or so, then you can clean and wax the area as usual.

And no ScratchX isnt for that sort of thing. If you really want perfection, you will have to get into wet sanding, and thats a whole 'nother story. But someone can chime in on how to do it.

I'm not really in any of the Subaru, etc forums, but its been a great car so far. Just a base model, but really impressing me compared to other things in that range.

[Schris22]

Thanks again murr1525,

I'll look into wetsanding in a month or so as well as do that quick routine to use up some cleaner/wax.


Do you suggest finishing up with a quick detailer right after finishing the wax?


Chris

[Murr1525]

No, you are best to just finish the wax and stop there.

Incidently, it is good if you can wait at least 20 minutes or so between coats of wax.

The Quick Detailers, Speed Detailer, etc are best for claying, removing bird droppings, hard waterdrops, and for after washings inbetween detailings.

The Quick Detailers and spray waxes are good for after the in-between washes to give back that fresh waxed look.

THe Quick Detailer is kind of a once-over product, while the Spray wax you have to apply, then come back and buff of. But the Spray Wax does put back a little wax protection.

[Murr1525]

Have you seen these links?

Meguiar's 5-Step Paint Care Cycle

Step 1 Wash

Step 2 Clean

Step 3 Polish

Step 4 Protect

Step 5 Maintain

Suggested Products for Taking Care of a New Car

What it Means to Remove a Scratch

How To Remove Swirls By Hand


How to remove a defect by hand with ScratchX

How to Get Great Results Using Meguiar's Spray Waxes

[Schris22]

yeah read almost all of them,
Just some threads people finish with some sort of last touch or quick detailer to add gloss to it. I didn't understand it, or maybe i misunderstood it.


Thanks, I didn't know to wait 20 mins for the 2nd coat.

Chris

[Murr1525]

You dont have to wait 20 minutes exactly, but giving a little break between coats seems to help the overall look. Some people will even wait a couple hours, overnight, 24 hours, etc.

[DetailFran]

Originally posted by Murr1525

1. Wash
2. Clay if needed
3. Cleaner/Wax or ColorX
4. Wax - Nxt Tech Wax, or other pure wax.

Murr 1525, Presuming I have used clay, will it make much difference whether I use separate cleaner and wax (specifically DC 1 and 2) or combo cleaner/wax (specifically Color X)? I have a silver car, work by hand (no machine polisher), and would be using NXT Tech afterwards. Also, Which Meg's applicator and towels do you use with Color X? Thanks in advance. Reading all of your posts has been very helpful!

[Murr1525]

Well, I just have enough time to post quick answers.... but the good thing is everyone gets pretty knowledgable pretty quick.

As far as DC#1+DC#2+Nxt or ColorX + Nxt, I wouldnt say it would be a huge difference. Maybe a little, esp on a dark color. Silver/white/tan, those kind of colors will tend to hide differences as well.

I apply with the yellow foam Hi-Tec Applicator.

I remove with the Supreme Shine Microfiber towels.

Honestly, I would swing past autodetailingsolutions.com and look at their microfiber towel sale. ( I think it is still going on). You could really order a few Supreme Shines, a Water Magnet 3-pack, and some applicators at a good discount.

Even any other products you might want, but that is up to you.