Let us discuss car detailing products...good and bad products

[Fritzo]

I'd never use Armor All on the dash. That's how you invite it to oxidize and crack to all hell over time.

:\ ...that's what it's specifically designed to prevent. It's full of waxes and protectants to seal the plastics.

 

[Meghan54]

:\ ...that's what it's specifically designed to prevent. It's full of waxes and protectants to seal the plastics.

Not really. Most of it is water. The rest is a silicone emulsion (30-40%), <5% of some other secret ingredient(s). This is from the MSDS for Armor All. (Just Google armor all msds, you can find the .pdf there...won't find it on their website.)


Not full of waxes or much of anything else other than silicone and water.

Heck, you'd be better off using those Lexol products (leather cleaner and leather conditioner) than the Armor All. Does more to help vinyl and plastics than Armor All every did/does.

 

[Remobz]

Not really. Most of it is water. The rest is a silicone emulsion (30-40%), <5% of some other secret ingredient(s). This is from the MSDS for Armor All. (Just Google armor all msds, you can find the .pdf there...won't find it on their website.)


Not full of waxes or much of anything else other than silicone and water.

Heck, you'd be better off using those Lexol products (leather cleaner and leather conditioner) than the Armor All. Does more to help vinyl and plastics than Armor All every did/does.

My dad uses this for his 2001 mitsubishi galant for the vinyl side panels and dash ---------------------------->

http://www.soap.com/p/stp-son-of-a-gun-protectant-pump-10oz-73874


What do you think about that product?


And should my dad use this product instead?

http://www.formula1wax.com/products/productDetail.php?productID=25

 

[Remobz]

Been using some cheap stuff for windows...Gunk Glass Cleaner. A foam cleaner that won't drip/run all down the glass. No ammonia so it won't screw up/bleach the interior plastics that inevitable get sprayed on. Decent cleaner overall for the interior and rather inexpensive.

And to get rid of smears, streaks, etc., an old trick is to use some old newspaper, printed---not color--instead of cloth, esp. for your final wipe down of the glass. Glass won't have a streak on it.

That newspaper trick was good back in the days but with newer cars and tinted glass I am not so sure.

Besides, how can newspaper be better than a special microfiber cloth to clean the glass these days?

 

[Kaido]

Just a couple of questions.....how does simple water break down oils, greases, bug guts, bird crap, etc., that daily drivers get exposed to on a routine basis?

Who can wait 24 hours to rewax and then re-rewax without rewashing? I sure don't live in a sterile environment and even if I had a completely enclosed garage, there's still dust that'll settle on the vehicle between waxings, doing it your way. So, I'd suppose you're washing between every waxing, right? Otherwise, I'd imagine you're grinding in whatever dust, dirt, crap has settled on the car over that 24 hour period, esp. if the car sits outside.

The thread started out with the question, "So what do you all use to detail your ride?" It's not talking about "who can wait 24 hours and who lives in a sterile environment". Thus, in the spirit of sharing tricks, that's a little procedure for getting a showroom shine. If you just want a wax, no big deal. If you want it to look like you're fresh off the floor of SEMA surrounded by a dozen lights & flashbulbs, that's a nice trick for getting some extra shine & gloss. I'm kind of a detail fanatic though and used to airbrush, so I really like going nuts on a good job.

As far as water goes, it depends. I don't like using soaps or Windex because it breaks down the clearcoat & paint & weatherstripping, but a lot of people don't keep their cars long enough anymore to see the effects, so it's not necessarily a big deal. First of all, you always want to keep the hose running while you're scrubbing so that your scrubber doesn't act like a sandpaper. Second, if you keep your car regularly washed & waxed, stuff slides off a LOT easier with just water. When I had more free time, I used to wash the car like every weekend so stuff wouldn't build up. It's like doing your dishes - the longer you let it sit & bake in, the harder it becomes to get rid of contaminants.

Beyond that, sure, there's stuff you can use. Modern paints, clearcoats, and soaps are a lot better & more resistant than older stuff was. You can always claybar your car if needed. Here in New England, especially in the winter, we get road tar and salt grime that can be really hard to get off and requires a solvent of some kind. So a lot of it depends on the area you drive in, how often you wash, how often you wax, whether or not you have a roof over the car, etc. If the paint is old, it may need polishing before you wax it. Stuff like that.

If you can, a garage is a good place to do the waxing. At the very least, a shady area. So a wash, a coat of synthetic, next day a coat of carnauba, next day a second coat of carnauba. That way you get both the depth shine AND the wet-look. Have you ever waxed your car but it hasn't come out like you had in mind? Just kind of shiny but not like Hollywood shiny? Try this trick sometime. You don't need to wash between wax coats at all. And everyone has their own bag of tricks for getting the look they want; check out Meguiar's forum sometime if you want more ideas:

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/forum.php

And check out some of the results you can get: (the difference between "shiny" and "WOW!")

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forum...ck-Lamborghini&p=178898&viewfull=1#post178898

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forum...h-clay-amp-wax&p=539185&viewfull=1#post539185

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forum...Many-Pictures)&p=539040&viewfull=1#post539040

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forum...-Your-Own-Car!&p=512718&viewfull=1#post512718

If you keep up with maintenance (regular washes & waxes), then it's pretty easy to keep it clean all the time. If you are a fanatic, do a simple water-only hand-wash once a week (that's what weekends are for, right??) and a wax every couple of months. I think I only did our old truck quarterly when I lived in Florida (no sand/salt from winters), so only 3 or 4 times a year. Really depends on how much effort you want to put into it. If you wash every week, it can be a 10 or 15 minute job, which isn't too bad, and maybe 45 minutes for one coat of wax (10 minutes to apply, 20 minutes to cure, 15 to remove) every few months (or every month, if you like ultra shiny!!).

If you let your car sit too long without attention, the job takes longer and is harder. If you don't wax often, then washing will be more of a pain. If you don't wash often, then there will be more grime to get off, so it will take longer. So 10 minutes a week for a hand-wash followed by waxing every month or two or three is actually easier to do in the long run. Just like staying on top of your laundry, never piles up!

 

[FeuerFrei]

You know they now make papery paper towels expressly for window-cleaning. Not so great for absorbing, but if you want paper, there you go.

My product list:
Mother's Back-to-Black for exterior plastic
Mother's or Meguiar's clay bar kit
Meguair's Gold Class car wash
Meguiar's Ultimate Polish
Meguiar's NXT Tech Wax 2.0
Wool wash mitt - though currently trying chenille because I had a wool one disintegrate
Stoners Invisible Glass
Armor All tire foam - looking for something better
Plexus plastic cleaner - on the head/taillamps & instrument panel cover
Tuff Stuff carpet/cloth upholstery cleaner

I'm using ArmorAll gel on my dash/doors/console vinyl/plastic. A gloopy gel that reminds me of something else. Kind of pointless on plastic but my 20-year old dash hasn't cracked yet. Thanks mostly to Toyota quality - I've only been using the gel for 4 years or so. It's nice not to overspray on windows,etc.

I'm currently searching for a product to keep my tires rubbery and natural looking. :\ I don't care about shine I just want the rubber in good shape - along the lines of Meguiar's #40. but with cleaning action. :hmm:

 

[Kaido]

Who can wait 24 hours to rewax and then re-rewax without rewashing?

Also check out the before & after sub-forum on Meguiar's to see what some TLC can do:

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?12-Extreme-Makeover-Before-amp-After-Pictures

The initial purchase of equipment & supplies can be pretty expensive ($100+ shipped for everything you need from scratch), but you're set for a long time with that. Check out their DA Power system as well, a lot of people are big fans of it: (use a 3/8 corded drill for power & they sell different pads/compounds)

http://www.meguiars.com/en/automotive/products/g3500-da-power-system/

It all depends on how much you care though. My Escort gets a free car wash when it rains; my wife's Civic goes to the local drive-through carwash. If you want awesome results, get the right tool kit, make or find a procedure you like, and have at it!

 

[Kaido]

Mother's Back-to-Black for exterior plastic

Good results for you? I want to redo the black exterior trim on my Volvo before it starts snowing, looking to try something new.

 

[Remobz]

Also check out the before & after sub-forum on Meguiar's to see what some TLC can do:

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?12-Extreme-Makeover-Before-amp-After-Pictures

The initial purchase of equipment & supplies can be pretty expensive ($100+ shipped for everything you need from scratch), but you're set for a long time with that. Check out their DA Power system as well, a lot of people are big fans of it: (use a 3/8 corded drill for power & they sell different pads/compounds)

http://www.meguiars.com/en/automotive/products/g3500-da-power-system/

It all depends on how much you care though. My Escort gets a free car wash when it rains; my wife's Civic goes to the local drive-through carwash. If you want awesome results, get the right tool kit, make or find a procedure you like, and have at it!

Proper care is very important I agree. I pay a guy to wash my car every week. He does that for a living mostly. He does a good job I must admit.

As for car paint. I sell Dupont Automotive paints in my business and I mix my own car paint at my paint plant and sometimes I mix a color to my liking (custom). I do not like adding clear coat to my cars because it is a bitch to repair and quite expensive. I rather a metallic single stage paint with good buffering and no clear coat.

 

[Fritzo]

Good results for you? I want to redo the black exterior trim on my Volvo before it starts snowing, looking to try something new.

Those and similar products work well, but they wear off after a few weeks.

 

[Fritzo]

Not really. Most of it is water. The rest is a silicone emulsion (30-40%), <5% of some other secret ingredient(s). This is from the MSDS for Armor All. (Just Google armor all msds, you can find the .pdf there...won't find it on their website.)


Not full of waxes or much of anything else other than silicone and water.

Heck, you'd be better off using those Lexol products (leather cleaner and leather conditioner) than the Armor All. Does more to help vinyl and plastics than Armor All every did/does.

Maybe that 5% is wax

Anyway, been using the stuff for 25 years and have always been happy with the results. Never had a problem.

 

[FeuerFrei]

Good results for you? I want to redo the black exterior trim on my Volvo before it starts snowing, looking to try something new.

I'm satisfied. It definitely gets my 20-yr-old faded plastic back to black with a hint of shine. Looks like new. Not just black, any colored trim. With some rough-surfaced plastics you may need to rub the product on repeatedly until it penetrates fully and darkens as much as possible. There's no pigment in it, so it works best on faded, not chemically-discolored plastic.

It'll slooowly wear off. After a month you'll probably want to reapply. 2 months and it'll be mostly gone. Shake well before using.

 

[Meghan54]

Maybe that 5% is wax

Anyway, been using the stuff for 25 years and have always been happy with the results. Never had a problem.

It works, just no wax. The rest is glycerin, diethylene glycol,and other chemical shit (listed in the patent). And silicone can keep plastics from cracking, but the point was Armor All isn't anything really special.

I tired of the high gloss Armor All gave dashes, not to mention how greasy it feels. The Meguiar's Natural Shine seems much better....no greasy feel, smells vastly better, and your dash isn't distractingly reflecting.

 

[Richard N]

Very helpful and not too much bickering. This thread is sticky material. All in favor?

 

[Fritzo]

Very helpful and not too much bickering. This thread is sticky material. All in favor?

Sticky this thread because we're all behaving? What are you, an idiot? Making this a sticky is the dumbest thing you've ever suggested. What a moron.

 

[Remobz]

I'm satisfied. It definitely gets my 20-yr-old faded plastic back to black with a hint of shine. Looks like new. Not just black, any colored trim. With some rough-surfaced plastics you may need to rub the product on repeatedly until it penetrates fully and darkens as much as possible. There's no pigment in it, so it works best on faded, not chemically-discolored plastic.

It'll slooowly wear off. After a month you'll probably want to reapply. 2 months and it'll be mostly gone. Shake well before using.

Thanks for this suggestion.

My friend only paints his cars pitch black and nothing else. I will tell him about it. Now, lets hope the stores here carry that product.

 

[HeXen]

I have always liked Maguire's products except for tires I really like Armorall's new Tire extreme shine, for some reason the shine lasts a lot longer than any other brand I have tried.
However when it comes to actual paint protection, I say it's best to take it to a body shop and have them throw a few good coats of clear on it or perhaps even do the vinyl thing. Wax and polymers protect from fading but won't do nothing if a stray cat walks across your hood.

 

[Kaido]

Those and similar products work well, but they wear off after a few weeks.

Is there anything that works long-term? I've used vinyl dye in the past for various projects, dunno if that would work on the rough-texture black bumper & trim pieces or not.

 

[Fritzo]

Is there anything that works long-term? I've used vinyl dye in the past for various projects, dunno if that would work on the rough-texture black bumper & trim pieces or not.

Replacement

 

[Kaido]

Replacement

Too bad, Rustoleum appliance epoxy spray paint here I come :awe:

 

[McLovin]

...
And check out some of the results you can get: (the difference between "shiny" and "WOW!")

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forum...ck-Lamborghini&p=178898&viewfull=1#post178898

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forum...h-clay-amp-wax&p=539185&viewfull=1#post539185

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forum...Many-Pictures)&p=539040&viewfull=1#post539040

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forum...-Your-Own-Car!&p=512718&viewfull=1#post512718

....

I looked that detailer up and I think I'm gonna have him work on my car LOL!

I'll be sure to take pics if he does, my car definitely would benefit from his work.

 

[Davidjohn]

Hey guys,

So what do you all use to detail your ride?


I have a 2004 Mazda tribute with leather interior.


To wash car ------> turtle wax car wax

http://www.waxdepot.com/mm5/merchan..._Code=WD&Product_Code=T149R&Category_Code=CA2


To clean tires -----> Formula 1 high Gloss tire foam

http://www.formula1wax.com/products/productDetail.php?productID=32


To clean wheel rims ------> Formula 1 foaming wheel cleaner

http://www.formula1wax.com/products/productDetail.php?productID=30


To wax the car -------> turtle wax

http://www.amazonsupply.com/turtle-wax-t-222r-super-shell/dp/B00068OL1A



Car Interior........


To clean leather seats -----> Formula 1 Mr. leather lotion

http://www.formula1wax.com/products/productDetail.php?productID=25


To clean interior stains and marks ----> tuff stuff

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Tuff-Stuff...-22oz/16817397


To clean interior vinyl panels ----> STP son of a gun

http://www.soap.com/p/stp-son-of-a-gun-protectant-pump-10oz-73874



All these products work pretty well for my vehicle and I highly recommend the Formula 1 line of auto care products although it is pretty expensive on a whole.


I do not recommend armour all tire foam cleaner compared to the Formula 1 high gloss foam.


I need a recommendation on a good auto glass cleaner.....any ideas?

Thanks for your information. As you have asked about auto glass cleaner. I found some tips about auto glass cleaning online and would like to share here. Use water spot eliminators to clean the glass windows. The windshield wipers can help you to keep the glasses clean.