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iTrader: (2)

jd2k1, great questions, and nice wheels btw.

If the lips are just oxidized and faded a little bit, my favorite product on that is P21s Finish Restorer along with a 2-sided metal polishing towel. One side of the towel is meant for applying, the grid looking side, while the smooth softer side is designed for removing any hazing as well as buff the finish to it's maximum shine. As mentioned before, this works wonders on oxidation, but scratches you pretty much have to live with unless you get them re-polished from a shop.

You should not be using any wheel cleaners that are acidic based, which are a good majority of them on the market. Most stuff you find available over the counter is acidic, unless it states other wise. The acidic wheel cleaners are often what hazes and oxidizes the finish on polished lips, especially if you have gone thru a local car wash at any point. P21s Wheel Gel is a great wheel cleaner that is pH balanced and safe on any surface.

Best thing I can recommend to you is after a thorough cleaning / polishing, pick up some Poorboy's World Wheel Sealant, it's the best possible recommendation I can make for wheels. I typically will layer 2 - 3 coats every 2 - 3 months which provides a barrier of protection that makes regular maintenance of your wheels a breeze. What I recommend for cleaning, and for those hard to reach areas, is once you apply the wheel sealant, invest in a dedicated wash mitt for your wheels and clean them as you would you paint with a two bucket wash system and some quality automotive shampoo. You'll notice if you have a solid layer of protection of WS, a simple wipe down with a dedicated mitt (sheepskin preferably) you will minimize adding fine scratches to your finish and will be able to clean 95%+ of your wheels with little effort.

IMO, properly cared for wheels should never see any harsh cleaners or polishes, if maintained correctly from day 1.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

George

Infinite1

Hi George,

Back again with more questions! BTW, the BHB is working great...It didn't rain for the latter part of the week so I too the opportunity to use it on the rest of my paint and it worked great!! i still used the two-bucket method with an extra rinse from the hose just to be safe (i know i've got OCD) and of course it starts raining again this week...oh well it's an excuse to use it again...hahah

Anyways, on to my question...I seem to be having (this is gonna sound gross) elbow grease stains on my arm rest and my headrest. I've read in autopia about using a saddle soap to possibly remove stains from leather is that true. Right now i'm using Lexol cleaner and conditioner. I've followed the instructions on their website but it doesn't seem to remove it. I'm thinking of using my PC 7424 to try and get rid of it. TIA for the info!

Ryan
Infinite1

justpete0

George,

Finally got a chance to try it out.

I did use the 303 cleaner first, soaked a MF towel instead of an applicator, and applied it to the dash. I was in a hurry and didn't have very good light but I let it dry and then buffed it out as best I could.

Once I got it out in the light I could tell the difference immediately and after a bit of inspection I could also tell it was worth doing the rest of the car. It didn't some out as matte as I'd hoped but I think the surface may have something to do with it. The gloss did go away with buffing though.

I drove around awhile and didn't see any glare or reflection that could be a problem so I went back home and applied it to the front doors, including the armrest, window switches, and mirror joystick - looks killer! Definitely a huge improvement, IMHO.

Second time out I took along a couple of your plush MF towels and rebuffed a few places that had been missed. And in an attempt to get the finish as matte as possible I buffed out all the treated surfaces again including the console and underdash, doors, etc. I never treated the part of the dash where the display and controller are though as I want that to be dead flat.

Interestingly enough though, when I was through buffing out everything I used the MF towel to dust down the display, controller, and center console on the metal part. I've never had every last little speck of dust disappear like that before. It was pretty obvious. So I ran the same MF around the cluster window 'cuz it's always a mess and whaddayaknow, same thing.

Drove around again to get the sun on the cluster window and nada, zip. Just like the display and console buttons, *****, etc. I guess the anti-stat stuff in the Aerospace Protectant caught up in the MF got applied to all these surfaces, effectively cleaning them better than anything else I've tried. Beats a small Cali Duster by a mile.

Cool stuff, thanks for the pics and the advice - worked out great. You da' man.

Edit: I should've mentioned that the end result is somewhere between the two pics you provided. The untreated display/controller section is closest to the M Roadster pic.

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iTrader: (2)

Ryan,

Glad to hear that the boars hair brush is working out for you. I haven't tried saddle soap so I cannot give my feedback on that. What I would try if I was having that problem is more of an all purpose cleaner. If you're looking locally I've heard good things about the Folex cleaner. If I were using a product that I carried, I'd use 303 Fabric / Vinyl Cleaner or Poorboy's Bio APC, both products would be diluted to the proper ratio with water for leather cleaning. Agitating the surface with a soft bristled brush or cotton towel will also add to the bite of the cleaner and work it into the leathers textured surface.

After using an all purpose cleaner, follow up with a leather cleaner / conditioner, like your Lexol.

I've never used a PC on leather so if you decide to go that route keep me posted on how you make out.

Pete,

Thanks for the update on your experience. Sounds like everything worked out as planned. How do you like those Ultra Plush Towels? Our vendor just shipped us the "upgraded" ones which basically are the same things, but gray in color and are already tagless.

How's the Spray & Wipe treating you?

If you have any time, snap a picture or two of your interior, I'd love to see your work.

George

luv2drv_myG35

George, this is one fantastic thread. I started out thinking I'd just read a few posts to get an idea of what to use on my new G35 but I ended up reading all 19 pages. I've never done more than wash and wax my previous cars using Meguiars and Mothers products. This thread has opened my eyes to the world of detailing and higher end products - which is what I was looking for.
I'm planning to wash/clay bar/seal(pc)/wax my G35 and will be placing an order with you, but I'm not sure which combo of sealant/wax to get. You've recommended different combos for dark and light paint colors but my Diamond Graphite (medium gray) falls somewhere in the middle. What would you recommend for it - the dark paint combo or light?

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iTrader: (2)

luv2drv_myG35, thank you for all of the positive feedback. It sounds like you will really enjoy getting into higher quality automotive detailing. It is a very rewarding hobby to get into and you'll love your car even more because of it.

A great combination on Diamond Graphite is Poorboy's EX-P with either Poorboy's Natty's Red or P21s Concours Carnauba. Both yield outstanding depth and gloss and on a properly prepped vehicle, will give you the results and protection you are looking for.

Let me know if there is anything else I can help you with to get you started in the right direction.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this thread and my posts.

George

Infinite1

George,

As always thanks very much for the advice! I've never used the PB's APC and am leaning towards it (PB's stuff is great!) what is the dilution ratios? I'm not quite familiar with that stuff. Thanks again!

Ryan

luv2drv_myG35

Thanks for the quick reply George. That was all I needed to complete my order. Decided to go with the P21s wax as I remember you mentioned earlier in this thread that it is easier to work with than the Natty's.

Like others have mentioned who have never used a polisher before, I'm a bit reluctant to try it for the first time on my brand new G35. Luckily I've got an old clunker - '89 Topaz that I can practice on first. The original owner had a "Glaze Guard" paint sealant (Waxoyl product) applied by the stealership and it actually seems to have done some good as the paint is still in fairly good condition despite not having a single coat of wax applied to it in several years.
It has some minor swirls that you have to really to look closely to see and of course the paint is faded, especially on the hood. I was planning to start (after washing and clay bar) with a white pad and some SSR2. Does that sound ok?
Also, the car has pin stripes along the side - looks like the tape kind that the dealers used to add. I assume these are going to vanish during the polishing process - or is there an easy way to work around them.

ELIJAH012

iTrader: (1)

George,

I just got a brand new dark red paint job 2.5 weeks ago (daily driver) and I had a couple of questions:

1. I just applied turtle wax ice polish, did I just kill my clear coat? And which products are harmful to my clear coat? Polish, wax, etc?
2. How long do you usually have to wait until you can apply products like wax, sealant, etc etc when you have a fresh paint job?
3. How often and which products and method (how many layers of wax, polish, etc) would you use to protect the paint/clear coat with maximum gloss and durability?
4. What are you thoughts on Zano products vs your products?


Elijah

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iTrader: (2)

Ryan,

Dilution ratio's are how much you should mix your product with water.

For interior cleaning I use PB's APC at a 4:1 ratio, which means 4 parts water 1 part PB APC, which will give you 160 oz of cleaning solution from one 32oz bottle.

Good choice, I think you'll be quite pleased with the P21s Concours Carnauba Wax.

Sounds like a great plan. Be sure to read up on the proper way to apply the polish with the buffer. It is relatively easy to get good results, but will take some time to master. Practice and experimenting with different speeds, pressure, etc. will help improve your results.

Couple of options. If you do not like the look of the pin stripes, now would be a good time to remove them. Simply take a hair dryer or heat gun, start on one end, heat it up and peel them off slowly. When you are done removing them, use a clay bar to remove any left over adhesive, and polish the finish back to a uniform look (chances are the paint around the pin stripes will look faded).

Other option, use some blue painters tape to cover them so the abrasives in the polish do not wear them away.

Keep us posted on how you make out, I'm excited to read about your results.

No you did not kill your clear coat. No product is harmful to your clear coat when used correctly and for the right purpose. Stay away from silicone based products for your paint and trim, but most products now-a-days are not silicone based.

Typically the wait time is 90 - 120 days to allow the paint to fully cure. Check with the body shop that painted your vehicle for a more exact answer, they should know. You can: Wash & Dry, Clay, Polish and Glaze on fresh paint, but you cannot apply a Sealant or Wax during the cure time.

Paint is protected either from a sealant or wax. A coat of sealant typically will last from 3 - 6 months. A coat of wax will typically last 2 - 8 weeks. I usually recommend at least 2 coats of each, if not for the additional protection, but for even coverage on your entire vehicle. In an ideal situation, you want to let the first coat cure for 24 - 48 hours prior to applying the next coat.

Zaino is a high quality brand of products that have great durability and are relatively easy to use and look good. Everyone is going to have different opinions on different products, and I think the best thing you can do is educate yourself on the products you are considering and choose a product that fits your exact detailing needs. One thing to keep in mind, even if you use Zaino products, you still have to shop else-where for many items such as microfiber towels, interior care, wheel care, glass care, etc. Some of the products I sell may look deeper or wetter, are easier to apply or remove, etc. The best benefit Zaino has is it's long lasting durability, which is great, but isn't much of a factor if you plan on detailing your vehicle 3 - 4 times a year, which most sealants will provide coverage for. You won't be disappointed either way you go.

George

jd2k1

iTrader: (2)

Do you still have to wait 90 - 120days if the car was baked at the shop? Let say it wasn't baked at the shop, what will happen if you wax the fresh paint job before it's fully cured?

redlude97

iTrader: (12)

If you wax a paint job that isn't fully cured, it will prevent the solvents in the paint to evaporate completely, leaving the paint uncured for a longer period of time which will cause it to not reach its hardness potetial. Eventually the wax will wear off if you don't reapply often enough, and the paint will eventually cure completely, but it will take a significantly longer period of time. Baking ovens at the shop are just to speed up the dry time, but the finish will still not be fully cured unless they bake it for an extended period of time, which almost no shops will do unless you pay for it. Therefore, stick to the 90 day rule for curing before applying any type of sealant.

QwikTSi

First Id like to thank you George for all the great info on this thread. I read through it all and I didnt see anyone ask anything about the problems I have. I bought my G35 just 3 weeks ago and the previous owner had left me with quite a bit of work. Overall the car is in good shape but it definitely could use some detailing TLC. Since its black I realize it will take some extra effort to get that really nice mirror finish and thats what the car lacks. But after reading your thread I have a good idea on how to get that mirror finish back.

Theres just one thing in my way and thats the protective sticker kit on the front end. Hopefully you know what Im talking about, I think its made by 3M and its basically a sticker kit paint matched to the car and it protects your front end from bug damage. Well someone didnt know how to care for it so its faded now and full of scratches (maybe from a bad buffing?). I assume the only way to get it off easily is to heat it up with a heat gun and go nice and slow. Is this the only way you know of doing this? And once its removed what would you recommend to remove the remaining sticky residue? I have a few products at the house but they have that dreaded "try in a small place first" warning. This stuff is on the front bumper, fenders and the hood so Im dealing with metal and plastic.

My other issue is very similar, the interior has one of those stick on woodgrain kits in it. It was installed very well but the kit does a poor job of lining up with everything in some places and IMHO these kits just make the interior look cheap. Would you use the same process on the interior as well? I was kind of worried about using the heat gun around all the electronics.

Any input would be greatly appreciated and thank you for your time.
-Donald

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iTrader: (2)

Donald, thank you for the kind words. Those two questions are ones I have not gotten often. For the sticker, that is how I would tackle it. Heat it up, remove slowly, then remove remaining residue with an adhesive remover or paint safe degreaser, then proceed to clay and polish to restore the area and blend in any fading of surrounding areas.

I'd be careful using the heat gun on the interior because you would have the potential to melt the plastic and vinyl, and as you mentioned, ruin the electronics, etc. Is there a chance you can remove the trim pieces from your interior then work on removing the overlay?

I have never performed this on a vehicle, so I don't have much input on how I would go about doing this. Consider calling a shop that installs them, I'm sure they would know how to remove them as well.

Thank you once again for posting and for the kind words, let me know if there's anything else I can try to help you with.

George

RBull

iTrader: (1)

I think he must be talking about a normal clear bra. I've never seen anything that was a "sticker" that was colour matched to the paint. I think you can remove small imperfections in the clear bra the same as on your clear coat with a PC.

I've observed an installer removing my hood clear bra. There was no heat used nor was there any residue left over. I agree with letting a pro installer to do the removal. It looked easy but he knew what he was doing. We've all seen some threads on here about removal taking the paint off.