Ask a Professional Detailer... Brought to you by Detailed Image
11-19-2009, 10:11 AM
#931
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hello all!
If you drive to the airport to pick someone up, do you park your car then walk in to meet them or go to the curb outside baggage area? (If baggage, do you wind up driving around the loop a few times?)
11-19-2009, 01:54 PM
#932
I have a friend buying a car that has sat in the hot southern sun for over a year. some of the black plastics are mottled and faded in various sections in in different degrees - what are the best methods / products for black plastics and vinyl restoration? All I know of is 303 and Mother's back to black (of which I've had mixed results). Thanks!
First prep the surface by cleaning it with a degreaser (P21S Total Auto Wash or Meguiar's APC+ work great).
The key to using PBW Trim restorer is to apply multiple thin coats without removing the product.
11-22-2009, 12:00 PM
#934
George
11-23-2009, 02:28 PM
#935
Paint dimples?
I made an attempt at detailing with 6 hours over the weekend in my garage and thought I was doing an amazing job. When I got it into the daylight, I can see I made a number of mistakes (which I'll blame on the poor lighting 
) I have 22K miles on a BO.
I did a thorough wash, thorough dry, taping, then went on to polish with Menzerna Intensive Polish PO91E followed by Menzerna Final Finish (Final Polish) PO85U. These got rid of 99% of the swirls and most of the water spots (but I still have a few).
I followed up by applying a 100% carnuba wax. I used my Porter Cable random orbital for all steps.
However, when I got the G into better light, I can see numerous imperfections in front of both rear wheels which I suspect are mini-dimples from stones, gravel, road debris, etc. above the factory plastic protection. I never noticed them before. I think what has happened is the dimples got filled with polish and sealed-in with wax. You can't feel them, but they now are a grey colour and look just like dust/dirt. I did capture them with a picture as follows:
I feel like a noob as I didn't clay and didn't use a proper glaze/sealant and now I have noticeable marks where there were none (visible) before. This really detracts from my intended photoshoot.
So I have 2 questions:
1. How do I get the dimples corrected? I am considering an agressive polishing compound.
2. When applying the carnuba wax, I began using a lamb's wool buffing pad but was unsure if this was appropriate so switched to a microfibre cloth and went by hand. Is the lamb's wool buffer pad useful for anything around my car?
Appreciate your guidance.
) I have 22K miles on a BO.I did a thorough wash, thorough dry, taping, then went on to polish with Menzerna Intensive Polish PO91E followed by Menzerna Final Finish (Final Polish) PO85U. These got rid of 99% of the swirls and most of the water spots (but I still have a few).
I followed up by applying a 100% carnuba wax. I used my Porter Cable random orbital for all steps.
However, when I got the G into better light, I can see numerous imperfections in front of both rear wheels which I suspect are mini-dimples from stones, gravel, road debris, etc. above the factory plastic protection. I never noticed them before. I think what has happened is the dimples got filled with polish and sealed-in with wax. You can't feel them, but they now are a grey colour and look just like dust/dirt. I did capture them with a picture as follows:
I feel like a noob as I didn't clay and didn't use a proper glaze/sealant and now I have noticeable marks where there were none (visible) before. This really detracts from my intended photoshoot.
So I have 2 questions:
1. How do I get the dimples corrected? I am considering an agressive polishing compound.
2. When applying the carnuba wax, I began using a lamb's wool buffing pad but was unsure if this was appropriate so switched to a microfibre cloth and went by hand. Is the lamb's wool buffer pad useful for anything around my car?
Appreciate your guidance.
Last edited by Mid-Life Crisis; 11-23-2009 at 08:22 PM. Reason: add photo
11-25-2009, 08:39 AM
#936
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
George, I just bought a 2009 Infiniti G37x in Black with the self-healing paint and I would like to make sure I take good care of the paint. I have read about people having problems with the self-healing clear coat and I'm scared to damage/remove layers of this paint. I have also read a lot of your detailed posts on how to wash/dry, clarybar, polish, glaze, seal, and wax cars and what products to use but I'm not sure if this advice applies when it comes to the self-healing paint. Since I am a total noob at all of this, can you please suggest the best techniques and products that I should be using to maintain the appearance of my new car? Also, I am confused about removing and reapplying all of the products including when and how to do it. Sorry if you have posted an answer to this within all of the posts. It is to hard to look for all the right answers within all these pages and know for sure that it is ok for the self-healing paint.
Thank you for your time!
Thank you for your time!
11-25-2009, 01:09 PM
#937
I made an attempt at detailing with 6 hours over the weekend in my garage and thought I was doing an amazing job. When I got it into the daylight, I can see I made a number of mistakes (which I'll blame on the poor lighting ) I have 22K miles on a BO.
I did a thorough wash, thorough dry, taping, then went on to polish with Menzerna Intensive Polish PO91E followed by Menzerna Final Finish (Final Polish) PO85U. These got rid of 99% of the swirls and most of the water spots (but I still have a few).
I followed up by applying a 100% carnuba wax. I used my Porter Cable random orbital for all steps.
However, when I got the G into better light, I can see numerous imperfections in front of both rear wheels which I suspect are mini-dimples from stones, gravel, road debris, etc. above the factory plastic protection. I never noticed them before. I think what has happened is the dimples got filled with polish and sealed-in with wax. You can't feel them, but they now are a grey colour and look just like dust/dirt. I did capture them with a picture as follows:
I feel like a noob as I didn't clay and didn't use a proper glaze/sealant and now I have noticeable marks where there were none (visible) before. This really detracts from my intended photoshoot.
So I have 2 questions:
1. How do I get the dimples corrected? I am considering an agressive polishing compound.
2. When applying the carnuba wax, I began using a lamb's wool buffing pad but was unsure if this was appropriate so switched to a microfibre cloth and went by hand. Is the lamb's wool buffer pad useful for anything around my car?
Appreciate your guidance.
) I have 22K miles on a BO.I did a thorough wash, thorough dry, taping, then went on to polish with Menzerna Intensive Polish PO91E followed by Menzerna Final Finish (Final Polish) PO85U. These got rid of 99% of the swirls and most of the water spots (but I still have a few).
I followed up by applying a 100% carnuba wax. I used my Porter Cable random orbital for all steps.
However, when I got the G into better light, I can see numerous imperfections in front of both rear wheels which I suspect are mini-dimples from stones, gravel, road debris, etc. above the factory plastic protection. I never noticed them before. I think what has happened is the dimples got filled with polish and sealed-in with wax. You can't feel them, but they now are a grey colour and look just like dust/dirt. I did capture them with a picture as follows:
I feel like a noob as I didn't clay and didn't use a proper glaze/sealant and now I have noticeable marks where there were none (visible) before. This really detracts from my intended photoshoot.
So I have 2 questions:
1. How do I get the dimples corrected? I am considering an agressive polishing compound.
2. When applying the carnuba wax, I began using a lamb's wool buffing pad but was unsure if this was appropriate so switched to a microfibre cloth and went by hand. Is the lamb's wool buffer pad useful for anything around my car?
Appreciate your guidance.
Using a pre-wax cleaner will help ensure any polish is properly removed before applying your protection. Next time around, you will definitely benefit from claying prior to polishing. Also, invest in some dual 500w halogen lights to help aid your detailing next time around so you aren't surprised by anything when you pull it out into sunlight.
I only use quality microfiber towels by hand to remove any product. I know some people / detailers will use a buffer with certain pads, however from my experience, it just opens up more room for adding imperfections or worse if using a powerful buffer. When most products are applied properly, they are very easy to remove. Remember in detailing, less is more, so stretch your product use as far as possible for optimal results in most cases.
Let me know if there's anything else I can help with. Keep me posted on what you end up doing and how things turn out.
George, I just bought a 2009 Infiniti G37x in Black with the self-healing paint and I would like to make sure I take good care of the paint. I have read about people having problems with the self-healing clear coat and I'm scared to damage/remove layers of this paint. I have also read a lot of your detailed posts on how to wash/dry, clarybar, polish, glaze, seal, and wax cars and what products to use but I'm not sure if this advice applies when it comes to the self-healing paint. Since I am a total noob at all of this, can you please suggest the best techniques and products that I should be using to maintain the appearance of my new car? Also, I am confused about removing and reapplying all of the products including when and how to do it. Sorry if you have posted an answer to this within all of the posts. It is to hard to look for all the right answers within all these pages and know for sure that it is ok for the self-healing paint.
Thank you for your time!
Thank you for your time!
Here's a general guideline to follow for proper maintenance:
Wash ~2 weeks
Wax (if used) ~ once a month
Sealant ~ once a season
Clay ~ twice a year
Polish ~ twice a year
UV protect interior ~ once a month
Condition leather ~ 2 - 4 times a year
Basically what I try to do is schedule 2 full details in the year, for me it's in the Spring and Fall. This is where I'll strip everything down and do a complete process on the car. From there I will try to wash every two weeks and reapply a coat of wax every other wash. When it comes to the once a season sealant application, I'll strip off everything, but skip the clay and polish, unless it's needed in certain areas then I simply spot treat.
Let me know which part of the process you'd like recommendations on and I'd be happy to offer some suggestions for products.
Talk soon,
George
12-01-2009, 03:02 PM
#940
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Congrats on the detail. Unfortunately, one of the things about detailing, especially the more into detailing you get, the more you notice the little imperfections in your paint. If you have tiny dimples or small chips from debris, etc. I personally would just live with it. Trying to remove them by using an aggressive compound could just remove excess clear coat and there's no guarantee that you'll be able to remove them. From your picture, most of the tiny white specs look like your metallic flake, aside from the few larger ones. If the dimples are filled with product, then you could go over them with some isopropyl alcohol and water to remove any excess product, then reapply your protection, ensuring you remove the product completely before it has time to dry. You'll want to apply the sealant or wax as thin as possible, which will help minimize the product from sticking in the dimples.
Using a pre-wax cleaner will help ensure any polish is properly removed before applying your protection. Next time around, you will definitely benefit from claying prior to polishing. Also, invest in some dual 500w halogen lights to help aid your detailing next time around so you aren't surprised by anything when you pull it out into sunlight.
I only use quality microfiber towels by hand to remove any product. I know some people / detailers will use a buffer with certain pads, however from my experience, it just opens up more room for adding imperfections or worse if using a powerful buffer. When most products are applied properly, they are very easy to remove. Remember in detailing, less is more, so stretch your product use as far as possible for optimal results in most cases.
Let me know if there's anything else I can help with. Keep me posted on what you end up doing and how things turn out.
Good question, you can basically perform all of the same steps, but you certainly want to start on the less aggressive side of things if you need to polish. Even with the self healing clear, it will only help with very minor imperfections. If you have a scratch or something, you're still going to need to polish it to remove it just like a regular clear coat. Since Infiniti has soft paint to begin with, I'd recommend starting with a very light finishing polish for most imperfections. Something like Menzerna PO106FA would be a good start. For something a little more aggressive, Menzerna Power Finish is a great polish to have handy.
Here's a general guideline to follow for proper maintenance:
Wash ~2 weeks
Wax (if used) ~ once a month
Sealant ~ once a season
Clay ~ twice a year
Polish ~ twice a year
UV protect interior ~ once a month
Condition leather ~ 2 - 4 times a year
Basically what I try to do is schedule 2 full details in the year, for me it's in the Spring and Fall. This is where I'll strip everything down and do a complete process on the car. From there I will try to wash every two weeks and reapply a coat of wax every other wash. When it comes to the once a season sealant application, I'll strip off everything, but skip the clay and polish, unless it's needed in certain areas then I simply spot treat.
Let me know which part of the process you'd like recommendations on and I'd be happy to offer some suggestions for products.
Talk soon,
George
Using a pre-wax cleaner will help ensure any polish is properly removed before applying your protection. Next time around, you will definitely benefit from claying prior to polishing. Also, invest in some dual 500w halogen lights to help aid your detailing next time around so you aren't surprised by anything when you pull it out into sunlight.
I only use quality microfiber towels by hand to remove any product. I know some people / detailers will use a buffer with certain pads, however from my experience, it just opens up more room for adding imperfections or worse if using a powerful buffer. When most products are applied properly, they are very easy to remove. Remember in detailing, less is more, so stretch your product use as far as possible for optimal results in most cases.
Let me know if there's anything else I can help with. Keep me posted on what you end up doing and how things turn out.
Good question, you can basically perform all of the same steps, but you certainly want to start on the less aggressive side of things if you need to polish. Even with the self healing clear, it will only help with very minor imperfections. If you have a scratch or something, you're still going to need to polish it to remove it just like a regular clear coat. Since Infiniti has soft paint to begin with, I'd recommend starting with a very light finishing polish for most imperfections. Something like Menzerna PO106FA would be a good start. For something a little more aggressive, Menzerna Power Finish is a great polish to have handy.
Here's a general guideline to follow for proper maintenance:
Wash ~2 weeks
Wax (if used) ~ once a month
Sealant ~ once a season
Clay ~ twice a year
Polish ~ twice a year
UV protect interior ~ once a month
Condition leather ~ 2 - 4 times a year
Basically what I try to do is schedule 2 full details in the year, for me it's in the Spring and Fall. This is where I'll strip everything down and do a complete process on the car. From there I will try to wash every two weeks and reapply a coat of wax every other wash. When it comes to the once a season sealant application, I'll strip off everything, but skip the clay and polish, unless it's needed in certain areas then I simply spot treat.
Let me know which part of the process you'd like recommendations on and I'd be happy to offer some suggestions for products.
Talk soon,
George
Thank you for your quick response. I have not done anything to my car yet and I want to wash and treat the car for the heavy snow/salt in the winter time. Do you have any product/process recommendations for the first treatment?
Thanks.
12-04-2009, 08:10 PM
#941
You can maintain your car through the winter months pretty easily using Optimum No Rinse.
If there's anything else I can help with, let me know.
George
12-11-2009, 02:02 AM
#942
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: FL
Posts: 138
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi George! awesome website you have, the walk through showing Tod work on the TL is insane.
Anyway, i have two new babies in the garage needing some protection from the FLA sunshine (although it has not made an appearance lately!) One is a Black Obsidian the other a Moonlight White. I was going to start the detail on the BO this weekend to make it look it's best and give it some protection. I read most of this thread on the Infiniti sealf healing clear coat and wonder if you have any suggestion/objections to the process i'm planning to use below (it's going to be a busy weekend!). Any problems with the product combos, timing between coats etc?
• Friday
o Wash
o Claybar (Gengle Fine Grade Clay)
o Wash
• Saturday
o Polish with PO106FA using Lake Country White pad on Flex orbital
o Wipe down with Isopropyl Alcohol
o Mezerna Finishing Touch Glaze on Lake Country Black pad using Flex orbital
o Mezerna FMJ using blue pad on Flex orbital
• Sunday
o Mazerna FMJ coat two
• Next week Wax? Still looking for product any suggestions? Right now the only thing I have in my garage is Meguiars Mirror Glaze Yellow Wax #26. It worked ok on my PG before but I never went to this extent before.
Thanks for the help!
Anyway, i have two new babies in the garage needing some protection from the FLA sunshine (although it has not made an appearance lately!) One is a Black Obsidian the other a Moonlight White. I was going to start the detail on the BO this weekend to make it look it's best and give it some protection. I read most of this thread on the Infiniti sealf healing clear coat and wonder if you have any suggestion/objections to the process i'm planning to use below (it's going to be a busy weekend!). Any problems with the product combos, timing between coats etc?
• Friday
o Wash
o Claybar (Gengle Fine Grade Clay)
o Wash
• Saturday
o Polish with PO106FA using Lake Country White pad on Flex orbital
o Wipe down with Isopropyl Alcohol
o Mezerna Finishing Touch Glaze on Lake Country Black pad using Flex orbital
o Mezerna FMJ using blue pad on Flex orbital
• Sunday
o Mazerna FMJ coat two
• Next week Wax? Still looking for product any suggestions? Right now the only thing I have in my garage is Meguiars Mirror Glaze Yellow Wax #26. It worked ok on my PG before but I never went to this extent before.
Thanks for the help!
Last edited by SnoopDawg; 12-11-2009 at 02:13 AM.
12-11-2009, 10:39 AM
#943
Hi George! awesome website you have, the walk through showing Tod work on the TL is insane.
Anyway, i have two new babies in the garage needing some protection from the FLA sunshine (although it has not made an appearance lately!) One is a Black Obsidian the other a Moonlight White. I was going to start the detail on the BO this weekend to make it look it's best and give it some protection. I read most of this thread on the Infiniti sealf healing clear coat and wonder if you have any suggestion/objections to the process i'm planning to use below (it's going to be a busy weekend!). Any problems with the product combos, timing between coats etc?
• Friday
o Wash
o Claybar (Gengle Fine Grade Clay)
o Wash
• Saturday
o Polish with PO106FA using Lake Country White pad on Flex orbital
o Wipe down with Isopropyl Alcohol
o Mezerna Finishing Touch Glaze on Lake Country Black pad using Flex orbital
o Mezerna FMJ using blue pad on Flex orbital
• Sunday
o Mazerna FMJ coat two
• Next week Wax? Still looking for product any suggestions? Right now the only thing I have in my garage is Meguiars Mirror Glaze Yellow Wax #26. It worked ok on my PG before but I never went to this extent before.
Thanks for the help!
Anyway, i have two new babies in the garage needing some protection from the FLA sunshine (although it has not made an appearance lately!) One is a Black Obsidian the other a Moonlight White. I was going to start the detail on the BO this weekend to make it look it's best and give it some protection. I read most of this thread on the Infiniti sealf healing clear coat and wonder if you have any suggestion/objections to the process i'm planning to use below (it's going to be a busy weekend!). Any problems with the product combos, timing between coats etc?
• Friday
o Wash
o Claybar (Gengle Fine Grade Clay)
o Wash
• Saturday
o Polish with PO106FA using Lake Country White pad on Flex orbital
o Wipe down with Isopropyl Alcohol
o Mezerna Finishing Touch Glaze on Lake Country Black pad using Flex orbital
o Mezerna FMJ using blue pad on Flex orbital
• Sunday
o Mazerna FMJ coat two
• Next week Wax? Still looking for product any suggestions? Right now the only thing I have in my garage is Meguiars Mirror Glaze Yellow Wax #26. It worked ok on my PG before but I never went to this extent before.
Thanks for the help!
Process looks good, the only thing I may suggest is saving your second wash for the 2nd day before polishing. This way if any dust settles between the first and second night, you get a fresh start prior to polishing.
You may want to give a quick wipe down with a quick detailer between Sat and Sun before the 2nd coat of FMJ, again in case dust settled.
If you're looking for a great all around wax that sits nicely on top of the FMJ, consider either of the P21S waxes. They look great on any colored vehicle and are easy to apply and remove.
Be sure to keep us posted how everything goes and if you have any questions on anything, please do not hesitate to ask. Post some pics up when your done if you can
George
12-14-2009, 09:49 AM
#944
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: FL
Posts: 138
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
So about 20hrs of labour later & its done. Notes:
1) the clay put quite a few scratches in the clear coat, more than what I'm use to, it was chilly on friday when I was doing it so not sure if that had an impact or if its just that the G has such soft paint. Next time I'll be using a fine grade of clay.
2) Because of the heavy clay, i had to add a polishing step (using super intensive compound and orange pad)
3) it took so long i didn't even have time to take after pics so am attaching an "in progress" one. I tried to take a few this morning but it was pretty hazy so no dice. I'll try this afternoon.
4) I'm thankful we only have one black car
1) the clay put quite a few scratches in the clear coat, more than what I'm use to, it was chilly on friday when I was doing it so not sure if that had an impact or if its just that the G has such soft paint. Next time I'll be using a fine grade of clay.
2) Because of the heavy clay, i had to add a polishing step (using super intensive compound and orange pad)
3) it took so long i didn't even have time to take after pics so am attaching an "in progress" one. I tried to take a few this morning but it was pretty hazy so no dice. I'll try this afternoon.
4) I'm thankful we only have one black car
12-14-2009, 08:52 PM
#945
So about 20hrs of labour later & its done. Notes:
1) the clay put quite a few scratches in the clear coat, more than what I'm use to, it was chilly on friday when I was doing it so not sure if that had an impact or if its just that the G has such soft paint. Next time I'll be using a fine grade of clay.
2) Because of the heavy clay, i had to add a polishing step (using super intensive compound and orange pad)
3) it took so long i didn't even have time to take after pics so am attaching an "in progress" one. I tried to take a few this morning but it was pretty hazy so no dice. I'll try this afternoon.
4) I'm thankful we only have one black car
1) the clay put quite a few scratches in the clear coat, more than what I'm use to, it was chilly on friday when I was doing it so not sure if that had an impact or if its just that the G has such soft paint. Next time I'll be using a fine grade of clay.
2) Because of the heavy clay, i had to add a polishing step (using super intensive compound and orange pad)
3) it took so long i didn't even have time to take after pics so am attaching an "in progress" one. I tried to take a few this morning but it was pretty hazy so no dice. I'll try this afternoon.
4) I'm thankful we only have one black car
Love to see some fully finished shots if you have any.
Thanks for sharing