Chances are you'll learn something about detailing if you read this
 

Our latest auto detailing article was put together was designed to take you through an entire detail from start to finish while trying to explain the mindset of one of the top detailers in the industry.

The detail was performed on a 2006 Acura TL in Nighthawk Black Pearl, some of the softest black paint out there. The washing and drying section is an excellent read to understand getting the most out of every wash to minimize adding any imperfections to your finish.

With nearly 150 photos and 8 pages of explanation, we broke this article up into multiple sections so it would load faster and be better organized to find the information you are looking for quickly and easily.

Here's an overview of what is covered:

Page 1: Overview, Pre-Detail Prep, Washing and Drying
- An overview of the detail to be performed
- Assessing the easily damaged Acura paint
- Starting the detail
- Wash the wheels, tires, and wheel wells first!
- Properly washing soft black paint
- Cleaning and washing your exhaust tips
- Engine bay detailing
- Drying black paint without adding swirls

Page 2: Clay Bar, Polishing, Protecting
- Using a clay bar to properly prep the surface
- Polishing your paint to a swirl free finish
Measuring the paint's thickness
Properly taping your vehicle prior to polishing
Choosing the right polish
Using the proper amount of polish
Results after one pass of Menzerna Power Finish on an orange pad
Polishing lower panels with problem areas
Removing deep etchings from the paint
Safely polishing the trunk lid
Removing scrapes, scratches and other deep imperfections
Safely polishing pillars
Alcohol wipe down after polishing
Post-polish clean up with ONR
- Protecting your paint with a sealant

Page 3: Finishing Touches and Interior
- Dressing your wheel wells and tires
- Detailing the interior
Start your interior by dusting
Dressing and protecting the interior
Comparing Optimum Protectant Plus to 303 Aerospace Protectant
Caring for your leather
Streak free glass
Don't forget the sunroof

Page 4: After shots of the Acura TL detail

We hope this article improves your knowledge in detailing and translates into a better finish for your vehicles.

If you have any questions on anything, please do not hesitate to ask.

Let us know what you think!

Enjoy,

George

Very nice, George! All good stuff.

i want someone to do that for me its alot of work GREAT job george

Good info George thanks!!!!!!

This will come in handy. I'm gonna have to set a side some time to thoroughly go through this.

Very nice step by step detailing!

Thats just awesome work man. I wish I can find a detailer in NYC area that goes through all these necessary process to get the car looking as good as how the TL looks.

Incredible! What a write up!

Hello everybody!

I am the person responsible for writing this novel. :) Actually my part is easy, and George has the challenging task of putting it all together for everybody to review (thanks for all of your efforts, George!).

I saw all of the positive comments, so I had to come in and say hello as well as thank everybody for the compliments on the work and the article.

Please let us know if you have any specific questions about the products/processes used, and thank you once again for taking the time to read through the tutorial.

Best regards,
Todd Cooperider

That is just awesome work and a great write up. I know only a fraction about detailing but articles like this are what inspire me to learn more. I like to see that I'm using at least one of the right products (303 Aerospace Protect).

I see that you didn't use any wax after the sealant. What are your thoughts about using a wax after seal?

I just found all the links to Todd's articles. I have a lot of reading to do.

Great job. I am still learning a lot in this area and it will help.