RFD Official Detailing Thread - Post all Detailing/Paint Related Questions here!

Originally Posted by shoryukenz

I'm completely new to detailing, just decided to buy a bunch of stuff to hopefully make my family and I's cars to look nice and shiny/swirl-less again.

Just placed an order at eShine. Here is what I bought that should hopefully get me started with everything I need.

-Porter Cable Swirl Buster Kit
-LC Orange Mild Cut
-LC White Polishing
-LC White Polishing
-LC Black Finishing
-Sonus SFX 6" Blue Buffing Pad

-Menzerna Super Intensive Polish PO83Q (32 oz)
-Menzerna Nano Polish PO106FF (32oz)
-Riccardo Clay (6.2oz)
-Pinnacle Liquid Souveran Wax
-Collinite Super Doublecoat Auto Wax (No. 476s)
-Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine (32oz)

-100% Sheepskin Mitt With Thumb
-Grit Guard Bucket Insert
-The Dehydrator Drying Towel

-Sonus Microfiber Buffing Bonnet 6" (2 pk)
-The Cookie Monster Buffing Towel (X2)

-303 Aerospace Protectant 16 oz.

I've got some Meguiar's Gold Class at home already.

I'm thinking of doing this to all my cars:

1. Full Wash
2. Claybar with ONR as lube
3. Menzerna Super Intensive Polish on LC Orange Pad
4. Menzerna Nano Polish on LC White Pad
5. Collinite 476s Wax on LC Black Pad,
6. Pinnacle Liquid Souveran Wax on LC Black Pad

How does this sound, am I missing anything or doing anything wrong?

In terms of waxing/sealing, would I be able to do Collinite 476s and then Pinnacle Liquid Souveran Wax on top of that? Just for the durability+shine/depth? I'm not sure if they will be compatible layered like that as they are both Waxes and not Wax over a Sealant?

Everything looks good except for the 476 and Souveran. I am not sure if they will bond; even if 476 is a synthetic wax it probably will not work as an underlaying layer like ZAIO or KAIO (acrylic based).

You can wax over a sealant but only with a 100% wax based wax. With a synthetic wax you run the risk of removing the sealant underneath. I would double check with Chris to see if it will work or not; but I don't think it will.

You can use the MF bonnet ontop of the black foam pad to remove/apply the wax.

Originally Posted by Asad_A203

There are websites that have better deals than eshine; notably:

detailedimage.com

^^ I highly; 150% recommend detailed image. Never have I seen such customer service than at detailed image. George gives out excellent advice and is a very large help on the BMW/Infiniti forums and only reason why I don't buy anything is the shipping. However if you are going for a Porter Cable; you can probably price it cheaper than eshine. Autogeek occasionally has good deals.

so eshine is still the best choice since shipping kills any deal for us canadians =(

sucks..

i'll probably head to the states and pick up some cleaning products instead..

Originally Posted by Tomy

so eshine is still the best choice since shipping kills any deal for us canadians =(

sucks..

i'll probably head to the states and pick up some cleaning products instead..

That is the best bet. Not so liable for Winnipegers (well Grand Forks isn't too bad; but no where near store selection as in GTA) but if I lived in GTA; I would just do border runs for detailing supplies. You could probably pass it off as your regular car cleaning supply when you cross over too; lol.

Thanks Asad, for all the info!

A few more clarifying questions..

1. Foam Applicator Pad (for Wash phase): Didn't see any at eshine. Can you suggest one?

2. Zymol Pre-wax Applicator: You mentioned this in the Washing supply list. I think you're talking about: http://www.eshine.ca/zymol_pre_wax_a...or_2pk-452.php
What do I use this for?

3. What applicator should I use for the wax?

4. How much wax (and other supplies) do I need? As I said before, I am planning to work on my older Camry and new Accord.
I am thinking, for the Accord: Wash -> Clay -> Wax
for the Camry: Wash -> Clay -> KAIO&KSG -> Wax
I understand I would need twice as much pads, towels & mitts. But how about the other stuff (clay, wax etc)?

5. Would you suggest KAIO&KSG for the new Accord too? How about Clay for the Accord? Btw, when I say "new" i mean less than 3 weeks
The reason I am asking this is because, ppl at driveaccord.net are saying a new car would just need wash & wax.

KSG is an extremely picky sealant. The best way is to apply a small dab on your pad (smaller is much, much better); spread the SG over a small area so you can barely see it. After this wait 30 seconds and wipe off with a buffing towel! If you let it sit longer; it will be extremely difficult to buff off and you might need to wait 24 hours for easier removal. So do this in small parts ALL over your vehicle; including plastics, wheels, windshield, exhaust pipes, metal; whatever. Klasse SG is extremely finicky about how it bonds; so all these areas need to have KAIO already on it so KSG can bond properly.

After this you won't notice much difference over KAIO; but this is only half the fun . Wait 24 hours for the SG to cure; and repeat the process (if vehicle has been driven; do a proper wash (no CLAY!); if it hasn't been driven; use a QD to remove dust). Repeat this two times for 4 layers of Klasse SG.

6. So, KAIO -> KSG -> 24 hours -> Wash -> KSG -> 24 hours -> Wash -> KSG and so on? So the whole process would take 4 days or so?

7. Do I need layers of KAIO after every "Wash" phase? Do I need to wait 24 hrs after the last layer of KSG before I can apply the wax?

8. If I am lazy and just put one layer KSG, does that result in very bad quality work? how about cost & effort vs outcome?

THANKS!!

Originally Posted by torrento

Thanks Asad, for all the info!

A few more clarifying questions..

1. Foam Applicator Pad (for Wash phase): Didn't see any at eshine. Can you suggest one?

2. Zymol Pre-wax Applicator: You mentioned this in the Washing supply list. I think you're talking about: http://www.eshine.ca/zymol_pre_wax_a...or_2pk-452.php
What do I use this for?

3. What applicator should I use for the wax?

4. How much wax (and other supplies) do I need? As I said before, I am planning to work on my older Camry and new Accord.
I am thinking, for the Accord: Wash -> Clay -> Wax
for the Camry: Wash -> Clay -> KAIO&KSG -> Wax
I understand I would need twice as much pads, towels & mitts. But how about the other stuff (clay, wax etc)?

5. Would you suggest KAIO&KSG for the new Accord too? How about Clay for the Accord? Btw, when I say "new" i mean less than 3 weeks
The reason I am asking this is because, ppl at driveaccord.net are saying a new car would just need wash & wax.

6. So, KAIO -> KSG -> 24 hours -> Wash -> KSG -> 24 hours -> Wash -> KSG and so on? So the whole process would take 4 days or so?

7. Do I need layers of KAIO after every "Wash" phase? Do I need to wait 24 hrs after the last layer of KSG before I can apply the wax?

8. If I am lazy and just put one layer KSG, does that result in very bad quality work? how about cost & effort vs outcome?

THANKS!!

http://www.eshine.ca/applicator_blue...g-5.php?cat=19

The Prewax applicators are necessary for applying Klasse Sealant Glaze (as you need a MF applicator pad).

You should be using a foam applicator pad (Meguiars foam applicator pads are good; but just use the eshine one I linked)

I would definately recommend KAIO and KSG on a new accord; infact that is the first thing I would do.

For two vehicles you can get by with same amount of towels, mitts, pads and other equipment just as long as you don't do both vehicles at once. KAIO and KSG at MOST use 1 ounce (rarely this much) per vehicle application so you will not be runing short of this. As long as you wash your mitts properly from your other car to the Accord; you should be fine. To reduce cross contamination you might want to invest in a seperate wash mitt just for your Accord. P21S COncours applys o so light you will have no issue running short of wax. The thinner the wax application; the better. Clay you should not ever use after a heavy claying; you usually downgrade them to engine/tire duty. If you drop your clay you also need to throw it out. I would break the Ricardo clay up into smaller pieces and you might be able to get by with 1 bar of clay.


Claying is required for even new vehicles and even a slight cut polish sometimes is necessary(dealerships details are usually pretty bad and usually mar the paint). When your car got transported it probably got a bunch of stuff stuck from the train journey which embedded into the paint (most frequently rail dust). You will need to clay to insure it is free of these contaminents.

A new vehicle does not only need a wash & wax because of the reasons mentioned above; along with the fact if you are set on protecting your investment you should seal the paint and continue to do so so it remains in the condition it is and doesn't degrade over the years.

That is the correct process but I would not wash unless you actually drove the vehicle and have visible dirt. If you see no visible dirt and only dust; you can just Quick Detail your vehicle:

http://www.autopia.org/forum/guide-d...detailing.html

The process would take probably more than 4 days since you also need to include the wax ontop of that (7 days in total). If this seems a bit excessive and you can't find the time; just put two layers of Klasse Sealant Glaze within the first two days. Then every week when you wash your car you can just add another layer of Klasse SG. Continue to do so until you have 4 layers of Klasse SG. You then do a wax everytime you wash your car after the 4 layers of Klasse SG and do this for 3 times. You cannot do a wax inbetween Klasse SG applications; the next layer of Klasse SG will not bond. So it will be this order:

1st Day: Wash + Clay + Klasse AIO (you do not need to wait 24 hours for AIO) + Klasse SG
2nd Day (24hrs later): Quick Detail + Klasse SG
3rd day (24 hours later): Quick Detail + Klasse SG
...
10th Day: Wash + Klasse SG
17th Day: Wash + Klasse SG
24th Day: Wash + P21S Concours
31st Day: Wash + P1S Concours
38th Day: Wash + P21S Concours
45th Day: wash + P21S Concours
...
66th Day: Wash + P21S Concours



You do NOT want to be applying Klasse AIO at any point after you apply Klasse SG EXCEPT at the end of a 1- 1 1/2 years when you strip all the layers and do the process again. Klasse AIO will strip all the layers you spent building to protect your paint .


Klasse SG will yield results similar to a wax but the real "POP" begins after 2-3 layers. If you do not want to spend 2hrs a day for a week; I would do my schedule and just do 2 layers initially and build the rest every week ending it with your wax layer.

Good luck.

Okay because of my limited budget right now I think I would wait to get a proper RO to polish the Corolla.

As for the Accord, I still want to properly seal it with Klasse products and Contours wax.

Can I apply both Klasse products by hand? If so, what are the pads that I need to do that? Would the process change completely? I plan to buy these products and the pads from eshine. I just need a better direction as to what pads I need on eshine to do all those by hand.

Originally Posted by bst

Okay because of my limited budget right now I think I would wait to get a proper RO to polish the Corolla.

As for the Accord, I still want to properly seal it with Klasse products and Contours wax.

Can I apply both Klasse products by hand? If so, what are the pads that I need to do that? Would the process change completely? I plan to buy these products and the pads from eshine. I just need a better direction as to what pads I need on eshine to do all those by hand.

For sure; that is why I mentioned not to polish or a RO polishers. Klasse AIO and Klasse SG are easily applied by hand (only way to apply SG for newbies). Those pads I linked too earlier (the MF applicator pad and foam pad applicator) are the ones you will need.

Will take a bit longer but you will still achieve excellent results on your Accord. For the Corolla you might get rid of oxidation but I would wait for a RO like you mentioned.

One thing to keep in mind however is that it really depends on the car's paint finish. The combos mentioned above are more of a best for general car care.

Asad, great job btw, is a huge fan of the klasse (as am I), because of durability and great shine. But you can feel free to mix up your own combos as you go.

Originally Posted by Asad_A203

For sure; that is why I mentioned not to polish or a RO polishers. Klasse AIO and Klasse SG are easily applied by hand (only way to apply SG for newbies). Those pads I linked too earlier (the MF applicator pad and foam pad applicator) are the ones you will need.

Will take a bit longer but you will still achieve excellent results on your Accord. For the Corolla you might get rid of oxidation but I would wait for a RO like you mentioned.

Thanks for the quick reply.

So judging by what you said, I should be okay ordering the klasse total kit from eshine which includes a blue foam applicator pad for KAIO and the yellow pad for KSG?

If so, what are the specific instructions to applying it by hand? Do I pour a small amount on the pad and rub it in a circular motion like applying wax? I remove it with the MF towel. A step by step would be nice

I wish I can repay you for all the help you gave me...

Wondering if anyone can give me some advice..

I am ordering a set of unpainted "eyelids" for my Yaris HB. (The color is orange 4s9 and i want to make sure i can get matching paint here in Toronto instead of Mexico)

Wondering if anyone can recommend a body shop that can paint these? And since it's so small.. any idea how much it would cost me?

Thanks!

Originally Posted by Asad_A203

That is the best bet. Not so liable for Winnipegers (well Grand Forks isn't too bad; but no where near store selection as in GTA) but if I lived in GTA; I would just do border runs for detailing supplies. You could probably pass it off as your regular car cleaning supply when you cross over too; lol.

i should do that.. but u got any suggestions on where to buy the supplies? i know k-mart and walmart there don't have all the selections available. for the same product, it's probably 50% compare to CT here..

I was wondering if anyone might know where I could get touch up paint for my car in a spray can. The obvious option is Canadian Tire - but my paint colour isn't one of the basic ones they carry.

If there is an auto supply chain that carries a wider variety of auto paints or can custom mix the colour based on the paint code, that's what I'm looking for.

I'm in Mississauga.

Thanks.

Originally Posted by Tiberius

I was wondering if anyone might know where I could get touch up paint for my car in a spray can. The obvious option is Canadian Tire - but my paint colour isn't one of the basic ones they carry.

If there is an auto supply chain that carries a wider variety of auto paints or can custom mix the colour based on the paint code, that's what I'm looking for.

I'm in Mississauga.

Thanks.

NAPA will colour match your vehicle. I bought spray cans for my car and van from there before. Just make sure you call to ensure that they have a paint mixing facility, not all NAPA's do.

Originally Posted by Nonopeno

Wondering if anyone can give me some advice..

I am ordering a set of unpainted "eyelids" for my Yaris HB. (The color is orange 4s9 and i want to make sure i can get matching paint here in Toronto instead of Mexico)

Wondering if anyone can recommend a body shop that can paint these? And since it's so small.. any idea how much it would cost me?

Thanks!

I'd suggest that you paint it yourself. It's very easy and will save you quite a bit of money. Try to find your colour at Canadian Tire or get NAPA to mix you up a can.

Otherwise I'm sure ANY body shop will have no problem painting eyelids.

Thanks for the response!

I thought the paint needs to be "baked" in an oven for a while, and then another clear coat needs to go on for the polished look.. is that true?

Don't want the color to come off when I am waxing my car.. haha

Originally Posted by TheRide

I'd suggest that you paint it yourself. It's very easy and will save you quite a bit of money. Try to find your colour at Canadian Tire or get NAPA to mix you up a can.

Otherwise I'm sure ANY body shop will have no problem painting eyelids.