get this

Dear Bryan,

You could actually skip the rinse phase and use an APC (All Purpose Cleaner) as a pre-wash and deliver onto the car using a pump sprayer. So your wash methodology could go something like:

1 - APC pre-soak/wash with pump sprayer
2 - Power wash dirt and pre-soak off the car
3 - Foam cannon attachment on power washer for a nice layer of foam shampoo on the car
4 - Wash mitt wipe down panel by panel, taking care to use a soak bucket for cleaning your wash mitt in between panels
5 - Dry and Spray wax in one step by using your spray wax as a drying-aid

The dilution rates for Meguiar's APC and Optimum Power Clean are quite economical and these APCs can be used for a multitude of tasks based on your dilution.

Greasy engine? 1:1
Rims? 3 : 1
Body panels? 5 : 1
Interior tasks? 10 : 1
All other tasks? 15 : 1

As for your Spray Wax, you could try Optimum Car Wax or Chemical Guys V07

Happy Detailing

-d

This post has been edited by daedalus: Mar 21 2016, 07:05 PM

Further thoughts on the armorall extreme shield wax...

It's quite expensive...working out to RM 14.5 per car ...in contrast ag's hd wax say at RM 400 per tub is only about RM 8 per car... I don't know if it is going to last twice as long to make it equitable...

thanks sifu ,

What can i get for RM1000 job paint?

what your advice on the paint job?newbie here...

For a good quality paint job...for RM1000 you might be able to do a couple of door panels...

I would be very wary if anybody (commercial shops) say they can do one whole car for RM1000...even for re-clear coating only....

So I have some micro scratches on my side door panel. Its only a month old city
So is there anyway to remove this? What are the things I need?
After fixing this i am thinking claying and sealing it with PG sealant.

Also scratches to the rims .....zzz....




Attached thumbnail(s)

I also have scratches on my rim..somemore two rims. Can't do anything bout it.

For your door panel, if you dare and know what you are doing, you can do some wetsanding and polish it back . Otherwise bring it to auto detailing shop, they can fix that as I think is only the clearcoat is affected.

This post has been edited by chuckiee: Mar 24 2016, 11:56 AM

Hmm...I was thinking polish would do the job, just not sure which type to use.
Wet Sanding...need to use sandpaper?

I feel you bro.

I saw Youtube, For rim scratches you can fix...if you have the time....sand it then putty it then spray paint(primer/paint/sealant). I am bad with DIY...gotta consider will I do more damage or not. Most likely will let it be
but Sim Tia (Heart Pain)...haha

Based on the picture...it's very light scratch on your body panel...a mild polisher would probably get it done..no need wet sanding.
Regarding your rims....it's tough. It is a plastic based or aluminium based rim? i can't tell from the pic. If aluminium...sanding is required.

Alright. Thanks for the info.
As for the rims. Its Alloy.

Polish would suffice for your body panel.
For the rims, nothing much you can do but a refurb.

lookup chrisfix channel on youtube. That requires dremel tools. But I believe can be achieved with several different sand grad papers as well..just more time consuming

Thanks guys for the and information and replies
Will try to polish out the scratches.
For the Rims .....Ive gotta see if i have time to do that or not.(based on the Chrisfix).

hello all sifu and members, need some opinion please

my car is 2013 focus red colour; have been fairly neglected since i have not much time(work shift) only sometime wash her and spray wax a bit. most of time just let some bawah pokok carwash clean the car while im eating at nearby restaurant. so yea, the car is actually full of fine thin swirls.

now i am using meguiar's gold class shampoo and ultimate quik wax, both almost finish now so im looking for replacement; shampoo that perform at economic price and wax that last long
here is some item that caught my attention so far

1. Shampoo Zymol Natural Concentrate Auto Wash

2. Shampoo 2nd choice Turtle Wax ICE® Car Wash

3. Clay, found this way too good offer on lazada, what sifuu think about this Suspicious Clay Bar
the picture show 3M brand. but would poor clay quality harm the car other than wasting time for not working as intended?

4. degreaser/ paint prepper/ wax stripper; i really wonder if i really need this to prepare the surface. will just claying already strip off all wax or maybe washing using regular dishwashing soap like Sunlight is good enough to start anew?

5. polish/ compounding. i did have a thought of treatment for all swirls, but the idea of using abrasive stuff that actually could actually strip the paint scares me a bit . is there anything in this category that is newbie safe?

6. sealant; i dont really understand what sealant is or did i correctly put it here in this sequence. is it safe to move on to wax without sealant? teach me sifu

7. wax; feel want to try Turtle Wax ICE® Paste Wax after watching this video


8. claying lube; could i use a fresh diluted mixture of car shampoo i list above as clay lube?

9. what do you guys think of Turtle Wax Rinse Free Wash & Wax? could it also be safe to use as clay lube? i do wonder if it safe to use to remove bird dropping on hot car surface if i keep a diluted solution of it in spray bottle?


nervously waiting for reply

Hello fellow detailer, definitely should wash your focus a lot more often yourself safely to reduce all those swirl marks cause by car washes with improper technique!

When it comes to shampoo, you'll really have to consider what sort of qualities you like in a shampoo, foaminess? detergency? lubricity? hand feel? scent? free rinsing? etc etc. The Meguiar's Gold Class is a fantastic shampoo with a great handfeel. Have you tried Meguiar's Hyper Wash? It has fantastic lubricity and handfeel, good detergency against road grime and rinses off easily to boot.

Another great shampoo is Optimum Car Wash. Regardless of which shampoo you decide to pick up, always remember to check the dilution ratios, the higher the dilution - the more economical your wash will be. Dilution ratios are also dependent on the quality of your water, the harder your water - the more you have to use. Also factor in your wash tools such as foam guns or foam cannons (foam guns 100ml shampoo concentrate, foam cannons 50ml)

Clay bars, you should try and pick these up from a reputable seller, but keep in mind that claying your car could potentially cause marring on your paint. It may be a good idea to follow up your claying with a one step polish. Claying your car will also strip off your wax coating but you can always use pour a shot of APC into your foam cannon or foam gun or wash bucket, that will give some degreasing ability to your wash. In this way you can wash and strip off the wax at the same time.

Another and probably more effective way to ensure that wax is stripped off, pour some APC (usually at a dilution of 3 : 1) in a pressure pump sprayer and pre-soak your vehicle and follow up with a thorough wash. Make sure you rinse your car down well as some APCs do not rinse free.

Polishing and compounding all boils down the proper technique. As long as you stick to a DA type tool and also polish and compound products geared towards newcomers, you should A-O-K

Waxes and sealants. In the past the best way to actually protect your car is by using a wax, but these usually don't last long and so they've come up with sealants which last a lot longer than waxes. So you either choose a wax or a sealant to protect your car from the elements. As to which you actually use, that really depends on your car care methodology. How often do you wash your car? How much time do you have when washing? Do you like doing it often or prefer to do it only once in a long while?

If you like washing your car often but don't have much time in your session, I would recommend using a spray wax. After every wash, just use your spray wax as a drying aid along with your microfibre towel / waffle weave, this will give your car the protection that it needs until your next wash which isn't too far away.
If on the other hand if you only prefer washing once in a long while, use a sealant which will last a couple of months. You can always use a wax as a topper on your sealant but ensure that you check with the manufacturer of your products, some products aren't meant to be topped or won't play well with other products.

Use a detail spray for your clay lube or if you are a fan of waterless washes, your waterless wash concentrate properly diluted will also make an excellent clay lube. A shampoo is also possible if it has very good lubricity.

Happy detailing,

-d

This post has been edited by daedalus: Mar 27 2016, 07:50 AM

Hello. Can someone recommend me wax that has good protection, good shine and is easy to apply? I just got a new car and I plan to wash it every 2 weeks and apply some wax every month.

Besides that, how can I clean and protect the plastic bits on the exterior of my car?

Thanks.

Congratulations on your new car! Spray waxes can easily last up to a month and is easy enough to apply by just misting onto the panel and buffing it off. Meguiars and Optimum make pretty good spray waxes.

A good shampoo will take care of your plastic bits and exterior paint. A water based dressing will protect your plastic trims. Don't forget to use the 2 bucket method and grit guards when washing your car. A good mitt is also essential!

Happy detailing

-d

This post has been edited by daedalus: Mar 27 2016, 02:18 PM

Thanks. I'm thinking of getting a bottle of Meguiar's Ultimate Quik Wax. Is it sufficient to protect my car's paint, plastic trim and glass? I understand that spray wax doesn't protect as well as liquid or paste wax. Do I need to apply after every car wash?

This post has been edited by tps18489: Mar 27 2016, 05:01 PM

It's very important when purchasing products to actually see what your car care methodology is. For example, if you're going to wax once a month, a good spray wax will easily last that duration. However if you're only going to wax once every 6 months, it would be better to look for a good paste wax such as collinite or maybe even a liquid sealant.

Also you have to consider that spray waxes have come a very long way, there are spray type waxes out there that was made to compete directly with paste type waxes. For example, Optimum Car Wax has been claimed to include UV absorbers / protection.

Spray waxes are easily applied and most spray type waxes are very slick which is good - and it stands the reason why detailers the world over love using spray waxes as a type of drying aid. Using a drying aid is also a good idea as it will help prevent the swirl type damage on your car.

So to surmise, methodology and technique is important. Happy detailing!

-d

Guys,

Tried searching the thread but couldn't find any information on where I can buy polish and wax pad for my rotary buffer?