you should do your wheels and tires first with its own separate brush or sponge, then move on to the body

 

I was going to say the same thing.

And yea it's a lot of work and I never liked it in the past. But it's forcing me to slow down and not rush things. Plus looking at the final result is always fun.

 

true. I do my wheels first and it takes me about 20-30 min to get all 4 wheels done. the corner of the spokes can be a ***** to get clean. then a coat of wheel wax, to keep the dust to a minimum (impossible on this car) haha


How much did that steam unit cost you?

 

Yea it takes awhile. Almost faster just to take the wheels off. Lol whenever I rotate my tires I clean the wheels when they are off.

Steam cleaner was 1300$

 

Awesome thread…. I too am on the Chemical guys/AutoGeek band wagon… great products. I've been using the foam cannon by CG for wash… but I also use EcoSmart a lot, since I don't get my cars very dirty… I also use CG's and Zaino's various detail sprays. For those of you that clay, check out CG's clay mitt … it's an AWESOME product!!

 

^ This man speaks the truth. His cars look brand new because of how he takes care of them.

 

Hey Bryan, did you get your car done David at Innovative Detailing? :P

 

Yes, that's what got me into it. He showed me those Rupes buffers and I was sold.

As far as clay, yea these new "claying" mitts and towels are pretty cool. I'm about to order the Nano skin towel. It's like 40$ but can do about 50 cars out of it. That's a lot more than clay and if you drop it you don't have to throw it away.

 

that stuff looks pretty cool. might have to give it a try

 

Thanks Bill… but give yourself some credit on your immaculate cars as well!!

 

I took a beginner's course to car detailing for free at Meguiar's. Been loyal to them, and satisfied with their products. But starting to see stuff from JDM Chemicals that are catching my eye.

 

I start by cleaning my wheels with Sonax Full Effect and or Adams Deep Wheel, Scrub the tires with Adams All Purpose Cleaner, then rinse the car off, next foam the car and let that dwell, rinse it all off, then give it a proper 2 bucket wash, dry with master blaster, apply Adams VRT to tires, and lastly clean glass with stoner's

 

Nice products. We have been using the master blaster on clients cars as well. That thing can blow. We bought the 5 gallons of stoners glass cleaner then found Sonax glass cleaner and have had a hard time going back to stoners. It works but the Sonax just works so much better. Unfortunately can't get it in 5 gallons and its a lot more money than stoners.

For wheels we have tried everything and ended up sticking with Meguiars wheel bright. It works well and is priced right. For really bad wheels we got pure acid from Mark IV. Mix it with a little water and it gets the tough stuff off.

For tires we have pretty much settled on the Optimum product.

For a good AIO wax/sealant that can remove some imperfections I like Pinnacle XMT 360 from autogeek. Doesn't dust, easy wipe off and I have seen it remove a ton of swirls on certain paint types.

 

I have yet to try Sonax glass cleaner but I want to soon. But I get my Sonax Full Effect for cheap about $70 for 5 liters(1 gallon). But I have stuck to Meguiars M101, M105, and M205 for compounding and polishing they both cut like no other. I am looking to try HD Adapt as a 1 step I have heard nothing but good things about it. But soon I won't need to polish my car or anything or even wax I am hopefully getting Modesta done this weekend. But for the tuff brake dust on the wheels I have Iron X gel which does an amazing job. You are right about the master blaster it works wonders and the best part you don't run the risk of adding scratches or swirls! I am also looking to try Meguiars D101(All Purpose Cleaner) for the tires and as a good All Purpose Cleaner.

 

I'm kind of torn on what I think about those semi perminant coatings. Kind of takes some of the enjoyment out of detailing your car. Lol There is a certain satisfaction in polishing and waxing. Looking at the car after you finished is kind of cool.