My Detailing Wakthrough

[Eurospec]

Quick detailer.

[mcskibadee1]

You're right, if I am doing that much I might as well do the polish too. What does the OP mean when he says Remove it quickly with some QD and a MF towel after. I know mf is microfiber but what is QD?

[Eurospec]

It's usually recommended that you polish before waxing. However, you may be able to get away with just clay and wax depending on the amount of swirls your paint has.

[mcskibadee1]

I have plans so probably not but if they fall through I definitely will.

My paint is fairly new with no swirl marks, do I still need to use the cutting compound or could I just clay, then apply nxt wax/sealant and then a carnauba wax?

[Eurospec]

anyone looking to detail their car this weekend? If not, anyone have the porter cable polisher I could borrow/rent?

I have a griots garage orbital I can rent out. Attending bfest?

[mcskibadee1]

anyone looking to detail their car this weekend? If not, anyone have the porter cable polisher I could borrow/rent?

[ANDRÜ]

Ive used alot of Poorboys products, mostly the SSR line. Awesome stuff, they work really well with the Porter Cable

[Court M3]

^^ Good advice quoted. Going to be doing this as soon as I have time to my non BMW car which looks like it hasn't been done in ages and posting befores and afters.

[Mr. Tasty]

I'm sure you saw the flow chart and understood, and I know this question/thread is old, but I'd love to help out since I like to think I'm pretty damn good at detailing cars. Basically it all makes sense if you think about it. When your car is dirty, you wash it. You use clay to get out the embedded dirt, but only after you removed all the surface dirt, by washing. Once the paint is fully clean, you compound and polish it. Start with heavier polishes, and go up to finer ones. Once your paint is looking like you want it to, it's time to protect it. First you go with a strong sealant that can last up to 6 months, and then top that off with a weaker but better looking wax that will last a few (up to maybe 10 depending on the wax and usage, etc) weeks.

yep this. I have been detailing all my cars for about 3 years with my 7424. If you guys have any questions about certain products, I am sure I can help

[Mr. Tasty]

=
Does wax do anything to the 'blackness' of trim?

oppostite. Makes it white.

[Vivek]

Am i getting this correct.

1. wash car
2. clay car
3.polish
4.wax.... but when do we put on the sealer ?

I'm sure you saw the flow chart and understood, and I know this question/thread is old, but I'd love to help out since I like to think I'm pretty damn good at detailing cars. Basically it all makes sense if you think about it. When your car is dirty, you wash it. You use clay to get out the embedded dirt, but only after you removed all the surface dirt, by washing. Once the paint is fully clean, you compound and polish it. Start with heavier polishes, and go up to finer ones. Once your paint is looking like you want it to, it's time to protect it. First you go with a strong sealant that can last up to 6 months, and then top that off with a weaker but better looking wax that will last a few (up to maybe 10 depending on the wax and usage, etc) weeks.

[adept]

Everyone, I have been off of this forum for a very long time. Every day I have owned my e46, I have wished that I never sold my e30. Now that I'm looking into getting another e30, I'm back looking at r3vlimited of course.

Anyways, I am happy to answer anyone's questions.

Any tips regarding polish/wax application around sun roof gasket, rubber side trim, or window/bumper trim?

Is it worth taping off?
Does wax do anything to the 'blackness' of trim?

If you are talented enough with your orbital polisher, you can angle the pad just right to have the pad only contacting the paint and not any of the trim. However, this can get difficult, even for experienced people.

Polish should never stain any of the rubber or plastic trim. At least with the polishes that I have ever used, the polish should only ever clean dirt off of the trim. The downside of this is that your polishing pad/towel will get dirty very quickly. Then, you will just be scratching the paint with the dirt that was picked up.

The problem lies with wax. Wax will stain the black trim white. You can find certain waxes out there that specifically cater to making it easier on you so you don't have to avoid the trim. But, I don't like to use any of these products.

One solution is to tape off the car before you start polishing and waxing. If you are planning on spending 4+ hours detailing, it's definitely worth spending the 20 minutes on taping off the trim. Another solution is to carry a damp towel with you and be able to wipe off the wax ASAP, before it hazes or dries. Or, the last solution is to not care, wax your trim and paint with reckless abandon, and re-dye your trim when you are done with everything else.

Hey great post, I never heard of the claying product but plan to give it a try. I never really thought about it this in depth so I think I will use your model from now on. I also have a cracked windshield do have any tricks for repairing that or should I just find a indianapolis glass repair shop?

I don't have any experience with this. Every time my windshield has had a significant crack, I have had the whole windshield replaced. I have been under the impression that windshield cracks can never be fixed. Also, my insurance covers windshield replacement with no cost to me, so I have no reason not to do that.

[Simon S]

Any tips regarding polish/wax application around sun roof gasket, rubber side trim, or window/bumper trim?

Is it worth taping off?
Does wax do anything to the 'blackness' of trim?

[bmwstudent]

euroshark where can i find a set of euro bumpers for my e24?

[Mr. Tasty]

they should be fine. imo