Unofficial exterior detailing thread HELP

[PghMiller]

I'm a new NSX owner (2 months) and I may be sounding like an idiot here, but I don't know anything about car washing/waxing/detailing etc, etc (clay bar, polish, etc). Before you yell at me for not reading through the forums first to look for my answer... I HAVE, and I really don't see anything in the "car care and detailing" section about this.

So let's start and maintain a thread concerning anything and everything about the exterior caring/detailing of the NSX.

All I have at this point are microfiber cloths for washing and chamois for drying, and Mcquire Auto-Detailing spray (and a microfiber cloth for that)... and a California Duster.

I don't even know what SOAP to buy! (what brand names to buy... what ingredients to stay away from... etc)

I realize there are 2 main kinds of washes...... a standard wash/dry that you do every weekend or so... then a more detailed process performed every once in a while including more steps than just the "weekend wash/dry".
And I kind of need tips for BOTH processes!

So the standard "weekend wash/dry".... What kind of soap do you use? What kind of rags do you use? Chamois or microfiber for drying? Does anyone squeegee first to get the mass of the water off? Wheel/rim products? Auto-Detailer sprays/procedures? Engine detailer sprays? Anything else??

And for the more complex and advanced detail/wax process (or clay bar, polish, etc)... Again, What products names? Your particular procedures? Do's/Dont's? Etc?
I've seen people talk about how they "wash/clay/polish(rarely)/wax"... while others "wash/clay/polish(rarely)/sealant/glaze/wax"??????

I've never clayed or polished or buffed or waxed a car in my life (I think I remember waxing my Prelude once or twice 10 years ago), so I figure whatever advise you guys give me, I will try out first on my Altima coupe (also black) and see how that turns out!

I just want to do things right. And I just want my black NSX to shine like glass! (and disguise whatever imperfections are there)

 

[06_typeS]

For your first detail, I would take the car and get it professionally waxed (refer to my Build thread) and care for that once completed. I use meguires products on my NSX. Rim cleaner, car wash, interior detail, tire shine, etc. you get the idea. Shami it off after the wash to avoid water spots. I always park the car back inside the garage and Shami it in there. Avoid washing in direct sunlight.

Then sit back and enjoy the view.

 

[GT-N]

Throw away the California Duster.

 

[k20fg]

Check out AMMONYC.com and watch his videos.
He is a professional detailer and his method is the only way to go.

 

[Teej]

Check out AMMONYC.com and watch his videos.
He is a professional detailer and his method is the only way to go.

Thanks for the link, ill check these videos out when I get home.

 

[cparsons]

Check out AMMONYC.com and watch his videos.
He is a professional detailer and his method is the only way to go.

Yeah! I think I watched every one of his videos in the past two days. The guy's info is awesome, and his honestly and demeanor are just right for me.

 

[tbnsxt]

+1 on the Meguiars products.

Mothers and Meguiars are the best readily available store bought products you can buy.

Use meguiars gold class car wash. It is the orange colored one. best car wash soap for the money. Stay away from the wash and wax because the sacrifice lubricity and arent a good wash or wax.

I prefer a microfiber drying towel over a chamois for the paint.

However i do have a dedicated chamois for the wheels, tires, door jams exhaust tips ect.

When you wash the vehicle, make sure you wash everything. This way you minimize picking up any dirt in your drying towel. This is what accounts for most of the swirl marks and scratches along with improper washing.

If you can pull your nsx in the garage to dry it, do it! That way no sand or debris can get kicked up onto the car while you run towels over it, especially if you plan on waxing.

Keeping the surface completely free of debris while things are touching the paint is key to keeping a swirl free finish.

The new meguiars black wax is supposed to be a great one step product . I don't have any personal experience with it but from the reviews i had read it deems to be a great product.

My favorite one step product has to be mothers caranuba cleaner wax. Get the liquid not the paste. It has light cleaners that remove fine swirls and light surface imperfections such as water spots and hazing that plague dark paint.

It is kind of a polish and wax in one and leaves a nice deep gloss.

So my advice to you to start out with is watch ammo nyc vids. Then,

1) Thorough wash and dry.

2) Mothers or meguiars clay kit

3) Mothers caranuba cleaner liquid wax on a foam applicator. Or meguiars black wax.

4) DONT forget the trim! The upper winshield seal is extremely vulnerable to the sun and will shrink leaving an unsightly gap at both ends of it. Make sure you protect it and the hatch glass trim with something like mothers back to black or 303 aerospace protectant.

 

[JD Cross]

I've had my black NSX for 22 years and have done the detailing myself since new.
Black is a great colour at dusk and cloudy days but shows every scratch etc. in direct light.
I've learned that exterior care is all about looking after the clear coat.
I've seen car owners spend many $ on appearance bolt-ons but don't spend the time and money on maintaining the clear coat.

Here's what I do once a year to get the exterior in shape for the summer.

Wash with Meguiars or Mothers soap.
Two 100% wool mitts, two buckets of solution, one for the wheels, wheel wells and tires, the other for the clear coat.

Tire cleaner on the tires, wheel cleaner on the wheels, soap and water in the wheel wells.
Wash wheels all around first, then tires all around, then the wheel wells.
That's it for that bucket and mitt.

After thoroughly wetting the car, I wash the top to bottom with the lower strip below the doors and bumpers last.
It's really important to have lots and lots of suds on the mitt as the soap solution is what floats the dirt off the clear coat and minimizes scratching while washing.

Next I take old 100 % cotton towels and dry the whole car off including wheels and tires.
Then I clay the clear coat with Meguiars clay and Ultimate Detailer as the lube.
Then a quick wash and dry.

At this point if the clear coat feels a bit rough to the touch I polish with a Meguiars Dual action rotary polisher and Meguiars 205 polish.
Then I go to Menzerna 4500 with the Meguiars polisher for the final pass.
Then one pass with Zymol HD cleanse by hand.
The clear coat is now so clean it squeaks.

After that it's your choice for a top coat to protect the now clean clear coat

I currently use Zymol NSX wax that I bought some years ago.
Apply by hand and buff off with 100% cotton terry towels.
I do the same with the wheels.

I went to a fabric shop some years back and bought a few yards of their best terry towel in three colours.
One colour for waxing, one colour for windows, and one for the interior.
I was able to talk one of the cashiers to take the toweling and make 1 ft. squares and hem the edges with 100% cotton thread.
Didn't cost much and they have lasted for years.

Finish with tire dressing on the tires, vinyl strips and most importantly the wheel wells.

For the balance of the year I wash when it's dirty, towel dry and when the finish seems a bit dull (every two months or so) I give the car a once over with Mothers Carnauba.

I've learned over the years you can wax a lot but if the clear coat is not clean and smooth, wax alone won't do much as the shine is based on what's under it.
I've also concluded the brand and type of wax doesn't matter much if the clear coat is in great shape.

Finally I put the mitts, and towels in the washing machine on a hot cycle (to melt off any waxes) and then into the dryer.
Quality clear coast maintenance is as important as oil and filter changes to me.

 

[betthemortgage]

As you know, this is a very broad subject with many different approaches. Each person has there own list of do's and don'ts and chemical favorites are extremely varied.

One of the first things I did was checkout some of the more popular detailing sites on the web. You can also find some pretty good how-to's on YouTube.

Rather than give you a bunch of information to process, I'd like to start you out with tips that I have learned that are pretty much universal "must do's/haves":

(1) PRE-RINSE: The important thing is to start soaping your car only after you've performed a pre-rinse to remove the first layer of grime & contaminants. This pre-rinse can be done with a somewhat strong stream of water.

(2) SOAP: Most car soaps are somewhat equal. The important thing here is to use a two-bucket system or use a wash bucket that has a screen on the bottom. The reason is simple: you'll be removing contaminants off of the surface of the car and some of these will be dropping to the bottom of the bucket. You do NOT want these contaminants to remain on the wash mitt.

(3) DRY: I use a dedicated leaf-blower to blow-dry my car. It's electric and the ONLY job it has is to dry the car. Work from the top and work your way down. This will get most of the excess water off. Use microfiber towels to remove the remaining water. If you EVER drop a cloth on the ground, NEVER use it on that car until it has been thoroughly washed.

(4) POLISH/GLAZE: This is where you'll really get matters of opinion on products. The only thing I can recommend here that is pretty universal is that you invest in a nice Random-orbital polisher (RA). Personally I use the Porter Cable 7424 with the 6-inch Lake Country pads. It's extremely beginner-friendly!

(5) WAX: A Carnuba-based wax is pretty much the only thing you'll want to wax your car with.

(6) OTHER GOTCHA's: If you are going to clay-bar your car, I like to pre-rinse, wash, clay-bar,wash again. Make sure you use a lubricant when clay-barring (I use Meguiar's Instant Detailer). Don't rush any parts of the wash/rinse/polish/wax process. It's a great time to put on some tunes and bond with your car!

Like I said, this process is varied for everyone that does his/her own car. You'll develop your own process and that's fine, just stick with the above mantra and you'll do just fine.

 

[docjohn]

there is tons of info here and on line..but i think you need to decide first whether you are a zaino/ polymer/synthetic guy or a standard carnuba guy.the process are very different.

 

[Blackhorse06]

Check out Zaino. www.zainostore.com. They also have videos on-line about how to use their products. Another tip: don't use fabric softener on the towels you use on the car. It wont hurt the paint, but makes the towels a little water resistant.

 

[Jean Girard]

Lots of good info here.

A BIG +1 on using an electric leaf blower to dry. It makes very short work of the body seams, diffuser, emblems, lugs, etc.

I'd also recommend becoming a synthetic guy. I used to use carnauba products, which leave a chalky residue on black parts, and while there aren't many black plastic or rubber parts on the outside of an NSX compared to, say, my old CRX, there are still the window rubbers, the rubber seals around the mirrors and reflectors.. enough to matter to me.

My last detail job I did, I washed with Meguiar's soap, leaf blower to dry, then got after it with the clay bar (which takes almost no time on such a small car). Then I laid down some paste wax (the kind that comes in a tin, synthetic of course) and buffed that off. Then went back over with a bit of synthetic spray wax and another microfiber towel. Came out great! Just remember to change towels once they load up with product. I went through three microfiber towels for the clay and a large bath towel and a microfiber towel for the paste wax, and then another microfiber for the spray wax.

I hope that all made sense..

 

[91 X]

bumpy bump

 

[Vanishing Point]

If you use the two bucket method to wash your car, here is a couple of important facts. Do use a five gallon buckets, you need this much water to allow for settling of debris from your wash brush/sponge. Do put a "Grit Guard" on the bottom of each bucket. They give a place to rub your cloth or mit to remove any dirt or debris. And since they sit approximately one inch off the bottom of the bucket this affords a place for the loose debris to settle. Do use a wash soap that has as much lubricity as possible, this is what helps prevent minute swirls/abrasions.
Do wash a small area at a time, rinsing your mit, etc. and then re-soaping in the second bucket before moving on to the next area. I use either a MF wash mit or a grout sponge to wash my cars. The grout sponges are dense, with very small closed cell openings. They hold an amazing amount of water/soap and come in several sizes. I think mine are 5"x7" by 2 inches thick, they are available at any hardware store like Home depot or Lowes. The best part is they cost under $3/ea. so you can buy several for washing.

Grout sponge:
http://www.homedepot.com/b/Flooring-Tile-Tools-Tile-Set-Tile-Tools-Accessories-Sponges/N-5yc1vZc38o

Grit Guards:

http://www.autogeek.net/grit-guard.html

 

[CStricker]

Check out AMMONYC.com and watch his videos.
He is a professional detailer and his method is the only way to go.

I am a little late to the game, but thank you for the link! This guy is great.

 

[B2FiNiTY]

Anyone have any experience with spray waxes? Seems like a good solution for short term protection in between detailing sessions.

 

[PghMiller]

Anyone have any experience with spray waxes? Seems like a good solution for short term protection in between detailing sessions.

I'm sure everyone would agree that using a spray wax often will help maintain the gloss and protection of the wax coat.

I've experimented with many kinds (as you can see I started this thread literally 1 year ago) and my 2 favorite so far are
Chemical Guys Hybrid V7... it's technically a "high gloss spray sealant" but can be used as a spray detailer and/or spray wax just as well.
Optimum Car Wax (spray)... which can also be used as a daily detailer spray.

Two high quality products that do not disappoint. Usually all 5-star reviews.

 

[B2FiNiTY]

I came down to those two brands / products also. Probably will try out the chemical guys stuff since I've been wanting to try it out for awhile.

- - - Updated - - -

This is product going to be any different than lets say a Meguiar's Ultimate Quick Detailer?

 

[PghMiller]

I came down to those two brands / products also. Probably will try out the chemical guys stuff since I've been wanting to try it out for awhile.

- - - Updated - - -

This is product going to be any different than lets say a Meguiar's Ultimate Quick Detailer?

Pretty much the same... use it as a "spot" detailer as needed... or give your car a complete wipe-down (after a wash) to add an additional layer of gloss and protection.

My biggest piece of advice with these 2 products is definitely DON'T apply it in the sun or if the surface of your car is hot. These products "flash" very quickly if your surface is hot, which leads to streaks and spots that are very hard to buff off once they flash.

 

[B2FiNiTY]

Hmmm in that case, I'll finish off my Meguiars stuff first and go for the chemical guys later.

Lets say I do a standard wash, claybar, polish, wax.

What can I do after that? Sealant? What kind?

 

[PghMiller]

If you're going to do a sealant and a wax, you're going to want to put down the sealant first, then the top coat of wax.

Sealant lasts longer but is less "glossy", so you put that down first as the actual protective layer... then add the top coat of wax for a more glossy look.
The wax will actually prolong the life of the sealant since it is now protecting the sealant.
But wax will wash away in a few weeks of washes (depending on how often you wash your car, and how strong the soap/chemicals are that you use), so you'll want to wax often, as you see fit. A lot of people will do the full clay/polish/sealant once a year (beginning of the season) and spend the rest of the season just reapplying the wax coat. (at least this is what I've learned over the past year)

I personally HATE doing the work of clay/polish/seal/wax and STILL having to wax multiple times per season... so I went with OptiCoat which is a "permanent" layer of protection, it doesn't wash or wear off, it basically acts like a second layer of clear coat (it's a ceramic). It goes on easy (with some skill) and lasts a lifetime... all you have to do from there forward is wash your car.
Even though they say it lasts a lifetime, I polished off the first application after a year and did it again. I just wanted to apply it better than I did the first time around.