Detailing Products Thread

[CactusWill]

One of the more frustrating aspects of keeping your beotch clean is having to buy several products before finding one that works. Here be a thread to post your experiences with individual car detailing products and review them.


Headlight Restoration:

Turtle Wax Headlight Restoration kit: Does not work. Comes with a bunch of frustrating and gimmicky instructions that make you feel like you're doing something, but actually doing nothing. Wasted money = $11.99

Blue Magic headlight restoration: Takes several applications but really makes a difference. Actually works. Worth the money = $6



Post your experiences.

[Bad99Olds]

ICE carwash and wax - No real issues with this product. Did a good job cleaning the car, and seemed to do what it claimed to do. 4/5.

[jackal2000]

i'll sticky this for now, it has potential. i'm not going to mess around with detailing my car when i get back. it's going in for a professional job.

[AGT]

Meguire's Quik Detailer- Great for rain spots or spots you missed after a wash.

Meguire's Quik Wax which is great for a premium shine in a hurry.

[JLw7123]

meguires all the way i use nothing but meguires

[Nate's Alero]

Meguires "Gold Class" liquid, paste, and spray waxes make the shine, and last for a long ass time

$16.

$11.

$10.

[AGT]

Oh I forgot to post prices.

Meguire's Quik Detailer: 5-7 depending on store.
Meguire's Quik Wax :6-7 depending on store.

[Nate's Alero]

F21 Super Protectant

6$

makes the tire and other misc interior panels shine and look nice..

[misslindseysue]

Wash: Zaino Z7 ($9)
Spray Wax: Prima Hydro ($13). Spray on after wash, dry with micro fiber waffle weave and it leaves an awesome shine that actually gets better the next day
Quick wax: Prima Banana Gloss ($18). Easy on/off, last 1.5-2 months, great for a quick shine, can do it in the sun or anywhere.
Quick Detailer: Zaino Z6/Z8 ($10/$15). Awesome for spots or bugs or bird poo and in between layers of Z2/Z5.
Polish/Wax: Zaino Z5/Z2 ($15/$17). Take some time, but worth it because it lasts almost a year, awesome shine.
Glass cleaner: Prima Clarity ($6). Best glass cleaner ever, I use it for everything.
Interior dressing: Prima Nero ($13). Great low-gloss protection for dash/trim. Doesn't attract dust or get sticky icky like armour all.

Of course, I buy it all on sale or in bundles, and have a couple other random things for plastic outside trim and cutting and polishing.

[worknprog.99]

if you have black rubber scuffs or dirt smears in the door pannels or on the plastic floor panels what i find to get it off the best is really high grit steel wool soaked in some soapy water...

[Nate's Alero]

if you have black rubber scuffs or dirt smears in the door pannels or on the plastic floor panels what i find to get it off the best is really high grit steel wool soaked in some soapy water...

:blink:

[AGT]

if you have black rubber scuffs or dirt smears in the door pannels or on the plastic floor panels what i find to get it off the best is really high grit steel wool soaked in some soapy water...

Doesn't that take off the texture of the material.

[Nate's Alero]

Doesn't that take off the texture of the material.

it does

[AGT]

it does


Well I guess it works then LOL Just too well

We might be aware of future suggestions.

How to fix scratches in paint: 200 grit sand paper

How to remove rust: Gun Powder
:lol:

[Valley olds]

I remember using the Turtle Wax F21 car polish a long time ago. It worked very well. You would apply it, and it would make the faded colors seem darker. Using a bunch of that polish, we made my cousin's pinkish escort GT back to red (or at least closer to red than it was). Back then it cost around 6$ at wal mart.

[Blktrax]

I used to be a Mequires fan, thought I'd never use anything else.
Till I worked a a dealership, ever since I use nothing but 3M products. I get my stuff from the local NAPA store.

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/3MAutomotive/Aftermarket/Solutions/Paint_Dept/Detailing/
http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/mediawebserver?66666UuZjcFSLXTtMxMt5X&VEV76EbHSHVs6EVs6E666666-- http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/mediawebserver?66666UuZjcFSLXTtMxMt5XfXEV76EbHSHVs 6EVs6E666666-- http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/mediawebserver?66666UuZjcFSLXTtMxMt58TVEV76EbHSHVs 6EVs6E666666--

[jackal2000]

if you have black rubber scuffs or dirt smears in the door pannels or on the plastic floor panels what i find to get it off the best is really high grit steel wool soaked in some soapy water...

this is a good combo for glass, i have used it before but im not so sure about the surfaces you mention.

[Gr1m]

if you have black rubber scuffs or dirt smears in the door pannels or on the plastic floor panels what i find to get it off the best is really high grit steel wool soaked in some soapy water...

ive heard of people using brake cleaner on some parts of their interior

[mfuller]

I'm a snob, I guess.
All my car care product come from http://www.griotsgarage.com.

[worknprog.99]

^^ actually it does not damage the vynl or texture of anything if you use high enough grit wool... i have been doing it on cars (also my own) since i helped detail a car for our detail company (who does it).. as long as it is high enough grit and wet enough it will not dfamage anything...

[AleroDrime]

armorall balck magic tire shine the one in the can not the bottle is so good we threw everything else away

[Cliff8928]

I'm a snob, I guess.
All my car care product come from http://www.griotsgarage.com.

Griot's FTMFW!

[heineck]

turtle ice interior cleaner, gets rid of door panel scuff and dirty switches etc...

[misslindseysue]

Griot's is good stuff, too.

[Xtrm]

I will swaer by the Turtle Wax Ice Detailing kit. Comes with the polish/wax, quick detailer, interior cleaner, two microfiber cloths, and an aplication pad for the polish/wax. Here in Canada i get it all for $39

[heineck]

^^^ x2

[lvemy3100]

Meguiars Gold Class Car Wash
Blue Magic Claybar
Meguiar's #83 applied via PC
Klasse AIO applied by PC
Klasse Sealant applied by PC
P21s wax applied by hand
Meguiars Gold Class tire shine
Stoner Invisible Glass

for cleaning leather I use Mr. Clean magic erasers followed by the customers choice of leather conditioner.

all products above are great and are basically the only ones I will use

[Ttop191]

^^ actually it does not damage the vynl or texture of anything if you use high enough grit wool... i have been doing it on cars (also my own) since i helped detail a car for our detail company (who does it).. as long as it is high enough grit and wet enough it will not damage anything...

I take it by high grit you mean like grade #0000 which is really really fine?

[Malibu369258]

Meguire's Quik Detailer- Great for rain spots or spots you missed after a wash.

Meguire's Quik Wax which is great for a premium shine in a hurry.

meguires all the way i use nothing but meguires

Meguires "Gold Class" liquid, paste, and spray waxes make the shine, and last for a long ass time

$16.

$11.

$10.

Oh I forgot to post prices.

Meguire's Quik Detailer: 5-7 depending on store.
Meguire's Quik Wax :6-7 depending on store.

I used to be a Mequires fan, thought I'd never use anything else.
Till I worked a a dealership, ever since I use nothing but 3M products. I get my stuff from the local NAPA store.


Its like watching a chain reaction, its Meguiar's not Meguires.

I mostly use Meguiar's products, and some Mother's products.

[Dutchie]

meguires all the way i use nothing but meguires

I second that!

I also use it on my 1970 Riv and it really makes a difference!

[Nate's Alero]

I'm a snob as well, all my stuff comes from http://properautocare.com/

[AleroDrime]

Mequires Gold Class Wax FTW, me and my pop buy this and hide if from each other, its easy to apply, easy to remove and looks amazing, your car will still bead water months later

Mothers Chrome Wheel Polish, hard to get off but worth it


Armorall Black Magic Tire-shine Extreme, Comes in spray can not a spray bottle

[jayson_waltz]

I use The Wax Shop HD pure carnauba wax, and Wizards spary-n-shine a lot in between waxes. For my tires i use Armorall EXTREME tire shine gel. Amazing stuff. And for my summer polished wheels i use Meguiar's spray and shine. cleans all the brake dust off very easy and leaves them really shiny.

Other than that just lots time and attention to detail. I even wash my underbody after every winter, and my engine bay many times a year. I even armorall my engine bay :p

[Weazel]

Who would recommend what as far as removing stains from a carpet? I'm close to just dumping a tub of oxyclean in my car

[heineck]

Blue magic FTW best metal polish I've ever used. I've polished at least a dozen valve covers at skool with this stuff, jettas, hondas, my E30 and even an 88 corolla (yuck) but some blue magic and elbow grease and u got a mirror finish valve cover or w/e else u use it on

[JunkProwler]

Whats a good way to revive the black rubber trim around the windows? When I get the paint looking nice, it makes the rubber trim stand out even more for being dull and greyish. I've tried silicone lubricant but it didn't help for long.

[MattismodderX]

WEstley's Bleche-Wite
jesus this stuff is powerful. one huge problem with the black painted rims, is when they are clean and shiny, the tires stand out 500x harder for being nowhere near as clean. if you venture onto gravel roads/driveways often this is your best friend. no matter how dirty your tires are this eats through everything 6-7usd
http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2420273&CAWELAID=109349421

[My-Alero_03]

For carpet stains I have seen simple green work the best. But if your really ambitious you can get some dawn liquid dish detergent a scrub brush and a bucket of water then suck it up with a wet dry vac. I usually take the garden hose on low to i have an endless supply or water and scrub all the stains out then suck it dry with the wet dry vac. just my opinion though and my method of doing things

[heineck]

i can second the dawn, i spilt a 5q jug of used oil in my car b4, dawn was the only thing that worked

[Brad Jahnke]

Meguiars clay kit works quite nicely. Picked it up at auto zone for 20 bucks, comes with 2 80g clay bars, detail Polish, quick spray wax (only good if ur in a hurry) and a nice microfiber towel. After a good wax and buff, my car looks like its got a coat of glass on it. :cool: :cool:

[spc2125]

what do people recommend for scratches in windows (it was like it before i got the alero)

[sleepyalero]

new glass? dont really think you can fix scratched glass..

[a.graham52]

what the best product to help clear headlights and tail lights? is there a how-to? i couldnt find one.

[Brad Jahnke]

One of the more frustrating aspects of keeping your beotch clean is having to buy several products before finding one that works. Here be a thread to post your experiences with individual car detailing products and review them.


Headlight Restoration:

Blue Magic headlight restoration: Takes several applications but really makes a difference. Actually works. Worth the money = $6




Stuff is AMAZING...takes work but it works

[a.graham52]

Stuff is AMAZING...takes work but it works

i just noticed how that was the only post about lens cleaning so i wanted to ask.

[spc2125]

With the Blue Magic headlight restoration did you sand them down or anything?

[Brad Jahnke]

Negative. Just follow the instructions on the box.

[99-alero]

3m Ftw

[zzyzzx]

new glass? dont really think you can fix scratched glass..

Actually you can. I'm not sure if I would do it on size window glass though. they make kits for windshields (to remove the pitting). It's a lot of work, and I've never personally done it. Presumably it would also work on a side window, but I might want to actually remove the glass part to do it. Someone on eBay sells the kit to do it.

[Goliath]

I've only ever used Blackfire products with a random orbital. Long process, but the car comes out looking GREAT! I'll probably do a full detail soon and post some pics.

[MMGT1]

Zaino everything. If they sell it, I have it. Prices vary deending where you buy it, but I go to The Barber Shop in Square One in Mississauga for supplies. Detailed professionally for 10 years **over 10,000 detailed vehicles under my belt** and have used everything under the sun. Dollar for dollar, best I've ever used, Zaino products are amazing

[JLw7123]

I use nothing but meguiars products i have a box in my car just for all of my cleaning products for exterior, wheel, leather cleaners, waxes, polishes leather conditioners. I even have meguiars polisher and buffer.

[jhubbz]

Zaino FTMFW. I only us their stuff and I can leave my car dirty for a month and it still looks perfect and deep glossy. I get compliments all the time on how clean my car is.

http://i53.tinypic.com/34gadk6.jpg

Now that is one badd shine

[spc2125]

i just bought meguires quik detailer

[sleepyalero]

i just bought meguires quik detailer

i use nothing but meguires here. except black magic liquid tire shine, that stuff is the bomb. but the meguires quik detailer i dont like. it left streaks all on my car.. thats the only product i dont like from them, so now i clean my car almost every day with meguires quik wax, it works wonders. i never let my car get dirty, im a huge clean freak when it comes to the outside of my car. i feel happier driving my car when its clean so i clean it every day. lol

jhubbz, your car looks flawless in that pic.

[dcinti]

if you have black rubber scuffs or dirt smears in the door pannels or on the plastic floor panels what i find to get it off the best is really high grit steel wool soaked in some soapy water...

I use Mothers Clay bar for this type of stuff. 12-15.00 here in Canada.

[dcinti]

Zaino FTMFW. I only us their stuff and I can leave my car dirty for a month and it still looks perfect and deep glossy. I get compliments all the time on how clean my car is.

http://i53.tinypic.com/34gadk6.jpg

Now that is one badd shine

My better half says I pay to much attention to mine! LOL

[spc2125]

got turtle wax ice detailer and i didnt like it.
doesnt look like it did a thing

[TheEdgeofSanity]

Got "Armor All" gift pack for christmas... excited about the exterior tire shine, rim cleaner, car wash and microfiber wash pad but a little unsure of the interior stuff... heard bad things about using armor all on our dashboards, anybody have any feedback?

[ronnysbray]

Ive tried just about everything the one I really like is meguiar's their products are affordable and work great my alero get washed and waxed every week and I take a clay bar to her once a month.

[ronnysbray]

Oh yea and meguiars new wheel shine works great you just wash your rims off real quick spray the foam on and wash it off and leaves them shining

[spc2125]

I buy all my stuff from detailersdomain.com
Great stuff there.

I have the Griot's Garage 6 inch Random Orbital Polisher Base Kit
http://www.detailersdomain.com/Griots-Garage-6-inch-Random-Orbital-Polisher-Base-Kit_p_683.html

Adam's Clay Bar and Detail Spray
http://www.detailersdomain.com/Adams-Clay-Bar-and-Detail-Spray_p_62.html

3M Masking Tape 233+ 3/4 inch thick
http://www.detailersdomain.com/3M-Masking-Tape-233-34-inch-thick_p_197.html

Meguiar's M105 Ultra Cut Compound
http://www.detailersdomain.com/Meguiars-M105-Ultra-Cut-Compound_p_304.html

Meguiar's M205 Ultra Finishing Polish
http://www.detailersdomain.com/Meguiars-M205-Ultra-Finishing-Polish_p_305.html

1Z einszett Glanz Wax
http://www.detailersdomain.com/1Z-einszett-Glanz-Wax_p_72.html

3M Masking Tape 233+ 3/4 inch thick
http://www.detailersdomain.com/3M-Masking-Tape-233-34-inch-thick_p_197.html

Sonax Full Effect Wheel Cleaner
http://www.detailersdomain.com/Sonax-Full-Effect-Wheel-Cleaner_p_324.html

Takes about 7-8 hours for me to detail a car. Next car that I do Ill take before and after pics.

[simonclay]

I know it's been a while since this thread was touched. But I have been doing a little research, and I found this... http://www.ffcars.com/magazine/waxtest.html.

I thought it might help someone in the future