The ₤5,000 car "wash"
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Quickstrike
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Pretty old video.
His techniques are generally good, but you can obtain the same results yourself or from other professional detailers for thousands less.
He uses a lot of "exotic" products that don't work any better than most OTC / online bought stuff.
Carnauba waxes don't last all that long. The 6 months of durability that they advertise is more like a couple of weeks to a month. Depending on the environment it is in.
He uses a one-bucket washing method and what looks like a synthetic wash mitt. Using 2 buckets and a few high-quality sheepskin mitts would instill a lot less swirl marks in the washing process.
Clay bars that you can get off the shelves work just as well. Clay Magic is a good brand to go with.
There has been speculation that he uses P21s wheel cleaner. It does indeed work very well, but again, can be had for much cheaper.
EagleOne's All Wheel & Tire Cleaner works well for me.
For waxes I like : Poorboy's Natty's Blue Paste Wax, Clearkote Carnauba Moose Wax, P21S/S100, Collinite 476s (not quite as good looking at the others, but is amazingly durable for a wax).
Lots of stuff to learn.
I would recommend going to Autopia and reading up.
His techniques are generally good, but you can obtain the same results yourself or from other professional detailers for thousands less.
He uses a lot of "exotic" products that don't work any better than most OTC / online bought stuff.
Carnauba waxes don't last all that long. The 6 months of durability that they advertise is more like a couple of weeks to a month. Depending on the environment it is in.
He uses a one-bucket washing method and what looks like a synthetic wash mitt. Using 2 buckets and a few high-quality sheepskin mitts would instill a lot less swirl marks in the washing process.
Clay bars that you can get off the shelves work just as well. Clay Magic is a good brand to go with.
There has been speculation that he uses P21s wheel cleaner. It does indeed work very well, but again, can be had for much cheaper.
EagleOne's All Wheel & Tire Cleaner works well for me.
For waxes I like : Poorboy's Natty's Blue Paste Wax, Clearkote Carnauba Moose Wax, P21S/S100, Collinite 476s (not quite as good looking at the others, but is amazingly durable for a wax).
Lots of stuff to learn.
I would recommend going to Autopia and reading up.
Rippthrough
New member
One bucket doesn't matter when you are machining the car anyway, he does use exotic products that aren't worth the money but the advertising potential they bring justifies it to a business.
You should be able to get a good 2-3 months from any half decent carnuaba really, if applied right.
You should be able to get a good 2-3 months from any half decent carnuaba really, if applied right.
Quickstrike
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I think it does.
You want to take off the least amount of clear coat as possible.
If you wash the car more carefully on the first step, it might mean less passes with the polisher or a less aggressive compound.
Rippthrough
New member
Any swirls inflicted from that will be far lighter than those already in the car, so the clearcoat removal will be no different.
Quickstrike
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There could be some grit that you don't immediately notice, that can cause far greater damage than you think.
Not only 2 buckets, but as I mentioned previously it is also wise to use multiple sheepskin mitts.
I use a few when I wash my car. The mitt that touches the lower panels of my car, never touches anything else.
In addition, I like to establish a solid routine.
If I were to start doing quick one-bucket washes prior to the polish/compounding step, but continue doing meticulous two-bucket washes thereafter -- I might develop bad habits somewhere down the line.
We are creatures of habit. Best to develop good techniques and stick with them.
Rippthrough
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Some grit that's survived the 2 pre-washes with foam, TFR and a pressure washer?
Good stuff that grit.
Good stuff that grit.
Quickstrike
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Pressure washing isn't advised.
What do you think that strong jet of water is doing? Forcing dirt particles down and along the paint.
The Sheepskin mitt, with its long plush fibers, picks up any debris and easily dislodges any abrasive material in the bucket.
This technique especially applies to the backyard enthusiast, that doesn't have access to many dispensers and chemicals. But it would benefit the above detailer as well.
3 months protection from a Carnuaba, in everyday conditions is BS. Unless it is a garage queen that hardly sees the elements or repeated wash cycles, you can't expect that protection to still be there.
Rippthrough
New member
Right, you do know that virtually every carnuaba on the market these days also contains silicon polymer sealants yes?
You can get 6 months from collonite for example
And the pre-foam wash stops the dirt from damaging the paint, that's why they contain lubricants, I think you'll find almost all professional detailers use a pressure washer.
You can get 6 months from collonite for example
And the pre-foam wash stops the dirt from damaging the paint, that's why they contain lubricants, I think you'll find almost all professional detailers use a pressure washer.
Quickstrike
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The reason why Collinite lasts so long (namely 476s and IW), is because of the proprietary resins it uses. It does not contain silicon polymers (as far as I know), and I don't know anyone that considers it a true Carnuaba wax. Its Carnuaba content is far too low for that.
True Carnuaba waxes such as the ones I listed above, namely : Meguiar's Gold class, Poor Boy's Natty's, P21S, Zymol, etc... with a high Carnuaba content will not last long.
It is funny how the vast majority of quality professional detailers that I know, do not use a pressure washer on the paint.
They do use a foam gun (as I do), to loosen the dirt prior to washing the car with a "sheepskin mitt".
The pressure washer is reserved for the undercarriage, wheel wells and the wheels after they have been treated with a cleaner.
Rippthrough
New member
That's funny, I usually use the pressure washer with the foam lance and then a widespray lance to clear it off.
If you can't get something like victoria concours or the swissvax or zymols to last more than a month then there is something wrong with your technique.
If you can't get something like victoria concours or the swissvax or zymols to last more than a month then there is something wrong with your technique.
Quickstrike
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That's nice. I'm glad you found something that works for you.
Although it is "better" than most, it is not optimal.
Those pressure washers sure make things easier, initially - I have to agree.
And the car stays shiny, so that "half-decent carnuaba" must still be working, right?
Rippthrough
New member
No, but surface testing and bead angle tests show it, I do a lot of testing for various companies, you can't tell by surface shine as that comes mainly from the prep.
Cylan
New member
I went out today to wash my car with a $90 kit of stuff (Zaino Total Protection Show Car Kit). What I was able to get done before the Z6 started freezing to the metal already made the car look so much nicer than it looked before, with tons of dirt. Got through two applications of polish for treating darker paint & swirls.
It looks really nice for not much of an investment, but all the same I can't say I got a $10,000 wash.
However, now having spent some time looking at my paint more closely, I was able to see that my car has tons of etching on the hood (I'm wondering wtf, did it sit out during a 1mol sufuric acid rain?), but worst of all, I think it's been repainted
Seems like it was probably to repaint rusted areas, considering the locations and texture of the most noticable areas.
On the other hand, looks like the old color may have been the totally bland Guards Red. So I guess it's a bit of an improvement.
It looks really nice for not much of an investment, but all the same I can't say I got a $10,000 wash.
However, now having spent some time looking at my paint more closely, I was able to see that my car has tons of etching on the hood (I'm wondering wtf, did it sit out during a 1mol sufuric acid rain?), but worst of all, I think it's been repainted
Seems like it was probably to repaint rusted areas, considering the locations and texture of the most noticable areas.
On the other hand, looks like the old color may have been the totally bland Guards Red. So I guess it's a bit of an improvement.
Quickstrike
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Cylan
New member
Cars rust in Texas?
The first owner of the car (all the way back in '87) was in Alaska. The car has been all over the place since then, including some time in Michigan, I think. It's been in places where the roads are salted, that's for sure, but it doesn't seem to have much underbody rust regardless. Just the paint is in crappy condition.