I bought my truck this winter and haven't gotten a chance to do a full detail yet. I'm hoping to do that next weekend, weather permitting. I was planing on washing, claying, and waxing. I'm looking for what steps to take and what products to use. I am doing this by hand and was planning on using meg's products. I found a pro-line product dealer about 20 minutes away and wanted to compile a list of products to pick up, or should i order them online? (price) My main concern is the products and numbers and the stuff before and after waxing. I've read about that 303 aerospace stuff for my extang, is that available at stores? I also have some mothers carinuba. Should i throw that in as well? Thanks for any help... i'm not the best at cleaning (yet) but can get it dirty...

 

Kind of an open ended question here, bud. Very tough to answer considering that I'd kind of like to go to bed before 3 am. LOL!

Anyway...

Here's an abbreviated rundown...


1. Washing -- use a lot of common sense. Research the two-bucket method and follow proper procedures like dedicating mitts/sponges to grunge areas and doing those areas absolutely last. Start at the top and work down. Wash one panel at a time and then rinse the mitt (two bucket), etc... etc...

2. Claying -- real simple. Again, common sense. Same top to bottom procedure. Knead the clay often. Replace if dropped (no exceptions). Replace if clay starts looking dingy.

3. Polish -- here's where no one here can really help you all that much sight unseen. You see, different polishes will help in different ways. If you're swirled big time, you may need something with a higher cut. Less cut if you're just slightly swirled/scratched. I'd recommend that you consult with your Body Shop Supply House that stocks that stuff.... most of them are willing to go out of their way to help.

By hand, you'll need to remember that this will be a tougher task and you will hate your arms the next day -- especially if you need to work to remove heavier swirling/deeper scratches.

4. Wheel Wells & Tires -- Snare a good protectant. A nice Meguiar's product here is #40. They'll have it if they carry the Mirror Glaze line. It's a mediocre shine product. If you're looking for more 'bling', you may consider something off the shelf at Wally Hell.

5. Wax -- tough call sight unseen. I've often used cleaner waxes as a last step to just get me over that last little bit of light swirl or mar that might be left behind by a previous polish. Also, if I have the paint perfect, I may go to a pure product. The Mother's carnauba is a perfectly good choice here but, I'd use it last on top of a synthetic product.

That said, here are some product suggestions:

1. Meguiar's Gold Class. I really don't like Mirror Glaze #00 for washing a vehicle. In short, I'd stick with a consumer product here versus the Mirror Glaze stuff -- and, again, I'm assuming that you've got access to these Meg's products.
2. Again, I'd go with a consumer product. Clay Magic, Quik Clay, or Mother's Clay system -- all are fine choices and really don't vary all that much. All are available at your local Pep or Otter Zone (maybe even Wally Hell).
3. Consult with your shop. Don't go with a really high cut by hand (ie: 83 or above). You won't be able to break down the abrasives very well and will cause more problems than you solve. #80 or somewhere in that realm (maybe even #9 as a concealer (hint: it doesn't remove much -- it conceals)).
4. #40 or a shinier product from Wally Hell. I like most of the 'gel' products that you apply with an applicator like the Eagle One Tire Swipe. I dispise Eagle One Tire Wet (ultra sling!)
5. Meguiar's NXT, Mothers SynWax or Meguiar's #21 -- all good synthetics. Use that Mother's Carnauba the next day after application of the synthetic.

Keys:

Don't move to the next step until you've completed the previous to a high degree of satisfaction.

Don't be afraid to re-do areas/panels/the entire thing to make sure that it's right before proceeding.

Dance frequently -- the chicken dance is preferred.

Do make sure to do your wheel wells. I typically use a cheap-o dressing or the dressing that I like least (Eagle One Wet) in these areas. You're simply blacking out the area to make it look good.

Use good procedure when washing and claying

Work one panel at a time. Small sections when claying.

Use consistant motions with your application and while 'working' polishing products. Fatigue can affect your outcome!

Use nice microfiber towels -- no el-cheapos. Especially if you have dark paint.

Hmm... I'm sure there are a bajillion more but, that's about all of the open-eye time that I have for tonight. Enjoy and yell if you need something!

RP

 

Her'e's mine-- It probably says the same thing as RP's, but I wrote it for a friend of mine and saved it for times like this (Thank God for Computers...):


First off, I applaud your desire to not screw up your
truck...

Secondly, here's a breakdown of what I do. I'm going
to assume you know nothing about detailing so that
nothing is overlooked (Hope this doesn't offend you).
Pick and choose what you do based on a full detail:

Start by washing with the 2 bucket method. If the
truck is heavily soiled in tar or bugs, you may
consider washing once with Dawn and once with a good
car wash such as Gold Class (from Megs) For the 2
bucket method: fill one bucket up with water and
another with the wash solution. Make sure to get
dilution ratios right, as you can really screw up
paint depending on how you mix it. Select a good wash
mitt. My favorite are genuine lambs wool mitts (Cotton
Chenille works well, too). Pre rinse truck. Dip mitt
into soapy water and then start washing...front to
back, top to bottom. Every panel or half panel, you
should clean the mitt in the water bucket then re-dip
in soapy water to continue. Another good idea is to
get grit guards to prevent dirt from getting in the
mitt and causing micromarring/swirling. As the water
gets dingy, refill. I do this once or twice in a usual
wash.

RIMS: I use a simple green solution of 1:1 with water.
Alternately, you can use full strength or any good rim
cleaner. Another favorite of mine is the Dupont one
with Teflon. Select the foaming type spray, and apply.
I wait 30 seconds-1 minute then I scrub with a
DEDICATED Microfiber or chenille sponge. Rinse
thoroughly.

TIRES: I clean every time with Westleys Bleache
White.(Use even if you don't have white lettering. It
keeps the tire looking rich and black rather than
reddish or brown) Scrub with a nylon bristled tire
brush. DO NOT let this get on your rims or paint. It
pits rims and severely damages paint. If working in
wind or in a closed space, wear a respirator and
goggles. It's a very powerful chemical, and is quite
toxic. Take a whiff, and you'll see.

DRYING: Take off the nozzle from the hose, and wet the
entire truck down. This will cause sheeting,
eliminating most of the water. After that, you may try
a leaf blower or compressed air. If not, you'll need
at least 2 good drying towels. My favorite for these
are Meg's Waffle Weave Microfiber Water Magnets. Well
worth the money. You'll want to blot to further
decrease the chances of swirling.

PREP WORK: You'll want to tape off all plastics at
this time. Also, go ahead and apply tire dressing so
it has time to adsorb into the rubber of the tire.

PAINT CLEANER: Either by hand or by DA or by rotary,
use your paint cleaner (ie: meg's step 1 of the 3
step). Remove with Microfiber (I'll abbreviate MF)
towels. As they start to gunk up, get another one out.
You should need about 3 for this step.

CLAYING: Clay kits are easily bought at autozone and
are well worth the $$$. (~$20) Spray the supplied
Quick detailing spray (or your own) liberally onto the
surface of the truck. Then, knead the claybar briefly,
warming it up in your palms, and begin rubbing it
across the paint. It may sound like sandpaper, but
it's supposed to. Rather than using a lot of pressure,
many light passes are much safer. As with washing,it's
best to go top to bottom, front to back. As you
complete each panel or as the surface touching the
paint begins to look dingy, knead the clay to a fresh
surface.

***NOTE***: If at any point, you drop an applicator
pad or towel or sponge, get a new one out. If at any
point you drop a claybar, trash it. For this reason, I
reccommend that you cut it in 1/2 and put the other
half into a ziploc bag for safekeeping.

SCRATCH REMOVAL: Go get a tube of Scratch-X (Meg's).
Follow instructions on tube.

***CONTINUED***

 

COMPOUNDING: I do this by D/A, but it can be done
manually.
BY D/A: Use a cutting pad or a wool bonnet. Get your
favorite compound (for heavy swirs, I recommend #83.
For light/medium swirls, I recommend either #80 or
step 1 of the 3 step) and have at it. You shouldn't
use too much pressure. Work product into paint until
almost dry. Remove with a MF towel. Continue to rest
of paint once you have a swirl free finish. For both
this and scratch removal, don't be afraid to do
several applications.
By hand: get a MF applicator pad and do the same. Have
Tylenol ready for the end of the day.

POLISHING: If you have a perfectly swirl free finish,
apply a pure polish (eg: #7) with a foam applicator
pad or a microfiber applicator pad. If there is VERY
light swirls/spider webbing, use a filler polish (ie:
#9)--both polishes I listed are from Meg's, easily
bought at Pep Boys. Follow instructions on bottle.
Remove with MF towel(s).

WAXING: same as polishing. I use NXT or #21, but
Synwax (from Mothers) works well, too. After you have
applied you synthetic wax (I do 2 coats. For building
layers, wait 12 hours between coats. For ensuring
complete coverage, do them back to back), use a
Carnauba. Before applying a Carnauba, you HAVE to wait
12 hours. Before you wax, make sure you get a clean MF
towel and a good QD spray to wipe down the truck to
eliminate dust to prevent swirling. Good carnaubas to
follow the synthetics are: #16 (if you can find it),
#26, California Gold, Gold Class (all these in order
of preference), etc.


INTERIOR: Vacuum, use spot cleaner as necessary, etc.
I recommend Scotch Guard for all fabrics. Follow
instructions on all chemicals used. (If you Scotch
Guard, it'll smell HORRIBLE for a few hours. Just
leave your windows cracked all day, and it'll go away
by itself. Leather: There are great products out
there. I have a 1 step leather cleaner and
conditioner, however, it's for my Dad's truck, so it's
not the best. RockPick and those with leather
interiors like Lexol I believe, as well as some
others, but you'd have to ask them.

GLASS: I recommend Stoners Invisible Glass. If there
are stubborn water spots or micro scratches, try a
paste of Bar keepers friend, use Vinegar, or other
glass restorer. on any of the, it is IMPERATIVE that
absolutely NONE of it touches the paint. I recommend
doing glass before you compound.

WHEEL WELLS: Spray the rubber with a cheap tire spray.
(On the back, make sure you clean them really well. I
use a nylon brush and Simple green to keep these
clean.)

RIMS/TIRES, CONT.: Wipe down the tires gently with a
shop rag to remove excess tire shine from slinging
off. (Tire shine products I like, in order, are: Hyper
Shine, Endurance Gloss, Hot Shine Gel.) RIMS---Use a
QD or a wheel QD (new for 2007 with meg's--wheel
QD...works GREAT) and a MF towel to clean/shine.
Before you drive, make sure there is no water trapped
in the wheel...

FINAL TOUCHES: Use a good plastics cleaner (ie: 303
aerospace protectant, Natural Shine from Megs) to
clean all plastics. Use the Natural Shine for all
weather strippings and dash. Polish all metals, buff
up all chrome, etc. It is this stage where you set
your vehicle apart from the rest.

GOOD THINGS TO TRY:

-Use Plast-X on headlights, tail lights, and corner
lights. It removes oxidation and discoloring and puts
a polymer protectant on them.

-Detail the engine bay: Use an all purpose cleaner and
the 2 bucket method with a rag or 2 and clean each
part accessible. This is NOT a place to spray water.
Some do it, but you should consider yourself lucky if
you can spray water into your engine bay and not get
misfires.

-Don't forget...all paint work above also applies to
the roof of the cab.

-This is the time for all finishing touches to the
truck. (These change from person to person. Some like
to use 4 star ultimate gloss enhancer for that extra
'pop', etc...) Find what you can do to make your truck
stand out.


PROJECTS TO MAKE YOUR TRUCK STAND OUT:
-Get a crawler and clean the undercarriage like
04RedLariat. Granted, he uses a steam genie, but you
can achieve good results by hand with an all purpose
cleaner. Don't forget to add some nice looking paint
under there...

 

thanks for the responses... i love this place

i guess looking back now my question was quite vague. Ive been reading this forum for some time and most of it was pretty clear to me except the compounding and polishing. I wasn't sure of there order or purpose, but i believe i have it now.

ok this is the plan:

1. wash and dry
2. paint cleaner
3. clay
4. compound (#80)
5. polish (#9)
6. wax (synth. followed by carinuba)
7. some sort of dressing to achieve more shine

if that doesn't sound right let me know

and my questions for learning purposes are:
A) will this meg's dealer have the 303 aerospace stuff or is this online only?
B) what does putting carinuba on top of synth. do?
C) do i have to wait 12 hours to put a finishing polish on the synth. wax?


by the way my paint is toreador red with what i would classify as light swirling

my moms van has some pretty rough swirling, so that cannot be removed by hand? (chestnut brown)

sorry for all of the questions, but i want to do this right, i know this paint has potential.

 

Swap 2 and 3.

Also, use the dressing PRIOR to applicaton of the carnauba. Just a little trick -- if you have any overspray that the air/wind catches, it may disperse it across your paint leaving it blotchy looking. By doing it before your last step, you'll remove those blotches with the carnauba step.

a) Might but, probably not. You're more apt to find it at a RV Supply Store... Or, of coures, online.
b) It'll help change the overall depth and look of the paint. It'll make it warmer -- especially on dark colors.
c) You should...

Give it a go on the hood. You may be suprised but, don't expect miracles. A machine can and will make a huge difference on a heavily neglected finish.

No problemo. Let us know if you need anything else.

 

thanks!!

 

Murray's Automotive (chain auto store) in Ohio has 303 aerospace, not sure if you have that in Michigan.

 

that strong chemical in Westleys is hydrofluoric acid. Its only at about 0.017 concentration but it can still hurt you. I know, I used to work for a company that disposed of this stuff in every concentration imaginable, even 100%. Nasty stuff. If you have fair skin or sensitive skin, you should probably wear some gloves.

However, I love the westleys. I followed that same process f-150sport03 lined out and then used megs hot tire shine to get a deep rich look with less product. It is a great product. I have a pic in my gallery of one of my tires after a good detail. It looks like tons of product is on it, but in all actuality it the least amount of product I've ever used on the tire. Wally world has a cheap nylon tire brush that works pretty well.

f-150sport03....thats a really good write up. I even printed it out to put with my binder of references.

 

--First off, I have ALWAYS wondered what chemical that was...Thanks for putting my mind at ease...

--As for the amount of product, I notice the same (and my wallet does, too--lesss applied, less bought). And, I use the same tire brush. Pretty good for the price IMO.

-------Thanks for the kudos. That's really a compliment since you even printed it out. But I must redirect the kudos to RP. He taught me most (99%) of what I know about detailing the *right* way. Put simply, He helped me out, and I try to do the same for others.

Have fun detailing, all. (BTW--RP-- I never knew to clay before you compound...You learn something new everyday, so thanks for th advice.)

 

HF is a calcium eater. At the concentration level it is at, its likely not going to do much. But, if it were 1%, even a needle's eye amount would burn a hole in your skin until it got to the bone, in which it would then eat through the bone. Nasty nasty stuff. Its like a chemical with a brain.

Anyway.... I have tons of RP refs printed out too. If it weren't for this site, I'd still be going to the carwash thinking I was doing something good for my truck and other vehicles.

 

Thanks for those kudos, guys. Glad to help.

 

bahhhh too bad i wont be able to get to detail my truck until i get back from mexico Stupid snow and 20 degrees. mother nature obviously does not like me so much.

 

darn that luck.....if you must go to mexico then you must

being in a northern state like that, what is your normal window of months to get good details in. Here it doesn't start getting too cold until late Dec or Jan. and then begins warming up in Late Feb or March. So I have a large window. Just a curiosity.

 

thats a great question. the weather here is like shooting craps. For example on Tuesday it was a balmy 75 and sunny. Wednesday morning i woke up to 2 inches of snow and a wind chill of 0. You could say it keeps you on your toes. As for the window for detailing it depends on the year. The snow/ice/cold usually sets in around early October and doesn't warm up till at least mid-late April. but as i mentioned thats nothing to bank on around here. lol at least im not in the U.P. or Canada where they are going to get 7-10 inches of snow by Sunday. it wouldn't be so bad though if everyone got 4x4's and we ditched the salt. you might as well pour sulfuric acid all over your undercarriage and truck.