Car Detailing - A "How To" write up/walk through WITH PICS

[Wills.WindowsAndWheels]

Wills...here's a pic of each side with the lids raised.

ah man thats cool. Looks like plenty of room. So it converts to a blower too?

 

[Matt M PA]

Not that I know of, Wills. That would be nice, though.

I bought it probably 7 years ago as my big roll around job couldn't fit in any cabinet I had and it was always in the way. It's turned out to be great for on location details..

 

[89MustangGX]

Thats awesome man. What did you end up using to clean it with? Did you apply a conditioner afterwards? Glad i was able to help...very nice job.

I used some of this: http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/griots+garage+paint+prep.do?

...with a fingernail brush. It seems to be more of an APC than a degreaser, and it seemed to work well. (It says it's safe for vinyl and rubber too.) I followed up with a standard interior cleaner, because I was worried it might leave a residue, but in hindsight that seemed unnecessary.

I have 303 that I wanted to try (never used on seats before), but since it was so clean I wanted to give Lexol a try again. I guess I'm still not sure why it's so highly recommended, I just don't see a difference. I used the cleaner and conditioner. It came out nice, but I'm not sure it's the best for these type of seats. Do you have a recommendation for coated leather?

Adam

 

[Matt M PA]

I've never found Lexol to be great either.

As you probably know, Adam...there are two kinds of automotive leather. Coated, and vat dyed. (Perhaps there are other names for these...but they're what I know)

Vat dyed is dyed all teh way through...only used in expensive cars. Most cars have coated leather. This is basically sprayed with dye.

A quick way to tell is to put a drop of water on the seat...if it beads...it's coated. You'd almost be safe to assume it's coated unless it's a BMW or Jag.

Considering it's coated leather, you're only really treating the surface. I really like Zaino's Leather Cleaner as well as their conditioner. The Zaino Leather in a Bottle has UV guards, etc. 303 is also useful as it too has UV protective qualities. I've never used 303 on seats.

The Zaino Leather in Bottle give a softer shine, and has a nice leather scent. With any topical product...it only lasts so long until butts buff it off.

There is an interesting line of products made by Leatherique. While they are more made for vat leather, they work differently than most. You first apply the rejuvenating oil, then leave the car interior get hot. This oil works are the dirt and junk to the surface. Then, you use the cleaner to wipe it all off. This can work wonders on hard, old leather.

There you have it...more than anyone wanted to know.

 

[Wills.WindowsAndWheels]

I used some of this: http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/griots+garage+paint+prep.do?

...with a fingernail brush. It seems to be more of an APC than a degreaser, and it seemed to work well. (It says it's safe for vinyl and rubber too.) I followed up with a standard interior cleaner, because I was worried it might leave a residue, but in hindsight that seemed unnecessary.

I have 303 that I wanted to try (never used on seats before), but since it was so clean I wanted to give Lexol a try again. I guess I'm still not sure why it's so highly recommended, I just don't see a difference. I used the cleaner and conditioner. It came out nice, but I'm not sure it's the best for these type of seats. Do you have a recommendation for coated leather?

Adam

Sweet glad it worked. Ive had some really good luck with some Pinnacle Leather Conditioner someone set me. Now its like $35 a freak bottle...not cheap, but since you're only doing your truck and not tons of cars like me, it should last you a very long time.

Take a look at this write up a did a while back: http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-n-shine/28350-nasty-dodge-durango-interior-lots-pics.html

I'm sure its leather was much more beat up than yours...but the cleaning method i told you about along with the Pinnacle worked great. It gives a nice sheen but not SHINE if you know what i mean...it doesn't look like you smeared bacon grease on it..it looks like you treated it...and it smells great...just like leather. This is it: http://www.autogeek.net/pinleatcon.html

Just use a foam applicator pad with it, just need a little bit on the pad and a little goes a long ways

I've never found Lexol to be great either.

As you probably know, Adam...there are two kinds of automotive leather. Coated, and vat dyed. (Perhaps there are other names for these...but they're what I know)

Vat dyed is dyed all teh way through...only used in expensive cars. Most cars have coated leather. This is basically sprayed with dye.

A quick way to tell is to put a drop of water on the seat...if it beads...it's coated. You'd almost be safe to assume it's coated unless it's a BMW or Jag.

Considering it's coated leather, you're only really treating the surface. I really like Zaino's Leather Cleaner as well as their conditioner. The Zaino Leather in a Bottle has UV guards, etc. 303 is also useful as it too has UV protective qualities. I've never used 303 on seats.

The Zaino Leather in Bottle give a softer shine, and has a nice leather scent. With any topical product...it only lasts so long until butts buff it off.

There is an interesting line of products made by Leatherique. While they are more made for vat leather, they work differently than most. You first apply the rejuvenating oil, then leave the car interior get hot. This oil works are the dirt and junk to the surface. Then, you use the cleaner to wipe it all off. This can work wonders on hard, old leather.

There you have it...more than anyone wanted to know.

 

[holland_patrick]

Has the Big A stepped in there??? I know he pushed for a detailing section but all he got was a thread in the OT

 

[Wills.WindowsAndWheels]

Has the Big A stepped in there??? I know he pushed for a detailing section but all he got was a thread in the OT

stepped in where?

 

[Wills.WindowsAndWheels]

I posted this in the Hot Deals thread, but thought i should put it here too.

These are some very nice microfibers and the price is the lowest ive ever found http://www.microfibertech.com/16x16...icrofiber-Towel--Yellow-pack-of-10_p_118.html

Id say pick up a pack or two if you really want some decent microfibers for polish and wax removal...and retire those old guys to interior and rim duty lol

 

[93sr20det]

I am looking into getting a steam extractor and from what I have read the Durrmaids are junk. The mytee lite seems to get rave reviews and is made in the USA. Willis did you ever get the Durrmaid? From what I have read the owner of Durrmaid is very arrogant and thinks his machines never break.

 

[charlesskelter]

I didn't read the entire thread, so if it has been covered, please let me knw and I'll hunt through pages 2 through 8 for it.

But do you have any suggestions for reviving paint on a 70's car? Also any way to clean up a vinyl roof from the same type car (full vinyl, not the plush padded type and it's cream color if it matters, well somewhere under the filth it was cream).

 

[Wills.WindowsAndWheels]

I am looking into getting a steam extractor and from what I have read the Durrmaids are junk. The mytee lite seems to get rave reviews and is made in the USA. Willis did you ever get the Durrmaid? From what I have read the owner of Durrmaid is very arrogant and thinks his machines never break.

I did get the Durrmaid. It has its pros and cons, but is a HUGE upgrade from my LGM Bissel i was using.

Pros: STRONG suction, water gets very hot, long hose and due to the better suction and hotter water it just gets everything cleaner. Here's an ad for an Infiniti up for sale that we just did a full interior on: http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/cto/2823966544.html

CONS: Only a 2 gallon tank, so you use up your hot water pretty fast. On the job, this can be bad because the OTHER con is it take about 20-25 minutes for the heater to heat the water up to the 200 degrees. So you have to time it right and make sure if you do run out, you have some other tasks you can be doing while it heats the water. Those are really the only 2 cons, slow heat time and small tank. Ive heard great stuff about the Mytee, but i just couldn't afford it. I got the GM used for 1/2 price so thats why i went for it. Only other semi-con is that you can't put anything in the heater except water, no chemicals...well im gonna start putting a little vinegar in it but no carpet cleaner...but you can just spray the carpets with your cleaner first and let it set, then **** it.

I didn't read the entire thread, so if it has been covered, please let me knw and I'll hunt through pages 2 through 8 for it.

But do you have any suggestions for reviving paint on a 70's car? Also any way to clean up a vinyl roof from the same type car (full vinyl, not the plush padded type and it's cream color if it matters, well somewhere under the filth it was cream).

It's been so long since i looked at this thread i'm not sure if it was covered lol. I just revived the paint on an 86' lincoln...took a lot of work but the idea is still the same.

First thing you need to know...is this ORIGINAL paint...a.k.a "Single Stage Paint", or has it been repainted with a base-coat/ clear-coat combo like most modern cars. The easiest way to find out which it is, is after washing and clay baring the car, do a 'test spot' with some compound on a foam pad. Lets say your car is red...if after your test spot, your pad is red, then it is single stage paint and is probably original. The red (or whatever color your paint is) will actually come off onto your pad, which is ok.

If the pad is still just the same color as the compound after you do a test spot, it is clear coated. Paint is still being removed, but its clear...so you dont see it on the pad. Note that most times SS (Single Stage) paint is a bit softer that CC (clear coated) paint...so you will remove more paint more quickly than you would remove clear coat ...in MOST cases.

The process is still the same, wash, clay...compound, polish, seal and/or wax. Just take your time, use good lighting and go section by section. The ONE step you may want to use before yous start compounding/polishing, is to apply a HEAVY coat of Meguiars #7 Glaze. Single Stage paint is more porous than clear coat...and Megs #7 literally..is just oil, but the SS paint will **** up that oil and help bring it back to life, especially if it is very dull or oxidized. A very good write up on it (lengthy but good) is here: http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...w-car-finish-antique-single-stage-paints.html

Here is a pic of the Linc on a test area i did, i removed the tape and you can see where the left light bulb is was where the tape covered (shows before) and to the right shows "after":

As for the vinyl top, you can either by a designated vinyl top cleaner, or you might need something with a little more punch. On this lincoln first i soaked it in dawn soap wash water, then i sprayed it with Meguiars APC (all purpose cleaner) mixed 4:1 and scrubbed with a medium bristle brush, kinda like a finger nail brush...then rinsed....then had to spray again with apc+ and scrub again (it is white and was VERY dirty also) and then rinse. Just be sure to do a small section at a time. Don't too big of a section at once because you dont want the cleaner to DRY before you can rinse it.

After you get it as clean as you want it, put a vinyl protectant on it.

back to the paint, just be sure you get it SUPER clean before you ever attempt any polishing. I soaked the lincoln in dawn soap, scrubbed it and then pressure washed it clean and it was STILL dirty...i literally had to wash it 4-5 times...eventually having to spray bad areas with APC or APC+ just to break down the dirt.

Here is a section after i did 2-3 washes on it:

You can still see the dirt runs...the WHOLE car was caked with that dirt. The clean areas you see there were as bad as the dirty areas.

heres a couple more areas:

But after a couple more times going over it, it FINALLY came clean

Then i clayed and put 2 coats of #7 on it to let set over night...then removed it and then started polishing.


This is how the paint looked after removing #7, note this is an improvment but STILL in bad shape, no reflection:

This is after compounding and polishing:

Gloss is back, you can see the image of my light bulb now...even without the light on it you can tell teh area to the right is undone and still looks dull even after scrubbing, claying and applying the glaze.

Heres the QP after i finished it:

This is before i applied a sealant...so you see it can be done, just takes a lot of work lol.

You can use the same kinds of products as you would a clear coat paint...just be careful if you dont know how thick the paint is...dont wanna remove too much and expose primer! But old paints are pretty durable. If yo have any pics of the car you're gonna work on id love to see.

Hope the above helped

 

[dtownsteve]

Ok, to continue with the interior questions, how do you get that darned textured plastic clean? The bottoms of the doors and sills are always dirty and it seems no matter how much scrubbing I do, when they dry they still look nasty. Also, is there any protectant for interior plastic trim-bits I should be using?

 

[Wills.WindowsAndWheels]

Ok, to continue with the interior questions, how do you get that darned textured plastic clean? The bottoms of the doors and sills are always dirty and it seems no matter how much scrubbing I do, when they dry they still look nasty. Also, is there any protectant for interior plastic trim-bits I should be using?

Hey man...not sure what textured plastic you're talking about? A pic would help, im guessing its probably a type of vinyl though.

They probably still look nasty after they dry because the ARE dry lol. Sometimes cleaners can dull out vinyl or plastic. I use Meguiars #40 to dress vinyl interior pieces. It can really help almost any dried out interior trim/dash/panel pieces. If its really dry dont be scared to put a couple 'coats' on it so that it really sinks in...then just go over it with a dry microfiber to even it out. Again, if i could actually see the pieces i could better tell you, but if they are what im thinking about, the above should help.

I have vinyl/rubber trim around the outside of my windows, its the textured/porous type and the same is true for it, after cleaning..when it dries it looks dirty and dry as hell. For exterior trim i use Meguiars Ultimate Protectant....it usually gives me about 6-8 weeks of dark/newer looking plastic, but eventually the sun and washes causes it to fade. I'm going to finally just go on and dye it back to black once i get the spare time, since its exterior trim and that is the most permanent long lasting fix i can do aside from replacing it.

 

[charlesskelter]

Thanks for the quick response! It will be a little while before I can get the time to take to attempt to clean her up but I will definitely give it a shot as she loks horrible now. Here's a picture of the car in question

 

[Wills.WindowsAndWheels]

Thanks for the quick response! It will be a little while before I can get the time to take to attempt to clean her up but I will definitely give it a shot as she loks horrible now. Here's a picture of the car in question

Hey man, picture didn't show up for some reason?

 

[charlesskelter]

Lets try a different host

[/IMG]

 

[Wills.WindowsAndWheels]

Oh yeah man thats niceeeeee. That color should really look deep and wet when you finish. Those monster tank old cars are a beast to do, so take your time lol. Just remember when you start polishing to do your test spot and find out if the process you plan to use will work...if it does, then you should have the same results on the rest of the car.

 

[RKA]

I am looking into getting a steam extractor and from what I have read the Durrmaids are junk. The mytee lite seems to get rave reviews and is made in the USA. Willis did you ever get the Durrmaid? From what I have read the owner of Durrmaid is very arrogant and thinks his machines never break.

I avoided the DM for that reason when I was shopping. I've had the mytee for a couple years now and been very pleased with it. It doesn't get used very often, and takes up a bit of space compared to something like a LGM, but it does a really nice job. Also, I only push water (or water + vinegar) through it. The intention is to limit exposure of the seals, etc. in the machine to detergents that might dry them out over time.

 

[Wills.WindowsAndWheels]

I avoided the DM for that reason when I was shopping. I've had the mytee for a couple years now and been very pleased with it. It doesn't get used very often, and takes up a bit of space compared to something like a LGM, but it does a really nice job. Also, I only push water (or water + vinegar) through it. The intention is to limit exposure of the seals, etc. in the machine to detergents that might dry them out over time.

If i had the cash, i woulda gone for the Mytee, but im very happy with the DM compared to the LGM. I too only use water, but am gonna try vinegar tomorrow on Vette we have to detail.

Do you have a link to the Mytee you got and how much you paid? If you ever wanna get rid of it i may take it off your hands

 

[AndrewBigA]

Has the Big A stepped in there??? I know he pushed for a detailing section but all he got was a thread in the OT

stepped in where?

yea, heres the sticky that ryan & bull made for me. guess you didnt see it but i can ask one of them to merge this thread to mine.

The Official GJ Automotive Detailing Thread

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=872577#post872577

im around to help out when i can.

 

[RKA]

If i had the cash, i woulda gone for the Mytee, but im very happy with the DM compared to the LGM. I too only use water, but am gonna try vinegar tomorrow on Vette we have to detail.

Do you have a link to the Mytee you got and how much you paid? If you ever wanna get rid of it i may take it off your hands

I got it from here for $690 shipped (mytee lite II 8070): http://www.123buyit.com/Default.asp

This was one of the few places that sold it at a good discount and didn't **** me on shipping. Seems like they don't sell it there anymore. I was a little concerned but the address listed for the site is 2 hours away, so I could always drop by if there was a problem with the order. It arrived quickly and without issue. You could try calling them to see if they can still get them. Unfortunately I'm not parting with mine unless it's broken and unfixable. Works great on the cars and the upholstery in the family room and living rooms! (except there I do push diluted detergent through the machine and rinse well afterwards)