Guess I got it right !!!

[LarThaL]

I have always been a car detailing fanatic, but this was my first ever formal judged event. I took a leap of faith and entered into the Late Model Super Clean Class.

If anyone is interested, please PM me, and I will share my knowledge. Some of what I suggest may be contrary to popular opinion, but as they say.....

The proof is in the pudding.



There were aspects of show prep that I just wasn't aware of and I think it cost me first place, but I was quite happy as a complete novice to this sort of thing.

And, no, I am not in any way affiliated with Griot's products, but I use them extensively.

[W///]

Would love to see pics of your car from the contest. Congrats!

[LarThaL]

Originally Posted by W///

Would love to see pics of your car from the contest. Congrats!

Didn't take any myself. I was hoping someone from the event would have posted stuff up by now, but no such luck yet. Give it a few days and do a search then. I am sure there will be pics up. Pictures don't always capture what a really well detailed car looks like in person, IMO. A merely "clean" car can easily look like a truly spectacular one in pics. Now, if you have a professional photo shoot of your car, with a really high end camera, perfect attention to lighting, etc, it might make a difference, but you really can't tell from regular outdoor pictures in the sun.

[rjd598]

care to share any of your methods?

[LarThaL]

Originally Posted by rjd598

care to share any of your methods?

Sure......

1. This is really the most important one.....

I never touch my car when washing it. If you wash your car with any kind of cloth or mitt, you will scratch it. When washing, I use a power washer with a soap applicator. I spray on the soap, let it sit, then power wash it off. You can also use a citrus based cleaner to spray on your car, let it sit, then power wash off.

2. Dry as much as possible with forced air. I use a leaf blower, but there are actually heated forced air drying systems now available.

3. I then "wash" my car again using Griot's Spray-On Car Wash with their deep pile Green microfiber cloths. Be liberal with the wash. Wipe down, then buff up with another microfiber cloth. You will already have a brilliant shine.

4. I polish the car with Griot's Fine Hand Polish. Again, the grade of microfiber you use to remove the wax is very important. Deep, soft, plush microfiber cloths will be much less abrasive. When applying the polish, I use a wet applicator pad so that I spread a very fine thin layer. This way, there is less rubbing to get it off. Less rubbing means less scratching.

5. Final coat is Griot's Spray On Car Wax. This product really evens out your finish, getting rid of any little streaks or subtle mis-colorations from the previous steps.

6. I clean the wheels with a dry microfiber cloth. I usually do this 2-3 times per week, barrels and all. You can wrap the microfiber cloths around a long flat stick to easily clean the wheel barrels. If you do this several times a week, it prevents build-up of brake dust, and you can do each full wheel in about 3 minutes. I use 3M adhesive remover to get off any tar flecks. It also gives the wheels a really brilliant shine. I then finish off with a very light spraying of the Griot's Spray-On car Wash.

7. Windows...very basic....forget all the gimmicks. Nothing like paper towels and windex. Make sure you use vinyl gloves especially when cleaning windows so you don't get your paw prints on the glass. Also, oils from your skin can get on the rag/towel you are using to clean the glass and create a light haze.

8 Bugs...ok, this may seem a little weird, but the absolute best thing for removing bugs without scrubbing your paint is......SPIT. Yep, you read correctly. The digestive enzymes in your saliva will dissolve bugs very effectively and won't harm your paint one bit. You then go over it with....you guessed it.....Griot's Spray On Car Wash.

9. I could go on an on, but there are really just a few basic principles to follow to make your car look great. One of the other important concepts is to never really let a lot of dirt and grime ever accumulate in the first place. If you do, it will always be more of a chore to get it off and this is how you will scratch and degrade your surfaces. If your car is your pride and joy, spend about 15-20 minutes every day for "preventative maintenance". It will really go a long way to keep it looking spectacular. Once something has adhered to a surface, you WILL scratch that surface in an attempt to remove it. It takes 2 minutes to vacuum an engine bay, yet if you never do it, it will take you hours to restore to showroom clean, and likely, you will never achieve this.

10. The specific product likely doesn't matter that much** Much like wine, it is the mid-priced products that tend to yield the best results. The really expensive stuff just isn't any better, just more expensive. Spend your $200 on a power washer as opposed to a fancy tub of wax. The one place to really not skimp is on cloths....Use high-grade microfiber and high grade applicators. Anything you can do to prevent microscratches to your surfaces will enhance their look. It makes more of a difference than what brand of wax/cleaner/polish you use.

** The one product that I have found to work LIKE NOTHING ELSE is Griot's Spray-On Car Wash. I swear by it, but you must use the high grade microfiber cloths that it is designed to be used with. I even use it on my black Porsche Cayenne. Even when it has a fair amount of dirt, it cleans up without a scratch to a brilliant shine.

Anyway....hope this helps. Let me know if you want to know anything more specific. Keep in mind, these are tips for detailing and cleaning. RESTORING a damaged finish is a different matter.

[rjd598]

I was more interested in your "contrary to opinion" methods. Everything you have listed minus the spit, is what other detailers do. There are small differences in your methods but generally right on track. Some tips you might find helpful: get yourself the mtm hydro foam cannon. This will give you a proper presoak for your car that will clean the car effectively based on the soap you use. Citrus based shampoos are effective at removing dirt and grime but at the same time they are very capable of removing wax. There are plenty of soaps out there for the foam fun that clean well and keep your wax intact. I'm sure the spit works great but save yourself the time and pain and get some auto finesse citrus power. I promise you it will take care of all those bugs plus leave your wax intact. If you don't like it I will gladly buy it off you . Other than that nothing crazy or radical you do compared to everyone else

[LarThaL]

Originally Posted by rjd598

I was more interested in your "contrary to opinion" methods. Everything you have listed minus the spit, is what other detailers do. There are small differences in your methods but generally right on track. Some tips you might find helpful: get yourself the mtm hydro foam cannon. This will give you a proper presoak for your car that will clean the car effectively based on the soap you use. Citrus based shampoos are effective at removing dirt and grime but at the same time they are very capable of removing wax. There are plenty of soaps out there for the foam fun that clean well and keep your wax intact. I'm sure the spit works great but save yourself the time and pain and get some auto finesse citrus power. I promise you it will take care of all those bugs plus leave your wax intact. If you don't like it I will gladly buy it off you . Other than that nothing crazy or radical you do compared to everyone else

No, nothing too crazy. There really isn't too much you can do that's "crazy". I know pro detailers have their tricks. Most people still wash their cars with cloths/mitts, and a bucket of water. Most people still think that premium waxes are magical. Most people still think that a 7-step detail produces superior results. Most people don't do quick clean-ups every few days to keep dirt from accumulating in the first place. Most people still don't know the importance of proper cloths/applicators. So far as I know, most people still use dry pads to put on their waxes/polishes.

[JFlo]

First and foremost: congrats!!! As a weekend warrior that must feel pretty good.

Second: I have a couple of questions, or would like your (and others) take on this!

So I apply some similar basics to my car regiment. The M3 is my DD so it probably experiences a little more... "crap" for a lack of a better word than your's. I certainly wouldnt mind the GTS as a daily!

Anyways, as you said pretty much every time you touch the paint with anything, mitt, sponge etc. you are bound to make scratches. I invested in an electric pressure washer and a foam gun... love it! Best couple of hundred bucks spent ever. However, I was hoping to maybe get some more details/thoughts about the "Griot's Spray On Wash". I have noticed that even when pre-washing the car with the foam gun there is still plenty of "crap" left on the car (mainly lower side panels). I would be afraid to use something that sprays on together with a MF towel on something that's still "dirty".

I live in FL, wash the car every week end so it never gets too filthy in between washes.

Again, the spray on wash might work for a "garage queen" but for a DD... I would be worried the first time trying to wash the car with your technique. Nothing would be better than if it worked, cause using all the buckets, cleaning of the lambswool mitt etc. makes the process take quite some time!

[Chriskm3]

Wow. Congrats.

[Hagasan41]

Congrats on the recognition!! I use Griot's Garage products too. Good stuff! Two of my other favorite brands are 4 Star and Optimum Polymer. They make fantastic spray on waxes and quick detailers. I agree that the real key to protecting your paint is high quality microfiber towels and regular upkeep.

[1MOREMOD]

so what little things kept you out of first? forgot to line up your wheel center caps so they are all facing same way?

[LarThaL]

Originally Posted by JFlo

First and foremost: congrats!!! As a weekend warrior that must feel pretty good.

Second: I have a couple of questions, or would like your (and others) take on this!

So I apply some similar basics to my car regiment. The M3 is my DD so it probably experiences a little more... "crap" for a lack of a better word than your's. I certainly wouldnt mind the GTS as a daily!

Anyways, as you said pretty much every time you touch the paint with anything, mitt, sponge etc. you are bound to make scratches. I invested in an electric pressure washer and a foam gun... love it! Best couple of hundred bucks spent ever. However, I was hoping to maybe get some more details/thoughts about the "Griot's Spray On Wash". I have noticed that even when pre-washing the car with the foam gun there is still plenty of "crap" left on the car (mainly lower side panels). I would be afraid to use something that sprays on together with a MF towel on something that's still "dirty".

I live in FL, wash the car every week end so it never gets too filthy in between washes.

Again, the spray on wash might work for a "garage queen" but for a DD... I would be worried the first time trying to wash the car with your technique. Nothing would be better than if it worked, cause using all the buckets, cleaning of the lambswool mitt etc. makes the process take quite some time!

I use the Spray-on Car Wash on my black Cayenne daily driver also. No issues. Just use spray on a decent amount, wipe the dirt off with a pre-wetted green microfiber towel, then buff dry with a second one. Unless it is really caked on dirt/mud, you are good to go.

[rjd598]

Originally Posted by 1MOREMOD

so what little things kept you out of first? forgot to line up your wheel center caps so they are all facing same way?

Hey it'll look better than if you don't

[TTG]

Congrats. I also finished 2nd on the 1st concourse event that I attended 2 years ago.

Your not touching the paint method is interesting for sure and I am not quite sure if I understand or agree with it. May be it is a good idea for a 1st step which most of us do anyway.

What caused you the points?

Mine were:

-Seat rails
-Battery
-And keeping the protective cosmoline in tact in the paint.

[1MOREMOD]

Originally Posted by rjd598

Hey it'll look better than if you don't

yep i know lots of little tricks like that. ive never tried to compete though as it would drive me crazy.

[nullrouted]

Originally Posted by 1MOREMOD

yep i know lots of little tricks like that. ive never tried to compete though as it would drive me crazy.

Great, now I'm feeling insecure about my center caps. Gonna go check them now...

[1MOREMOD]

Originally Posted by nullrouted

Great, now I'm feeling insecure about my center caps. Gonna go check them now...

does your wife judge your car when she gets home?

[rjd598]

Originally Posted by 1MOREMOD

yep i know lots of little tricks like that. ive never tried to compete though as it would drive me crazy.

Wait you were serious...

[1MOREMOD]

Originally Posted by rjd598

Wait you were serious...

is that just car shows that they care about that sort of thing not detail stuff? yes was serious have seen it on tv so must be true.

[JFlo]

Originally Posted by LarThaL

I use the Spray-on Car Wash on my black Cayenne daily driver also. No issues. Just use spray on a decent amount, wipe the dirt off with a pre-wetted green microfiber towel, then buff dry with a second one. Unless it is really caked on dirt/mud, you are good to go.

Thanks for chiming in! I will have to give this a shot.

[rjd598]

Originally Posted by 1MOREMOD

is that just car shows that they care about that sort of thing not detail stuff? yes was serious have seen it on tv so must be true.

It's funny because I just put some new center caps on and I totally was thinking about how I randomly just popped them in with no direction. It bugged me but you wouldn't even notice unless you looked

[slicer]

Originally Posted by LarThaL

Sure......

1. This is really the most important one.....

I never touch my car when washing it. If you wash your car with any kind of cloth or mitt, you will scratch it. When washing, I use a power washer with a soap applicator. I spray on the soap, let it sit, then power wash it off. You can also use a citrus based cleaner to spray on your car, let it sit, then power wash off.


3. I then "wash" my car again using Griot's Spray-On Car Wash with their deep pile Green microfiber cloths. Be liberal with the wash. Wipe down, then buff up with another microfiber cloth. You will already have a brilliant shine.

Thanks for the pointers! I'm a little confused by the fact that you recommend never using a cloth or mitt to wash your car for fear of scratching but then you go on to recommend a microfiber and spray-on car wash. I would much rather use a clean mitt (i use the Uber genuine wool wash mitt) with the two bucket method than contact my car with a microfiber and spray on car wash. My logic says that using a bucket with lots of soapy water provides more lubricant and ability to evacuate dirt safely than a microfiber with spray on car wash.