This thread is designed to (pun intended) detail the processes we use to get good results. If you have a process you'd like to share, please put it here.

Materials used:

- Porter Cable 7336 Random Orbit Polisher or UDM- Sonus SFX 4" White Spot Pad- Autoglym Glass Polish

Steps:

1) Make sure that the glass is clean before polishing

2) After installing the 4" pad on the PC, put 4 dots of polish around the outer edge of the pad.

3) Take the polisher and smear the polish on the glass.

4) After smearing, make sure that the PC is at 4 or 4.5 and work the product until it turns into a haze or almost invisible.

5) After working the product, wipe with a microfiber towel

If you have never done this before, expect your pad to become almost grayish in color because the polish is removing the contamination from the glass.

Materials needed:

- Stoners Invisible Glass- Microfiber Towel or newspaper

1) Make sure that you are at least 6 - 12 inches from the glass before spraying.

2) Spray a very thin coat of Invisible Glass on the glass to be cleaned.

3) Wipe with the microfiber or newspaper.

Notes:

a) If using newspaper, it will have a tendency to leave remnants in the area you are wiping down in some cases. Take your vacuum cleaner and suck that up.

b) If using a microfiber, make sure it is a more plush microfiber or one designed for glass. For example, I have been using Tropical Breeze Detailing Towels which work very well for this purpose.

c) You can do the same steps for the outside of the windows but wipe in a different direction so that if there is any streaking, you can easily determine where the streaking is.

Materials Needed:

Carpet/Upholstery CleanerMicrofiber cloth or applicator

a) Spray the carpet/upholstery cleaner onto the microfiber cloth/applicatorb) Gently Agitate towel/solution on spot until the spot disappears.c) Wipe area with dry microfiber to remove any moisture.

how about polishing out scratches (in paint), doing clay bar treatment. The polishing the window is nice.....

have a nice writeup on the "2 bucket" method with grit guard etc? if not ill put one together.. nice section!

Let me, Adidas, or SVT know if you want any of these "articlized"

Washing My Z

EXTERIOR

Step 1: I personally go to a car wash first and wash the entire car with their hot water spray system. Most car washes now a days have heated water. This will dissolve your contaminants and get it ready for the real wash.

Step 2: I use MeGuires Deep Crystal car wash in warm water with about 6 different microfiber wash cloths, switching them out every panel or so. I dont wash my car in the sun.

Step 3: I usually use Simple Green for brake dust cleaning on wheels.

Step 4: After completely dry I will put it in the sun and look for scratches and such. I use Meguires Scratch X to remove any.

Step 5: (if it is time for a waxing) I use NXT Generation Tech Wax, in the shade of course. I use q-tips for any excess wax and crud I may find.

Step 6: Between waxes (about 6 months) I use Meguires Quik Detailer in between.

Step 7: Wheels: I started using these Clorox Hand wipes you can buy at the grocery store then when I am finished wiping my wheels down I spray with a water bottle and wipe down with a cloth and amzingly they do a nice job. The Clorox hand wipes/cloths really get all the junk off the wheels. Any tire foam or wheel gloss works for me they all make the tire look the same.

I get a pretty good glossy finish with this set up. As you can see in my sig, and that day I dont think my car was its cleanest.

INTERIOR:

I have leather and I use a saddle leather cleaner. I find chemicals and leather are not a good mix, I think use as least chemical as you can on your interior. I wipe everything down with just a warm microfiber towel.

Thats it happy detailing.

I've learned with my black Z that when it's very warm, humid, etc. black spots fast. I wash the top half of the car down to the middle of the fenders. I rinse the car, use a California squeege to get the excess water off, than use a good leather shamee to get the excess moisture. Next I carefully wash the lower half of the car, rinsing the lower half carefully to avoid getting the top half wet. The Z also has areas were water sits, around mirrors, the door handles, taillights, rear turn signal lense, rear hatch, and in the wheel lugs. I have an air compressor which I use to blow away the excess water, which helps me to avoid water spots. It's deffinatly anal but the car looks real good when done.

Yeah I bought a yard blower, the thing works well. Nothing like a 100 mile an hour wind to dry your car. And by the way good detail point, excellent addition to what I was saying. Good thread here.
Modified by BlackSmoke at 3:55 AM 7/26/2008

I love the idea of the blower. I'm on my way to sears right now!!! I also own a blk car and it is a chore, but it's worth it.

We need a Black Car thread

CakeDaddy wrote:We need a Black Car thread

Agreed. My black 240 was well maintained by the previous owner, but my slightly half-assed car washing methods of the past don't do it justice.