HFX Detailing

Do I wash my tires? Everytime! This is my method here (for the most part): http://www.adamsforums.com/topic/27025-honda-from-rags-to-riches-how-to-wheels-prewash-tips-and-more/?do=findComment&comment=425670

Finally tried this stuff today. Man it looks good.

 

Not sure how long it last, time will tell!

I'll try switching to desktop mode on my phone later and see if that helps

 

Thanks

Does anyone have issues with mobile? I find I need to often double click buttons and sometimes to make post I much use "advanced" editor and submitting via the quick posting option does not work.

 

 

I'm using a BlackBerry z10

 

Thanks guys

 

@GXPaycheck, I have deep wheel cleaner but the APC and GWC combo worked well so I skipped on the DWC.

Hey Folks!

 

Since people seemed to like my last write-up I am doing another! This time I learned from my shots last time and tried to get a bit more creative this time to help people follow the timeline. As before, I will give a brief description, list the products, explain the process in detail with pictures, then post the money shots. 

 

 

Description

 

I was tasked to detail this Honda car which has very deceptive paint. The paint color you will see in the photos hides dirt very well. Sometimes, when you wash the vehicle you will barely notice. However, I made this puppy shine. I did a exterior wash, clay, and wax followed by an interior vacuum, and detail of the dash. 

 

The Products

 

The following products were used. Note: Last time I posted the canadian site, this time I will use the American as it seems the forums is mostly American.

 

Green-Wheel Cleaner: http://www.adamspolishes.com/p-436-adams-green-wheel-cleaner.aspx

All Purpose Cleaner: http://www.adamspolishes.com/p-121-adams-all-purpose-cleaner.aspx

*Fender Brush: http://www.adamspolishes.ca/p-411-adams-20-fender-brush.aspx

Wheel Woolie: http://www.adamspolishes.com/p-1091-adams-new-wheel-woolie.aspx

Lug and Nut Brush: http://www.adamspolishes.com/p-885-adams-trim-lug-nut-brush.aspx

Car Wash Shampoo: http://www.adamspolishes.com/p-31-adams-car-wash-shampoo.aspx

2 Grit Guards: http://www.adamspolishes.com/p-56-adams-grit-guard-insert.aspx

Adams Tire Brush: Could not find on either .com or .ca site

Clay Bar: http://www.adamspolishes.com/p-1004-new-adams-made-in-the-usa-detailing-clay-bar.aspx

Detail Spray: http://www.adamspolishes.com/p-870-adams-detail-spray.aspx

Waterless Wash: http://www.adamspolishes.com/p-440-adams-waterless-car-wash.aspx

Drying Towel: http://www.adamspolishes.com/p-106-adams-great-white-microfiber-drying-towel.aspx

Buttery Wax: http://www.adamspolishes.com/p-992-adams-buttery-wax-new-formula.aspx

Carpet and Upholstry Cleaner: http://www.adamspolishes.com/p-35-adams-carpet-upholstery-cleaner.aspx

Interior Detailer: http://www.adamspolishes.com/p-924-adams-total-interior-detailer.aspx

Leather and Interior Cleaner: http://www.adamspolishes.com/p-131-adams-leather-interior-cleaner.aspx

Utility Towel: http://www.adamspolishes.com/p-579-adams-edgeless-microfiber-utility-towels.aspx

2 wash pads (9x9 and 11x11): http://www.adamspolishes.com/p-83-adams-professional-car-wash-pad.aspx

Glass Cleaner: http://www.adamspolishes.com/p-54-adams-glass-cleaner.aspx

Glass Cleaning Towels: http://www.adamspolishes.com/p-422-adams-microfiber-glass-cleaning-towels-2.aspx

Double Soft Towel: http://www.adamspolishes.com/p-494-adams-double-soft-microfiber-towel.aspx

 

*Note: Items marked with a *, I could not find one .com so used .ca

 

 

Timeline and How-tos

 

The first thing I like to do is go around the whole car and take pictures. This way I know what I am dealing with and I know the trouble areas. Here are a few shots of the vehicle.

 

The car does not look too bad. Lets get a bit closer.

 

The front was bad, had plenty of caked on bugs. No good. This will take some time to get rid of. You can pre treat the bugs with a shot of detail spray or APC, but wait until a few minutes before your wash.

 

That is a lot of bird poop! Luckily it looks like most if not all of it can be rinsed off. You do not want to drag bird poop across paint as it can easily damage it. Bird poop has lots of contaminants in it.

 

Oh my! Look at that lovely salt. We have some work to do here for sure. 

 

Some interior stains, but not too bad.

 

Thankfully, I am allergic to dust. Wait, no....that is a bad thing!

 

Now that we have taken a look at what we must do, I like to start with the wheels. This way, when you wash the car no gunk from the wheels goes on the paint. It also guarantees you will not mix the wheel water with the paint water. 

 

The wheel:

 

I started with spraying some green wheel cleaner and used the tire brush to hit the wheels. Unfortunately, I was not happy with the results. Some dirt was lifting up, but I knew there was more to get. I knew I needed to use something stronger.

 

 

Since Green Wheel Cleaner did not cut it, I used All Purpose cleaner then agitated the wheel with my wheel brush. See the difference?

 

It is so satisfying seeing that dirt come off.

 

I used Green Wheel cleaner again and now the wheel is all clean (notice all the white suds).

 

After rinsing away all of the cleaner I used my lug brush. I sprayed some Green Wheel Cleaner and stuck the brush over the bolts and twisted them.

 

You can see from the picture the bottom bolt is clean while the bolt on the left is visibly dirty.

 

To get inbehind the rims I used the amazing Wheel Woolie. Spray some Green Wheel Cleaner on it and rub-a-dub-dub. You can see the dirty melt off.

 

For the rest of the rim I just sprayed it with the Green Wheel Cleaner and then agitated it with a microfiber, and the lug brush. I would have used my turbo stick, if my drill did not decide to die (always have a backup method!).

 

The finished Tire:

 

And this is why you do not mix tire water, with water for your paint. All that extra dirt, raises the chance of harming your precious paint.

 

Now to rinse the car (pre-wash). I like to use the jet setting if you have it. I work away in a continuous line until I hit the whole car. I start from top and work my way to the bottom. Then I go around again with a wider spray to make sure I got everything. Tough areas I like to spray for longer to loosen up that dirt. Make sure you spray crevices to release hidden treasures (nasty dirt you don't want during the final rinse).

 

Here, you will see I am spraying the bird poop away. Always pick a spray that works. A wide spray was useless, but a jet spray worked well.

This would take all day with this spray:

 

With this spray, we are zooming along! (Find the spray that works for you and the vehicle)

 

Remember to always spray crevices! Look at this dirt. If you forgot to do the crevice, this would have came out after your wash during your dry.

 

Here is how I do my top down spray (I move left, to right, slowly moving downwards):

 

After, I do a final pre-wash soak by using a wider spray. The prep work is the most important step! Now to wash, I have 2 buckets. One is labeled wash, and the other is rinse. You do not want to mix these up, and both have grit guards you can rub your wash pad with each time you use it. 

 

 

I do not have many pictures from here on as I really wanted to focus the pictures on the above tire process. I took my wash pad and washed the top half of the vehicle. Since this vehicle was pretty dirty I took advantage of the grit guard often (rinsing twice for one panel if I felt I had too). I would check my pad often to make sure no dirt was on it. On the lower half, I used my smaller pad. Having two pads saves you from cross-contaminating them. The bottom half usually is where most of the gritty dirt hides and you do not want to transfer that to the top half.

 

Pro-tip: Always check the side skirts on the bottom for tar/oils. I have pretty much ruined a pad after getting tar stuck in it. After that I usually check with my hand or a microfibre used for my wheels. If you get tar stuck in your pad early on, you can't use it during your wash. It will not wash out easily or fully from my experience. This car, had tar. It embedded itself well within my check-microfibre I used.

 

After everything was rinsed, I clayed the vehicle. It was not that bad. The worst was the front with all the caked in bugs. For the clay, I simply spray an area with some detail spray (I did this while the vehicle was still wet to save on detail spray) and then rub the clay until satisfied. Since this vehicle had a lot of dirt that lifted from the clay, I simply washed the car again after with fresh water.

 

Once I washed it, I sprayed a bit of detail spray and dried it with the Great White towel. The detail spray helps absorb water and gives a nice shine.

 

Now I moved onto my buttery wax. I applied it one panel at a time and did a finger swipe test to see if it was done. If you swipe a spot and it smudges, it is not ready to come off. If you see clear paint underneath, it is time to take the wax off. I find buttery goes on nicely and comes off easy. The wicked smell is to die for.

 

Now the exterior was done, I moved onto the interior.

Always remember to roll down the windows a bit to get the top piece of dirt that is always forgotten. After, roll them back up and finish cleaning them. I like to spray Glass Cleaner on a glass cleaning towel and rub side-to-side then up-and-down. Then I buff away with a clean utility towel.

 

The windshield can be a pain sometimes. I wrap my hand in the towel and use my backhand to clean the hard to reach spots.

 

Since the car was bad, I pulled out the rugs and mats. I vacuumed them all and the carpet. I hit the salt on the carpet mats with the Carpet and Upholstry Cleaner and used the Upholstry brush to agitate. I used a clean towel to absorb the extra cleaner and dirt. 

 

The mats where bad (plastic ones) so I used a stream of water and a clean towel to clean them. I don't like using much on these as you don't want peoples feet slipping. They were not coming clean so a bit of car shampoo worked wonders. After a super good rinse, I dried them a little with another towel. The sun did the rest.

 

Once I had the interior fully vacuumed I worked on cleaning and dressing the interior. I used the Leather and Interior cleaner first. I sprayed a little bit on a Utility towel and got rid of the dirt. I finished with another towel which I had sprayed with interior detailer. I used the detailing swabs to get the tight spots and the vents. 

 

After putting everything back into the vehicle, it was time to take some final photos and call it a day. This is what you have all been waiting for, right?

 

 

Money-Shots!

 

50/50 of tire (used photoshop to put together the before and after)

 

That console!

 

From old, to new. The front end (look at that bug deflector!)

 

I love this shot. 

 

You can see some of my adams gear in the back here

 

The whole interior got this clean

 

That is all for now! Questions, comments, love, hate?

wow! great results. cannot wait to try it

Hi Jerome,

 

I used a Nikon D700 with a 50mm/1.4 lens and a 24-70mm/2.8 lens for the wide angle shots.  No modifications just a great camera. I'm a semi-pro photographer although the pics above in the first post were just quick grab shots.

Below are additional shots in the driveway all shot with the D700 and 24-70mm/2.8 lens.

that looks really great, huge difference, I am not photographer but I wish I took photos like You

What camera was used to take those photos? Any modifications to the image?

 

Looks good! That paint looks so wet...Good work!

You would have my vote, but I don't like these sites where you have to give your email addy, then end up with tons of unwanted email. But I wish you the best of luck.  

If you use gmail, add a +thesite to the email and you can track who gave out your address..

Ie: joeblow+somecontest@gmail.com and when you get spam for some magic man pill and you see it being sent to joeblow+somecontest vs joeblow+family then you know where it came from and who to yell at

the canadian site has them xD

http://www.adamspolishes.ca/p-869-adams-travel-size-detail-spray-new-formula.aspx

The clay I have used (gone through 3 orders worth) has been really great to work with.  If it starts to look like what you posted, which it may, I usually just fold it and flatten it again, lube it up and you should be ready to go.  Stuff works great.  I think it is a great product and has just the right amount of stickiness to get the job done right. 

I find as soon as it gets to that point, there is not much return.

The only thing I found that worked is using a constant mist spray from a hose if what happened to OP occurs.

The difference between Americana and Buttery wax is longevity.  Buttery will give about a month of protection, while Americana will last 3-4 months.  BG will add a little more 'pop' o the finish.  I think most would recommend applying BG, then adding Americana over that for a long lasting, face melting shine!

Really? Most people I hear say they both last much longer. Personally I find they last long too, but I do not drive much.

 

 

OP, why not both?

Americana then glaze then buttery

due to me being in canada...adams had the best rate and supplies I could find in canada.

 

there are places which I won't mention, but most of their stock is always unavailable whereas with adams I can usually get everything I need in one convenient order.

 

Once I tried my first order, I was hooked. The products are amazing and work.

 

I have dealt with different reps from Adams and they are all great. The customer interaction is amazing too. Constant updates, these forums, and even Adam himself makes appearances.

 

Overall it is a great company.

I...I don't know what to say..that was a great read but I feel bad...but not? Words cannot describe

I agree with Adam. While Adam isn't trying to be secretive, he has legitimate reasons for asking why anyone would want those.  As for "I've had one customer complain about the "smell" of the products. If I had the MSDS it would be easier to calm their mind.", they must have a seriously sensitive nose or you were working in an unventilated area which is NEVER a good idea no matter what you're using even if it's something like Comet!  Every product you use in your life has chemicals in them. Every cleaning product, etc.  So that statement alone puts me on alert as to your intentions.  

Huh? Are you confusing me with the OP, because I am not the one requesting the data sheets 

@Adam, do you guys change your batches at all?

 

The clay I used today was just like OP. It was weird. It got stuck even on my gloves. The only way I could use it is if I soaked the clay and remolded it a ton and kept using it soaked. I had to use the method where you use soap + water as there was no way I was wasting that much detail spray. I have had slight issues before with the clay, but never like this. It was not even hot today. I have used the clay in hotter weather without issue. 

Seems like your pretty worried. If it concens you that much, look into buying a SCBA or a respirator

Even then, you should have the MSDS....if im not mistaken its a legal requirement for some places/businesses in the area I live to have them for any and all chemicals in the open.

 

I've had one customer complain about the "smell" of the products. If I had the MSDS it would be easier to calm their mind.

Wouldn't exactly call Adam's products "professional" products, they are geared more towards consumers.

Professional products geared towards consumers

Could not do without it !! Used a backpack blower forever. Great on stright panels not so good in thight ares, trying to get the roof, or the tonneau cover on my truck,etc. Nothing beats the power, the heat , the filter, and the flexible hose to get anywhere you need to. It will dry an entire tire and rim in under a minute. One of the best things I have ever bought. 

 

I am sold.

Pleasant surprise at the dealership this morning when I brought my car to get an oil change and general servicing.  I had pre-printed one of those Adam's "Do not Wash" decals to hang from the mirror, thinking that telling the service manager wouldn't be enough.  He tells me, "One step ahead of you" as, to my surprise, he whips out a large "No Wash" red placard and places it on my dashboard.  Really was a nice touch...

Twist! The red place card was dirty and stained your dash.

looks good! 

wait, is there an issue with bottles sucking in? This happens to me all the time, even with small 16 oz bottles

Amazing turn around, I can't believe how filthy that clay was!

It was bad in some spots. I had to rework the clay often. The dirt, although messy, was still a lot easier to remove than tar.

I believe snap on sells a stool just like the one dorfmac posted. You might be able to find one local