mc2hill

Seconding @Rich suggestion of using RaggTopp, as they make quality products.  Adam has even endorsed them on the Forum somewhere.

I trashed the backing plate on my MkII 15 after heating up a microfiber pad.  I was able to use it for a while until I finally got a new backing plate.  Another reason to switch to wool pads - they run much cooler, and correct better.

I upgrade some sprayers to Tolco heads - primarily for harsher chemicals.  I use the Tolco Acid-Resistant sprayer (gold colored) for Wheel Cleaner, and Tolco Chemical Resistant sprayers (gray colored) for Tire & Rubber Cleaner, APC's, etc.  I also put a Tolco model 320 on my H2O G&G to get a nice mist when applying that, and a Tolco model 3622 foaming sprayer on my wheel cleaner (an premixed Sio2 car wash in a spray bottle).

On 1/21/2024 at 5:40 PM, Captain Slow said:

Looking forward to warmer weather. This is the SS after I got home from the office Friday night.

 

We’ve had a blizzard and two additional snow events since January 12. Here’s a pic from the ride into the office in the blizzard. This is in town. Visibility in the country on the way in was greatly reduced compared to this view.

I was all by my lonesome in the office that day.

 

The following Sunday morning was -14*F (-26*C). If I wasn’t ushering 8 AM service I’d have stayed home. Attendance was half of the usual attendance.

 

I’m not worried about our vehicles as they’ve both sporting Advanced Graphene Spray Coating topped with Ceramic Boost under all that salt. 

BTW: winter tires are fantastic! No matter what I drive next I will have winter tires for it.

My wife and I choose that weekend to visit my son & daughter-in-law in Chicago!  It was lots of firsts for this Florida boy - first time in snow/ice/slush, first time in sub-zero temps, and first time wearing long underwear all day!  We looked at it as an adventure, and thankfully the brave Uber drivers were always available - my son's car locks froze on the Saturday, so we used them alot (but the plus was we always got into a warm car!).   

Hats off to anyone that can live in that weather, but it ain't for me.

Try the Adams or Rupes Wool pads.  The Wool pads cut better than Microfiber, run cool, and finish like foam pads.  Grab some updated polishes and you should be ready to tackle that boat.  Probably 2 Coarse pads & 2 Medium pads, and 1 each of Compound & Polish. 

On 1/5/2024 at 3:16 PM, 1st Gen said:

 

 

I am curious to understand what is required to prepare the clear-coat for protection with the graphene-enhanced ceramic product, once the new paint has reached a point in time when it is fully cured, both at a chemical and evaporative state?  That is, do I need to remove a 'Brilliant Glaze' coating before applying the graphene/ceramic coating? 

 

If so, what do you suggest for both product and process that I use to  prepare the finish for the graphene/ceramic protective coating?

Any coating prep solution will remove the Brilliant Glaze, it does not last long - it is mostly for the extra shine.

Hey @1st Gen, a little late on the reply, but first off congrats on restoring your Camaro!  Great advice from Rich on the storage tweaks (I have passed along this to many folks over the years), and I will chime in on the cleaning and shining.  

You could easily use Adams Waterless Wash or Hoseless Wash (aka rinseless wash) to clean the car for a few months (or always - I never put a hose on car built before the 2000's - too many places for water to hide).  Neither require a pressure washer or even a hose!  And if you are going to a show before you can put protection on give Brilliant Glaze a try - it will provide some 'pop' without any protection.  I always add this to older cars (from muscle cars to pre-war brass-era machines) when detailing for clients.

And if this will be garage kept and mostly used for show & fun cruising, I would suggest protecting it with Adam's American Wax, which will hold up fine to 6 months or more.   And put the Brilliant Glazed either under or over the Americana (or both!).    

On 9/30/2023 at 3:22 PM, coolbreeze12 said:

 

I just ordered the Revive Hand Polish.  Question:  Do you think this will permanently get rid of the residue, or will I have to reapply consistently?

Once the residue is gone you should be OK.  And what Ray said on the previous post too.^

I think you will need to 'break thru' the gunk on the surface with something stronger than a cleaner.   What polishes do you have on hand? 

Most any polish applied by hand should be mild enough that you don't damage the wheel coating, but can remove the Cleaner residue.  If you want something from Adams try the Revive Hand Polish .  It is a chemical polish vs. an abrasive polish, and I have used to remove all kinds things - marks from clay mitts & pads, parking lots 'rubs' etc.   If that does not work or takes more then 2 applications to remove, then move up to a mild abrasive polish like Adam's Polish or One Step Polish, or Rupes DA Fine Compound (my favorite polish, especially with a yellow wool pad).  You may even need a small polisher to do this work, but definitely try chemical and abrasive polishes by hand first.

If you are looking for something you can get locally I would start with Meguiar's Cleaner Wax, then move up to one of their Ultimate polishes by hand.

I am with Ray with wax plus.  I put down Brilliant Glaze, then top with Americana before a show.

@1stFST I use H2O G&G as part of my Hoseless/rinseless wash - I wash the panel, then spray G&G over the panel (I switched to a Tolco spray head, as it disburses better).  Then I wipe the G&G with a damp MF towel to spread it out evenly, and finally wipe with a drying towel.  I have dedicated towels for the damp wipe part, as it can be difficult to remove from the towel.

I know is has been a while since you asked this question, but one way to remove them is with a thick hand sanitizer.  It is the alcohol that helps remove the sap, and the gel helps it stay in place.  Rub the hand sanitizer on the sap, then let it for a few minutes, and try removing with you finger nail.  

It they are very old you may have remove them carefully with a plastic razor blade.

I organize by use and use Sterilite storage bins (18 qt I think) for my 'good' towels, divided by use - drying towels, rinseless wash towels, and polish/wax towels.  The other 'work' towels are in tall plastic 3 drawer container - interior towels, 'work' MF towels, and terry towels.

I love that car Dan, the color combo is great! 

I always use Americana on garage queens/show cars, but I apply Brilliant Glaze first, then top that with the wax.

For protection (and assuming this be garage kept) Adam's Americana or Patriot paste waxes will work fine.  For 'show cars' like yours I apply Brilliant Glaze, then top that with Americana wax.  This combination adds some shine and protection.

What a beauty!

Try some Meguiar's #7 Show Car glaze first to add back some oils to the paint.  And do a search for 'secret to restoring antique paint mike phillips' and you will find a very informative (but lengthy) article on working with antique single stage paint. 

I have been fortunate to work on several pre-war/brass cars (1914 Renault, 1918 White truck, 1925 Rolls, and few more) and you feel more like a caretaker than a cleaner.  The best advice is to 'use the least aggressive method possible'.  I only wash these cars with Rinseless Wash, no hoses at all, and even rinse the wheels & tires with a pump-up sprayer.  I would be very careful machine polishing something like this, but the article mentioned above will discuss that.

Nice work Ray!

Down here a corrected headlight with a sealant applied will start to cloud in about 6 months (probably similar to what you get in SC).  If you wetsand them (to remove the remaining factory protection) and apply a coating you can go a year or more before they start clouding again.

FYI - applying a coating without sanding does not add anything, as the coating will not bond to the headlight sufficiently.  I checked this out with several vendors at Mobile Tech Expo (a detailing trade shoe) a few years ago.

The fluffier towels will hold any dirt particles grabbed by the polymers in the Rinseless Wash solution better than the 'flat weave' Waterless Wash towels.  The WW towels are fine for drying after a RW. 

I would recommend trying the Microfiber Wash Mitt as part of a RW.  I have been using this type of mitt for 4 years (I used the dreadhead chenile mitts before), and it works great.  My process is to wash the panel with the mitt, wipe with a damp, fluffy towel (something like a Borderless Grey), spritz with Detail Spray, and dry with a 16x16 version of the Jumbo Plush drying towel. 

Home Depot has the Gorilla Ladders 20 inch Work Platform for $34.88 (regular price $74.88) as part of their Black Friday Savings.  The load capacity is 300 lb., and it folds to 3.25 in. for easy storage.

I had the Werner work platform, but now have 2 Gorilla platforms, and the Werner is in my mother-in-laws garage for use there. 

@BuzzsawGood advice above!

I will add this for your car cover part (from @Rich) - place some microfiber sheets on the clean car first (he had someone sew them together) to protect from any movement of the car cover.

I am surprised any home cleaning product affected that windshield so severely, I use those type products often.  I would recommend polishing with the aggressive pad/polish combinations you have on hand to see if it helps.   

As Guz said, actually removing scratches (usually from wipers) is a grueling process.

A little of 'detail something different' today.  My wife's niece has 'brittle bone' disease, and and was not supposed to live past about 2 years old - well she is now 32 and is getting married on Halloween! 

I have detailed her mobility van several times, but she wanted her motorized wheelchair detailed for the big day.

I was not sure how to tackle this or what I would need, so I packed the small polishers, Interior stuff, pump bottles of Rinseless and Waterless Wash, APC in several strengths, lots of brushes, and of course Detail Spray.

It ended up that is was like cleaning an engine bay - lots of grimy/greasy bits, some plastic and chrome, plus a little bit of an interior cleanup thrown in.

I took off the seat cushions (they were Alcantara) and cleaned them with Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner using the soft bristle Cockpit Brush.

Next I sprayed down the chair with Rinseless Wash to loosen up the grimey stuff, then worked a section at a time with Waterless Wash & a work MF towel.  I went thru several towels before applying Interior Detailer to the plastic fender, and Detail Spray to the plastics.

Finally I scrubbed the tires with Tire & Rubber Cleaner and a small scrub brush, and applied VRT to finish.

Lots of nooks and crannies on this, and I wished I had brought all my Wheel Woolies to get to some of the hard to reach spots.  But my most used tool was a Popsicle stick wrapped around a MF cloth!  

Before:

Before and Afters

And the full After shot:

Welcome Joey!

Welcome Jeremy!