tomsch63

Great flow chart. I'm waiting for my polisher to arrive before I dig into the ceramic coating. I have a black car that lives in the garage so it's not too bad. I like the polishing step before a fine clay bar. Still not sure if I want to start with a compound and then a polish or just jump to the polish since the paint is in good shape. Any suggestions? 

I only use strip wash when I'm going to completely take off the coating which is just the first step of wash, clay, decontaminate, polish, prep spray, wash, and then the new coating. For me it's been ceramic spray but that has been my process so far. Both of my SUVs stay in the garage most of the time in Nor Cal so the environment is not harsh. 

Nice and thanks for the tip!! I'm still using CS3 on a regular basis but with a ceramic spray coating I've been thinking about a ceramic boost before the winter. 

I agree that a little does go a long way. Very good tip. 

I was excited about CS3 so ended up buying quite a bit which means I'll use it up until I move on. CS3 can tend to streak also in the sun but I usually just touch it up in the garage or worst case hit the funky spots with a waterless wash light spray and all is good. 

I use plush towels as I have a ton of them. I've found that CS3 does better in the shade especially with the plush towels. 

I've been using Americana wax on my wife's white MB GLK350 that gives it a nice glow but now I'm thinking of moving to something else. On the bubble between PS and HGG or moving to a ceramic spray. Given that it is not driven very often it is really a science project for what protection goes on. 

I also wash wheels first with a different bucket and mitt. I do spray them down with the rest of the car using my Adam's foam cannon although the spray nozzle is broke so the last was with just rinse and wash. From there I move on to a two bucket method with a different mitt. 

Welcome and that's a great car!

Every time I wash my cars I do a waterless wash or CS3 on the engine bay including everything I can reach including shock towers, around the battery, all hoses, and basically everything I can reach. Doing that only takes about 15mins and keeps the engine bay looking great so there is really no "detailing" needed as it is always clean. The biggest thing for me is how often I take off all the wheels and do a complete detail. That always feels like too much work so it maybe happens once a year at the most. I do have a power washer and foam cannon so they are generally clean but not completely detailed. 

Looks beautiful!! I'm also obsessed with the door jams as well as detailing my engine bay every time I wash my SUV. 

I use the clay mitt for areas that I'll polish afterwards and things like glass and removing bugs. It does seem to be pretty aggressive on black paint so you really need to get a light and look closely for any light scratching. BTW I also agree with the above recommendation of using good lighting. I use a Fenix flashlight and look very closely at all the panels to decide what needs polishing and at what level. 

Looks great! Makes me miss my 2007 Tacoma. 

Those are two epic cars!!

Looks great!

I also use it on my black SUV to clean the paint and remove fine imperfections prior to wax or sealant. Of course I do start with a strip wash, clay bar, decon, and then on to the polish. 

For my engine bay I hit it with waterless wash every time I wash my SUV. I even get in there with q-tips in the slots on the air filter box and intake tubes. I don't dress but it does keep it clean enough so each washing is really just a touch-up. 

Hope she heals fast! BTW props for the Packer and Badgers face mask!! My wife is from WI so we are on your side!  Oh and the "J"Agaur" looks great! 

Welcome! Epic truck and Adam's collection!

Welcome! I too used to not enjoy washing my car/truck until I started doing the detailing. Now I'm somewhat obsessed and wash it every other weekend. In between I touch it up with Waterless Wash or CS3. Since it stays in the garage and I work from home it really does not see to much exposure to elements but I still always want it looking sharp. My wife has a white SUV that only sees about 1k miles a year so it typically just needs a waterless wash touch-up.

Great tip RayS! I've moved my black SUV over to ceramic so I have PS and a gallon of HGG. That's going to be used for my wife's MB GLK350 in the next month. She does not drive it much and it spends most of the time in the garage. This combo will last a long time. 

Looks great! Yet another example of why do always do a two bucket wash and stay away from the scratch tubes  

Damn! What was your prep process? 

This is a great discussion. I'm stripping/claying my SUV this weekend. It spends most of the time in the garage and is not exposed to much in the way of harsh environments so I plan to use a fine claybar. I do have a mitt also so I'll probably use that at a later date for my wife's car. 

Thanks for the clarification Dan! I've been thinking the same thing but wanted to check. BTW I'm loving CS3!