Odds and Ends

Clay bar it and throw a coat of sealant. Vac and wipe down the inside. Done.

I've never had a problem using the foam gun to get foam to go onto the car, but I have experienced your situation when washing a car with multiple layers of protection.  When I first start out, there is plenty of suds but as I go from panel to panel, by the time I'm done, I am practically washing with no suds at all.   There are plenty of suds in my bucket and in the wash pad but they seem to dissipate when I wipe the car.  This exact thing just happened last night on a customer car and happens on a couple of my cars too.
 
I don't have a scientific explanation for you but you're not crazy and everything is fine.  Suds are fun but more important is the lubrication and slickness of the shampoo.
 
- Darryl

No "issue", just very difficult to remove and no real added benefit. Go with LPS.

Yes, Suntek is self healing.  
 
I usually will polish with PFP on white but rarely PCP on orange.  It's counter productive to polish the clear film since it's actually "working against you" if that makes sense.  In other words, you're trying to put pressure on it to remove a defect and all the while, it just yields to the pressure and then reforms back to the way it was.  I have had success in polishing off light scuffs and marring but that's about it.  
 
I get a lot of older cars with banged up edges and I will sometimes offer to trim them for my customers, but that's obviously not something that the unskilled should attempt so as others have suggested, keep clay bars, towels and buffers away from edges.
 
As far as LSP's are concerned, I have put pretty much anything and everything on film with no ill effects but yes, you should always proceed with caution.  Liquids are fine (LPS, Buttery, HGG, Brilliant Glaze) but I don't use paste like Americana.
 
Hope that helps!
 
- Darryl

Yes, Suntek is self healing.  
 
I usually will polish with PFP on white but rarely PCP on orange.  It's counter productive to polish the clear film since it's actually "working against you" if that makes sense.  In other words, you're trying to put pressure on it to remove a defect and all the while, it just yields to the pressure and then reforms back to the way it was.  I have had success in polishing off light scuffs and marring but that's about it.  
 
I get a lot of older cars with banged up edges and I will sometimes offer to trim them for my customers, but that's obviously not something that the unskilled should attempt so as others have suggested, keep clay bars, towels and buffers away from edges.
 
As far as LSP's are concerned, I have put pretty much anything and everything on film with no ill effects but yes, you should always proceed with caution.  Liquids are fine (LPS, Buttery, HGG, Brilliant Glaze) but I don't use paste like Americana.
 
Hope that helps!
 
- Darryl

So, you say it's grease?  How 'bout a "degreaser"?   Sorry, I couldn't resist.....
 
Seriously, yes, the Carpet and Upholstery cleaner would be a lot safer and it does a nice job on grease.  I once took a bunch of greasy foot prints out of some white Lambo floor mats and saved the day!  If it doesn't work right away, I would try some diluted APC, followed by Carpet and Upholstery.  Brake cleaner has many useful purposes but I tend not to go there as my first choice on fabrics and carpets.  You never know how it's going to react with the dye.

I've loved this stuff from the very beginning and the only time I have an issue is on the rare occasion when I use it on a very hot dash board.  I've seen it streak a little but a quick mist and re-wipe takes care of it. 
 
With regard to using clean towels, that could very well be your problem.  I wash a towel after every application of anything no matter how small the project is or how much product gets used.  

I've loved this stuff from the very beginning and the only time I have an issue is on the rare occasion when I use it on a very hot dash board.  I've seen it streak a little but a quick mist and re-wipe takes care of it. 
 
With regard to using clean towels, that could very well be your problem.  I wash a towel after every application of anything no matter how small the project is or how much product gets used.  

One of my regular customers just bought a 1979 Fiat 124 Spyder from the original owner.  He bought it for his fiancee and then found out she didn't like the driving position, so he's cleaning it up to sell.  He brought it to me to ask what I thought could be done with the paint.  Being a tad crazy like I am and not afraid of a little challenge, I said "let's try it and see how good we can make it".  Worst case is that it's not salvageable and the car needs painted or I go down to primer in way too many places and at that point, it needs painted.  Anything better and I save him a trip to the paint booth.  He agreed to try.....
 
I prefer to work on old, single stage paint with a PC7424 and a 4" pad, wiping off polish after each pass.  It cuts slower and is easier to determine your progress.  Of course it takes longer, but a more aggressive approach would result in a trip directly to the paint shop.  
 
The owner was very pleased with the level of gloss and shine I was able to achieve and although there are quite a few scratches that still remain, it's a good "10 footer", maybe even a "5 footer" at this point.  All of the oxidation and haze are gone as are about a dozen of my 4" pads, both orange and white!  
 
 
 
Trunk Before w/ original badge
 

 
Trunk After w/ new badge installed
 

 
Front Fenders complete, Wiper cowl ready for final polish, hood untouched
 

 
 
 
 

One of my regular customers just bought a 1979 Fiat 124 Spyder from the original owner.  He bought it for his fiancee and then found out she didn't like the driving position, so he's cleaning it up to sell.  He brought it to me to ask what I thought could be done with the paint.  Being a tad crazy like I am and not afraid of a little challenge, I said "let's try it and see how good we can make it".  Worst case is that it's not salvageable and the car needs painted or I go down to primer in way too many places and at that point, it needs painted.  Anything better and I save him a trip to the paint booth.  He agreed to try.....
 
I prefer to work on old, single stage paint with a PC7424 and a 4" pad, wiping off polish after each pass.  It cuts slower and is easier to determine your progress.  Of course it takes longer, but a more aggressive approach would result in a trip directly to the paint shop.  
 
The owner was very pleased with the level of gloss and shine I was able to achieve and although there are quite a few scratches that still remain, it's a good "10 footer", maybe even a "5 footer" at this point.  All of the oxidation and haze are gone as are about a dozen of my 4" pads, both orange and white!  
 
 
 
Trunk Before w/ original badge
 

 
Trunk After w/ new badge installed
 

 
Front Fenders complete, Wiper cowl ready for final polish, hood untouched
 

 
 
 
 

One of my regular customers just bought a 1979 Fiat 124 Spyder from the original owner.  He bought it for his fiancee and then found out she didn't like the driving position, so he's cleaning it up to sell.  He brought it to me to ask what I thought could be done with the paint.  Being a tad crazy like I am and not afraid of a little challenge, I said "let's try it and see how good we can make it".  Worst case is that it's not salvageable and the car needs painted or I go down to primer in way too many places and at that point, it needs painted.  Anything better and I save him a trip to the paint booth.  He agreed to try.....
 
I prefer to work on old, single stage paint with a PC7424 and a 4" pad, wiping off polish after each pass.  It cuts slower and is easier to determine your progress.  Of course it takes longer, but a more aggressive approach would result in a trip directly to the paint shop.  
 
The owner was very pleased with the level of gloss and shine I was able to achieve and although there are quite a few scratches that still remain, it's a good "10 footer", maybe even a "5 footer" at this point.  All of the oxidation and haze are gone as are about a dozen of my 4" pads, both orange and white!  
 
 
 
Trunk Before w/ original badge
 

 
Trunk After w/ new badge installed
 

 
Front Fenders complete, Wiper cowl ready for final polish, hood untouched
 

 
 
 
 

+1 on putting down a good layer of sealer, maybe two layers.  Wax on top would be completely optional but I would maintain with HGG every 3rd wash or so.  That will ensure you are not losing any protection.  
 
On brand new vehicles, I will wash, clay, light polish, and seal.  The polishing isn't necessarily to remove swirls and paint defects, but rather to enhance gloss and ensure the surface is prepped to lay down the sealer.  
 
Keeping it well maintained is a lot easier than fixing the paint later.

Ditto, and top with guard & gloss. Same regimen as the rest of the paint on my car.

I'm not gentle on wheels at all. I seal them in the winter when I swap my winter setup in. I seal them again in the Spring when I pull them out. Then I wax them once for the summer. That's it.
 
Wash with shampoo, use Wheel cleaner as needed. Since I switched from the OEM pads to StopTech ceramics, my wheels look clean for weeks. Stark contrast to the OEM pads, which were FILTHY after 5 minutes of driving.

A little public service announcement - Clean your engine bays!  
 
For those of us that detail for a living, recommend it to your customers.  For those who are weekend warriors, let this be an example to us all.
 
Here's the story.  My mechanic buddy loves BMWs, me not so much, but we always look for broken cars to fix, especially ones with dead motors or bad transmissions that he can fix, I can clean, and they get resurrected and passed along to new owners. So, I respond to an ad for a 2002 BMW 530i....nice enough body, nice enough interior, ad claims that everything works but it may need a new motor.  We go to look in person and sure enough, can't turn the motor - it's seized up!  I buy the car.  I buy a used motor.  We are really curious what caused this.  Not changing the oil frequently enough is the most common cause but we find something very interesting.  Upon removal of the old engine, we find standing water in the intake.  How did it get there?  There were no signs of flood damage or a water line anywhere.  After putting the new engine in and getting everything connected, it all began to make sense.  The power brake booster got water in it and the vacuum lines sucked the water into the engine causing it to hydrolock.  When the old brake booster was pulled out, it was still about half full of water even after trying to get as much out as possible.  Here is a shot of the brake booster compartment.  The drain holes are full of leaves, dirt, and debris and the rain water just filled up and went into the brake booster.   
 
So, lack of regular cleaning and just plain old paying attention locked up a motor and effectively destroyed a car!  If your car is not garaged, clean out those leaves, twigs, and other debris.  Blow out cracks and crevices with an air compressor or leave blower.  Don't let a dirty engine bay destroy your car.
 

 
 
 

A little public service announcement - Clean your engine bays!  
 
For those of us that detail for a living, recommend it to your customers.  For those who are weekend warriors, let this be an example to us all.
 
Here's the story.  My mechanic buddy loves BMWs, me not so much, but we always look for broken cars to fix, especially ones with dead motors or bad transmissions that he can fix, I can clean, and they get resurrected and passed along to new owners. So, I respond to an ad for a 2002 BMW 530i....nice enough body, nice enough interior, ad claims that everything works but it may need a new motor.  We go to look in person and sure enough, can't turn the motor - it's seized up!  I buy the car.  I buy a used motor.  We are really curious what caused this.  Not changing the oil frequently enough is the most common cause but we find something very interesting.  Upon removal of the old engine, we find standing water in the intake.  How did it get there?  There were no signs of flood damage or a water line anywhere.  After putting the new engine in and getting everything connected, it all began to make sense.  The power brake booster got water in it and the vacuum lines sucked the water into the engine causing it to hydrolock.  When the old brake booster was pulled out, it was still about half full of water even after trying to get as much out as possible.  Here is a shot of the brake booster compartment.  The drain holes are full of leaves, dirt, and debris and the rain water just filled up and went into the brake booster.   
 
So, lack of regular cleaning and just plain old paying attention locked up a motor and effectively destroyed a car!  If your car is not garaged, clean out those leaves, twigs, and other debris.  Blow out cracks and crevices with an air compressor or leave blower.  Don't let a dirty engine bay destroy your car.
 

 
 
 

Darryl IMO it should be called Tire & Trim Cleaner since those are really the intended uses and would help clarify - Tire & Rubber IMO is a bit redundant because besides rubber hoses and such there aren't many other rubber surfaces on a vehicle to clean (rubber door seals?) -

I've seen all kinds of chemicals on paint, from brake fluid to household cleaners and am pretty familiar with what types of reactions they cause.  That is definitely something that dripped or splashed on the paint and sat there for sometime to cause that.  For something to create that much damage on cured paint, it would have to be a very serious substance.
 
First, based on those pics, I'm afraid you're looking at repainting the damaged panels.  Second, I would echo what others have already stated that G&G or Detail Spray wouldn't cause something like that and if it did, again, as other have suggested, the damage would be more widespread.  
 
It's pretty hot here in Northern Virginia today.  I think I'll go out and drip some G&G on the hood of my black Audi.  Yes, I'm silly enough to do this......
 
I hope you find out what caused it and in the meantime, I'm sure the folks at HQ are just as curious as I am to help you figure it out.  

I've seen all kinds of chemicals on paint, from brake fluid to household cleaners and am pretty familiar with what types of reactions they cause.  That is definitely something that dripped or splashed on the paint and sat there for sometime to cause that.  For something to create that much damage on cured paint, it would have to be a very serious substance.
 
First, based on those pics, I'm afraid you're looking at repainting the damaged panels.  Second, I would echo what others have already stated that G&G or Detail Spray wouldn't cause something like that and if it did, again, as other have suggested, the damage would be more widespread.  
 
It's pretty hot here in Northern Virginia today.  I think I'll go out and drip some G&G on the hood of my black Audi.  Yes, I'm silly enough to do this......
 
I hope you find out what caused it and in the meantime, I'm sure the folks at HQ are just as curious as I am to help you figure it out.  

I've seen all kinds of chemicals on paint, from brake fluid to household cleaners and am pretty familiar with what types of reactions they cause.  That is definitely something that dripped or splashed on the paint and sat there for sometime to cause that.  For something to create that much damage on cured paint, it would have to be a very serious substance.
 
First, based on those pics, I'm afraid you're looking at repainting the damaged panels.  Second, I would echo what others have already stated that G&G or Detail Spray wouldn't cause something like that and if it did, again, as other have suggested, the damage would be more widespread.  
 
It's pretty hot here in Northern Virginia today.  I think I'll go out and drip some G&G on the hood of my black Audi.  Yes, I'm silly enough to do this......
 
I hope you find out what caused it and in the meantime, I'm sure the folks at HQ are just as curious as I am to help you figure it out.  

I've seen all kinds of chemicals on paint, from brake fluid to household cleaners and am pretty familiar with what types of reactions they cause.  That is definitely something that dripped or splashed on the paint and sat there for sometime to cause that.  For something to create that much damage on cured paint, it would have to be a very serious substance.
 
First, based on those pics, I'm afraid you're looking at repainting the damaged panels.  Second, I would echo what others have already stated that G&G or Detail Spray wouldn't cause something like that and if it did, again, as other have suggested, the damage would be more widespread.  
 
It's pretty hot here in Northern Virginia today.  I think I'll go out and drip some G&G on the hood of my black Audi.  Yes, I'm silly enough to do this......
 
I hope you find out what caused it and in the meantime, I'm sure the folks at HQ are just as curious as I am to help you figure it out.  

....and will create dust.   I clean everything even if it's just one wipe or one spritz!  The only things I don't clean each and every time are block sponges and tire sponges, of which I have one dedicated for each respective product and purpose and when they get nasty, I toss them and start with a new one.

Tried the new Adams Titleist Golf Balls on a Challenger.  I did this after sealant, but prior to Americana.  I'm pretty happy with the results:
 

Theoretically, there should be no dirt/contaminants in the left over detail spray.  All of the crud should be in the clay, so yes, it's safe to just start polishing.  
 
On the other hand, and not that you asked, but the exact opposite is true for clay alternatives.  Those dislodge the dirt from the surface of the car but the leftover lube residue is dirty and I always wipe it prior to polishing.  Yes another reason why traditional clay could be considered "better" since it doesn't create an extra step.  

Theoretically, there should be no dirt/contaminants in the left over detail spray.  All of the crud should be in the clay, so yes, it's safe to just start polishing.  
 
On the other hand, and not that you asked, but the exact opposite is true for clay alternatives.  Those dislodge the dirt from the surface of the car but the leftover lube residue is dirty and I always wipe it prior to polishing.  Yes another reason why traditional clay could be considered "better" since it doesn't create an extra step.