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What's your detailing regimen?

10K views 34 replies 30 participants last post by  Spaste19 
#1 ·
My Jeep is just over a year old and even though it's been regularly washed and waxed, I feel like it doesn't look as good as it should, especially the hood. My Jeep is black which I'm sure if half the problem and I'm new to owning a new vehicle (this is actually my first) so I want to keep it looking as good as possible.

In the past I've never done more than hand wash and wax my cars. I've hand washed and waxed the Jeep too and I'm wondering if I should invest in a DA buffer. I've never used one before though so I'm wondering how easy it is to cause damage and if the buffer should only be used when the paint is older/needs more work.

I've checked out all the detailing forums but options vary wildly so I figured I'd ask my fellow Jeepers how you care for your rides. I know it's a Jeep and isn't meant to look perfect, but I still want to get it nice and shiny occasionally.
 
#2 ·
You've hit the problem on the head - everybody's got a different way to detail a vehicle, but all the methods boil down to these steps:

Clean

Polish (remove paint defects by leveling the paint to create shine a shine)

Protect (wax / sealant)

Ten years ago, I bought a new car and read all the detailing forums. Too many products, too many ways to use them and too many claims of huge visible differences in appearance.

I decided the best approach for me was to go with a known brand that offered a complete line of products. At least that way, I'd cut down a lot of questions about which products work well together.

I started out with Meguiar's - They make everything from detailing spray to orbital polishers, plus I attended a few of their Saturday training classes at the Meguiar's HQ in Irvine.

You need to wash your Jeep thoroughly using a car wash soap - no domestic house soaps like dish washing liquid.

Next, put your hand in a plastic bag and run it across the paint. If the bag doesn't slide smoothly and "grabs" the surface you need to get rid of imbedded contaminants in your paint (rail dust, brake dust, etc.) You can't was these off. You use a clay bar for this. Rub the clay bar over the paint after spraying the panel with detailing spray.

The next step is leveling the paint. You do not remove light scratches and swirls, YOU REMOVE OR LEVEL THE PAINT AROUND THE DEFECT using your hand (forget it, don't even think about it) or a machine polisher with a foam pad and polishing compound. The trick is to always use the least aggressive method to remove as little paint as possible. the amount of "cut" is a combination of machine speed (orbits per minute), choice of foam pad, and choice of polishing compound.

Leveling the paint is what produces shine by allowing light to bounce of the surface without being diffracted by swirls and scratches.

The last step is applying a wax/sealant. Although EVERY manufacturer uses different terminology (don't get me started on how Meguiar's uses the word 'polish'), wax usually contains natural carnauba and sealant is man made. Virtually all waxes are sealants and they're sometimes labeled wax because the average Walmart shopper understands the term.

Unlike most of the guys posting on detail forums, I absolutely HATE detailing, but I love the results so I was always looking for products that would let me detail less often. My go to sealant is Finish Kare 1000p High Temp Wax (it's really a 100% man made sealant originally developed for use as a mold release agent by Fred Meguair who started his own car car products company). This is not only only one of the best looking sealants, but it absolutely lasts longer than anything I've ever used in Mojave summer heat and through Rocky Mountain winters..... And that means I have to put it on less often.

I currently use a Meguiar's branded Porter Cable 7424 orbital polisher with Lake County Pads, Meguiar's Professional Mirror Glaze Mild Detailing Clay, Meguiar's Professional Mirror Glaze M80 compound and the aforementioned Finish Kare 1000p High Temp Wax. I have also used Meguiar's Professional Mirror Glaze M21 Synthetic Sealant 2.0 with very good results.

Do yourself a BIG favor and take the time to tape off plastic, rubber, emblems, etc. when using a compound and waxing. It may take a long time, but not nearly as long as removing compound and wax from where it isn't supposed to be.

Also, check out the Meguiar's Detailer Line for products such as window cleaner, all-purpose cleaners, vinyl and plastic protectant, quick interior detailer, car was soap, etc. Gallon sizes at great prices.

Don't be fooled by individual products. A new paint sealant comes out every day. Good looking paint is 98% prep and 2% product. I remember Mike Phillips at Meguiar's ( he's now the director of training at AutoGeek.net) using Meguiar's consumer products to compound and seal half a Corvette hood belonging to a Zaino devote. Guess what looked better?

I also DuraGloss AquaWax every time I was my cars. You mist it on the wet car as you dry and it adds a little bit of protection and shine so you don't wax as often. You can spray it on everything and it takes a few extra seconds.

There is no set period for compounding paint. as long as the surface is glass smooth, you don't have to clay. If you don't see swirls and imperfections, you don't have to compound.

Always wash you car in the shade. For me, that close to sunset (and it's cooler). I think guys who wash their cars or cut their lawns in the middle of a hot day have a screw loose.

P.S.: It's almost impossible to damage paint with a Porter Cable and foam pads. If you're really stupid and maybe if you dipped the pad in sand........

Don't ever buy another black vehicle!
 
#17 ·
You forgot to clean the interior with a leaf blower. You slob, you...
 
#4 ·
I know it's a Jeep and isn't meant to look perfect, but I still want to get it nice and shiny occasionally.
Screw that. I don't care if it is my Jeep or another car I have owned. I work hard and pay good money for what I have. I take pride in it and make no apologies about wanting to keep my Jeep looking as new as I can as long as I can. Do I baby it? Absolutely. My 2010 looks like it just rolled off the assembly line, accept for the after market stuff. Here is what I do.

In the spring summer and fall, I try to wash it once a week or so depending on if we are expecting rain a lot during the week. In the winter, I bring it to a touchless wash once or twice a month.

After the winter, after I wash it, I clay it to get the surface glass like smooth. Using a Porter 7424 orbital machine, I polish it to get the paint clean. Then, I put a layer of glaze on it and finally 2 coats of sealant. I prefer the protection of paint sealant over wax.

After I wash it, I use my leaf blower to get most of the water off of it and then spray a quick sealant and use a waffle drying towel to finish the drying.

Fenders, tires and black trim get 303 Protectant. Interior is vacuumed and 303 Protectant is also used on most interior components. I also use Bestop products on the soft top. I am a big fan of Blackfire Wet Diamond Sealant as well as Blackfire Polymer Detail Spray.

Anything worthwhile takes time and commitment. I get satisfaction out of having a clean Jeep. Makes me feel good and that is all I am concerned about. I see myself holding on to this vehicle for a long time, but figure if the day comes to part with it I will get a better price for it by doing what I do.
 
#5 ·
Holy crap Tony, do you really do all that to your Jeep?

It's kind of funny, a few years ago when I owned a couple of Benzes, I would rub them with a freaking diaper. I was a Zaino devotee because it made my black car look good.

Now that I own a red Jeep, I wash it once every 2-3 weeks, wipe down the black wheels so they look decent and leave it at that. Takes maybe 30 minutes.
 
#10 ·
Get yourself a Porter-Cable buffer and some pads. A pressure washer is also a good investment if you like to wash your own cars.
Steps
1. Pressure wash
2. Hand wash with soap and microfiber towels
3. air dry around mirrors and door jams
4. Dry with a microfiber towel or shammy cloth. Best way to do it is have a slightly damp towel and then just toss it across, to lay it flat across the surface almost as if you are laying out a beach towel then just drag the towel across the surface from the two corners you're holding. Pickups all the water and doesn't leave streaks.
5. About once a year I clay bar at this point
6. Machine polish with a fine finishing polish unless I need to pull a scratch out with something more abrasive.
7. Remove polish
8. Machine wax
9 Remove wax
9. Hand wax with a carnauba wax
10. remove wax
11. Clean and polish windows
12. clean/vacuum the interior
13. Clean the exterior plastics with black wow
14. Go over the exterior with detailing spray and microfiber cloth

I like Adam's line of products for cleaning, waxing and polish. For hand waxing I use P21S.

Adam's Premium Car Care - Cleaners, Waxes and Polishes Made in the USA
 
#12 ·
Mine is a 2013 all Black Rubicon.

I polish it with Mother's Brazilian Carnauba cleaner wax. This is the only one that I have found, that doesn't leave some smires and streaks, behind. It just gives you that deep high gloss wet look, and really works great on Black.

I use Back to Black on my fenders, and bumpers.

Aero-space 303 on my Black hardtop.

These products work really great, to help shield the hot Arizona sun..........:thumb:
 
#13 ·
Wow -- what great ideas! My Willys just came home - untouched by the dealer, at my request. My Sunday/Monday will be spent with my new fella.

But I did not get too much info on the interior - dash and door panels - Aero 303? I know lots of guys like that on the outside plastic as well.

Other ideas for the interior doors/dash? Thanks!
 
#16 ·
They are both Fiats but it's better than a Ferrari in the big picture. It can any place a F-car can with a few exceptions like under an 18-wheeler trailer and it runs on regular. Besides plaster mud on an existing coat of dry mud is like going through the car wash 2x in a row. :D

Water, light soap, non-polish wax, 303 and elbow grease are your friends; frequent them.
 
#18 ·
This weekend I will do the sealer/wax/ etc routine. Question: should I put paint sealer on my glossy black Willys grill, or just wax it?

Also - with many thanks to the jeeper who suggested the M40 for the interior - my inspection of the bottle at my store did not address plastics at all. Isn't the dash/door panel more of a plastic than a vinyl? Obviously you like what it does for you, but studying other McGuires interior products makes me think they are much like Armour All. I guess I don't have a problem with A.All on my dash etc. What's the down side of that stuff, anyway?
 
#23 ·
Armor All has something in it (silicone, maybe?) that will actually degrade your plastics if you're not a slave to applying it. My brother has a detail side business and he hates it.

Part of the doors are plastic, and part of them have a vinyl covering. I just use the 303 on the whole thing and don't worry about it.

Going to a jeep show tomorrow, so I'm getting ready to go detail my jeep now! :)
 
#21 ·
I had a Porter Cable 7424 and then went up to a Flex unit.. Take a look @ DetailersDomain if you want some of the best stuff you can buy all in one spot.

When I "detail" my paint I cut it with Menzerna Super Intensive Polish (more aggressive pad) and then polish it with PO85RD (less aggressive pad) and then lock it with Menzerna's Polymer Sealant (waxing pad).. Water can't stick to the paint if it tried, it's funny!

I only do a detail like that when needed.. Once ever couple of months if you throw some wax or sealant on the paint it should keep you looking good in between the real big details.

Also before you detail if you need to remove any grime or rough areas of the paint I use a 6" NanoSkin pad, which is a rubber pad that takes clay barring to another level in terms of efficiency and how great the results are. You would wash the vehicle real well and then clay/nano skin it before any of the steps with the compound/polishes.
 
#24 ·
Detailing. hehehehe. It's a Jeep, it gets washed when it rains. I keep the trash picked up, and every once in awhile the interior gets a wash when it rains.

Aerospace 303 is your best friend when it comes to plastic/rubber bits.
 
#27 ·
Thanks folks. I knew there was something about armor all. So how do I get it off if I gave my door panels a wipe before letting the dogs in the new jeep this morning??!!
 
#31 ·
One use on ur interior won't hurt it. I checked up after my post and found out Armor All has changed the formula to a water base as well...apparently government regulations brought the change. still would not use it since there is so many better options out there...stuff is garbage.
 
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