mikhail117 wrote: Hey bud, your rebuttals are all valid. LSP's are very subjective topic and detailers all have their preference. I'm confused to the posts you quoted though because it says you're quoting yourself and then replying to that?
Anyway, glad you back bud, haven't seen you this side for a while

Hi Bud,

I noticed what had happened when i posted it but had to remove half of the Britannica from the reply. Hence the quotes being all messed up. I was refering to Lawrences post where he quoted me and his response.. No idea why he quoted me but glad to see im still remebered

I don't read this thread much, but popped in to see whats going on....

Hey guys,

What do you guys recommend for cleaning up the engine bay on a car? I'm looking for that clean shiny look.

Any specific products?

Thanks,

There are 2 ways you can approach this.

The quickest and easiest, but most risky, is to introduce water preferably through a HP washer [sprayed from a bit of a distance away to mist water into the bay, not drive it into everywhere], and the second is obviously to not introduce water.

If you do decide to, ensure you cover up any sensitive electronics / alternator / intake etc first with cling wrap/mf towels/packets/tape. Then spray some of your favorite All Purpose Cleaner (APC), let it sit a bit, agitate it with brushes and use the HP washer to carefully rinse.

If you go 'no water' then still spray your APC on and then use mf towels/brushes etc to agitate the dirt and wipe it away.

In terms of which APC to use, you will get varied opinions from various detailers and it really does come down to personal preference. Make sure to use a 'detailing targeted' APC and not something like Clean Green (which will stain any exposed aluminium in the bay, and is generally just too strong for detailing cars]. Personally I have found Carchem and Cyclo to offer good bang for buck, but any APC sold by any of the forum sponsors will do.

Then you would want to dress all the plastics in the bay - again, product choices varied.... some options include:

Carpro Perl (water based, spray application)
Gyeon Trim (coating, more durable but more costly, wipe on)
Mothers Back to Black (wipe on, haven't used it so can't comment further)
Turtle Wax PF Exterior (haven't used it so can't comment further)
Autofinesse Dressel (water based, spray on, walk away)
Aerospace 303 (water based, wipe on, buff off)
Valet Pro Black to the Future (gel, haven't used it so can't comment further)

In terms of ease of use, I'd give it to the 'spray' products above - Aersospace, Dressel or Perl, with my personal favorite being Dressel...

Then if you want to clean/polish/protect the painted areas, a decent AIO (all-in-one) like Autofinesse Tripple, Autoglym SRP, Meguiars Cleaner Wax, Menzerna 3-in-1 all make great choices - work them in with a MF applicator pad, let them dry to a haze and buff off with a clean MF towel

Thank you for the advise Lawrence. I will definitely try this out!

Much appreciated! [THUMBS UP SIGN]

Hi Guys,

Been a long time on this thread

Need some info on Paint.

Buddy of mines sent his car for spray job about 6 months ago and the thing i need to find out now is when using hand polish on his car paint is being transferred onto the cloth when using the polish.

things in need to find out : he does not drive this car often so it does not see the sun often (he maybe drives is once every 2 to 3 months) as this is his collector 325is Evo2

1. why will paint still penetrate that cloth even after 6 months
2. by him not driving it around and not being in the sun from time to time to help the paint bake (is there such a thing), this im just assuming
3. he says it was sprayed with 2k paint? all new paints are 2k Correct? with just added clear into it now
4. what would be your suggestion for the paint?

Thanks

There are really only 2 possibilities.

1. They painted the car with single stage paint. i.e. there is NO clear coat, just the base color....
2. They painted it with a base coat / clear coat system, laid the paint down too thin and/or over-sanded/polished it, the result of which is that the clear coat has now been 'struck through' or failed, and you are therefore not polishing on the clear paint but instead down into the base coat.

If its option 1, then you will ALWAYS get color transfer when polishing.... the issue with this type of paint is that it will oxidise (fade, go chaulky etc) and its therefore important to a) keep it protected and b) when polishing, use Meguiars #7 - see this thread for more details. http://www.vwclub.co.za/forum/viewtopic ... 0&t=176094

If its option 2, then you will have to get the panel repainted.

lawrence wrote:There are really only 2 possibilities.

1. They painted the car with single stage paint. i.e. there is NO clear coat, just the base color....
2. They painted it with a base coat / clear coat system, laid the paint down too thin and/or over-sanded/polished it, the result of which is that the clear coat has now been 'struck through' or failed, and you are therefore not polishing on the clear paint but instead down into the base coat.

If its option 1, then you will ALWAYS get color transfer when polishing.... the issue with this type of paint is that it will oxidise (fade, go chaulky etc) and its therefore important to a) keep it protected and b) when polishing, use Meguiars #7 - see this thread for more details. http://www.vwclub.co.za/forum/viewtopic ... 0&t=176094

If its option 2, then you will have to get the panel repainted.

Thanks Lawrence......

Read this thread a long time ago..... will have to read it again

Will also ask my buddy to speak to the guy that painted his car to get more information.

Rsi huntered wrote:Hi Guys,

Been a long time on this thread

Need some info on Paint.

Buddy of mines sent his car for spray job about 6 months ago and the thing i need to find out now is when using hand polish on his car paint is being transferred onto the cloth when using the polish.

things in need to find out : he does not drive this car often so it does not see the sun often (he maybe drives is once every 2 to 3 months) as this is his collector 325is Evo2

1. why will paint still penetrate that cloth even after 6 months
2. by him not driving it around and not being in the sun from time to time to help the paint bake (is there such a thing), this im just assuming
3. he says it was sprayed with 2k paint? all new paints are 2k Correct? with just added clear into it now
4. what would be your suggestion for the paint?

Thanks

What Lawrence said.

Also, 2k paint is a single stage paint that requires no clear coat (Older cars have this on, as this is how they left the factory) and possibly what they used to carry out the repair. If I get a car in for panel repairs/resprays, and it has 2k paint as standard, I will use the same.

Newer cars are painted 2 stage, base coat base & clear coat. Clear coat is a transparent 2k paint.

If you have transfer, it is a 2k single stage paint, and he can visually see the thin layer of paint being removed as he is polishing. Whereas with a base/clearcoat, it is not visible to the naked eye.

He should be very careful with his product & technique, as he could ultimately remove all the paint. Try avoid polishing, and rather seal & wax the paint to keep the shine

Hi Guys,

Something been on my mind

So when a car has been resprayed it needs to cure for about 60 days plus.

Now what do you do to protect your car during this period as if you use a sealant or wax this will cover up the paws and restricting the paint gases(i think it is) from dispersing.

Rsi huntered wrote:Hi Guys,

Something been on my mind

So when a car has been resprayed it needs to cure for about 60 days plus.

Now what do you do to protect your car during this period as if you use a sealant or wax this will cover up the paws and restricting the paint gases(i think it is) from dispersing.

Hi bud

Read this which will explain the principles behind the general guideline of not 'sealing' fresh paint....

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/hot ... -days.html

Hi guys

Just a quick one, what brushes do you guys recommend to clean mesh style wheels, keep in mind the gaps are very small and its a 16inch wheel

IMO a set of wheel woolies is always a worthwhile investment, but I am not sure if the very small one will fit through the small gaps in those rims.

You may want to look at a Daytona Jnr if Crazy Detailer have stock

Thanks LA, I didn't see wheel woollies on the CD site who else stocks them, its a mission to clean mesh type wheels

Kiran I would say you would need two brushes for cleaning those type of wheels. One to geting into the spokes and another to clean the lip and the face.

So this brush would do the spokes:

Spoke & grill brush - R134


And then this for the face and the lip:

Wheel brush - R145

Wheel brush - R145
[/quote]

Bought this from the shop on Saturday... It is awesome

but then again I do not like the harder bristle brushes.

@Kiran

Wheel Woolies can be purchased from Vish at Pristine Detailing, but as mentioned the small woolie may not fit in the small gap on your rims.

The spoke brush Pravin suggested looks like a winner, but haven't tried one yet myself.

Thanks for all the feedback guys I will pop in one of the weekends and check Pravin out for the brushes.

ok so this is becoming annoying

i bought the Turtle wax exterior plastic product some time back and i always notice that when i use it.... this product is like a dust magnet.

how i use it :
1. clean with the rubber with a cloth
2. apply the product
3. leave for quite a while
4. remove with a clean cloth the outstanding product ( to apparently avoid dust collection )

What am i doing wrong here

Rsi huntered wrote:ok so this is becoming annoying

i bought the Turtle wax exterior plastic product some time back and i always notice that when i use it.... this product is like a dust magnet.

how i use it :
1. clean with the rubber with a cloth
2. apply the product
3. leave for quite a while
4. remove with a clean cloth the outstanding product ( to apparently avoid dust collection )

What am i doing wrong here

Is it a silicone based product?
I am almost certain it will be.

Invest in a waterbased dressing.
If you're sceptical to try (Or even invest a bit of money) try out the DNA range from Crazy detailer.
Alternatively, go the safe route & get something water based from a well known brand such as Auto finesse or Carchem.

I use Carchem & DNA, and both are brilliant.

I definitely agree with the comments made regarding solvent based vs water based dressings

Just some additional food for thought in respect of dust attraction and static electricity....the article is written in respect of paint, but perhaps it bears some relevance for the trim too?

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/hot ... paint.html

Thanks Guys....

This was a suggestion/recomendation price wasn't the factor

i see Auto finess is like the one on the products sueegsted all the time for dressing..... any suggestion from Cazy detailer? (Convenient as its up my working place )

suggestion for Door rubbers and exterior plastic? or can i use the dressing for both?

Thanks Lawrence..... remember reading that post above

Carchem tire and trim gel is a good, cost effective water based dressing from CD - you can use it on exterior plastics, window/door rubbers and tires.

lawrence wrote:Carchem tire and trim gel is a good, cost effective water based dressing from CD - you can use it on exterior plastics, window/door rubbers and tires.

perfect

and that was my first option until i got a recommendation for this turtle wax exterior one

Saiendra wrote:Wheel brush - R145

Bought this from the shop on Saturday... It is awesome

but then again I do not like the harder bristle brushes.[/quote]
Just got mine today. The POS Shield brush I had died on me last weekend.

Rsi huntered wrote:

lawrence wrote:Carchem tire and trim gel is a good, cost effective water based dressing from CD - you can use it on exterior plastics, window/door rubbers and tires.

perfect

and that was my first option until i got a recommendation for this turtle wax exterior one

i was going to get this ? Option 1
http://www.crazydetailer.co.za/index.ph ... ts_id=1065

you suggested this... Option 2
http://www.crazydetailer.co.za/index.ph ... ts_id=1061

Are both water based?
Will this effect the paint (if sprayed say on door rubber and drips on paint or even engine bay?)