New to detailing

Mask off any vinyl when polishing but waxing over it is OK. Mask off the black plastic arches and rocker panels too. You don't want wax on that. Black Wow is all that should land on that trim. Visit Richard's website and sit thru some of his videos.

I pull the wheels and clean them and the undercarriage as well. I don't know if Richard has a rubber cleaner and tire dressing or not. I use a non glossy tire dressing. I don't like the 'wet' shiny look. And stay away from that armorall dust magnet stuff that gets all over things it's not supposed to.

 

Hello there! Comments below from a fellow OCD detailer.

Here is what I plan on ordering;
1. Wash - Mystique.
Any premium branded car wash is good. It will be worth doing a first wash with Dawn to strip any cheap wax the dealer may have used off the paint. That way, you are starting fresh. From this point forward use car wash soap. I've always used Meguiar's Gold Class since it's available everywhere but you can't go wrong with any higher end brands like Prima and Zaino.

2. Detailing clay and prima glide
Not a bad choice. I've also used Zaino and Mother's clay. Zaino seemed to be the hardest. The most important part of claying is to make sure you're using a mix of soapy water in a spray bottle to lubricate the surface you're claying. You can use quick detailer as a lube, but I think this is a waste when soapy water does the job for cheap.

3. Polish - Prima Swirl if needed (not sure if I need to do this on a new car)
You do not need to do this step for a new car. Prima swirl is a polish to remove bad swirl marks and the effectiveness is greatly influenced on what pad you use on your random orbital polisher. I would never want to polish a car by hand. What a pain! Your car has brand new paint so it's likely pristine as it is with no swirls.

4. Wax - Banana Gloss or Epic
Prima makes great stuff. I've used Zaino and Mequiar's in the past. Hard to go wrong with any top end brand. Debating which is better is kind of like arguing if Jennifer Lopez is hotter than Sofia Vergara I like the synthetic liquids because they are typically friendly to plastic surfaces if you happen to get a little sloppy. I did a touch up coat of Zaino Z2 Pro this Spring and didn't even bother masking the trim. It just wipes right off plastic! Getting paste wax off textured plastic is a nightmare. Two or three coats and you're golden.

5. Sealer ?
I think you can skip this. I've tried sealer like Zaino CS and haven't really noticed any additional "bling" or durability increases. Keep it simple.

6. Wheels - Wheel armour
Don't have much to say about this. I've always just used regular car wax on my wheels. I never really got uptight about this since I have to wash my wheels every time I wash my car. You will have to do it too if you are OCD about brake dust sitting on your wheels.

7. Prima Clarity (interior)
Order 303 aerospace protectant. It's very easy to apply and is loved by many auto enthusiasts for its durability and protection. It's very hard to find in stores. What i also like about it is that it's a clear liquid. Sometimes I remove my black plastic grilles from the front and rear of the car, spray them down with 303, blast them dry with compressed air, and the result is impressive! On top of that, it doesn't take that long to do. You just can't do that with a silicone or opaque colored solution.

8. Black WOW (trim)
Stay away from black WOW like the plague! You either love it or hate it with this one. Yea, it makes stuff rich and black, but the amount of time it takes to apply while making sure to not touch your paint is a huge inconvenience. If you get it on your paint it's very hard to remove since it's a greasy silicone solution. I've used tiny pea sized amounts and followed instructions to the letter, but I just can't stand this crap.

303 aerospace cleaner can be used on exterior vinyl. I can do all my vinyl on my car in about 3 minutes with this stuff. If you get any excess on your paint, it wipes away very easily. Black Wow, may stand up to washes better, but when you need to reapply you'll be annoyed by it and try and give it to your neighbor.

7. Hydro wash (post washes)
Any quick detailer works well for a post dry final touch. The spray waxes like those from Einzett and the Prima Hydro don't make that big of a difference. The secret to bling is clean, smooth paint, then a properly cured layer of wax. The only kind I have never liked was Mothers. The solution doesn't evaporate as easily like higher end brands like Meguiars, Prima, and Zaino.

Oh and Micro Fiber towels and applicator pads.

Buy those microfibers in bulk from Amazon. The price they charge for microfiber at places like Auto Zone is terrible. $6 for three rags?!?!!

Be sure to order three waffle-weave microfibers for drying. The first two towels can easily dry the car, and the last one should be designated for plastic.


You will find that the MINI community has some of THE MOST OCD detailers in the car community. Feel free to ask questions!

 

When you say soapy water and water will do the trick, does any ol' soap work for this? I.e. hand soap from the bathroom?

 

You'd be better off using a shampoo specifically for automobile finishes for a lubricant but you don't need it very strong, just enough so the clay doesn't stick to the clear coat. Also makes it easier to get it off you hands. Hand soap or other household soaps, especially Dawn Detergent, can or will remove wax which you don't want to do after having applied it so carefully just prior.

 

Wheel Wax has worked well for me in the past..

 

Agree. I wouldn't mess with the Wheel Armour. I used it on my GP wheels, nothing amazing. I am pretty sure that has to do with the fact that they are painted. I too am OCD and wash my wheels with the rest of the car, so there was no real need for it. I went back to plain old car wax.

 

So watering down the stuff I already have left (about half a bottle) would be fine? I think I went to town a little too much with the spray on my first clay attempt and now I don't have much left for the rest of the car....

 

Don't use household soaps. Buy a quality car wash concentrate that you can mix into a bucket of warm water. Get some Grit Guards for the bottoms of your buckets. They keep the sediment at the bottom of your buckets, so your wash mitts/sponges stay cleaner.

I doubt you need to polish a 2013 GP...a thorough washing and claying should have it ready to seal, then you're ready for wax. Detail spray to keep it shiney after you have your wax coats on it. Get some quality wax applicators of the right foam density for applying wax. I really like the CCS Euro Foam Hand Applicators for big areas, and I also use a pair of Supernatural Finger Mitts for tight spots.

Wheels and tires: I'm using Detailers Pro Wheel Cleaner which is water based, doesn't stain trim with overspray, and works pretty darn good in my opinion. Spray the entire wheel and tire. Let it soak in a minute or two, start brushing, rinse well, dry and admire! After I wash the rims I've been use Detailers Pro Wheel Glaze, which seems to help keeping the rims less dusty.

I was just reading online that Supernatural Wheel Cleaner from Dodo Juice received high praise from a German BMW club, so BMW gave it the thumbs up!

Check out Autogeek Detailing Forums for some really great detailing videos, articles, product reviews, and interesting topics. You can read at the forums about polishing to see if you think you need to do that. Basically you're looking for tiny circular scratches in your paint, and they make a light specifically for seeing these scratches, but a bright light will do usually. If you see these scratches, you should polish it with a power buffer. Autogeekonline Auto Detailing Forum

I've become addicted to Dodo Juice waxes...they're color charged...or color specific. Fun to use, smell awesome, and gives you that deep wet look when you're all buffed up. Also going to try some of Bouncer's waxes that are known to pull up metallic flakes.

Wax on...Wax off...

 

Wow... I haven't participated on a detailing thread for a few years other than the occasional question.

Years ago, back when NAM was a fun site to hang out on, I wrote down my multi-page process over a week of lunch breaks. In the grand scheme of things, products will come and go from your garage, but your processes will make or break your detailing success.

I hate to post a link over to NAM as they won't allow anyone to return the favor... And Nathan pointed out that I didn't have to. I've converted the process to a PDF file for you and hosted it right here at MA!

PS: I like Black WOW as exterior plastic/rubber REPAIR (to bring neglected bits back to their original color), but not as a weekly dressing. I LOVE the rubber dressing sold by Zaino. It's quick, light and cleans off of paint easily.

 

Swirl is actually a light cut and polish in one.
Prima makes a polish called Finish.
You shouldn't be using Clarity for the interior.... It is a glass cleaner. Use Nero if you are sticking with Prima products.
As for a sealer, Prima has Epic. Just be careful- it does stain your trim.
And if you don't like Black Wow, I'd try Infinity. Goes on easy and is less greasy.

 

If you don't want wax on the trim it is easy. First treat the trim then wax. I like Black Wow & Nero for trim. Once treated any wax can easily be wiped off the trim.

Also I love Hydro. After the wahs when your car is still wet spritz it with Hydro & dry it off. It really does make the paint pop. I use it at every wash.

Since your GP has so much vinyl on it, stripes & such. You may want to make sure what ever wax you use is compatible with that vinyl.