It was a pleasure talking to you and thanks for taking the time to join our forum. I hope you'll find it informative and entertaining at the same time.

As for the dust on rear bumper, that where the air flow accumulates and unfortunately most of the road debris ends up back there. You notice it more with lighter colored cars. Short of washing, I'm not sure anything else can be done. Having a good coat of wax always helps reduce surface tension and hopefully Menzerna Power Lock will help you out.

 

Hi Moe, thanks for being the great resource that you are.

I have been using a product to remove rubber marks from my 3M clear bra after track days. Now I notice it has turned the surface kind of milky looking. I always removed the product with detailing spray so it shouldn't be residue. What can I do to restore the surface? I have a pc random orbit machine and good quality pads to do the work. What do you recommend? Thanks.

 

Moe,

Great posts. If I had unlimited time, I would read all the pages. Hence the email request for help:

I purchased a 2011 White TTs with full leather cocoa interior. Love the car and want to take great care of it. I have a detailing service in my office garage that hand washes my cars each week. Though, they have NOT touched my new car - yet. So far, I hand washed the new car (my self) with a new wash mit.

I want to purchase materials for them to use. They will keep these on the shelf ready for me when I arrive. Typically, the wax and seal every 4-6 months and hand wash in between. Can you recommend products the following:

1. Soap
2. bug remover
3. leather care product - no smell or shine please!
4. Wax sealent product - top of the line to protect against birds and other enviro issues.
5. product to clean and protect the clear bra.
6. wheel cleaner

I am happy to purchase them through you. Just give me the laundry list of what I need.

Brett

 

Hey Moe, awesome thread and thanks for all the valuable advice you have given to the members.

I have a few questions. I apologize if these have been answered in other areas, I managed to get through about 6 pages of the thread, but have not made it through everything yet.

I picked up an '02 C4S a few months ago. The car had 30k miles and was obviously garage kept and babied by the previous owners. No swirls in the paint, minimal paint chips and blemishes (one small one on the front bumper but whatever...) Anyway, I took the car to a local full service carwash a few weeks ago for the first detail. They quoted me $80 for an exterior detail, which seemed reasonable. When I picked up the car it looked good, but it had started raining so I did not heavily scrutinize the job.

A few days later I started noticing some very small swirls in the paint which I had never seen before. Also traces of wax started showing up all over the rubber trim and non-painted bumperettes on the rear.

I know $80 is by no means an expensive detail, but for an exterior only job, I was expecting a slightly higher caliber job. Going forward, what are good questions to ask when "interviewing" potential detailers to ensure the highest quality job?

I know word of mouth goes a long way, but I don't know many car enthusiasts in the area, and am forging my own way for the time being.

Also, what is the best product to treat the rubber exterior trim and bumperettes on the car to protect against Florida heat and sun? (low gloss is preferred). Are the same products good to remove the wax from the trim?

Lastly, as I drive the car daily, I started getting in the habit of running through a no touch automatic car wash just to rinse the road grime and dust off the car between washes. Is this counterproductive to extending the life of the detail? I typically go for the most expensive "triple rinse" option, if I HAVE to run it through a no-touch automatic would a lesser treatment be less detrimental?

Sorry for the "all over the place" questions, and thanks again for all your advice.

 

Thanks for checking out the thread. Also, thanks for ordering from us a few months ago.

You gotta remember...getting educated on what something SHOULD cost is much different in what it can ACTUALLY cost. For a car that's considered a luxury, not a utilitarian purchase, the ball game is different. $80 doesn't even cover the cost of labor and products for a reputable shop that pays its employees fair wages, has insurance, uses quality products, etc. At the end of the day, you're paying for more than just the work performed. Detailing a car properly shouldn't come cheap if the service provider is quality in every form. So now you know first-hand where $80 may take you. The problem now is you pretty much paid $80 for a service that wasn't to your expectation, you'll have to pay for another service provider to do the job right, not to mention there are imperfections in the paint that weren't there before. This to me isn't good VALUE. But, it could be worse and the repairs could also be costlier. So it's great that these experiences are shared and surface because it empowers both good detailers and educated consumers.

So, a proper detail, full, exterior, interior, should be a function of your expectations and the results you want to achieve. A fair price, done by a reputable shop, for a full detail should be around $350-600 for a typical vehicle like a Porsche 911. This price does not include paint correction which is the process of machine polishing imperfections legitimately to as perfect of a finish as the vehicle allows. We usually give a 30% discount if we do an exterior-only.

Questions to ask a potential detailer:

1. How long have they been detailing FULL-TIME
2. Do they have liability insurance
3. Do they specialize in your vehicle
4. What is their "process". A full detail can vary in description from one detailer to another
5. Do they have a portfolio and references
6. Do a surprise visit to their shop and/or ask if you can stop by on a job if they're mobile

These questions above should give you an educated picture on what the detailer has to offer and the value behind their service.

To remove wax/clean exterior rubber trim use einszett Plastic Cleaner.

http://www.glisteningperfectionstore...C-vinyl/Detail

To condition it, use einszett gummi pfledge or vinyl rubber care. Either product give a nice and clean matte finish and you can control the shine by wiping off excess.

http://www.glisteningperfectionstore...Care%2C/Detail

http://www.glisteningperfectionstore...-Pflege/Detail

Going through car washes isn't a good idea if you're trying to extend the appearance and protection of a proper detail. The products used at car washes are usually very cheap, low in quality, and harsh on the car's surface. I'd invest in a good detail wash kit and spend a little time every week or two and give your car a proper bath. This will be good exercise, proper maintenance of the vehicle, personal gratification, and it'll save money in the long run.

http://www.glisteningperfectionstore...its/Categories

Hope this answers your questions and thanks a lot for sharing your experience and asking your questions. I'm sure it'll help a lot of people out there.

 

Larry, if I already didn't answer your question, can you please post some photos?

 

Hi Brett. Thanks for the order and here's the products I suggested so others can benefit from your question.

1. Soap - P21S Bodywork Shampoo. It's a mild soap that cleans very well and doesn't strip the wax.

http://www.glisteningperfectionstore...Shampoo/Detail

2.Bug remover - P21S Total Auto Wash. A citrus cleaner that can also be used to clean the engine, door jams, tail pipes, wheel wells, tires, etc. Just make sure to wax after using it on your paint.

http://www.glisteningperfectionstore...to-wash/Detail

3. Leather Care product - Leatherique system will do a great job of cleaning and rejuvenating your leather. Once the initial process is done, all you have to do is hydrate by using Prestine Clean. The results are a matte and clean finish on the leather...no shine.

http://www.glisteningperfectionstore...que/Categories

4. Wax/Sealant - If it's a wax you're after, P21S 100% is a good choice. If you want a sealant, can't go wrong with Menzerna Power Lock or einszett Glanz.

http://www.glisteningperfectionstore...xes/Categories

5. Clear Bra - Polish using P21S Paintwork Cleanser and wax using Menzerna Power Lock.

http://www.glisteningperfectionstore...-polish/Detail

http://www.glisteningperfectionstore...Sealant/Detail

6. Wheel Cleaner - P21S Reg or Gel formula. Use regular if your wheels don't get that dirty and you clean them weekly. Use gel if daily driver and you go a few weeks between cleaning.

http://www.glisteningperfectionstore...ner/Categories

Great question and thanks for sharing.

 

Hey Moe how long would my exterior finish stay in such a beautiful form from daily driving and the wife lol. I'm talking about doing a full day all out paint correction like u do. We talking a month, 6 months. I wash the car about once every week or so and its a non metallic black s550. Also i noticed u guys tape moldings, my moldings are chrome so im guessing i wont need to.

 

How long a detail last is purely dependent on how well you care for the car and the external environment. If you wash the car routinely, weekly, and use a spray wax, the exterior finish should look the same for many months. Especially if you garage the car. Using quality products also comes into play as you will use less, the results will be better, and the time spent detailing is usually less.

As for taping molding, you should be in the habit of taping any molding. Even on chrome, using a medium polishing pad and medium polish, you'll marr the chrome. It's true that you can then polish it with a finishing polish, but no need to do extra work. Good prep work has no substitution.

Great to hear you enjoying detailing and please feel free to ask any questions you have. It'll also be appreciated if you took some pictures of your work and posted it here. I'm sure many here would love to see before/afters.

 

Hi Moe, I'm battling an ant problem and I have 100% removed the food source a week ago and am using ant bait/traps inside the car to rid the interior of the ants. Is it possible that whatever wax/polish I'm using is attracting the ants? I use a red carnuba dust brush after every commute in conjunction with a quick detailer spray to maintain the exterior. I've been thinking of switching from the current waxed based detailer spray to a synthetic - is there any problem switching mid stream so to speak? Thanks.

 

Moe,

Thank you for this sticky. I have a 2003 996 TT, my steering wheel is leather and has become hard and slick. I don't want to get a new steering wheel, but was wondering if there is something I can condition the leather with or put on the wheel to make it softer and less slick. Thank you.

--BM

 

Thanks moe, Ya the car is always garaged, couple more questions. With the crappy weather thats about hit (seattle area) You think i should wait til spring to do this all out detail? I dont want to go the distance if its gonna get ruined real fast.

And I was thinking of getting griots polisher theres a brand new store here in tacoma with a lot of products that are mostly their brand, should I stay away from their stuff as I dont see u using them.

I see ur suggesting the FLEX which is a little pricier but I know tools are not something to cheap out on. I polish counters such as granite/marble/other stones so i have some experience with polishers but i know a cars finish is not a stone, so my ways of polishing probably would not work. How much force do u push with when u polish? And do u work side to side up down?

This will be the first time I take a crack at it so I wanna make sure i do it right, and i'll post pics of before and after for sure

 

I've never heard of a wax causing ants to be attracted to the car, but that doesn't mean it couldn't happen. Have you noticed a decrease in ants now that you've spotted the source and are using baits?

What is the red carnuba brush you speak of? What spray wax are you using nw and what are you wanting to switch to?

 

Great question. You'll want to clean the steering wheel using a mild and effective leather cleaner. This process will remove the embedded dirt and body oils, the cause of the shine, and bring back the matte and clean look of the leather. You'll want to do this process routinely as a preventative and maintenance routine. PM me your info and I'll send you more info about an excellent all-natural leather cleaner we're currently using.

 

If you have bad weather, it's even more important to do a proper detail to protect everything.

As for polishers, I'm a firm believer in buying the best you can afford and making sure a tool doesn't become obsolete. The FLEX is an amazing tool that we use almost daily. So you know it's built tough and can handle professional-grade use/abuse. With that said, the griot's polisher isn't bad, but you may eventually graduate to the flex, so why not just get the right tool the first time.

The technique with using the flex is pretty simple. Moderate pressure and side-to-side passes followed by up-and-down passes. You do this until the polish becomes less hazy and more transparent. The correct pad/polish combo is crucial for optimum results. We have a great how-to pdf we supply our clients when they purchase from us.

Please feel free to give us a call and we further answer your questions and get you set up with the proper products. You can do it !!

http://www.glisteningperfectionstore...sh-Kits/Detail