Hi Moe:

My DD has some nasty grease/boot scrapings on the door speaker grill covers. I think these were done at the dealer, and when I say greasy and nasty, it is the kind that may best be served by replacing them. Short of that, what is the best way to clean them, as I can't spray the Autoglym directly onto them due to the speaker cones underneath the covers.
As always, thanks!!

 

Great question....if you spray the autoglym about 6 inches away from the grills at an angle, you'll be fine. Most of the mist will land on the speaker grill. Then, spray some of the cleaner on your microfiber towel and begin cleaning the grill cover. With a dry towel, wipe off excess cleaner and damp dry.

 

Got a couple questions for you, Moe.

Recently I've taken delivery of a 09 Cayman S, GT Silver with Cocoa interior, and I was curious what your favorite products are for GT Silver in particular (e.g. if some waxes and polishes work better with light metallics vs. black or whatever) and also what you would recommend for maintaining the leather in as new as possible condition. Products, techniques, the works, I'd love to hear it.

The next question has to do with my mother's well-traveled Sand White Cayenne. It has picked up some significant swirling (minimized by the white paint, but visible if you're paying attention) and I'd like to do what I can to minimize it. I do not own the equipment or the talent to do any sort of professional-quality paint correction (nor is it really worth it for her abused daily driver). What products can I use to minimize the appearance of swirl marks? Is any particular polish or wax more effective at masking them?

Final question is what is the most effective exhaust tip cleaning product? Both my Cayman and her Cayenne have brushed tips, not polished, so I'd really just like the best way to clear out exhaust soot and restore the matte finish.

Thanks for your help.

 

Congrats on the Cayman..that's an awesome color combo. As far as caring for the exterior, you have two choices. If you want a warmer look with more depth, your best bet is to use a natural carnauba wax. P21S 100% Carnauba or their Carnauba Wax would be a good start. If you want some shine and gloss, you can go with a synthetic like einszett Glanz. Just make sure you clay and polish the paint prior to applying the wax. Here's a good kit to start you off Basic Wax Kit

As for interior, a good cleaner like Autoglym Interior Shampoo and some einszett Leather Care should do the trick.

For your Mom's car, you can clay first and then use a polish/wax product like einszett Metallic Polish Wax. This is a simple one-step product that will clean and condition the paint and hide some of those pesky swirls. It doesn't last too long, so make sure to use a detail spray like einszett to keep it looking glossy.

For the exhaust tips, you can use P21S Total Auto Wash. Spray the tips, use OOOO steel wool to clean the tips, then wipe off with microfiber towel. Then, polish the tips with a mild product like einszett Paint Polish or Menzerna Super Finish.

Some of the products mentioned above have other purposes that will help down the road. The p21s Total Auto Wash can be used to clean the engine, door jams, tires and wheel, etc. The Menzerna Super Finish and a FLEX polisher are great to remove minor swirls and make the paint optically clear and void of imperfections.

Hope this answeres your questions.

 

Did you stop carrying the Zymol products?

 

Hi Matt. Some sensitive issues have surfaced and we're working closely with Zymol to resolve them. At this time, Glistening Perfection as a company felt it was best to take the line off our site until the matter is fully resolved.

We strongly feel that the Zymol brand and products are some of the finest in the world. On a personal level, I've grown as a detailer using this line and stand behind it 100%.

As all of you know, what makes Glistening Perfection unique is that we're a detailing company first. Glistening Perfection strives to continually bring you the finest products in the world. The clients that purchase products from us are at an advantage because they reap the benefit of our day-to-day operations and R&D. Whatever our decision and outcome, you can rest assured that the workmanship going into our details and the quality of products we choose to sell to all of you, never compromise our high level of standards and expectations.

My staff and I appreciate everyone's support and ask all of you to be patient while we chose the best option for Glistening Perfection's future and the needs of our valued clients.

 

OK thank you. I was looking at getting some of the Detail Spray in order to easily remove the HD Cleanse. If you are unable to work something out, what would you recommend?

 

Here's a how-to thread on engine cleaning

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...ml#post2342961

 

I have like a million questions, but I'll hold myself back & ask only about polishing which is the most important on my list...

I recently had my car "detailed" (clay/polish/waxed) & although it looks much better, I wasn't really satisfied with the results. There's still some swirls & stuff that really bother me so I decided I'm going to buy a polisher & do it myself since I'm OCD. What type of machine would you recommend for a beginner like myself? I don't need anything fancy or strong enough to take care of messed up paint, just your average swirl marks & stuff like that. I basically want to make it "perfect" so I don't get a heart-attack caused by my OCD.

... I've been looking at these 2 kits:
http://www.autodetailingsolutions.net/g110-kit-1.html
http://www.autopia-carcare.com/son-udmsfx-kit.html

Which of these would you recommend & why? If neither, also please explain & give me your recommendations. Remember I'm just a beginner looking to perfect his small collection of cars that he loves. No major jobs or anything... Also, I've read that DA polishers aren't very good at "cutting" so what kind of polishes would you recommend to help with the job? I've been hearing a lot about Meguiar's M205/105. I'm a noob at this, so your help would be greatly appreciated.

 

The two kits you have as an example are simple kits that will do a decent job. The polishes in both of them are finishing polishes so it may minimize the swirls that bother you, but it won't remove them.

Both the meguiar's and the UDM polishers are basically a modified porter cable I think. The limitation they have is their lack of torque and they're not a true dual-action polisher once you apply a little pressure and the machine starts to bog down.

If you can up your budget, and think of it as an investment in equipment, you need to step up to more of a professional line of products and tools. You'll be spending relatively the same amount of time, but the results you'd get are night and day. So basically, what's your time worth.

Look into this kit...it'll be the last one you'll need to ever buy to polish your car.

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

Let me know if you have further questions.

 

I bought that kit from Moe and I have been very happy with the flex and I have gotten great results with it.

 

Glad you like it Matt...I try and build kits I know the DIYer and the pro will enjoy.

 

Question re proper interior dressing application steps:

Hi Moe: What are the proper steps in applying the various dressings to the different interior surfaces with maximum efficiency? For example, in the GT3, you have leather, alcantara, CF, vinyl, plastic, glass, etc. I am particularly interested in the dash area where you have glass, plastic, then the leather dash. I assume you do the leather dressing last, and make certain you don't get it on the plastic and metal parts. I don't want to spend time getting unwanted dressings off of surfaces where is was not intended to be applied. (I should have paid closer attention when you did my car!!). Thank you in advance.

 

What kind of detail should a brand new p-car get? Have had my new p-car, a black 08 c4s I just picked up about a month ago. Paint is basically still perfect, and I've had it hand washed 3 times - once a quickie wax at a local car wash, and twice the full service wash.

Should I be getting some sort of detail now while the car is brand new? Or wait until some time has gone by?

 

Great question....

As cars are getting more and more advanced, so are the materials that go into making them. Interiors now include such space-age materials as carbon fiber. So how does one know how to properly care for them?

Different substrates need different products. So without getting too involved, here's a summary of material/product to be used, interior-wise:

Leather: Make sure you clean leather with a safe cleaner. I use Autoglym Interior Cleaner because it can also be used on carpets, vinyl, alcantara, suede, plastics, etc. Once clean, condition using a high quality leather conditioner. I've always liked the look and feel of Zymol Treat. Another great choice is einszett Leather Care. Use a medium-density foam applicator as this will minimize streaking.

Vinyl: Again, clean using an interior cleaner like Autoglym. I personally like the matte look so I use Zymol Vinyl, let it sit for about a minute, and then buff the residue off with a microfiber towel. Other great products are 303 Aerospace Protectant, einszett Vinyl Rubber Care. Use a low/medium-density foam applicator.

Alcantara: Man-made material that is somewhat suede-like. Simply clean this material with an interior cleaner.

Carbon Fiber: If bare carbon fiber, usually matte finish, not much is needed. If clearcoated, shiny finish, treat it like paint. Polish with a mild polish and wax. You obviously don't need to do this often as it does not see the elements as much as your paint. So, once or twice per year is more than enough.

Wood: If bare wood, usually on classics, you simply wax with a natural carnauba wax. If clearcoated, shiny finish, treat it like paint. Polish with a mild polish and wax. You obviously don't need to do this often as it does not see the elements as much as your paint. So, once or twice per year is more than enough.

Carpets: Simply clean using an interior cleaner like Autoglym.

Another helpful hint is that the frequency og above steps depends on how often you drive your car. To maintain the interior, I use einszett ****pit Premium. Think of it as an interior detail spray. Great for getting of fingerprints, dust, smudges, etc. It's a mild cleaner/conditioner that can be used on nav screens, leather, vinyl, carbon fiber, plastics, etc.
Hope this answeres your question.