Detailing noob

[Carn]

Hi Rory and welcome, I am sure you will enjoy your stay with us and find tons of usefull info on here

As far as lighter cars go yes, the visual impact is not quite in par with darker colours post detail but the difference is most certainly noticeable

Some silver inspiration for you




I will try and answer some of your questions and provide some product recommendations along the way.

Rory Wrote:I have a karcher 4.68 which I've used a few times for basically rinsing because the built in mixing thing doesn't seem to work very well. Thinking of maybe getting one of those lances where the shampoo goes on the lance itself, they seem to work much better.
I've heard a lot of comments about karchers being for lazy people etc etc but when I wash/rinse/wax the car and wash the mags and clean the inside of my car I'm always completely buggered, and it's going to get dirty anyway. So with something that's fairly easy at least I can do it often (like once a week hopefully)

A pressure washer (PW) is definately a must have for keeping your cab clean and getting many hard to reach places (arches, engine bay nooks and crannies, etc). I wouldn't say it is for lazy people at all, they save tons of water compared to a regular hose pipe and also allow you far greater control of the spray with added cleaning power. Avoid spraying it too close to the paintwork as the high pressure can also damage the paint.

Rory Wrote:-Bird droppings
There are almost "silhouetes", like when you take a sticker off something and you can never get the last layer of glue to go away. Mostly notice this on the bonnet

The "silhouetes" you are seeing are either left over mineral deposits from the dried water or actual etchings caused by the same minerals. 9 times out of 10 they are usually etchings and more often than not the minor ones can be safely polished out. Once they have completely eaten through the clear coat however you are screwed and nothing short of a respray will fix it properly.

In the interim you can try a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and distilled water. The vinegar will dissolve any left over mineral deposits (if they are surface bound) whilst not harming the paint. Take a microfiber cloth and dip it in the solution, wring it out and place it over the affected area for a few minutes. Once complete give the treated areas a wipe with a clean damp cloth dipped in plain water and re-apply your LSP (last step product) to provide protection from the elements.

Rory Wrote:-Dirty rims.
They are very dirty on the inside "sides" from brake dust. In fact it seems like they have a lot of marks that are now permanent.
On the outside the particular design has a lot of hard corners which are kinda hard to reach. Even with sponges etc it seems impossible to get everything out and the karcher doesn't help much either.

Our go to products for mag wheels is the Sonax Extreme Rim Cleaner, it never ceases to amaze me how well it manages to clean even the harshest brake deposits whilst being completely safe (ph neutral) for all types of wheels.

I have 2 reviews/comparisons I did some time ago, you can find them here and here. You will find that after a 5 to 10 min soak (once the liquid turns purple) that pressure washing removes the majority of the gunk without the need for agitation.

I would also recommend you get yourself some decent detail brushes from Don's (freerider on this forum) store (http://www.poor-boys.co.za). He stocks our detail brushes that are great for getting into all the tight spots. Another must have would be the Motoquip wheel brush, it is basically a Meguiars clone and Makro stocks them for around R60 or so

Rory Wrote:-Small "spots" on the paint (less than 1cm diameter)
These spots are only visible at a certain angle. They look a little lighter than the paint.
They are mainly on the bonnet/roof (or at least that's where they are noticeable)

Difficult to tell without seeing them but it could be acid etchings from bird droppings, bug remains or acid rain/industrial contamination. You can try some detailing clay but I have my reservations as to whether or not this will do anything based on your description of the problem 'spots'

Rory Wrote:-Trim
My car has dark grey plastic trim along the rear bumper, next to the foglights and a couple of other places. This stuff has faded within the first few months of having the car. Every time I've been to a car wash or something they've put some stuff on. I also bought some stuff but basically nothing seems to last very long here.

We exclusively use 303 Aerospace Protectant. Apart from restoring a factory sheen to exterior plastics it also provides UV protection and lasts fairly well. If you look at some of our posts in the show and shine section you will see the kind of finish it provides

You can read more about it in this thread

Rory Wrote:-Yellow spots/stripes
What the hell are these things? Either spots a few mm wide and maybe 1mm high or stripes around 1mm wide and 2cm long

Only thing similar to that we have seen is from some kinds of trees. If you can scrape them off with your fingernail and they become powdery then it's most likely that. Once again a good wash with some proper auto detergent along with a claying should see all these spots removed.

Rory Wrote:-Glass
On the glass I can still see the area where the wipers wipe, how can I clean it enough that I can't see any line where the edge of the wiper is?

Glass polish is about your best bet in this regard, the lines are actually scoring in the glass from the wiper blades and would need to be polished out. I have yet to find a conventional paint polish and pad combo that makes any significant difference to these marks.

Rory Wrote:-Some scratches
These obviously aren't so grand but there are a few marks/chips on my car already so not much point in fixing the tiny scratches when there's big ones.

A good polishing will help remove most of the smaller defects whilst improving the appearance of the more severe ones. Overall you will be amazed at the difference an afternoons work can make to the appearance

Rory Wrote:Also wanted to ask, I got some autoarmour or something when I got my car (2 years ago). Would something like that have completely worn away by now or would it still be one of the layers on the paint?

More than likely all gone, there is no 'never wax again' product in my opinion that provides anywhere near a years worth of protection to the paintwork.

Rory Wrote:Oh, I should also add I've been using Meguiars nxt wash/wax and the pink "soft wash".

I am not a fan of the NXT wash but the Soft Wash Gel is a really nice product. Chemical Guys Maxi Suds and Citrus Wash n Gloss are what I would recommend, they are available once again from Don's store (Poor-Boys)

Hope that has managed to answer some of your questions. You can also look through some of the docs & links I have posted on our website here