Detailing Steps

[kakashi169]

Hello

I hope I don't get flamed for this but when it comes to detailing, I have to admit I am a complete noob. Can someone please shed some light on the correct steps for a detailing a car?

Thanks a lot! =D

[danewilson77]

No flaming on the Mafia.

I'll see if I can drum up a recent thread.

HTC DNA ON TT4 BETA, WILLIAMSBURG, VA

[danewilson77]

Check out post #19 for a basic list of steps:

http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8941

HTC DNA ON TT4 BETA, WILLIAMSBURG, VA

[kakashi169]

Check out post #19 for a basic list of steps:

http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8941

HTC DNA ON TT4 BETA, WILLIAMSBURG, VA

Perfect

Thanks a lot Dane!! =D

[danewilson77]

Anytime Sir.

HTC DNA ON TT4 BETA, WILLIAMSBURG, VA

[danewilson77]

Additionally, you can read through the "water beading pics" thread and many of the Detailer Domain threads to help you choose what products to use.

HTC DNA ON TT4 BETA, WILLIAMSBURG, VA

[zhpnsnv]

Yea no flaming here. When I was a detailing noob, I wanted to know the purpose of each step, too, so I'll try to help:

1. Wash. This gets the big stuff off. Use two buckets (one for soapy, clean water, one for dirty water after you rinse your wash mitt). Start at the top and work your way down. Rinse after each panel and clean your mitt. This minimizes swirling, though swirling will happen anyway. For wheels, get the Sonax wheel cleaner and spray it on BEFORE you hit the car with water. Agitate it and wash with soap/water.

2. Clay. This gets the stuff that's bonded to the paint off and it levels the surface. Get a lubricant and have at it. Go slowly. Fold the clay often to avoid terrible swirling. Wash the car again afterwards (or a heavy rinse).

3. Polish. Using a random orbital, get a polish that cuts and combine it with a cutting pad (yellow or orange). Do a small section at a time. Polish until the polish breaks down, then wipe off excess with a microfiber. Get a polish that finishes by getting rid of the finer imperfections left by the cutting polish. Same idea as before.

4. Protect. Typically this is done by hand. Pick a final step product after reading around a bit. Then, like Daniel-San, simply wax on and wax off.

There's so much more - interior, engine, everything. It all comes in time. You never master it - it's only a process towards mastery, which is why so many of us lose ourselves in the details of detailing as a hobby.

[Washburn]

9154

[ELCID86]

Buffer thread. http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9929



Shawn in VA.
Via thumbs and Tapatalk.

[RITmusic2k]

Autopia.org (http://autopia.org/) is a great resource for this - they feature a massive and wonderful tutorial section, a discussion forum, and a storefront to give you all the know-how and access to all the materials you'd need to get yourself well on the path to detailing mastery. That being said, I'd only use their storefront to "window shop" and then buy all your goods from one of the affiliate detail shops here ;)

[spoonerDee]

1: Car is dirty
2: clean car
3: ??????
4: Profit







J/k Some real good info in here. Got a mile long list of things I need to do to Christine on my day off on July 4th. Hopefully I can squeeze in some wash n wax time.