Professional Detailer on rx-8club.com
 

Hey guys, im new to the thread, just picked up my 8 a few weeks ago, like it says i run a professional detail shop in south georgia, have been for a year, worked for toyota before that doing it there. I don't know if anyone else does this but if anyone needs my knowledge on the subject, let me know, I do alot of buffing, wetsanding, shampoo and conditioner treatments, the works. Most of my work comes from the bodyshop next door and the dealerships around town when they need me to cover their F'ups.

HAHAH

Welcome to the board. I bet you have alot of good shady-dealer stories.

Yep, redneck sales managers+used cars=consumers getting screwed. I had one place bring in a car that had been submerged in mud and wanted me to rip out the carpet and clean it all out and use carpet spray paint on the carpet to hide the evidence, i told him to go F himself

I have a question: I've often washed my car by starting with a super rinse, then applying a few wet towels to the front to soften the bugs while I wash the rest of the car. Could I be doing any harm by leaving the wet towels on there while I'm washing the rest?

And thanks for your public service offering free advice!!!

Hey wankleman, could you tell us what products you use to wash your car. I just bought my car and ive washed it about three times in total and it just never comes out perfect (BTW i have a Black Rx8 Gt)....agh black is so hard to keep clean lol. The last time i washed my car it was so damn hott (first mistake i know now) that i got water spots on my car and I also noticed lots of little scratches and i used the yellow microfiber towels which i kind of believe was the problem not sure but I need to know what you professional detailers use and do to keep a car looking brand new.....Especially Black Cars. A Step by Step procedure would be very helpful, Thanks


Oh Yea and WELCOME to the Board... youll like it here, its a VERY HELPFUL site.

hi welcome to the board!

oh, sorry i havent read this lately, if you have any questions PM me ill get to it faster, um lets see.. the wet towels should be fine, never heard of doing this though, i use a bug remover to get the buggies that is diluted a bit with water so its less abrasive because it will remove alot of wax if not. the one question about products i use, i can't really recommend anything because i use commercial products that the general public don't get access to(sorry, the lil guy always gets screwed i guess) i wish you all could though i like my chemical dealer's products better than anything in the consumer market. and the one thing about the microfiber rags, i would say that to always use clean rags and never wipe anything off the paint if its not freshly washed because this will scratch the paint, all it takes is a bit of sand or dirt to do this. sorry to say but its hard to keep from getting microscratches on the paint because washing the car does this, its almost unavoidable with time. the problem is on darker cars it shows up more on the clearcoat (thats one reason i went from my brillant black miata to the sunlight silver 8. a swirl remover used with a buffer is the best way to get those out but most of you would not have access to that.

Teflon coating
 

Wankleman,

Have you ever heard of "Caltex" teflon coating - they put it on my new RX8 -Shinka and I think I want to remove it - what will take it off without hurting the clearcoat - any ideas -


Thanks,

Rickster

What about frinkin' water spots ?? Have any good ideas how to rid them?

Welcome aboard. Thanks for offering your services. I bet if you post a weekly "TIP", you won't get as much questions. Enjoy your 8.

I've heard people raving about those Mr Clean systems with the filtered rinse cycle. I haven't used them myself, just letting you know the buzz.....

ha, the #1 question i always get at work, to tell you the truth you need to take the car to a good trustworthy detailer and ask them if they do "chemical washes", basically the detail business has a few tricks up their sleeves that they don't want u to know. But since we are all 8 drivers ill tell you but don't freak out when u read what im about to say. A chemical wash is basically an acidic chemical that the detailer puts on a terry towel and rubs it into the paint and side and rear windows but not the windshield. don't worry i've done my own vehicles(including the black ones) and countless customer vehicles. This process will get ALL waterspots off the car and make the paint feel as smooth as the day you bought the car. It will not hurt the clearcoat. its actually more safe for the clear than a buffer. the only reason i recommend none of you try it yourself is A)you can't get the chemical B)if not done correctly it is possible you will have some issues like runs in the paint ---But if the detailer knows what your talking about when you say "chemical wash" then go for it but if he doesnt know what u mean then say forget about it. Another thing is its not terribly expensive. for a car the size of the 8, i would charge 50 dollars for the wash and 15 for the wax that has to be done afterwards. But it works and it has become a very popular application for the area im in because im the only one that does it. Word of mouth kinda thing i guess. also i've never had a problem with it or seen a problem with it but i've heard of an idiot somewhere that did it outside in the sun and left it on the paint for too long, i spray the car off immediately after application.

That thing is a marketing/retail wet dream. You buy the gun and a sample kit for a relative good price, then you have to buy the refills so it keeps a steady cash flow for the company. But my friend uses/used it and he said it worked nicely, but i don't know the shelf life of the plastic gun. In my business that product is just not practical. too expensive to use and would last in my shop for a week before it would crap out. I go through a pressure washer about every month or two. I had a honda gas washer but it was too bulky, too powerful, and too thirsty(will gas prices as high as they are). So i use the small plastic electric ones and they crap out all the time but they have a 6 month warranty so i get a free new one all the time. BUT back to the mr.clean, if you only wash your 8 a few times a month or so, then im sure you'll b happy with it. just not for everybody.

i have a silver sunlight also and i want to wax my car..i've done it b4 and someone told me i was doin it wrong...
first i wash my car off with dawn...then dry it...then put a coat of polish on...this is where i heard was wrong..letting the polish i guess kinda dry before i wipe it off...i wipe the polish off then i put a coat of nxt wax...then let it dry for a few minutes then wipe it off...and then im done...and how many coats of each would i want to put on...thanx

OK, thanks - I know one that I can trust. I was curious about someone telling that "Lime Away" might take spots off the windows. I tried it, and it did not work.

I need the chemical wash trick done on my car. I'll post my results when I get'r done.

Thanks for Your Advice :D

Welcome, wankleman. It's good to know someone with professional expertise is available to field questions. I'll be sure to check in whenever I have a question. Thanks.

wankleman; put the first coat of wax on my new nordic green 8 a couple of weeks ago and and want to wash my car and put a couple of more on; should i use dawn to get the old wax off or would normal car wash soap be ok b/c i dont want to remove the old wax?;
as well, id like a real deep deep wet shine; any suggestions on a glaze (that will not harm finish at all) to acheive that?;

first of all, don't wash your car with dishsoap, it strips the wax and is all in all is bad for your car, yeah don't let the polish dry, not what it was meant for, the wax needs to be taken off after it hazes up, do it when the car is dry and cool, one coat of wax is fine every month or so give or take.

so do i just spread the polish and wipe right bak off immediately.

also, what can i use to clean the seats off.. its the suede type of material. will regular carpet cleaner work??sorry for all the ???s im a newbie at all this..haha..really appreciate ur expertise

Suede?? are they leather or cloth, i assume ur talkin about an 8?there isn't any suede in the 8? if its leather use a leather cleaner and then a conditioner, Zymol is a good brand.

i have the cloth material in my car. can i use regular carpet cleaner...haha....probably not...if so what should i use...and do i just wipe on and immediately wipe of the polish....

oohh, yeah take a soft bristled brush and scrub it in to the seat then take a clean terry cloth and wipe it clean then vac over it, its ok to get the seat really wet w/the cleaner just make sure it will be able to air out in the sun. oh but first test the cleaner on a spot that isn't noticeable to see the possible effect, cleaners are all different so i can't say for sure, i use a multi-purpose shampoo that i break down 3 to 1 w/water but i don't think there is anything on the consumer market like that, not sure. and the polish i use is a commerical polish that i use a rotary buffer with so i don't know what type u use, best bet is to go with whatever the manufact. says. hope this was helpful

i can get some of the industrial stuff. stuff like 3m...but i used maguirs the last time i did it..wat kind do u use..if u dont mind me askin..thanks again for all the info.

Rims
 

Gotta get in on the Q&A. . .

I spend more time getting my stock rims clean than the rest of the detailing. There has got to be some professional tricks of the trade. Of course, you have the "professional cleaner" that us regular folks can't get, but what other tools, or applications can you suggest either before or after cleaning?
Thanks!!