Car Detailing - What products are your go to? - Page 18

T3rminator · 21-06-2021, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

That's really odd. Make sure that the wiper blade is staying flat in operation. Other than that, try using a clay bar or towel on the entire windscreen.

It is odd. I used charmois to wipe it down, but same thing. Its very odd, its like there is a film over that section. Washing doesn't help. It only clears up once dried. Might try some degreaser

**Ross 1** · 21-06-2021, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T3rminator

It is odd. I used charmois to wipe it down, but same thing. Its very odd, its like there is a film over that section. Washing doesn't help. It only clears up once dried. Might try some degreaser

Try giving it a deep clean with a one to one solution of water and white vinegar, see if that helps. Remember to wipe the windscreen rubbers afterwards.

**Rallye Sport** · 26-06-2021, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T3rminator

Hope this falls under "detailing"....

There is something on a section of my windshield that causes "frost" or "mist" to stick. Makes morning driving on cold days a bit iffy. It takes a good 10 min or so of driving to clear it up.

The wipers are still good, they are bosch aerotwins, and does the job when its raining. It clears when I use the wipers, but then frosts up again pretty much within a couple of seconds later. The section in green is where I'm talking about. The other part of the windscreen where you can see the big wiper mark is fine. Washing the car or cleaning with windex doesn't seem to achieve anything. Any ideas?

image

I was getting something like this in my daily. You're right it gets dicey on frosty mornings. Assumed it was a build up of grease/ diesel/ grime. I gave it a hit of prep wash and it seems to have worked.

Gave this stuff a go this morning. The cars not dirty as such it just picks up a cloudy film from being under the cover. A bit like fingerprints. I'm loathed to wash the car so tried this as a waterless wash.
It took no time, worked a treat and I didn't have to leave the garage to do it.

T3rminator · 26-06-2021, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rallye Sport

I was getting something like this in my daily. You're right it gets dicey on frosty mornings. Assumed it was a build up of grease/ diesel/ grime. I gave it a hit of prep wash and it seems to have worked.

Gave this stuff a go this morning. The cars not dirty as such it just picks up a cloudy film from being under the cover. A bit like fingerprints. I'm loathed to wash the car so tried this as a waterless wash.
It took no time, worked a treat and I didn't have to leave the garage to do it.

image

Thanks Rallye. I was going to give Stoner a go, I'll put this one on the list too. I tried degreaser

and it didn't do anything. It was drizzling a bit yesterday, and I noticed that when light water runs down that area, it would make a curve route rather than straight down. Yet when its dried, its crystal clear. There is obviously a layer of something there, as well as other part of the windscreen.

T3rminator · 14-08-2021, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T3rminator

Hope this falls under "detailing"....

There is something on a section of my windshield that causes "frost" or "mist" to stick. Makes morning driving on cold days a bit iffy. It takes a good 10 min or so of driving to clear it up.

The wipers are still good, they are bosch aerotwins, and does the job when its raining. It clears when I use the wipers, but then frosts up again pretty much within a couple of seconds later. The section in green is where I'm talking about. The other part of the windscreen where you can see the big wiper mark is fine. Washing the car or cleaning with windex doesn't seem to achieve anything. Any ideas?

image

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rallye Sport

I was getting something like this in my daily. You're right it gets dicey on frosty mornings. Assumed it was a build up of grease/ diesel/ grime. I gave it a hit of prep wash and it seems to have worked.........

Just a quick update as I managed to solve the window residue issue.

I cleaned the outside windscreen with bowdens naked glass, and at the same time filled the washer bottle with half a bottle of stoner's invisible glass fluid. I'm not sure which product did it, but the problem is now gone.

Where there are usually water marks, that I couldn't even wash off, that has also now gone. Unbelievable. Prior to that, I had tried scrubbing with detergent, degreaser and windex.....nothing worked.

**DFB FGXR6** · 14-08-2021, 08:14 PM

I really enjoyed the transformation of this 1970 Mustang Mach 1.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ET0uEn86Mz8

**Rallye Sport** · 14-08-2021, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

I really enjoyed the transformation of this 1970 Mustang Mach 1.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ET0uEn86Mz8

Good lesson there on finishing matt/satin surfaces.
Oh and that car

**FTE217** · 21-06-2021, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fiestaz

It does look good… even though it’s dirty.
The brakes feel so good, and did a good job of avoiding a dog and a motorcyclist today but the brake dust hurts….

image

what is wrong with you guys and attention to detail ?
All eyes were on fiestaz'z nice blue Foccie or your just being polite ? or that much into detail products haha,,,,,,
The tree decorations

**FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0** · 22-06-2021, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FTE217

what is wrong with you guys and attention to detail ?
All eyes were on fiestaz'z nice blue Foccie or your just being polite ? or that much into detail products haha,,,,,,
The tree decorations

What tree???

bangm001 · 20-06-2021, 10:54 PM

OK guys. Sparesbox has 20% off this week. Which Rupes Polisher is the best for a beginner?

Im getting a bit lost in the orbit size etc. Theres 12mm, 15mm and 21mm?

Thinking this one? https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/16458480...sAAOSwVNhgykXu

**DFB FGXR6** · 20-06-2021, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bangm001

OK guys. Sparesbox has 20% off this week. Which Rupes Polisher is the best for a beginner?

Im getting a bit lost in the orbit size etc. Theres 12mm, 15mm and 21mm?

Thinking this one? https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/16458480...sAAOSwVNhgykXu

For a beginner, I would go for the LHR15, this will be more versatile than the larger LHR21.

You will get just about a whole car done with the 15, the 21 would be great for the larger panels, but you if you are going to start out with one machine, the 15 is going to be more useful.

Nice choices by the way!

bangm001 · 21-06-2021, 11:49 AM

Havnt bought yet, still thinking how much work is involved masking up and polishing lol.
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/16458480...gAAOSwFbtgykYl

**fordomatic** · 21-06-2021, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bangm001

Havnt bought yet, still thinking how much work is involved masking up and polishing lol.
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/16458480...gAAOSwFbtgykYl

It's a tonne of work to do it properly, prep is key to getting a good result as well. Worth it at the end though.

**DFB FGXR6** · 21-06-2021, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bangm001

Havnt bought yet, still thinking how much work is involved masking up and polishing lol.
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/16458480...gAAOSwFbtgykYl

The Rupes LHR15 is widely known as THE industry standard, you will be very happy with it. And make me jealous.

There are a couple of versions of the LHR series.

The current one is the LHR MK III -
https://www.rupes.com/product/lhr15iii/#bloccoRelated

The one you have linked is the LHR15 ES/BAS -
https://www.rupes.com/product/lhr15es/#bloccoRelated

The MK III had incremental improvements so I don't think you will be unhappy with the ES/BAS, especially considering the $266 price difference.

tbro4123 · 21-06-2021, 07:53 PM

Thought I'd try a new to me product and to say I'm impressed would be an understatement.

I like waxing my cars (XR and KIA) and really appreciate the outcome.
My daughter walked through the workshop when she came home and commented that the Falcon looks good! I didn't tell her what I spent the afternoon doing so that was a nice win for me.

Product was Wowo's contact 121, not exactly dear nor cheap but certainly will go a long way, barely made a dent in the wax doing 2 cars.

Falcon

No machine just by hand and really easy to play "wax on wax off"
Now to see how long it last.

Stay safe

Terry aka Tbro

**fordomatic** · 22-06-2021, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

The Rupes LHR15 is widely known as THE industry standard, you will be very happy with it. And make me jealous.

There are a couple of versions of the LHR series.

The current one is the LHR MK III -
https://www.rupes.com/product/lhr15iii/#bloccoRelated

The one you have linked is the LHR15 ES/BAS -
https://www.rupes.com/product/lhr15es/#bloccoRelated

The MK III had incremental improvements so I don't think you will be unhappy with the ES/BAS, especially considering the $266 price difference.

Mate, I’m so torn right now, do I get the Rupes or the shine mate battery in 15. I was all set on the shine mate until this Rupes sale came up. I’m leaning towards the Shine Mate after reading Luke Kalas review on a Facebook post.

**DFB FGXR6** · 22-06-2021, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fordomatic

Mate, I’m so torn right now, do I get the Rupes or the shine mate battery in 15. I was all set on the shine mate until this Rupes sale came up. I’m leaning towards the Shine Mate after reading Luke Kalas review on a Facebook post.

I guess there is a certain level of elitism with having a Rupes. They are the best of the best for good reason. For that factor alone, I want one in my arsenal too!

I bought the Shine Mate 3 and 5 inch machines when they were released late last year. I wanted machines that I could use with ease and not deal with a cord hanging over my shoulder. I bought them with the thought I would keep my old corded 6 inch machine for when I needed. Put it this way, the corded machine has not been used in a very long time now.

I love how ergonomic these Shine Mate's are to use, not having to account for a cord makes using them for extended periods much better. The only thing I would say about these machines is, on the highest setting, they don't crank up as high as an electric polisher. I still got excellent results from them though.

If I was using these professionally, all day every day, I would want to have a Rupes LHR alongside these Shine Mates. For the hobbyist, the battery machines are a perfect fit. Either way you go, I can't see you being disappointed.

bangm001 · 22-06-2021, 01:58 PM

Hi DFB, can we talk for a bit about masking tape. What tapes, what areas we really need to be cautious on our falcons and how do you go about masking around stripes?

**DFB FGXR6** · 22-06-2021, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bangm001

Hi DFB, can we talk for a bit about masking tape. What tapes, what areas we really need to be cautious on our falcons and how do you go about masking around stripes?

The first and most important rule with masking tape is to NEVER buy cheap masking tape! NEVER! If you are going to invest in the time to apply tape all over the car, the last thing you want is a product that is going to fight you all the way.

On the right, cheap general use masking tape from Bunnings. On the left, 3M Green painters tape.

I used the Green and Blue 3M tape for a long time. It's a great choice and easily obtained. Make sure to buy a few different width's to accommodate the various surfaces that need masking. The blue is for multi-surfaces, the green for rough surfaces. Take your pick, both are decent.

https://www.bunnings.com.au/scotch-2...-tape_p1214133

However, I have been using CarPro red masking tape lately. It's another step in quality and has been designed especially for automotive polishing. It also removes residue free, an important feature. Available in four widths, it's also comparatively priced with the 3M stuff from Bunnings.

https://www.waxit.com.au/collections...ant=4915599108
https://detailingshed.com.au/collect...m-x-40m-length

In terms of masking Falcon's, they are not especially different to any other vehicle. Although that said, FG series Falcon's are pretty simple to mask up. AU and B-Series Falcon's do need some extra care to be shown around the more prominent window rubber seals on the doors, as well as windscreen rubbers on AU's.

Here sporting CarPro tape is my fabulous XR6 -

As you can see, I have also taped around the soft door badges, doing the same for the boot lid badges. Head and Tail Lamps are best taped too, usually just around the edges. Any unpainted black plastic trim is best taped as well to avoid polish stains. For example, this would include the FG XR series fog lamp surrounds and rear bumper insert. All F series Falcon's will need the roof weld trim taped as well. I have done this enough times over the years to be pretty efficient at getting around the car. Some stuff I won't bother taping because of prior experience.

The time put in at the taping stage makes the job easier. And the time invested is always worth the effort -

**fordomatic** · 22-06-2021, 06:09 PM

Also, I’m a massive advocate for CarPro masking tape, I’ve found it to be way better than bunnings 3m tape

bangm001 · 23-06-2021, 01:28 PM

Thanks everyone for their time and effort put into this thread, especially DFB!!

Just bought the red tapes. Red works best for me as one of my cars in yellow and the other blue!

Just another quickie, how many pads would you typically go through on a single car polish? Ie i now have 2x wool and 1x fine Rupes pad, should a get a few more fine or ultra fine pads?

T3rminator · 23-06-2021, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bangm001

Thanks everyone for their time and effort put into this thread, especially DFB!!

+1 for DFB. Very articulate and patient he is. Gets a few repetitive questions (from me!) but always helpful!

Regarding tapes, agree not to get cheap ones. I found out the hard way. Cheap ones also tend to have fibres on the side, which can really ruin your day.

**DFB FGXR6** · 23-06-2021, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bangm001

Thanks everyone for their time and effort put into this thread, especially DFB!!

Just bought the red tapes. Red works best for me as one of my cars in yellow and the other blue!

Just another quickie, how many pads would you typically go through on a single car polish? Ie i now have 2x wool and 1x fine Rupes pad, should a get a few more fine or ultra fine pads?

You will need more pads than that. I would say get at least 3 - 4 of each pad type, cutting, intermediate and finishing. You may or may not need all of those but you will need to have options so you can choose the correct pad for your paint and defect removal needs. You won't know that until you start testing.

If you are new to polishing, I would stick with foam, wool and microfibre pads are generally used when more aggression is needed.

Easiest way to buy pads when you need to set yourself up is in kit form. These two packages from Waxit allow you to choose pad size. Once you get comfortable with what you like or need, you can then order the pads individually.

https://www.waxit.com.au/collections...ate-pad-refill
https://www.waxit.com.au/collections...39349179547737

I have two containers full of pads.

The top stack is for my old polisher in 6.5 inch size. The bottom container has pads for my new polishers. When I bought my new 3 and 5 inch machines, that meant I needed another collection of pads to suit. I bought the Shine Mate refill kits in 4 and 6 inch with the diamond pattern. To that, I added some ultra-soft 6 inch pads for wax/sealant application.

Also worth noting that I have had great success with using Bowdens Microfibre Wash to clean used pads. I slosh a bit un-diluted onto the pad, work it in then rinse under running water. I will then throw them in the washing machine with the same detergent. Air dry them indoors and store in an airtight contain to avoid contamination.

**DFB FGXR6** · 23-06-2021, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bangm001

Thanks everyone for their time and effort put into this thread, especially DFB!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by T3rminator

+1 for DFB. Very articulate and patient he is. Gets a few repetitive questions (from me!) but always helpful!

Very happy to help, and not repetitive at all.

**DFB FGXR6** · 23-06-2021, 08:52 PM

Restocking some favorites, and a new addition.

I was late to the Bead Maker party but it has become a valuable product to have in the cabinet. I like how Bead Maker can be used quickly and easily on customer cars to ramp up some gloss and add a small amount of protection. On my own cars, I use it every second wash so as to not overdo it. It's pretty cost effective and available from a few different suppliers now, I bought with The Detail Store on this occasion.
https://www.detailstore.com.au/colle...int-protectant

Koch Chemie Insect and Dirt Remover is a beast at removing bugs. I use this when required on the front bumper, windscreen and wing mirrors to loosen but splatter, sometimes with the aid of a Jersey Bug Scrubber.
https://www.detailstore.com.au/colle...-remover-750ml
https://www.detailstore.com.au/colle...g-scrubber-pad

After having to deal with some stubbornly dirty interior glass lately, Angelwax Vision is a pretty strong glass cleaner that should aid the process of clearing up neglected glass. A quick whiff of the product nearly burnt the lungs out of my chest! It's expensive but if it saves having to make 3 - 4 attempts at getting the glass clean, it will be money well spent.
https://www.detailstore.com.au/colle...-cleaner-500ml

fiestaz · 26-06-2021, 09:04 PM

Interesting test with Bowdens sealants. I think bead machine will be my next purchase once fully slick is used up.
https://youtu.be/21lQnf9f_QA

T3rminator · 27-06-2021, 11:00 AM

So I applied some prep (wax and grease remover)......nup.....time for new windscreen?

Not sure what other stronger stuff can be tried.

Fast forwarded 4x so you can see effect.

prydey · 27-06-2021, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fiestaz

Interesting test with Bowdens sealants. I think bead machine will be my next purchase once fully slick is used up.
https://youtu.be/21lQnf9f_QA

Thanks for the link to the video.

Given I've just bought a snow cannon, and looking at how easy the happy ending is to apply and finish, I reckon some of that will find its way in to my growing collection pretty soon.

CyberWasp · 27-06-2021, 05:05 PM

OK where are the Car Detailer Anonymous Meetings held?

My Mustang is at the Smash Repairs as it was rear ended, and I have a hire car.

The car would have been clean enough for about 95% of the population but I had to give the interior a good going over. There were a couple smears and sticky patches on things, I had to clean them if I was driving the thing for a few weeks.
A good vacuum unearthed a few surprises under the seats and a quick multipurpose clean followed by some Aerospace 303. It now looks new but what am I doing.....

The final straw was when I washed it.....(why do you wash a hire car) but the water was flat on the surfaces and not sheeting off...I struggled with myself...i resisted...i won't do it, but the water didn't bead...i won't do it....I can't help it.

It got a coat of CarPro Hydro2.

fiestaz · 27-06-2021, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CyberWasp

OK where are the Car Detailer Anonymous Meetings held?

My Mustang is at the Smash Repairs as it was rear ended, and I have a hire car.

The car would have been clean enough for about 95% of the population but I had to give the interior a good going over. There were a couple smears and sticky patches on things, I had to clean them if I was driving the thing for a few weeks.
A good vacuum unearthed a few surprises under the seats and a quick multipurpose clean followed by some Aerospace 303. It now looks new but what am I doing.....

The final straw was when I washed it.....(why do you wash a hire car) but the water was flat on the surfaces and not sheeting off...I struggled with myself...i resisted...i won't do it, but the water didn't bead...i won't do it....I can't help it.

It got a coat of CarPro Hydro2.

That rental will never see that sort of attention again.
Is it Atleast a nice rental?