[cdmulders]

I've been detailing my cars long before I knew that it was called 'detailing'. I thought it might be useful to share the current set of products that I am using to keep my cars looking better than new. I am also waiting anxiously for spring to truly arrive here in Belgium, and although recently it has been quite mild, I think it is too early to remount the summer wheels & tires and do a proper Spring Detailing. Maybe just one month to go ...

Before going into specific products, here are the targets of my attention in their winter livery:


First of all, for washing & drying, I use:
- 5 gallon bucket (from Home Depot)
- grit guard for the bucket.
- Shampoo. Right now Chemical Guys Mr. Pink, but I also like Wheel Wax shampoo too.
- foam wash mitt. I have the Optimum wash mitt, but also like the Shmitt.
- California Water Blade - I don't know if they still make them, but I've had this for at least 15 years, and it works very well. As long as you wipe the blade after each swipe on the car, it will NOT harm the paint, and it drastically reduces drying time.
- synthetic chamois, for wiping the waterblade and removing any spots. I'm sure I've had this 30 years, and it is still like new.
- microfibre drying towel (not shown here)


Next, for paint cleaning and repair, I use:
- Riccardo clay bar and lubricant.
- Langka Wet Sand 2000 for semi-deep scratches that require more specific attention. You have more control this way and it does work very well.
- Langka Paint Chip Repair Kit for ... paint chips - it works very well too when used with OEM paint and a bit of patience.
- OEM touch-up paint
- a generic scratch remover for times when a scratch requires less work than for the Lanka method, and is simpler than polishing.


The hardware for paint correction & polishing:
- Porter Cable 7424XP w/ 6.5" Lake CCS pads, and 5.5" Hexlogic pads
- Wolfgang pad cleaner, and now Chemical Guys pad cleaner


My current products for paint correction, sealing and waxing:
- A suite of Wolfgang products, including swirl remover, finishing glaze, paintwork enhancer, regular sealant, spray sealant, detailer spray, Fuzion wax (amazing!), and the to-be-tried Uber Ceramic Coating.


My products for wheels:
- Wheel Wax: does what it advertises, and makes wheel cleaning very easy
- Wheel Wax Extreme Black tire dressing: water based product that is easy to apply with applicator, does not sling, and is not too shiny.
- Wheel brushes (from BMW, not shown) for helping clean the wheels


Miscellaneous products for the interior and occasional exterior use:
- EinsZett bug remover - it does remove bugs, but you have to be careful as it is mildly acidic.
- EinsZett cockpit spray - cleans and leaves a nice satin finish on everything
- Wolfgang leather cleaner and conditioner
- Aquapel glass treatment: far better and longer-lasting than RainX, and really improves visibility in heavy rain
- Black Wow exterior plastic cleaner and freshener: returns plastic trim like that around the Z4 windows to like-new condition, and removes excess wax.
- EinsZett Gummi-fledge for lubricating door and hard-top soft-rubber seals


Finally, the usual assortment of microfibre towels. I like:
- the Cookie Monster blue microfibre towels - soft with no edges to scratch
- the Dehydrator drying towel - large and dries the F10 in one pass (after using the Waterblade)
- Micro-Restore microfibre cleaner - seems to remove all wax & grease


Disclaimer: What I've shown you works for me but by no means am I trying to tell you these are the best. I am a big fan of the Junkman, who tells us, "Technique trumps product 365, 24/7." This is true.

Cheers.

[lsturbointeg]

Dude that's Awesome! never used any of Wolfgang's products ever but i've always heard great results. i moved on from my 20+ years of Meguiar's products cause that's all i ever knew and that's what they always had at the local auto parts store but most of my detailing stuff is all from Chemical Guy's! i'm definitely getting the itch to fully detail my car but with Winter still here but feels like spring i'm gonna wait like you! here's a few of my stuff!

[cdmulders]

Cool! You have a great setup. Who makes your red cart and where did you get it? I could use one of those. My system is three medium-sized plastic tubs with lids to keep everything organized and portable.

I grew up washing & waxing cars in Canada, and the go-to place was Canadian Tire for everything. I'm also quite familiar with Meguiars, Mothers, Simonize, Turtlewax, and the list goes on. I do really like the Wolfgang products now and the combination of their sealant with their Fuzion wax on top is amazing. I've also heard many good things about Chemical Guys and they do have an extensive range of products! I'm looking forward to trying the Wolfgang Uber Ceramic Coating when the weather gets warmer. My current detailing bay is an open-air carport so that does mean I would like more reasonable weather before I spend a weekend with Porter Cable and Wolfgang.

[lsturbointeg]

picked up my detailing cart from Harbor Freight Tools but i'm not sure if they have that in Canada? you could order it online but i'm sure shipping to Canada won't be cheap? i paid like $47 when it was on sale one of my favorite products from Chemical Guy's is their V07 Optical High Gloss Sealant. smells really good and so easy to apply after a wash.

Definitely post some progress pictures when you get around to detailing the car. here's my thread when i did mine last year starting with which products:
http://f10.5post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1281487

than the actual process:
http://f10.5post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1290809

Aquapel glass treatment: far better and longer-lasting than RainX, and really improves visibility in heavy rain

never tried this stuff. better than RainX?

[cdmulders]

Aquapel states that their product bonds to the windshield so it lasts 6 times longer than silicon based products. I can attest that a single application of Aquapel lasts at least 4-5 months. It costs more than RainX, but I notice that TireRack sells 6 and 12 packs of Aquapel applicators for a reasonable price. Give it a try!

[lsturbointeg]

I'll give it a try ad I haven't been too impressed with RainX. I wonder if they sell Aquapel here in the US or online? I'll give it a search... Thanks!

[xxpanipuri]

I did the Wolfgang Uber Ceramic coating back in october, along with the wolf gang total swirl remover, and also optimum hyper compound on the trunklid/hood/roof to remove some of the clear coat scratches.

I'll tell you, that ceramic coating has been great, even though the car is dirty, I can tell that when i do finally wash it that it will make washing alot easier....

I december my wife and I took a trip to Paso Robles Which is around 160 miles each way from our house.

After the drive, my front end was covered with bugs, but the following week i drove the car through crazy heavy rain storm, and bam all the bugs were gone!

I'm waiting for the weather to get a bit warmer and for the rain to taper off, so i can give both my car and my wife's mdx a proper foam bath.

We drove to tahoe this week, and on the way back my wife's mdx was caked with salt and sand (don't miss that at all) i rinsed it off yesterday at a brushless car wash, but it still needs a proper foam bath...

[firewolf]

Nice setup.