[Jamrockbwoy]

I'm sure this has been discussed before and I did search the forums but didn't find exactly what I was looking for.

I'm new to car cleaning and maintenance and I need to know the most cost effective way to keep a Carbon Black clean and how to minimize scratches and swirls.

These are the things im considering getting:

1. Ryobi 1600 psi Pressure Washer from homedepot Pressure Washer

2. Chemical Guys HOL126 - 14-Piece Arsenal Builder Car Wash Kit with TORQ Foam Blaster & Bucket Car Wash Kit

3. Chemical Guys HOL203 - Black Car Care Kit (9 Items) Black Car Care Kit from Chemical Guys


Am I missing anything?

[gabypr]

Get another Chemical Guys Bucket: one for cleaning the mitt and the other to wash. Get a nice mf towel to dry your car like their woolly mammoth towel.

[Jamrockbwoy]

Originally Posted by gabypr

Get another Chemical Guys Bucket: one for cleaning the mitt and the other to wash. Get a nice mf towel to dry your car like their woolly mammoth towel.

Roger.

Thanks!

[lsturbointeg]

I watch a lot of Chemical Guy videos when it comes to the exterior of the car whether it's how to properly wash a car to how to do a paint correction. here's a video of the 2 bucket method that gabypr mentioned. it's one of the ways to help prevent swirls and scratches. for starters...NO MORE PUBLIC CAR WASHES!!!!

If you already have minor swirls and scratches I highly recommend doing a paint correction before using any of those Chemical Guy products you bought that way you're not wasting product. here's a bit of an example of what I did before sealing everything up that way in the future you know you started on a clean slate and if you start to find swirls and scratches it maybe you're not properly washing and detailing your car?

you definitely want a detailing cart and a mechanics swivel chair all courtesy of Harbor Freight!




2nd...Clay Bar! get all those contaminants off your paint


Chemical Guys variety of pads to use for your paint correction. the orange is for heavy cutting, white for polishing and the black is for applying waxes and sealants


because I was a cheapo I opted with the HF polisher but because their back plate created too much heat the fix for this from what everyone recommended was the backing plate from Lake Country which I also ordered some pads from them as well. the HF polisher is retiring this year as i'm gonna finally invest in either a Porter Cable or Torx from Chemical Guys.



BTW, don't know if you ordered this yet but it's amazing! I use this Natural Shine on anything from tires, engine compartment and the plastic pieces in the interior. doesn't give it that crazy glossy look but more of a natural or matte finish. Also the V07 is great for a Spray Detailer/Sealant after all your car washes



i have the same pressure washer from HD as well!


i didn't order the foam canon from CG as I've heard and seen throughout every car forum they're just rebranded ebay canon's so i ordered this for like $17. does exactly what it suppose to do!



but to further help prevent scratches and swirls i don't MF dry my car i use my Ryobi Leaf Blower attachment which is awesome because it blows all the water out of every crevice!


some nice mirror reflection shots during the paint correction





anyways, that's just a somewhat of an intro to car detailing. it can get out of hand cause you think you need everything but start out with what you have and just add to that. for us owners with black cars we have to take even more precaution since black shows everything!

[Jamrockbwoy]

Originally Posted by lsturbointeg

I watch a lot of Chemical Guy videos when it comes to the exterior of the car whether it's how to properly wash a car to how to do a paint correction. here's a video of the 2 bucket method that gabypr mentioned. it's one of the ways to help prevent swirls and scratches. for starters...NO MORE PUBLIC CAR WASHES!!!!

If you already have minor swirls and scratches I highly recommend doing a paint correction before using any of those Chemical Guy products you bought that way you're not wasting product. here's a bit of an example of what I did before sealing everything up that way in the future you know you started on a clean slate and if you start to find swirls and scratches it maybe you're not properly washing and detailing your car?

you definitely want a detailing cart and a mechanics swivel chair all courtesy of Harbor Freight!




2nd...Clay Bar! get all those contaminants off your paint


Chemical Guys variety of pads to use for your paint correction. the orange is for heavy cutting, white for polishing and the black is for applying waxes and sealants


because I was a cheapo I opted with the HF polisher but because their back plate created too much heat the fix for this from what everyone recommended was the backing plate from Lake Country which I also ordered some pads from them as well. the HF polisher is retiring this year as i'm gonna finally invest in either a Porter Cable or Torx from Chemical Guys.



BTW, don't know if you ordered this yet but it's amazing! I use this Natural Shine on anything from tires, engine compartment and the plastic pieces in the interior. doesn't give it that crazy glossy look but more of a natural or matte finish. Also the V07 is great for a Spray Detailer/Sealant after all your car washes



i have the same pressure washer from HD as well!


i didn't order the foam canon from CG as I've heard and seen throughout every car forum they're just rebranded ebay canon's so i ordered this for like $17. does exactly what it suppose to do!



but to further help prevent scratches and swirls i don't MF dry my car i use my Ryobi Leaf Blower attachment which is awesome because it blows all the water out of every crevice!


some nice mirror reflection shots during the paint correction





anyways, that's just a somewhat of an intro to car detailing. it can get out of hand cause you think you need everything but start out with what you have and just add to that. for us owners with black cars we have to take even more precaution since black shows everything!

Perfect answer to my question. Thanks!

I've heard that there is a chance the pressure washer can chip paint, since you have the same one, should I be concerned about this?
Does the foam cannon connect to the pressure washer for the foam process?
Does the regular garden hose then connects to the pressure washer for the rinse process? Sorry for all these questions.

[xxpanipuri]

Originally Posted by Jamrockbwoy

Perfect answer to my question. Thanks!

I've heard that there is a chance the pressure washer can chip paint, since you have the same one, should I be concerned about this?
Does the foam cannon connect to the pressure washer for the foam process?
Does the regular garden hose then connects to the pressure washer for the rinse process? Sorry for all these questions.

So if you have chipped paint and the pressure washer hits it the right way it can make it worse, but with a 40psi tip and an electric pressure washer the chance is probably low (gas pressure washers are more powerful).

Also yes the hose connects to the pressure washer and the foam cannon to the pressure washer gun...

Here's the process if the car is really dirty (specially after driving in the winter)

Clean wheels first (I use Sonax Wheel cleaner, let that soak for a few mins while you setup the pressure washer)

then rinse the wheels (unless they are really dirty you shouldn't have to scrub them too much)

Foam the car while its dry, loosens the stuck on grime...

Then you can either rinse and foam again and then use a wash mitt, or get a bucket full of water (and the same soap) and use the 2 bucket wash method.

I like to foam the car while dry and then rinse and then foam again and do a 2 bucket wash, main reason because i want to make sure i can remove as much of the crap during the first foaming as possible.

For maintenance washes i just rinse the car and foam it (after cleaning the wheels)

Also foam the wheels as well, that way you can clean them again with a seperate wash mitt (i used 2 wash mitts for the car) and 1 for the wheels/exhaust...

Since you have carbon black i'd suggest getting a ceramic coating done, you can either do it yourself (make sure to do a proper paint correction) or you can pay a shop to do it...(they will charge anywhere from 1000-1500 including paint correction)

Advantage of the ceramic coating is its a semi permanent wax type coating.

I put mine on Oct 2016...and its still holding up well (you still have to wash it properly etc) and i usually use a quick detailer (kenotek) that has a sealant in it...to help with gloss and hydrophobic properties..

I applied mine myself using the uber ceramic coating kit (it was 150 on amazon) its easy to apply and the most difficult part is prep...

Also if you're going to detail it before you hit it with the Dual Action polisher...make sure to do the following

1) get some ironX and spray it all over the car, it will help to remove any bonded contaminants
2) claybar the entire car after the ironx to get the rest of the crap in the clear coat out
3) foam the car with DISH SOAP, this helps to remove any old wax/grease coatings from the car...IT IS NOT GOOD TO USE dish soap regularly, but its good to use it before polishing and sealing to help remove all the shit from the car and have a nice clean surface, you want to make sure your paint is super smooth (use the plastic bag test) before you hit it with the machine polisher...

Also remember let the machine do the work, so you don't want to apply any pressure to the machine....

Plenty of youtube videos on this..

MOST IMPORTANTLY TAKE before and after pics!

almost 2 yrs now and going strong..



Here's my full thread...

https://f10.5post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1312865

[lsturbointeg]

^^^^^^^

good points

[gabypr]

To dress my tires I use CarPro PERL and Chemical Guys Natural Shine. They provide the best non-greasy gloss.

The steps that provided lsturbointeg are the correct ones to properly maintain your ride. Its up to you how much effort you want to. If I were you I would invest in doing a decontamination, paint correction and a ceramic coating so you have your ride very well protected. Its not cheap but you will love how it feels and looks in the long run. If you go this route I would suggest apply CarPro CQuartz UK 3 with Gliss as top coat. Use CarPro products to maintain the ceramic coatings because all their products are tailored for ceramic coated cars. The important thing is to use the same line of products to maintain the ceramic coating.

[lsturbointeg]

i will say before buying my house with the 3 car garage a couple years ago when I lived in an apartment it was just a PITA to keep the car clean. the leaves from trees and the rain just beat the crap out of my paint. plus lol at the time I use to use the local car wash since the apartment did not have a car wash area. but after I researched on YouTube about detailing it wasn't until I got my house that I started spending money on CG and other stuff because I knew my garage would protect the car from the outside elements.

[Jamrockbwoy]

I just noticed this sticker on the driver side window. I am assuming this would mean the car got a ceramic coating at some point, not sure.

[lsturbointeg]

I don't know without Googling whether or not GlassCoat is Ceramic Coating?

[Jamrockbwoy]

Originally Posted by lsturbointeg

I don't know without Googling whether or not GlassCoat is Ceramic Coating?

I found this.
Simoniz Glasscoat