Goodbye swirls. Hello glass!

...I promised myself that once I've made my way through the mechanical and cosmetic ToDo list (pretty much ticked everything off the list now) I'll treat the 993 with a professional spit & polish - and having heard good things about Nick at DMC I couldn't wait any longer, and booked it in. 

Detail My Car is a dedicated detailing studio based in Newbury run by a guy called Nick Goodall, who was kind enough to record the process, so I've pulled out some of the best bits below (Inc his Detailing Aftercare Info, which is very useful). He's super nice, knows his stuff when it comes to show-quality detailing, and I can't recommend him enough either - he made my 993 look like a million dollars / deutschmarks. It probably hasn't looked as good since it rolled off the Zuffenhausen production line almost 20 years ago!

Goodbye swirls. Hello glass! That Swissvax Crystal Rock Wax really is something else - it coats the paint with a super smooth glass-like layer, which looks and feels awesome, as well providing an all important tough protective water-repellent film, and is said to last up to 12 months. That said at £800 a pot, it ought to be good (Worth clarifying that a pot does a fair few cars, so fortunately I paid a fraction of that).

Thanks Nick for a superb job. The Concours of Elegance folk would certainly approve. "Jolly good finish chap". 

Process / Products below: 

Citrus pre-wash to break down dirt, bugs and general grime.

60 degree hot rinse.

Hand washed with 2 bucket method, DMC Shampoo and DMC Lambswool wash mitt.

Rinsed once more.

Tar remover used to break down tar deposits.

CarPro IronX used to remove fallout from paintwork.

Wheels cleaned with diluted Meguiars wheel brightener, arches and tyres cleaned with Meguiars All purpose cleaner.

Gently clayed along the lower halves where needed.

Gently towel dried and a hot air blower used to remove the excess water that gets trapped in mirrors etc.

Taped up with 3M automotive masking tape.

Paint corrected with a combination of Scholl polishes and chemical guys pads.

Full wipe down with CarPro Eraser to remove any oils or polish residue.

2 layers of Swissvax Crystal rock Wax applied to all paint work.

Interior deep cleaned, leather washed with a mix of gliptone leather cleaner and hot water with a soft brush.

Windows all cleaned with Meguiars glass concentrate.

Tyres and rubbers, plastics all treated with CarPro PERL.

Detailing Aftercare Info:

Recommended Wash Procedure 

- Pre Rinse! It’s hugely important to try and remove as much dirt, grime and road film as possible without physically touching the car. The best method is to rinse using a pressure washer or a high pressure hose if possible. Most garage forecourts have a decent power washer (just don’t use the brush)! You can also help the process by applying some shampoo mixed in a bottle with water, Snow foam or even a citrus wash product if you have them.

- 2 Bucket Method & Shampoo! Fill one bucket with a nice pH neutral shampoo (DMC Ultra Gloss bodywash+ is available from us) & hot water, fill a 2nd bucket with warm water. This gives you one wash bucket and one rinse bucket. Load up your wash mitt (We recommend a thick soft lambswool mitt, which again we can provide) with soapy water, and wash half a panel, then rinse thoroughly in your rinse bucket to remove any dirt the wash mitt has picked up. Reload with shampoo and repeat as above. A grit guard would be beneficial in at least the rinse bucket (although I do use them in both to try and be ultra cautious).

- Rinse rinse rinse! Rinse off all soap suds and any remaining dirt – At this stage it may be worth using an old wash mitt to go around the bottom areas of the car once more as these are easily missed (under side- skirts, and front & rear bumpers and wings).

- Drying! Use towels, a chamois leather is well regarded as the route of all evil in this industry so please throw them away now, and use a nice fluffy soft microfiber drying towel. Best to dampen the towel first, either with a mist of water or by simply laying it across the wettest flat panel first (on both sides) so the Roof or Bonnet usually works well. Use the towel to pat dry the car starting from the roof and working downwards. These towels help reduce any dragging of dirt across the surface where a chamois fails but are also so much quicker to use and don’t need to be rung out at all as they absorb up to 10 times their weight in water! A quick drive around the block or using an electric pet dryer also work well in addition to the towels.

NOTES 

I usually start by cleaning wheels, use brushes and old sponges / wash mitts with wheel cleaner and get them nice and clean before starting to wash the car with the 2 bucket method, wheels are usually the dirtiest part of a car so best to get that out of the way before you get tempted during washing to put your nice clean wash mitt on them! Try not to use any acidic wheel cleaners as over time these will eat away at the paint and damage the wheels, there are plenty of good non-acid wheel cleaners but please feel free to call or email me for any advice. 

I also usually like to spray the car in quick detailer before drying as it helps bead the water and helps the towel glide nicely over the paintwork as you dry it – Plus it adds a bit of shine too!

Lastly, if you’re running low on time and don’t get to wash the car in a 2 week period, give it a quick rinse off if you get a chance, even if it means doing it at the fuel station when you’re filling up – Minimising the amount of time any amounts of dirt sit on the surface will really help when you next come to wash it as they will only start to stick more over time if they’re left.

BIRD DROPPINGS – Best way I find to remove them is QUICKLY, using some kitchen roll just dampen it in hot water and place it over the bird droppings, leave it for a minute or so to soften up the droppings then remove it, repeat until gone and avoid the temptation to rub / scrub away as it will mark the paintwork. It can also eat away at any protection so if you have the chance it may be worth applying some wax or sealant to the area just to replace any protection that may have been removed.

Waxing & Topping up Protection**

Hopefully the Wax or Sealant on your car will last a good 6 months+ if you’ve washed it with the right procedure but I know some people like to add their own protection to keep it topped up. To get best results out of the Protection that I've applied, stick to regular routine washing and ideally using a quick detail spray each time for around 2-3 months after the detail before applying a new layer of wax or sealant. When doing so, make sure the car is completely clean and especially be sure to check the lower halves of the doors, side- skirts and front & rear bumpers as these areas are easily missed but also pick up the most dirt. Once it’s been towel dried make sure and dry areas such as under wing mirrors, windows and lights as water often gets trapped there, usually just blowing it hard is enough to get the water to run out which can then be wiped away with your towel.

Apply your wax using a nice soft foam applicator, and use small tight circular motions to ensure even coverage but most importantly don’t spread the wax on too thick as you’ll just create more work for yourself, thick layers don’t do anything so make sure and spread it as thinly as possible using the circular motions until you can’t see any product showing on the paintwork any more. Only then do you need to reapply wax to the applicator. If you drop the applicator at any stage stop using it and get another one out as paintwork can be very easily scratched even if you can’t see any dirt on the applicator.

Buff off using a nice thick microfiber folded twice and make sure to keep turning it and shaking out any dust (depending on what type of wax you’re using as some create a lot of dust when buffing, especially when you’ve used a bit too much).

I would also recommend using wax on the windows (not front or rear screen), and a decent wax should also be fine on any plastic trims, head or tail-lights but I would suggest testing a small section first.

Washing Microfibers, Washmitts & Applicators

It’s always a good idea to machine wash any drying towels, microfiber cloths, wash-mitts & applicators after each clean. Always try to store them somewhere dry and where they won’t get dirt or grit blown into them. I wash everything from foam applicators, polishing pads, drying towels & wash mitts and they always come up great.

Use Liquid Non-Bio detergent, as granules don’t always break down in the wash and can get stuck in your nice microfibers meaning you’re effectively then rubbing towels with bits of grit stuck in them over the paintwork (makes you cringe just thinking about it right)?

Wash at 40 Degrees on a normal cycle and put on a rack to air dry, tumble drying works fine on a low heat and can restore that soft fluffy feeling to towels and cloths.

**Cquartz Customers

You can still follow the above guide for washing, but when it comes to topping up protection it is advised that you use CarPro Reload as a spray sealant as this will help boost the beading properties of the sealant and can also be used as a type of “Quick Detail” spray after washing. The best way to use Reload is with a nice clean microfiber cloth, simply spray a small amount on the section you’re working on and buff with the cloth, leave to haze then re-buff to remove any excess – That’s it!

Another new product from CarPro is RESET shampoo, this really does seem to reactivate the coating and really clean well, I’d suggest this every 4-5 washes ideally. After a 3-6 month period it is also suggested that CarPro TarX and IronX are used when washing the car to help remove any contamination that you’ve not been able to remove by washing alone. These are both very simple and easy to use but if you have any problems please just get in touch. We will try to keep a selection of these products in stock at all times.

There is lots of info out there about Cquartz but please just let me know if you have any questions, if I can’t help I have a good relationship with Avi and Craig from CarPro so can usually get a quick response anyway.

Thanks for choosing Detail My Car!

If you have any questions about any of the above methods, or want to know which products would best suit your car then please feel free to call or E-mail me and I will endeavour to help as much as possible.

Car cleaning is often something a lot of people see as a chore, but if you use the right methods you will find the car is easier to clean each time you do it, and with these methods the look of the car at the end should make you feel it was all worth while.

Be sure to check out my Facebook page for product reviews, recent detailing work and links to any special offers I think may be of interest!

www.facebook.com/DetailingUK www.detailmycar.co.uk / info@detailmycar.co.uk

Thanks,

Nick Goodall

Tel 07920 867771