Car Detailing - What products are your go to?

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by prydey

So...

2 orders submitted just now, total approx $200!!

Many many thanks to DFB once again to assist in navigating the myriad of products available and choosing high performance options. Seriously, massive thanks. First hand feedback is priceless.

Waxit

CarPro Perl 1L
NV Snow 1L (wanted to try Reset but just a bit too expensive and I'm really happy with NV snow)
Monsoon waffle weave towel

The Detail Store

The Rag Company 'The Gauntlet' towel x 2 (one 30 x 30, one 38 x 60)
P&S Rags to Riches microfibre wash
P&S Brake Buster wheel cleaner spray bottle 473ml

Now to tell the wife....

Firstly, very well chosen!

Secondly, my apologies to your wife.

You will love those Gauntlet towels, one of my favorite drying towels. Maintained with Rag's to Riches, they should last you for a long time.

Reset is expensive, although it is in my opinion the best on the market. But.........the difference back to Snow is not massive and for the price, Snow is a bargain for what you get.

With Perl, it can be used a either diluted or neat.

I have some mixed at 5:1 for use on wheel arches and rubber mats, that dilution can be used on the interior plastics as well. To be honest, I prefer 303 for that role. For exterior trims they recommend 3:1.

For tyres, many will dilute it but I prefer using straight from the bottle. CarPro supply a sprayer head with bottles of Perl but these actually won't spray the undiluted liquid. As such, I recommend re-purposing a pop top or pump action dispenser. You might need to raid the kitchen............. I played it safe and used an old Adam's pop top.





Such equipped, you simply squeeze Perl onto your applicator.

[DFB FGXR6]

PS Prydey, just tell your wife the expense was in the name of "fleet management".

If that fails, then try the "it will help maintain our resale value.........$200 spent now will return $1000's at trade in time".

If that doesn't work, just tell her DFB said it was an essential.

If all that fails.................run...................

[prydey]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

PS Prydey, just tell your wife the expense was in the name of "fleet management".

If that fails, then try the "it will help maintain our resale value.........$200 spent now will return $1000's at trade in time".

If that doesn't work, just tell her DFB said it was an essential.

If all that fails.................run...................

I went one better.

I said it was a valentines day present.

Yeah, I'm a true romantic

[fiestaz]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Should be able to get the dent out via PDR I would think.

What do you have in mind regarding the storage of your detailing gear?

One of the problems I have in my garage is that it is not fully sealed. If it was, I would have had A/C installed, like, 10 years ago! This means I have some issues with dust, obviously dust and detailing don't really go together. That is why all my products, tools and microfiber are housed within cabinets.

image

image

The microfiber "collection" and polishing pads are also stored in sealed containers.

image

image

This means everything is clean and ready to use clean!

Bunning's have decent cabinets available -

https://www.bunnings.com.au/search/p...stOrder&page=1

I would also recommend having a look here too, a bit more expensive but better made -

https://www.justprotools.com.au/

Sorry DFB. First chance I’ve had to respond properly.

So I went to bunnings, aiming to go simple with another $16 gal shelf. Ended up with a full bench as pictured. I have a cheap gal shelf on its way.




This is my first proper garage work bench, with peg board. So in total by maybe the weekend I’ll have this work bench, and two gal shelves. At this point I’m maxed out on space.

Containers wise I have two different sized containers. Both are bulging, so more of them to come. I’m hoping to label everything also.

I did consider a cabinet, but the garage is extremely well sealed (best I’ve seen) and once I saw a bench, I knew it would be ideal. No more putting what I’m using on the ground, and it still has good storage options.

Everything garden and car used to live on that one gal shelf shown on the left. It was stacked high and any time I wanted anything I’d knock 20 bottles of Bowdens over. So this is a HUGE upgrade for me and is doing my OCD well.

So bit of a basic set up for me, but I am happy to take on suggestions to get the most out of it. The DFB organisation is like an art form. I love it.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by fiestaz

Sorry DFB. First chance I’ve had to respond properly.

So I went to bunnings, aiming to go simple with another $16 gal shelf. Ended up with a full bench as pictured. I have a cheap gal shelf on its way.


image

This is my first proper garage work bench, with peg board. So in total by maybe the weekend I’ll have this work bench, and two gal shelves. At this point I’m maxed out on space.

Containers wise I have two different sized containers. Both are bulging, so more of them to come. I’m hoping to label everything also.

I did consider a cabinet, but the garage is extremely well sealed (best I’ve seen) and once I saw a bench, I knew it would be ideal. No more putting what I’m using on the ground, and it still has good storage options.

Everything garden and car used to live on that one gal shelf shown on the left. It was stacked high and any time I wanted anything I’d knock 20 bottles of Bowdens over. So this is a HUGE upgrade for me and is doing my OCD well.

So bit of a basic set up for me, but I am happy to take on suggestions to get the most out of it. The DFB organisation is like an art form. I love it.

That looks great! I have always wanted a peg board for some reason.

The lower shelf of the work bench would work really well with some stackable storage drawers. That would allow easy to see and easy to access storage for towels, brushes ect. Being stackable, it would use up the space quite efficiently as well keeping everything clean and tidy looking.

https://www.bunnings.com.au/montgome...rawer_p0286345

https://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_...&_sacat=159897

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by prydey

I went one better.

I said it was a valentines day present.

Yeah, I'm a true romantic

I hope this information isn't too late, but Detailing Shed and The Detail Store have Valentines Day sales, although I do not see the link between detailing and Valentines day.

Detailing Shed - 10% off selected lines.
https://detailingshed.com.au/

The Detail Store - Up to 25% off selected lines.
https://www.detailstore.com.au/

[prydey]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

I hope this information isn't too late, but Detailing Shed and The Detail Store have Valentines Day sales, although I do not see the link between detailing and Valentines day.

Detailing Shed - 10% off selected lines.
https://detailingshed.com.au/

The Detail Store - Up to 25% off selected lines.
https://www.detailstore.com.au/

Typical...

Although I did order this morning so perhaps I did get the discount. Have to look when I get home.

[fiestaz]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

That looks great! I have always wanted a peg board for some reason.

The lower shelf of the work bench would work really well with some stackable storage drawers. That would allow easy to see and easy to access storage for towels, brushes ect. Being stackable, it would use up the space quite efficiently as well keeping everything clean and tidy looking.

https://www.bunnings.com.au/montgome...rawer_p0286345

https://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_...&_sacat=159897

I like your thinking. I am super keen to get the it organised. It looks nothing like the photo right now. Can’t even see it under boxes.

Definitely looking into those storage drawers. Thanks DFB! Will keep
You posted.

FYI the bench/peg board was just over $120 from bunnings. Feels sturdy and solid. 200kg weight eating apparently.

[H4ZE]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Bunning's have decent cabinets available -

https://www.bunnings.com.au/search/p...stOrder&page=1

I would also recommend having a look here too, a bit more expensive but better made -

https://www.justprotools.com.au/

My dream set of workbenches/cabinets come from the Sonic MSS+ catalogue, which www.garagetools.com.au sell. Prices are eye watering (up there with custom kitchen cabinet $) but the quality and looks of them are spot on.

On the subject of YouTube trends- has anyone here had their vehicle's undersides dry ice blasted? I'm seriously considering getting the AU's suspension and floorpan done, not just for the aesthetic/OCD satisfaction but making working on it somewhat nicer with reduced grunge on everything!

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by H4ZE

My dream set of workbenches/cabinets come from the Sonic MSS+ catalogue, which www.garagetools.com.au sell. Prices are eye watering (up there with custom kitchen cabinet $) but the quality and looks of them are spot on.

On the subject of YouTube trends- has anyone here had their vehicle's undersides dry ice blasted? I'm seriously considering getting the AU's suspension and floorpan done, not just for the aesthetic/OCD satisfaction but making working on it somewhat nicer with reduced grunge on everything!

If I won the lottery, apart from buying a F-Type R, I would be ordering a garage worth of Sonic cabinets. I know Matt Moreman has said a few times, buying a Sonic array is a once in a lifetime purchase. Soooo expensive I know, I still want them though!

As for Dry Ice cleaning, it's still pretty new to car detailing.

A quick search found this company doing it in Sydney -
https://leadingdetailing.com.au/dry-ice-blasting/

"The cost of Dry Ice Blasting is highly variable and dependent on the time required as well as the frozen CO2 consumed however a full underbody/suspension/wheel well treatment does generally begin from $1,000 up to $3,500 for older vehicles."

And prosumer grade machines are not cheap either -
https://www.obsessedgarage.com/colle...leaning-system

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by prydey

So...

2 orders submitted just now, total approx $200!!

Many many thanks to DFB once again to assist in navigating the myriad of products available and choosing high performance options. Seriously, massive thanks. First hand feedback is priceless.

Waxit

CarPro Perl 1L
NV Snow 1L (wanted to try Reset but just a bit too expensive and I'm really happy with NV snow)
Monsoon waffle weave towel

The Detail Store

The Rag Company 'The Gauntlet' towel x 2 (one 30 x 30, one 38 x 60)
P&S Rags to Riches microfibre wash
P&S Brake Buster wheel cleaner spray bottle 473ml

Now to tell the wife....

All this talk about Brake Buster made me realise I'm nearly out of it. A $45 gallon turned into a $135 order!

[DFB FGXR6]

I'm a big advocate of having the right tool, or product, for every job. When I "clean" the wheels on my cars, I'm generally just washing off some light brake dust.







When protected and regularly cleaned, brake dust and road grime does not have the chance to build up and bake onto the surface. In this case, I always recommend just using regular car soap for cleaning. The majority of the dirt shown above generally washes off with a pressure rinse, the remaining grime is then taken care of with soap.











However, below is where dedicated wheel cleaners come in.





This VW Crafter was sporting 1000's of km of baked on brake dust. This is a situation where the power of a wheel cleaner is most certainly required. Today I used CarPro IronX, which is a iron removing wheel and surface cleaner. The wheels had the product sprayed on dry so as to not dilute, immediately turning purple. I then hosed the product off, re-applied and scrubbed with a brush before a final rinse.







I still have the smell of that stuff up my nose but at least the wheels are rid of that horrible black mess.

[anobserver]

Picked up a bottle of bowdens own bead machine on the weekend, while on special.



The weather is rubbish for keeping the car clean at the moment. Passing showers that leave water marks, so thought id try a repellant.

Managed to coat about half the car using some new microfibre cloths. Like with fully slick, these will be dedicated to bead machine only. Funny that the wife commented on how soft the new cloths are!

[fiestaz]

This is what ive come up with so far for usage of storage (and satisfying my organisation needs).





Some new containers for cloths, sponges and random microfibres (am planning on labelling these) and stored on the bottom shelf of the bench. Also hung up the Brushes on the peg board.
Next is the new/old gal shelf which houses detailing chemicals and other automotive related items. Not super organised yet but getting there.

I also wanted to show a purchase i made a little while ago. A portable LED flood light, 18V. Was only $50 (excl battery). Has dimmer and it gets extremely bright. Will be handy for me in the garage to combine with natural light.





Now for the i30. Its current situation means most of the time it will be spending a lot of time outside in the local train station carpark, cooking in the sun. It was overdue for a wash and vacuum (after moving house) so Saturday morning i got into it.
The car is coated with Bead Machine, has been for quite a few months now (maybe September or October) and seems to be holding up very well. Water falls off this car. I am hoping this means the UV protection is still there also.
Nevertheless it got a good wash, followed by a spray with Wet Dreams to top up the protection (whether it was needed or not).
Interior was vacuumed and wiped over with Bowdens Vinyl Care and their Far Cough cleaner also.
My Partner used the Dyson on the floor mats inside the house, she also turned the mats over once vacuumed to use a lint roller to remove all the dog hair stuck to underneath the mat. This is what fell from the drivers floor mat.....



Cleaned is not always cleaned... This mat was wet vacuumed with a Bissell after this....



Anyway sorry for the long post, above is a bad photo of a pretty clean i30 under Ozito light... in the next month or two this car will need a full detail I suspect. Will probably turn to this unexpectedly huge thread for how best to attack this now station car.

Also cheers for everyone who contributes to this thread. It was not a thread i was expecting to not only be ongoing, but have such a huge number of views and posts.

P.S The poor Ford in the refection of the i30. Its muddy, smelly and all around pretty filthy (it was used as a storage unit for about two weeks). I want to remove the Bead Machine protection it currently has and go back to using Lazy Wax and Fully Slick (this combo really brings out the blue and paint smoothness) and give the interior a full going over. Who knows when, Sydney Forecast for the foreseeable future is not car washing ideal at all.

[DFB FGXR6]

Nice work on the workstation and i30.

Floor mats are always a challenge to get and keep clean. Compressed air is your friend here, and a carpet extractor. I need to get one at some stage.

If the i30 is sitting at a railway, I would be investing in a good iron remover and doing that on a semi-regular basis.

https://www.bowdensown.com.au/three-way
https://www.waxit.com.au/products/ca...n&_ss=e&_v=1.0

The Bowdens Three-Way is expensive at full retail, making IronX more enticing.

[DFB FGXR6]

Delivery!



https://www.fordforums.com.au/showpo...postcount=1637

[prydey]

Was that from detail store? I got my waxit order Friday (ordered Monday which was pretty good) but all gone a bit quiet on the order from detail store.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by prydey

Was that from detail store? I got my waxit order Friday (ordered Monday which was pretty good) but all gone a bit quiet on the order from detail store.

Yes, from The Detail Store.

Have you received dispatch text message/email? If so, who is the carrier?

[prydey]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Yes, from The Detail Store.

Have you received dispatch text message/email? If so, who is the carrier?

The usual standard from Australia post. Got to Adelaide airport Friday morning before 8am. It then goes to at least one other processing facility. It's madness. Any who... It's on its way, due between Wednesday and Friday apparently.

[mad2]

Originally Posted by fiestaz

This is what ive come up with so far for usage of storage (and satisfying my organisation needs).

image

image

Some new containers for cloths, sponges and random microfibres (am planning on labelling these) and stored on the bottom shelf of the bench. Also hung up the Brushes on the peg board.
Next is the new/old gal shelf which houses detailing chemicals and other automotive related items. Not super organised yet but getting there.

I also wanted to show a purchase i made a little while ago. A portable LED flood light, 18V. Was only $50 (excl battery). Has dimmer and it gets extremely bright. Will be handy for me in the garage to combine with natural light.

image

image

Now for the i30. Its current situation means most of the time it will be spending a lot of time outside in the local train station carpark, cooking in the sun. It was overdue for a wash and vacuum (after moving house) so Saturday morning i got into it.
The car is coated with Bead Machine, has been for quite a few months now (maybe September or October) and seems to be holding up very well. Water falls off this car. I am hoping this means the UV protection is still there also.
Nevertheless it got a good wash, followed by a spray with Wet Dreams to top up the protection (whether it was needed or not).
Interior was vacuumed and wiped over with Bowdens Vinyl Care and their Far Cough cleaner also.
My Partner used the Dyson on the floor mats inside the house, she also turned the mats over once vacuumed to use a lint roller to remove all the dog hair stuck to underneath the mat. This is what fell from the drivers floor mat.....

image

Cleaned is not always cleaned... This mat was wet vacuumed with a Bissell after this....

image

Anyway sorry for the long post, above is a bad photo of a pretty clean i30 under Ozito light... in the next month or two this car will need a full detail I suspect. Will probably turn to this unexpectedly huge thread for how best to attack this now station car.

Also cheers for everyone who contributes to this thread. It was not a thread i was expecting to not only be ongoing, but have such a huge number of views and posts.

P.S The poor Ford in the refection of the i30. Its muddy, smelly and all around pretty filthy (it was used as a storage unit for about two weeks). I want to remove the Bead Machine protection it currently has and go back to using Lazy Wax and Fully Slick (this combo really brings out the blue and paint smoothness) and give the interior a full going over. Who knows when, Sydney Forecast for the foreseeable future is not car washing ideal at all.

have you thought about either covering the ends/back or putting a lip around the shelf [gal shelf's] so 'something' doesn't fall off/out?. coz i've had that problem

[ford12]

Hey DFB.
I'm going to be using menzerna 2400 and 3500.
I can't decide what brand of pads to use, I used to use menzerna brand pads as well but can't find them any where in Aus.
What brand pads would you recommend ?
Im hoping to get it all done with a finishing pad but might need something a bit more aggressive as well.
Backing plates I have are 3.5 and 5 inch.
Thanks for any advice

[GTP534]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Delivery!

image

https://www.fordforums.com.au/showpo...postcount=1637

I got the same Brake Buster from Detailing Shed with a foam sprayer. Also got an order from Waxit. Delivery from both was 2 to 3 days.

Is the Wet Coat that spray on rinse sealant? I’ve seen some US videos where they use it on wheels.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by GTP534

I got the same Brake Buster from Detailing Shed with a foam sprayer. Also got an order from Waxit. Delivery from both was 2 to 3 days.

Is the Wet Coat that spray on rinse sealant? I’ve seen some US videos where they use it on wheels.

Wet Coat is Gyeon's competitor to CarPro Hydr02, a spray and rinse touch-less sealant. The Gyeon is a ready to use product though, Hydr02 needs to be diluted first, otherwise there is also Hydr02 Lite RTU.



Perfect for coating wheels inside and out without having to remove them.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by ford12

Hey DFB.
I'm going to be using menzerna 2400 and 3500.
I can't decide what brand of pads to use, I used to use menzerna brand pads as well but can't find them any where in Aus.
What brand pads would you recommend ?
Im hoping to get it all done with a finishing pad but might need something a bit more aggressive as well.
Backing plates I have are 3.5 and 5 inch.
Thanks for any advice

Finishing Pads -
https://www.waxit.com.au/collections/finishing-pads

https://www.waxit.com.au/collections...hing-pad-4-6-7

Intermediate Pads-
https://www.waxit.com.au/collections/intermediate-pads

https://www.waxit.com.au/collections...-cut-pad-4-6-7

[fiestaz]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Nice work on the workstation and i30.

Floor mats are always a challenge to get and keep clean. Compressed air is your friend here, and a carpet extractor. I need to get one at some stage.

If the i30 is sitting at a railway, I would be investing in a good iron remover and doing that on a semi-regular basis.

https://www.bowdensown.com.au/three-way
https://www.waxit.com.au/products/ca...n&_ss=e&_v=1.0

The Bowdens Three-Way is expensive at full retail, making IronX more enticing.

Carpet Extractor like this: https://www.supercheapauto.com.au/p/...er/384355.html

I purchased one of these a while ago and it is excellent. Used it on a number of things, and there is no reason why it cannot be used on things around the home, carpet, couch etc. (note: they are really expensive right now and can be had for less than $200 on sale.)

The i30 will be parked at the new Metro Station in Sydney. Won't be exposed to typical railway crap. But nevertheless, its still going to need that sort of treatment on occasion... Might be going back to clay bar also.

[fiestaz]

Originally Posted by mad2

have you thought about either covering the ends/back or putting a lip around the shelf [gal shelf's] so 'something' doesn't fall off/out?. coz i've had that problem

I haven't actually. I cant say ive had that problem now that there is some space around each item... Perhaps the shelves can be turned upside down to create a lip?

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by fiestaz

The i30 will be parked at the new Metro Station in Sydney. Won't be exposed to typical railway crap. But nevertheless, its still going to need that sort of treatment on occasion... Might be going back to clay bar also.

I have started using a Clay Block in favor of the older traditional Clay Bars.

https://www.waxit.com.au/collections...max-clay-block







These also come in Mitts or Towels -

https://www.waxit.com.au/collections...axit-clay-mitt
https://www.waxit.com.au/collections...max-clay-cloth

https://detailingshed.com.au/collect...ies-clay-towel
https://detailingshed.com.au/collect...agic-clay-mitt

I have found these easier to manage than a Clay Bar. If dropped they are able to be simply rinsed and re-used compared to a Bar that basically needs to be binned if dropped on the ground.

[Bossxr8]

I use the clay cloth from waxit. So much quicker than clay bars.

[GTP534]

Hi DFB, what are you using for the clay block lubricant?

Sandro from Car Craft has given a good report on the clay cloth from Waxit. I asked him about my 5 year old Escape and he recommended a light go over with the clay cloth and Purify as the lubricant.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by GTP534

Hi DFB, what are you using for the clay block lubricant?

Sandro from Car Craft has given a good report on the clay cloth from Waxit. I asked him about my 5 year old Escape and he recommended a light go over with the clay cloth and Purify as the lubricant.

I actually have a bottle of Purify, although I have not used it yet. Purify is a combination of clay lubricant and iron remover, killing two birds with one stone. I hate the smell of iron removers and want as little hands on time with them as possible, preferring to do these two steps independent of one another. Having said that, I have seen the demo on Purify and it's use has it place.

Any quick detailer, water-less wash or soapy water combination will work. I use a pretty obscure product from Meguiar's in the form of M34 Final Inspection. I like how it leaves very little behind.



I have also used D156 Last Touch -



Both of those are cheap enough to blow through when claying an entire vehicle.