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-   -   A superb Car cleaning, polishing & detailing guide (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/technical-stuff/102011-superb-car-cleaning-polishing-detailing-guide-187.html)

I will put some pictures up as soon as I get some time. There are some very good threads on the Autogeek forum on the Flex only with some pics if you are interested. The operating manual is a 200 page booklet in 21 languages and very uncommunicative about how to use the unit as a detailing tool - no guidance only technical information so a lot of questions on the forum. A must read if you are looking at it.

As for the rates, I ordered and had it shipped locally. Since I am a member of Autogeek forum, shipments above USD 95.00 is free (UPS Ground). They give you a code when you become a member which you can use to get free shipping. Normally they ship next day, but there was a delay of one day so they were nice to ship it 2 day Air without charge. This is what makes Autogeek so popular - that is a almost a USD 50.00 discount. I told them I will tranship it and they assured that they will pack the lot securely - which they did.

The 230volt version is about USD 90 more than the 110Volt unit. Surprisingly the same unit is more expensive in UK. So Autogeek is still the cheaper source.

I got the Flex Intro Kit for USD 419.00. This included the Flex, three LC CCS 6.5 " pads (orange, white and red), the pinnacle pad conditioner and the pad cleaner and a nice padded bag. The bag is a must as the original carton is very inconvenient for ongoing use. The Pinnacle items are not absolutely essential as you can use a QD to moisten the pads and use water to clean the pads. I went for the kit more for the bag. The flex alone costs USD 399. So the rest is only USD 19.00 which is a bargain. The stand alone bag is 50 bucks !

I spent a lot on the pads. I checked with Mike Phillips at Auto Geek about the pads since there are so many types of pads out there. The 6.5 " LC CCS pads are recommended. The pads have velcro backing and attach securely but removing them and putting them back weaken the fastner progressively and also they lose their softness with use due to the surface heat that is generated. Essentially the pads are consumables. Mike indicated that whichever pad you use you will typically need at least a pair to finish the job. I got two six packs of these. For each six pack I could chose the color of each pad. Each six pack was USD 49.99. I combined them to get the following combination : 3 orange (Cutting), 3 white (Polishing) 3 gray (final Polish & Sealant), 3 blue (Wax & Sealant), 3 red (Wax). Including the ones I got with the kit. I intentionally overstocked as getting the pads separately can turn out to be quite expensive. Hopefully I will OK with pads for sometime.

Menzerna is a OEM polish at Mercedes Benz. In USA they have licensed Blackfire to make some of their products. The PO 85RD is not readily available in USA (available in Europe). But autgeek has some stock. So I got a 32 Oz bottle for USD 29.99. They threw in a PO 106 FA sample (this is the menzerna product in USA comparable to the PO 85RD ). This polish is water based and breaks down in to a powder like appearance when it has done its job so it is easy to clean off.

Autogeek was offering DP Polycoat Sealant 16 oz as a BOGO for 19.99 when I ordered so I threw that in as well as I thought I will give it a try and it is amenable to machine application. Don't know if bonds with Menzerna though. The recommended sealant with Menzerna is Wolfgang DGPS. In fact Menzerna makes some of the Wolfgang products.

So there you have it - my snake and ladder behind the USD 570 spend.
Shipping to India was free as a mate of mine brought the lot over for me.

Rgds

Guys!
Today, I waxed my black Pulsar 200 using Waxpol (orange can).
Man, at first, I feared the worst. But then, I mustered up some courage and applied a nice thin coat of Waxpol on all the painted parts.
After that, I let it dry for about 30 minutes.
After that, I nervously picked up a new cotton cloth and went up to my bike.
And here we go, I start buffing it.
Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!
It's not that hard, is it?
I mean, the wax came off nicely and what I could see was a smiling face in reflection.
I am so happy, plus, reports by fellows here that it lasts a minimum of 3 months is all the more re-assuring.
But yes, I am muscular, so maybe that was why I didn't find it tough. But, yes, it would make you sweat when you wax a car. But, on the whole, all the hard work is well worth it. I am hugely satisfied.
In my excitement, I sprayed water on it as well, and the water beading was unbelievable. Then, I used water to dry it (read water sheeting). The experience on the whole was memorable.
On sunday, it's gonna be my new Fiesta's turn. Woohoo!clap:

Well, the pics? Sorry guys, my sister has taken the digicam with her.:Frustrati


I am now looking for suggestions for a nice tyre cleaner. How are the ones that give out foam? One shop here stocks supposedly genuine Formula One products (The boxes have high quality prints and look very glossy) and maybe Armor-All as well.Do recommend good ones that are cheap as well.
Other than that, I need a good dashboard cleaner that gives a nice matte black finish which is not oily to touch. Just natural. Something to use on plastic parts inside the car that protects from UV as well.

^I've used Formula1's tyre foam(out of curiosity) and wont recommend it!(kinda like, keep it at the end of the list)

I think Wurth's tyre foam is a bit more durable(relatively lasts long). (I used it to dress the pipes and hoses in the engine bay of my mom's U-VA 1 month ago and its still holding up in there!(though I wont recommend using it there))

If you want the glossiest shine out there for the tyres, check out Turtle Wax's wet n black aerosol! I'm sure you'll be surprised!

Note- Before applying any kind of foam or aerosol dressing on the tyres, wash them thoroughly and rub the surface dry with a waste but clean cloth to completely dry the tyre sidewall.

For interiors, I've tried Formula1's 'protectant' (you get it in different scents).

Imparts a matte finish with that feeling of newness to the interiors. Always clean the dash(if not clean) before using protectant.

TW and Sonax might be having better products but I haven't tried them out yet!

currently I use Megs Quik Interior detailer and it seems to do a good job!
And always use a microfiber towel/cloth for detailing the interiors. You wouldn't like lint all over the dash.

A interior duster is good for quick dusting(jopasu sells one)

I tried Amor-All on my swift and it didn't last even 3 weeks. Or should I say 4 weeks. I don't know if its due to rain in BLR or anything else. But the firts two weeks, the car shoes does shine.

I am now exploring for new tyre foam now. Will have a look at Turtle wax when my armor can is done

Sid: That is most amazing man, i should travel to cal to see your set up! I have read a few of your posts on autogeek where you asked mike about the pads, those are the most important things for a DA set up. Great education on the tool and kit for all!
Meanwhile, i observed that the slickness that we get from collinite is not great. Its a durable wax and if its pure carnauba, should be really slick, but its not. How i can make out is that when i run my california duster over the car, i can feel it slide really smooth with NXT applied and even smoother when i applied the cleaner wax that comes with the clay kit. Its not as smooth with collinite though the shine gets deeper.
So, thought let me apply BF layer on top again, thin. May sound weird that apply sealant on wax layer, but who care much about bonding etc when we just cannot resist putting something every 3-4 days over our cars:D
The slickness is back, which i like to have when i run the micro/duster over the car.
Now the question: If we wish to have the wax/sealant gone, i think we need to apply Klasse AIO( or any cleaning polish) or clay the car again? Not that am going to do this anytime in the next 2-3 months( till get a swirl removal done) but just asking for knowledge, just to confirm.
For now, only going to apply UQD and Spray wax as and when needed.
Can't resist using Klasse AIO on the i-10 and top it up with NXT now.

how is stp son of gun on dashboard ???? got it yesterday from khan market . used it previously on outer trims but not on dashboard.

To remove waxes and sealants, first hose the vehicle down and wash(if needed) to remove lose dirt etc.

Then clay normally. After claying, use IsoPropylAlcohol(91%) to wipe down each panel. (you can do a 2nd pass to be sure that all the wax is removed)

OT- IPA can undo so many layers of wax we put over period of 7-8days!! breaks my heart!

btw I too noticed that the duster wasn't going over the surface that easily!(as it did with NXT alone)

I reckon with BF it'll slide more easily than with NXT!

I cant wait for my exams to get over, then I'll be moving to a better place with a great driveway and loads of room to detail!

Even though most panels on my i20 look that they dont need more work, I still feel something is lacking in the overall shine!!(kinda like a glaze effect)

I mean, paint is 75% defect free(those micro hairline scratches are etching themselves in my mind!! Even if I cant see them I've started feeling them! :( )

shine is there(owing layers and layers of NXT etc.) depth is also there(owing to 2 layers of collinite)

but even after that for some reason I'm not satisfied, I think the paint can shine more(has got more potential).

for that I'll need a DA(Bosch one) and a few assorted finishing polishes to assess which one works better on the clearcoats here!(and loads of pads!)

:)

I have the small Jopasu Glove Duster for interiors.
What about the other guys?
Any recommendations for interior detailing to give a nice matte finish?

STP's Son of a Gun Dashboard and Vinyl protector is too good. I've been using it for more than 2 years now. It gives you nice matt finish to the dashboard.

But make sure you get it from a reliable store. As the sprayer on the bottle is not sealed and can be pilfered..

I have also used their Tyre Foam, its good as well. Recently finishedthe can. This time I have got the Armor All tyre foam, yet to use it. Lets see how it fairs..

man, that is a pain!!! doing all that work and then need to wipe it off. However even after a few washes and maybe a month, the smoothness is gone and i assume so is most of the sealant/wax which in my case is NXT till now. I feel the surface is rough on the i-10, will maybe do a session of Klasse+NXT this weekend. Klasse is supposed to remove old layer of polish etc.
I am ignoring the lines as of now, else i will lose sleep. I can see a lot of them back,which is more amusing than irritating.
Be careful that you are not removing paint layers, maybe see the depth and then go for more

I am not sure that Collinite is a "pure" carnauba wax. It is famous of its durability. Normally pure carnauba wax does not last beyond a few weeks. Sad to know that your shine is gone so quickly. I used the colliite about a month back. It is still working for me. The sealant bonds to the paint. It will not bond with the wax. But what matters is waht makes you happy. So go ahead. Yes. You are right. You will need a cleaner polish. Klasse AIO will work. Claying is normally not required as it is for surface contaminants and oxidation. The AIO will remove mild oxidation as well. Use the spray wax as you mentioned. You can use a mild shampoo prior to that as well. Rgds

My shine is there, its the slickness- the smoothness of the surface that is less with collinite, as you mentioned that its not carnauba hence this effect. The max slickness i got was with Megs Cleaner Wax, the surface was so smooth, dunno if that has pure carnauba that is why
I agree that sealant will not bond to the wax, but since i keep adding wax/sealant regularly, the surface will never lack either and also 2-3 layers went before applying wax. Put BF just to get that smoothness on the surface which helps when dusting off.
I will also see if spray wax can make it smooth, not a great fan of those for some reason as i see that the effect hardly lasts for 3-4 days at the most.

I am using megs cleaner wax and get a nice shine togerther with nice water beading, althouhg there are some swirls/scratches/paint defects which I woould want to rectify.

You have me in a diellema. If I use cleaner wax and top it up with collinite, I should sacrifice on the shine, and also collinite might not hold good on cleaner wax.

But i cannot use cleaner wax on collinite as cleaner wax is a 3 in 1 (clean - polish - wax), and thus may strip the collinite layer.

What I can do is wash - clay - polish - collinite - nxt, which is a pretty time consuming process.

Is that a right option?
Help me please:

everything looks except that collinite is the final step always as its a pure wax. NXT is a sealant so should be applied after polish. Only 1 sealant and wax combo is recommended else its a waste if you are looking at getting what they actually offer. I put BF over wax to get a smoother surface, no other gains i wanted and can get too. IMHO one needs to be particular on the combo etc if you are doing this and leaving it for a few weeks,months. If like me, you are going to apply something every week or so, hardly matters what bonds well or not:D. That said, a sealant layer or 2 at the min is always recommended over polish and then apply whatever you like. I doubt if the cleaner wax can remove well bonded sealants.

Garipagol - Thanks for the details about the Flex DA ! It was very usefull, will PM you if any more doubts,

Blackasta - i would recommend what MKH suggests, i have put on 3 coats of NXT, with a 24 hour interval & then 2 coats of Collinite 845, with 24 hour interval . The water beading is amazing, with a nice deep gloss.
Since you have mentioned that there are lots of scratches & swirls, a surface treatment before applying the sealants/waxes/polishes would make the end result much better !