Calling all Detail Gurus - Need Recomendations on Products and Techniques!!

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04UZJ100

04UZJ100

10 Year 15 Year
Joined
Jul 3, 2008
Threads
100
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Location
Chicago North Shore
I am looking for some product and technique advice for cleaning up a few areas on the exterior of my new LX. Alaska is extremely hard on vehicles in some respects. We don’t salt the roads (which is awesome), instead, they put down gravel and sand mixture that coats the cars in the winter. It’s apparent that the PO took the car to multiple “touch” car washes based on the micro-scratches/swirls I see in the paint and some of the of abrasions on the tail lights. I had the opportunity to speak with the PO even though it was a dealer sale and the truck was driven on a cabin on a 150 mile round trip nearly every week. All that time not he highways allowed the sand/dirt to accumulate eventually leading to the condition of the exterior now...

Below are some areas that I would like to focus on. I plan on doing a full clay bar/wax (all by hand as I don’t have mechanical means) and then addressing the below.

What can I do to restore the polish to these tail lights? There are micro scratches/swirls that may be difficult to see.

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What can I do to address these scuff marks?

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What products or techniques do you recommend for swirl marks throughout the paint?

Thankfully the color is light silver and the swirl marks are difficult to see; however, what is the best way to remove them?

I know @2001LC has quite a few tricks up his sleeve??

Thanks in advance!
 
  • Two-bucket wash with a foam cannon and appropriate soap of your choice
  • Clay bar and rinse
  • Using a porter cable 7424 DA (or similar) with matching hexlogic foam pads:
    • Chemical Guys V32 cutting (orange pad)
    • Chemical Guys V34 (white)
    • Chemical Guys V38 (black)
    • Chemical Guys jet seal (blue)
    • Carnuba wax of your choice (microfiber sponge)
  • Lots and lots and lots of microfiber towels to clean in-between stages

Probably a two or three day job depending on interruptions and other variables.

Meg’s and other reputable brands can be used if you already have them. The list above just happens to be what I have used due similar reasons with great results.
 
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YouTube is your friend here. I would recommend videos by Pan the Organizer and AmmoNYC/Larry Kosilla. Obviously there are 100s of other folks/channels but these 2 will set you on the right path. That said, no need to buy Larry's products as there are similar or better products for less.

You will need a DA polisher if you really want to get the paint corrected. They are easily worth the investment.

FWIW, I no longer use traditional clay bars as I've found the synthetic "clay" pads/cloths like Nanoskin to be easier to use, plus they last longer and be can cleaned for re-use. Additionally I always use an iron remover like CarPro IronX to ensure all ferrous materials bonded to the paint have been removed before correction.
 
@kevinfoutch hit the nail on the head. You're going to need a porter cable DA, or Popeye forearms to buff that stuff. I also use Mothers aluminum wheel polish on turn signal lenses with a 3" blue pad.

Alternatively you could use a paint sealant such as Klasse (which I prefer over Jet Seal) prior to wax application.

If getting a DA is not an option for you (and I honestly can't see why you wouldn't want one, they make your end result so much better and quicker), remember that scuffs are noticeable because they're not clean - claying them and waxing over them will diminish their appearance.
 
I used to detail vehicles on the side for extra cash. It's a lot of work and your arms and back will ache for days. Load up on BCAAs and water if you're 30+ :D that said, it's pretty rewarding seeing the rig fully done up.

The advice above is solid. Also read through some detailing specific forums, lots of good info there.
 
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Cutting (cutting compound) body paint with a DA polisher/buffer is the way to go, it's safer than a rotary buffer. It will soften if not completely remove most scuff marks shown in your pictures. Even the plastic tail light lenses can be cut with the same compound and DA. Just make sure to clean paint & lenses really well first, then clay bar for final cleaning as outlined above.

For headlights or other lenses that are heavily pitting, scratched or sun damaged. I'd use a 3M headlight restore kit.

Body trim polishing & correcting compounds
 
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You sure those are scuff marks and not wax residue?

04UZJ100 said:
What can I do to address these scuff marks?

hqE1ltL.jpg


8zJTHn3.jpg


What products or techniques do you recommend for swirl marks throughout the paint?

Thankfully the color is light silver and the swirl marks are difficult to see; however, what is the best way to remove them?

I know @2001LC has quite a few tricks up his sleeve??

Thanks in advance!
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Meguiars m100 would probaly be the easiest to use to address all of your issues including headlights and tail lights. Its goes from a semi heavy cut to a finer polish as you use the product. You would be able wax directly after.Im a big fan of Collonite 845 for harsh eviorments like yours. I prefer sealants and coatings over waxes. Almost all of them are diy friendly now. I'm assuming you know to clay first after prepping.. Also wax headlights and and taillights to keep them protected from elements. I've used just about every product available and M100 will fix almost any defects without hazing the paint and eliminates the need for multi step compounding. You will need a polisher Portacable will do with a lake county orang pad. I like to buy once so a flex 3401 was my only option. I would also look at 303 rubber seal protection for all gasket trim including moon roof. All of their products actually do what they say.
 
Sometimes wax residue is pretty hard to remove if its been sitting for a while. Try a wet, microfiber cloth
 
studawg said:
Sometimes wax residue is pretty hard to remove if its been sitting for a while. Try a wet, microfiber cloth
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Well you were right. I spit shined some of the areas with my shirt and they came right off....chalk it up to a sloppy detail by the dealer.

Doing a full blown detail with some new tools will need to be put on hold. In the meantime I’ll give it a good wash, clay bar, and 2 coats of wax for the winter.

I’ll plan to build a full detail kit over the winter including a polisher (Milwaukee fuel cordless looks pretty sweet) and maybe even a power washer.
 
Well I started washing my 4Runner and the bug bit me. I spent about 12 hours detailing the LX yesterday and today, all by hand. I had fantastic success with Meguiar's Scratch-X 2.0 and Plastic-X products. I then used 2 clay bars and 2 coats of Meguair's Carnuba wax.

The car was more beat up than I thought, BUT, it cleaned up wonderfully. The Meguiar's products did a fantastic job restoring the tail lights and removing the significant amount of surface scratches. It appears the PO never waxed the car, but frequented the numerous locak brush washes around town. I cannot think of anything else that could have produced so many tiny scratches. In my 10 years of car ownership and detailing, I have NEVER seen a vehicle absorb wax like this one did. It was BEGGING for it.....

There were a few areas that I could not get out by hand. I intend on purchasing a full blow Chemical Guys kit and orbital polisher for my spring time detailing. I have a few Alaskan winter months to do my reading and build my kit. Below are a few pics...silver is hard to capture but the surface feels like glass!

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And a bonus....

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My last 5 cars have been black, so I've gotten plenty of experience detailing over the last decade.

I highly recomnend the Porter Cable DA polisher, Meguairs polishing pads, Wolfgang Total Swirl Remover, Wolfgang Finishing Glaze, Wolfgang Deep Gloss Sealant, and the Sylvania headlight restoration kit. Also the Chemical Guys plastic restorer for black plastic bits like the cowl. And, finally, the Dr Colorchip system for deep scratches, chips, and rock acne on the front bumper.

That will get you 95% of the way to addressing any cosmetic issue you have, except medium scratches. I don't currently have a recommended product for those.
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Hoosier Daddy said:
My last 5 cars have been black, so I've gotten plenty of experience detailing over the last decade.

I highly recomnend the Porter Cable DA polisher, Meguairs polishing pads, Wolfgang Total Swirl Remover, Wolfgang Finishing Glaze, Wolfgang Deep Gloss Sealant, and the Sylvania headlight restoration kit. Also the Chemical Guys plastic restorer for black plastic bits like the cowl. And, finally, the Dr Colorchip system for deep scratches, chips, and rock acne on the front bumper.

That will get you 95% of the way to addressing any cosmetic issue you have, except medium scratches. I don't currently have a recommended product for those.
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Beautiful car!

Can you go wrong with any of the major players? Chemical Guys seem to put together some decent kits, PC included.

I’d also like to consider the Milwaukee cordless polisher they just released.
 
04UZJ100 said:
Can you go wrong with any of the major players?
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Right on. Any of the big names are probably good. There are sooo many good options that picking one can be difficult. It usually comes down to picking a product, getting to know it for a while, and then trying new things over time as your experience and comfort level grow. There's a detailing product out there for everybody, but none are truly one size fits all.
 
BTW, carnauba wax is excellent for making your car shine like a new penny, but it doesn't stick around long. It is best reserved for special events where you want your car to shine but don't need longevity (car shows), or as a top coat over a longer-lasting coating.

I use fancy carnauba wax over the Wolfgang Deep Gloss Sealant, but I consider the sealant to be the core of the protection. The carnauba just makes the shine pop for a few weeks.

So when you mentioned "wax" previously, wax is probably not what you're looking for.

Correct the paint with a regimen of abrasive polishes, seal it with the product of your choice, and then you can wax over that as a cherry on top.
 
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