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Magnetic Gray
So I'm a professional detailer in the Reno/Tahoe area and I wanted to get something like this out there to mitigate a lot of the confusion and misinformation I see when it comes to maintaining our trucks. I am IDA certified and skills validated. I've got skin in the game and have trained with a few of the biggest names in the industry to include Todd Cooperider and Mike Phillips. I specialize in ceramic coatings and I am a certified installer for Feynlab coating products. So hopefully at the very least I can shed light on a lot of the misconceptions in the industry regarding ceramic products. The world of detailing is immensely vast and I am merely scratching the surface here, but below's a few quick tips and generally useful information to start. Feel free to ask me anything you might have questions with! I'm sure there are others on tacoma3g that can bring some great info as well.
Quick Tips:
Washing:
Decontamination
Paint Protection:
Interior Cleaning
Paint Correction:
What I use:
Links:
Quick Tips:
- Improper washing and drying is the #1 cause of swirl marks.
- All vehicles could benefit from an annual chemical decontamination.
- I don't care what your detailer told you, clay bars will mare your paint.
- Automatic car washes = bad. Proper hand washing = good.
- When doing PPF, never opt for a partial panel. Always protect full panels.
- The longevity and durability of a coating is severely dependent on how it is maintained.
- Air dry whenever possible. The less physical contact the better.
Washing:
- Automatic Touch:
- Use these if you hate your car and want the 30 lbs of mud and grime from the truck in front of you to slap against your clear coat for 5 minutes.
- Automatic Touch-less:
- A better solution to touch washes, if you must. But because these washes cannot use friction to remove dirt, instead to be effective most of them use harsher chemicals. These chemicals are good at one thing: stripping waxes and sealants.
- Hand Wash:
- The only correct way to wash. Proper hand washes use a 3 bucket system: 1 bucket for the paint, 1 bucket for the wheels, and 1 rinse bucket. All with grit guards. Your wheels are the most contaminated part of your vehicle - always wash them before the rest of the vehicle. Rule of thumb is top to bottom after the wheels.
- The order of march for a proper maintenance wash is as follows: Rinse -> Foam -> Rinse -> Hand Wash -> Rinse -> Air Dry
- The only correct way to wash. Proper hand washes use a 3 bucket system: 1 bucket for the paint, 1 bucket for the wheels, and 1 rinse bucket. All with grit guards. Your wheels are the most contaminated part of your vehicle - always wash them before the rest of the vehicle. Rule of thumb is top to bottom after the wheels.
Decontamination
- Mechanical
- Clay: Removes imbedded contaminants from the paint. Removing these contaminants leaves the paint smooth and appearing "glossier". A lot of detailers will include a clay decontamination in their basic wash services because of the improvements in gloss and feel but make no mistake - this will mare your paint. They will tell you it doesn't, but I promise you it does. Claying is a necessary evil so afterwards, if you want a defect-free finish, paint correction will be required after performing any kind mechanical decontamination.
- Chemical
- De-Iron: This is a process performed during washing to safely remove imbedded iron contaminants. All brand new vehicles need a chemical decon. A chemical decon should also be performed annually, even on vehicles that are coated.
Paint Protection:
- Paint Protection Film:
- AKA "Clear Bras" have evolved to not only offer the most protection to impact, but also offer outstanding UV protection. Most have self-healing and hydrophobic properties as well. My general rule of thumb with PPF is: Never do a partial panel, IMO this defeats the purpose of PPF entirely. The whole point is to protect the panel from not only rock damage, but also UV damage to avoid having to do a re-paint. So what's the point of protecting a partial panel when every inch that's unprotected is susceptible to damage that would ultimately require the repaint?
- Vinyl:
- Vinyl wraps are meant to be temporary (1-2 years) and are generally used for color changes or adding a design element to the outside of a vehicle. Vinyl is much thinner than PPF so there is virtually no impact protection. They do offer paint protection in terms of UV, contaminant and prevention of swirl marks. Vinyl also does not have self healing or hydrophobic capabilities.
- Sealants:
- You know that stuff that the dealership's finance department sold you when you sat down with them to buy your car? The stuff that was in the ballpark of $1500, developed by a company you've never heard of, that they said will protect your paint for several years? I have bad news for you: They lied to you, you overpaid, and it's probably gone by now. They sold you a sealant which is a form of paint protection that applies like wax, cost about as much as wax, and last about 6-8 months in most climates. Most sealants have a lot of "fillers" in them as well, which help disguise marring. Some sealants can be applied to both paint and plastic. They offer UV protection, gloss enhancement and the good ones have hydrophobic capabilities.
- Wax:
- Wax is wax. Makes your paint smooth, adds a deeper tone, and provides some UV protection. Die hards still use it but in my opinion wax is obsolete in the wake of ceramic coatings and sealants. Even sealants are becoming obsolete in the wake of some of new ceramic coatings that apply just as easy in the same amount of time.
- Ceramic Coatings:
- Durability of ceramic coatings is measured by years, not months. UV protection, hydrophobicity, and gloss enhancement are unparalleled. They can be applied to everything: paint, PPF, vinyl, exterior and interior plastics, textiles, windows & windshields, tires, wheels, calipers and leathers. I've even coated my shower doors so I don't have to squeegee as much. Application difficulty ranges and air temperature and humidity generally need consideration. Advanced coatings may require lamp curing, but all coatings require some form of paint polishing before application. Feynlab is one of the very elite few whom offer self-healing coatings.
- The durability of a coating is greatly dependent on how it is maintained.
- The longevity of a coating is generally overhyped.
- Ceramic coatings are not as impacted by harsher chemicals used by automatic washes.
- Ceramic coatings significantly ease the washing and drying procedure, significantly reducing the chance of marring.
- Durability of ceramic coatings is measured by years, not months. UV protection, hydrophobicity, and gloss enhancement are unparalleled. They can be applied to everything: paint, PPF, vinyl, exterior and interior plastics, textiles, windows & windshields, tires, wheels, calipers and leathers. I've even coated my shower doors so I don't have to squeegee as much. Application difficulty ranges and air temperature and humidity generally need consideration. Advanced coatings may require lamp curing, but all coatings require some form of paint polishing before application. Feynlab is one of the very elite few whom offer self-healing coatings.
Interior Cleaning
- Any all purpose interior cleaner (APC) from a legitimate car care company will be safe to use on your car. When used normally, it is all safe on virtually every panel and every surface inside your vehicle. Grab yourself your favorite smelling APC, a soft brush and a soft towel and have at it (responsibly). I've used Meguiars' Ultimate Quik Interior Detailer on everything from an Outback to an Aventador. I prefer Feynlab's interior cleaner for the smell and the performance I get out of it when agitating with a brush.
- Pet hair removal
- In my experience, hair stones have been the most effective on carpets and cloth seats. I generally vacuum first, then use the stone to gather hair into a pile and then vacuum again. Just be careful to around plastics and softer cloth so you don't scratch anything.
- Leather Care
- Unless you drive a wicked high end car like a Ferrari, your leather is not leather per say. It's more of a leather derivative that has been painted. That being said, you don't necessarily have to use a leather conditioner or cleaner. Water does fine, the vitamins in baby wipes also do a good job preserving "leather" seats. But leather conditioners do smell nice, tend to leave a sheen that make leathers look and feel nice. Same thing here though, find something you like the smell of and use it responsibly.
- Steam
- Steam cleaning works wonders for tight nooks and crannies. Entry level steamers are pretty cheap and perform great. Steam cleaning can be dangerous if done improperly though. Be mindful of the heat. I have seen professionals and DIYers alike destroy electronics, melt plastics, burn leather, etc. A major benefit with steam cleaning is its disinfectant capabilities and ability to break up imbedded grime. Steam can also be used to clean exterior pieces and suspension systems. Never use steam on headliners.
- Pet hair removal
Paint Correction:
- Dual Action Polishers
- DA (Dual Action) Polishers can be multi-functional tools depending on what type of compound and pad you are using. Pads come in foam, microfiber and wool. Soft foam pads are generally used for spreading wax, sealants and finish polishing. Stepping up the pad and compound abrasiveness steps up the amount of "cut" or paint correction. Paint correction is the process of actually removing your paints clear coat to level out and "remove" scratches. Generally, after a watching a youtube video, a DIYer can use a DA polisher without harming their paint or creating holograms.
- Rotary Polishers
- Rotaries require training to be used safely. When improperly used they will easily create holograms and even burn through your paint. Unless you're a pro - don't worry about them.
What I use:
- I use the Feynlab for everything from interior APC to polishing compounds. Feynlab is a US company built by the who's who in the industry as a company by themselves, for themselves. Everything Feynlab develops is made in house - down to the very barrels they keep their products in. For everything else they do not currently offer I use:
- Gyeon Leather for leather coating
- Gyeon Iron for chemical decontamination
- Meguiars Mild clay bars
- Rupes polishing pads
Links:
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