http://forums.corvetteforum.com Car Detailing Info, Wax, Wheel Polish, Interior Cleaning Tips for the Corvette Sponsored byAuto Geek en Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:29:28 GMT vBulletin 60 http://images.corvetteforum.com/images/misc/rss.jpg http://forums.corvetteforum.com http://forums.corvetteforum.com/car-care-discussion/2472480-leaf-blower-new-post.html Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:37:39 GMT Is an 18V cordless blower powerful enough to dry the dry the Vette? Is an 18V cordless blower powerful enough to dry the dry the Vette? ]]> Car Care Discussion jpuli28 http://forums.corvetteforum.com/car-care-discussion/2472480-leaf-blower.html http://forums.corvetteforum.com/car-care-discussion/2472416-best-deal-on-orbital-buffer-and-which-brand-new-post.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:39:47 GMT Posted this in General but was told I'd have better luck here.

Im unemployeed right now and cant find a job so I figured I could try making some money detailing friends cars. My pops has offered to buy me a orbital buffer (polisher) of my choice as long as I get a good deal for an early christmas present. I want to get one of those complete packages that includes all the pads and polishes and I dont want to have to buy anything else for a while.

Can anyone recommend a vendor that has a good price and a complete package? Or if a vendor reads this, send me some info on a deal. ]]> Car Care Discussion SunsetStroker http://forums.corvetteforum.com/car-care-discussion/2472416-best-deal-on-orbital-buffer-and-which-brand.html http://forums.corvetteforum.com/car-care-discussion/2472378-whats-the-best-product-to-remove-polishes-new-post.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:26:16 GMT I know alcohol will remove polishes , but is there an automotive one that is designed especially... I know alcohol will remove polishes , but is there an automotive one that is designed especially for that purpose ? :flag: ]]> Car Care Discussion arkus http://forums.corvetteforum.com/car-care-discussion/2472378-whats-the-best-product-to-remove-polishes.html http://forums.corvetteforum.com/car-care-discussion/2471662-10-off-and-4-99-flat-rate-shipping-expires-11-23-a-new-post.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:09:37 GMT Image: http://www.detailedimage.com/photos/2009/11/20091119_flat_rate.jpg ]]> Car Care Discussion Detailed Image http://forums.corvetteforum.com/car-care-discussion/2471662-10-off-and-4-99-flat-rate-shipping-expires-11-23-a.html http://forums.corvetteforum.com/car-care-discussion/2471143-3-mini-polisher-gen-ii-griots-garage-mini-polisher-new-post.html Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:38:15 GMT 3" Mini Polisher- 2nd Generation Griot's Garage Mini Polisher

The new 2nd Generation Griot's Garage 3" Mini Polisher just arrived and I've been waiting for this little puppy to get here so I could take it for a test drive. I'm happy to say that it matches Griot's description of being *New & Improved* with the primary improvement being that it now has more power.

Like its big brother the Griot's Garage Random Orbital Polisher, the new and improved Griot's Garage 3" Mini Polisher , (or 3MP), offers enough power to keep a 3" foam cutting pad rotating under pressure as long as you hold the pad flat and even if you get a little edgy with it.

I loved the "idea" of the first generation 3MP but it just didn't have enough umph to make a top shelf tool, this new Gen II version fixed that problem by increasing the power enough to enable this new version to keep their 3" foam polishing pad rotating under medium pressure on flat surface with no problem.

I did some experimenting with both firm to extreme pressure and on a flat surface it will keep the 3" pad rotating but slower than with just medium pressure but it will keep it rotating. I couldn't stop the pad when working on a flat surface even with a ridiculous amount of pressure.

Here's the point, when working on thin panels to remove swirls you need to keep the pad rotating but you don't want it rotating so fast under pressure that you generate too much heat or you turn the polishing process into a grinding process. In most situations you will be using light to medium pressure and changing your chemical to increase or decrease cutting ability.

It appears to me that Griot's has found the balance between too little and too much and tweaked this new version to work in that sweet spot for good correction ability.

Besides the increase in power there's also

• 240 Watt Motor
• 3,500 to 10,000 OPM's - You'll mostly use the 4.6 speed range
• An improved on/off switch
• Soft start, constant speed feature
• An ergonomic built-in grip at the head of the unit
• 10' heavy duty cord
• Steel bevel gear drive for smoother operation
• A standard style backing plate with a 5/16" shaft instead of the previous backing plate that was held on with a Phillips Machine Screw

I'll need to use on some complete buff-outs to get a real-world feel for it before passing final judgment so this is just a primer to share with everyone interested in the new Gen II model.

Without further ado, here's some pictures...


As it comes packaged...





What's in the box...




The top model if Gen I and the bottom model is the new Gen II version



Then new Gen II version uses a normal style backing plate like larger dual action polishers instead of a backing plate held on with a Phillips machine screw.










It includes a set of extra brushes...



Testing rotating ability using some Wolfgang Total Swirl Remover 3.0



On the 6.0 setting working on an A-Pillar



The thin panel surround a window on a Tahoe...



For more information:
Griot's Garage 3" Mini Polisher
Griot's Garage 3 Inch Orange Polishing Foam Pad 3 Pack
Griot's Garage 3 Inch Mini Red Wax Pad

:thumbs: ]]> Car Care Discussion mikephillips@autogeek.net http://forums.corvetteforum.com/car-care-discussion/2471143-3-mini-polisher-gen-ii-griots-garage-mini-polisher.html http://forums.corvetteforum.com/car-care-discussion/2471140-engine-compartment-cleaning-new-post.html Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:32:13 GMT My '85 coupe was generally neglected under the hood and it is pretty dirty underneath. What is a good general all around spray on and pressure wash off for removing gunk from under the hood, wheel wells and the engine itself? What about shining it up afterwards? I know dealerships and detailers can make one look new and I would like to have it presentable for showing off after I put on my new polished valve covers and redo the plug wires, hoses and other smaller things.

Any tips on the procedure? I dont have the Optispark distributor but I know to watch out for all electronics with the pressure wash.

Thanks for any input! ]]> Car Care Discussion HlhnEast http://forums.corvetteforum.com/car-care-discussion/2471140-engine-compartment-cleaning.html http://forums.corvetteforum.com/car-care-discussion/2471132-water-conditioning-systems-new-post.html Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:17:28 GMT I am thinking of purchasing one from this company........any feedback or prior experience that... I am thinking of purchasing one from this company........any feedback or prior experience that anyone is willing to relate?
Thanks....

http://crspotless.com/ ]]> Car Care Discussion dun4791 http://forums.corvetteforum.com/car-care-discussion/2471132-water-conditioning-systems.html http://forums.corvetteforum.com/car-care-discussion/2471031-pressure-washer-to-clean-wheels-new-post.html Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:08:54 GMT I just tried it on my beater car. Did a great job. I used a 2600 psi pressure washer with a 40* fan... I just tried it on my beater car. Did a great job. I used a 2600 psi pressure washer with a 40* fan tip. It took off all the brake dust in short order and didn't damage the wheels at all. ]]> Car Care Discussion ZEEEE06 http://forums.corvetteforum.com/car-care-discussion/2471031-pressure-washer-to-clean-wheels.html http://forums.corvetteforum.com/car-care-discussion/2470980-buffer-sale-event-new-post.html Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:18:41 GMT Image: http://images.cmpgnr.com/76082645/agne1258570425828.jpg Click for Details!...

Click for Details! ]]> Car Care Discussion meghan@autogeek.net http://forums.corvetteforum.com/car-care-discussion/2470980-buffer-sale-event.html http://forums.corvetteforum.com/car-care-discussion/2470208-autogeek-or-anyone-consequences-of-not-breaking-down-polish-enough-new-post.html Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:43:37 GMT Lets take Menzerna Power Finish for example. If you're machine polishing and you don't break down the abrasives long enough, what happens? How can you tell when the polish is broken down to where it should be? ]]> Car Care Discussion 03 Z-oh-6 http://forums.corvetteforum.com/car-care-discussion/2470208-autogeek-or-anyone-consequences-of-not-breaking-down-polish-enough.html http://forums.corvetteforum.com/car-care-discussion/2470073-wolfgang-elastic-poly-clay-bar-review-and-how-to-new-post.html Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:37:18 GMT *Wolfgang Elastic Poly Clay Bar - Review and How-to* Image:... Wolfgang Elastic Poly Clay Bar - Review and How-to




Review
The Wolfgang clay bar is a professional grade clay and works great for removing above surface bonded contaminants like tree sap, air-borne pollution, industrial fallout, overspray paint, railroad and brake dust, etc.

Right out of the cellophane wrapper the clay is a little tacky and this helps the clay to capture and hold onto the contaminants you're removing. I wold like to point out that after you mist some spray detailer onto the clay, this dramatically reduces the tackiness of the clay.




How-To
The Wolfgang Elastic Poly Clay bar is a hefty 200 gram bar of detailing clay that can easily be broken up into 4 - 50 gram clay bars if you like, or even 2-3 larger clay bars depending upon your personal preference.

Some people like the feel of a large fat patty of clay when claying their paint while others understand that all that's needed is a round patty of clay about 4" to 5" in diameter to provide ample surface area for removing above surface bonded contaminants and the thickness or thinness doesn't matter as only the surface area is doing the work. Since clay gets used up as it fills up with contaminants, it's actually better to use thin clay patties so that you get the most use out of your clay bar because once the clay is full of contaminants you then throw it away.

You can easily get 4 pieces of clay out of one 200 gram clay bar and you can use each clay portion multiple times before it needs to be replaced. How many times of course depends upon how contaminated your car's finish is to start with.




The Wolfgang clay bar comes sealed in a cellophane wrapper to keep i clean. Here's a U.S. quarter for comparison to give you an idea as to just how hefty a 200 gram clay bar is





I've taken and broken the 200 gram clay bar into 4 equal pieces and then kneaded one into a round patty about 4" in diameter while rolling the other 3 segments into round balls of clay.





Now I've formed all 4 into round patties of clay approximately 4" in diameter.



A clay patty approximately 4" in diameter is a good general size for most people's hands



When using a clay patty, hold it in your hand with your fingertips protruding past the end of the patty, don't hold it in a way where your fingertips are covered by clay as you'll tend to apply more pressure to your fingertips and push holes through the clay before you're ready to knead it. Not a big deal because you can always re-knead your clay to make a new patty but it's nice to do this when you decide, not when your clay patty decides for you.



Another point of reference as to what size to form your clay patty is about the size of an average foam applicator pad. In this example, here's a 4" Wolfgang foam applicator pad.



See how the clay patty almost perfectly covers the applicator pad.



From a horizontal point of view you can see that you don't need a thick patty of clay, a thin patty works well also as the only portion of the clay that's working for you is the face or surface of the patty.




For my review, I'm going to use just one of the clay portions and save the other 3 portions in a Zip-lock baggie for a future detailing session.

The demo car is well kept but sits out side 24 hours a day and while parked at home there are nearby trees that release tree sap so when I inspected the finish it had a rough, textured feel to it which is a sure sign that the paint needed to be clayed.

First I sprayed some Wolfgang Clay Lubricant onto the clay itself and then onto the section of paint to be clayed. The goal is to insure there is plenty lubrication between the clay and the paint to enable the clay to glide over the surface.






Next I rubbed the clay patty back and forth over an area about 16" inches squarish or so. At first you will feel the clay grabbing a little bit, that's normal, as you continue to move the clay over the paint it will remove more and more above surface bonded contaminants and then will start gliding effortlessly. This is a pretty good sign that this area is now clean and smooth and you can wipe-off the lubricant residue and then move onto a new section.



After claying about half the hood I stopped and turned the clay over and laid it next to an un-used clay patty to show the accumulation of above surface bonded contaminants on the surface of the clay. Notice the brown tint the clay on the right side has.



As you clay, periodically turn your clay patty over and inspect the surface, when it appears to have a film of contaminants on the surface, stop and take a moment to fold the clay over into itself a couple of times and then you can re-knead it to expose fresh, uncontaminated clay material.









Sometimes twisting the clay is another good way to thoroughly mix the clay to expose a fresh material.





After thoroughly mixing the clay, then squeeze it out using your palms into a small patty and then continue to knead the clay with your fingers to knead to clay back into a round patty.










When you're finished claying the paint, if it's still in usable condition, you can spray a little clay lubricant into the original container or a clean, Zip-Lock baggie to store it for future use.











Additional Comments
If you're new to detailing and/or new to using detailing clay, here's some additional information on the importance and benefits of detailing clay


Detailing Clay Safely Removes Above Surface Bonded Contaminants
Over time, if your car is parked outside for any length of time during each day then any dirt or air-borne contaminants that land on the paint will tend to bond to the paint if they are not removed in a timely manner. Once they bond to the paint some of them won't come off just from normal washing. This is where detailing clay comes into the picture.

Detailing clay uses a special abrasive that has the ability to basically sand off any contaminants sitting on top of the surface off without installing scratches into your car's paint at the same time. In the old days, people would use coarse rubbing compounds to remove above surface bonded contaminants and while these types of products would work they would also instill scratches into the paint and at the same time remove perfectly good paint. That's two negative things you don't want to do your car's precious clear layer of paint.


Detailing Clay Restores a Smooth Surface
Everyone agrees a GREAT looking finish is a GLOSSY finish and gloss comes from smoothness. As air-borne contaminants build-up on your car's paint they create texture or bumpy or irregular surface and this reduces gloss. Simply claying your car's paint will restore the paint back to the smooth surface it had when it was new and this will restore gloss.


Detailing Clay Enables Your Choice of Wax or Paint Sealant To Last Longer
You see chemists create wax and paint sealant formulas to bond or adhere to paint which is a type of resin; they don't create their formulas to bond or adhere to layers of dirt build-up. The build-up of contaminants on your car's finish is a film or layer of dirt over the paint and this film prevents your choice of wax or paint sealant from properly bonding to the paint. By washing and then claying your car's paint you will enable your choice of wax or paint sealant to better bond to the paint and thus last longer.


The order in which to use detailing clay
After washing, claying the paint should be done before trying to remove swirls and scratches. A common question goes like this,

Should I clay first and then use a polish or swirl mark remover? Or use a polish first and then clay?

The answer is

First go after the defects sitting on top of the surface to get them out of the way, (above surface bonded contaminants), then go after the defects that are in the paint, (below surface defects).



Above Surface Bonded Contaminant = Tree Sap, Overspray Paint, Industrial Fallout, Rail Dust, Industrial Fallout and Air-borne pollution

Below Surface Defects = Swirls, Scratches, Type II Water Spots and Bird Dropping Etchings




Products shown
Wolfgang Elastic Poly Clay bar
Wolfgang Clay Lubricant
4" Wolfgang foam applicator pad. ]]> Car Care Discussion mikephillips@autogeek.net http://forums.corvetteforum.com/car-care-discussion/2470073-wolfgang-elastic-poly-clay-bar-review-and-how-to.html http://forums.corvetteforum.com/car-care-discussion/2469784-mr-clean-autodry-4-at-big-lots-new-post.html Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:26:00 GMT Starter kit which includes the gun, soap, and 1 water de-mineralize cartridge. I will not use the... Starter kit which includes the gun, soap, and 1 water de-mineralize cartridge. I will not use the soap as it will strip off wax, only use it for the final rinse. Hopefully, it will produce a touchless, spot free finish! Worth a try for $4!! :thumbs: ]]> Car Care Discussion 03 Z-oh-6 http://forums.corvetteforum.com/car-care-discussion/2469784-mr-clean-autodry-4-at-big-lots.html http://forums.corvetteforum.com/car-care-discussion/2469761-concrete-new-post.html Tue, 17 Nov 2009 02:51:38 GMT How do you get dried concrete off the hood of your car? Found some on my truck's hood. Thank god it wasn't on the Vettes.:bigears ]]> Car Care Discussion jabez http://forums.corvetteforum.com/car-care-discussion/2469761-concrete.html http://forums.corvetteforum.com/car-care-discussion/2469502-adams-stuff-new-post.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:52:58 GMT Just left a Good Guys car show and purchased a few Adams supplies. (Running low at home) I noticed... Just left a Good Guys car show and purchased a few Adams supplies. (Running low at home) I noticed when I got home two of the products I purchased are now a different color from the same ones I already have at home. Whats up with that? :toetap: ]]> Car Care Discussion DBRASUE http://forums.corvetteforum.com/car-care-discussion/2469502-adams-stuff.html http://forums.corvetteforum.com/car-care-discussion/2469357-interior-cleaning-new-post.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:17:21 GMT I'd like to do a real thourough cleaning of the drivers conrols and steering wheel and have two questions:

What is best for getting the wheel, and shifter knob clean, I've just had it a year, but there is plenty of stuff on there from it's prior owner. When I clean it, you can see goo rubbing off but it never really looks clean. It's like years of built up oil and dirt from hands on the wheel or maybe residue from armour all, not sure.

The other place is the stalk on the left for the cruise control. I've tried to clean them on other cars before and rubbed the letters right off (easily)! What can you use on those to get them clean again without damaging the white letters? ]]> Car Care Discussion 03WhiteConv http://forums.corvetteforum.com/car-care-discussion/2469357-interior-cleaning.html