Ask AutoLavish! Answers to your car care questions...

[Topless_Pony_00]

Marc,
I just picked up a 2007 STS over the weekend. The color of the car is called "Blue Chip" AKA Dark Ming Blue Metallic. The dealer I picked it up from preped it for delivery and it is covered in swirl marks. I would like to work at getting the paint back to a nice slick shine. I'm getting ready to pull an order together that would include a G110v2 DA and wanted to get a list of other ingredients. I was thinking of...
Dodo Juice Born to be Mild Shampoo
Poorboys SSR 1 & SSR 2 - to start off the refining process
Some sort of polish
Dodo Juice Blue Velvet wax

What do you think, do you have any other alternatives that you would suggest? I also drive a ton of highway miles and was also wondering if skipping the Carnubia Wax and finishing off the process with a sealer would be bennificial to me because of the extra durability?

 

[Marc@AutoLavish]

Marc,
I just picked up a 2007 STS over the weekend. The color of the car is called "Blue Chip" AKA Dark Ming Blue Metallic. The dealer I picked it up from preped it for delivery and it is covered in swirl marks. I would like to work at getting the paint back to a nice slick shine. I'm getting ready to pull an order together that would include a G110v2 DA and wanted to get a list of other ingredients. I was thinking of...
Dodo Juice Born to be Mild Shampoo
Poorboys SSR 1 & SSR 2 - to start off the refining process
Some sort of polish
Dodo Juice Blue Velvet wax
What do you think, do you have any other alternatives that you would suggest? I also drive a ton of highway miles and was also wondering if skipping the Carnubia Wax and finishing off the process with a sealer would be bennificial to me because of the extra durability?

Great post and congrats on the new ride. Looks like shes in pretty good shape and that color is going to look absolutely stunning once polished out a bit.
Before you even consider buying the above, make sure you have everything you need for maintenance. Two buckets, Grit Guards, plenty of quality microfiber towels, good wash mitts, etc. A properly polished out car will last a single wash if not washed correctly. That being said...

G110v2 should be good and fine, but keep in mind the Griot's Professional DA comes with a lifetime warranty.
Born to be Mild and Supernatural Shampoo (both made by Dodo Juice) are the two best maintenance shampoos IMO. Very good stuff.
You can go with the Poorboy's polishes, but I'd certainly recommend going with Meguiar's 105 and 205 in place.
Blue Velvet is a great wax though I personally prefer Purple Haze. Purple Haze doesn't go on as thin, but is a little easier to spread / use I think and I prefer the "soft wax" feel in the Dodo line-up when available. Sure the soft waxes have less carnauba, but none of these are going to last you more than 2 months anyways in the Summer on a dark colored vehicle that's driven a lot.

Using a sealant is a good idea - greater slickness, better durability. Keep in mind they're not quite as good against acid based damage though (bugs / bird-bombs). All the popular sealants work fine: everything from Chemical Guy's JetSeal109, to Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant 3.0, to Menzerna PowerLock to Blackfire Wet Diamond. You can always have a wax over a sealant, but if you're going to order both, I'd recommend you use one for a few months, and then introducing the other to your routine so you can actually see how the car's paint is different in looks, feel, and durability / ease of cleaning.
Last product to add is a quality quick detailer / spray sealant. Look into picking up a bottle of Dodo Juice Red Mist Tropical edition. Use it after every maintenance wash to add additional slickness, gloss, and protection to your paint.

Make sure you have Orange, White, Black, and Blue Lake Country pads (or equivalents) btw.

Hope this helps. G/L and let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[Topless_Pony_00]

Great post and congrats on the new ride. Looks like shes in pretty good shape and that color is going to look absolutely stunning once polished out a bit.
Before you even consider buying the above, make sure you have everything you need for maintenance. Two buckets, Grit Guards, plenty of quality microfiber towels, good wash mitts, etc. A properly polished out car will last a single wash if not washed correctly. That being said...

G110v2 should be good and fine, but keep in mind the Griot's Professional DA comes with a lifetime warranty.
Born to be Mild and Supernatural Shampoo (both made by Dodo Juice) are the two best maintenance shampoos IMO. Very good stuff.
You can go with the Poorboy's polishes, but I'd certainly recommend going with Meguiar's 105 and 205 in place.
Blue Velvet is a great wax though I personally prefer Purple Haze. Purple Haze doesn't go on as thin, but is a little easier to spread / use I think and I prefer the "soft wax" feel in the Dodo line-up when available. Sure the soft waxes have less carnauba, but none of these are going to last you more than 2 months anyways in the Summer on a dark colored vehicle that's driven a lot.

Using a sealant is a good idea - greater slickness, better durability. Keep in mind they're not quite as good against acid based damage though (bugs / bird-bombs). All the popular sealants work fine: everything from Chemical Guy's JetSeal109, to Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant 3.0, to Menzerna PowerLock to Blackfire Wet Diamond. You can always have a wax over a sealant, but if you're going to order both, I'd recommend you use one for a few months, and then introducing the other to your routine so you can actually see how the car's paint is different in looks, feel, and durability / ease of cleaning.
Last product to add is a quality quick detailer / spray sealant. Look into picking up a bottle of Dodo Juice Red Mist Tropical edition. Use it after every maintenance wash to add additional slickness, gloss, and protection to your paint.

Make sure you have Orange, White, Black, and Blue Lake Country pads (or equivalents) btw.

Hope this helps. G/L and let me know if you have any other questions.

Awesome, thank you for the tips!! I am also thinking of going with the Poorboy's World Black Hole as an inbetween step between the polish and the wax to enhance the shine a bit as well.

 

[Marc@AutoLavish]

Right on - make sure to take some pics showing what all you did. I'm sure there are a number of guys here who would love to hear how things came out.

 

[LilJuicedCoupe]

Marc can you give me some tips......the lift gate on my expedition has what looks like rust specs or a large amount of brake dust...It comes off with a small 6" polisher i have....is there something you can recommend as far as a compound goes....and how do ya get wax off plastic LoL?

 

[Topless_Pony_00]

Marc can you give me some tips......the lift gate on my expedition has what looks like rust specs or a large amount of brake dust...It comes off with a small 6" polisher i have....is there something you can recommend as far as a compound goes....and how do ya get wax off plastic LoL?

Like Marc has mentioned before use this when washing your vehicle to get rid of the embedded iron. http://www.autogeek.net/carpro-iron-x-cleaner.html
As far as the wax, I think he had recommended Meguiar's All Purpose Cleaner Plus D103, but not sure

 

[Overboost]

I use some APC on a rag, wipe the trim with that, then wash the car after. Seems to work pretty well.

 

[Marc@AutoLavish]

Like Marc has mentioned before use this when washing your vehicle to get rid of the embedded iron. http://www.autogeek.net/carpro-iron-x-cleaner.html
As far as the wax, I think he had recommended Meguiar's All Purpose Cleaner Plus D103, but not sure

I use some APC on a rag, wipe the trim with that, then wash the car after. Seems to work pretty well.

Two guys that really know their stuff and I completely agree with what they've said.

Thanks fellas!

 

[Topless_Pony_00]

Right on - make sure to take some pics showing what all you did. I'm sure there are a number of guys here who would love to hear how things came out.

A couple of quick pictures to show the before and after. They are pretty crappy since I could not find my camera at the time....
From the Dealer, you can see the holograms even from this distance

After the first wash

Getting ready to start some correction

a little dusty from the first step.

No holograms or swirl marks here!


Thanks for all the info and help AutoLavish!! The car came out great!

 

[Marc@AutoLavish]

Lookin' good!

 

[Billydroveit]

Marc,

What do you recommend for marine vinly? Somehting that will endure the sun and keep it soft and plyable without deteriating the thread. It's older vinly but still in exelent shape as it was always stored indoors when not in use. Also a nice cleaner, there are some light stains on the white, and if i could would love to brighten it back up, and help protect it for the years to come i will have it. I've always been a fan of the 303 protectants but can't seem to source them locally. ANy suggestions, preferrably locally sourced? I live downriver, and work in troy.

 

[Overboost]

Have you tried picking up 303 at an RV place, like Camping World? I've found it there a few times.

 

[Billydroveit]

Have you tried picking up 303 at an RV place, like Camping World? I've found it there a few times.

I have, but they only have the big botttle massively overpriced. Murrays always caried the smaller botle for 12. I may just have to break down and buy the jug that will last me damn near a lifetime...lol.

 

[Marc@AutoLavish]

I have, but they only have the big botttle massively overpriced. Murrays always caried the smaller botle for 12. I may just have to break down and buy the jug that will last me damn near a lifetime...lol.

Sorry for the delay, and know that a bigger bottle will surely last a LONG time. There are a lot of good products out there, but I don't know how much you'll find locally other than 303. Online merchants like DetailedImage.com have a wide range of products in the event you want to order online.

 

[Billydroveit]

Sorry for the delay, and know that a bigger bottle will surely last a LONG time. There are a lot of good products out there, but I don't know how much you'll find locally other than 303. Online merchants like DetailedImage.com have a wide range of products in the event you want to order online.

THanks Marc, I don't mind ordering if there's a superoir product to teh 303. But i don't know anything other than 303 is the best you can walk into a store and buy. I just don't want to take the risk of one of the cheaper products deteriorating the thread? Any reccomendations above the 303?

 

[moneypit]

marc, I just picked up used OEM carpet for the wifes truck the carpet has 9k miles on it, I want to clean it while its laying flat on the3 basement floor, would you recommend woolite? if so at what ratio and hot or cold water, and what method Just wanna get it real clean before its installed

 

[Marc@AutoLavish]

THanks Marc, I don't mind ordering if there's a superoir product to teh 303. But i don't know anything other than 303 is the best you can walk into a store and buy. I just don't want to take the risk of one of the cheaper products deteriorating the thread? Any reccomendations above the 303?

No problem. I have to be honest: I'm not a marine-vehicle expert by any means, but certain aspects of care are universal. One is that a dedicated vinyl product is going to be your best bet. I know Meguiar's has an entire line of products dedicated to Marine-care, but I don't have a lot of knowledge about any of them specifically.
Keep in mind that as you're able and willing to put a little work into this, you're way ahead of most people that just keep an "out-of-sight / out-of-mind" mentality to their expensive toys. Look into the Meguiar's Marine line, and keep an eye out for dedicated cleaners. All Purpose Cleaner can be used on vinyl with outstanding results with a little physical agitation, as could a dedicated vinyl cleaning product.
Brands I'm familiar with and trust: Meguiar's, 303, 1Z, Optimum.

 

[Marc@AutoLavish]

marc, I just picked up used OEM carpet for the wifes truck the carpet has 9k miles on it, I want to clean it while its laying flat on the3 basement floor, would you recommend woolite? if so at what ratio and hot or cold water, and what method Just wanna get it real clean before its installed

Great question, and it's smart to be proactive about things like thing BEFORE it's installed and put away.
Woolite can likely work well: use it at 10:1 or even 15:1 with a little agitation. Any other specific fabric or carpet cleaning products can likely work as well. Always use hot water if available as it helps to break things down easier.
One important step that's surely worth the extra time: once you allow the carpet to completely dry, use a carpet protectant like 3M ScotchGard in two thin layers (multiple thin layers are MUCH better than one thick layer). While it won't last forever, it'll help to keep the carpet looking outstanding and will be easier to clean down the road.

 

[J1000]

Question for you; I'll be storing my Mustang this winter in my garage (non-heated, single car detached garage with a brand new door on it), and am planning on buying a cover for the car to keep it clean while it sits. I'm looking at two on Ford's accessory site (although, if you have a better recommendation, that's cool too). Here's the two covers they offer:

http://accessories.ford.com/full-vehicle-cover-noah-style-for-v6-gt.html

http://accessories.ford.com/full-vehicle-cover-weathershield-cal-special.html

Any other suggestions for storage would be welcome as well. This will be the first time I've stored a car over winter. Thanks!

 

[Marc@AutoLavish]

Question for you; I'll be storing my Mustang this winter in my garage (non-heated, single car detached garage with a brand new door on it), and am planning on buying a cover for the car to keep it clean while it sits. I'm looking at two on Ford's accessory site (although, if you have a better recommendation, that's cool too). Here's the two covers they offer:

http://accessories.ford.com/full-vehicle-cover-noah-style-for-v6-gt.html

http://accessories.ford.com/full-vehicle-cover-weathershield-cal-special.html

Any other suggestions for storage would be welcome as well. This will be the first time I've stored a car over winter. Thanks!

I don't see a reason to choose the more expensive cover. You could always buy the cheaper one and use $15 in 3M ScotchGard and likely get the same result. Careful with the cover though: you have something sitting directly next to your clear coat, so any dirt or even light dust will be trapped against the surface; any rubbing will result in micro-marring / swirls. Make sure it's only used when the car is super clean as it's hard to clean a giant car cover.