Ask a detailer!

[bulldozer24]

The best thing to do at interviews is burst in through the door and yell "I came here to f**k bitches and make money!" right?

You're hired!

[Thomistopheles]

Did an Acura MDX and a Lexus IS300 today. Makin' that subaru part money, awww yeaaaah.

I am a little sad, I don't get to do my usual lines on the upholstery and carpet. That's one of my favorite things, making alternating light and dark stripes. I think it adds to the "just detailed" look, and clients generally go apeshit over it like I'm some sort of wizard... but the dealership doesn't want them. Boooo.

How to be a carpet and upholstery wizard:
1. Get all the fibers of the carpet running one direction with a brush or vacuum, running front to back.
2. Run the brush or vacuum back to front with a space between strokes so the pattern alternates.
3. BAM! Your carpet looks like a freshly mowed baseball field.
4. Defend yourself against the waves of scantily clad supermodels chasing you.

[Thomistopheles]

Finally got around to getting photos of each step of my headlight restoration process for you guys. My headlights weren't too bad at all, since Wiscon_Mark had rockblocker film on them.

Supplies and tools required:
500 through 2000 grit wet/dry sandpaper
Bucket o' water
Meguiars M105 compound
Meguiars M205 polish
Foam pads, one light cutting and one polishing
Microfiber towels
Isopropyl alcohol
Mineral spirits
Minwax Helmsman Spar Urethane, clear gloss
Heat gun (optional, faster cure time)



Before:
I removed the film. It left a thick adhesive residue behind, which required removal with a plastic razor and 3M adhesive remover on a rag. This photo was taken after cleaning it up.



500 grit wetsand
I soaked all my sandpaper in a bucket of soapy water and started wetsanding. Remove any scratches, pitting, and remaining factory UV coating in this step.



800, 1000. 1500, and 2000 grit wetsand
Pretty self explanatory. Work the headlight progressing through finer and finer grits, until you hit a minimum of 1500 grit. M105 can handle removal of 1500 grit scratches, but I prefer to hit it with 2000 grit for a better finish.



M105 and a light cutting pad
In this step, I used a Lake Country light cutting pad with Meguiars M105 compound. This removes the scratches from wetsanding and gives the light clarity again. M105 leaves its own swirls and haze, so follow it up with a less aggressive polish and pad.



M205 and a polishing pad
This step removes the haze left behind by the M105, leaving a glass-like surface. After this step, wipe the headlight with isopropyl alcohol to remove any contaminants or oils left on the surface. The lens is now ready for coating.



Mix Helmsman Spar Urethane and mineral spirits 50/50
You don't need much. It will have a watery consistency once mixed and goes on VERY thin.



Urethane mixture applied
Fold a clean dry microfiber OR blue shop towel so you have a 1 inch square application area. Dip it in the mixture and apply the coating using overlapping vertical strokes, then overlapping horizontal strokes. The coating will self level, but watch for air bubbles and runs. Once it is dry to touch you can apply a couple more coats. You can use a heat gun to help it dry faster.



Finished headlights

[Wiscon_Mark]

Couple tips to add to Thom's excellent writeup:

1. Mix the Spar Urethane & Mineral Spirits in SMALL batches. It does go bad/dry up after a few months.
2. Careful with the heat gun. If you heat it up too much, it will haze badly, requiring you to do a significant amount of work over again.

This is almost exactly how I do my headlight restorations, it works quite well. The urethane mix seems to last quite well too. Much better than Meguiar's own headlight protectant which requires re-application every month or so to remain effective.

Thom - you should repost this as a new thread in the DIY forum, and I'll add it to the threads of note.

[Thomistopheles]

Done. I added a note on heat gun use and how little of the thinned urethane you need for a set of lights.
viewtopic.php?f=39&t=26365

[bulldozer24]

just did my headlights yesterday, any other good uses for this urethane mix

[Thomistopheles]

I just use it for lights. Headlights and tails.

[Wiscon_Mark]

Well, you can use it on any plastic surface that you want UV protection on. It's actually intended for woods like decking & such...

[98legwag]

Would using the pressure washer at a place like Flagship strip away wax that is already on the car?

[Thomistopheles]

I had to look up Flagship to see what it was, lol. Most self serve washes will have some pretty harsh chemicals and will strip your wax right off.

If you need to use one of these places, here's what I'd recommend:
Take two buckets, a wash mitt, and some good car shampoo to a heated self-serve bay during non-peak hours. Use the pressure washer to rinse off loose dirt/salt, rinse the undercarriage, and fill your buckets with water. You want one bucket of clean water and one with soapy water. Clean your mitt using the clean water before dipping in the soapy water, repeating often. Rinse using the pressure washer, then dry.

[98legwag]

OK. Thanks. I ended up washing it by hand. But I don't know if I will be able to all winter.

[rkrenicki]

I recently de-badged my trunk, and I cant seem to get rid of a residue outline around the old logos. I tried to photograph it, but it does not come out very strongly in photos.



In the above picture, you can sort of see the outline of H6-3.0, and a bit of the O of Outback. I have tried soaking it in Goo Gone and scraping it with a plastic razor blade. There is a hard edge that it catches on, but it does not seem to want to budge.

[Wiscon_Mark]

Try a heat gun. It will heat up the adhesive residue and then use that plastic razor blade. Make sure not to overdo it though, you don't want to overheat the clear coat and cause bubbling.

[Dead91silvia]

Not sure if he will have the same answer... but this is what I would do.

Buffer with wool pad and #10 Meguiars rubbing compound. Thats whats I have in my shop.

Mind you, Tom is a Detailer, I'm a bodyman/painter... So he may know of a simpler better method....

[Thomistopheles]

I'd try a clay bar first. If that doesn't remove the bonded contaminants, it's wool pad + compound time.

[rkrenicki]

Claybar worked perfectly. I had never done it before, and I was amazed at what such a simple operation could do.

[Thomistopheles]

Spring is coming!

That's right! Soon we'll be saying auf wiedersehen to the snow, ice, salt, and sand that has been pummeling your car.

Picture this:
You've finally got a hot date with that girl you've had a crush on for ages. It's springtime, love is in the air. After a spirited drive, you've arrived to pick her up. She's wearing that black dress, tight in all the right places. She opens the passenger door to get into the car... But what's this? A wild stain in your seat, an offensive odor, and a slimy armrest! Disgusted, she leaves and goes out with that guy you hate, crushing your hopes and dreams forever. Rumors start circulating about you. Your friends refuse to hang out and don't return texts or calls. You've committed social suicide! Oh if only you had asked Thomistopheles how to remove that organic stain, properly clean your panels, and eliminate that gym sock smell...



There's still time, my friends! You can rescue yourself from that cruel fate. You can have a beautiful clean car that makes a positive impression, and smells like success! Ask away... problem areas, product recommendations, proper techniques. I will do my best to arm you with the knowledge you need to keep your scoob happy.

[Bookem]

I have white powder coated rims that are starting to turn yellow in the hard to clean corners. What kind of magic would work for these?
I'll try to get a close up picture later today if I get home before the sun is down.

[Thomistopheles]

If it's only in the hard to reach tight areas, it's probably baked on brake dust that didn't get picked up in previous cleanings. Pop off your wheels and show them some love for a couple hours.

Clean them thoroughly with a quality wheel cleaner like Sonax or P21S, agitate with brushes. You can use small brushes or a microfiber towel wrapped around your finger to get into tight areas, Q tips work great for the impossible to reach spots like rivets and tiny crevices. Follow up with a clay bar to remove any remaining bonded contaminants. If those trouble spots are still yellowed, use compound and polish by hand to remove any oxidation. You should be able to find Meguiars ultimate compound and ultimate polish locally. I'd suggest following up with a wheel wax or sealant to make future cleaning easier, brake dust will have a hard time sticking to it and comes off easily.

If this doesn't take care of it, the wheels need to be blasted and coated due to a problem with the coating itself. Improper cure time, high temp, or being too close to a heating element in the oven can lead to yellowed powder coat. Exposure to gasoline can sometimes cause issues with yellowing as well.

[Dead91silvia]

Thom.... I should really ask this in a PM... But... How do you get blood stains out of your trunk? I tossed a couple body's in there the the other day and they bleed all over. I need to make sure I can get all the evidence cleaned so the cops dont find it.

I know, I know... I should have used industrial strength plastic, but it was a rush job.

[Thomistopheles]

Dammit Robin. Why didn't you use a shower curtain? You're such a noob sometimes...

Ugh, fine. I'll help you out. Blood is a protein stain and it's water based. The least aggressive method is to saturate it with cold water and blot it out or extract it with a wet/dry vac. Next, you can use an enzyme cleaner. They're usually marketed as pet stain and odor removers for carpet cleaners. If it's really stubborn, like the blood of a well-used transvestite hooker, dilute some store bought hydrogen peroxide 2:1 and saturate the stain. Let it bubble and work a few minutes, then blot it up or extract it. The last step is purging all evidence by fire. Make sure it looks like an accident so insurance will pay up.

Hope that helps. Try and be prepared next time, would ya?

[Dead91silvia]

I know... I'll make sure to cover all bases next time...



All joking aside... I do have a customer with a 2011 Chevy Aveo that, we dont know how, had a LOT of blood in the front seat, center console, and floor pan. It cleaned up, but the smell is F***ING horrible! At least to me that is. We are thinking there was a shooting of some kind since I had to replace a rear door glass in it. I still will not drive it and/or get in it.

When they refer to the smell of "decomp" in CSI, I know what it smells like. Worked on a Civic about 4-5 years back that someone committed suicide in... Same smell in that car also.

[Thomistopheles]

I did an interior job on a taxi a few months back, it had me considering the purchase of a hazmat suit. I didn't get the story behind it, but the rear seat was soaked with blood.

The decomp smell... I did an interior on a VW eurovan camper last year that was in storage. They went to get it out, and they found a broken window from a break in. They also found a very dead cat. They removed the cat and called me. I was able to kill the smell and clean it up, but I had to stop and walk away several times to stop gagging. The job was veeeery profitable. I got a 100% tip, a gift basket two weeks later, six referrals, and the customer came in for my maintenance package every two weeks until they moved.

[Dead91silvia]

Thats just wrong! :tongue6:

Yeah... Short of replacing the seats and carpet, we have no idea how to get rid of the smell... It's not that easy to get new interior for a 2011...

How did you get the smell out?

[Thomistopheles]

Kill the source, kill the smell. If it's been in there a long time, it'll permeate the seat foam, carpet padding, and make its way into the hvac system.

The first step is removing all traces of the source. I used an enzyme cleaner in a hot water extractor for the carpet and seats. Make sure you get everything out of the seat foam, and you may have to clean under the carpet. The headliner, dash, and panels were cleaned with a steam cleaner. Next it's a matter of cleaning up the air. A lot of detailers use something called an ozone generator to eliminate offensive odors. I don't have one, so I cleaned out the HVAC system using 1Z Einszett Klima-Cleaner and used a DP odor eliminator fogger to nuke the rest.

[Thomistopheles]

Thought I'd get some photos of what a rinseless wash is capable of handling. I presoak using rinseless wash in a garden sprayer when it's this bad, and I use a different wash method. One bucket full of rinseless wash solution, with several microfiber towels in it. I use one towel per panel. The wash provides lubricity and traps the dirt, then the towel captures it. That towel then goes directly into the microfiber laundry bin. It does not pass go, it does not collect $200.

Anyway, here's a couple before photos showing a ton of dirt on the hood, and enough salt spray to make Robin cry.



Hocus pocus, sim sim sala bim, open sesame, it's fuckin' magic.




Chemical Guys Trim Gel is still going strong after several washes, snow, and tons of exposure to salt. Nice and dark, no streaking, and beads water. I used it as a tire dressing as well, works pretty well. Gloss was a bit high for my tastes at the time of application, but after a couple washes it's holding up and the gloss has died down just enough.

[Yamazaki]

Holy crap, that's amazing!



.........please move in with me.

[Thomistopheles]

Slow down, tiger... can't we start out with a nice dinner and movie or something first?

[Wiscon_Mark]

He's married already anyways (just a heads up).

[Thomistopheles]

We can be discreet. My wife doesn't need to know.