FireInMe17

Since everytime I post outside of the V6 forum I seem to get no responses.....I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND REPOST IN HERE!!

So, when I clean my car, I get really obsessive, I will spend hours upon hours just cleaning and waxing and polishing my Camaro.

But I'm wondering if theres something better out there to use?

Anybody have any tips or tricks to make it shine and look nicer?

Any suggestions?

The last time that I really waxed my car I spend about 14 hours over 2 days to get it the way that I wanted, and it lasted about 2 months before it started to fade.

-This is what I did for the body:

Meguiars ScratchX 2.0

Meguiars Claybar Smooth Surface kit

Meguiars Deep Crystal Cleaning system, All 3 steps

Meguiars Ultimate Compound

Meguiars Color Restore

Meguiars NXT Tech wax 2.0

Another light coat of Meguiars NXT Tech wax 2.0

Polished body with 10in polisher

Mothers Back to Black on antenna base

-Windows, lights, wheels and tires:

Armor All Extreme Tire Shine

Armor All Wheel triple action foaming Cleaner

Armor All Glass Cleaner

Meguiars Headlight restore on turn signals and tail lights

-Interior:

Armor All Ultra Shine Protective Spray over all interior vinyl and plastics

Vacuumed (of course)

Scrubbed carpet where needed

Mothers Back to black on some black interior componets

Armor All Glass Cleaner

Fix rattles and tighten dash and center console

-Procedure:

When I wax the car, I wax as many layers as I can by hand, and I take time to get all the swirls out and make it look natural so it can shine the greatest. Only the last few layers and the buffing/polishing are what I use the buffer for.

When I clean the tires I leave the triple action foaming tire cleaner on for about 5 mins so it can get as much off as it will, and then remove it, and wipe down/spray, and detail wheels as best I can. I spray as much tire shine on as I can and just leave it sit, I do this last overall for the exterior.

On the inside, I apply all chemicals and protectants with a micro-fiber towel and work them in very well, and apply them heavily. I vacuum the hell out of it and get as much as I can and get into all the nooks and crannies and get all the dust and dirt out. If theres some discoloration then I scrub the carpet with just water and it usually sets the dirt free, and I make sure I get it completely dry.

Glass is a big deal, I hate streaking just as much as I hate swirls in my wax. Again I use a micro-fiber towel, never have i used newspaper.

I take my time with everything and make sure it looks the best it can.

Its a hobby, and Im constantly trying to get it to shine just a little better, and make it last longer.

I know theres a lot here, but does anyone have any suggestions?

I'm trying to come up with a plan and procedure as to how I'm going to clean my car and get it looking the best it ever has in the spring, and I can't wait!


Heres how I got the car to look last time I did all this(August).











And then this is what it looked like before I ever did any of that to it(YUCK)

wesley_pontiac

dude that is straight up impressive!!! mad props for having the patience to that!! how much does all that cost you tho?????

Guest

impressive, but man you have way to much time on your hands. If you have not spent enough time already it's borderline ridiculous. Just wax the car and enjoy driving it.....

FireInMe17

All in all its a bit much, but its still cheaper than a paint job, by far....

It probably cost me around 150 bucks over a few weeks to get everything

Yes, I did have way too much time on my hands, it was the middle of summer vacation, and I had a few days off from work, so this is my wax job, and I do enjoy driving it

jensen73110

iTrader: (4)

Nice. I've got a friend that does that to his '76 Camaro every summer. Looks good. Definitely better than before. I think you're about at the limit of how good your paint can look. I don't think even Zaino could improve that.

Stangski09

iTrader: (10)

Get rid of the armor all, it's ****. On the interior just give it a good vacuum maybe some simoniz dri-clean for the carpet or seats, then use mothers protectant on all the plastic, it shines but isn't sticky or tacky like the armor all stuff. For the exterior that's quite the list, i'm a meguiar's guy too, I love their tech wax. Use the mothers protectant on your rubber too, the armor all stuff just attracts dirt, this protectant actually treats the rubber to make sure the black lasts a long time vs just layering on a shiny look.

FireInMe17

Really? I never really thought about that to be honest, maybe I'll have to try it next time I do all this.

wesley_pontiac

that price is way better than havin it painted. and i use armor all too,and i nvr even realized that it attracted dirt but now that u meantion it, i agree it does. ill hav to try that mothers protectant. lol

FireInMe17

Hell yeah its a lot cheaper than paint! lol Its worth my time too.

wesley_pontiac

lol,rite on. still tho,mad props for having the patience do that tho. haha.

t-top havoc

iTrader: (3)

C'mon over & help me shine mine!! Our house... is the one that is up hill both ways to get in & out of the driveway...T-bones for the grill...

Nice job-your hard work & dedication shows!

FireInMe17

thanks t-top havoc

I was debating on detailing cars on the side in the summer, and its not out the question again this summer as something on the side.

Stangski09

iTrader: (10)

Here some pics of my car, and the protectant on the rubber is about 4 days old.







I like having just one product for the tires, interior plastics, engine hoses/plastics, and the vinyl roof on my lincoln (my winter car) in the 3rd picture you can see the nose of it.
I can say that I love Mother's Protectant, but come wax I use meguairs tech wax

FireInMe17

That does look nice, if I wasn't unemployed right now I would be buying more products to get ready to clean my car again.

I love the Tech Wax, its really good, and you can tell what it did to my car lol.

FireInMe17

Look at this:

This is what I want to do to my car, really buff the **** out of it after I get it all cleaned up and everything in the spring.

http://www.autopia.org/forum/pro-det...niversary.html

Stangski09

iTrader: (10)

Those pics of my car are without wax...
That camaro turned out great!

FireInMe17

I'm going to get something like that so I can buff my car really nice too before I wax it next time, lol I want it to shine really nice like before

Stangski09

iTrader: (10)

Ya, that camaro looks brand new. What did he use on the interior

FireInMe17

Meguiars Tech Wax 2.0 and some buffer on a power tool lol which is actually a really good idea that I'm thinking about trying.

Stangski09

iTrader: (10)

On the INTERIOR?!!?! Really?

FireInMe17

Oh lol i thought that read exterior, not interior! my bad.....i didnt read much of it so im not sure