RFD Official Detailing Thread - Post all Detailing/Paint Related Questions here!

[madmanx]

is this LANGKA Complete Paint Chip Repair Kit good enough to repair stone chip?

[TheRide]

Where can I find either product in Toronto?
Can you recommend a better MF towel? (mine was from an auto care box kit from Costco).



Where can I find the duster? I also get alot of dust on the radio unit which annoys me. I use the MF towel I have to clean off the upper portion of the dash but it doesn't seem like the MF is picking up anything.

I know CT carries the California Blade which is the maker of the California Duster. You should check them out. Also, as mentioned before websites such as eshine will carry most products. Check the first page.

[MrDisco]

I know CT carries the California Blade which is the maker of the California Duster. You should check them out. Also, as mentioned before websites such as eshine will carry most products. Check the first page.

Cool thank you.

[Asad_A203]

Keeping it simple might work as well. While MF cloths and special products may be effective, I've always found soap and water works fine; dry with a soft cloth or towel (I've never used a microfiber for that and never had any problems on the instrument panel on any car). If you develop scratches there over time, normal polish or wax can help out, or if they are bad something Plast-X might be a good idea (again though I've never seen one get that bad as to require Plast-x).


Hmm I wasn't talking about industrial sprayers and automated car washes though, I was just talking about the stuff you buy at your local Cdn. Tire/Wal-Mart/Auto parts store... Washes like Sundance or Simoniz with wax or Zip Wash. They all include some amount of wax in them. Again not a substitute for waxing by any means, but for washing between waxing I meant...

Only problem with soap is it is not pH balanced and it will dry out plastics over the years. Regular towels causes micromarring (very, very small scratches) which is why MF towel is usually preferred. MF towels also product a static cling when they are dry so it is really great at removing dust.

Oh; I honestly believe they might offer something but byfar not much protection. All carwashes leave some sort of protectant on the paint; and the cheap carwash soaps (Sundance, etc.) just list wax on theirs where as most car wash soaps are probably much better. I would just perform the water beading test after using it; and seeing if any protection is left.

[Asad_A203]

is this LANGKA Complete Paint Chip Repair Kit good enough to repair stone chip?

You need to purchase OEM touch up paint still.

[Asad_A203]

Cool thank you.

Yeah; eshine is great for local stuff. There is a better website strictly for wash mitts/MF Towels; i will find the link later on today.

[Asad_A203]

New Article! When to wax and a quick guide to which wax:

How can you be sure when to wax your vehicle or your vehicle has an adequate layer of wax on it? When is it time to pull the vehicle in the garage for a good rub down with your favorite carnuba/sealant?

One quick way to check if water beads on your vehicle and how tight the beading is (although the tightness more or less varies heavily with the quality of the wax). This is how a vehicle with adequate layer of wax (3 layers of P21S Concours to be exact) looks after having water placed on it:



Notice that the beading is not as tight as it can be? That is because the vehicle has not been waxed for 2 weeks. Contrary to what it says on that bottle of Turtle Wax or whatever you use; wax typically only last 2-3 weeks under regular driving. The more shine the wax produces usually the less durability it has. If you wash your vehicle at any point using an automated carwash or a carwash bay; you will find that you will have no LSP left. You must insure to wax your vehicle every month at a minimum to make sure it has adequate protection.


Now you are probably wondering; how does a vehicle look that hasn't been waxed. Well here is how it would look (although might not be as extreme since this vehicle has not been waxed for years):



Why wax your vehicle?

Wax essentially acts as a barrier between the elements and your clear coat. It prevents elements from scratching and degrading your clear coat. In short; it makes bird droppings and having your vehicle egged a smaller chance of permenently etching your clear coat. How does this look? This is what an eggshell can do to a vehicle without an adequate LSP (this cannot be polished out/wetsanded out):



^^ In this picture it has come out as the white dot on a relatively well polished area. Save yourself the grief of having the same thing happen to your vehicle. Keep a good layer of wax/sealant on your car, keep a QD in yout trunk along with a MF Towel to wipe these up ASAP.

Which wax to choose?

There are two waxes on the market; carnauba based waxes (per discussion; none that contain cleaners) and synthetic waxes (blends of carnauba, etc.). Which wax you choose depends on what your results are and how you maintain your vehicle.

A synthetic wax offers more protection than a carnauba based wax, usually a much slicker surface, more durable, and hides minor swirls and imperfections.

A carnauba based wax offers low-to mid protection in comparision to a synthetic wax, a much warmer look, does not hide imperfections in the paint and has the ability to be layered.

With that being said; why would anyone go with a carnauba based wax over a synthetic wax? Simple, for those who need to ask synthetic wax is the way to go. You can usually stretch your waxes to 6 weeks as opposed to the 3-4 weeks and the protection is much more than a carnuaba wax. Synthetic waxes tend to flatter metallic vehicles and provide a very slick look. Synthetics cannot be layered due to cleaning ability (will strip last layer) but some manufactuers (Meguiars) recommend two layers for adequate coverage (might be to use more or that the cleaning abilities are not strong enough to fully remove both layers.

Where the carnauba waxes really shine; is well just that. They provide a warm, sunny (if you can say) glow to the vehicle versus the cold, plasticky look of synthetic waxes. They especially flatter darker vehicles. They have the ability to be layered which is a major plus. When you want to give your sealant a pop; you cannot use a synthetic wax as it will remove the sealant (the cleaners in the wax).

The carnauba waxes have their place; but it more reserved for people looking for the aesthetic purpose as opposed to the regular Joe just wanting to wax every 6 weeks and getting a nice result. That is not to say Carnauba waxes provide better results than a synthetic wax; just that both have their place for different purposes.

A good synthetic wax is Meguiars NXT 2.0.

A good pure carnuaba wax is P21S Concours.


Please refer to the first post as to how to apply wax. Any other questions post away! My first article so please feel free to correct my mistakes, so comments/criticism is appreciated.

[KorruptioN]

Hey. Great thread Asad, thanks for your help.

Would I be able to put NXT 2.0 overtop of say, Klasse All-In-One?

[Drew_W]

Hey. Great thread Asad, thanks for your help.

Would I be able to put NXT 2.0 overtop of say, Klasse All-In-One?

Why? NXT has cleaning properties so it would strip away the AIO, same as the AIO has cleaning properties to get rid of stuff below it. One coat of AIO, then top with SG or S100/P21S (or both).

[KorruptioN]

Because right now I'm using KAIO with a carnauba (Collinite 476s) for maximum durability and longevity (at least I hope so). I'm pretty happy with the results. I'm just looking for something that'll last a while.

[Asad_A203]

Hey. Great thread Asad, thanks for your help.

Would I be able to put NXT 2.0 overtop of say, Klasse All-In-One?

No problem.

This has been debated on Autopia and on the Meguiars forums before. I personally would think Meguiars would strip the Klasse AIO; but Meguiars "ensures" you can layer it on top because the cleaners are not strong enough to remove all of the Klasse AIO. This is why they say you can layer NXT also (will only remove certain % of the original layer). I would think the Meguiars might also try replacing the purpose of KAIO (KAIO in itself is a synthetic wax/sealant); so both would try to do the same purpose. You usually top with a carnuba wax to add warmth to the paint that KAIO might have removed.

I have used NXT before but I really like my P21S Concours (still better shine IMO); so I still top with that. I reserve the NXT for the family cars. I also believe Meguiars says you can layer so you will just use more of their product. It is an excellent wax; but I personally prefer the Klasse AIO/P21S Concours duo more.

[Asad_A203]

Because right now I'm using KAIO with a carnauba (Collinite 476s) for maximum durability and longevity (at least I hope so). I'm pretty happy with the results. I'm just looking for something that'll last a while.

You can layer the Collinite but in terms of durabilty; it will still lack. Klasse AIO can also be used by itself as a sealant (although I reseve it mainly for the cleaning ability) so even when your Collinite wears off your KAIO will still be there to protect your finish for 3-6 weeks.

[duster]

I have a question for you guys; where's the best place here in Canada (online or locally) to buy Optimum products? At least OCW?

[Asad_A203]

I have a question for you guys; where's the best place here in Canada (online or locally) to buy Optimum products? At least OCW?

www.eshine.ca

Optimum is pretty cheap on eshine (cheaper than the SSR line and Menzera).

[Asad_A203]

Bump. All detailing questions please post in here instead of making new posts.