Detailing Gurus

GuruWax Application on 2011 Ford Mustang GT

2011-10-17T14:58:00.002-04:00

Guruwax is a top quality premium carnuba blend wax designed for the highest level of depth and shine. Here we apply a fresh coat to the Grabber Blue paint on this 2011 Ford Mustang GT.

Optimum No-Rinse Wash Process

2011-10-17T12:16:00.001-04:00

Optimum No Rinse wash is the safest, fastest and most environmentally safe way to wash your car! Watch...

SYSTEM ONE Demo Day

2011-09-12T11:27:00.000-04:00

We had another training and demonstration day in Advance, NC to show new users the process of how to use SYSTEM ONE (System 51) polishes with both the traditional rotary polisher as well as the new method with DA polishers.

Rotary Polisher with SYSTEM ONE X3 Polish

A new user using a Griot's DA Polisher with Surbuf pads and SYSTEM ONE polish (first time machine polishing)

GuruWax on a 2011 Mustang GT Grabber Blue

2011-04-07T14:58:00.001-04:00

We fitted new 19" RTR wheels on this 412hp beast and treated this eccentric Grabber Blue paint to a coat of GuruWax. We'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking.

1998 Jeep Wrangler SYSTEM ONE Detail

2010-09-23T09:25:00.001-04:00

Jeeps often lead a hard life! This 1998 Jeep Wrangler was relatively well cared for but the paint was definitely in need of the DetailingGurus treatment. Twelve years of only basic washing had left oxidation, mineral deposits and the remains of many bugs who met their unfortunate demise on the trademark Jeep grille.

It should be noted that some of the bug remains had etched their way through the basecoat, underscoring the need to remove these as soon as possible in order to prevent permanent damage. There is no reason to give up on a car with paint blemishes such as these, though! As will be seen in the following photos, a partial restoration that can be accomplished by the driveway enthusiast with a few essential products and some knowledge.

The Jeep had been regularly washed, so there was little buildup of major dirt, although the oxidation and mineral deposits made it difficult to imagine the paint wasn’t “dirty”. To start the process, a basic wash was completed, utilizing 2 capfuls of Optimum No Rinse to two gallons of water to get the paint clean and ready for claying.

Sonus Medium Grade clay was used to prepare the surface for polishing. A fine grade clay is good for maintenance work but with the level of oxidation and raised deposits on the paint, the more aggressive Grey Medium Clay was used. Already, the pain has taken on a deeper black color and the diffusing properties of oxidation and mineralization have been stripped away by the clay.

It is also essential to clay before polishing to ensure the polishing pad doesn’t pick up these deposits and grind them into the paint, causing what’s commonly referred to as “buffer trails”. Use caution not to apply too much pressure when removing heavy deposits such as these, although you may still see some very light scratches that will be removed in the following polishing stage.

System One X3 cutting polish was used to remove the remaining oxidation, deposits, and cut down the swirls and light scratches that accumulate over 12 years of washing and driving (and some off-roading!). This cutting polish has a fine abrasive that combines with varying pads of either wool or foam substrate to provide either aggressive polishing (with the wool side), or fine finishing polish (with the white pad side). The EDGE adapter allows quick removal of the pad to allow the detailer to flip from one side to the other.

After a quick wash to remove polish residue, we took the time to treat the vinyl top as well as the fender flares, and also the tires with System One Licorice Dressing. This is a critical step that goes a long way towards a total restoration detail such as this one.

The paint was dried with a GuruFiber 360XL Drying Towel, which was lightly pulled across the surface, using caution not to apply pressure that could mar the freshly prepared paint surface that is now vulnerable without the protection of any wax or sealant. Once dry, a coat of GuruWax was applied to the entire surface, and allowed to dry to a light haze before buffing with a GuruFiber 400 towel. The silk edging on the GuruFiber 400 helps ensure the edges of the towel do not pick up debris or mar the paint.

The transformation from nearly six hours of work has brought new life to this Jeep, bringing looks of admiration from fellow Jeep enthusiasts on the road!

For these, and other fine detailing products, visit http://www.DetailingGurus.com

-Optimum No-Rinse Car Wash
-Sonus Detailing Clay
-System One X3 Cutting Polish
-GuruFiber Detailing Towels
-GuruWax premium Carnauba paste wax
-SystemOne Licorice Dressing

The Little Details - Painting Calipers

2010-07-06T10:17:00.000-04:00

Sometimes the smallest details can set your auto detailing apart from the rest. In this case we have an older Mustang Cobra with brake calipers that looked faded and uneventful. Even in perfect factory finish (black), these brake calipers were not so impressive looking. We used Duplicolor Brake Caliper Paint to spruce this pony up with a hot red finish. Sanding the surface of the raised letters restored the lettering and made for a factory look. The results completely changed the look of the car giving it a great look.

Porsche 911 Turbo 996 Premium Detail

2009-12-01T19:50:00.000-05:00

Here's a quick look at a stunning 996 turbo we worked on last week. We performed a full correction on the paint to get it as close as possible to perfection. Here's a quick summary of the process used on this one-of-a-kind beauty.

Wash - ONR
Clayed with Sonus clay bar
Swirls and defects machine corrected with Menzerna PO85RD 3.02 using Edge (3M) white foam pads.
Polishing was performed with Menzerna PO106ff nano polish using Edge (3M) white foam pads.
Final polishing / perfecting with 3m Ultrafina SE with 3M polishing pads.
Paint was cleansed with a IPA (Isoprol Alcohol) solution wipe down to remove all filling oils for final inspection.
LSP was the Concourse Carnauba paste was GuruWax.

Here is the typical correction achieved.

After all the machine polishing was completed, we rolled the car outside into the SC sun to get a good look at the paint in the sun for inspection. We washed the car here again to remove all polishing residue and to clean the wheels, jams and moldings.

GuruWax Premium carnauba wax was applied by hand using a premium microfiber applicator to get a nice consistent thin coat.

GuruWax is a pleasure to work with. Smooth, easy application and removal that leaves a deep rich glow.

And the results...

Come See Us at the Car Show in Winston Salem - Oct 31

2009-10-13T08:29:00.003-04:00

Car Show
Saturday, October 31st
10 AM until 2 PM
1410 West Clemmonsville Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27127
$10 cash per vehicle
On-site registration
Top 3 cars (voters choice) wins prizes
Prizes to include: 1 Free Car Detail from Detailing Gurus (valued at $200), 1 tub of Guru Wax (valued at $70) and various other detailing products, compliments of Detailing Gurus.

Contest Description:

All show car entries are $10 and will enter your car for a chance to win a Premium detail ($250-$400 value, depending on size of car/truck) courtesy of DetailingGurus.com, North Carolina's premier auto detailer for discriminating auto enthusiasts. More information on the prize can be found here: http://www.detailinggurus.com/services.html
Winner will be selected by Viewer's Choice. All show attendants will receive a form on which they will be allowed to vote on a show entrant. The entrant with the highest number of votes will receive the Premium Detail. 2nd place will receive a container of DetailingGurus premium Carnauba, GuruWax (a $70 value). Three third place entrants will receive plush MicroFiber towels, courtesy of DetailingGurus.

Dont' forget to vote on your favorite car! Show attendants that vote on a car show entry will be entered to receive a door prize as well (have we figured out what this could be? More DG stuff? I don't know if the attendants will be as big a car buff as the entrants).

New Porter Cable 7424XP Kits Now Available!

2009-08-26T09:09:00.005-04:00

The new Porter Cable 7424XP is the latest "Dual Action" polisher derived from the immensely popular Porter Cable 7424 model. The Porter Cable 7424 transformed the detailing industry by allowing backyard and garage enthusiast to machine polish without the fear of the risks associated with polishing with "high-speed" rotary buffers and polishers. The dual action method was the safest way to machine polish although limited in power.

Enter the new Porter Cable 7424XP. With it's increased power from a new 4.5 amp motor and new ergonomic body design, this machine will allow you to attack greater paint defects, deeper scratches and harsher swirls while still being one of the safest ways to machine polish today.

Check out our Porter Cable 7424XP kits now available on D etailingGurus.com and save with our FREE SHIPPING on all Porter Cable 7424XP kits.

New SYSTEM ONE Pro Kit Lite

2009-06-16T10:54:00.003-04:00

The SYSTEM ONE Pro Kit Lite is the same great formula of the standard Pro Kit minus the plastic case, sponge, and microfiber towel. This saves on shipping and passes the savings down to you! Pick up a SYSTEM ONE Pro Kit Lite today and start buffing the easy way! You'll remove oxidation, swirl marks and haze safely and easily with the nano polishing technology in SYSTEM ONE X3 Cutting Polish.

Be sure to pick up a tub of GuruWax premium carnauba paste wax to lock in your shine and hard work with the unmatched shine and durability of GuruWax's #1 grade White Brazilian Carnauba Wax.

Tick Performance Silverado SS

2009-04-18T17:56:00.003-04:00

This truck is wearing a fresh coat of GuruWax Carnauba Paste Wax after buffing the paint to a deep black swirl free shine with the SYSTEM ONE Pro Kit.

From 2008-04-18 Chevy SS Truck Detail

GuruWax Portfolio

2009-02-26T09:42:00.000-05:00

Question: What is the best way to dry your car?

2009-02-03T15:03:00.003-05:00

We get this question a lot from customers. So we thought we would share this common answer.

I have a new car and don't want to scratch it. I heard that drying the car is the most common ways to scratch my paint (black!!!!). What's the best way to dry my car and keep it scratch free? Should I use microfiber towels?

You are correct! Drying is usually the number one culprit in scratching or swirling your car. I suggest two things to minimize your risk. The first think is to keep a good, high quality wax on the paint. I suggest GuruWax. This wax sheets water very well. After washing, most of the water will simply fall off if you sheet it without a nozzle (see this video for a demo).

The second thing you want to do is to use a blower of some kind (electric leaf blower, shop vac exhaust or compresses air) to blow off most of the water. This should remove 90%+ of the water is the car is waxed with a high quality wax like GuruWax.

Last, go over it with a high quality microfiber drying towel like the GuruFiber 360XL or the GuruFiber Waffle Weave towel. These super soft towels will get your car 100% dry and are ultra plush and soft and will protect from scratches and swirls.

Drying with Microfiber towels

2009-01-24T17:18:00.001-05:00

Drying Your Car Safely With Microfiber Towels

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Automotive How-To Guides & DIY dry auto detailing

All New GuruFiber Series Microfiber Towels

2009-01-23T15:33:00.006-05:00

We are pleased to announce our all new GuruFiber Premium microfiber towel products. These new microfiber products are in line with the vision of the rest of the products available on DetailingGurus.com; they are the absolute best quality car care products available. Microfiber towels can be a great time savings when cleaning and maintaining your cars perfect finish. Perhaps more important though is the fact that good quality microfiber towels prevent new scractes and swirls from plaguing your cars paint.

Weather you are looking for a quality microfiber drying towel, and polishing towel, a waxing towel or even applicator pads you'll find the very best available in our Microfiber Products section on DetailingGurus.com.

The GuruFiber 530 Ultra Plush is our thickest most plush towel. Grab one of these when you need the security of a thick nap to protect your prized automotive paint finish. This towel will amaze you! It is more than twice as thick as the standard microfiber towel you would pick up at a retail location. The thick weave makes it a great hedge against dirt particles and your paint.

The GuruFiber Waffle Weave towel is the most effective way to dry your car. It's ultra thick, waffle weave construction is ideal for holding more water that you can imagine! Forget the ShamWow! This towel outperforms anything on the market. Don't leave that water sitting on you paint! Soak it up with this water guzzling towel and be sure your paint will not get spots or streaking.

Visit DetailingGurus.com today and click the MicroFiber Products page to see these and many more quality microfiber products today.

Water Sheeting with GuruWax

2009-01-02T23:04:00.002-05:00

One of the best ways to keep your cars paint spotless is to prevent water spots by not letting water sit on the paint. Most will dry their cars after washing using towels that can cause scratches. Even the best microfiber towels can introduce the risk of scratches.

With a durable coat of GuruWax Premium Carnauba Paste Wax, water will sheet off with ease and minimize the need to rubbing a towel or worse yet chamois on your perfected paint.

Porsche Boxter Premium Detail

2008-11-07T15:55:00.002-05:00

This Porsche Boxter received the Premium Detail to bring it back to its "former glory".

The process started with a deep under carriage and wheel cleaning with a safe citrus degreaser solution cut 1:4. Wheels and brakes were agitated with various brushes.

The entire car was washed then with Meguiar's Gold Class soap.

There were some heavy bonded contaminants so we opted for gray agressive clay to get the paint work perfectly clean prior to polishing.

After cleaning, the car is dried with a microfiber waffle weave cloth.

Taping trim and edges is an extra step to prevent damage to vulnerable areas.

Correction was performed with Menzerna SIP on a Lake Country purple foamed wool pad at about 1,600 rpms.

Two passes were required in some areas with deeper defects.

We finished down with a fine polish (Menzerna 106ff) to bring out a perfect finish.

We applied a coat of Duragloss TPP 105 to lock in the shine followed by a coat of the all new Guruwax to give it depth and that Concourse level finish.

Introducing GuruWax Premium Carnauba Wax

2008-10-09T16:26:00.009-04:00

We are thrilled to announce the launch of GuruWax!

The most discriminating car owners look for the unmatched look of Brazilian white carnauba wax. While others have matched the durability, nothing can come close to the warm, reflective glow of a high carnauba content wax. Most over the counter waxes offer little to no actual Brazilian No.1 White Carnauba wax content because of the sheer price of this raw material. Synthetic materials often replace this highly desirable ingredient compromising quality for cost.

GuruWax is a unique blend of natural coconut, almond, propolis and banana oils with 53% by volume of Brazilian No. 1 White Carnauba wax, the purest, hardest and most transparent natural wax in the world.

The natural coconut, almond, propolis and banana oils found in this fine wax produce a fresh aromatic fragrance that you can enjoy while you protect your car from outside contaminants and paint corrosion.

GuruWax has been created exclusively for the die-hard fan of the highest levels of supreme gloss, shine and shimmer. This product is sure to turn the heads of even the toughest critic. The natural oils used in this product makes paint “drip off of your vehicle” and is formulated with a liquid crystal polymer for extended longevity and durability.

GuruWax is a brilliant paste that offers a deep warm shine that is proven to be excellent for any color of paint. The unique blend of oils and liquid crystal polymers is specially formulated to bring out dark and metallic colors.

If you are looking for the very best level of protection and appearance for your car, GuruWax will offer you the best ingredients money can buy. Don't settle for less when it comes to the investment of your high-end vehicle! Order a tub today and enjoy the benefits of the knowledge of the Detailing Gurus!

Press Release

BUY NOW

SYSTEM ONE X3 Polish on 155°F black paint in direct sun!

2008-09-15T13:51:00.000-04:00

3M to Acquire Meguiar's

2008-09-09T10:43:00.003-04:00

This is the biggest news to hit the Automotive Detailing industry yet! 3M will be a power house by combining what has been by far the two largest players in this industry. While this is good for corporate profits, this could be very bad for the consumer. Support your local car care supply manufacturers!

Business Wire Link - 3M to Acquire Meguiar's Inc.

SYSTEM ONE on Jay Lenos Tank Car

2008-09-02T13:12:00.000-04:00

Mercedes SLK 32 AMG - GuruWax

2008-07-07T09:50:00.000-04:00

Here's a brief write-up on a local detailer's work on a SLK 32 AMG. Look at the GuruWax glow!

Before:

Take a look at this picture closely. This car was waxed with GuruWax almost a year ago. Notice how the water and dirt sheet off with ease. This is a key performance characteristic of GuruWax. It will make keeping your car clean and swirl free much easier! No more scrubbing the get it clean!

Tapped up ready for correction.

Uber M3 Hot Import Nights Show Prep

2008-07-06T16:24:00.015-04:00

You might recall that DetailingGurus detailed the Uber M3 in March The owner gave us a call, asking us to help prepare the car for a serious go at possibly winning the Hot Import Nights show the following weekend in Concord, NC. The car was in decent shape, with no oxidation whatsoever, very few water spots, but quite a few swirls. A show car that receives a lot of preening and pruning is inevitably going to see some light surface scratches reappear, but a strict regimen of wipe-downs with quick detail spray and microfiber towels will go a long way towards ensuring the owner has more success in maintaining a swirl-free finish in the future.

Abbreviated Detail Summary:

ONR wash
Sonus Medium (Gray) Clay / ONR Clay Lube
Edge 2k Yellow 50/50 twisted wool/acrylic with Menzerna SIP, 1300rpm
Edge 2k White Foam pad with Menzerna 106ff, 1500rpm
PrepSol paint cleaner
Natty's Blue Paste Wax

In spite of the fact that this car is not a trailer queen, it remains very clean. After an ONR wash, a little bit of road grime behind the wheel wells was all that the Sonus Medium Grade (Gray) Claybar seemed to pick up. Minor bonded contaminants across the rest of the body surfaces were also removed with clay in preparation for the polishing process, to prevent the introduction of more swirling.

As we found out with our previous experience with the Uber M3, the super-hard PPG clear coat requires a heavy cut, even for minor surface swirls. A single pass with the Medium cut Edge 2k yellow twisted wool/acrylic pad with Menzerna Super Intensive Polish quickly leveled the paint to remove the heavier swirls. The micromarring seen is typical of a heavy cut.

Multiple, slow passes were made with Menzerna 106ff on an Edge 2k white 6" finishing pad to further remove swirls and micromarring, leaving a highly reflective, glossy finish.

This is the kind of finish required when showing the car under harsh Sodium lighting at major car shows. Hopefully it will pick up a few more trophies to add to those seen in the background here:

Wheels were polished with the help of a Mother's Powerball and some Optimum Polish. The owner likes to get hands-on with the detailing on his car and was instrumental in the shine seen here!

After discussing the options for an LSP with the owner, we settled on going straight to a quality
Carnauba wax after preparation with an automotive Paint Cleaner (PrepSol, Prep-All, or the equivalent). We had used a sealant in the past, but decided that the long-lasting protection was not necessary on this car, and that the deep blue metallic color would benefit from a rich
Carnauba wax. Boy were we right!

The richness and depth in color in the deep blue metallic paint really came out with the
Carnauba wax. It definitely suited the car more than the glassy, mirror-like reflections seen with a Sealant.
Afternoon thunderstorms finally let up and allowed us to step outside to take some pictures with the trees reflecting in this stunning paint (that really needs to be seen in person to be fully appreciated).

Thanks for looking! Please Digg this article! Click on the "Digg It" icon.

SYSTEM ONE Licorice Dressing

2008-04-16T14:31:00.005-04:00

Today I would like to show you an exciting new product. SYSTEM ONE is best known for their X3 polish that took the market by storm. Now they have a dressing that matches the innovation and performance of the X3 polish! It's called SYSTEM ONE Licorice Black Dressing.

SYSTEM ONE Licorice is the first nano-engineered tire and trim dressing of its kind. It was designed for use by professional refinishers who demand perfection. Just apply it to your tires, gently rub it in and watch it shine. You’ll be amazed by the depth of black that shines through...and stays! Plus, the pleasing licorice scent can’t be beat.

SYSTEM ONE Licorice Black Tire Dressing is a non-greasy, easy to apply liquid that was scientifically engineered using nanotechnology to produce the deepest, wettest shine. The anti-static formula provides a protective barrier that helps repel dirt and grime and helps prevents brake dust from settling on tires, your dash or any trim that it is used on. It won’t build up and won’t cause discoloration, yet it won’t sling off either. With one easy, great-smelling product you’ll get the “wet look” your customers demand with the ease of a SYSTEM ONE product.

Take a look at some great applications of this exciting new product.

Joey Anderson's Camaro SS

2008-04-11T13:48:00.003-04:00

This week we took care of Joey Anderson's Camaro SS. This intense camaro puts down over 500 wheel horsepower to the Mickey Thompson ET Streets! The exhaust note reminded me of something you watched make 9 second runs at a NHRA event! The paint was as a beautiful metallic blue with the unfortunate swirls throughout every panel. No problem! We are experts at removing these!

Spring time in the Southeast USA is no picnic for outdoor detailer (which I was today as I was performing this job in my driveway). Pollen was falling from the trees so fast that with the slightest breeze, the car was instantly covered in that terrible green pollen dust. I kept an
ONR (Optimum No Rinse) bucket with me throughout the entire job so I could re-wash each
panel before polishing.

I started with the engine. With Joey's complex Nitrous, ECU and Ignition systems, I choose to wash the engine compartment the safe way; with a spray bottle of degreaser and hand brushes and towels.

I used a 4:1 diluted Simple Green mixture which worked well on this fairly clean engine bay.

SYSTEM ONE Licorice Black nano dressing was used for all the plastic and rubber surfaces.

Next we washed the car using Duragloss Car Wash, a microfiber mitt with gritguards in the buckets.

Claying yielded very light bonded contaminants on most panels until I hit the rear lower quarter panels behind the Mickey Thompson ET Streets. Something tells me that he goes through a lot of tires on this car!

The car was dried off using a new clean waffle weave microfiber cloth.

This client requested to have the headlights restored as well so I decided to tackle these first. The lenses were in pretty poor shape mainly on the outer corners.

I started by sanding the lenses with 1000 grit paper first followed by 2000 grit. I used the ONR wash water as lube which worked great.

They were polished using SYSTEM ONE X3 polish and the wool side of the SYSTEM ONE Combo pad.

The paint defects:

I polished the car using SYSTEM ONE X3 polish and the SYSTEM ONE 8" Combo pad from a Pro Kit. This made quick work of the swirls and left a brilliant finish.

Daylight was quickly diminishing, we we took our final shots of the day as we were applying the paint sealant. We hope to have a few completed shots from a photoshoot this car will be in on Saturday after a dyno run.

More pictures to come from a photoshoot that will show the finish in better light.

Save Time & Effort Detailing Your Car

2008-03-19T20:59:00.000-04:00

Maintain A New Car Shine In Half The Time!
You discovered the time-saving secret of the professionals! With your Ultimate Detailing Machine you can easily maintain the exterior beauty of your car, truck or SUV without wasting an entire Saturday. After just one use, you’ll cut your polishing and waxing time down to less than two hours, and you won’t break a sweat doing it!

Time Matters!
Spending your coveted weekends wiping on and buffing off difficult car waxes, that deliver disappointing results, when you could be having fun in the sun is a thing of the past. The Ultimate Detailing Machine is the answer!

Your Ultimate Detailing Machine works hard so you don’t have to. It applies safe power to polish, wax and buff your car’s ultra-hard clearcoat finish, making it gleam like a jewel again. Sure, you can try to do it by hand, but the Ultimate Detailing Machine can do in a single hour what would take you all weekend to accomplish by hand.

Stop wasting your precious time! Do it faster and better with your Ultimate Detailing Machine.

No Wonder The Ultimate Detailing Machine Is The Best!
This extraordinary car detailing tool does the equivalent of 2,500 - 6,000 tight hand circles per minute, making it obvious that you will not only save time and effort, but also save wear and tear on you.

Unless you need the workout and lots of spare time, you need the Ultimate Detailing Machine, and so does your beautiful car. Save the sweat for a nice bicycle ride. Put the Ultimate Detailing Machine to work for you and get your weekend back!

What Changed? Why Can’t I Do It By Hand Anymore?
Automotive paint technology changed. Since 1984, there have been dozens of improvements in car paint technology. The clearcoat finish was first. New technologies in automotive paint finishes continue to emerge, making new cars glossier, more colorful and more durable.

The most modern of automotive paint finishes use clear ceramic technology, making the final finish as hard as glass. There’s no way you can remove swirl marks (oh, yes, they still get swirl marks!) from this kind of finish by hand. The Ultimate Detailing Machine system is designed to manage and maintain the shine on all cars, even the high-tech ceramic finishes.

The Ultimate Detailing Machine Is The Answer!
Car care does not have to be difficult, and your fine vehicle doesn’t have to suffer from the lack of proper care. Let your Ultimate Detailing Machine put the shine back on your car and leisure time back in your weekend!

The Ultimate Detailing Machine is available from UltimateDetailingMachine.com.

Uber M3 - Fast and the Furious Movie Car

2008-03-05T11:44:00.004-05:00

For most automotive enthusiasts, the 2003 “Uber M3” built by Craig Lieberman (of Fast and Furious fame) needs no introduction. Run a google search for Craig Lieberman’s Uber M3 and you’ll find dozens of articles profiling this over-the-top M3 build. Initially slated to appear in the third installment in the F&F movie series, its appearance was cancelled after producers decided on the “Tokyo Drift” theme.

When the Uber M3’s current owner gave DetailingGurus.com a call to take out the swirls from years of unfortunate neglect due to improper washing and detailing methods, we gladly accepted the job. We traveled to CES Motorsports in Monroe, NC to perform the detail, where the Uber M3 was getting top treatment to an Active Autowerks supercharger install to help bring the mostly stock S54 3.2 liter M3 motor up to the level to which the rest of car had been treated.

Enough about the car, though. Suffice it to say this is one impressive machine that really needs to be seen in person to really be appreciated! On to the detail.

The car started out Schwartz (black), but when the Flosman wide body kit was installed, they decided to go with Lamborghini Candy Blue by using 2 coats of PPG base Lavender, 4 coats of Metallic Blue, and 2 coats of clear. (http://www.e46fanatics.com/features/picturepage.php?imagename=uberm3_10.jpg )

The effect is startling. The color is so deep and rich, it is a shame that it had become masked by significant swirling and water etching. While one might not expect that a repaint would match the hardness of the OEM BMW clear, major kudos has to go to Quigley’s Paint for this $14,000 paint job, because it was some of the hardest clear we had ever encountered. It required the use of a twisted wool pad on areas with water etching and even some westanding on some of the more stubborn swirls and light scratches. We normally wouldn’t wetsand a standard Premium Detail, but Dan just couldn’t help himself when striving for perfection in one particular area!

A general breakdown of products used and the order in which they were performed is as follows:

ONR wash – This was performed indoors in the CES Motorsports shop. The car was relatively free of dirt, and severe thunderstorms kept us from going outdoors to wash, so Optimum No Rinse came to the rescue.
Mothers Yellow Clay – The bonded contaminants in the paint came off easily with the yellow clay, leaving the surface clean and ready for polish.
Wheels cleaned – The massive HRE wheels were cleaned with a mild, diluted citrus degreaser solution.
Interior – After a quick vacuum, the composite surfaces in the interior and trunk were treated with Duragloss 265 to restore factory sheen.
Engine – John and the guys at CES keep a clean shop and left us with an engine bay that was relatively clean after the supercharger install. A wipedown with quick detailer followed by more Duragloss 265 Vinyl treatment left it gleaming.
Exterior Polish – Starting out with the mild cut Purple System One wool polishing pad, we quickly discovered just how hard the PPG Clear was on the Uber M3. We finally settled on the following steps:
- Step One –Wool Pad with System One X3 nanopolish.
- Step Two – Edge 2k Purple Mild Cut wool polishing pad with System One X3 nanopolish.
- Step Three – Edge 2k (reverse side) White Waffle foam finishing pad with System One X3 nanopolish.
ONR Quick Detail – After several hours of perfecting the paint and revealing the insane depth to the stunning finish on this car, the car was cleaned up with Quick Detail to prep it for LSP.
LSP – We used a Synthetic Polymer sealant under development at DetailingGurus to provide long lasting protection and a “wet look” that really accented the Candy Blue.

In “Detailer-Speak”:

ONR
Yellow Clay
Wheel CDG
Interior DG 265
S1X3 w/ Wool
S1X3 w/ Purple Wool
S1X3 w/ White Finishing Pad
QD
LSP Sealant

Black Infiniti G37S Detail

2008-02-25T09:17:00.008-05:00

This beautiful Infiniti G37S suffered from dealer detail syndrome! The client brought this almost brand new G37S to the dealer on a couple occasions where the dealer offered the dreaded "free detail" (you're really paying for it by how bad the usually hack the car up!). As is typical in these situations, there were several swirls and some deeper scratches that were obviously inflicted from poor washing and drying techniques.

The client booked a full correction and sealant for LSP (we are using my new "in-development" sealant!).

We start with interior early in the AM (notice the winter AM fog).

The engine compartment was cleaned with Simple Green cut 4:1 and then dressed with SYTEM ONE Licorice dressing.

Next we washed (pre-soak first) with warm water, Gold Class soap, two buckets and a grit guard.

The car wash dried with a very soft and plush microfiber drying cloth.

For some reason, the defect shots didn't come out as expected (we'll do better next time... I promise), but you can see the scratches and swirls in these shots.

The dealer installed the wing and did a pretty good job at scratching up the paint around it on the trunk. There also seemed to be sand scratches around it!! (<-?!?!?!?)

We taped up the edges and got to work (we found a spot on the front driver's fender where the dealer had already burned through the paint!!). We decided to use Menzerna PO83 SIP for the heavier correction (hood, fenders, bumpers & trunk lid).

Two drops is all it takes!

I used a Lake Country Green CCS pad for the cutting step and a Makita 9227C rotary at about 1,500 rpms (ramping up and down using the pyramid technique).

We finished off with Menzerna Nano PO106FF on a white finishing pad. The sun came out just in time to check our work!

We apply our sealant with a small palm, low power DA like this Ryobi unit using a blue Lake Country pad.

It was left to cure for about 30 minutes.

Then was buffed off with a clean, plush microfiber.

We drove it down to my favorite photo op spot and did the best we could with the heavy vertical lighting.

Thanks for looking.

1999 Black Cobra scratches vs. SYSTEM ONE X3 Polish

2008-02-07T10:07:00.001-05:00

Lately, it seems the hood of my 99 Cobra has been a feline night club floor! I get up in the AM and get in my car to go to work and there would be tons of muddy cat paw prints all over my car!

Well when I washed the car I realized that it was more than just muddy paws! The claws were involved too! (Does anyone have a .22 I can borrow?)

So out came SYSTEM ONE X3 Polish with the Edge wool/foam combo pad from the Pro Kit.

I was pleased to say the least! Quickest and easiest polish I've ever used!

Finished off with my sealant that I am developing. (I'm getting close! It's starting to come together but not there yet... still working on it.)

Thanks for looking...

Cobra Detail - PO106FF & NXT 2.0

2007-12-12T18:46:00.000-05:00

Two new products I have been wanting to try... Menzerna Nano Polish PO106FF and Meguiar's just released NXT 2.0 sealant. We had great weather today so my 99 Cobra was the lucky candidate. It was fully compounded and polished about 10 months ago so the defects were very light. There were some light swirls and some wetsand scratches that we missed from the last detailing session.

I started by washing with Meguiar's Gold Class and a new grout sponge with a grit guard in the bucket. This was the first time I used the grout sponge on a recommendation from Autopia.org users. I was very impressed with it. I can see how this would prevent swirls and marring better than what I was using before (microfiber mit).

On to polishing. Like I said, no major defects on the Cobra, I just wanted to freshen up the paint and get the best gloss possible. I used 106ff with a white Lake Country CCS pad on a rotary. I spread the product in a 2 X 2 area using low rpm (<1,000) then bumped the speed up to 1,600 - 1,800 rpm and broke the polish down to a clear residue. I found nano polish to work GREAT. I was very surprised at the cutting and correcting ability in a polish that finishes down better than anything I've seen. I don't see myself using much of any other polishes after using this gem.

After polishing was complete, I did an IPA wipe down on the whole car to remove the polishing oils and to help the sealant bond to a perfectly clean surface.

I also applied NXT 2.0 to the wheels to test the durability as a wheel sealer.

I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking.

I know... I need to repaint the calipers.

Can you tell I love these wheels!?!?

I then decided to drive downtown and take some pictures at the old furniture plants.

2004 Lincoln Navigator

2007-12-03T14:52:00.000-05:00

This truck has never been waxed since purchasing it new 3 years ago according to the owner. This was very evident the minute water hit the surface.

Wheels were cleaned with a brightener (more on this to come... check back later on this blog for more details on this product) and a pressure washer (no mechanical agitation).

A diluted degreaser was used to strip the paint via PW-er. The paint was then clayed.

Polishing was a one-step polish using Optimum Compound and a Lake Country Green CCS pad at about 1,200 rpm. (Optimum Compound was the miracle polish for me this week! It seemed like it is able to cure just about any defect from light swirls to Mesothelioma!)

We finished it off with Poorboy's EX as an LSP. This worked fantastic!

This is some powerful stuff!

This spot was damaged when the bug deflector came loose at high speeds at did a number on the hood!

This area was buffed to a flawless shine.

The results!

CarolinaRides.com's 1998 Nissan Frontier

2007-11-18T20:38:00.001-05:00

This is Joey's truck from CarolinaRides.com (actually I think it is his father's truck). He booked a full premium detail including a full interior shampoo.

We got started by cleaning up the interior.

The door jams were all cleaned up using a 4:1 diluted simple green APC solution.

Sam got started on the fabrics using an Oreck hot water extractor.

The mats were exceptionally dirty with tar stains as well as the fabric being worn completely through in some areas. We hit them with some Oreck stain pre-treatment and some APC cleaner soaked for 20 minutes and then pressure washed them.

Finally we used the extractor to get all the remaining moister out before they were left out to sun dry.

Here's a little animation of the pressure cleaning...

The engine was cleaned using Simple Green APC and some brushes.

Then dresssed using F21 dressing.

Next we pressure washed all the under-carriage and lower portions of the truck.

Next the whole truck was washed with Duragloss 901 car wash using a microfiber mit.

We used Sonus medium grade clay...

Plenty of bonded containments came up!

After washing one more time, the truck was dried with a waffle weave microfiber.

After inspecting the paint we found a good amount of swirlnig and even oxidation in the usual areas.

We started the correcting by testing out Optimum Compound with a twisted wool pad.

This seemed to knock out 70% of the defects but wasn't cutting as aggressive as we needed it to so we switched to Meguiar's #84 compound with the same pad. This brought the paint to a flat state ready for polish.

We polished using Optimum Polish mixed with Menzerna Intensive Polish in areas that need the extra cut. We used used white polishing foam by Edge (combo pad shown).

This seemed to get the results we were looking for.

Our LSP of choice was Poorboy's EX. It was perfect for this color giving it a warm deep glow.

It was applied with our favorite LSP tool, a Ryobi DA with a blue Lake Country pad. This machine is very light and gentle, perfect for LSP and glaze application.

It wa sleft to cure for about 30 minutes.

The results!

Thanks for looking!

1991 BMW 535i Premium Detail

2007-11-06T10:58:00.000-05:00

This customer requested a full Premium Detail package noting he had significant swirls and oxidation on his 1991 BMW 535i. Upon arrival it was evident we had our work cut out for us!

Note the oxidation mostly on the edges of the hood...

Swirly world!

To start things off the car was washed with Meguiar's Gold Class soap. The wheels were cleaned with Simple Green APC diluted 4:1 and agitated with a brush. The wheels had seen better days as well and were oxidized pretty bad. The could certainly use a few hours with a powerball!

Next the body panels were clayed using Sonus gray Medium grade clay.

This was what we got after 1/3 of the hood...

After experimenting, I went with "rocks in a bottle"... uh I mean Meguiar's #84 compound. This to me was almost like a light wetsanding. It leveled the paint and certainly took out all the defects. A twisted wool pad was used to break down this aggressive compound.

The results were a flat, clean surface.

We then followed up with the polishing step. This car was definitely resprayed more than once. We found different panels with various levels of hardness. So the polishing step was a varience of Optimum Polish and Menzerna Intensive Polish. In most areas, it was a mixture of the two. We used a white Lake Country CCS pad. The panels that needed a more aggressive polish got more IP and less OP. Here you can see the roof partially done.

The polishing was worked until we achieved a swirl free finish.

I also found a lot of the trim to be faded. I tried something new that I hadn't tried yet. I heard that Turtle Wax ICE polish works well on this type of plastic trim. The results speak for themselves... and I found a use for this almost unused bottle.

Clear, crisp reflections courtesy of Natty's Blue...

I think all detailers love it when you hear like I did when the customer picked up his car. He told me, "I can honestly say, you exceeded my expectations...". That's almost as rewarding to me as the pay day!

I just had to add this today... the customer emailed me today (3 days after picking up his car) and had some very nice words. It is always rewarding to hear comments like this from another happy customer.

Dan,

Just wanted to tell you a big thanks again. I am completely amazed with the cars paint more and more each day. I keep parking at different angles in the sun and over and over I keep seeing fresh looking black paint. Thought the car had little hope for ever looking like this. The amount of compliments I have already recieved has blown me away. Thanks for doing an awesome job and Ill definitely have to keep in touch in the coming months to have it done again.

Duragloss TPP 105 Beading @ 5 Months!

2007-10-25T18:15:00.000-04:00

This is an application of Duragloss 105 sealant maintained with Duragloss Aquawax that is five months old.

Budget Wheel Cleaners

2007-10-22T19:07:00.000-04:00

Today we are comparing two inexpensive wheel cleaner options. First up is perhaps the most widely used all purpose cleaner (APC), Simple Green.

We tested it diluted 4:1. This is a popular dilution ratio for most APCs. This is the test wheel.

We used a combination of a natural sponge and this all purpose brush to agitate the solution.

While this was an effective cleaner for the outside of the wheel, it didn't seem to have the power to really clean the caked on brake dust on the insides.

Next up was Dawn Power Disolve. This cleaner is available in the kitchen cleaning supplies in most stores. It is a very powerful cleaner designed for ovens.

We tested this only in the rear area where the Simple Green APC seemed to be too weak to tackle the tough grit.

You could immediately see that this cleaner was attacking the grime! The results were much improved!

Arrowline Foamer

2007-10-09T09:44:00.000-04:00

In our quest for a low-cost alternative to higher end foam cannons (foam applicators, foamers) we came across this unit made by Arrowline.

At $15.24 it seemed like an attractive unit for the price! It was rated at 2,200 max. PSI and 5.5 GPM max flow rate. This was perfect for most medium duty, gas powered pressure washers. It used the standard 22mm twist connector so off we go with one of these on our Delta Honda powered 2,000 psi pressure washer. We picked it up from PWMall.com who had a pretty decent selection of pressure washer accessories including more expensive foam cannons. Total price out the door with standard ground shipping, $22.11.

It arrived in less than a week. I tested it with Duragloss 902 car wash concentrate as this has been reported to be a good foaming agent in other models.

We used a mixture of approximately 4:1 in this small container (looks like 12oz. bottle).

The results were a bit disappointing. The foam was not a thick foam as you would expect from a pressure washer foam generator. It was more like spraying soap that you would expect out of a normal car wash bucket. The problem with this model is it seems to operate at the low pressure mode of the pressure washer. Perhaps if there was a way to modify it to generate higher pressure, the foam might be thicker.

One of the purposes of a foamer such as this unit is to generate thick dwelling foam that can emulsify dirt away from the surface of the paint. It needs to be thick enough to be able to dwell for several minutes (4 - 5 minutes) so that all the dirt is lifted from the paint and into the foam. This foam barely lasted 30 seconds.

I would say this was not an effective way to clean a car. We will continue to look for another alternative to produce the results we are looking for in the price range that is reasonable. I think less than $50 would be desireable. PWMall.com also carries this unit that may be close to our requirements.

The listed price is $62.52. This model features a brass metering valve. Although slightly higher prices than our initial criteria, this still may be a better alternative.

Wheels!

2007-10-08T13:53:00.001-04:00

Wheels are one of the most important part of making a car look great! Here is a preview look at our 1999 Mustang Cobra test car with a new set of FR500 wheels. These are 18" diameter wheels with a new finish called Hypercoating. The fronts are 18 x 9 and the rears are 18 x 10. The front 9 inch tires are outfitted with 265/35 rubber and the rear has 295/35. Check back this week for a full photo shoot after a proper detail of the 99 Cobra.

Check back soon for the full photo shoot as well as a write-up on tinting for this same vehicle.

BMW M3 E36

2007-09-26T08:46:00.000-04:00

I did this very unique 1995 BMW M3. If I remember correct, this was a "lightweight" version. It was fitted with a 4 point cage as well as coil overs and very aggressive tires that loved to throw rubber all over the paint (see clay bar picture).

The paint had a fair amount of swirls and some deep scratches that wouldn't be removed by this detail but may be attacked some time in the future. I apologize for the lack of before and in progress pictures, I was strapped for time because I started late on this job.

The wheels and wheel wells were cleaned using a mixture of 4:1 diluted Simple Green mix with Meguiar's Gold Class car wash soap and a variety of brushes.

As mentioned above, the paint (especially the rear half) was covered in rubber from the very soft rubber compound tires. Washing with the Meguiar's Gold Class removed most of it but after claying one panel, you could see that there was more to be removed. The claying took over an hour to complete.

On to the polishing! I tried several combinations on this paint. I started with Poorboy's SSR2.5 with orange cyclo pads on the cyclo polisher but this seemed too conservative. I switched to the rotary and after trying a green Lake Country CCS pad, a Lake Country purple foamed wool and an orange Lake Country CCS pad I switched to my go to twisted wool pad. The compound of choice was a mixture of Optimum Compound and Menzerna Intensive Polish. Some spots I only used the Optimum Compound and some just the Menzerna Intensive Polish depending on the level of defects.

The result was almost perfect in most places. (sorry... no befores)

After 2+ hours of machine polishing I went with Duragloss TPP #105 for the LSP. The customer mentioned that he had used Zaino products before and ended up having a bottle of Z8 left over so I thought this LSP would be a good base for some additional coats of Z8 afterwards.

The customer showed the car at a local meet the next day.

99-04 Mustang Brake Light Restoration

2007-09-19T14:03:00.000-04:00

This is some before and after for probably one of the most common problem areas of this style mustang... the rear third brake light lense. I don't know if I've seen a mustang this style without a crapped out lense. I guess it is the material.

With very little work, you can restore this lense to factory finish. Here is the process and products used:

Wet sand with 400 grit (3M Sandpaper)
Wet sand with 1000 grit (3M Sandpaper)
Wet sand with 2000 grit (3M Sandpaper)
Polish with Meguiar's ScratchX on a Lake Country orange pad on rotary at about 1,200 rpm

Before:

Afters:

1999 Black Ford Mustang Cobra Correction

2007-09-13T15:15:00.000-04:00

I just love working with black cars! The results are always worth the work! Anyways, I have several pictures that span several detailing sessions. I basically tackle one area at a time since I usually do not have the 8 - 10 hours necessary to get the whole car done in one shot. The pictures should speak for themselves though. If anyone is interested in the processes I used just ask. Different areas required different products, tools and processes. Basically I used the following products:
-3M 2,000 grit sand paper
-Mother's Claybar system
-Optimum Compound with a Lake Country yellow cutting pad
-Poorboy's World SSR1 Polish with a Lake Country black finishing pad
-Poorboy's Natty's Blue carnauba wax

Here are the befores:

Now I get to work...

Here's one of the wash processes I use:
YouTube - $30 Foam Gun Car Wash

Claying...

I wet sanded problem areas with 2000 grit

I've seen these kinds of scratches in most cars because of the gas cap dangling on the paint.

WET SAND!!

1 pass with Optimum compound with yellow cutting pad...

1 pass Poorboy's SSR1 polish with black polishing pad...

I also wet sanded the whole rear wing and trunk lid because there was some major water etching on it. Here's a time lapse video of that process:

YouTube - Wetsanding The Cobra's Trunk

Here is what that rear wing looked like before the wet sanding and polishing:

And here's what it looked like after the whole deal...

And finally, some afters (result shots):

Here are some water beading shots from a rain storm the other day...

Finished up the interior with an Oreck Hot Water Extractor.

Stay tuned for "How to restore plastic lamp/headlight lenses".

Welcome!

2007-09-13T14:00:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the DetailingGurus auto detailing blog (sponsored by http://www.DetailingGurus.com/). Check back frequently for reviews on the latest products and equpiment, as well as tips and tricks to help you achieve the auto finish perfection you're striving for!