6/26/2017 Day 1 - Detail, strip wash & wheel waxI recently decided that I need to correct the swirl marks in my Ocean Blue Metallic 986. The car has never been polished or had any paint correction, but I have always kept it clean and waxed. To begin my multi-day detail, I first needed to thoroughly wash the car and strip any remaining wax or sealant from the paint. I began early to avoid the heat. I started using my IK 9 Foamer to coat the entire car with a layer of foam (half gallon of water, about 2-3 ounces of car soap). After letting the foam remove some contaminates and lubricate the paint, I washed the car using 3 buckets (1 Wash, 1 Rinse, 1 Wheels) and 3 Wash Mitts (one upper, one lower, one wheels). I also aggitated around some of the seams and emblems with a small boar's hair brush, but it was not very effective. I also used a large boar's hair brush and rim cleaner on the wheels.
After I rinsed the car, I rinsed the soft top and cleaned it with 303 Convertible Top cleaner and a nylon scrub brush. I scrubbed the top very lightly, and noted dirty areas prior to rinsing the top because a wet top will hide the dirty areas. I then rinsed the top. To strip the paint, I added a few squirts of blue Dawn dish soap to the foamer. I chose to mix the Dawn with Optimum Car soap to ensure it foamed and lubricated properly. This mixture foamed up better than the car soap alone. I then used the strip soap wash as lubrication to clay bar the entire car. I did not want to let the Dawn sit on the car very long, so I worked one panel at a time, rinsing each panel after it had been clayed. Once I did the upper panels, I moved to the rear bumper, then the front bumper, then the lower rocker panels. The rocker panels where filthy, make sure you clean them last. I rinsed the car again to ensure there was no Dawn left, and I used a leaf blower and Rag Company Pluffle towels to try the entire car. Once the car was dry, I got out a bottle of Nanoskin Iron Free, to dissolve any iron embedded in the paint the clay bar had not removed. It specially says to not get it on the soft top, so I only sprayed the lower panels and hood. I also wore gloves, this stuff doesn't smell as bad as other iron removers, but it is still nasty stuff. After I went around the car, which took half the bottle, I began to rinse the Iron Free off. I am not sure if it actually did much, or if there was any iron for it to actually remove, but the sun was starting to beat down, and you cannot let this stuff dry on the paint, so I wanted to rinse it off quickly. After rinsing the car very, very thoroughly, being careful to avoid getting any Iron Free on the soft top, I concluded the strip wash by drying the car. I used the Pluffle towels on the outside, and the Minx towels on the door and trunk jams. The Minx towels got very dirty, and amazingly after washing them with Micro-Restore they looked new again. Once the car was dry, I pulled it back into the garage. The paint still needs to be corrected, but it is now smooth as glass. I then began to work on my summer rims, which where already very clean. I washed and rinsed them, then moved onto the grass so that I could flip them over without damaging the finish. I cleaned the inside/barrel of each rim with rim cleaner and my wheel brush, then used the now disgusting clay bar to spot clay the front of the rims, and clay the inside barrel of each rim. This got them "clean enough" for the inside of a rim. I then used a foam applicator and Wheel Wax to wax the front and inside of each rim. Wheel Wax is great, but it is a total PITA to buff off. I spend at least an 1.5 hours just buffing it off, and my rims are not that intricate. After buffing the rims inside and out, I used McKee's Wax Remover to get any extra wax off the tires, then rinsed the rims again. After quickly drying them, I sprayed the tires with ArmorAll Tire Foam too add some shine and keep the rubber from drying out. After 5.5 hours the sun was overhead, and I was done for the day. Next I will lift the car, change the oil, swap the rims, and clean the suspension and engine compartment. Comments are closed.
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