Hi,

I'm looking for tips on how to best prepare my car for the JCNA AGM concours event that I'm entering my car in this Sunday. Its the first concours I've ever entered.

Has anyone got any tips for how to make the paintwork, glass and interior super clean/shiny without smears, water spots etc?

I'm looking for product advice, application advice etc. especially for the exterior, as I haven't ever had much luck with waxing my car and getting a completely smear-free finish.

I'm going to have to drive it there after preparing it so need some tips on what to take to clean up odd bug splats, road dust etc before judging.

Thanks guys

 

I've very interested in the answer to this myself! Look forward to everyone's tips. I've offened wondered:

Sponge, brush, car was foaming brush, professional car wash?

What do you dry with? Cotton cloth, microfiber, chamois?

Best wax to use? Best Wheel cleaner? Do you use the wheel coating to cut down on brakedust?

 

May I recommend a thread in the Detailing / Car Care subsection of the forum? I know of two (2) members who are pro detailers that regularly subscribe to that section alone, and respond to any and all cleaning/detailing/product recommendation questions.

 

That is where I would start....

Doing it right will be a pretty long write-up, even when talking basics....

Minimum tools: Two buckets, clean microfiber towels, small soft bristle brushes (for nooks and crannies) gloves, and claybar.

Chemical preferences (cleaners, wax and conditioners) are a class/debate on their own.

BOL
Vince

 

My New Car Prep Process: BMW 550 – Detailed Image

You can try the attached link. Haven't used any of the products, but the process seems right.

 

+1 on H20boy.....you NEED to visit our detailing section in the first instance.....then perhaps later detailingworld

Good luck my friend

 

Check out rennlist section on detailing/concour porsches.

 

Just read this:

Car Detailing Guide

 

Take wheels off to detail wells, brakes, shocks, arms, etc...

 

If they judge for swirlmarks.....get yourself a dual action polisher and buff out the swirls. Most of the time swirls can not be buffed out by hand. There are tons of good products out there from Pinnacle, Wolfgang, Blackfire,Dodo Juice,etc. My favorite carnuba waxes that I use are Dodo Juice Supernatural, Wolfgang Fuzion, and Pinnacle Souveran Paste. Synthetic/sealant wax that I like include Wolfgang deep gloss paint sealant, Blackfire crystal sealant and Optimum Opti-Seal. Zaino synthetic wax is good also but I haven't used them for a few years now.

There are alot more waxes out there at are good also that I don't use above.

Rotary Buffers on My Classic Car - Dennis Gage & Mike Phillips - YouTube

 

Wash - If you’re only washing your car, use a washing product made specifically for cars since common dish soap products, like Palmolive, Dawn, etc, contain grease-cutting agents and will remove your car’s wax! If you’re doing a complete detailing, then do use common dish soap products, like Palmolive, Dawn, etc, to remove the wax on your car. In either event, start washing at the top and work down. To reduce swirl marks, use straight-line motions, always touching your car the way the air flows over it. Use a 2" paintbrush for seams. Use the paintbrush to pick up dry suds for washing doorjambs, rinse with door closed. Wash wheels, rocker panels and fender wells last or use a separate bucket for dirtier area. Use WD-40 or an automotive tar remover to remove any tar. Don't ever allow soap to dry on the paint. Rinse everything often and well.

Dry - Water flowing out of the open end of a hose will usually sheet off leaving your car nearly dry. Another option is use a Metro Data-Vac Electric Duster. Towel dry with 100% micro-fiber towel. Wipe with one micro-fiber towel then polish water tracks fully dry with another micro-fiber towel. Change towels when necessary. Pull gently on lower door trim to release trapped water.

Clay - Mist a 2’ x 2’ section of paint with a clay lubricant, like Meguiar’s Quik Detailer or Griot’s Garage Speed Shine. Gently rub the clay bar back and forth across the wet area. It will grab at first since it is pulling contaminants out of the paint. When it glides freely, the paint is clean. Wipe area with a micro-fiber towel and use the clay lubricant to remove any clay residue. Rub your fingers across the paint; it should be as smooth as glass. If it’s not, repeat. Reshape clay bar as needed to expose a clean surface. Keep the clay well-lubricated. Continue these steps until you’ve clayed the entire vehicle.

Polish- Fine abrasive auto polish applied by hand or a random orbital power polisher will remove remaining contaminants and swirl marks from your paint leaving a glossy finish. Do a small section at a time and change towels often since removing the polish is often harder than applying it. Polish stubborn areas twice before trying more abrasive products.

Wax - Wax covers your paint with a clear protective layer resulting in a durable glossy finish. Follow directions - some waxes dry before removal, others must not dry or they become impossible to remove. Use matching polishes and waxes from one manufacturer or risk streaks from compatibility problems.

Wheels - Wheels that are painted and clear coated should be treated like body paint. Use a one-step wax on wheels instead of separate polish and wax. Remove wheels to wax the inside rim completely. For chrome wheels, use any good chrome polish.

Interior - Clean with damp cloth using mild detergent for stains. Use a 1" round brush and the vacuum crevice tool for eliminating dirt from vents and electronics. Vacuum floor mats, scrub around lettering with mild detergent, rinse and dry. Spread pleats on seats to remove dirt with crevice tool. Remove seats for complete cleaning.

Engine - Spray detergent on cold engine. Agitate with brushes reserved for this purpose. Rinse thoroughly. Use more aggressive products on grease build-ups. Treat rubber and vinyl hoses and boxes with a protectant. Wax any painted surfaces.

Product Recommendations – Detergent - Zymol Clear Auto Bathe, 3M Car Wash Soap, Zymol Auto Wash, Polish - Zymol HD Cleanse, 3M Perfect It Hand Glaze #05997, 3M Swirl Mark Remover, Wax - Zymol Concours, Carbon, 3M Show Car Paste Wax, Wheel Wax - Rain Dance, Leather - Zymol Treat, Vinyl - Zymol Vinyl, Glass - Glass Plus, Griot's Garage Glass Cleaner, Windex, Wheels & Engine - Simple Green, Wurth's Citrus Degreaser, Tires & Inner Fender Liners - Black Again, Soft Seals (Weather stripping) - Zymol Seal, Metal Polish - Blue Magic polishing crème.

Zymol products can be ordered from Performance Automotive in Glasonbury CT 860-633-7868 or Emmons Coachworks in Villa Park IL 800-NOW-4-WAX. 3M products are available at NAPA. Wurth products and Blue Magic polish are available from Imparts 800-325-9043. Black Again is available from Emmons and Imparts.