2011 Toureg: Need Some Advice

[emmortal]

I guess this is my first post, so hopefully I won't bore you to death with too many questions. I have been browsing the forums and reading up quite a bit (I'm not new to detailing, well maybe to the level that some of you are at) and have a slew of questions to throw out.

First off my car and situation:

The car is a 2011 Volkswagen Toureg. The paint is in pretty good shape being rather new it doesn't have a lot of blemishes other than the normal wear paint would endure at this age. I live in Los Angeles so air contaminants and UV are high on my concern list. The car sits outside all day every day (no covered parking where I live). I also cannot wash the car here I'd have to do it at a coin op car wash down the street (just using it for the space available and rinsing, not wash).

I've typically done detailing at my prior residences where I had a garage or covered parking but I currently don't have any of that available. I do have experience claying cars and that's probably the first thing I'll need to do as the paint is rough to the touch, probably had never been clayed.

On to the good stuff:

Being a prior Zaino user and I loved their products, having used it on my 1993 RX7 (it was black on black) I was amazed at how far ahead of it's time the products were, but from what I've been reading it seems there are better alternatives out these days. I would use Zaino again, but I'm a bit concerned at how long it takes to go through the process as I can't hog up a spot at the wash all day,so I'm looking for something that has the durability and protection that Zaino provided, but in less steps/length of application. For the interior I'm sticking with Zaino leather cleaner and leather in a bottle as I really love that stuff and I think it's probably just as good as anything else out there or still better in a lot of cases.

Any recommendations on the other interior bits such as plastic pieces, a good glass cleaner for both inside the car and something that will offer solid UV protection to the exterior?

As far as actual clay goes, I've been reading about the Nanoskin wash mit that seems like it's a great alternative to actual clay, any other recommendations on products similar to the Nanoskin? Also, do I actually need a lubricant when claying? In the past I used Dawn Dishwashing soap as a lubricant after washing the car but I think I'd like to cut that out as it adds an extra step of rinsing and drying afterward. So maybe I answered my own question there, but if anyone has suggestions on clay lube to use I'd appreciate it.

Also what wash mits and microfiber towels do you guys use these days? I'm basically starting from scratch with detailing gear so any and all help is welcome.

Lastly, hopefully I posted this in the correct forum, if not, the mods can feel free to move it to the appropriate one. Thanks!

[inDetail]

Since you have limited access to H2o I would say you need yourself a good rinsless/waterless wash to use between regular washes. I would go with UWW+ or Garry Dean's Detail Juice.( I prefer the juice I like small business owners) Either way both are great products. This will cost you depending on the amount of concentrate you buy which is pricey but after mixing with distilled water you end up spending $4-$5 a gallon. It can also be used as a QD, Clay Lube, Pad Primer, Spray wax, interior dressing this list goes on for these two products. I washed and clayed my beater and did a spray wax with the juice and nothing else and it lasted over a month.
(BTW don't let Dawn touch your car again.)
Glass Cleaning - Car Pro Fast Glass towels. You will never go back ( GD detailing Juice can be used as well but the towels spoiled me so I never tried the juice on glass.
MF towels: Check the rag company. They have the best MF at the prices they charge. Not dirt cheap but great towels for the money. Nobody else charges $5 for a border less towel. Chemical Guys gold with black borders are nice towels and pretty much dirt cheap for all around purposes. You can grab nice wash mitts from the Rag Company as well. Get two. 1 for the top half of the car and one for the bottom half. I was never blown away with AG's towel offerings unless you get the pricey one's Make sure you grab some waffle weave towels for the wet work.
Wheel Cleaner: I did not see that on your list Soanx Full Effect or Scholl's but $$$$ for filthy wheels. Wolf's deironizer is half the price it's a deironizer but can be used on wheels when they are really bad. Normal keep up wheel cleaner I like Chemical guys Sticky wheel Gel the orange stuff. It can be cut with distilled water to make a very cost effective good wheel cleaner.

IMO Nanoskin is way over priced. You will still need clay for tight spots. Car-Pro makes Poly Shave which is the same idea as Nanoskin but at 1/4 the $
As far as other products you may need check Poorboy's out they make sun friendly just about anything, wax, polish and everything in between. There stuff is quality at a reasonable price.
The other thing you will need to get yourself is two 5 gallon buckets from Home Depot and a pair of Grit Guards ( AG, Chemical Guys sells them.)
Everyone else chime in to add or delete from my input and help a guy out.

[emmortal]

Thanks for the reply that was exactly what I was looking for.

Anyone else have any suggestions? I might stop by the Chemical Guys store later today and check out what they have available since I'll be down that way.

[mwoolfso]

I guess this is my first post, so hopefully I won't bore you to death with too many questions. I have been browsing the forums and reading up quite a bit (I'm not new to detailing, well maybe to the level that some of you are at) and have a slew of questions to throw out. WELCOME!!!

First off my car and situation:

The car is a 2011 Volkswagen Toureg. The paint is in pretty good shape being rather new it doesn't have a lot of blemishes other than the normal wear paint would endure at this age. I live in Los Angeles so air contaminants and UV are high on my concern list. The car sits outside all day every day (no covered parking where I live). I also cannot wash the car here I'd have to do it at a coin op car wash down the street (just using it for the space available and rinsing, not wash).

I've typically done detailing at my prior residences where I had a garage or covered parking but I currently don't have any of that available. I do have experience claying cars and that's probably the first thing I'll need to do as the paint is rough to the touch, probably had never been clayed.

On to the good stuff:

Being a prior Zaino user and I loved their products, having used it on my 1993 RX7 (it was black on black) I was amazed at how far ahead of it's time the products were, but from what I've been reading it seems there are better alternatives out these days. I would use Zaino again, but I'm a bit concerned at how long it takes to go through the process as I can't hog up a spot at the wash all day,so I'm looking for something that has the durability and protection that Zaino provided, but in less steps/length of application. For the interior I'm sticking with Zaino leather cleaner and leather in a bottle as I really love that stuff and I think it's probably just as good as anything else out there or still better in a lot of cases.

Any recommendations on the other interior bits such as plastic pieces, a good glass cleaner for both inside the car and something that will offer solid UV protection to the exterior? CarPro PERL is very good, the first product that comes to mind as I read your question. Get the concentrate along with some Chemical Guys spray bottles and you will be set for a long time.

As far as actual clay goes, I've been reading about the Nanoskin wash mit that seems like it's a great alternative to actual clay, any other recommendations on products similar to the Nanoskin? Also, do I actually need a lubricant when claying? In the past I used Dawn Dishwashing soap as a lubricant after washing the car but I think I'd like to cut that out as it adds an extra step of rinsing and drying afterward. So maybe I answered my own question there, but if anyone has suggestions on clay lube to use I'd appreciate it. The only caveat with these wash mitts is that they introduce marring depending on what they pick up off the paint. And since no alarms sound when there is danger you never know until you pick up the mitt and inspect (by then the damage is done). While cool technology, they are a timesaver only if you know you will be polishing the paint. If you are not polishing then clay. I like Riccardo, Wolfgang and Mothers clay (in that order). I have tried Meguiars and for whatever reason I notice I labor more with this clay - so not liking it still.

Yes, you need a lubricant and my go-to lubricant is Optimum No Rinse Concentrate.

Also what wash mits and microfiber towels do you guys use these days? I'm basically starting from scratch with detailing gear so any and all help is welcome

I am partial to the Cobra and Griot's MF towels. The waffle weave variety do their job well.

Lastly, hopefully I posted this in the correct forum, if not, the mods can feel free to move it to the appropriate one. Thanks!

Beyond these tidbits here are my closing statements.

1. Go for a paint decontamination spray like CarPro IronX. You use this product after you wash and before you clay. You will notice a difference the first time for sure.

2. Your Volkswagen is definitely hard, ceramiclear paint. If you are planning on polishing with DA polisher and the condition of the paint is typical then Menzerna SF4000 is your ticket. It cuts good and leaves the paint LSP-ready in most typical circumstances. It's an AIO to most people who use it.

3. For a spray wax that has awesome durability, try Optimum Car Wax (OCW). As an example, with an AIO and OCW combination I got 5 months of durability and UV protection as well that is unreacheable by other products.



....

[emmortal]

Could you explain what AIO, OCW and DA mean? I'm unfamiliar with the acronyms.

[LaFawnduh]

AIO means all-in-one, usually referring to a product that cleans/polishes/waxes your paint in a single step/product.

DA refers to a dual-action polishing machine tool. This means the heads rotate and oscillate as they apply product to your car.

[LaFawnduh]

Oh, and OCW the individual states is a specific product - Optimum Car Wash

[emmortal]

Thanks for the explanation, guess I skimmed over the OCW part :)

So I think I've decided that since the car hasn't really had a proper detailing and I want to really give it some time and put in the effort to give it a good base to start off with, I'm going to do clay it, polish it, seal it and wax it. I'm guessing in that order? Or should I seal it after waxing and then polish it?

Basically it would go like this:

Wash and rinse
Clay
Wash any clay residue off/rinse
Polish (with a DA polisher or what do you guys recommend?)
Seal (i pikced up some chemical guys sealent so I'll be using that)
Wax - haven't decided on a wax yet

[Paul A.]

If you're going to add wax, do that over the sealant and after you've let the sealant fully cure.

[inDetail]

If your going to polish then you don't need to wash again after the clay. Some don't some do. In my experience it's the product you use for a clay lube. You should use generous amounts while claying.
I just did a Tundra for my father-in-law and used just under 32 ounces of Detail Juice to clay it. Yes it was not your well maintained car. Outside 24/7 so there was tons of decon that needed to happen. The more lube the happier the clay and it will assist in reducing the chance of marring because you did not use enough lube.
Another decon product you may want to look at is Wolf's Deironizer. More or less the same as Iron X at a better price. There are several chemical deironizers on the market they all do the same thing some just a little better then others and at different price points.
If you are new to machine polishing I would start off with a Griot's DA. Nice machine for the money stronger then the Porter Cable but still very user friendly. You really cannot damage paint with one. I mean damage as in burning it or removing the entire clear coat. You basically can't hurt your paint unless you drop it on the car.
As far as waxes go. Get something in your budget with good reviews. If you don't want to be waxing it every two weeks it's good to get something with polymers or synthetic waxes. They will extend the life of the wax. And don't buy into color specific wax gimmicks these days. If it looks good on color A it will perform the same on color B.

[mwoolfso]

Oh, and OCW the individual states is a specific product - Optimum Car Wash

NO!!!! I said Optimum Car Wax!!! Very different.

>> 3. For a spray wax that has awesome durability, try Optimum Car Wax (OCW). <<

[emmortal]

So for the Griots DA, are the polishing and wax pads by Griots good for doing polishing and wax application? Should I use the DA to apply the sealant as well?

So clay first
Polish (I'm going with the Menzerna Super Finish (Nano) PO 106 FA
Seal (not sure if I should use the Chemical Guys sealent or something else?)
Wax, still researching waxes :)