George,
I think you did a quick write-up on rim repair...I couldn't find it. I recently had my stock rims replaced with repro-RS4 rims. I love them and they look really good on the car (some KW coilovers are next), but unfortunately the local Discount Tire scratched one (they won't admit it, I gave up arguing with them) near the lip. The scratch is small but noticeable up close, likely just needs some touch up paint (it's not curb rash). Is there a good place to get some touch up paint for rims? I like PaintScratch for car touch-up paint, but I'd be guessing at the color for rims.
Thanks.

 

Here's one of the best wheel repair writeup's I've seen...

http://www.audiworld.com/tech/ext43.shtml

Let us know if you give it a shot and how you make out.

George

 

George,

I just bought an A3 Sline over the weekend in Brilliant Red, I know its not a pearl or metallic so i was wondering what I should use to give it a deep wet gloss. Also I have aluminium trim inside, what should I clean that with and is there anything to protect it. Thanks in advance for your help.

Rob

 

Rob,

Good questions. First thing I'd like to point out, is properly prepping your vehicle by removing contamination (wash & dry + clay bar) and properly removing surface imperfections (polishing + an optional glaze) is what builds the deepest and wettest shine. If you have mastered the prep stages, then the sealants and / or waxes can do their job effectively yielding a deep, wet, gloss. If the car is brand new you may not need to polish it, but still inspect for imperfections in direct sun or under florescent or halogen lighting.

As far as protection goes, on a color like Brilliant Red, my favorite combination to use is Poorboy's EX-P Sealant topped with Poorboy's Natty's Red Paste Wax. On a properly prepped vehicle, this combination looks absolutely stunning.

Is your aluminum trim coated or uncoated? If it is coated, I recommend using 303 Aerospace Protectant as a UV protection.

Let us know what you decide on trying and how you make out. Thanks Rob.

George

 

George,

Thanks for the info, I will be heading over to your site to pick up a few things.
As for the trim it does not feel like it is coated, just brushed aluminium.
Also do I need to have a Porter Cable polisher to have good results from my work?

 

If you are trying to remove imperfections (swirls, scratches, water spots, etc.) with an abrasive polish, then yes a Porter Cable 7424 would benefit you in time and energy saved as well as increased results. If you are just applying the sealant and wax, then no, it's just less work by hand. If you are looking to get serious about automotive detailing, it is one of the best investments you can make.

Let me know if you need a hand selecting anything to best fit your goals and objectives.

George

 

Hey detailed image. You seem to know everything about detailing so you seem like the person to answer my questions. I recently bought a used Black'05 A4 and its very nice. However, when you get somewhat near it you see circular swirls(like someone washed it wrong or something). Anyways, what can i do to get rid of these swirls? Before my A4 i would just wash a car with normal car soap and then dry it off. But with my new A4 i want it to look perfect. What proccess can i do to make it look good? Also can you direct me to some products to use that will help me get results that are easily accessible?? (preferably stuff i can buy from large storeslike a meijer or from somewhere else thats everywhere)

 

Hey! Quick question for you. Whenever I try to wash the inside of the winshield on my car, it appears to have a sort of film on it. Windex does not remove it, as well as a whole slew of other cleaners. What auto glass/window cleaner do you recommend that I use to keep my glass nice and clean? (It is not smoke, I am a non-smoker)

Thanks for your time!

 

Bballer0110 - You're going to find your selection at local stores to be pretty minimal when it comes to high quality detailing supplies. First thing I'd try is Meguiars ScratchX which can be applied by hand. You'll apply it with a terry or foam applicator pad and will require some elbow grease and many coats of application to get desired results. If that is not giving you the results that you are looking for, then I'd suggest looking to invest in some high quality products, such as the Porter Cable 7424 Buffer and appropriate polishes to go along with your needs. IMO anything much more aggressive than ScratchX needs to be applied with a quality buffer (not a cheap one) to achieve any decent results, especially on hard Audi paint. Think of your purchase as an investment that will last you years to come.

trevor51590 - Try to track down Stoner Invisible Glass, which can be ordered or found locally in many cases. For interior glass, I'll use Stoner's Invisible Glass and three microfiber towels. The Invisible Glass can be used safely on tinted glass so it's great for both the interior and exterior. I fold a 16" by 16" all purpose microfiber towel in fourths and spray a light coating of Invisible Glass on the towel outside of the vehicle. Applying the product to the towel outside of the vehicle helps ensure you don't get any over spray on any other part of the vehicle. The biggest problem I see with streaking is detailers often over apply the glass products.

I then work in a logical pattern side to side exerting equal pressure throughout my hand and fingertips. Working slowly can help minimize streaking. I then repeat the process going up and down until I have removed all of the surface contamination that I can see.

Next I take my second microfiber towel and fold it in fourths, then spray 1 mist of distilled water and wipe down the glass in a similar pattern. This step helps ensure any chemical residue is removed and helps further ensure all the contaminates are removed from the glass. I'll then flip to a dry side and give it a complete wipe down.

My last microfiber towel is folded in fourths as well and used dry to ensure I remove any and all streaks. I really like using a glass specific microfiber towel for this last step. These towels have a tighter weave with a lower nap and make great contact with the glass to ensure no streaks are left behind. I realize this process is a little more time consuming but I find it very effective if you really want streak free glass.

Hope this helps.

George

 

I appreciate the opportunity to bounce Ideas off you guys. Thanks. I recently read the article posted by Mark gonzo on detailing black cars.I have an 03 black a4, Other thean a minor scracth cluster on the hood, the paint is in good shape and I would like to keep it that way. I was thinking about trying to get the scratches out, but I don't want to make it any worse. You have to look for it as it is., but I know it is there, so If I could fix it without stripping off clear coat or wet sanding to do so, I would be interested. Any suggestions.

As for my main question. I want to follow the steps in the articlec with the Klasse aoi and Klass glaze and noticed you have combo pack that I am going to buy. My question has to do with the wax. The article suggest something like mcguires. I have a full bottle of Zymoil and would like to use it if I can, but it says cleaner wax on the bottle. I wouldn't want to affect any of the first two steps. If I buy those prodcuctx from you,can I use the zymoil for the last step and still get a good result.thanks for the advice.

10offAF