For stubborn contamination, Stoner Tarminator is a great product to turn to prior to your wash.

We're in the process of working towards pre-made bundles, but as of now I can only provide recommendations. We do have our website setup so that you can create your own "bundles". If you purchase a complementary item or a works best with item, you instantly receive 5% off the items you add. You can still use your discount on top of that for 10% off all applicable items by entering 10offAF during the checkout process.

If you have any specific questions on what products to select, please do not hesitate to ask. A quick list of some of my personal favorites:

Washing & Drying:
[ul][*]Super Slick & Suds[*]Waffle Weave Drying Towels[*]Sheepskin or Lake Country Ulti-Mit[*]Grit Guard Insert[/ul]Paint Prep:
[ul][*]Clay Magic Fine Grade Clay Bar[*]Spray & Wipe as clay lube[*]Menzerna line of Polishes[/ul]Paint Protection:
[ul][*]Poorboy's EX-P Sealant or Menzerna Full Molecular Jacket (FMJ)[*]Poorboy's Natty's Blue or P21S Concours Carnauba Wax[/ul]Let me know if you'd like any suggestions for interior products, wheel and tire care, or engine bay care.

Thanks again for the post!

George

 

i have an 06 A4 with the perforated leather steering wheel, and i am wondering what the best way to clean it is.. i love the way it felt and looked when new (soft and not shiny).. is there a way to remove the oils and "de-shine" it?

 

I'd clean the steering wheel with a leather safe all purpose cleaner, such as 303 Cleaner & Spot Remover, or something local like Folex. Then follow up with a leather cleaner and conditioner as vnv stated.

George

 

Im not sure if the interior of the new TT is diferent than other new cars but it seems kinda new to what I have seen. Kinda plastic, kinda rubber, etc. Know any good products to keep it clean? It seems like you can run your skin over it and it shows the mark.

 

Also how is the 3 step Mcquires product? I just bought some.

 

I have a LOT of swirl marks on my car, what would you recommend to get rid of them? I have heard that they keep coming back, no matter what you do. Is this true? Thanks for any help

 

Well I just used the 3 stage mcquires and it got the swirls out of my car and made the hood (thats all I did so far) look like a mirror. That stuff works pretty good and didnt cost too much.

 

I'm pretty sure I know what type of material you are talking of. Preventing oils from your skin from showing up on almost any surface is difficult to achieve. Best thing you can do is try to minimize the marks by having a layer of protection over the surface. Something like 303 Aerospace Protectant would be a good choice or perhaps Plexus if it is indeed a plastic surface. Unfortunately I don't have a definite answer for you.

Swirl marks are removed from your vehicle by using an abrasive polish and leveling your clear coat to an even surface. Think of swirls as dips and valleys in your clear coat. They can be prevented by using the proper detailing tools, products and techniques. Auto detailing is an art form that can take years to perfect. Some enthusiasts are content with some swirls on their paint as long as the finish is shiney and reflective, while others strive for perfection and try to remove every imperfection on their paint for that ultimate finish. Properly prepping (removing contamination and imperfections, such as swirls, scratches, oxidation, water marks, etc.) a vehicle is what gives off the deepest, wettest finish. Some products out there are designed to just hide swirls, and they will come back after a few washes or some rain.

Proper lighting plays an important roll when it comes to paint correction. I personally use dual 500 watt halogen lights, which can be found locally at Sears for around $30. I recently performed an experiment with a new buffer we got in, the Flex XC 3401 VRG, and some Menzerna polishes and was able to get the finish from this to this.





For a full write up on the process that was used, here is the thread on the Flex XC 3401 VRG vs Porter Cable 7424 random orbital buffers.

To get started understanding what is happening during each step of the auto detailing process, we have a complete guide for properly caring for your vehicle. The first 6 steps will take your through your exterior covering properly washing and drying, using a clay bar to remove contamination, polishing to remove imperfections, using a glaze to enhance your finish and hide imperfections, applying a sealant and finally a wax on top.

After reading through that, you should have a solid understanding on what each step of the detailing process is trying to achieve, then you can properly select the products that best fit your needs.

Steve, keep us posted on how well the Meg's 3 step process holds up for you. I was always under the impression that no abrasive products were used in the Meguiar's 3 step process, so the swirls very well still could be there, you may have just hid them temporarily. I could be wrong, but I just checked Meg's site and I know the Paint Cleaner is non-abrasive, and is "step 1". The polish they have as "step 2" does not mention if it has abrasives in it or not, I'm going to guess not. Let us know how well the finish holds up after a few washes and if you are under florescent lighting (like at a gas station) check to see if you can see the swirls or not. Thanks for sharing!

George

 

have you used that new turtle wax ice product yet? how is it compared to other polishes?

 

I have a question about detailing my car.
I have a Phantom Black 07 S4 and for the past year I've been getting my car detailed at Autopia which is a detail center here. They do great work, but their microfiber clothes always leaves small red fibres on my car. Now that my one year membership is about to end, I was wondering if you could walk me through the process of getting a polished look on my car.
Thanks!