Sosodef79

iTrader: (1)

Hey what's up everyone. Just curious what everyone uses to dry their car after a nice wash?

Absorber ? Microfiber Cloths? I usually take my car to the detailer and let him wash but 30 bucks every trip is quite a lot . Plus would like to do it myself .

I have an Obsidian so after seeing all the tiny little scratches it drives me crazy . I wanted to apply an opti coat when I first got the car but my detailer said I had too many small scratches and he didn't want to seal it in. So he applied a basic wax to my car. I used an armor all drying cloth when I first got my car and it made a lot of tiny scratches .

Is it me or is the clear coat on these cars just terrible ? Or is it magnified on a black car?

Thanks in advance for any help!

bigblack06

iTrader: (20)

When the snow is finally gone I would be using microfibers mostly.

MEAHT

iTrader: (1)

My experience with black cars is that they always get swirl marks :/

Here's what I use to dry:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0009IQZFM/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/190-9299632-7288338

Hope this helps
MEAHT

jkeller

These have worked well for me.


http://http://www.amazon.com/Chemica...=chemical+guys

Allen K

iTrader: (4)

I've been using a leaf blower Check out the detailing forum for tons of great info. Surprised that your detailer refused to put on the opticoat. It usually includes paint correction prior to applying the opticoat. I know my Cquartz installer did that even though the car was only in my possession for about a day. I'd consider finding a new detailer

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

Lexus Obsidian Black paint is very delicate. Jet black paint is notorious for showing any defect much easier than lighter colors like silver or white. Soft black paint is even worse. If you use anything other than the absolute premium products to touch your paint, you have a very high chance of marring your paint. In fact, the best way to dry your vehicle is without touching it at all.

The majority of swirl marks and scratches come from improper washing and drying. This means either the wrong products are being used (read: lower end) or the wrong techniques are being used.

Here is an article explaining the 3 Bucket Wash Method: How to Properly Wash & Dry A Car (Without Causing Swirl Marks). I highly recommend reading and understanding this technique before proceeding.

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Now that you have an understanding of how to wash the car with 3 separate buckets, and how to carefully dry the car with waffle weave microfiber drying towels, I will recommend some even better options.

First, let me explain that these are high priced items. They are an investment in caring for your vehicle and will save you time and money at the detailer over the course of several years.

1) The Master Blaster blower. This incredibly powerful heated blower makes drying your car simple when you have a nice layer of protection on your car. This blower is way more powerful than any leaf blower, and it blows heated, filtered air. In my opinion, this is the ultimate way of drying your car as it is much easier to preserve your paint if you do not touch it at all. This product takes some getting used to as it is not as easy as "just wipe it down with a towel" since you will now be removing water from every single crack, crevice, nook, and cranny of your vehicle. I can dry my car with a MB about as quickly as I can with a towel. The key is to have a good layer of protection on your car at all times so water beads nicely and sheets off of the car easily. If you do not, then water will cling to your paint and be difficult to blow off. You also want to sheet as much water off of the car as possible prior to blow drying (same if you were towel drying. Always sheet the water off of the car first). Start at the top of the car and work your way down, otherwise you will just be blowing more water over areas you have already dried. Note: for an inexpensive option, you could use a leaf blower, however having used leaf blowers years ago... they do not even compare to the master blaster, but I do understand the MB is simply out of many people's budgets for a detailing item. Feel free to PM me for more info about the Master Blaster.


2) Microfiber Madness Dry Me Crazy Towel. This ultra soft drying towel is more gentle than the waffle weave variety, however it demands a premium price. This towel is a great idea for soft, delicate paint that is easily marred. Blotting the car will be much more effective in minimizing defects compared to wiping the car.




Now on to discussing paint protection. Unfortunately Opti-Coat is only available through authorized professionals. Optimum has a consumer grade coating called Gloss-Coat that claims 2 years of durable protection. There are also many other consumer grade coating products available today such as 22ple VX1 Pro and CQuartz UK.


Regardless of the coating that you chose, the prep work is absolutely critical in the success or failure of the coatings. As your detailer mentioned, a coating should not be applied over swirls in the paint. The correct process for preparing your vehicle for a coating is as follows: thorough exterior cleaning (wash), decontamination (chemicals and clay bar), polishing (paint correction to remove surface defects), paint cleansing (solvent wipedown to remove traces of polishing oils), and then the coating can be applied.

If you have any questions about these products, processes, or any other detailing related topic... please don't hesitate to ask.

-Zach



Sounds to me like the OP didn't want to pay for the paint correction, and instead wanted a wash & opti-coat, however the detailer did the right thing and explained that he would not coat the vehicle unless it was properly prepped... which means a thorough cleaning, decontamination, paint correction, paint prep, and finally coating. A time intensive and expensive process to have someone do for you.

-Zach

Sosodef79

iTrader: (1)

You are wrong zack. I would have paid for both and was willing but thanks .

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

18V cordless leaf blower and a few white US 100% cotton towels washed without fabric softener.

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

Paid for both what?

Given that you stated your detailer didn't want to install opti-coat due to the scratches, it sounds like you need additional correction work prior to coating. Did he refuse to polish your paint, too? If so, that does not make any sense.

Seeing that you are in NJ - do you happen to be a customer of Greg of Signature Detailing or Phil of Detailer's Domain?

Have you considered learning to correct the paint on your own? It is a small upfront investment, however the tools and knowledge will allow you to maintain your vehicles and any future vehicles to the highest level at a much lower cost than bringing it to a professional.

-Zach

Sosodef79

iTrader: (1)

Zack, you are misunderstanding me. The detailer told me I had too many scratches and said that it would not be repairable . He said he did not want to apply the opti coat because of this.

Now I'm not sure if he didn't want to do the work. But money was not the problem on my part as you were accusing me of. I wanted to correct the scratches and apply the opti coat .

Maybe I need to get a second opinion ?

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

Ahhh... I get it now.

I did not mean to imply that you were not capable or willing to pay for the services, but only that you perhaps were not being informed that a more in depth service (ie paint correction) was required before coating the vehicle. Upon reading it sounded like you had wanted the OC applied after washing... so that is where the assumptions came from.

... back on track...

Do you have a photo of the scratches? Are they typical swirl marks or are they deep scratches that will catch your finger nail? If they are deep scratches, I highly doubt there are enough of them covering the car to advise against coating the vehicle.

I would certainly get a 2nd opinion on the matter... either of the 2 shops I mentioned above would be a good option.

-Zach

Sosodef79

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for understanding Zack, naw no pictures . I only washed the car once myself before taking it to the Detailer . Also the dealer I think washed it when I bought it. The scratches aren't too crazy just the minor hairline scratches that people normally get . I will definatey get a second opinion . I saw a detailer here on the forums I'll try out . I'm located in SoCal BTW.

Is the clear coat on our cars really this sensitive ? Or does the black show and intensify it more?

Sosodef79

iTrader: (1)

Also thanks for the nice write up Zach, much appreciated .

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

Oops... must've glanced at someone else's location... my bad Here is a map of some very reputable detailers... there are plenty in the SoCal area


As long as the scratches reside in the clear coat and are not so deep that they have penetrated the clear, they can be removed. This is an OB vehicle I worked on... 2 step correction process and it looked fantastic afterwards. Any reputable detailer will be able to help you out.



Both - black certainly shows defects more, however Lexus OB is very soft and therefore easy to damage. Clear coat hardness varies among manufacturers, and even among colors within the same manufacturer. For instance, BMW has several paint codes for variations of black paint... their jet black is very soft and finicky like our obsidian black, however their sapphire black metallic is rock hard and requires a lot more work to remove defects.

-Zach

Sosodef79

iTrader: (1)

Awesome thanks again Zach