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Welcome and congratulations. Have fun detailing and hopefully you’ll get it sealed and protected. I just finished mine with Black Fire and a Flex (compound, polish, sealant, SI02) in my garage (45 degrees and a small heater to get it to 60) and cringe at the thought of a car wash. I’d rather use a two bucket method in Winnipeg than purposefully flaw the paint. Good thing I’m in Texas����
Welcome and congratulations. Have fun detailing and hopefully you’ll get it sealed and protected. I just finished mine with Black Fire and a Flex (compound, polish, sealant, SI02) in my garage (45 degrees and a small heater to get it to 60) and cringe at the thought of a car wash. I’d rather use a two bucket method in Winnipeg than purposefully flaw the paint. Good thing I’m in Texas����
I'm in Arkansas so we are neighbors. Don't know how the weather has been for you guys but for here it hasn't been above 35 in days. If I had my own detail bay area, I would probably be in heaven. The wife would never allow it though, she thinks I spend too much money as it is with what I have. Granted this is the same person who wants me to wash her car regularly but it is what it is I suppose lol. I use mostly Meguiar's products just because of the cost benefit. It's a daily driver so there isn't a need to spend a lot, except for maybe the Si02 part. But the compound and polish I have is Meguiar's. I also like to use Fast Finish, the aerosol, to "seal" the paint and create nice water beading properties. I then usually spray some Meguiar's x-press spray wax as a sacrificial layer. I've really been wanting to try NEXTZETT Perfect Shine out as a topper but haven't purchased any yet.
Megiair’s makes good products. I really like their Ultimate Compound and a “white” cutting pad for deeper imperfections. I’ll then use Black Fire’s compound an an “orange” pad before the synthetic sealant. The SI02 is a stand-alone sealant which adds additional protection and beading. Meguiar’s SI02 is pretty similar. If Fast Finish is a synthetic sealant you could then top it with Meguiar’s SI02.
Out DFW weather is similar but about 5-7 degrees warmer in the winter on average.
Last edited by Catalina45; Jan 14, 2019 at 10:10 AM.
Reason: Spelling
Megiair’s makes good products. I really like their Ultimate Compound and a “white” cutting pad for deeper imperfections. I’ll then use Black Fire’s compound an an “orange” pad before the synthetic sealant. The SI02 is a stand-alone sealant which adds additional protection and beading. Meguiar’s SI02 is pretty similar. If Fast Finish is a synthetic sealant you could then top it with Meguiar’s SI02.
Out DFW weather is similar but about 5-7 degrees warmer in the winter on average.
oh Dallas fort worth area? Nice, I was born in Fort Worth. I know they just recently released a hybrid ceramic wax spray but I haven't got my hands on it to see how it does.
I was gonna strip off some of the vinyl from the drip rail I took off (would be a perfect color match) but my buddy convinced me my car deserved the $60 or so it would cost (plus 3M adhesive even more). Same with cupholder I was gonna do the dollar store cupholder screw it to the arm thing, but my buddy convinced me to just buy the new one). Nice when your friends spend "your" money, eh? lol
totally understand, lol. easy for people to spend the money when someone else if handling the bill, right lol.
i probably would have bought the actual part, but could never find the part #. and of course when i called my local dealer, they told me i had to buy a whole new handle. so that's when i tried the vinyl. since it's on the passenger side, i don't see it much. and at quick glance i don't notice it now.
Megiair’s makes good products. I really like their Ultimate Compound and a “white” cutting pad for deeper imperfections. I’ll then use Black Fire’s compound an an “orange” pad before the synthetic sealant. The SI02 is a stand-alone sealant which adds additional protection and beading. Meguiar’s SI02 is pretty similar. If Fast Finish is a synthetic sealant you could then top it with Meguiar’s SI02.
Out DFW weather is similar but about 5-7 degrees warmer in the winter on average.
Funny, I was just watching Junkman2000 videos on polishing the other day. He used Miquiar's 105 with an Orange pad followed up with 205 on a White pad and then a wax. Of course he clay bared the area first before doing anything.
Oh sweet man, thanks for looking out! It's moonlight pearl. Or at least, that's what the dealership listed it as so I'm taking that at face value. Is there another way to figure that out? If you have a link or just can point me in the right direction I would appreciate it. I'll check the other side and see if anymore are missing.
Im pretty sure your paint code is in the serial# in the tag by the door. You can google it and find out for sure.
Head over to Lexus official site and register using your VIN. In addition to the Lexus service records on file you can get all the options and color codes. That's if you have not already done so.
totally understand, lol. easy for people to spend the money when someone else if handling the bill, right lol.
i probably would have bought the actual part, but could never find the part #. and of course when i called my local dealer, they told me i had to buy a whole new handle. so that's when i tried the vinyl. since it's on the passenger side, i don't see it much. and at quick glance i don't notice it now.
Not that many really even notice...I thought to myself, can I even name what the door handles look like, in all the cars that I have rented? Is this way really better looking then say if the entire cap had the color molded in.....
When you get the part you get the entire back piece, chrome and all. Problem is you can't remove it from the car, except from the inside of the door from what I read here. So on the new part, you have to pop off the piece that's missing from the car, then glue it to the car. It's nerve wracking because here you are spending $30 for half of a part that broke off the original, and you have to break it to use it. The amount of force made me uneasy, but, the piece did "not": break. I woulda been more careful with the 3M adhesive if I could do it all over, that stuff is very difficult to remove. Prolly woulda masked the handle and new colored piece...
Finally had a chance to wash the car. I only had time for a decon wash, iron remover and clay bar. Just has a spray wax topper on it for now until I can get the DA on it this weekend hopefully. You can't see the acid rain marks unless you're very close to the car.
