Cleaning

[Ruissimo]

FYI, Kevin from Gotham did a terrific job on my paint. Check it:



Good guys too... when I just don't have the time to do the work myself... I won't hesitate to use these guys again.

 

[Southern Boy]

TJ, I had to laugh when I seen the “Large” oil drain pan under your Jenny. My first oil change on my Jenny filled the drain pan to the rim. I’m not used to cars with a 5 ½ quart oil capacity. I bought a large oil drain pan for future oil changes. I was lucky my garage floor is sealed with an epoxy coating.

 

[TJPark01]

TJ, I had to laugh when I seen the “Large” oil drain pan under your Jenny. My first oil change on my Jenny filled the drain pan to the rim. I’m not used to cars with a 5 ½ quart oil capacity. I bought a large oil drain pan for future oil changes. I was lucky my garage floor is sealed with an epoxy coating.

You must have the V6?
The V8's are:
6.87 US qt. - 4.6
7.19 US qt. - 5.0

 

[Ruissimo]

By the way... I noticed the dealer did not prep the interior of my car (still had all the plastic everywhere on when I got home).

So, I spent a good 6 - 7 hours on it this past weekend. I removed all the plastic, vacuumed, and treated every single surface inside.

For the leather, I used Meguiar's Gold Class Rich Leather Cleaner. I just wanted to get a good protective coating on the seats, they certainly weren't dirty or anything. This stuff was pretty easy to put on and wipe clean. Didn't leave the seats greasy at all, but I did not care for the smell. I think my leather looks richer and darker, and in the Genesis "black", I think it looks terrific, especially in natural light.

For the plastic, rubber and vinyl bits, I used Mothers Protectant. This stuff smells great! It left all my vinyl really shiny, which I'm not totally sold on, to be honest. It's shiny - not oily like Armor All back in the day... but still... not sure if I'm going to continue using it - I'd rather have a matte black finish inside, I think.

I think this stuff works much better on older cars that need a bit of TLC.

 

[TJPark01]

By the way... I noticed the dealer did not prep the interior of my car (still had all the plastic everywhere on when I got home).

So, I spent a good 6 - 7 hours on it this past weekend. I removed all the plastic, vacuumed, and treated every single surface inside.

For the leather, I used Meguiar's Gold Class Rich Leather Cleaner. I just wanted to get a good protective coating on the seats, they certainly weren't dirty or anything. This stuff was pretty easy to put on and wipe clean. Didn't leave the seats greasy at all, but I did not care for the smell. I think my leather looks richer and darker, and in the Genesis "black", I think it looks terrific, especially in natural light.

For the plastic, rubber and vinyl bits, I used Mothers Protectant. This stuff smells great! It left all my vinyl really shiny, which I'm not totally sold on, to be honest. It's shiny - not oily like Armor All back in the day... but still... not sure if I'm going to continue using it - I'd rather have a matte black finish inside, I think.

I think this stuff works much better on older cars that need a bit of TLC.

condition the leather put leave all plastics and vinyl alone for now, they need to off gas.

 

[Ruissimo]

condition the leather put leave all plastics and vinyl alone for now, they need to off gas.

Interesting you said that... 'cause I was gonna take a damp microfiber towel to AT LEAST the dash tomorrow...

 

[TJPark01]

Interesting you said that... 'cause I was gonna take a damp microfiber towel to AT LEAST the dash tomorrow...

yeah I would wipe off the protectant, or at least not put on anymore for the 6 mo to a year since the production date. That new car smell that people are enamored with is toxic vapors leeching from all the plastics and other petroleum based synthetic materials.
The leather is fine, you probably don't need to wash it with anything other than water unless someone spills coffee or soda in there. Conditioner is also fine.

 

[Ruissimo]

yeah I would wipe off the protectant, or at least not put on anymore for the 6 mo to a year since the production date. That new car smell that people are enamored with is toxic vapors leeching from all the plastics and other petroleum based synthetic materials.
The leather is fine, you probably don't need to wash it with anything other than water unless someone spills coffee or soda in there. Conditioner is also fine.

I knew about the smell... I guess I never realized protectant that keeps stuff out keeps those toxics IN! Good call.

Thanks TJ.

 

[TJPark01]

I knew about the smell... I guess I never realized protectant that keeps stuff out keeps those toxics IN! Good call.

Thanks TJ.

I don't think it's going to kill you or be bad for the car, but over all it's just something that a lot detailing enthusiasts skip for the first year or so. The sun isn't going to damage anything plastic in your car, especially in March.

 

[blueone302]

Anyone here tried Dri Wash 'N Guard? I wouldn't use it on a truly "dirty" car. However, because of ease of application/use, I have used this product on past vehicles with great results. Again, I have not used it on a dirty surface, just on a recently cleaned and completely dry surface. Anyone knowledgeable about this product?

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[scottdk]

Picked up some Lexol leather cleaner and conditioner from Amazon, and I'm pretty excited to test it out in a few weeks

I also plan on getting paint cleaned/detailed like Ruissimo did by a pro. It's time, and I'm tired of the dealer installed swirls.

Anyone in the Twin Cities know a great place for the exterior paint detailing???

 

[TJPark01]

Picked up some Lexol leather cleaner and conditioner from Amazon, and I'm pretty excited to test it out in a few weeks

I also plan on getting paint cleaned/detailed like Ruissimo did by a pro. It's time, and I'm tired of the dealer installed swirls.

Anyone in the Twin Cities know a great place for the exterior paint detailing???

Lexol is great. Cost effective and it works very well, it's really all you need.
View my Tutorial here if you care: DIY Keep Leather Seats & Interior New...Forever

Man you are lucky to be near this guy.
Chad is an absolute stud. His work is all over the internet.
Rasky's Auto Detailing
Chad Raskovich
Minneapolis, MN
Phone: 612-875-6836
Email: chad@raskysautodetailing.com

you can see all his work here:
http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/author/chad-raskovich/

 

[scottdk]

Lexol is great. Cost effective and it works very well, it's really all you need.
View my Tutorial here if you care: DIY Keep Leather Seats & Interior New...Forever

Man you are lucky to be near this guy.
Chad is an absolute stud. His work is all over the internet.
Rasky's Auto Detailing
Chad Raskovich
Minneapolis, MN
Phone: 612-875-6836
Email: chad@raskysautodetailing.com

you can see all his work here:
http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/author/chad-raskovich/

Thanks for the info TJ. He has a nice page and seems to be almost as knowledgeable as you I have no idea what's considered good pricing for his basic package, which he has priced at $300, but I'll check around to see what others charge also. Looks like he is out of Shakopee, which is quite a ways away from where I live, so dropping the car off to him and returning home is out of the question. I will figure it out. Thanks again TJ.

 

[Philth]

What is your opinions of Klasse All in One and the Sealant Glaze? I've used it for years and have been generally happy with it. Low maintenance and a decent finish. I have a DA polisher, but with this new paint I don't see the need to use it??

 

[TJPark01]

Thanks for the info TJ. He has a nice page and seems to be almost as knowledgeable as you I have no idea what's considered good pricing for his basic package, which he has priced at $300, but I'll check around to see what others charge also. Looks like he is out of Shakopee, which is quite a ways away from where I live, so dropping the car off to him and returning home is out of the question. I will figure it out. Thanks again TJ.

If you want a permanent solution I would have him seal your car with Opticoat 2.0. Once it's been applied, you won't have to wax your car again.
Full Article:
2011 M3, New Car Prep, Opti-Coat 2.0 Application, Install Appearance Mods

[YOUTUBE]5itLTTTMexE&feature[/YOUTUBE]

 

[scottdk]

If you want a permanent solution I would have him seal your car with Opticoat 2.0. Once it's been applied, you won't have to wax your car again.
Full Article:
2011 M3, New Car Prep, Opti-Coat 2.0 Application, Install Appearance Mods

[YOUTUBE]5itLTTTMexE&feature[/YOUTUBE]

I have a dumb question TJ. Wouldn't everyone get their paint sealed if they never had to wax again - meaning, paint sealant really works that well??

 

[TJPark01]

I have a dumb question TJ. Wouldn't everyone get their paint sealed if they never had to wax again - meaning, paint sealant really works that well??

NO such thing as a dumb question, only dumb people who ask questions.
OptiCoat 2.0 isn't a paint sealant. It's a permanent coating. It was made for professional installation but is now available to the public. Although, I wouldn't recommend installing it at home unless you had experience doing it. You have to prep the car in such a way that it's surgically clean and, free of any defects, flawless. The initial cost is higher, but it's a long term paint solution for those who don't want to bother with detailing the car often but want to maintain that showroom shine. You can learn more about it here...

 

[scottdk]

This is a great page for cleaning and caring for exhaust tips -

I will need to do this for sure

http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/exhaust-tip-detailing/

 

[scottdk]

If you want a permanent solution I would have him seal your car with Opticoat 2.0. Once it's been applied, you won't have to wax your car again.
Full Article:
2011 M3, New Car Prep, Opti-Coat 2.0 Application, Install Appearance Mods

[YOUTUBE]5itLTTTMexE&feature[/YOUTUBE]

In your opinion TJ, how long should this Opticoat 2.0 last? Keep in mind I only drive my car probably 5,000-7,000 miiles a year and store it in the winter.

Got a quote from a local guy in my area and it was around $160-$175 for his exterior service, but I don't recall if that included a sealer. He said the sealer would would last from now until fall. I'm not getting the best vibe from him. Maybe I should have him do the wifes car so I don't have to risk the Genesis

 

[scottdk]

Lexol is great. Cost effective and it works very well, it's really all you need.
View my Tutorial here if you care: DIY Keep Leather Seats & Interior New...Forever

Man you are lucky to be near this guy.
Chad is an absolute stud. His work is all over the internet.
Rasky's Auto Detailing
Chad Raskovich
Minneapolis, MN
Phone: 612-875-6836
Email: chad@raskysautodetailing.com

you can see all his work here:
http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/author/chad-raskovich/

Again, thanks TJ, I have just purchased from Amazon a bottle (7oz) of Plexus. I'm excited to actually get my nav screen clean like it was when I bought the car 3 years ago. Maybe I'll use it on my LED TV???