A4 in San Diego

and this was only working on the exterior with just one break of approx 30 min.!

Thanks for to those that responded to my previous post, I was able to detail my car today since it was a cloudy day.

All I did was a wash (this did take about an hour or so as the car was pretty dirty), clay bar (this took about two hours), hand polish and hand finish (each took about 1 1/2 hours). I used the following items:
-Blackfire Gel Wheel & Tire Cleaner
-Blackfire Gloss Shampoo & Microfiber Ultra Mitt (left the car wet for clay)
-Meguiar's Smooth Surface Clay kit (Clay & Lubricant)
-Blackfire Gloss Enhancing Polish with applicator pad and removed with microfiber cloth
-Blackfire All Finish Paint Protection with yellow foam applicator and removed with microfiber cloth
-Stoner's Glass cleaner (spent only about 10 min on this as it got dark)

I still need to do the exterior trim detailing (with Black Again) and the interior of the car!

My questions/concerns:
-For the tires/wheels: I used Meguiar's brush on tires but sponge on wheels, I have a feeling that's wrong, is it? I used the sponge as it can reach inside the wheel wells and it seemed softer on the wheels than the brush. Also, is there anything I should be careful of when spraying water and cleaner inside the wheel wells?

-I broke up the clay into smaller pieces in case I dropped the bar and to minimize damage as this was my first time doing this. Maybe I used a piece too small as this took so long? The piece stretched out was about half the size of a dollar bill, although since I had to knead and hold the clay the piece making contact on the car was probably only about the size of a dollar coin.

-Everything seemed to take a really long time, especially since I don't think I did a very good job. I believe that part of the reason it took so long is my inexperience with clay (this should go faster next time, right?) and the fact that I applied the polish and paint protectant by hand. My concern about getting a PC is the weight, how heavy is it? I'm not very strong and I don't know if I would be able to use it for very long on the vertical panels (I'm a petite female). What do you recommend, continue by hand or try a PC?

TIA!

Grouse:3.Slow

interior and exterior takes me about 15-20 hours with a 2 or 3 step compound/polish,sealant,and wax.

but i do engine, trunk, wheelwells, tires, ect ect..

claying can take as little as an hour to 3-4 hours depending on what you are removing.

A4 in San Diego

Thanks! I can imagine this taking a whole weekend, it seems like I barely started.

WECoyote-SuperGenius

I just used the Blackfire Shampoo, Polish and Wet Diamond Protectant for the first time this weekend. I'm curious as to your thoughts on them.

Please post some pics when you're finished.

The PC is a big help, perhaps you could ask in your local forum for someone to let you try theirs, to see for yourself if it will be an issue for you to use.

nynyvtecjstkickdinyo

<center><img src="http://guidetodetailing.com/article_images/Dirty%20Clay%201.jpg"></center><p>but yes it probably is taking you longer than normal and the 2 reasons there are inexperience and paint condition. We've all been there.

Both of which get better every time, and cuts down your time and effort.

Generally speaking I can wash and clay the whole car in under an hour. (excluding wheels). This is because the paint doesnt need several passes with the clay or that much effort. But frankly, 1 hour for a whole car on clay only is generally more than enough. You can save some time using the car soap as your clay lubricant and things generally move faster.

Also if you were only using a "coin size" piece of clay, its too small. The picture shows a better size.

There is also a link below for some great how-tos and step by steps.... read it, its invaluable.

The PC is very worth it, and not heavy at all. Most of us here have the strength of a petite female and we do just fine. Its a pretty easy to use and handle piece of equipment.

Also, consider doing your car "in-pieces". its something I started doing last year to avoid the all day detailing weekends.

For example, wash the WHOLE car, clay the hood, front fenders and bumper. (Dry the rest of the car.) Then clay, polish, seal/wax those 3 panels and your done for now.

Next weekend or oppty, tackle the doors on both sides and the roof, then lastly the trunk lid, rear bumper and 2 qtrs.

That way in 3 small weekend sessions of about 2 hours you would be all done, then you can just continue with wash and wax steps over the next 3+ months to keep it looking good and protected.

This is especially a good idea as a noob since you dont have this daunting task of trying to get the whole car done, while trying to learn and experiment. good luck! We are here if you need us.<ul><li><a href="http://www.autopia-carcare.com/how-to.html">http://www.autopia-carcare.com/how-to.html</a</li></ul>

A4 in San Diego

but I'm not sure when I'll be able to get completely done due to work and my sore arms.

It's difficult for me to judge the Blackfire products as I have nothing to compare them to, but they seemed good. I did notice that the shampoo was a bit light on suds, I had to use more than the recommended amount to get enough suds. The polish and protectant were easy to apply and remove (other than the sore arms but I think that's user related ). Since this was the first time I applied either I had a little bit of trouble knowing whether or not I waited enough time before removing them (silver car so it was difficult to tell when it was "hazed", I just applied in sections and removed almost immediately). I looked at two doors panels before and after I used the polish to see if I noticed the difference and although I had to look closely (might be due to the silver), I did see a difference. It also didn't help that it was getting dark towards the end of the protectant application; I hope I didn't miss any spots! My car did feel nice and smooth after applying the protectant, just like when I would get my other car waxed. I can't wait to see it in the sunlight. I know that my application wasn't great pro quality but I figure it's got to be ok for my first time, and even in the slight darkness it looks shiny.

I'll look into finding a PC locally to try it out; I hope that I'm able to handle it!

Thanks!

A4 in San Diego

I did read that article along with a lots of posts (this is a great source of information) and other detail website information. The piece I was using was about 1/4 smaller than that piece in the picture so I will need to use a bigger piece next time (hopefully in about a year if I did it correctly and maintain my car properly). The time it took didn't really have to do with the condition of the car as it's new and only had slight contamination.

Doing the car in pieces is a great idea!

I must say all of you have been great with the feedback and patience with my comments/questions. I was a little tentative to post at first as I noticed some people (mostly other sections of this forum) are a bit impatient with noobs and questions that have already been asked, so I have been very pleasantly surprised. Thank you!

RKA

1. As was already said...claying the car for the first time can be time consuming. Afterwards, if you've kept the paint in good condition, it should only take an hour or less.

2. I'd use a brush on the tires and the wheel wells, and a separate wash mit (something soft) for the wheels. The wheels have a clearcoat type finish, so I would treat them like the paint on the car. Generally, I don't like sponges...they trap grit and other nasties that scratch the paint, and sometimes they don't release them when you rinse the sponge. BAD! Obviously on tires and wheel wells this isn't too much of a concern (unless you take that sponge too close to the outer painted surface of the quarter panels.

3. No worries about spraying water or wheel cleaner in the wheel wells. Just rinse thoroughly and you're fine.

4. The porter cable will speed the process up a bit (vs. hand application), however you'll also find you'll become a perfectionist, just because it's so easy with the porter cable. Net net...it still takes as long, but you'll get a better end result with the PC. It probably weighs in around 5 lbs, so it's not exactly light, but frankly, I think holding that on a vertical panel for two minute stints beats hand application of a polish (assuming that's done properly). Dumb as this may sound...get a few 5 lb barbells and tone up those muscles. It won't take long at all to build up a little strength, and you're not going to look like Popeye when you're done.

Once you get the hang of it, you'll move a little quicker, but as others have said, it is a lengthy process when done right. Unfortunately, silver is probably the least rewarding car to detail (as you've seen). It's hard to get that *pop* out of the paint that you get out of dark cars.

A4 in San Diego

Good point on using the PC, I could use a little arm workout and I can see this detail process taking just as long if not longer, but it sure would be worth it for better results.

If I keep this up I can see wishing I had opted for a black car, I've always loved their shine when properly maintained but had not been one of those that was committed to maintaining it.

I now understand the addiction and never ending quest for perfection. For me, it will end up with me either detailing my car religiously or being overwhelmed into not doing it until absolutely needed, if at all. I'm aiming for the former.

Thanks for the feedback!

SouthboroAudiGuy

As others have said, the PC is a worthwhile investment. I think the effort/time is a tradeoff with hand polishing, but as others have pointed out, you'll get a better job out of it.

One thing to encourage you... The first time is always the worst for several reasons. The car is at its worst. You're new to the process. You have to read so many instructions. Etc, etc, etc. As you go forward, things will get easier because you'll merely be maintaining and will know how to do it much better. This is offset a bit by your rising expectations, but the curve is definitely toward the easier.

Just make sure you're having fun along the way. Nobody will be as impressed by the results as you so keeping it fun is key. If you don't get a chance to do the trim detailing until you next wash it, no worries.

I like the suggestion to do it in sections. Tackling it all at once can eaily consume a day (or more!). It took me a couple of days to do my Montero due to its much larger size and some damaged areas that I really had to polish extensively.

Welcome to the obsessive-compulsive club. You will shortly develop a profound loathing for birds.