Ask the Detailer

Close but missing a couple steps and always use your long lasting sealant before any wax or topper

Wash
IronX
Rinse
Clay
Wash
*Curveball (if using carpro hydro2, you apply is now, this is your sealant if you choose this type of product. Then Dry is well, wipe any streaks clean and you're done and can apply a topper in a couple days)
Dry
Dry
Dry
Compound and/or polish as needed
Wipe down with some kind if IPA mix such as carpro eraser.
Sealant, coating, or wax
Wax, Or any topper is optional

 

Sounds like your a user of the hydro2?
Is the eraser only used if I will be waxing the truck? The white on the truck still looks ok it’s really missing that clear coat shine like the new parts

 

I do like hydro2, I apply it to cars I wash and detail including my own. It's not very glossy though. So if I want to add gloss I'll apply something over it, such as beadmaker or wax, any topper really is fine.
Who painted the color matched parts? Maybe the truck has a 1 stage paint job and the new parts were painted then cleared? Sounds like maybe it's mismatched or your truck needs a good polish or jeweling before you seal and wax it.

 

Oh and eraser is usually used after polishing to remove any oils, its not a bad idea to give the truck a wipe down even if you don't polish. It'll help the sealant and the trim shine last longer and bond better.

 

All the parts I did install were OEM. I think it’s a matter of polishing the original 9 year old paint more then anything. I have never decontaminated the paint or hit it with a clay bar. After iron x / clay / eraser (ipa) the paint is fully decontaminated? From there what should I do to get that old paint to shine? I do not have a buffer is it imperative or is there a hand application that can achieve a good high shine?

 

From my many conversations with @Swfltoyomafia

Wash
Ironx
Rinse
Clay with speed
Wash
Polish with polish or correction then polish
Wipe down with alcohol mixed with water or CarPro eraser. Gets all polish and oils off the surface
Then griots 3-1 ceramic
Keep dry for 24hrs
Can add second coat if you wish.

My truck looked amazing afterwards. Hope this helps. Just trying to pass on the knowledge that has been passed on to me.

I'm a huge fan of Griots Garage & CarPro. I have a couple odds and ends from other companies. Also get some quality microfiber towels. The Rag Company or Griots Garage.

I will be posting my detailing kit very soon. I think I have it dialed in but just waiting on a couple more items/refills to come in the mail.

 

I've never been sheepish about what it touches....just do not apply it in full sun and do not let it dry on the paint. I'm not sure what the instructions say, but I think I've let it dwell for a couple of minutes. If there's anything it reacts to, you will see it right away, especially on a white truck. You've seen some other posts outlining the process(es) for additional steps other than what you've mentioned, and there's some good advice/info in those posts. I kept my response to the steps you mentioned, because I thought that maybe represented your comfort zone.

 

My comfort zone is pretty small. I am very appreciative for all your responses. It is opening my eyes to steps i am completely blind to.

I am leaning towards buying a polisher/buffer. But funds are very tight right now. I am thinking griots best of show to get the shine back.

 

The Griots Garage G9 is a good DA polisher from what I've heard. Haven't bought one yet but I intend to. Lifetime warranty. Its around $160.

I did my first detail job on my truck by hand and buy was it exhausting. I was so sore afterwards. Next time going to use a DA polisher.

 

Griots 3 in 1 Ceramic Spray wax was mentioned in an earlier post, and is an outstanding product, very economical to use, and locally available. You might be amazed at the results you can get from just a wash, clay bar and 3 in 1. Here are a couple of vehicles that I did with just that simple process.

 

I bought the griots g9 and had never used a polisher before and then proceeded to polish my 19 black Tundra with soft foam pad and 3d one polish and it turned out very nice. You don't want to use anything agressive pad or polish wise with Tundras as the paint/clear is of the softer variety and doesn't require it.
I mainly polished mine to get rid of swirls etc that had come from my bad washing habits which are very apparent when you own black.

 

Quick question for you gurus: what is the difference between P&S Bead Maker and Griots 3-in-1 wax?

 

Griot's is SiO2 (ceramic) based and lasts considerably longer. Beadmaker is a non SiO2 product and trades a little more gloss for shorter durability. Both are fairly cheap but Griots durability probably edges Beadmaker out in terms of overall utilization rates.

 

About 5 1/2 months protection. BeadMaker is a polymer-based spray sealant, and is a very nice topper for other sealants, and will give you awesome slickness and gloss, but only 2-4 weeks longevity....not a standalone product. Griots 3 in 1 is a legitimate spray ceramic coating with a carnuba component, and is one of the best performing in it's class.

 

Appreciate it. I already use the Griot and really like it. Guess I will keep using it.

 

Thank you. I will be sticking with the Griot's Garage.

 

You can polish by hand but it's brutal and doesn't work as well as a DA polisher. You could buy one for about 150 and some towels, pads, polish for another 50. Or you could pay someone to polish it for you. It still may not match 100% though.

 

I’m imagining just the clay. I’m gonna see if someone at work has a DA I can borrow

 

Get a clay mitt or towel.

 

As others have said, it’s about durability. Beadmaker’s gloss and water shedding properties are dang near unmatched, especially for a spray product. It’s definitely got a unique feel and look to it. It’s almost like there’s a static barrier on the paint. It’s really cool to use. Unfortunately, it wears off pretty quickly.

Griots 3-in-1 doesn’t look or feel as good as beadmaker, but it does do very well in these categories, and lasts several months. Definitely the longest lasting of any spray product I’ve used.

The other thing is that while both Griots and Beadmaker cost about the same, it takes very little of the Griots to do the job. The first time I used it, I did both a Sequoia and a Tundra. I still had over half the bottle after doing both. It takes pretty much a whole bottle of Beadmaker to do one Tundra.

I’d recommend Griots, and maybe put some Beadmaker on it every now and then when you want to show off.

 

x2. I prefer the Nanoskin mitt over traditional clay. Way easier and faster, and the results are pretty close to the same. Any advantage clay has is unnoticeable to be honest. Definitely not enough to justify the extra labor in my opinion.

 

For detailing, I enjoy The Rag Company podcast. Not a ton of technical advice, but it’s fun to listen to. Great group of guys that have interesting conversations. Surprisingly they’re pretty neutral and don’t constantly push their own stuff. I learned about Shine Supply when they recommended their products to someone on there.

Early episodes of Jimbo Balaam’s Auto Detailing Podcast were really good and informative. He started gravitating towards pushing his own stuff and business a little more over the last couple of years so I got away from it. He has a lot of good interviews with people though. His interview with Barry Meguair was really interesting.

I listen to a ton of podcasts. Not sure what you’re interested in to know what to recommend though. Stuff They Don’t Want You to Know has a lot of interesting stuff. There’s a lot of good audio fiction stuff like Limetown, The Phenomenon, We’re Alive, etc.

Smartless is pretty cool. Jason Bateman and a couple of other guys have a surprise guest every week, and they’re usually pretty interesting.

Strangely enough, I listen to a few pro wrestling podcasts. Haven’t watched wrestling in 20 years, but some of them have some really interesting behind the scene stories from the old days.

Disgraceland has some good ones about different bands and musicians.

 

This is what I’m up against...9 yr old hood vs new OEM grill in this photo.

 

Not everyone’s cup of tea... Jocko Podcast... former navy seal and all around badass

 

Iron X and a clay mitt should take care of that for you.

 

Hey guys, i'm not here to push products or TRC, but I thought I would share this here. I took delivery of my truck a couple months ago, and the TRC team coated it in CSL & EXO, enjoy!

 

Looks sharp.

Do you ask for your truck's autograph before you drive it?

 

These a good choice to tackle this. Should I go medium grade on the nanoskin or you think fine will be enough?


Edit:
Also see Griots has iron x , speed shine and 3 in 1 with the Nanoskin $125 Amazon

 

I would stick to fine grade. Will you be paint correcting after?