Ask the Detailer

That is a darn good list

 

That is their lowest end soap. Are you mostly interested in products you can get locally, or are you willing to purchase online?

 

That may be their low end soap....they also have a pink (very) low end wash/wax product. Are you mostly interested in products you can find locally?

 

Not necessarily. I just haven’t put in the effort to clean the truck I have spent an absurd amount modding. Doesn’t make much sense as I type it out...

 

I live close to the beach....lots of sun, salt air and my truck is parked outside. This has started to be my go to recipe: Once a year full professional exterior detail. I use these 3 products for the rest of the year. Simple and it seems to be working well so far. The spray wax differs from time to time.

Edit: Forgot the “ask” part. Does this combo seem like it will hold up well?

 

Apologies if this has been asked before, but what do you guys recommend for shining up the black plastic part of the bumpers? I recently installed black TPO bumper shellz and I can tell the center part of the bumper is faded compared to the new plastic. Just looking for something to restore it from the fading. Thanks!

 

I'm not one to shine up trim very often, but I use this. It is very subtle so the plastic has to be in pretty good shape to start with, but it's cheap, not greasy, doesn't leave residue and works pretty well.

$12 Mothers 06112 Back-to-Black Trim & Plastic Restorer, 12 fl. oz.

https://www.amazon.com/Mothers-0611...&keywords=back+to+black&qid=1615330498&sr=8-5

 

What can I do to restore the shine to these front painted pieces under the headlights?

 

I've used the wash n wax for a while and am finishing up with my bottle now. Once done, I'll be on carpro until something different/better comes along. I coated my wife's van so I bought the carpro and love how well it works and how far it goes. No experience with the turtle wax, but have heard good things on ease of use, longevity, and price. I used the tire shine back in the day, but if I'm not coating my tires, I like to use the coverall you get from o'reilleys. It works pretty well and isnt badly priced. I buy it in the gallon and use a separate sprayers.

 

What year is that tundra?

 

Carpro Reset?

 

I see our local Tucson sun has done it's damage, probably lack of protection. Not judging, just that I know the sun does it's damage unless you really keep up with it. Hard to tell, but it appears that the clear coat is failing, which means a repaint. Luckily, those panels pops off and can be taken to the paint shop to be done separately, but you could always try a little cutting compound/polish first to see what you can do.

 

CarPro Reset, IMO, is the king of car soaps. It is expensive....very expensive when compared to a lot of others, but has an outstanding dilution ratio, great cleaning power, and is a pure soap.....no gloss enhancers. There are a lot of good soaps that do not cost as much, but some things are expensive because they're worth it. Among detailers and enthusiasts alike, it is probably the most recommended soap for coated cars.

 

I have a tendency to agree. You can likely make some improvement, but I think restoration is probably out of the question.

 

Yes sir. Like briar said, the dilution ratio is what kicks it up in terms of price. But I've found it to clean very well. Plus being pH neutral is a plus

 

2017 with 70k

 

I think it came from Texas before making its way to me but year I figured they were Long past bringing back. It's a shame because the rest of the Tundra is in really good shape. Maybe I can find a local guy to do these for me. Anyone know the name for the factory black in 2017? It's got a mettalic flake in the sunlight.

 

At this point, I'm sure the whole truck could go for a good pass with a DA. Hit the whole truck with it and spend extra time on those panels just to see what happens. It's not like you can make them worse than they are.

 

^^^^^^this^^^^^^^^

 

DA? Sorry I'm new to this, any products you recommend?

 

DA means dual action, as in DA polisher, sometimes referred to as a dual action polisher. A good example of an entry level machine is the Griots Garage G9. As far as your color code, it's in the drivers side door jamb. It will have a "C/TR" in front of it. I'm guessing you have 218, Attitude Black Metallic.

 

Before you enter into the expense of either paying a detailer, buying your own polisher, or having it painted...you can try and improve the area by hand......you should be able to find Meguiars Ultimate Compound and Ultimate Polish locally. Pick up those, along with some foam or microfiber applicators, and some microfiber towels, and have a go at the area yourself. From what I see, you really will not be hurting anything, and you might be able to improve it enough to be satisfactory.

 

Id pull them off and get them painted. They’re easy to pop off. The paint code is either 202 or 218. Guessing 218 since you said it has metallic flakes. (Also because it’s a 1794.) To be sure, the paint code will be on the label in the driver’s door jam.
I’ve paid around 90 bucks to have mirror caps painted, so I’d guess you can get them done in that range. It may cost more if they have to be sanded. New ones are 74.00 each, but I don’t see where they come painted.

Now, once you get this fixed, wipe the bugs off of your truck everyday. Dead bugs eat the paint very quickly, and this looks like what happened here. It only takes a few hours in the sun for them to etch the paint.

 

What 2 inch pads would you recommend for compound and polish? I have shine supply classic polish and classic cut. The reason for the 2 inch pad is I'll be working on motorcycle fairings that have decals that I don't want to hit with the machine. I'm trying to remove swirls for the most part. Thanks

 

Sounds good, which compound do you recommend I start with? Should I just use the iron remover you listed on that post you linked or should I use something else for the first heavy wash?

 

I'm a huge fan of the Buff and Shine UroFiber pads for correction...they do have a 2 inch pad

 

Perfect. I'll order some. I did buy those in 2.5 inch pads from detailed image because they didn't offer 2 inch but I think I'll grab some 2 inch. The 2.5 hang off the backing plate more than I liked. Looks like autogeek has them. Thanks!

 

On just those pieces? I don’t think any compound is going to fix that.

 

No I'd like to wash the entire truck top to bottom really well and then protect it. Then I could get on a routine of cleaning it frequently and keeping the paint looking as good as it can.

 

If you want to invest the money to buy a polisher and products, I’d recommend the Griots G9. Others like @briarpatch can better recommend pads and products to go with it since I haven’t done a ton of polishing work. I’ve had success with Griots Boss line of pads and chemicals. Uro-Fiber pads are great also. If you’re only going to polish your truck once, and not do other vehicles it would probably be more cost/time effective to just pay a detailer to do it.

As for the rest, there’s a ton of options. Iron X and a clay product are a must as far as I’m concerned. I use a Nanoskin mitt for claying. It’s faster, easier, and reusable. I personally don’t think there’s much difference between using that and actual clay, but I’m sure others disagree.

There’s a ton of really good options for protection. Griots 3-in-1 is really strong all around. Jescar Powerlock is the longest lasting I’ve personally used, but takes more work to apply. (Not a ton, but more than a spray option.) Once you get a good base sealant on there, you can always top it with Beadmaker or wax to get some more pop when you want it.