Ask the Detailer

Ugh. Damn yall.

Easy to apply? How many windshields do you get out of a bottle?

 

I'm not looking for ceramic coating, but what else is good from Undrdog?

 

Their QD is very good and I like the magic elixir for frequent wipe downs. I hear their soap is great.

 

Well I'm glad I waited now. Going to get a bottle of the 60ml for both vehicles.

Edit: ordered. Saved $32. Thanks @ToyoMafia

 

30ml will be fine. Only time I grab 60ml bottles is if I have multiple coatings booked back to back (better ROI) or if it's something like a long bed Super Duty. Better to be safe than sorry. Less is more with coatings. Saturate the pad, but no need to go overboard. Cross hatch application and you're fine. Coatings will only bond a finite amount as the solvent evaporates, any residual just causes a mess trying to get off and can cause high spots.

 

What's up guys! Needing some input;.. Have new Toyota OEM LED Headlights ready to install. Wanting to apply some type of additional protection (Ceramic coating) onto them prior to installation. Any experience with 'Jet Seal' from Chemical Guys? Or any other recommendations are greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

I took mine to a tint shop and had them cover them in a UV protection film. Will probably just polish them once or twice a year after install

 

Wont last long...way better products out there than CG junk

 

Thanks for the feedback, Eddie! Any ideas on alternative options that you have experience with?

 

I've used laminix and other brand ppf films plus ceramic coating with real good success. I really like CQuartz since its easy to work with and relatively affordable. I've used JS and recently polished headlights faded or aftermarket lights started flaking at one point or another...not the case with PPF and ceramic coating. You could do ppf only and be fine as well

 

Appreciate your time & info! Cheers!

 

Anyone use a brush applicator for wheel shine? My MT tires have some pretty aggressive sidewalls and the applicators dont really do a good job of getting in the nooks and crannies.
I was looking at one of these:

$17 Ultra Soft Detailing Brush, Car Detail Brush, Orange Handle XL Synthetic Brush - Ultra Soft Bristles, Comes with Storage Rack, Covers Large Area Inside or Outside Vehicles

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BVYXYQRC?smid=A2DOL55XBTIM5U

 

There are a couple products by CG that are ok but for paint protection I have found none. Do yourself a solid and use a real coating. Cerakote makes one that’s cost effective but I only have experience with their trim coat. I personally would use UnderDog pro.

 

I have a 2023 tundra in midnight black. The dealer washed it when new and caused some minor to medium amount of swirls. I have a chemical guys DA and orange, green and black pads. Tried the orange pad with vss and meguiars ultimate polish (separately) removed most swirls but left a cloudy clear coat that was obvious and more annoying than the swirls (the swirls didn’t take me any effort to get) I then purchased a chemical guys green pad as it’s less abrasive. Same/similar results. I’ve tried long slow passes, many passes, few passes, higher speed, lower speed you name it. Same results, cloudy clear coat. The vss is suppose to diminish as you run the DA and generate heat and finish out like a finishing polish (I call BS on this, does it go bad from sitting? Who knows how long it sat on a shelf at the store) This paint is so GD soft a simple microfibre wipe will induce fine scratches seen in the light.
What do I need to buy (polish) to get clear black paint? I’m about ready to never wash this truck again, so frustrating.

 

rotary polisher, diy detail gold standard polish, and red rotary pad.
Use a pad washer, clean pad after each section pass. (Also keeps pad damp) Lowest speed the rotary has and no pressure.

 

Can’t I get good results with my DA? Don’t want to buy anymore “tools”

 

I would not recommend a rotary polisher if you don’t have experience. Your DA with the right pads should get it done without the chance of messing things up. Boss correction cream followed by polish and then a sealant would be the way I go.

 

Solid advice here....To the OP.....first mistake you made was buying CG VSS....throw it away...it's garbage, as are the other CG compounds and polish. CG Hexlogic pads are decent....but only the Quantums. I'm not fan of cleaning pads and reusing them as I go....I make sure I have lots of them so I can go right to a clean one. Along with the BOSS correction pads, pick up some Griots Garage BOSS orange (compounding) and yellow (polishing) pads, and some Perfecting cream (polish). Pick a small area, and see if you can rid yourself of the haze with the yellow pad and the Perfecting cream...before you go more abrasive. I like the BOSS pads because they are thinner and are easier to keep spinning.

Once you get the paint to where you want it.....I'd use Jescar Ultra Lock Plus for a sealant. Very easy to use.....awesome gloss and slickness....plus 6+ months of protection.

 

Thanks.
I used vss on my 2020 tundra mgm and it worked great to get rid of small scratches and swirls. Maybe it’s a combo of the black paint and it seems super soft. My lunar rock Tacoma (2022) has very soft clear coat as well.
I’ll order some perfecting cream, everything here in Canada is so much more money than US prices and shipping usually kills the price as well.

 

Solid advice!!

 

Personally, I am not a fan of any CG stuff. I've tried their wash soap & interior scent sprays. Trash.

The company gives off Hot Topic vibes marketed to Gen Z'ers who don't know any better.

 

Interesting perspective......one of the issues is that, if you google 'automobile detailing', tons of CG videos come up. It usually takes a fair amount of trial and error before people realize there are better choices out there. I have a family member who swears by their stuff.....I just chuckle and move on.

 

That’s a great result of proper marketing

 

Yep and I'm one of those people who have tried plenty - for me, Adam's is the savior of car care products (at least the small corner of products I use)

 

I've not tried any of their stuff....what do you use....and why?

 

The 2 part foam and rinse kit they sell is inexpensive and does a great job. I usually wait for a sale and buy several of each. The foam usually goes a bottle per vehicle but I can get 2-3 rinses out of the other bottle. I also love their upholstery cleaner - gets the water stains out that are notoriously easy to occur on OEM fabric as well as headliner stains. The rubber mat cleaner cleans the mats and also leaves a darker hue to them - sort of like a conditioner. The glass cleaner is streak-free and very good as well.

I am about to try their water spot remover tomorrow and will see if that is any good.