Ask the Detailer

Stuff works great, but that bottle won't last long. I bought a gal last black Friday and it's almost gone

 

I can tell. Thr vehicle was fairly clean, but wanted to give a lil pop since I'll be driving around town tomorrow. When I saw how much I used I could tell I could use it quickly on a regular basis.

 

Appreciate the feedback! It was Stoner Trim Shine. I thought someone had recommended it in this thread somewhere or maybe somewhere else on the forum.

 

Stoners Trim Shine is actually a good product.....but truthfully, I've only used it for dressing wheel wells. I've yet to find a dressing-type product that does not run (and lasts) on exterior trim, including Trim Shine, Meguiars Hyper Dressing, and Chemical Guys VRP. Wolfgang Exterior Trim Shine and 303 Aerospace work decent, but I've come to prefer products like Cquartz Dlux for exterior trim.

 

Where the hell did you get that?

 

And it’s been removed from production.

 

I need to send you some Trim Shield. That stuff is great, and I’ve never had it run.

 

Ohh i didn't know that. thats a bummer, it worked really well.....guess i'll have to start rationing it a little more.

 

They replaced it with a product that is both way more expensive, and way less effective.

 

This stuff?

https://shinesupply.com/products/trim-shield

 

Thanks man, I’ll check that out next!

 

Yes sir.

 

Don't ask questions you don't truly want to know the answer to

 

What would be recommended for a cleaner / protectant on a new softopper? Is there something I can use to keep the windows clear and looking good? For the rest of the top is there anything I should avoid using? Thanks in advance!

 

A friend of mine has been using this on his convertible top and it still looks brand new

https://www.goldeagle.com/product/303-fabric-guard/

 

I don’t have a soft topper, so I haven’t used anything for one, but Griots makes some products for convertible tops. Those may work and you really can’t go wrong with that brand.

 

Thanks guys for the information!

 

Without getting into the nitty gritty and keeping it retail, these can all be picked up on Amazon.

Soap: Meguiar's Shampoo and Conditioner (M62)
Quick Wax: Griots 3-in-1 Ceramix Spray Wax
Microfibers: Polyte edgeless towels
Interior Cleaner: any generic APC diluted 50:1 (Ex. Simple Green from Home Depot)
Interior Protection: Aerospace 303

Pretty basic starter products I'd recommend. There are better options for sure, but if you're a weekend warrior they'll do phenomenal. Anything more you're going down the rabbit hole and becoming one of us crazy people.

 

Hey Guys! had my tundra for over a year and these spots have appeared on multiple ties. I've washed them a few times, scrubbed with a brush, and then just tried sonax on it as well. Nothing has really worked. Just wondering if there's anything else I could try. If not it's all good I'll probably get them redone or replace with new wheels. Thank you!

 

Are you talking about this place?

https://www.detailgarage.com/

If so, you’re only going to have Chemical Guys products to choose from. While they work fine for the most part, better stuff can be had cheaper.

@Ckatz53 recommendations are a solid start. I’d add some Optimum No Rinse. It’s a super versatile product than can be used for just about anything on the vehicle including paint, interior, glass, etc.

 

Seems like Sonax and scrubbing should be able to take that off. Maybe try Optimum Power Clean. If that doesn’t get it off, I don’t know what will.

 

thank you!! Will do and I’ll try and follow up with updates

 

Is it smooth or rough to the touch? Are the wheels the TRD OR wheels that were powdercoated (since you said redone) or Pro BBS wheels? Have you tried a dedicated iron remover?

 

hey, it’s rough to the touch. And as far as I know they are the real trd pro rims that came with the truck in 2016. I was only saying that if I couldn’t get this off then I would redo the wheels. Sorry for making it unclear they have not been redone to my knowledge. I’ve tried sonax and just snagged some ironx earlier this week (I didn’t try it yet) and then was going to order optimum power clean as well

 

No all good I just misunderstood. I would spray Ironx on and let it dwell. Lightly agitate then wash off. Rinse and repeat a few times. Make sure the wheels are cool, you're out of sunlight, and you don't let it dry. I've reconditioned wheels with similar looking issues. After doing that, try the Sonax again. In theory the Ironx should break up what looks to me like caked on brake dust and allow the Sonax to be more effective. I know Sonax has Iron remover in it, but it's not as good as straight iron remover. After that, last resort is clay bar but that will marr up the soft black inlays pretty good.

Sometimes brake dust (very caustic and corrosive) gets so caked on that it will just deteriorate everything it's on. At that point, a refinish is the only thing to do because you'll cause more damage trying to aggressively remove it. I go months without washing my vehicles most of the time, but I clean the wheels once a month and apply a sealant after just to prevent that scenario. Poor Boys is pretty good. Doesn't last long (6 weeks or so) but it's really good at preventing the buildup.

 

thank you! After about 3 tries with the ironx it’s starting to come off. I only did one part of a wheel so far but it’s about 90% removed. Definitely is working and hopefully this weekend I can knock out the rest of them. Appreciate the help!!

 

No problem glad to help.

 

I'm just curious about those of you who wash their trucks in the driveway and have to worry about runoff into the sewer drains. What do you all use for water reclamation? I saw that they have water containment mats, but my driveway is on a slope (although not that steep, but still not level).

 

I have a vinyl wrap maintenance question. As in, how do I wash it and keep it maintained in general.

I've also read conflicting how-to's that say custom printed graphics require different maintenance than solid colors. I will be getting a custom printed wrapped vehicle, and I don't have a covered garage. Any tips for prolonging the life?

 

Is it a shiny or matte wrap? If it's shiny, my understanding is maintain it as you would regularly. If it's matte, they make matte specific waxes/coatings to protect them while keeping the matte finish. I don't have much experience with detailing wrapped vehicles but everything I've researched says the above.