First Detail - Adamized the Raptor

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TheWolf

TheWolf

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My Grandpa lives in Spokane. Probably going to stop and see him when I visit my folks in Seattle late jan/early feb

Wow, small world!

Definitely let me know when and stop by. If you have time, I can help you get your Raptor shined up! Just send me a PM with some possible dates so I can make sure I have some free time set aside.
 

The Macf

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Wow, small world!

Definitely let me know when and stop by. If you have time, I can help you get your Raptor shined up! Just send me a PM with some possible dates so I can make sure I have some free time set aside.

It's going to be bad. I didn't detail like I should've before I left. Plus driving from Utah to Seattle, to Spokane to Utah isn't going to help any.
 

KODIAK

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Adam's has hooked me. I was a big Wolfgang fan, and still am (going to probably try out the new Uber Ceramic Coating before winter) but the customer service, standing behind their products, and ease of use has kind of won me over. I placed another order today, using the Black Friday code. FedEx has been here a lot over the last few weeks.
 
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TheWolf

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FALL DETAIL, PART 1
Clean, Clean, Clean


For this year’s fall detail and winter protection, I decided to break it up into two afternoon sessions, rather than one long day.


The first afternoon session included the following steps:
  1. Strip wash
  2. Clay Bar
  3. Strip wash
  4. Forced air drying
Products for today:

Car Wash Shampoo, All Purpose Cleaner, Detail Spray, Clay Bar.

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Tools for today:

MTM Foam Cannon with pressure washer, Wash Wedge, Trim & Lug Nut Brush, Kwazar Venus Sprayer with foaming tip, electric pressure washer, Master Blaster Revolution, Borderless Gray Towel, Microfiber Waterless Wash Towel.

For the strip wash, I put 2oz of All Purpose Cleaner and 2oz of Car Wash Shampoo into the foam cannon. I also added the same mix to my wash bucket.

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Started the wash with a good rinse using the pressure washer, to remove as much dust and dirt as possible before touching the paint. Then used the foam cannon to cover the truck with suds.

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The All Purpose Cleaner will strip off any existing sealant or wax, and also helps get the surfaces super-clean. You still need to use Car Wash Shampoo with the All Purpose Cleaner to provide lubrication for removing the dirt.

Used the Wash Wedge to clean the truck well, making sure to rinse the wedge out in the bucket between each panel.

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Gave the truck a good rinse to remove all the suds, then sprayed it down with Detail Spray. The Detail Spray will help prevent water spots, and it saves time not having to dry before claying.

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I then clayed the paint to remove any bonded contaminates (brake dust, sap, tar, etc).

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Next was a good rinse to remove all the residue from claying. After the rinse, I used a Rinseless Wash / Car Wash Shampoo mixture in the Venus sprayer with the foaming tip and the Trim Brush to clean all the nooks and crannies like the plastic vents, door handles, and emblems.

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I sprayed each little area and then agitated with the brush, before moving to the next area. This ensures that each area is very clean and ready for sealant.

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To finish the wash, I foamed the whole truck again and washed with the wash wedge.

Final rinse with the pressure washer, then used the Master Blaster Revolution to dry the truck, making sure to blast the water out of all the vents, grill and cracks.

Moved the truck into the garage, then used the Borderless Gray Towel to dry any remaining water or drips. For drying the door jambs, I used the Waterless Wash Towel.
 
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TheWolf

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FALL DETAIL, PART 2
Seal, Seal, Seal



The second afternoon session included the following steps:
  1. Sealing all the glass
  2. Sealing the trim, graphics, and running boards
  3. Sealing the paint
Products for today:

Glass Sealant, Quick Sealant, Liquid Paint Sealant, Glass Cleaner.

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Tools for today:

Cyclo Model 5-Pro Polisher, Microfiber Applicator Pads, Foam Applicators, Microfiber Glass Cleaning Towel, Borderless Gray Towel, Double Soft Towel.

Sealed the glass by applying the Glass Sealant with the Microfiber Applicator Pad. To start, I applied a line of the sealant along the narrow edge of the pad, then wiped it onto the glass, going horizontally first, then vertically second, to make sure no areas were missed.

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I applied the sealant to all the exterior windows and side mirrors, then went back and removed the haze and residue with the Glass Cleaner and Glass Cleaning Towel. I used a couple towels, to make sure I was using a clean portion of the towel on each window.

Next up was the Quick Sealant on all the plastic and rubber trim. For areas like the air vents, I sprayed the product onto the surface and also a little onto the foam applicator, then leveled everything out with the applicator.

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I then removed any overspray on the adjacent paint with the Borderless Gray Towel, before moving to the next area. Do not let the product dry without leveling it with the foam applicator or wiping it off with the towel.
I also used the Quick Sealant on the vinyl graphics, applying with the foam applicator and wiping with the towel.

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For the rest of the trim and plastics (window trim, door handles, bed rail caps, bumper pads), I sprayed the product onto the applicator, spread it onto the area, and then wiped with the towel before moving to the next area. I then finished by applying the Quick Sealant to the running boards.

For each of these areas, I started on the upper areas, and then worked to the lower areas, to make sure the applicator did not pick up any contamination.

To seal the paint, I first applied the Liquid Paint Sealant by hand with the foam applicator to all the panel edges and around the trim and emblems. This helps prevent getting the sealant onto these adjacent surfaces with the machine.

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Then, using the Cyclo polisher and the gray foam pads, I applied the Liquid Paint Sealant to all the painted areas. I started with an X of product on each pad, then added a few spots of product for each additional panel. Using the machine polisher allows the product to be spread nice and thin, and also makes reaching the roof and hood easier. The Cyclo is so smooth, you can run it with just a few fingers holding the end of the grip.

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The Liquid Paint Sealant can be applied to the whole truck before wiping any residue. Unlike a wax, it is actually a little easier to remove the residue once it has dried for a while.

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To remove the residue, I used the Double Soft Towel, switching to a clean towel surface for each panel.

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TheWolf

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THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS
Details, Details, Details

Not everyone is going to take the time to do some of the extra steps, and not every vehicle may warrant the extra time spent. I will include some of my reasons and thoughts for the way I have chosen to accomplish the detailing, while trying to eliminate or minimize any potential damage to the paint. Even though this truck is a daily driver, I want to keep the paint in good shape, and only do paint correction in the spring.

Any time that I am going to apply a product to the paint with a machine or even by hand, I always want to make sure the surfaces are super-clean. A stray bit of dirt hiding out in a crack or along some trim can get picked up in the applicator or towel, and cause scratches in the paint.

A good rinse after the wash and before claying is important. Washing with the wedge or a pad does not remove all the dirt, most just gets loosened up and is encapsulated by the lubricants in the shampoo. This means there is still dirt on the vehicle, so rinsing all this away before claying also prevents scratches.

Using Detail Spray on a wet vehicle requires a good deal more product to prevent water spots while you are working, and also to provide adequate lubrication to the clay bar, since the water remaining on the surfaces dilutes the Detail Spray. If you are looking to save some product, do a quick dry and then use just enough Detail Spray to lubricate the surface.
After claying, I use a rinse then a strip wash to remove the residue. The clay bar is not magic, it does not remove all of the contaminates from the surface. A good portion of the bonded contaminates will stick to the clay bar, but some and possibly a lot can just get knocked loose by the clay and remain on the surface. If you then removed the residue with a towel, these containments could possibly scratch the paint. With a machine, any loose contaminates on the surface can get into the pad and cause a lot of damage. For me, a quick rinse and wash is cheap insurance, and takes much less time than polishing out damage to the paint. This is also why I waited until the second wash to clean the nooks and crannies with the Trim Brush, since the clay residue is going to get into these areas and leave some contaminates.

For the sealing, I did the glass first to make it easier to remove any overspray or other products. I sealed the trim and other plastics next, to ensure that any accidental bumps from the Liquid Paint Sealant did not result in staining.

Since Quick Sealant has been discontinued, if you don't have any you could use Super VRT to protect the trim and plastics. Since the Super VRT only provides short-term protection, add some longer lasting protection to these surfaces with the H2O Guard & Gloss after a few washes.

All of the sealants will bond better to clean paint, so making sure the surfaces are free of any residue from claying and any polishing will provide more longevity to the protection.

Make every effort to keep the Liquid Paint Sealant off the trim and plastics. Being a darker product, it may not be very noticeable at first, but after a few weeks any residue will dry out and become much lighter in color. Same is true for the edges of vinyl. While this product can be applied to gloss vinyl (do not use on matte vinyl), do not allow the product to build up on the edges, as it will eventually dry out and look bad. If you are going to use it on gloss vinyl, apply by hand and wipe on and wipe off in the same direction of the edge, rather than back and forth across the edge, to reduce build-up.
 
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