Originally Posted by batmbl

Amen to the black car advice. I DO have a 3-car garage but the 99 Corvette convertible I recently sold absolutely worked me to death trying to keep it clean. No color looks better than black when clean, but keeping it clean is a bear

Originally Posted by RalAegidius

Wash- Mother's California Gold Car Wash

Wax/Polish- Mother's Pure Carnauba Paste Wax (polish only if it seems needed). I apply it with my bare hands, rubbing briskly to warm/soften it before putting on the car. This technique is very thorough and gives me better control of exactly where the wax winds up.

Quick Detailer- Meguiar's, if any.

Dash/Trim- Mother's Preserves Protectant. Works especially well on the soft rubber door seals.

Leather- Zymol, although I'm not happy with the results of it so far. My car is 10 years old and the leather is particularly ground-in dirty. I'm going to try the "Soft Scrub" technique mentioned in other threads.

Wheels/Tires- Nothing special here. Just car wash suds with a soft Oxo brush.

Windows- Varies depending on my mood. I haven't yet found anything satisfactory for removing interior haze, and cleaning the exterior to reduce the glare from the glass' age-pitting. Sometimes I use Glass Wax. Always use newspaper for the applicator. No lint and it doesn't flop around on the dashboard, contaminating it.

Other- For the wash itself, I've begun using an Oxo car wash brush. It's easy to hold, the polymer handle won't scratch the car if I bump it, the bristles are very soft, and the brush generally resists holding onto particular debris. I've used sponges and mitts over the years and they're all lousy because they hold onto the grime and grit and spread it around, scratching the finish.

I've made one attempt at using a Meguiar's Clay Bar, using the car wash solution (diluted) as a lubricant. It works very well in picking up tree sap, bird poo and other weird stains on top of the wax coat. I think using clay takes some practice.

Comments- I dry with a miracle towel for the first pass (like a chamois but holds more water and doesn't get stiff), then cloth diapers (Pampers), and use those for other dressing applications/removal. Seems to be the best material for this.

Ral

Originally Posted by metalicRED

I just got the 3 part Mothers paint detailing kit- have you used that or know how the 3 part system works- sure wouldn't want to screw up the Matador Red Mica paint!