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Saturday, January 28, 2012

Flex Vs. Porter Cable (PC)

Both machines utilize orbital motion patterns and do a great job, but a greater correction is possible with the flex due to more power. In the profession, you differentiate between orbital buffers and rotaries. The later should be avoided by beginners, as it can quickly burn your paint if not used properly. But orbital buffers, such as these two, are very easy and safe to use, and a Flex can achieve up to 95% correction most of the time.


Friday, January 27, 2012

Sneak Peek

Here is a sneak peek of what you could be capable of!
Explanations of what products can be used and how to use them will follow in future posts.

By using proper car washing techniques and quality products, this could have been avoided easily. The following are examples or neglected paint & interior. Results are achievable for anyone with some time and interest.

50/50 shot of exterior paint

50/50 shot of exterior paint

Leather seat cleaning

Leather seat restoration (before)
Leather seat restoration (after)



Exterior Car Wash

A good amount of time spent to wash your car is anywhere between 60-90 minutes. Some important guidelines you should always follow in order to get the best results:

  • Never wash your car in direct exposure to sunlight, unless absolutely necessary
  • Never apply excessive pressure at any point in time
  • Never wash a car in circular motions
  • Always use a constant flow of water when coming in contact with paint
  • Use the 'two bucket' method (one clean & one dirty bucket)
  • Use only microfiber towels and clean them the same day

Besides water & a hose, preferably a firehose spray nossle, listed below is what you would require to properly wash your car to guarantee minimal damage to the car's paint

(2) Minimum
(2)  Buckets

Quality car shampoo that does no strip wax or sealant






Small wheel brush
Tire shine & applicator
Lots of microfiber towels


Many of these items seem to be common sense when wanting to wash a car, but properly exercised preventive measures will only require minor reconditioning down the road.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Car Wash Versus Paint

Fact: Bringing your car to the closest car wash business is the easiest and quickest.

Fact: It takes as little as three visits to ruin a dark car's paint.

If you care for your car's exterior appearance, you should consider the alternative to a conventional commercial car wash, doing it yourself. Lets assume an exterior car wash costs $10 & it is being washed every three weeks - totals $170 per year. It certainly is more convenient and does not waste any of your time washing it yourself, but you will most likely end up having these results





Next time at the car wash, pay attention to the employees drying your car after it comes out of the wash - they rarely ever change towels, which eventually will result in swirls that become very apparent once exposed to the sun. The cost of a professional detailer who will undo the damage with proper care and no fillers will range anywhere from $500 to $1000 and up.

This blog will provide you with information and techniques of how to properly wash your car yourself in order to avoid such problems, while not exceeding $150 in products per year, as well as procedures to cure paint to like-new condition.