Detailing your EcoBoost ride

[vernonator]

So what are the products/methods people are using to keep your Ford EcoBoost ride looking good?

 

I am interested in both interior and exterior - what products (wash, wax, foam gun, leather cleaner) etc, as well as process/procedure (two bucket method, power washer, etc)

 

Thanks for taking some time to answer...

 

Mark

2012 SHO Tuxedo Blax w/PP

[bpd1151]

I've been a loyal, exclusive user of Meguiar's line of products over several years.....

 

One entire shelf in the garage has literally every product they offer.... I can practically be an in-store display for their items.

 

However, fellow EBOF member mjhpadi has recently suggested I try Adam's Polishes/Waxes/Cleaners due to his own personal experiences with same.

 

I may be trying some of Adam's stuff out on my SHO here in the not so distant future, thanks to Mark :thumb:

[Got5onIt]

Wash my ride in the shade using Meguire's gold class soap and a microfiber mitt. Then dry with a microfiber towel and use either Eagle1 Wax-as-u-dry or TurtleWax wax-as-u-dry. Mequire's tire gloss on the tires.

 

I don't use the 2-bucket method, but I do rinse my mitt with the hose everytime I've soaped a panel. So, I'm basically putting in a clean mitt back into the bucket everytime.

[EcoBrick Bob]

Adams is a participating sponsor/vendor on several G8 boards. Perhaps they could be talked into becoming a vendor here. I have personally never used their products, but my son Greg has used them on his 09' G8 GT (Liquid Red) and said he got the best shine he ever has had.

[bpd1151]

Adams is a participating sponsor/vendor on several G8 boards. Perhaps they could be talked into becoming a vendor here.

 

Sounds like an absolute great idea EBB!

 

Mark, you better get cracking on this my friend......

 

Bring Adam's here as an Official EBOF Vendor!

[mjhpadi]

Ok will work on that Michael! I will send an e-mail to them in the morning. BTW, I have been a loyal Adam's user for many, many years due to the strong commitment Adam has made to his products and customers. I consider myself fairly skilled in detailing (although I still have a lot to learn) but I have never had as many compliments after a detail as I have had since I started using Adam's...even my wife is wowed by the look of our vehicles, and when it comes to cleaning cars, she knows every four letter word but soap!

[mjhpadi]

Wash my ride in the shade using Meguire's gold class soap and a microfiber mitt. Then dry with a microfiber towel and use either Eagle1 Wax-as-u-dry or TurtleWax wax-as-u-dry. Mequire's tire gloss on the tires.

 

I don't use the 2-bucket method, but I do rinse my mitt with the hose everytime I've soaped a panel. So, I'm basically putting in a clean mitt back into the bucket everytime.

I have to say, there is nothing like doing a 2 bucket wash...as long as you have a grit guard in both buckets...but I will admit that I also have done the same thing you do, rinising the mitt after each dip to clean the dirt out, when I have not had access or the time to do the 2 bucket method... it will help but not prevent swirls...and swirls means spending time doing paint correction.

Additionally, since you are being careful with the washing, hopefully you are also using a dedicated microfiber drying towel to dry the car. A leaf blower and dedicated towel are a big plus at preventing swirls. Also, be sure to wash the drying towel after each use!

[mjhpadi]

Sounds like an absolute great idea EBB!

 

Mark, you better get cracking on this my friend......

 

Bring Adam's here as an Official EBOF Vendor!

So I didn't wait until morning, e-mail sent....I would love to have Adam's become a sponsor, their products are awesome, as is their people and service.

[mjhpadi]

So what are the products/methods people are using to keep your Ford EcoBoost ride looking good?

 

I am interested in both interior and exterior - what products (wash, wax, foam gun, leather cleaner) etc, as well as process/procedure (two bucket method, power washer, etc)

 

Thanks for taking some time to answer...

 

Mark

2012 SHO Tuxedo Blax w/PP

Mark, sorry that I haven't really addressed your original question but I will try to give you my rundown. I normally do a 2 bucket wash with Adam's Polishes Car Wash (best I have found) never, never, use Dawn to wash my vehicles, just too hard on the finish. If needed I will then clay bar the vehicle. I then check the paint to decide what my next steps should be. With the SHO, I normally do not have to do any swirl removal, so I will use Adam's Revive to clean the paint. I then follow that with Adam' Fine Machine Polish, then either Adam's Quick Sealant, or Machine Super Sealant, then Brilliant Glaze, and final one of Adam's Waxes. i have been using Americana, the top line of the waxes, but I also will use Buttery Wax, which is a great liquid wax, or the Machine Super Wax...although this wax takes the most time, since it requires at least 25 minutes between application and set-up and removal. So it really takes the best part of 2 days to do a complete detail. I also use all of Adam's other product line for detailing the interior, engine compartment, and trim of the car. Really the only exception to this is I will use Aerospace Protectant 303 on the trim and tires occasionally as I have found this to be a great product.

[EcoBrick Bob]

While I don't use it on my cars, Dawn was the best cleaner invented for our fiberglass sailboats... Also made them faster (it seemed) if you smeared another coat on after cleaning and raced that way! Ruba-dub-dub!

[tss]

Yeah, don't use Dawn on your car, it will strip away the wax. No damage, but no more wax. Personally, I have used a ton of products, many good, some great. My favorite for the last 4 years has been Zaino. I clay, use Zaino AIO (all in one cleaner/polish), then Zaino Z2 Show polish, then finally, Zaino CS (clear seal). It sounds like more work than it really is.

 

I have not tried Adams, if they become a Vendor, I will at least give it a try.

[SHO Rod]

I too start off with Meguiar's Gold Class car wash. That stuff foams up nicely and remains foamy for the duration of the wash.

 

I dry with an automotive filtered blow drier (don't recall the brand) and follow up any latent dribbles with a microfiber drying towel.

 

For the post wash details and interior detailing, I've listed out what I use in post #10 here.

 

-Rod

[TamaDrummer88]

I use blackfire products for detailing my SEL. Ive recently switched to a rinseless wash method as the Hawaiian sun is super hot and i dont wanna wash it in the sun, so i can wash it in the garage without a hose.

 

I use Blackfire wet diamond polymer spray after every wash to boost the existing wax, and i use the Wet Diamond Waterless Wash every so often when i feel lazy lol

[mjhpadi]

I know you guys have named and use some good products here, but understand my loyalty to Adam's Polishes runs deep. I have been associated with Adam's products since early in the beginning of the company. The owner of the company and I have become friends, and has really helped me out on several occasions. Also, Adam stands behind his products 110%, offering some of the best customer service I have ever experienced, equal to the outstanding service I have seen from Livernois and Airaid. Also the products offered by Adam's Polishes work and work great giving the best looking detailing I have been able to obtain. Quality products, American made, quality customer service and reasonable pricing, with a money back guarantee....hard to beat.

[tss]

^^ That is quite a testimonial. My interest is peaked!

[Smokeio]

Cleaning, detail, and waxing my SHO consists of:

 

When washing the car, I always use a good car wash, not a detergent.

Two bucket method, one with soap and the other with just water.

Foam gun to spray soap on car.

I add a little bit of rinseless car wash to both the foam gun and soap bucket. This helps the soap to be a little bit more “slippery”.

Just soap and water on the wheels and tires unless they are really bad then I will use diluted Simple Green.

Wax As You Dry when drying the car. I use a big microfiber towel to dry the car.

I’ve gone to the “4 step” method for waxing the car. Cleaner, polish, synthetic wax, and then a standard wax.

I’m still working on figuring out what works best for the black rims but for now I am using the synthetic wax.

For the tires I put a coat of the non-splash gloss tire gel.

California Duster when the car is just dusty.

Rinseless car was to detail car in between washes.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]667[/ATTACH]

[mjhpadi]

Cleaning, detail, and waxing my SHO consists of:

 

When washing the car, I always use a good car wash, not a detergent.

Two bucket method, one with soap and the other with just water.

Foam gun to spray soap on car.

I add a little bit of rinseless car wash to both the foam gun and soap bucket. This helps the soap to be a little bit more “slippery”.

Just soap and water on the wheels and tires unless they are really bad then I will use diluted Simple Green.

Wax As You Dry when drying the car. I use a big microfiber towel to dry the car.

I’ve gone to the “4 step” method for waxing the car. Cleaner, polish, synthetic wax, and then a standard wax.

I’m still working on figuring out what works best for the black rims but for now I am using the synthetic wax.

For the tires I put a coat of the non-splash gloss tire gel.

California Duster when the car is just dusty.

Rinseless car was to detail car in between washes.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]667[/ATTACH]

 

I'm with you right up to the California Duster, I did use one but discovered it was leaving swirls, so I don't recommend or use mine any more, have found it much better to use Waterless Wash and microfiber to remove dust followed by Detail Spray to bring back the shine. But I just finished doing a quick detail of my car this morning, went over it last evening with Waterless Wash, this morning with Detail Spray and a then a final coat of wax (just did the complete detail 2 weeks ago, but wanted to add 1 more coat of wax), car looks great, but of course now the clouds are moving in and the weather is saying we could have showers and thundershowers the remainder of the day!:frusty:

[oh4sho]

So I decided to dig up this thread. I have a few questions for everyone. How often do you guys wax? I got my car memorial day weekend, and it seems like water still beads off alright. When should my first wax be?

 

Also, do I need to wax right after I wash or could I wash at night then put the car in the garage and claybar/wax the next morning?

[mjhpadi]

So I decided to dig up this thread. I have a few questions for everyone. How often do you guys wax? I got my car memorial day weekend, and it seems like water still beads off alright. When should my first wax be?

 

Also, do I need to wax right after I wash or could I wash at night then put the car in the garage and claybar/wax the next morning?

Depends how much you know and how much time you want to spend on the car. I wax a minimum of monthly. However, if you are new to detailing you need to start with a good 2 bucket hand wash, then clay bar then car, follow with a paint cleaner, then if you need paint correction (swirl marks or light scratches) there are several things you can use. If you don't need any paint correction, I recommend a glaze or polish, then a wax.

[oh4sho]

I've washed it 3 or 4 times already and I use the two bucket method. It works great. As for swirls, I'm sure I have a few since it seems like they show up easily, but my car is white so it hides them pretty well.

 

I want to get in a routine of waxing my car regularly, but it sounds like I need to dedicate about half a day to it at least. I love this thing so much that I'm almost afraid to wash it because I'm afraid I'll scratch it.

 

I plan on washing it tomorrow but won't be able to dedicate time to wash and wax all together. Can I wash tomorrow night then put it immediately in the garage and then wax it on Sunday? Or does too much dust collect on it overnight?

[steve142857]

Wow! you guys are freaks!!! I thought I was by washing my car (one bucket) 1 or two times a week and pay someone to wax it 1-2 times a year!!! hahaha, gotta love this forum. I guess others could say I am a freak with other mods then...

Answer to previous post : If you wash it and put it in the garage, I would think that if you just use a detailer with microfiber clothe the following day to remove the dust, you should be good to wax it no problem...

[mjhpadi]

You can let is set overnight, but should probably go over the car with a Detail Spray and a microfiber cloth before beginning. I normally spend at least 6-8 hours when I do a complete detail. Doing the clay bar is very important, even on a car that is as new as yours, you will be amazed how much grime the clay bar will remove and how much smoother your finish will feel. It is worth the investment and time it takes to use it.

[steve o]

I do the 2 bucket wash with a foam gun and microfiber cloths. My 4gpm @3600psi pressure washer ensures no dirt before the foam hits it and this really reduces swirls. Then it's dried with a cookie monster microfiber towel and a quick wax or detail spray is used between seals. Every few months it gets clayed and sealed. I use meguairs m105 and 205 for the swirls and their synthetic sealant or wolfgangs dgps to top it off.

[mjhpadi]

Wow! you guys are freaks!!! I thought I was by washing my car (one bucket) 1 or two times a week and pay someone to wax it 1-2 times a year!!! hahaha, gotta love this forum. I guess others could say I am a freak with other mods then...

Answer to previous post : If you wash it and put it in the garage, I would think that if you just use a detailer with microfiber clothe the following day to remove the dust, you should be good to wax it no problem...

Thanks Steve (for the freak comment-lol) I have been into doing detailing for several years and it seems like the more you do, the better you want the final result. I will say that I can't count the number of times someone asked me if my 98 F-150 was a new truck, when it was at least 6 years old and had almost 100,000 miles on it. Also happens all the time with the SHO, people are shocked when I tell them it's a 10. Seems like quality detailing and keeping it polished and waxed makes a real difference, since most people don't know the correct methods. Also depending on how heavy the dust has settled, even removing it with detailer could add swirls, best thing for removing light dust is a waterless wash, because it has more stuff to lube the surface compared to a detailer. Only thing waterless wash does not contain anything to improve the shine.

[mjhpadi]

I do the 2 bucket wash with a foam gun and microfiber cloths. My 4gpm @3600psi pressure washer ensures no dirt before the foam hits it and this . I use meguairs m105 and 205 for the swirls and their synthetic sealant or wolfgangs dgps to top it off.

 

I am not a big fan of Meguiar's but it's a long story and I really don't want to say anything negative about them here. However, Wolfgang's is an entirely different subject. I have used a few of their products and found they are truly outstanding, I am very impressed with their products.