The P21S Gel Wheel Cleaner and my favorite the SONAX Wheel Cleaner Full Effect are both pH neutral cleaners that should work great. If you want an even deeper cleaning and more shine you'll want to contact the mfg and see if you can polish the wheels. If yes then something like the Optimum Metal Polish would be a great choice. Let me know if you have any other questions!

Greg @ DI

 

My kid scuffed one of my cars and left a long mark on the side of the car. What do you recommend I use to get it out?

 

I would start off with a wash and then a clay bar (DI Packages DI Gentle Fine Grade Clay Bar 100g & Clay Lube) to see if that removes it. A clay bar will remove any transfer of paint/residue from whatever caused the scuff. If that doesn't work then you'll want to proceed to a polish like the Meguiar's Ultra Finishing Polish M205 and if that doesn't work then move up to the Meguiar's Ultra-Cut Compound M105. If that doesn't work you may need to try using these same polishes with a buffer or move up to a light wet sanding. Start off with a light sanding like the Meguiar's 2000 Grade - Unigrit Finishing Sand Paper and move all the way up to Meguiar's 1000 Grade - Unigrit Finishing Sand Paper if needed or possibly even more aggressive. After wet sanding you'll need to go back and polish with polishes like the M105 and M205 to remove the haze. If you have any other questions please let me know!

Greg @ DI

 

will the Blackfire sealant be a good sealant for the winter? I will be driving through bad winters, snow, salt and ice. What would you recommend on the tires, wheel wells for the winter. I guess what I am asking is your product recommendation for winter, thanks as always

 

I have a Pikes Peak White Z, and I was wondering whether or not the Brinkmann Maxfire Dual Xenon Swirl Finder Spotlight will illuminate swirls when I shine the light on the car. It's ridiculously hard to spot swirls on PPW Z's, even in sunlight. I want to detail my car but its going to be really hard if I can't even spot defects. I tried an ordinary flashlight, it failed. I tried a different kind of flashlight (this one has white light, I used it on my SuperBlack Z and it worked like a charm), and this one failed too. I detail my Z in my garage out of the sun.

What do you suggest Greg?

 

I live in upstate NY so I can appreciate a tough winter, tons of salt/sand, never ending cold, etc. The Blackfire Wet Diamond with Polycharger will work great in the winter and it's what I recommend all the time.

Greg @ DI

 

Bought used carbon fiber hood, has some oxidation/fading....whats the cure here? Own orbital/rotary buffer, wondering your thoughts?
Thanks a lot

 

I am in the process of polishing out my work wheels since they got salt damage in the clear coat. What polish would you recommend to use on these aluminum rims and a sealant to keep them looking new?

 

how does one get rid of this kida corrosion???

 

Sorry for the extra slow response here. I just purchased a new home and I've been overly busy with the closing then cleaning, painting, packing and moving in finally during a rare October snowstorm. I know some these answers may be a bit too late but I'll post up an answer in case it's not or others wanted to know.

Greg @ DI

 

It would need to be polished assuming it's clear coated. You treat carbon fiber essentially the same as any other clear coated painted panel but it may react differently as it's a different clear coat. Similar to how an Audi and a Nissan won't have the same clear coat you may need a slightly different polishing process for best results, but hopefully not and it will be simple and easy. You can start with a light polish and pad combo like the Meguiar's Ultra Finishing Polish M205 with a white pad and that should remove the oxidation and light swirls. If you want something a bit stronger to remove more of the swirls and surface imperfections I highly recommend the Meguiar's Ultra-Cut Compound M105 and an orange pad. If you have any questions about how to use these products please let me know.

Greg @ DI

 

I typically recommend the Poorboy's World Wheel Sealant because it has strong protection while extremely easy to apply. It will help repel contaminants and it makes future cleanings much easier.

Greg @ DI

 

It's hard to see exactly what happened in those pics but thank you for attaching them it still helps. I would try polishing them with something like the P21S Finish Restorer and it will remove stains, oxidation and build ups on the wheels. If that doesn't come close to solving the problem you are probably in need of a wheel expert to restore them. Let me know if you have any other questions and I'll be happy to help.

Greg @ DI

 

winter's coming up soon. what do you recommend for washing and safely protecting paint from salt/ice? (not for my Z but for my daily driver). thanks

i notice you recommended poor boy's wheel sealant for the wheels^

 

+1 I'm also curious about this.

Also, 2 quick questions:

1. What is the best way to get rid of swirl marks?

2. When de-badging a car, what is the best way to get rid of whats left behind under where the emblem used to be. Thinking about debadging the "350z" emblem off my car this spring, it's been on there for 60k miles and I want to make sure I can get all the crap underneath there completely off.

Thanks.

 

Question. Do you EVER recommend any products other than those that are sold by Detailed Image?

Just wondering

 

thanks for opening up such a thread cause it just so happens that i have really fine scratches from hitting some hoosiers. ill get pics up in a minute. But the only reason why i wanna get rid of them is because I am trading my car in tomorrow (hopefully) and i wanna know how dealers get the car to look really shiny for like a few days until you wash it. I had a friend who detailed and he said they used to use something that makes the clearcoat look great for a few days?

 

heres what my scratches look like.







Im just looking for anything to make them kinda blend i was thinking like a wax or something so they look better for a few days. gotta get the best trade in value

 

sorry another quick question. whats your opinion on the Meguiars NXT Tech Wax, curious to try it

 

The Poorboy's World Wheel Sealant is great on wheels! It helps keep them cleaner and it makes future cleanings much easier.

In the cold weather I generally wash with the Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine New Formula (ONR) and a bucket of warm water with a rubber glove on. Here is a great kit if needed - DI Packages Basic Hose Free Wash Package with ONR.

For protection I like to put on a coat of sealant and wax. The Blackfire Wet Diamond with Polycharger is always one of my favorite sealants because of it's amazing shine and great protection. If you want even more protection and that deep gloss layer a wax on it afterward (wait at least one hour). The Dodo Juice Hard Candy Hard Wax is known for great protection and an amazing shine. The Poorboy's World Natty's Blue Paste Wax is another great choice that is also a great value! After this the paint should be well protected and looking amazing! Let me know if you have any other questions.

Greg @ DI