Keeping your CAR LOOKING NEW FOR YEARS!!!!!!

[stuts]

Good day to all I was cleaning a family members car today and I was thinking how nice it would be to pass on my knowledge of cleaning vehicles I was a car detailer back in my younger days lol that is funny considering I am only 23 anyways I realize there are people that care and don’t care about keeping their vehicles up cleanliness wise but even the people that do care the majority don’t know how to keep that show room shine so I am basically wondering threw this thread if anyone would be interested in a step by step guide in how to keep that new car looking new down the road no ugly looking little scratches on your car paint unless of course you drive behind a rock truck or clean your car with a brush I would love everyone who drives a Yaris and Echo to keep their cars looking nice threw out the cars life

[leaffan]

I would love the info. There is nothing more I hate than scratches on the outside and dirt in the smallest areas inside.

[stuts]

Good good one positive post this is a good sign I hope the post I put down did not sound like I was trying to be cocky or something I just notice that the majority of people really don’t know how to take care of their cars so this would be a little knowledge that I gained from working at the car dealership detailing cars and the best part is it is not a lot of work so its not like you have to go out every weekend and do something it is so easy

[hasher22]

I just go to a car wash...the guys clean my car inside and out for 20 bucks.....theres my car cleaning

[bgrieger]

Originally Posted by hasher22

I just go to a car wash...the guys clean my car inside and out for 20 bucks.....theres my car cleaning

I do that 2-3 times a year. The rest of the time I hit the automatic wash every couple of weeks when I get gas and that's about it. Keeps it fresh and clean enough. I typically get them properly detailed when it's time to put a car up for sale.

[stuts]

I guess this was a stupid thread because most of you don’t see what I a former detailer like myself sees when looking at paint on a car so I will just say this when it comes to cleaning your car never use a brush even if the brush is the softest/smoothest brush you can find only use a hand WASH MITT preferably sheep skin 5 to 12 bucks CND for soap I prefer Turtle wax Zip Wax Car wash its about 6.99 CND for WAXING your car its best if you get a three step program the best in the business is MEGUIAR'S step 1 cleaning wax step 2 WAX step three Polish altogether for the three is around 50 bucks you should also get all new cloths for waxing I personally only wax once a year but if you go that root don’t clean your car every weekend as it wears off your wax each wash depending on the weather I may clean the car once a month or maybe every month and a half the car is 8 years old its not mine by the way it’s a family members anyways its 8 years old and looks like its fresh off the lot of course there is wear and tear like paint chips and a bit of rust but that stuff you cant do anything about up in Canada stupid salt anyways I would of made this more detailed step by step but people seem to think they know what they are doing happy cleaning oh all the products can be purchased at good old Canadian Tire

[ECHOKnight2000]

Hey Stuts. Well for me personally I have some scratches/scrapes and I'm afraid to buff it too much, I've already waxed it and it helped a little, you have to come up close. Anyway I don't know if this is true but my dad said don't buff it too much cause it wears the paint down-and I assume if you do that then the spot where you buffed won't have that shinny factory "glaze" to it. There's one behind the rear wheel, I know I won't get that out unless I replace the bumper, but its not worth 500 plus bucks getting a new bumper for something that is way down where you have to look hard. I waxed it and it improved. As for the other one on the other side of the car, that I think I can really reduce, but like I said I'm afraid of buffing it too much, is that possible? And to top it off, both of these scratches/scuff marks are my fault!!! Who am I going to blame? Let's hope someone hits my bumper so I can replace it. Thanks for any advice, hopefully I was clear enough.

[stuts]

Hey Echo your Dad could not be more RIGHT about buffing the more you use a buffer the more paint you start to take off that is why I prefer the hand method I just buy the cloths and hand buff away I also get more of a satisfaction out of doing it by hand also Echo if you want to put out a bit of money try that three step wax I was telling everyone about just look up in the thread the first step is to get out the scratches and what not it really works oh one more thing I will be waxing my NEW Yaris this weekend happy cleaning

[ECHOKnight2000]

Hey stuts. Thanks for the advice. So should I use a rubbing compound or wax, whatever you call it? Isn't rubbing compound different than wax or is it just another name for it? Just do it by hand instead of machine, in that way I can "control" how much I wax it? I think we have some turtle wax-the rubbing compound stuff, I can use that right? This is a silly question, but I think we've had that compound stuff for awhile, does it matter if its been sitting there for possibly years? The lid is still on. Is it possible to go "bad." Or does it matter? Now that its pretty much spring-(Minnesota-U.S.) and I just washed my car, you can see the scuff marks more. I'm more concerned about the one on the passengers side above the rear wheel, cause that is kinda pretty visible when I wash the car and I would at least like to reduce it, I think its too deep to totally get rid of it, but not too much where you have to do something major, like spot paint. Sorry for all the questions and thanks again for any advice or help

[bgrieger]

rubbing compounds are abrasives in a wax like carrier. Still will easily remove the top layer of paint.

[liveBLUE]

Hey Stuts!

I have a question that's off the topic but I hope if it happens to you. I just got my 07 Yaris RS + Option. Do you have a problem with your steering wheel not going back to straight after a turning your steering wheel to the right on normal driving?

[stuts]

Yo Echo I don’t think if the product sat around for years it would matter as long as the top was on it I am no chemist though so I am not sure I am telling you Echo the Meguiar’s Three step is the best you will not be let down another thought if you would like if you would like to start new I am sure you could get your car buffed it may cost a 100 bucks but your paint would look really nice I will leave that up to you

[3cyltrbo]

Maybe I should share some advice too (I guess I don’t need any advice) (see examples below)

This was my 1987 Tracer / This picture was taken last fall 2005 (when the car was almost 20 yrs old) this is the original paint BTW!!!!!




This is my 1990 Turbo Sprint / it also has the original paint / it was on the road as of August of 1989 (almost 17yrs on the road) (this pic is 2yrs old but it still looks like that today)



This is a recent pic of my Echo I got it in August 2004 / its got 30,000km on it and I dare say the engine compartment is cleaner than when it was new (it’s a daily driver)

[stuts]

WOW WOW WOW way to go 3CYLTRBO very nice you definitely know what you are doing please share some advice for everyone nice cars Cyltrbo WOW again

[fstb88]

wow. is there a cleaning forum for this sight. cause, hearing some fo ya'll clean just a few times a year and take your car to someone, really make me sick and very sad. they really don't care about your car. and one day when you do have to wash you car you won't know where all the inportant and hard spots on your car is. plus automatic car washes(even laser washes) cause micrscopic scratches in the paint and swirls. hand washing is better cause you can clean in the direction the wind goes along the car lessening swirls and scratches, if you use the two bucket method, with wax. but thats too much detail right now.

edit-i just looked and there is a section, sry for being an a$$