CanuckG35

Without two buckets you are essentially washing your vehicle with dirty water. Btw, what kind of temps are you getting up there now?

Hey no problem at all, anytime. Just happy to help.

Glad to hear the QD removed the pine sap. The reason for using a rinse bucket is to rinse your mitt in the rinse bucket so that it will release all of the dirt in there before putting into your soapy bucket. You wouldn't believe how much dirt is at the bottom of the rinse bucket when you are done. More dirt in your rinse bucket means less dirt being moved around on your paint causing scratches. Also, NEVER use a squeegee or California water blade type of product on your paint. They are absolutely horrible on your paint and will cause some severe marring. Chamois are safe for drying your car, however an MF waffle weave towel will do a better job.

Awesome!! You will NOT regret the purchase!! :shades:

It was definitely improper washing habits that caused that person's paint to look like that. If I had to guess, it was a touch car wash or they used brushes when washing it. I give my cars a full detail (clay/polish/seal) twice a year. Once in the spring and once in the fall. Even if you only get it detailed once a year, that's good. As for a detail shop, ask how long they have been in business, what products they use, what their detail process is, and if they have any before and after pics. Expect to pay at least $300 for a full detail.......that is if their work is good.

Yeah, you should really get a random orbital polisher like a Porter Cable. Menzerna polishes are made to be used with a polisher and you will find it extremely difficult and labour intensive to properly break down the polishes by hand.

Good stuff, you'll really love the PO85RD. I am a HUGE fan of Menzerna polishes, as well as all of their product. What polisher will you be using to apply the PO85RD?

The first thing I would do is learn how to properly wash/dry your vehicle. I can't stress this enough as this is the step that produces 95% of paint imperfections. Take a look at the wash package from Detailed Image that mentioned earlier in this thread. Have two buckets with grit guards, a 100% sheepskin mitt, and some MF waffle weave drying towels to ensure a safe wash process. A synthetic polymer sealant like Menzerna Power Lock is a great way to protect your paint since it's durable and will only need applied a few times a year. If you have leather seating surfaces, condition them regularly (once a month or so) to prevent cracking. There are a lot of good leather conditioners out there (Zaino, Lexol, Leatherique, Poorboys, etc). If you have cloth seats and have any stains or spills, 303 Aerospace Cleaner & Spot remover is great to have. 303 Aerospace also makes a great fabric guard as well. Lastly, I always recommend 303 Aerospace protectant for interior trim (dash, door trim, etc).

^ Not surprising. I am sure Ford implemented some security features so that the SD card could not be copied and then resold.

Same here as well. Three people were killed in my area in the last few days due to hitting a Moose. Sad. Like you, Moose are not even remotely close to a "one in a million chance" here.

Yeah, learning how to properly detail your vehicle is addicting, rewarding, and very gratifying. I just love having customers pick up their vehicles from me simply amazed at how well their vehicles looks. Like I said, it's a very gratifying business. As an example, here is a customer's Altima that I detailed. It looks like they washed their car with a brillo pad since day one. It was just in horrible shape. I include a CD with before and after pictures for each customer and they were astounded at the difference. Before After

If you are looking to layer a carnuba over a sealant, wait at least 24 hours for the sealant to cure before you apply the carnuba. For those looking to do the same thing, always remember that you can layer a carnuba over a sealant, but not the other way around.

Yep, Poorboys S&W is an awesome product. I litterally never leave the driveway without a spray bottle of S&W and a few MF towels in the trunk. What did you purchase for clay, polish, and sealant?

Well, technically you will only be applying a sealant on a clean paint surface so one for applying and one for removing should be sufficient. Having said that, to be safe I would use at least two for applying and two for removing. Better to be safe than sorry. And yes, you can definitely apply a sealant on any glass surfaces, including the BAMR.

Canada here. Like I mentioned in post #5, I received a total savings of $7,440 CDN off of MSRP. 2.9% financing as well.

You can use the grout sponge or sheepskin mitt on your paint surface, however I like using the sheepskin mitt on all of the panels, and use the grout sponge on the trim. DI simply gives you both tools in that package. Using MF towels is certainly sufficient when applying your sealants, that's what I use. A foam applicator is fine too though. Regarding using sealants on trim......that is fine, however stay away from putting it on any trim that has a rough or porous surface. It will be hard to remove it.

My bad, yes put it in the rinse bucket. Personally, I have one in each bucket, but if you only have one grit guard, put it in the rinse bucket.

I would first start with this basic wash/dry package from Detailed Image. http://www.detailedimage.com/DI-Packages-M29/Washing-and-Drying-Starter-Package-P148/ Get yourself two buckets as well, one for your soapy water and one for water only. Put the grit guard in the soapy water bucket. This will allow all of the grit to go to the bottom of the bucket and prevent your mitt from touching it. After washing a portion of each panel, rinse your mitt in the water bucket to release all of the grit and dirt, then proceed to the soapy bucket. The waffle weave drying towels are they best and safest thing to dry your car with. Another great drying technique is after the car is completely washed, take the nozzle off of your hose and rinse your car down starting from the top. This will produce a sheeting effect and will remove over half of the water on your car. The Turtle Wax Ice product isn't too bad I guess, but I am generally not a fan of their products........or pretty much any over the counter products for that matter. Once you start using professional products, you'll probably never go back. For a paint sealant, my absolute favourite is Menzerna Power Lock. The Power Lock replaces their previous sealant, Full Molecular Jacket, which was also an incredible product. http://www.detailedimage.com/Menzerna-M10/Power-Lock-Polymer-Sealant-P443/16oz-S1/ For a tire dressing, I have found none better than Poorboys Bold N Bright. http://www.detailedimage.com/Poorboys-World-M1/Bold-n-Bright-P36/16-oz-S1/ For in between washes, I would highly recommend getting Poorboys Spray & Wipe. This is a waterless wash Quick Detailer than can be used to remove dust, light dirt, bird bombs, clay bar lubricant, etc. I use it all the time as a quick wash, and because it has lubricants in it, it will not scratch your paint. Lastly, and one of the most important things to purchase, is good quality microfiber towels. These are extremely good! http://www.detailedimage.com/DI-Microfiber-M13/Ultra-Plush-Two-Sided-Towel-P105/16-x-16-S1/ I hope this helps, but let me know if you have any other questions.

Don't forget as well new engines that are not broken in will not get great fuel economy. Once you get a few thousand miles on it and it starts to break in you'll see improved fuel economy.

I would first try to remove the sap with a quick detailer. If that doesn't work, clay bar will definitely do the trick.

What I will be doing is shipping them to a business/warehouse close to the Maine border. There are lots to choose from and you just pay them x amount of dollars to store them until you come pick them up. I am sure there is something similiar to that by the MT border. And yes, it's a great excuse for a road trip!

How far are you from the US border? If you are fairly close to the border, it will save you a TON of money getting them shipped within the US and then go pick them up. That is what I will be doing. Shipping went from over $400 to just a shade over $100 just by having them shipped to the Maine border instead of directly to my house. Anyways, just a thought.

So this feature is currently available?

GREAT find, that's awesome news. Hopefully this will be available in Canada as well.

I could of went with the xPlan as well, however the employee pricing plan was better. With that, the Costo discount, and additional negotiations, I got it well below invoice. I was rather surprised actually.