The Detailed Image Ask a Pro Blog provides you with top quality detailing articles from elite detailers around the US.  We share professional detail work, product reviews and step by step instructions along the way to help both new and experienced detailers.  Check out this outstanding write up with pictures on the Lamborghini Gallardo Reconditioning 23hr Detail from author and professional detailer Eric Schuster in Orange County, CA.  This Gallardo has all the normal accumulation of swirls, oxidation, very dirty wheels and many other dirty areas that are often left untouched.  Eric does an amazing job paying attention to all the small details that separate the ordinary from extraordinary.  Check out a few of the pictures below, but see the full Lamborghini Gallardo Reconditioning article here.

Deep cleaning the paint with a clay bar



Left wheel not cleaned, right wheel cleaned with SONAX Wheel Cleaner Full Effect


BEFORE


AFTER


Completed!


Read the entire Lamborghini Gallardo Reconditioning article here and learn more about what products and techniques were used to complete this outstanding detail!

If you have any questions please let me know or leave a comment at the bottom of the article.

Greg @ DI

The 2011 Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Spyder Performante is an amazing car that combines style and performance like few others.  Currently there are only three white ones in the US and Greg Nichols of Reflections Detailing in UT was honored to detail this rare and exotic super car.  Super cars always present unique challenges to detailers along with some added pressure that you can't easily replace a part.  As expected Greg rises to the challenge and brings out a stunning level of gloss and shine.  Check out the entire article, pictures and videos here - 2011 Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Spyder Performante by Reflections Detailing in UT.

Here are a few teaser pics:








Again we encourage you to read the whole article here (2011 Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Spyder Performante by Reflections Detailing in UT) and learn more about this amazing car and the top notch detailing work from Greg. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask.

Greg @ DI

[Ask a Pro Blog]

The Detailed Image Ask a Pro Blog has tons of great detailing information and expert detail work that can help detailers of all levels.  We are really proud of one of our latest articles that combines amazing photography and a thorough write up for detailing enthusiasts.  This Ferrari 430 Scuderia's red paint is in tough shape but it looks amazing after Marc and Jacob from AutoLavish give it a thorough cleaning and paint correction.  The work took a long time but the results are stunning!  Below are just a few pictures but there are over 75 professional photographs in the entire article here: Ferrari 430 Scuderia Paint Correction and Detailing by AutoLavish.   

BEFORE


DURING


DURING


ALMOST DONE (with the Dodo Juice Supernatural Wax)


AFTER


Again these are just a few of the pictures but there are TONS more and lots of documentation throughout this extensive write up.  Read the entire article here Ferrari 430 Scuderia Paint Correction and Detailing by AutoLavish.

Thank you for reading and the Ask a Pro Blog team looks forward to providing you with more top quality articles.  You can also subscribe via e-mail or to our rss feed on that page if you want to receive more articles. 

Greg @ Detailed Image

If I want to add another layer, do I have to reclean/scrub them again first?

If you apply another coat at a later time I would wash them with a shampoo that doesn't strip protection.  After they are completely dry then apply another coat.

Greg @ DI

Glad to hear you guys all have heard great things about it!

[DetailedImage.com is the official detailing store for TUF SHINE!]

DetailedImage.com is the official detailing store for TUF SHINE!
Get your tires looking their best year round with the TUF SHINE line of products!  The TUF SHINE Tire Appearance Kit gives you everything you need to clean and coat your tires so they look simply amazing year round. 
Step 1 - Spray the TUF SHINE Tire Cleaner on the tires, scrub them with the TUF SHINE Tire Brush and rinse them off. 
Step 2 - When dry apply the TUF SHINE Tire Clearcoat with the TUF SHINE Applicator Sponge. 
 -  One coat leaves a brilliant "like new" matte finish, so the tires are dark and rich looking. 
 -  Two to three coats leaves a very glossy appearance that lasts for months and sometimes years!


WIN A FREE TUF SHINE Tire Appearance Kit on Twitter and Facebook but you must enter there by 4/16 so enter NOW!



Ask a Pro Blog authors review TUF SHINE



Todd Cooperider from Esoteric Auto Detail applies just one coat to this red Porsche and the results are stunning!  Check out his entire TUF SHINE Tire Shine Kit review here.




Greg Nichols of Reflections Detailing gives an extensive testing to the TUF SHINE Tire Clearcoat.  He takes his ride off roading and intentionally scuffs his tire to show the power of the TUF SHINE Tire Clearcoat!  He also provides more history about TUF SHINE and reviews all of their products!  Read Greg's entire Product Review: TUF SHINE Inc article here!

If you have any questions please let me know!

Greg @ DI

We were not allowed to help with the development of the product but 5 of our writers on the Ask a Pro Blog team did and I've talked to them and Meguiar's extensively about it.  I HIGHLY recommend checking out our articles on the ask a pro blog as they describe the product in more detail with pictures and video.  This product is the real deal and will truly change detailing.

We will probably have the 3" ones in stock in about 1 - 2 weeks.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Greg

[BRAND NEW Meguiar's DA Microfiber Correction System has revolutionized detailing!]

BRAND NEW Meguiar's DA Microfiber Correction System has revolutionized detailing!
This unique system is using brand new technology with a microfiber buffing pad and new polishes specifically built to optimize the new kind of microfiber pads when used with a DA Buffer (Dual Action i.e. Porter Cable 7424XP Random Orbital Buffer) .  The results are nothing short of stunning!  Meguiar's even states in their ad..."Revolutionizing paint defect removal and surface finishing with No Swirls..GUARANTEED"!

If you have any questions about these products or any part of your detailing process please let me know!

Greg @ DI

Glad to hear the info was helpful.  I'll try to post more good articles up in the future. The article has a ton of links if you are on our blog or any of the other forums.  I apologize but my standard post (with links) works on my 12x other forums but they don't here and I have to manually edit everyone of them so I just posted up the standard text here. 

Below is another awesome detailing article written by one our expert detailers, Todd Cooperider, from our Ask a Pro Blog. The Ask a Pro Blog has tons of great information from some of the best detailers in the US about professional quality detail work, how to guides, product reviews and more!

1-step, 2-step....The Various Types of Polishing Processes
If you're a detailing enthusiast reading through some of our how-to articles, or ones where we showcase the entire detailing process on a particular vehicle, you may have picked up on us pro detailers talking about 1-step and 2-step polishing. And if you're a detailer or hobbyist, you probably know that this refers to how many pad/polish combinations that we use to complete a job. So given that, you can assume that using Optimum (OPT) Poli-Seal on a Lake Country White Polishing Pad would be a 1-step polish, and using Meguiar's Ultra-Cut Compound M105 with an orange pad followed by Meguiar's Ultra Finishing Polish M205 on a Lake Country Black Finishing Pad would be a 2-step process.

Now that we have the basic definition established, let's take a much closer look at the terms because each type of process can be broken down even further (especially the 1-step).

The 1-step Polishing Process
As we've already agreed, a 1-step polishing process means just that.....completing the job with one pad and polish combination. All 1-steps aren't created equal however, because there are a lot of different factors involved that determine what combination we used based on the desired results we're looking for. As professional detailers, or even weekend warriors, we're faced with decisions based on the condition of the vehicle, the level of correction that we wish to achieve, the amount of time we have to work within, and the budget that the customer has established. I have full details that I do (wash, wheels, machine polish, interior, etc) that only take me about 3 hours WITH a 1-step polish, and then I have the same basic package that will take me 8-10 hours with a 1-step polish. How can this be?

Let's take a look at 3 different examples of 1-step polish jobs so you can get a better idea of what all is involved.

The Basic: This one would fall into my 3-hour "complete detail" package that I referred to. For this one, I would typically use Optimum (OPT) Poli-Seal and a white polishing pad on a Porter Cable 7424XP Random Orbital Buffer. What I hope to achieve with this level is to remove light haze and very light swirls on the paint, deep clean the surface, make a noticeable difference in the gloss level, and add a layer of protection. With a versatile product like Optimum (OPT) Poli-Seal, you can use it very quickly and make a big impact in the overall look and feel of the finish, or you can take your time and work it much longer to achieve an even greater level of defect correction. If the vehicle just needs a quick touch-up, or there are time / budget constraints, then this type of 1-step polish can make a significant difference. For detailers just starting out.....this should be a staple package being offered.

The Intermediate: When you step up to the intermediate level 1-step polish, you're typically looking for more defect correction capability than what the basic would provide, yet you still want it to be relatively quick. With soft paint (Acura, Lexus, Porsche), you can get very good results even at this level....upwards of 60%~80% in some cases (not severe defects, and on easily correctable paint like Porsche). When I need to perform a detail at this level, I'll typically grab for Meguiar's Ultra Finishing Polish M205 polish with a black or white pad and the PC. The reason I go for M205 is because it's a non-diminishing abrasive polish.....meaning it works quickly and finishes down very fine in most cases. Depending on how much correction you're going for, you can expect to add a couple of hours to the amount of time it would take you on the basic 1-step.

The Advanced: When performing this level of a 1-step polish, you're typically going for as much correction as you can while at the same time finishing down very well for a 1-step polish. You can't go too aggressive otherwise it won't finish down well enough to be a finished product. If you go too light of a combination then you're giving up a lot of potential correcting power. You're also not as concerned with time or the customer has a bigger budget to work with when performing the advanced 1-step. So what polish/pad/machine combination do you go with? Well, that depends on a lot of different factors......what kind of paint you're dealing with (hard, medium, soft), what color the car is, and how bad of condition it's in just to name a few. For most cars, you can use Menzerna Power Finish PO203S on a white pad with the PC (or rotary) and achieve some pretty amazing results. Menzerna polishes utilizes diminishing abrasives that have to be completely broken down to achieve the best results. This takes patience and time, but you will be rewarded in the end. For a total detail inside and out with this level of 1-step machine polishing, I can easily take 8-10 hours from start to finish (including time spent on applying a sealant afterward). If I'm doing this level, I'm taking the time necessary to ensure that the finish is as good as it can get for just a 1-step polish. I've worked on cars with this level before that have had a lot of swirls and holograms, and I've achieved better than a 95% correction rate! (see BMW M3 article).

So as you can see, there are a lot of different ways of conducting a 1-step polish. It can be from 3 hours, upwards of 10 hours. It can provide light correction, and it can go all the way up to almost perfect. So knowing what you have to offer, what polishes work at what levels, and what exactly you can achieve at each one, you should be able to provide the perfect level of polishing for the price or the time you have to work with.

The 2-step Polishing Process
As we had previously defined, the 2-step polishing process means that you've used 2 different polish/pad combinations. The first step is typically an aggressive polish or compound teamed up with a cutting pad. The second step utilizes a finishing polish and pad to remove any marring leftover in the paint from the first step, and to further refine the finish. If you were to just stop after the compounding / heavy polishing step, the paint would be left with marring, light swirls, and / or holograms (also referred to as buffer trails).

Even within the 2-step category however, there are different levels that you can work with depending on the desired correction level, time, and/or budget. If you want to achieve a high level of correction with a stunning finish, then you could do a straight 2-step with combinations like Meguiar's Ultra-Cut Compound M105 / Meguiar's Ultra Finishing Polish M205, Menzerna Super Intensive Polish PO83/ Menzerna PO106FA Nano Polish (Super Finish), or one that I have been using a lot of lately.....Meguiar's Ultra-Cut Compound M105 on a PC followed by Menzerna 106FA on the rotary. You simply hit each section one time with each combination, and the correction level is what it is (typically it will be very good!).

Another option that you have is to stick with the traditional 2-step combination, but spend more time on the compounding step to achieve a greater level of correction. Some paints are hard, finicky, or have deeper imperfections that won't correct after one pass with your compound, and you need to work them a bit in order to achieve that next 10-15% of correction. So you may have some parts of the car where you can simply utilize one compounding step, whereas others you may have even 2 or 3. Now some people may argue that if you compound a section twice, then it counts as 2 steps (leaving you with a 3-step after you do your finish polishing). Semantics aside, you're still just using 2 different polish and pad combinations. The goal at this level is to achieve the highest level of correction as possible while finishing down so fine that all you can see in the paint is pure and clear reflections.

So when I'm evaluating the finish of a car, and I know that by speaking with the customer they're interested in major correction, I may break the pricing option down based on whether I'm doing a straight 2-step, or one where I'm chasing defects with multiple compounding stages.

The Hybrid Polishing Process
Hybrid? Would that make it a 1.5-step process? What I mean here is to mix the processes up as required; once again being based on the condition of the car, the type of paint, and the budget or time you have to work within. Let's say for instance that your customer wants the car to look as good as it possibly can, but just can't afford or just doesn't want the "full deal", multi-step process that you have to offer. If for instance it's a dark colored vehicle, you especially know that you can only go so aggressive with a 1-step process otherwise you'll leave holograms. But if you go with a less aggressive combination, then it will still have a lot of visible swirls particularly on the horizontal areas that you see a lot (hood, trunk lid, tops of fenders, etc). I was faced with a similar situation this past summer on a black Ferrari 612 where the customer wanted his car to look good, but he didn't see the need to go for the full-blown detail. Knowing what time budget I had to work within, I came up with a hybrid system for this particular car where I did 2-step polishing on all the areas that can be seen, and 1-step polishing on the lower parts of the car. So in the end the parts that you can't see in the direct sunshine ended up with the amount of correction that I said could be expected for that price range, and the upper parts of the car came out almost flawless. So I kept to the customer's budget, I didn't donate my own time (nobody likes working for free!), and the customer received a product that looked better than he was expecting. The moral of the story here is that you don't have to get stuck in the definition of either a 1-step or a 2-step polish. The formula was perfect for this car and for this particular customer and it worked out well for everybody. Whatever you do however, don't perform a hybrid polish and try to sell it as a multi-step polish! If you sell somebody on a near perfect finish, and you only achieve 50% correction on the lower parts, the customer won't be happy, and word will spread fast! Sell the hybrid as something between the 1-step and 2-step, and make it clear to the customer that the visible areas of the car will look better than the lower parts.

Well, that about covers it! Hopefully you now have a better understanding about the different polishing processes, and what exactly is involved. Don't get yourself caught up in thinking that each level only has one possible result because you can obviously see now that you can go a lot of different ways within each one of them.

Thanks as always, and be sure to post your comments and questions below if you have any. - Todd

If you enjoyed this article here are some of my favorite articles you may like from the Ask a Pro Blog.
- Full Detail and Paint Correction: Ferrari 458 Italia
- 2005 BMW M3 in Silver Grey Metallic
- How to Detail Your Engine Bay
- Leatherique Leather Care How-To
- Proper Microfiber Care
- How To Properly Wash and Dry a Car
- 36-Hour Paint Correction Detail: Rolls Royce Phantom

I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm back on this forum.  I couldn't access the site for a while so I gave up on it until I got notification today about a comment on my feedback profile.  Not sure why they didn't e-mail members with an update when it went back online but I'm happy to be back on the forum.  If you have any detailing questions for me I'd be happy to try and help you out. 

Oh man that's a terrible situation.  If the dog is in the car I recommend having a blanket or seat cover, they always make a mess but this is extreme.  I know it's gross but put on some rubber gloves and you have to wipe away any remaining residue.  For the little holes it will be much tougher to clean. Since I'm not exactly sure about the material I'm honestly not sure what I would try.  If it's leather the Leatherique Rejuvenator Oil and Prestine Clean are my products of choice.  However I know the mfg does not recommend them on some ultra suede or extremely soft leathers so I'm hesitant to use it.  If you can find the appropriate cleaner and conditioner that would probably be my next step.

Well, the problem is, using a regular towel doesn't reach to all the small places. Areas like the rear corner panels, around the taillights, and around the weather strips on the roof are extremely hard to get to with a towel. Is there anything else I can use together into those small cracks?

Sometimes wrapping the microfiber towel on the end of something long and thin (not to sharp though) helps force the towel in to tight spaces.  For rubber and vinyl trim you can hit them with a brush but you definitely do not want to use that brush near the paint.  Another option is to tape off the paint (i.e. Meguiar's Masking Tape) and then use a brush so you can get closer to the edge.  Hopefully some combination of these options will help.

What's the best way to get rid of the white wax residue out of the cracks between panels and other various places? Should I just use a soft toothbrush or something? Thanks.

A toothbrush can potentially leave ultra fine scratches on the surface so don't use that unless it's absolutely necessary.  I usually spray a light degreaser (P21S Total Auto Wash) or something similar on a microfiber towel.  I open the doors, etc. to expose the cracks and remove as much as possible by agitating the surface.  If you have any on the rubber, vinyl or plastic trim I really like the Poorboy's World Trim Restorer.  It helps clean and protect the trim so it looks more like new again.  If you can remove the white marks as soon as possible in the future as they become more challenging to remove when the sun bakes them in.  If you have any questions please let me know.

Great work on an amazing car!