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Author Topic: Good AIO?  (Read 19417 times)

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Offline BigSur

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Re: Good AIO?
« Reply #15 on: December 03, 2010, 09:21:02 AM »
Please let us know how the D151 works out for you.  I need to get familiar with an AIO myself due to my frequent inability to make time for full details.  I'm totally geared up with products and tools to perform correction, but my problem is that I'm lucky if I can get a wash in once every 2 months.......full details maybe once or twice per year.  Family and work is taking it's toll on me.

I've been trying to make time to try out some M105 or M205 and follow it up with NXT but if I can accomplish my goals in less applications, that would be great. 
BigSur
Tidewater, VA

Offline roushstage2

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Re: Good AIO?
« Reply #16 on: December 03, 2010, 11:33:56 AM »
The reason I want to go with an AIO instead of doing the separate steps is that I can just apply it and move along the panel and the car.  I don't have to focus on a small spot with a cleaner, wipe, check, reapply if necessary and then move onto the next 2'x2' spot on the car.

I've always heard great things about D151, and I have some, so I'm going to give it a go if it ever stops raining or snowing when I have the time to wash and wax.  :)

I will let you know how it works though!

Offline Too Stroked

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Re: Good AIO?
« Reply #17 on: December 03, 2010, 12:13:22 PM »
Remember, there are a number of what I might call "refresher" products out there that do a pretty decent job of keeping you ride looking good between wax (AIO) applications. I kind of like Optimum Spray Wax and in fact mist it on before I dry either of my vehicles. It does a really nice job of lubricating the Microfiber Towel and keeping a decent shine.

Offline BigSur

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Re: Good AIO?
« Reply #18 on: December 03, 2010, 12:44:39 PM »
The reason I want to go with an AIO instead of doing the separate steps is that I can just apply it and move along the panel and the car.  I don't have to focus on a small spot with a cleaner, wipe, check, reapply if necessary and then move onto the next 2'x2' spot on the car.

I've always heard great things about D151, and I have some, so I'm going to give it a go if it ever stops raining or snowing when I have the time to wash and wax.  :)

I will let you know how it works though!

It's good you brought that up.  How do you focus on 1 2x2 spot w/out overlapping?....a question I've always had.  Can you tell where you've been?

In any event, I don't like having to do that either.  I'd rather apply to the whole vehicle first and then wipe down.  I'm way overdue for some sort of corrective measure though, so I hope I can figure out what is best for me.

I have another question that's been eating up as well.  If I'm going to apply a polish to my paint, do I really need to clay?  Doesn't the polish clean the surface?  Why clay?  I usually clay once or twice per year, but I hate making time for it.  I'd rather hit it with some product and a DA if I could.  My tailgate has been giving me problems lately.  It took me a full hour to get it clean with clay during my last wash.  I don't have that kind of time.











BigSur
Tidewater, VA

Offline Too Stroked

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Re: Good AIO?
« Reply #19 on: December 03, 2010, 01:06:36 PM »
The reason I want to go with an AIO instead of doing the separate steps is that I can just apply it and move along the panel and the car.  I don't have to focus on a small spot with a cleaner, wipe, check, reapply if necessary and then move onto the next 2'x2' spot on the car.

I've always heard great things about D151, and I have some, so I'm going to give it a go if it ever stops raining or snowing when I have the time to wash and wax.  :)

I will let you know how it works though!

It's good you brought that up.  How do you focus on 1 2x2 spot w/out overlapping?....a question I've always had.  Can you tell where you've been?

In any event, I don't like having to do that either.  I'd rather apply to the whole vehicle first and then wipe down.  I'm way overdue for some sort of corrective measure though, so I hope I can figure out what is best for me.

I have another question that's been eating up as well.  If I'm going to apply a polish to my paint, do I really need to clay?  Doesn't the polish clean the surface?  Why clay?  I usually clay once or twice per year, but I hate making time for it.  I'd rather hit it with some product and a DA if I could.  My tailgate has been giving me problems lately.  It took me a full hour to get it clean with clay during my last wash.  I don't have that kind of time.


Let me take a crack at this one. First, it's virtually impossible not to overlap a bit when you're doing just small sections. How do I do it? Basically by memory - which probably leads to more overlap than is needed, but I do this stuff at least partially for therapy. The bigger problem would be not overlapping - which would look pretty bad.

As for your clay question, I hate claying as much as the next guy, so I don't do it every time I detail either. So when do I do it? When the surface was really dirty (before washing) and / or when I'm in doubt as to how clean it really is. If it's reasonably clean, I skip the clay. (Somebody's going to stike me down with lightning here.) :moody:

Why is it important to clay when the surface has too much surface contamination? Because your are correct in that your pad and polish will pick it off anyway - and then keep rubbing it around. In that case you could actually induce more swirls whist trying to remove them. Not a fun situation.

Offline BigSur

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Re: Good AIO?
« Reply #20 on: December 03, 2010, 01:37:46 PM »
The reason I want to go with an AIO instead of doing the separate steps is that I can just apply it and move along the panel and the car.  I don't have to focus on a small spot with a cleaner, wipe, check, reapply if necessary and then move onto the next 2'x2' spot on the car.

I've always heard great things about D151, and I have some, so I'm going to give it a go if it ever stops raining or snowing when I have the time to wash and wax.  :)

I will let you know how it works though!

It's good you brought that up.  How do you focus on 1 2x2 spot w/out overlapping?....a question I've always had.  Can you tell where you've been?

In any event, I don't like having to do that either.  I'd rather apply to the whole vehicle first and then wipe down.  I'm way overdue for some sort of corrective measure though, so I hope I can figure out what is best for me.

I have another question that's been eating up as well.  If I'm going to apply a polish to my paint, do I really need to clay?  Doesn't the polish clean the surface?  Why clay?  I usually clay once or twice per year, but I hate making time for it.  I'd rather hit it with some product and a DA if I could.  My tailgate has been giving me problems lately.  It took me a full hour to get it clean with clay during my last wash.  I don't have that kind of time.


Let me take a crack at this one. First, it's virtually impossible not to overlap a bit when you're doing just small sections. How do I do it? Basically by memory - which probably leads to more overlap than is needed, but I do this stuff at least partially for therapy. The bigger problem would be not overlapping - which would look pretty bad.

As for your clay question, I hate claying as much as the next guy, so I don't do it every time I detail either. So when do I do it? When the surface was really dirty (before washing) and / or when I'm in doubt as to how clean it really is. If it's reasonably clean, I skip the clay. (Somebody's going to stike me down with lightning here.) :moody:

Why is it important to clay when the surface has too much surface contamination? Because your are correct in that your pad and polish will pick it off anyway - and then keep rubbing it around. In that case you could actually induce more swirls whist trying to remove them. Not a fun situation.

Understood, although I was hoping were going to tell me that I never have to clay again, b/c I HATE it   :redneck:

So, what happens if I choose to polish without doing small sections?  Can't I just polish the whole truck and then wipe it down.....obviously if I'm not aiming for perfection?  I feel like I'm opening a can of worms here.  :dope:  I know I should be following SOP.  I'm just VERY LOW on time lately and am trying to find a balanced procedure that doesn't take up too much time, while also fulfiling my expectations of quality.





















BigSur
Tidewater, VA

Offline Too Stroked

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Re: Good AIO?
« Reply #21 on: December 03, 2010, 01:44:59 PM »
You can polish the whole truck, then go back and wipe everything off. The risk you run is that you just polished the whole truck, and didn't get the effect you were looking for. Doing the truck in smaller sections let's you see how you're doing as you go.

Offline Kitzy

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Re: Good AIO?
« Reply #22 on: December 03, 2010, 07:01:03 PM »
Big Sur, I'm really confused as to why you're having such issues claying.  It doesn't seem right that you're pulling out so much dirt with the clay, especially to the point that it takes you an hour to do a tail gate.  It used to take me 45 minutes tops to clay my entire Expedition.  What soap are you using and at what dilution?  What are you using for a wash mitt?  The only time I seem to run in to endless amounts of dirt when I'm claying is if I hit a pinstripe or something other than paint.  Most contaminants come right out of the paint as long as you're not dealing with tar, road paint or some other stubborn crap.  You can usually feel whether or not you need to clay using your hand (I usually use the back of my fingers) after washing.  I just think you have another issue that's causing your problems claying. 

I just want to clarify that when you say you want to polish without doing small sections that you are only referring to removing the polish.  You still need to do small sections at a time because your polish will dry out before you ever break it down properly if you do sections that are too large.  It's not like applying a liquid wax where you're basically just spreading it over the paint.  Polishes need to be worked.  Like I said, you may or may not know this, I'm just clarifying.  I'm also not sure if it would be an issue to catch some of the dried polish with your pad while doing the next section.  It will be impossible not to overlap some and still cover everything.

I've used D151 and Poli-Seal in the past.  Poli-Seal looks better in my opinion where D151 probably corrects just a bit better, which isn't saying much.  AIOs are like being a jack of all trades, master of none.  It does everything, but very minimally.  This is why I rarely use them.  What I did find that I liked about them is that they clean exceptionally well.  They're my go to products for cleaning enclosed trailers.  Nothing else removes the black streaking like those do.  That said though, they shouldn't replace clay. 

For the record, I have not tried PwS... yet!  I actually just received my bottle of it this week and look forward to trying it out. 
« Last Edit: December 03, 2010, 07:03:01 PM by Kitzy »
If you always do what you\'ve always done, you\'ll always get what you\'ve always got.

Offline Old Dogg™

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Re: Good AIO?
« Reply #23 on: December 03, 2010, 10:21:42 PM »
As far as AIO's, ESF hit the nail on the head.  Most I have dealt with do seem to clean best.  With Poli-Seal depending on the pads used, it does a decent job of polishing and it does leave behind some protection but I never had great expectations of it protecting when I have so many sealants, glazes and LSP's.

BigSur...
Next time you clay give me a call and I will come over and see what is going on.  Mercury Blvd and the surrounding streets have been a mess for quite some time but it does sound like you are doing something wrong.

I hate to clay also but after I stopped avoiding it I found it actually made compounding and polishing steps easier and quicker so look at it this way...
Claybar and save time on other more important steps.  The better you prepare the surface in the earlier steps the easier the last steps are and the better the result.
Once you get he paint right and protected properly, you should only have to do a serious detail 1 time a year depending on your wash technique.
You can make money or you can make excuses but you can't do both.

Offline Rollingrock

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Re: Good AIO?
« Reply #24 on: December 04, 2010, 12:42:54 AM »
If OD is in your hood, you got a good resource right there!  Take him up on it! 

Like Mike, i can clay my truck or the expy in 45 min or less (including the roof)


Just remember the proper path most always is

Wash
Clay
Polish/Correct
Burnish/Jewel (optional)
Seal, Wax, LSP


Thanks for visiting the Cafe, come back often.  There's always something new!

Offline BigSur

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Re: Good AIO?
« Reply #25 on: December 04, 2010, 08:18:02 AM »
First of all, I wold quote some of the responses below, but I'm having issues with the text always jumping back to the top and not being able to see what I'm typing.......topic for another day.

I should clarify that my clay issues have only occurred just recently, and it was ONLY the tailgate.  The rest of my truck is still very clean to the touch, minus some areas behind my tires...mostly on my flares.  For some reason...the last time I washed, my tailgate was FILTHY.  Even after washing, it was covered in black speckles....I interpreted them as caked on dirt and/or tar.  I typically use Meg's Gold Class car wash at the recomended dilution ratio.  I also use a standard but seemingly quality MF wash mitt that I picked up from my local AutoZone.  It's very possible that I picked up a bunch of dirt on the tailgate from the few road trips I've been on recently and I just didn't get enough of it off during the wash.  I usually try not to "scrub".  If it doesn't come off easily, I don't force it.  But yeah, I expended a half bar of clay and a full (small) bottle of QD on JUST the tailgate that day trying to get it clean.....and it still wasn't 100% when I was done.  Crazy, huh?

Bill, I will definitely take you up on that if I continue to have problems.  You are right down the street if I need you...and it's appreciated.  Thanks to everyone else for the responses as well.  I'm still learning; this is all helping me to get the results I'm looking for.

OH,..and yes, I was referring to removing polish when I was talking about doing the whole truck.  I do understand polishing should be completed in sections.


BigSur
Tidewater, VA

Offline Rollingrock

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Re: Good AIO?
« Reply #26 on: December 04, 2010, 12:13:28 PM »
BigSur you have me so curious as to what is going on with the tail gate.   

Is there a chance there is some crazy type of wax on there that is breaking down?   The tail gate does get some swirling wind from driving down the road...do you travel a lot on dirt roads?   

Thanks for visiting the Cafe, come back often.  There's always something new!

Offline Old Dogg™

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Re: Good AIO?
« Reply #27 on: December 04, 2010, 01:14:26 PM »

I should clarify that my clay issues have only occurred just recently, and it was ONLY the tailgate.  The rest of my truck is still very clean to the touch, minus some areas behind my tires...mostly on my flares.  For some reason...the last time I washed, my tailgate was FILTHY.  Even after washing, it was covered in black speckles....I interpreted them as caked on dirt and/or tar. 
Depending on the clay, even tar comes off fairly easy but...you may consider using some type of bug and tar remover or heavy duty chemical spot cleaner in those areas during your wash cycle.  Maybe even a IPA wipedown though I usually do that step prior to polishing but it may save some clay work/time.

Dont you drive on Mercury Blvd?  They have been repaving since last summer and when they repave a busy road in parts tar balls and particles get on the surrounding roadways up to a mile away.  I take that street often and I know my underside, lower panels around the wheelwells (oversized wheels) and tailgate are a mess with road tar.

I often haul oversized items and drive distances with my gate down and it is always the dirtiest and hardest part of the truck to clean.
You can make money or you can make excuses but you can't do both.

Offline Kitzy

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Re: Good AIO?
« Reply #28 on: December 04, 2010, 02:46:31 PM »
Okay, seeing as it's just the tailgate, I'm going to guess that it's just kicking up from underneath the vehicle and coming back around on to the tailgate.  It's amazing how bad the back of vehicles can get considering they're not really directly exposed to dirt and debris.  Like OD, I'm guessing whatever road(s) you fequent is probably the culprit.  The newer the road, the higher the chance you're going to kick up oil from the asphalt.  If there is an asphalt plant along your daily route, often tailgates and tailgate chutes don't close completely and crap is always falling out of the trucks.  This is more common when hauling stone but is quite possible with asphalt.  Whatever it is, it may be unavoidable and therefore you're going to have to do your best to protect against it.  I would get the tailgate (well everthing but especially the tailgate) good and clean.  Clay it and remove everything you can from it.  Put multiple layers of a good sealant on, allowed to cure properly between coats.  Try to build up a good barrier so that this stuff has less of a chance at sticking.  It should at least be easier to remove it. 

And I think this thread jinxed me.  I tried to clay the Mustang today and it was going very slowly.  I gave up.  I was about an hour in to the hood alone and didn't have enough time to do the rest of the car so I just stopped.  I think it was too cold and whatever it is that is covering the car from transport is really, really stubborn.  Looks like white tar.  Bad combo. 
If you always do what you\'ve always done, you\'ll always get what you\'ve always got.

Offline Too Stroked

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Re: Good AIO?
« Reply #29 on: December 04, 2010, 02:55:34 PM »
BigSur, Just be glad you don't have the 2009+ tailgate. There's enough recessed features in there to drive you wild!

 


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