Yeah, Epic shouldn't be staining the trim. But regardless, pretreat the trim, although if you already have BW on the trim, you won't likely have to retreat it for awhile.

 

Last time I detailed (I won't say how long ago...) I had put Back to Black on my trim the week before. Taping wasn't an option at that point since it wouldn't stick at all.

 

I know I am late to this party, but I find that the rotating brushes of the automatic carwash tend to strip off my carefully applied masking tape. . . .

 

you should use packing tape next time for its robustness.

 

haaaaaaaa

 

Correct me someone if I'm wrong here, but doesn't the tape actually go from just barely on the paint, over the space between the paint and black trim, and then on the black trim. The purpose is not only to keep 'stuff' off the black trim, but also to keep 'stuff' out of the space between the paint and the black trim.

 

^Thats what I have done.
I also remove the washer jets (just pop out) and the cowl covers too. No reason to tape things you can just take off. I also pop out the painted bits on the dash so I can remove the swirls and scratches that the piece above the glove box is prone to acquire.

 

One of these days I'm going to have to kidnap one of these NAM detailing nuts and force them to work on my MINI.

You folks are both awesome and insane.

 

Well Yucca, if you find a true OCD'er you won't have to kidnap them. Just lead them to your car and let nature take it's course.

 

Okay, this weekend I taped for the first time. My thoughts:
It went a lot faster than I thought it would (that could be because I didn't have the patience to try around the arches). It is definitely worth doing around the trim, especially the roof trim and drip rails.

Thanks to Octane Guy's tip on removing the cowl vents, I didn't have to worry about them.

 

^ I'll counter your Pro-tape with this account...

I used the PC buffer, two polishes, and two coats of wax on one of the MINIs this weekend, SANS tape. I will never, ever use tape again. It was MUCH easier to clean up a few spots of polish and wax in the nooks and crannies (English muffins... British Cars) than it is to tape.

 

There are probably just as many people who don't tape as there are people who don't use the two bucket method or the Dirt Guard in their buckets.

People should do what's easiest and best for them. The same goes for answering those never ending questions "Which wax is best", etc...

The benefits of taping are obvious and so are the drawbacks. I will be happy to demonstrate to anybody at MITM why I tape and why I don't.

In fact, I'd encourage anyone that tapes or doesn't tape, to take advantage of a free evaluation on the quality of your paint while I'm there. My ideal situation would be to walk up to 20 or 30 MINI's, one by one, and go down the line evaluating each car....if you dare.

Richard

 

I'll be up for an OctaneGuy evaluation once I've attended one of your open garages/clinics and gotten some in-person advice to improve my technique. Nobody is a naturally born detailer, and I'm the first to say that I have plenty to learn.

 

No frick'n way dude!
I would loose countless hours of sleep and spend the next week trying to get to perfection. I would rent a trailer and hermetically seal the MINI for the drive up the mountain. I would then construct a climate controlled, air-filtered, UV resistant enclosure around the MINI just so as not to be judged " wanting " by OG.
That kind of pressure (or expense) I do not need at this point. So please Richard, don't even cast your eyes in the general direction of my MINI.
If you want to know I have several spots that have "issues". The first time I used the PC I got too aggressive on the bonnet & boot stripes and I got fade on the black pins. My A-Pillars are always a mess and my back bumper sprouts swirls like mold on Gouda. I have some curb rash (from the previous wheel's owner) and I got rock chips on the bonnet and bug guts in the radiator. The trim in front of my rear wheels is abraded from gravel and my rag top has wear marks and a spot of wax from my last detail. I also have one scratch I simply can not seem to get out of my bonnet.
So there, I've judged myself, spilled my guts and fess'd up. Please don't humiliate me in public.
OK, you can look - but from no closer than 20 feet (and in the dark).

 

Don't consider the evaluation so much as a test but an "evaluation". The purpose is to check the existing condition and see how it could be improved. Potentially taking your finish up a level.

Haha MiniMaybee---don't worry, it wouldn't be fair for me to judge anyone without myself being judged. My MINI is a mess right now. It looks a lot better than most black cars on the street but it's far from perfect. I won't have time to get it repainted--it's a 2 footer right now, or maybe a 5 footer in certain spots. I'd like to repolish it before I come up, but not sure I will have time. I am expecting to apply a "super sealant" on the front end for bug protection--something I'm testing.

I got a little curb rash too--bad me for trying to back into a spot that had a curb that was tapering into the spot, and trying to get as close to it away from a neighboring car door.

Our cars are never "perfect", but they can always be better than they are. As good as the paint will allow. And contrary to bee1000N, I think that a little common sense goes a long way when detailing. Of course, having a proper base to base that sense on makes a huge difference too. So maybe I should rephrase that as common "detailing" sense.

Richard