Ok, so I got my "Super Bundle" and it is finally not raining and I have my first Austin MINI Cooper club meeting tonight!

I dont have time for the whole 8 hour detail so here is my plan:

1) 2 bucket wash with Mystique and lambs wool mit.
2) Dry with Waffle-Weave towels
3) Black Wow all the plastic with skinny applicator pad. (hoping to prevent white marks when I wax!)
4) Wash windows with Clarity(Glass cloth is on back order so going to use and old but clean T-Shirt)
5) Wax with Epic and skinny applicator/Platinum Dual Pile Microfiber Buffing Cloth.
6) Wheel Armour on Rims
7) Wiazrd on the tires
8) Nero on all interior (except the leather)

Good plan? I think I have it in the right order and using the right pads/towels.

I am assuming I dont need to use Hydro until after my next wash? I dont need to use Epic then Hydro on the same day do I?

Did I miss anything?

Thanks
Ty

 

Looks perfect!

 

I bet your MINI will dazzle the other club members

You could have used Hydro with this wash, give the finish a bit more zing, but no big deal. Remember, Epic is your primary protectant, Hydro is a secondary protectant, that helps with water spots, adds life to the Epic, but even on it's own, Hydro does offer some protection, just does not last long.

Have fun a the club event

Mark

 

Looks good but i would make a couple of adjustments. I would clay if I was going to apply Epic - no sense sealing in bonded contaminants. Second, if you do use Epic and Hydro - be sure to wait 24 hours to apply the Hydro to let the epic cure. Other than those adjustments looks good to me

 

i do the vinyl trim after waxing....'cause no matter how hard i try, i hit it! so i switch 3 with 5....otherwise i wind up doing #3 twice. sounds like you will have one fine looking ride

 

The meeting was great and it was really nice to hang out with a bunch of people that want to talk about their MINI. My wife has had enough "MINI talk".

So on the to the detailing.
Mystique: Wash went well.
Dry went well.

Black Wow: I think next time I will be careful with the wax and do the BW after waxing. To Oxtox point, it is better done after the waxing!
Newbies: they mean it when they say it only takes a little! And dont think you can put on a nice dab and spread it out. It doesnt work that way. Little, little bits at a time and it is awesome.
I still think I put too much on as the first time I drove around the block I had to wipe off all the plastic again. Tons of "stuff" stuck to it.

Clarity: awesome.

Epic: nightmare. I must be doing something wrong. I put a small amount of Epic on the hood and tried to spread it out with the skinny applicator. The applicator wouldnt glide and just wanted to ball up. worked with that for a while. Next I put Epic on the applicator and tried to spread it out. the applicator wanted to ball up again. What I wound up with was a VERY inconsistent application. I let it set then rubbed and rubbed and rubbed and rubbed to get it off. It was going on so hard and inconsistant, I dont know if I had to much or too little on. The finish looks great but the application was not so good.
As a side note, I am used to Zymol. Wipes on like butter. Let it sit for just a couple of minutes and it wipes off just as easy. I have to be doing something wrong with the Epic or it is truely meant to be used with a PC. After Heathers reply to my is "epic Deep?" post, I really want to use Epic!

Hydro: So I decided not to Epic the rest of the car and used Hydro instead. Works and looks great!

Wheel armour: awesome.

Wizard: awesome

Nero: ran out of time and I was starting to get hand cramps! (who knew washing a car would be so hard on the body! ((mine, not the cars)))

All in all it was a nice detailing and I was the only AB MINI at the meeting and he looked great!

Thanks for everyones feed back,
Ty

 

Having tried just as you did to hand apply Epic let me say it is MUCH MUCH easier with a PC. I didn't have the muscle to apply it by hand and get it thin enough coat.

Know what you mean with the Black Wow, I think I always use too much.

 

Good post. I'll haveta come back and reread this info when i'm ready to Prima my DS MCS up =)

 

So here's a couple of suggestion. Apply BlackWOW before you wash the car, and use a skinny applicator to do it. The skinny pad will allow you to spread it as thin as you want and by washing after you will remove any excess static charge so it won't attract dirt or small children.
As for the Epic application, I would recommend using a foam applicator. I use the skinny pad for touch-ups and hard to reach places, but with out getting your finish smooth before hand (clay, Swirl, Amigo) the pad will catch and drag. A Foam applicator will glide over rough stuff much easier. Remember with Epic; thinner is better. If it is hard to remove, you used too much.

 

Great idea with the Black Wow. Assuming it wont wash off?
I tried the skinny applicator with the BW and it left so much lint on the plastic it was horrible. Should I wash the skinny applicators to get rid of all the lint before using?

The foam applicator makes a lot more sense. It would give some rigidity to the pad. I havent ventured into clay yet and I really didnt have time to do it today. But, after all was done today, when I ran my fingures over it, it did feel rough. I guess I need to start reading all the "clay" posts. I assume clay will take off all the Epic?

I think you are right with the over application of Epic too. It was just too hard to get a nice lite consistant coat.

I feel better. Will give Epic another try with a foam applicator. (foam applicator suggestions?)

Thanks
Ty

 

IMHO BW is even better after a wash... one application lasts me for like ever! Okay maybe not that long but a very long time!

 

For foam applicators you can try this:

or this:

from http://www.autopia-carcare.com/applicators.html
I've used both with success.
Don't be concerned about washing the BlackWOW off - you won't!
I always wash microfiber before the first use.

 

I use the one Grand foam pads from DP. 95 cents a piece and they work great. The issue you had with the skinny pad is the reason I don't use them for much.

 

As MiniMaybee suggested, you may find you prefer a foam applicator. It's really a matter of preference and I've found that both styles of applicators can be love-hate depending on your personal style. For example, I prefer the Skinny Apps and Nick prefers the foam apps like MiniMaybee.

Another idea in using the Skinny Apps is to fold it in half. This is usually what I do because it gives it a little more structure and is easier to hold on to.


That said, another thought I have is your pressure. In the past, most waxes had to be "worked in" in order to perform well. With today's synthetics, and Epic is no exception, they only need to touch the paint and that's all.

So, I'm wondering if you were pushing down too hard. It's one of those things that one often does without even thinking about it. Epic should move freely and loosely on the paint without resistance, regardless of the applicator. It may even be hard to remember now how much pressure you used, but do you remember? You should use only enough "force" to simply hold on to the applicator and that's all. Don't lean in or add pressure as you apply. It's unnecessary and can cause resistance.


As MiniMaybee said, if it was at all difficult to remove then it is likely you used too much. I can see how you may not have even known how much you were using because you were focused on the frustration of moving your app around. So, next time use just a tiny bit...

How much is a tiny bit? As a rule, start with a quarter-size amount on the app then reload with just a dime-size amount. You should reload approx. every standard size panel. You may need to reload twice for the bonnet but otherwise just a dime per panel! In the end, you should have used only an ounce to an ounce and a half for the entire MINI.

That should help! Please keep us posted here or feel free to give us a call for some verbal advice as well. Epic goes on quite easily by hand- you don't need a PC.

-Heather

 

I agree... definitely apply your Black Wow prior to washing. All that will wash off is the residual BW that is just excess. What you need will already have stuck to your plastic extremely effectively pretty much right away and for a long time!


As for your lint, yes, ALL microfiber should be washed prior to use. Although doing otherwise doesn't cause any serious problems, you can have some lint as you are finding. Most of the time, any lint on high quality microfiber tends to be from the manufacturing process. In other words, it's not typically shedding lint but rather has lint on it that was floating around during all the cutting and sewing, etc. That is why you should wash it first- because this loose lint will be washed away. Some batches of microfiber don't have much loose lint if any at all, while others do. This is likely due to where the batch is in the run of that particular item.

-Heather