Guys,
I am 'very new' to be considered as car owner. I really need help on suggestion in cleaning my Cooper S. I really appreciate it.

Any detailing is even better

 

Aerodragon,
First things first..... Do not use Dishwashing detergent to clean your car... (no matter what the manual may say)....... unless you plan on doing a polish + wax afterward.
My suggestion is one of two options..... If on a budget.... go to your local auto suply and pick up the fallowing.

McGuiers car wash soap.... Gold Class is the best they offer but you can find others.

You should use TWO buckets..... One for rinse water the other for soapy water. This will help reduce the swirl mark effect.

You should try to find a good quality wash mit. If you can find it.... Micro Fiber is the way to go here..... but very hard to find. 100% cotton will do just fine. This will also help to reduce swirls.

You should try to get at least a few Micro Fiber towels. These will prove to be one of the most important tools you own. I have about 20 at the moment and still need more.

The Absorber(spell?) towel is very good for drying the car after the wash.

McGuiers Polishs and Waxes are very good. Very wet look finish. Will last about 4-6 weeks. Again there Gold Class line is good.

McGuiers Endurance tire shine is really good. Last for 1-3 weeks.

Wax + Polish applicators..... Micro Fiber is best..... or sponge type.

Wash:
Make sure the car is cool and in a shaded area..... Rinse the car very well. Start with the top of the car and work your way down. Allways do the Heavy dirt areas last. This will help reduce swirls as well. Do the wheels last (preferably with a dif. sponge).

Clay bar if needed.....

After drying the car. Start with your polish in about 4x4 foot areas. Apply evenly. Let haze and buff with your Micro Fiber towels. (Be very carefull not to apply any Polish on black plastic trim.... this will not come off!!)

Wax.... Apply in the same manner you did with the polish. Again take great care in not getting any wax on plastic trim!!

The other option is..... Zaino products.
To learn more about this product take a look at their site. Very good info there.

The above is very basic steps in washing and detailing. If you want anymore detail let me know what areas you want info on.

Hope this helps.
SW

Note: Moving to "Detail 101"..... will look nice over there....
_________________
Motor On!!..... Mini Me!!

 

thanks a lot..Sfiveten...

I think I will read it in detail and ask you some questions..

 

to add to the above...

when you are polishing and waxing make sure you pay special attention to the joints between sheet metal on the car. Open the bonnet (hood) and wipe down the edges. Same with the doors and boot (trunk). You don't want to leave any white spots on the car as they will be hard to get off later. Remeber to do small portions at a time until you get used to the hazing time of your wax/polish.

Again, have confidence and patience and it will turn out well.

-J

 

Sfiveten ... you say (too late for me)
"After drying the car. Start with your polish in about 4x4 foot areas. Apply evenly. Let haze and buff with your Micro Fiber towels. (Be very carefull not to apply any Polish on black plastic trim.... this will not come off!!)

Wax.... Apply in the same manner you did with the polish. Again take great care in not getting any wax on plastic trim!! "

... so do you have any good tips on getting the black plastic free of wax?

(if I had only read this post BEFORE overzealous cleaning!)

Ian C.

 

iancull,
Well..... you got me. I didn't have an answer for your question so I had to do a little research. You won't believe the answer I came up with!!!
Drum roll please.................. Peanut Butter!!! Apparently the oils in peanut butter will break down the built up wax. This has been tested by several enthusiasts and all have given good reviews.
I've never tried this so I can't tell you for sure. But it's worth a shot. There really is nothing else that works. I will be trying this in the next day or two and let you know the outcome.

To apply go to your local auto store and pick up a very cheap micro-fiber towel. Get a jar of your fav. peanut butter (Creamy..... Sorry, crunchy won't do

SW

_________________
Motor On!!..... Mini Me!!

 

iancull,
You may also need to use a very soft brissel tooth brush to rub the peanut butter in..... That is if it's on a textured surface. If smooth you shouldn't need it.
SW


PS..... Post # 200!!!
_________________
Motor On!!..... Mini Me!!

 

It's not the peanut butter that helps, it's the oil in it (peanut oil).

Try the grocery store for a bottle of peanut oil. There are also trim detailers out there like Black Again and Back to Black.

 

forrest,
Your right.... It's the oils in the peanut butter.... which I stated earlier.
But from what I understand it's not the peanut oil as much as the vegetable oil that does the trick.
The reason people are using peanut butter is because it's not as messy. The idea is to be able to put it on and let it sit. I'm sure there are various ways to acomplish the same goal but this method is the way most pros are going about the problem.
SW

PS The above products you metioned attempt to cover the build up..... Most of the time the product will wear off over time and again your left with a white build up.
These products are useful though.... I just think they should be used after the clean up.

_________________
Motor On!!..... Mini Me!!

 

When you was a MCS, should you be somewhat careful around the bonnet scoop? As in, how much water/abuse can the air filter over the intercooler take?

Rocketboy_X

 

Hi....

16 year old MINI Cooper S owner here (man, am I a lucky sob or what????) I had a similar experience in cleaning my dark silver car a little too zealously, especially around the black plastice body cladding. I'm not sure what this was caused by, but theu took on light colored swirl marks in many areas. So, one day when I was waxing it I decided to wax the plastic as well.....of course making it worse! Now, I haven't tried the peanut butter trick yet, but I did spray Armoral on one of those red shop towels and wiped all the plastic down, which did the trick! Now, I'm not sure if I actually got rid of the marks/wax or just covered them up, but my plastic looks amazing; better than it did when I got it. So try it, and that out to work great, even if you have to do it every time you wash the car.

 

I wash mine with window washer liquid, then spray it with some new stuff called Eagle One Wax as U Dry, it's the best Ive ever used and I've been polishing cars for over 50 years. All that other polish and rub stuff is outa here!
I have a yellow with white roof and 17'' wheels... GGGRRRREAAAATTTT! You don't have to use Armoral or any of that other junk...Try it you'll love it. Right over the plastic...No swirls.. No peanut butter. And best of all!!! NO JELLY! Really! I had problems with swirls and with the black plastic going white until I found this Eagle 1 liquid. It is excellent, and I don't work for them. Ron

_________________
sirron

 

BrtshRceGr,
I did first try Armorall and as you say, it made the car look much better.
But within 3 or 4 days (sun & rain here in Massachusetts) the white wax look was back, just as bad as it ever was.

So I went full tilt for the peanut butter (I have photos) and so far after more than a week (and loads of strong sun and stormy rain) the car is still looking good.
If your white comes back, I recommend you follow SFiveTen suggestion.

 

I'd advise that you mini owners who are using peanut butter, to keep a spray can of Raid in your trunk....for the ants!

 

sirron,
I don't think ants should be a problem if the peanut butter is properly cleaned off. What is left behind (the oils) is what does the trick. Based on my limited knowledge of the little guys..... ants don't eat much oil.
SW

 

Latest on the peanut butter ... noticed when cleaning again yesterday (boy does Black need a lot of cleaning) that the white patches are starting to show again on the fender flares. So either I did not do the job right, or the peanut butter is not a permanent fix either!

Tried Back To Black yesterday ... we will see how that goes. After that, the local Peabody dealer has done one Black mini with the aero kit, and has had the fender flares painted body color too! Looks really good but expensive.

 

Ian,
Sorry to hear this. I still have yet to try this but will in the next few days. Also I will ask around and see if we should be doing something else.....
I'll let you know what I find out. Also I'll let you know how my attempt works out.
SW

 

Find the products you like (I like Klasse All-in-One & Zymol stuff) and remember to REMOVE your watch and belt before working on the car. A pair of cotton shorts and Tshirt are ideal

 

I am soon to be getting my cooper S and have this very good cleaning system that will keep my car in perfect condition. Her name is Michelle.

 

I recently Zaino'd my MCS and taped off the trim with masking tape first. It might be a little ****, but it was so much quicker with the polishing and waxing. No worries now!

minimott

 

I'm amazed at the gyrations some Miniacs are going through to polish their cars, or is that"Polish?"
Just get some Eagle1 Wet Wax as u Dry, and throw away your masking tape, peanut butter, two different water buckets, seven different kinds of cleaners and waxes....SHEEESH!! Ron

 

sirron,
You must really like that stuff...... or.....
You must be a sales rep. for Eagle One.
I'm sure it's a great product. I'm also sure it is very easy.
But.... IMO. There's not much out there than can compete with the likes of Zaino and Klasse or Pinnacle for that matter.
If you haven't tried them... you should. If for nothing else, to compare the difference between the above mentioned and Eagle One.

Personally I like the degree of protection you get with Zaino and Klasse. It will last longer than pretty much anything out there. Also 99.9% clairity is a good added bonus!
Oh and then there's Pinnacle..... Nothing can beat this stuff on the shine factor.
but... these are just my opinions....
Happy Motoring.
SW

 

>>sirron,
>>You must really like that stuff...... or.....
>>

_________________
sirron

 

Just thought I would add my opinion of the Zaino products :smile: They are awesome. I usually don't get too excited about wax and such and usually can't tell the diffrence between brand A and brand B, but I can with this stuff. I just got done putting on a second coat of the Z2 polish followed but a quick rub down with Z6 gloss enhancer and I am impressed. Smooth as glass. I am not sure about the durabilty of the polish only time will tell on that but for now I am sold on the stuff :smile:

Infomercial over...we now return you to your regullary scheduled message board........

Matt

 

hehe
lucky 16year old CPS owner
(i'm only 18year old btw)
need to learn how to keep my car clean as well hehe
but its electric blue so shouldnt be too hard to maintain like black??