[nadir]

I think this thread could outshine the "new Q50 photos" thread

Let's see some detailed Q50s! Please post photos and the products you used.


I'll start ... we had our first showers of the season last week so I only enjoyed the new car shine for about a week or two before it was caked in dirt! I used a sheepskin mitt and the two bucket method with a grit guard in the rinse bucket - Griot's Garage Car Wash concentrate in the second. The grit guard is definitely worth the $10 investment if you do the 2-bucket method. I don't think I used enough of Griot's car wash concentrate to really notice a difference ... I may switch back to Meguires Gold Class or their "Extreme" hydrophobic solution which is 1/4 the cost of Griots and can get over the counter (ie. walmart).

I followed the wash up with Klasse AIO to clean and polish the paint. Before doing that, I noticed some swirling on the hood and quarter panels/trunk (probably the machine wash at the dealer when I first got it - i wasn't thinking!) and minimized some of it with Wolfgang Total Swirl removal with a MF pad by hand. I figure I'll just enjoy the few sunny weeks we have left before the rain comes ... and then hit it with an orbital next season.

I used P21S foam applicator pads (awesome little pads with handles - my new fav now) to clean/polish the paint with Klasse AIO (all-in-one), followed by its first coat of Klasse SG (sealant glaze). There's an 8-12 hr cure time on the acrylic sealant glaze so I'll just layer it up with every wash I do for the next couple months. Klasse SG can be hard to buff off if you use too much (only about a nickle's worth per panel) so I used Sonus Acrylic Spritz (quick detailer) to help me dampen the pad when applying and also spray on while buffing off. I would highly recommend it if you use Klasse, otherwise you will tire your arm out if you are applying and buffing by hand.

Results are looking good

 

[gbert15]

So should I PM u my address so u can finally detail my Q50 for free? Let me know man!

Good job bro! So fresh and so clean!

 

[InfinitiPlusOne]

Wow! So shining. The reflection is insane. Job well done

 

[MYQ50AWDS]

Nice!

 

[Rayz]

So should I PM u my address so u can finally detail my Q50 for free? Let me know man!

Good job bro! So fresh and so clean!

haha i know right, what better than having a detailer and a Q50 owner/lover on the forum, he will be the ultimate person to take our cars to!

 

[Sinecure]

Awesome work Nadir!

 

[MSG C5]

Oh the joys of detailing a black car. I remember those days well. Nice job!

 

[Rayz]

Oh the joys of detailing a black car. I remember those days well. Nice job!

It's very rewarding, more than any other color because of how visible all the imperfections are on black paint.
sadly even just a little cruise will bring up a good amount of dust and dirt that make it look really dirty again. still better than before though.

nadir, how should we be washing our cars to make sure we don't scratch them and keep it looking as good as when it left the detailer?

 

[MSG C5]

It's very rewarding, more than any other color because of how visible all the imperfections are on black paint.
sadly even just a little cruise will bring up a good amount of dust and dirt that make it look really dirty again. still better than before though.

nadir, how should we be washing our cars to make sure we don't scratch them and keep it looking as good as when it left the detailer?

I know the question wasn't directed at me, however make sure you use microfiber wash cloths/mittens and drying towels. I also use the "two bucket method" whereas I rinse the wash cloth/mitten after washing each section in a separate, second bucket before applying more suds.

I then follow up with either Adams or Zaino products for polishing and waxing when needed. This has worked well in keeping my 10-year old Corvette paint in top shape!

 

[nadir]

Thanks, everyone! Looks like i'll be putting on another layer today ... went to a depeche mode concert last night and their parking lot was gravel/dirt ... car is caked with dirt/dust, lol. Just my luck!

So should I PM u my address so u can finally detail my Q50 for free? Let me know man!

Good job bro! So fresh and so clean!

Lol, how about you go get the Zaino alternative (Zaino Triplets (Z-AIO, Z-CS, Z-8 & 314): Zaino Store) and let us know how it works out! I always thought Zaino looked great on white/light cars ... I bet your car would look soaking wet with crystal depth

It's very rewarding, more than any other color because of how visible all the imperfections are on black paint.
sadly even just a little cruise will bring up a good amount of dust and dirt that make it look really dirty again. still better than before though.

nadir, how should we be washing our cars to make sure we don't scratch them and keep it looking as good as when it left the detailer?

I would echo MSG's comment on the 2-bucket system; it really works well. You want to make sure you're using a very well lubricated car wash concentrate (Meguire's Gold Class is good) to lift/suspend the dirt as you wash the car and hose it down. Sheepskin mitts work really well for me, but I know people are big fans of MF sponges, too. I think generally, as we head into the winter, we should invest some time in protecting our brand new cars. I've seen oxidation on cars less than 4-5 years! On colors like red, the chances are even greater.

Let me be clear here .. as great as detailing can be, it is super tedious and it's why I gave it up for years on my G35. But on a brand new car, I think it's paramount to at least wax the car. In my case, I went the synthetic route (Klasse is acrylic-based rather than carnuba and protects 8-12 months depending on your region climate).

You don't need to be a hardcore detailer or have fancy equipment to get it done ... go pickup some over-the-counter products at places like Walmart ... Meguire's Gold Class Car Wash concentrate ($7), Meguire's NXT Tech wax ($20 includes applicator pad that comes with it), and some microfiber towels ($10). Besides sponges, buckets, and misc. things, for under 50 bucks, you'd have a solid kit. I used Meguire's NXT regularily on my black maxima years ago and it worked great - NXT is a synthetic so it has long-lasting properties.

At the end of the day, you want some protection on your paint from everyday happenings like sap, bird dropping, bug splats, etc. to help resist spider-webbing and oxidation on your paint.

 

[ssholloway]

Thanks, everyone! Looks like i'll be putting on another layer today ... went to a depeche mode concert last night and their parking lot was gravel/dirt ... car is caked with dirt/dust, lol. Just my luck!

Ah, ha! So you were one of those cars that backed up 101 North yesterday! Hope it was worth the wait; those exit lines were massive!!

 

[HighNoon]

Just finished a marathon detailing session!

Link to my previous post regarding what I used:
http://www.infinitiq50.org/forum/detailing/9402-list-what-youve-used-so-far-2.html#post212586

It was very overcast, but I took a few pics anyway.

 

[Dezine]

Very nice!
I think I might hit my Q with Klasse aio and sealant, I switched to optimum opti polish/opti seal and Meguires NXT, as they seemed to be less finicky than the klasse products, but that shine reminds me of how good klasse is.

 

[nadir]

Just finished a marathon detailing session!

Link to my previous post regarding what I used:
http://www.infinitiq50.org/forum/detailing/9402-list-what-youve-used-so-far-2.html#post212586

It was very overcast, but I took a few pics anyway.

Wow, that looks gorgeous - excellent work! I'm a big fan of Zaino and just talked my brother into buying an entire kit for his pearl white M35. I always love the gloss it adds to lighter cars.

 

[ronshock]

Just finished a marathon detailing session!

Link to my previous post regarding what I used:
http://www.infinitiq50.org/forum/detailing/9402-list-what-youve-used-so-far-2.html#post212586

It was very overcast, but I took a few pics anyway.

Nice job! Looks AWESOME!

Also love your tint job! Who in DFW (I'm in the area too - Flo-Mo) did that? And are they Texas DPS legal (25%)?? I want to go dark as possible on my soon-to-be Graphite Hybrid S (Stone interior though).

 

[nadir]

a sore site to see this weekend ...

2 bucket setup ... notice the grit guard in one of them. That's just an insert you can get for $10 and works great to agitate a wash mitt against to get rid of dirt in the water-only bucket to rinse off before dipping into the soapy one.

Washed and ready for second coat of Klasse SG...

Car is "cloaked" ... front half layered up with second coat of SG...

Had to take a trip up the hillside and snapped a quick pic of final result (forgot the tire shine!)

 

[HighNoon]

Wow, that looks gorgeous - excellent work! I'm a big fan of Zaino and just talked my brother into buying an entire kit for his pearl white M35. I always love the gloss it adds to lighter cars.

Thanks! This was my first time ever detailing a car. I think it was worth it. I decided on Zaino after reading tons of reviews comparing Zaino, Chemical Guys, Adam's, Klasse, Meguiar's, Mother's, etc. I've heard it's even better on light cars too.

Nice job! Looks AWESOME!

Also love your tint job! Who in DFW (I'm in the area too - Flo-Mo) did that? And are they Texas DPS legal (25%)?? I want to go dark as possible on my soon-to-be Graphite Hybrid S (Stone interior though).

Thanks, I appreciate it. ProTint in Plano did my tint, 30% Llumar Ceramatrix (CTX) on doors and 15% on the rear windshield. Yes, all is legal. 30% is the darkest you can do on the front doors but you can do whatever you want on the rest. I just wanted all my doors to match.

 

[nadir]

Thanks! This was my first time ever detailing a car. I think it was worth it. I decided on Zaino after reading tons of reviews comparing Zaino, Chemical Guys, Adam's, Klasse, Meguiar's, Mother's, etc. I've heard it's even better on light cars too.



Thanks, I appreciate it. ProTint in Plano did my tint, 30% Llumar Ceramatrix (CTX) on doors and 15% on the rear windshield. Yes, all is legal. 30% is the darkest you can do on the front doors but you can do whatever you want on the rest. I just wanted all my doors to match.

I've tried Z-AIO and Z-2 ... can you provide some feedback on Z-6? Was it hard to buff off? Any particular techniques with it?

 

[HighNoon]

I've tried Z-AIO and Z-2 ... can you provide some feedback on Z-6? Was it hard to buff off? Any particular techniques with it?

Z-6 was very easy to buff off. It says all over the bottle and the Zaino website that it is EXTREMELY CONCENTRATED and only to use a tiny tiny bit, which I did. Apparently if you use too much you can get some streaking and residue, but I didn't have any problems with that. The only thing you have to be careful of is to buff off the Z-6 immediately after you spray it on. Do not let it dry on the car. It definitely added some shine to both the paint and the wheels. As far as technique, I sprayed it directly on the car and then buffed with one of my white Zaino border-free towels (very nice towels btw).