Final Inspection Auto Detailing Boutique

[Bass Junky]

Hey ppls,

As promised last night at the meeting, here is some information about Final Inspection and their services.

Final Inspection

95-101 Brunswick Road, Brunswick, VICTORIA 3056

(03) 9387 8008

[email protected]

Forums are at www.finalinspection.com.au/forums

Go there, register and have a look at some simply amazing detailing work.

And by the grace of Damien, the proprietor of Final Inspection, and arguably the BEST Automotive detailer in the country, here is the Final Inspection guide to SCRATCH FREE car washing.

The Final Inspection Recommended Washing Process

This informative blog is to educate on proper washing technique. It was developed as a solution for fussy owners to help dramatically reduce swirls (micro scratches) and spider-webbing caused by harsh and incorrect washing techniques, products, methods etc.

The instructions incorporate two new and very different procedures designed by me for Black car owners but should be adopted by all enthusiasts:

1. The Pre-rinse technique. A proven valuable process (specially designed for Black car owners).

2. The single bucket method (allowing easy, but safe rinsing).

The instructions are broken into 5 easy steps showing how to wash the car including wheels, wheel arches and glass - safely and easily.

Tools & Products needed.

1. Water, either a trigger hose adaptor or high-pressure unit is necessary (water restrictive technique is described in another blog available from the Final Inspection Website).

2. One clean bucket filled with Hot Water (~60 deg Celsius).

3. Two Microfibre Wash mitts, one for Wheels, Wheel Arches & Tyres and one for the Body.

4. A Microfibre Drying Towel

5. Final Inspection Auto Detailing Body Shampoo

6. Final Inspection Auto Detailing Power Wheel Cleaner.

7. Final Inspection Auto Detailing Tyre Dressing.

8. Final Inspection General Purpose Cleaner.

Step 1 – Cleaning Wheels, Tyres & Wheel Arches

It is a good idea to regularly clean your Wheel Arches to stop build up of dirt on these plastics (or sound deadening fabric e.g. Alfa Romeo, Audi etc.)

Spray gentle, non-caustic General Purpose Cleaner or degreaser onto these plastics or fabric as well as your tyres to remove and stop build up of old Tyre Dressing. Agitate if necessary.

Spray gentle, non-caustic Wheel Cleaner onto wheels and agitate if necessary.

Rinse Wheel arches first, then Tyres and Wheels (High Pressure Recommended).

Step 2 – Initial Rinse

High Pressure (recommended) your vehicle from top to bottom removing all co****, loose debris.

Step 3 – Pre-Rinse Technique

Spray a small amount of Body Shampoo at the top of each panel. There is no need to use too much product. If you have a foam gun, this will be useful to apply body shampoo here.

Rinse your Body Shampoo off the vehicle starting from the top down.

This is the Pre-Rinse method and ensures more of the dirt on the vehicles exterior surfaces is removed.

The Body Shampoo will pick up and hold the dirt ‘in suspension’ and upon rinsing the car, the soap ‘holding’ the dirty material will be rinsed off the surfaces.

The surfaces are not clean but will appear cleaner as there is less dirt on the surfaces. The washing now removes what is left on the vehicle with minimal dirt being pushed into the painted surfaces greatly reducing the chance of causing swirls (micro scratches).

Swirls are caused when abrasives are moved across the surface, reducing the amount of these abrasives on the surface prior to washing reduces the degree of damage.

Every time you wash your car, you will be causing damage to your paint. It is impossible not to cause micro scratches and on dark colours they appear to be worse. It is even worse if you do not wash at all as the dirt will be harder to remove when you have to and cause greater damage. The trick is to wash the vehicle as safely as possible and the Pre-Rinse technique helps dramatically.

Step 4 – Body Washing

Wash the car with a Microfibre Mitt and Body Shampoo.

Dip the Mitt into the bucket of water to moisten it. Spray the Mitt with Body Shampoo and wash a panel from top to bottom without overlapping the strokes. Overlapping means over washing, you don’t have to wipe the same area of the surface more than once and doing so is unnecessary.

After washing the panel, dip the Mitt into the Bucket of Hot Water and with your fingers, push the dirt from the Mitt into the water in effect, cleaning the mitt of all the dirt it has picked up from the surface.

The dirt will fall to the bottom of the bucket and the top section of the bucket will remain clean.

The Micro fibres in the Mitt will ‘open’ in hot water and release all the dirt in them, when it is removed from the bucket and squeezed dry it is ready for use again.

Microfibre is also much less abrasive than Lambs Wool, sponge or cotton and thus is gentler to use.

Continue washing all panels & Glass with this method.

Step 5 – Final Rinse & Drying

Rinse the car (High Pressure Recommended) and dry with a Microfibre Drying Towel.

After the 1st Final Rinse (and only if local coucils permit) use a watering can or hose without attachment to 'sheet' water from the top of each panel down to help disperse water from the panel. This will leave less water on the surfaces and help reduce Drying time and the amount of overlapping passes with your Drying Towel, again, reducing contact with the surface and reducing Swirls (Micro Scratches).

Polish & Wax the car if/as you normally would. For information on correct Polishing & Waxing see the Final Inspection Website.

I hope you find this interesting.

BASS OUT

Check out the forums.

Edited September 19, 2007 by Bass Junky

[Bass Junky]

Some of my favourite "Show-Offs"

http://www.finalinspection.com.au/forums/s...read.php?t=1478

http://www.finalinspection.com.au/forums/s...read.php?t=2117

Wet sanding a BMW....

http://www.finalinspection.com.au/forums/s...read.php?t=2095

http://www.finalinspection.com.au/forums/s...read.php?t=2024

Some relevant details to Jap owners..

http://www.finalinspection.com.au/forums/s...read.php?t=2184

http://www.finalinspection.com.au/forums/s...read.php?t=2147

http://www.finalinspection.com.au/forums/s...read.php?t=2051

Carbon???

http://www.finalinspection.com.au/forums/s...read.php?t=1430

And a hack jobs by a certain somebody....

http://www.finalinspection.com.au/forums/s...read.php?t=1822

Enjoy the new world of Auto Detailing Obsession!

[Rekin]

The Micro fibres in the Mitt will ‘open’ in hot water and release all the dirt in them, when it is removed from the bucket and squeezed dry it is ready for use again.

So the microfibre cloth shouldnt be wet when washing the car?

I always dunked it into the bucked and took it out blobbing as much soapy water onto the panel before moving arm to wash it

Cheers for the info

[Bass Junky]

Hi Rekin,

MicroFibre mitt SHOULD be wet when washing the car.

Should also be rinsed after washing the panel, some people do it in a separate bucket.

I just take my car to Damian and let him do it

[ferni]

I tried that microfibre drying towel last night - bloody good, better than my other microfibre chamois....

[Leewah]

I'm sold. Will be visiting Damien on the weekend for sure!

[Bass Junky]

Yeah, until you have used MicroFibre for drying, you don't know what you are missing.

Chamois FTL

[JAGR33]

Will be going there Sunday to get a wash, she'll be nice and dirty after PI tomorrow....

[ashneel]

going there next week and buying a heap of stuff lol

getting RO and the different types of foam pads and the right polish/wax for my car and also the micro fiber stuff for washing and drying.

will give it a go and see how it turns out. if not ill let Damien do his magic lol

[Leewah]

Just got back from Final Inspection. They just washed the 6 and I am truely impressed. I was paying $27.50 for a simple wash on the place in Punt Rd and they did a fair job but for $25 at Final Inspection, Damien's crew did a great job on the car.

Will most likely will be taking the 6 there again just before summer for a full detail.

Highly recommended!! Take your car there and you won't be disappointed.

[SS8_Gohan]

F.I. is truly a level above anyone else (if not a few levels) yet his prices are just as competitive as those doing nastier washing/detailing jobs. So it's an absolute no brainer to use his services.

Oh and it's D-A-M-I-A-N

Got waffle?

EDIT: i'll add some tips for those who have bought the waffle weave...

- Fold it half length ways, then again. This helps apply even pressure to the panel, and reduces the chances of pressure spots to induce swirling when drying.

- Drying your windows first as the WWDT works better when slightly damp. So give the windows a quick going over, and then use the above tip on the rest of the car.

- Like washing, avoid overlapping motions. Paint isn't like fabric, it's either wet or dry. So 1 or 2 passes of the WWDT leaves the paint 90-95% dry, no need to keep drying a panel that will dry on it's own a few seconds after the last pass.

- With a long, thickish WWDT, you could probably dry half a bonnet/roof in 1-2 passes, then repeat on the other side. Again, minimal passes is going to reduce swirling, and also travelling in one direction as opposed to the usual Karate Kid 'wax on, wax off' motion, you will minimise marks

[ferni]

Thanks for the tips Daniel

[phunky_monkey]

Had my car washed there again on the weekend, top job!

[JAGR33]

Went on Sunday to get the car washed, Damian has an awseome setup there and the service is fantastic..

Will be booking in a detail very soon!!!!

[RNGTR]

I was impressed with how clean your car is (considering it was sitting in the weather! ) Jack when I saw it at Bens last week..... All my high end customer cars I normally use a combo of Zaino / Poorboys & Wolfgang products. What have you been using on yours?

Edited September 24, 2007 by RNGTR

[JAGR33]

Cheers Rod!!!!

It was in excellent condition when I bought it, so I've tried to keep it that way, although now there are a few battle scars from taking it to the track..

I will paint the front end at the end of the year to freshen it up again...

As far as products...eerrr.... turtle wax?? I think???

Haven't had it professionally deatiled before, so will look into it after the last track day in Nov...

Didn't know you did detailing for a living??? Do you work in town or out in the bush???

(Sorry for being off-topic!! *hides from Ash*)

[RNGTR]

Paint looks in good order mate!

Im waaay out in the "bush" so to speak.

[R31Nismoid]

hehehe, bush

[DamianFi]

Hey guys,

I think it would be a little nasty not to post in here so here I am saying hi and thanks for all your kind words and support for those of you that have been down to the boutique for either a wash, detail or products.

If you have any detailing/washing q's and you think I can be of any help, let me knwo and I'll try to respond with an accurate answer as quickly as possible.

Also, we've introduced a 'Pete Discount'

Basically you guys (SAU) get 5% off all FI detailing now because of that guy.

Cheers,

d.

[NickR33]

what's the go with detailing freshly painted cars? how long should you wait before getting some wax on there?