What would be cool to see is some "before" and "after" photos with the Ajax.
you are reading my mind right now. I waited until my C280 got covered in dirt, brake dust, road grime, even spit, yes, somebody spit on my car and it dried. even noticed a what looks like a thin string of bubble bum...just wait and see what ajax does for windows ...all I've been doing for the last month(due to rainstorms and flooding in Texas) is just wiping off my wheels with a old rag just to "appear" decent to look at...but it's hella-dirty. I already took that picture. Now just hoping for a hot sunny Saturday to get after this job. this will be the first official full detail on my benz since I bought exactly 1 year ago. I had the used dealer wash/polish/wax it before I left the lot and I was told they used NuFinish after they washed it. everisince then I've only had to polish this car once and that was a very light detail just to touch up the shine. nothing as intense as what I got coming.
again, I'm not promoting ajax to anyone here. All I'm doing is showing and telliing you the results of my using it and I can vouch that it's the best "washing" product to use as step #1 before you go into the polishing and waxing stages. All I did was replace the norm washing step of using a commercial wash product with a home remedy that works wonders for my cars and others I detail.
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97' C280:
CLK wheels
H&R sport springs
Khumo's(new)
Tint
new Snowball machine
Oh...and I forgot to mention...no Ajax EVER and the paint has ALWAYS been protected with wax. I'm waiting for the clear coat to wear out like its designed to
you poked a funny...ha..ha..but yes, your clearcoat is designed to wear out. that's why you spend so much on polishes and waxes to keep it up right?
we both have different philosophies on detailing and I'm not opposed to learning from you and I would hope you are not opposed to learning from me.
I've detailed for major dealerships and little is it known, but we never waxed or polished new cars. all we had to do most times was wash off the wind dust and dry em' off. you gotta realize those cars can sit out in the sun for years before somebody buys them. the polishing/waxing market is huge because of people like you...no offense there...because people who love their cars as hard as you do are needed to show others that it's important to invest time in your vehicle. I'm on the go a lot so I can't detail mine as much as you can, nor would I try to. but I've learned how to do a great job of detailing cars from years of owning all kinds of old junkers that REALLY needed a wax job.
.but yes, your clearcoat is designed to wear out. that's why you spend so much on polishes and waxes to keep it up right?
you gotta realize those cars can sit out in the sun for years before somebody buys them.
It would be great if you actually responded to questions here, those questions which are in line with your comments and reasoning. You claim to be a pro, as I myself am also a pro so I would ask that you provide some information to back up your claim about paint "designed to wear out", thank you.
What studies are you referring to, if any, that states paint is designed to wear out, which also according to your reasoning, is for the purpose of dealers making more money?
What's the half life of paint?
What UV absorbers are in paint?
Lastly, I have never, ever......ever.....seen a car be on the lot "for years" before someone bought them. If a car stayed on a lot "FOR YEARS" that used car manager or general manager is an idiot and should be fired. Now maybe in some small town out in Nowhere, USA has had a car sit for a few years but any dealer with a decent management will wholesale a car out if it doesn't move within a few months or weeks.
I, and I'm sure others, would appreciate an intelligent response and perhaps you will be taken more seriously. I'm sure you do fine work but just as detailing is an art there is also a science to and your "science" does not mesh.
Anthony
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"The Art & Science Of Auto Detail"
It would be great if you actually responded to questions here, those questions which are in line with your comments and reasoning. You claim to be a pro, as I myself am also a pro so I would ask that you provide some information to back up your claim about paint "designed to wear out", thank you.
What studies are you referring to, if any, that states paint is designed to wear out, which also according to your reasoning, is for the purpose of dealers making more money?
What's the half life of paint?
What UV absorbers are in paint?
Lastly, I have never, ever......ever.....seen a car be on the lot "for years" before someone bought them. If a car stayed on a lot "FOR YEARS" that used car manager or general manager is an idiot and should be fired. Now maybe in some small town out in Nowhere, USA has had a car sit for a few years but any dealer with a decent management will wholesale a car out if it doesn't move within a few months or weeks.
I, and I'm sure others, would appreciate an intelligent response and perhaps you will be taken more seriously. I'm sure you do fine work but just as detailing is an art there is also a science to and your "science" does not mesh.
Anthony
well anthony, after growing up around car guys all my life, working in paint shops, mechanic shops, detailing cars for dealerships, I basically came up with my own philosophy on paint life and the art of detailing.
I mean, logically think about it for a second...if car manufacturers wanted their paints to last on their cars, they would create stronger paint and clearcoat processes that can last for years and years without much maintenance. it's no different than the wheel and tire aftermarket. paint shops an detailers wouldn't have a viable niche to fill if paints lasted a long time. same with wheel shops, if dealers offered the wheel you wanted, their would be no need for the aftermarket. same with all the car polishes, wax, and wash products. car manufacturers spend most of their money on design and vehicle technology and less focus on paint technology. most factory paint jobs are just stage one with maybe one layer of clearcoat. adding a few more layers of clearcoat alone would not hurt their bottomline one bit or add much more weight to the car....(i.e Bentley's are sometimes up to 14 coats of clearcoat) but that doesn't matter because they know the aftermarket for detail products, paint shops, etc..will always be there.
concerning cars being on lots for years was hypothetical, but I've seen them be out there at least 9months. it's not abnormal for dealers to keep cars on the lot. yes, they move them around, but they still end up being outside on another lot catching heat from the sun. and I can tell you from experience that when we got cars in, we weren't instructed to polish or wax em' most times. most times, all we did was powerwash it, vac it, and dry it off.
Last edited by benz rider : 07-14-2007 at 09:27 PM.
well anthony, after growing up around car guys all my life, working in paint shops, mechanic shops, detailing cars for dealerships, I basically came up with my own philosophy on paint life and the art of detailing.
I mean, logically think about it for a second...if car manufacturers wanted their paints to last on their cars, they would create stronger paint and clearcoat processes that can last for years and years without much maintenance. it's no different than the wheel and tire aftermarket. paint shops an detailers wouldn't have a viable niche to fill if paints lasted a long time. same with wheel shops, if dealers offered the wheel you wanted, their would be no need for the aftermarket. same with all the car polishes, wax, and wash products. car manufacturers spend most of their money on design and vehicle technology and less focus on paint technology. most factory paint jobs are just stage one with maybe one layer of clearcoat. adding a few more layers of clearcoat alone would not hurt their bottomline one bit or add much more weight to the car....(i.e Bentley's are sometimes up to 14 coats of clearcoat) but that doesn't matter because they know the aftermarket for detail products, paint shops, etc..will always be there.
concerning cars being on lots for years was hypothetical, but I've seen them be out there at least 9months. it's not abnormal for dealers to keep cars on the lot. yes, they move them around, but they still end up being outside on another lot catching heat from the sun. and I can tell you from experience that when we got cars in, we weren't instructed to polish or wax em' most times. most times, all we did was powerwash it, vac it, and dry it off.
haha, yeah I unforntunately didn't know that 95% of benz was rear wheel drive. I figured the big ones had it, but the mid-size to samller ones like mine I thought surely they would dabble in front wheel drive. I'm glad they didn't. rear wheel drive is the way to go. kudos to MB for sticking by their guns on that issue.
now both of you get over there and comment on my recent detail of my C280
Last edited by benz rider : 07-15-2007 at 02:15 PM.
...just wait and see what ajax does for windows
...all I've been doing for the last month(due to rainstorms and flooding in Texas) is just wiping off my wheels with a old rag just to "appear" decent to look at...but it's hella-dirty. I already took that picture. Now just hoping for a hot sunny Saturday to get after this job. this will be the first official full detail on my benz since I bought exactly 1 year ago. I had the used dealer wash/polish/wax it before I left the lot and I was told they used NuFinish after they washed it. everisince then I've only had to polish this car once and that was a very light detail just to touch up the shine. nothing as intense as what I got coming.
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