detaildoc

You're welcomed! Glad it worked out for you. Sonus are great products.

Agree! You just have to be careful since the clearcoat on the wood trim is much, much thinner than that on the paint, so you have to polish by hand with a light polish. Menzerna RD works great on the wood trim.

Looks great man, mirror like finish. That is my favorite color.

OH NO, WHAT HAVE I DONE!!! ES350MD and JE are hooked. Their wives (if they find out who I am and who ddoc and rjt are) are going to KILL US!!!! Autopia and Pashak are going to love us!!! I think I am going to buy stock in Autopia and Pashak now!!! Sorry for starting this post ES and JE! (or at least apologize to your wives for me). And by the way, the doghouse can be a really nice place to live.....if the dog lets you in! Hey, good luck with the detailing...wait to you see the Ultima Paint Guard Plus.....(and the P21 on top if you chose)...it is AWESOME! Hey ddoc, I use the Grout Sponge when I wash my car as you suggested (it is wonderful by the way). So I can use that (a different "clean" sponge of course) on the leather? Does this apply to my perforated (heated/ac) leather seats also (I bought the Sonus leather bundle with the white/black applicator)? One last thing for ES and JE.....the Sonus Der Wunder Drying towel is to die for! It is the best at soaking up water (after you use the "flood" method with the hose to get most of the "beaded" water off). Yes, you can use it on your leather instead of the Sonus applicator.

I would drop the Costco MF's, they are not the safest and will swirl your paint. Actually, keep them, but use them only to dry the wheels and the door jambs. Trust me on this one, get the ones from autopia or pakshak.

Welcome and congrats on your purchase. You definitely need some high quality MF towels and a wool mitten. You can get the ones at Autopia, or my favorite ones at Pakshak.com. Also, to clean the leather I recommend that you buy a Grout Sponge at Lowes or HD and use that instead of the scrubbing applicator. The reason for this is that the best and safest way to clean leather is by using a foaming cleaner and the sonus applicator does not really foam. Shake the bottle a bit, then out some of the leather cleaner on the grout sponge and squeeze it several times to create a foam, then clean the seats with it. Reserve the scrubbing applicator for really dirty seats and stains.

That is the same color I have except mine has the light gray interior. A QD is a quick detailer. My favorite one and absolutely one of the best QD's out there is Fk 425, which you can get here: http://fk1usa.com/products-consumer.htm. It is the pink one. No other QD out there leaves a glossier, slicker finish. In addition it has one of the best anti-static properties, which really does a great job in reducing dust accumulation on your car. Good luck. If after reading this thread you still have questions, feel free to ask. Happy detailing!

You're welcome!

$129? No way, it is only $12. http://www.autopia-carcare.com/son-400.html

Lol! That's what I thought. Here are a couple of great videos on how to use a PC/UDM: http://paintcare-n-detailing.com/pc_video.html http://paintcare-n-detailing.com/menzerna.html and one comparing the PC and the Flex http://paintcare-n-detailing.com/flex_demo.html

You won't be disappointed. Are you using a Flex, PC, UDM, rotary?

That's exactly what I use. It is great. You can use the blower side to blow out excess water from the mirrors, the grill, areas around the trunk, etc. Get it from Amazon, that's where I got it from. That thing is super strong.

I actually just use Sonus 4 in 1 Total Cleaner diluted at a 30:1 ratio and it works great. You spray it on and leave it for a few minutes and it gets rid of that stuff really well. I've heard Meguiars is also good, but I have never tried it. That's the one, the 4 in 1 interior cleaner. Don't know why they call it interior, it is used for everything since it is an All Purpose Cleaner. If you read the back of the bottle, it has dilution ratios for everything such as tar, bugs, grease, vinyl, fabrics, etc. http://www.autopia-carcare.com/son-630.html. The paintwork cleanser works great.

I actually just use Sonus 4 in 1 Total Cleaner diluted at a 30:1 ratio and it works great. You spray it on and leave it for a few minutes and it gets rid of that stuff really well. I've heard Meguiars is also good, but I have never tried it.

On the 350, hard to polish areas include the trunk (all around the license plate) and the front around the grill, also the diagonal panels on both sides between the side view mirrors and the windshield. Yes, the edge adapted is new, not yet on full production. The edge pads are nice, but as of now, you have to convert your regular Flex backing plate to use these pads and this will void the warranty on your Flex, which is not a good. The UDM is also nice for applying a wax or glaze with a finishing pad.

You're welcome, and thanks. That Camaro took a lot to repair, but the results were well worth it. Now to your questions 1) I used the Flex on most of the car, but the UDM I used to hit the tight spots where the Flex won't reach. As of now, you can not get a smaller backing plate for the Flex to use with smaller pads, so the UDM was used for that purpose with a smaller backing plate and 4" pads. 2)On my car, I usually use Ultima Paint Prep Plus, but SFX 2 for parts that need something a bit stronger. Ultima Paint Prep Plus is a bit milder than SFX 2. You would be fine though using SFX 2 with a light polishing pad. I always finish with SFX 3 for more gloss if I use SFX 2, but not if I use Ultima Paint Prep Plus because the Ultima PPP leaves behind a primer to help Ultima Paint Guard Plus bond and last longer. When using Ultima PPP, I finish by applying more of the Ultima PPP but with a finishing pad, as it also produces a nice gloss. 3)You can, but I prefer to follow with SFX 3 for the gloss. 4) That sucks! You can cover up the car, but be very careful as car covers can cause serious marring on the paint. Better to park somewhere where they won't be doing that work. I have never had to use a tar remover, so I am not sure what would work best. I get my Menzerna, some waxes, Lake Country Pads, brushes, and all my Mf towels from Pakshak. Probably a few other things as well. Pakshak towels are some of the best. I no longer purchase from Autogeek, as I have had a series of bad customer services experiences, so I dropped them. Ranney at Pakshak and Phil at Detailers Domain are outstanding guys. I also prefer to support the little guys than a big conglomerate like AG. The only reason why I purchased from AG before was because of their large selection, but Ranney at Pakshak has expanded his inventory significantly. Just a personal preference, that's all.

Wow, I was starting to worry about you guys, where have you all been? Below are my answers to your questions: 1)Usually Lexus vehicles have a healthy coat of paint, one of the thickest paints in Japanese cars and also one of the most even (around the same thickness all around) Of course, the bumpers and mirrors do have thinner layers of paint. 2)I polish 1 -2 times a year to remove scratches and swirl marks. You can also increase the gloss without removing clearcoat or paint by using SFX 3 with a finishing pad such as the blue DAS pad or blue/red/gray lake Country Pad. This will be purely to increase gloss without removing cc or paint. 3)Most polishes should not be used out in the sun, such is the case of Sonus and Menzerna. The reason being that it will dry up the polish quickly, which means you won't work the polish long enough to fix any damage, it will also result in dry polishing that can induce new scratches on your paint, and you risk burning the paint because of the extra heat provided by the sun. To be safe, always polish in the shade. With that in mind, polishing when it is very cold and humid can make it difficult to remove the polish (depending on the product you are using), this is especially true of polishes like Menzerna, but with Sonus, it is less of a problem. 4)New cars should still be clayed because by the time you buy it, it has already picked up a contaminants. You can use the Sonus green clay for your first claying, which is mild. 5)Sounds good, except that I would stick to SFX 2 as SFX 3 really has no cut and you won't be doing any paint correction, it is used more as a final polish to enhance gloss. Make sure you only put a little bit of polish on your pad, about a dime size. Most people when they start polishing make the mistake of using too much polish. 6)That's fine, except that the mix is 50/50, but personally, I prefer to use Menzerna Top Inspection http://store.pakshak.com/menzerna-top-inspection-16oz.html or here http://www.detailersdomain.com/index.asp?P...&ProdID=130 7)SFX 2 all the way. Swirlbuster is too mild and it contains fillers which are designed to temporarily cover up swirls, as opposed to removing them. I never use Swirlbuster, don't see the point to having to do several passes with it just to cover up swirls. By the way, check out this last detail that I did with my Flex and the Menzerna line. The damage on this car was beyond anything I've seen and the cc was real hard, but the Flex worked great. Just thought I would convince you to get the Flex: http://www.pakshak.org/forums/showthread.php?t=2024 There are pics on pages 1 and 2.

Not after cleaning, but after claying.

I believe, as I read here before, that the wax adds more "depth" to the paint. That's why ddoc has suggested to put the wax over the PPGP. Other people prefer just the look of the wax, so they do not PPGP. I don't know if I would be able to tell the difference, but I will first do PPGP for its protective qualities, see how that looks, then add the wax and see how I like it best. 1)It is completely a personal choice, depending on which look you like. Adding a nuba can add a bit more depth, but sometimes reduces the reflectivity of the UPGP. A nuba can also add more warmth to the paint, but some people don't like this also, so it is purely a personal choice. 2) If you add too much it can streak. It is very concentrated and easy to over apply, but like you said, it is not big deal since it buffs off easily.

Lol! That was my first post in this forum. I have significantly increased my arsenal since then and improved my techniques, all thanks to autopia and detailing about 20 cars now. Soooo ddoc, you mean there is hope for us (rjt and me)! Still, we can never be as great as da man...ddoc! After you pick up the Flex and work on few cars, you will get the same type of results.

Lol! That was my first post in this forum. I have significantly increased my arsenal since then and improved my techniques, all thanks to autopia and detailing about 20 cars now.

The Ez brush works great.

1)Absoutely the Flex. It has better correction capabilities (which will come in handy at some point or another, trust me), it does not vibrate your hands to death as the Porter Cable and UDM do (huge factor here, after polishing a whole car with the PC or UDM, your hands will be numb and in pain for days), less annoying noise, and still fool proof. 2)acc? what do you mean? For pads I recommend the Lake Country CCS Pads or the DAS Pads. 3)For your Lexus, I recommend Sonus SFX 2 and 3. These are mild polishes that are pretty safe to use, but do the job on any Lexus because of their ultra soft paint. If you get the DAS Pads, I would start with the green pad with SFX2, if that does not work then move up to the Orange Pad, then finish off with SFX 3 and the blue pad (these two are more for increase gloss, they don't really polish) If you get the Lake Country Pad I would start with SFX 2 and the white pad, if that does not work then with the orange pad then finish with SFX 3 and the gray or blue pad. 4)For polishing that is all you will need for your Lexus Forget the G110. I just use the included backing plate. I have not tried that attachment, which is to be used with the edge pads only. I simply store it in the box, works just fine.

I have not detailed yet, I have the Carnuba but not the PG+. I don't know if I want to use the combination of both or just try with the wax first. I washed it on Sunday and the paint still looks great, but the AZ sun soon will start scorching it, so I better find time to protect it! Hey AZ, I did what ddoc did and that was 3 coats of Ultima Paint Guard Plus first. I considered this a "sealant" so I did it this way and wow what a glass like shine (I posted pics in my gallery). The next detail I am going to use the Carnouba wax over the UPGP and see what it looks like and I will let you know when I post the pics. I think though, ddoc correct me if I am wrong, but the Carnouba wax is good stuff too, it just doesn't last as long as UPGP! Don't forget to post your pics! Correct, the P21s is a really good wax, just does not last anywhere near as long as UPGP.