detaildoc

You guys are too funny. I'm just a detailing enthusiast. Rjt65, which Lexus do you have?

Many of the Zaino products are great, but others not so great IMO. When it comes to Zaino, people either love it or hate it, but Zaino followers are hardcore. I love their Z8 Grand Finale spray. I use it as a topper product and it add more depth to the finish. The Z16 for the tires is a good product as well. The Z2 and Z5 sealants (for some reason they call it polish, but they are sealants) are also very popular amongst many, but I am not one of those fans. In my opinion, Zaino sealants look too plastic and applying them is an absolute pain in the rear. I prefer Ultima Paint Guard Plus as it has a deeper, more reflective look with less of the plastic look of most sealants (especially Zaino) and it is super easy to apply. A lot of people also like their leather cleaner and conditioner (Z9 and Z10), but I don't. To me, the scent of those products is too strong and they smell like an old leather mitten, definitely far from the leather scent of Lexus. The only product in their line that is applied by machine is the Z-PC, which is their polish, everything else is applied by hand.

Regarding the leather, I was going to use the cockpit cleaner (it does say you can use it on leather). However, I was not sure if that would protect it or not (on my Bonneville I used to hand rub in Meguiars leather conditioner)....I also was thinking about the Sonus or Lexol bundle. On the glass, yep, I was worried about that on the glass since I think you recommended a Sonus or Der Wunder towel....I think I bought this to get to a certain % savings on one website (gee, I spent this much, sometimes I go nuts with trying to save money where I can...oh well). I really plan to use this on the outside panoramic roof but we will see. Hey, as you can see, I am just learning! You can use the cockpit detailer on the leather, but I recommend the Sonus leather cleaner and conditioner as these are dedicated products and will do a much better job of cleaning the leather and protecting it. I prefer the Sonus over Lexol for our cars.

Remember that you should only clay if you plan to polish later by machine (such as with the Ultimate Detailing Machine or Porter Cable). If you are not going to polish then I would definitely skip the claying, as claying will result in swirls on your paint. I have not used Meguiars clay, but I do know they have different ones and one of them is way too abrasive and I would not recommend it for a Lexus. To be on the safe side I would use either the Sonus Green Clay or Clay Magic (blue). If I remember correctly, your car is pretty new, so the Sonus Green Clay will do the job. It is very mild and even though it will still induce some swirls on your paint they will be very light and will polish out easily. If your car is more than one year old, get the Clay Magic, which you can also get from Autopia. BUT DON'T CLAY IF YOU ARE NOT READY TO POLISH BY MACHINE YET.

You should not have to wait. Cars that come straight from the dealer are still exposed to the elements and are not always protected with high quality wax or sealant or even any at all. Most of the time the dealers just apply a glaze to give it shine and hide the swirl marks that are already on the paint from all the hosing down and drying of the car at the dealer. Think about it this way, do you really think the dealer will be waxing or applying a sealant every month on 100's of cars they have there to keep them protected? No way! When you take delivery of the car, it appears really clean, but that is just surface appearance. First thing I did was wash it and clay it, and the clay came out pretty dirty even though it was a new car. Apply some wax or sealant now.

I am doing it to my new car (bought it in Dec but with the winter here in PA, could not detail it)....however, I would have done it to mine if it brand new and was in the summer. I read alot of people like the California duster....I just don't know though....with all I read about using the proper car wash, and sealant and use microfiber towels all to avoid scratching, I would think the CA duster would scratch the paint. But again, I am not the expert. I hope detaildoc can help or SW03ES...they are "da men"! B) by the way, I will try to attach my excel spreadsheet to this. now please, a disclaimer here, I don't own stock or don't do this for a living so it is just what I put together for me since I don't plan on making detailing my life (plus I am not going to do it every week....can't with the job and life....). So for your use only and use it at your risk (gee, I feel like I am a NFL broadcast here...."...without the expressed written consent of the NFL..ha ha). Ooops, can't upload it; I guess we can upload an excel spreadsheet here...sorry! You are learning quick. YES, ANY DUSTER WILL SCRATCH THE PAINT, ESPECIALLY LEXUS PAINT.

Wow! That reminds me of my first purchase. That is a great list. The only thing I would leave out is the Cobra MF Glass Towel as it lints too much. Also, for applying the P21s 100 it is better to use a foam applicator, I use this one: http://www.autopia-carcare.com/vk-101.html. For the Ultima Paint Guard Plus, I recommend 3 coats, 12 hours apart (so I usually do this starting Friday,keeping the car in my garage until done). Also, do not use the detail spray to clean your car between washes as doing that will cause swirls on your paint. It is better to use quick detailing sprays right after you wash and dry your car to remove any water spots and add more gloss. The Ultima QD is alright, but I prefer Fk 425 http://fk1usa.com/products-consumer.htm as it leaves an incredible gloss. What will you be using to clean and protect the leather? Let me know how it all works out and post some pics.

No problem, ask me any questions you'd like. Detailing is my favorite hobby, so I really enjoy discussing this topic. Let me revise something I said in my previous post. You can use cockpit detailer on wood and it will provide some UV protection, but if you do use it, I recommend that after it has dried you wipe it with a damp MF towel as it will leave some streaking on the wood. Sonus leather cleaner and conditioner are excellent for perforated leather and IMO, one of the best for this type of leather. It won't clog the seats at all. Thanks, I really do appreciate your help (by the way, what is IMO...I know this is a stupid question but I have seen it alot and have been dying to ask!). Happy Easter! Happy Easter to you too. IMO = In my opinion

No problem, ask me any questions you'd like. Detailing is my favorite hobby, so I really enjoy discussing this topic. Let me revise something I said in my previous post. You can use cockpit detailer on wood and it will provide some UV protection, but if you do use it, I recommend that after it has dried you wipe it with a damp MF towel as it will leave some streaking on the wood. Sonus leather cleaner and conditioner are excellent for perforated leather and IMO, one of the best for this type of leather. It won't clog the seats at all.

Those are meant more for vinyl, plastic, and rubber surfaces (even leather, but I prefer the dedicated products for that). For the wood I just use a damp microfiber towel. I strongly recommend you get the Ultima Interior Guard Plus, which you can use on every surface inside your vehicle, including the wood. It is a sealant that adds significant protection and which I apply once a month. For the front grill and all outside trim (plastic, chrome, rubber), I use Ultima Tire and Trim Guard Plus once a month. It will add protection and a nice gloss to all trim. I wash my car every weekend, and my monthly regimen for the interior is as follows: 1. Vacuum carpets with the Metro Vac http://www.autogeek.net/vacnbloporva.html : Every week 2. Sonus Cockpit Detailer for all interior except leather, wood and Navigation screen - Every week 3. Clean wood and Navigation screen with a damp MF towel: Every week 4. Clean all glass with Meguiars NXT: Every week 5. Clean leather with damp MF towel: Every week except if doing #6 that week. 6. Clean leather with Sonus Leather cleaner, condition leather with Sonus Leather Conditioner, then protect leather with Leather Master Protection Cream http://www.detailersdomain.com/index.asp?P...&ProdID=198 : 1x month 7. Clean carpets with Ultima Interior Shampoo + 303 Carpet Stain Remover if necessary: 1 x month or as needed 8. Seal entire interior (dash, wood, all vinyl and plastic areas, carpets, but excluding navigation screen) with Ultima Interior Guard Plus: 1 x month Note: You can also seal the leather with the Ultima Interior Guard Plus instead of using leather master. It will leave your leather super soft like cashmere. You can use either process or combine them.

A paste wax. You can get it here: http://www.autogeek.net/p21s-100--carnauba-wax.html Thanks again detaildoc! But you know, you got my wife mad at me!!! She saw my bill for all the car detailing stuff and went ballistic (of course she said I was never going to use it....as she put on her 50th pair of shoes to go out shopping for more shoes!....ha ha). I told her that "hey, I will used it...but maybe only once!" ha! :-) Hey thanks SW03ES for the expertise...I was a little worried there for a minute! Lol! We've all been there. My wife is now fully desensitized to my addiction to detailing. :D

I get that same noise and I've never been able to figure out what it is. My 10,000 service is coming up probably in the next month or so. I will bring this issue to my dealer and will report back on what they say.

Lexus has almost always used a single stage black. They went to a clearcoated black for a few years from 01-06 or so but went back to single stage. TLY prefer the single stage black. Its SO easy to polish out and correct. Look at old well maintained black Lexuses and compare them to other older black cars, the single stage paint can be corrected so easily and really made to look great. I agree. One just has to be very careful about not removing too much paint or burning through it.

A paste wax. You can get it here: http://www.autogeek.net/p21s-100--carnauba-wax.html

There's a difference between the liquid and the paste waxes. I always prefer the paste waxes because the liquid waxes although easier to apply they tend to mute the flakes on metallic paint, you know, those tiny shiny spots on the paint. When that happens, they won't show as much, and in my opinion, the flakes make the car look better. I recommend P21s100% as it will make the flakes pop even more. Pinnacle is also nice, but IMO, not worth the price since durability is terrible, about 2 weeks.

Lol! It does not have a panoramic roof, it is just that I keep the paint in a mirror like condition. I can probably shave with it. If you have a panoramic roof, I would just use a good glass cleaner and a couple of high quality MF towels. I recommend Meguiar NXT Glass Cleaner, which you can get from autogeek. The best MF towel for glass that I have come across is this one at Pakshak.com http://store.pakshak.com/waffle-weave-micr...el-16x16-1.html Thanks detaildoc!!!! This is what I have to get in shape. This is when I first bought it in Dec. It is alot dirtier now but I hope to return it to this after your help!!! Looks nice. Is that obsidian? Just FYI, that color is a single stage paint and no clearcoat, yes, no clearcoat. I don't know why Lexus did not put a cleacoat on that color. That means you have to be extra careful when polishing and make sure not to use a too aggressive polish/pad combo. On the plus side, nothing looks better than a properly detailed black.

Lol! It does not have a panoramic roof, it is just that I keep the paint in a mirror like condition. I can probably shave with it. If you have a panoramic roof, I would just use a good glass cleaner and a couple of high quality MF towels. I recommend Meguiar NXT Glass Cleaner, which you can get from autogeek. The best MF towel for glass that I have come across is this one at Pakshak.com http://store.pakshak.com/waffle-weave-micr...el-16x16-1.html

Thanks! I put a lot of effort into it. It is a hobby for me and it really relaxes me. Yeah, it is hard to keep a car looking nice during the winter. I am looking forward to the spring myself.

Just a few pics of what your ES 350 can look like using Ultima products.

Bought my 07 ES350 last year at the age of 31.

Good for you, sounds like you are heading on the right direction. If you try the Sonus Green Clay from Autopia with their lubricant you will be fine. It is very mild and won't marr the paint. If you decide to clay, make sure you wash the car first and it is completely clean. For added protection, don't dry it yet, leave it wet so that the water and the lubricant together add more lubricity.

You don't have to do both. Some people prefer the look of a sealant, others the look of a wax. Other, such as myself, prefer the look of both combined. Experiment and see for yourself. However, if you choose to combine, you need to apply the sealant first, then top it with the wax. The reason for this is that sealants need a clean surface free of oils in order to bond to the paint. If you apply the wax first, the sealant won't bond, so it won't last. Sealants actually bond to your paint, while waxes stay on top of the paint. So sealant first, then wax.

Agree, however, if you top Zaino or Ultima with Z8 (which I do) you end up with the warm look of a nuba. Somehow, Z8 adds the depth and warmth of a nuba. You can also top the sealant with nuba and enjoy the look of the nuba while still having the long term protection of the sealant underneath. I sometimes top Ultima with some P21s100%.

Agree, however, if you top Zaino or Ultima with Z8 (which I do) you end up with the warm look of a nuba. Somehow, Z8 adds the depth and warmth of a nuba. You can also top the sealant with nuba and enjoy the look of the nuba while still having the long term protection of the sealant underneath. I sometimes top Ultima with some P21s100%.

If you do, I recommend Ultima Paint Guard Plus or Zaino (Z2 and Z5)