Detailer's HanDbook - Griot's Garage

11Have fun in your garage!®

Detailer's HanDbooka CompreHensive GuiDe to Car Care

9th Edition

22

ThankyoufortakingthetimetolearnfromthisDetailer's

Handbook.I'vemadeeveryefforttoprovideyouwithasmuch

informationaspossibletohelpyouachievesuperiorresults

andhavefundoingit!

You, theenthusiast,created this

book. It is the result of the many

questions and comments from

Griot's Garage car care customers

overthepast20years.

I thankyouandencourageyou

tocontinue tosendmecomments

andsuggestionssothenextedition

isevenbetter. Ihavedevelopedacarcaresystemthat iscomprised

ofcomplementaryproducts thatproducesuperior results.

Myintent is tocreateproductsthatareeasy-to-use,gentle

towards themanydifferentapplicationsonyourvehicle,

andsafeforyouandtheenvironment.Thisisnotashort-

cutguide,but theproperwaytouseourproduct lineso

youmayenjoy itsmaximumbenefits. Inorder toproduce

perfection,youmusttakeyourtimeandenjoytheprocess.Maintaining

yourvehicletoperfectionthroughourcarcaresystemcanbecomea

wonderfulwaytoescapethepressuresofeverydaylifeandhavesome

fun.Afterall,that'swhatGriot'sGarageisallabout.Soreadon,learna

little,andmostofall…

Have fun in your garage!®

RichardGriot

in Your GaraGe

dEtailEr's handbook: 9th Edition

"Strive for perfection in everything. Take the best that exists and make it

better. If it doesn't exist, create it. Accept nothing nearly right or good enough."

Sir Henry Royce, co-founder of Rolls-Royce

Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybeusedorreproducedinanyformorbyanymethod,orstoredinanelectronicstoragesystem,withoutpriorwrittenpermissionfromthepublisher.CopyinganypartofthisbookforanypurposeotherthanyourownpersonaluseisaviolationofUnitedStatescopyrightlaws.This Detailer's Handbook was written and designed by Richard Griot and Mark Greene,withalittlehelpfromtheMother-In-Law!Many thanks toallofourcustomersand friendswhodonated theuseof theirwonderfulautomobilesforphotographsusedinthisHandbook.©2000,2001,2002,2003,2004,2005,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012byGriot's GaraGe,inC.PublishedbyGriot's GaraGe,inC.,3333South38thStreetTacoma,WA.98409PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica.Caution Pleasereadthisdisclosurestatementbeforeyoustartanyproject—itwillmakemyattorneyhappy…TheinformationcontainedinthisHandbookshouldbeusedonlyasaguideandisnotin-tendedtowarrantorguaranteeanyresultsthatyoumayexperiencewithGriot's GaraGe,inC.prod-uctsoranyoneelse's.Propercarcarecanbecomplicatedduetothemanydifferentmaterials(bothinteriorandexterior),typesofpaints,interpretationsofourapplicationmethodsortechniques,andincluding,butnotlimitedto,chemicalreactionswithpreviousproductsyoumayhaveused.Youmaynotexperiencethesameresultsasme.Whenindoubt,alwaysusecommonsense.TheliabilityofGriot's GaraGe,inC.shallnotexceedthepurchasepriceofthisHandbook.Griot's GaraGe,inC.assumesnoresponsibility,expressedorimplied,duetomisusesormisinterpretationsoftheinformationsuppliedinthisHandbook;orforanyinjurythatmayoccurduetothesugges-tionsandinformationofferedinthisHandbook.AtGriot'sGarage,wewantyouasacustomerforlife.Everythingyoupurchasefromuscomeswithalifetimeguaranteeagainstdefect.Wewantyoutoenjoyourqualityproductsfor180daysandhavefunwiththem!Ifyoudon'tlikeitforanyreasonduringthistime,returnitforafullrefundorcredit.Afterthat,you'recoveredwithourlifetimeguaranteeagainstdefect,inwhichwewilleitherrepairitorreplaceit.Ifweareunabletorepairorreplaceyourproduct,wewillcredityourpur-chaseprice.Someitemshavealifespanduringnormaluseandtheywearout.Ourwarrantydoesnotincludereplacementofsuchitemsafternormaluse.Ofcourseourguaranteedoesn'tcoverabuse...Butyoualreadyknewthat.Customersforlife.That'sourguarantee.ThisHandbookisacollectionofnotesI'vegatheredfromyearsofexperienceandyoumaydowiththemwhateveryouplease.Ihopeyouenjoyit.Nowgoand…Have fun in your garage!®

RichardGriot

Detailer's HanDbook

11

Contents

GettinG starteD 2

Griotisms 6

surfaCe evaluation 8

a proper CleaninG 10

safe DrYinG 20

WHeels & tires 24

paint CleaninG ClaY 32

polisHinG 34

WaxinG & sealinG 42

DressinG & Details 48

Glass CleaninG 50

interiors 54

enGine baY 58

Clean up 60

maintenanCe 62

motorCYCle DetailinG 66

arounD tHe House 74

Car Care for the Perfectionist!®

22

Therearemany terms in theworldof carcare.Mosthavebeenmisusedandmisun-

derstoodduetoexaggeratedmarketingeffortsandmisinformation.So that thedescriptionsusedinthisHandbookareconsistentandclear,here isa listofcarcare termsalongwith theirproperdefinitions.

acid rain

Chemicalsintheairthatarecontainedinmois-tureor rain.Thesechemicalsnormally resideashydrochloricacidwithinawaterdropletonyourpaint's surface.As thewaterevaporates,theconcentrationofacidbecomesgreaterandeventuallyetchesyourpaint; leavingbehindacircularmark.Thismark,underneathamagnify-ingloupe,willlooklikeanetchedcrater.Leavingyourcarunattendedunderintensesunshineaftera rainaccelerates thisprocess.PaintCleaningClayorpolishshouldremovethesemarks.Somemarks,however,cannotberemovedandmayhavepenetratedtheclearcoatentirely;polishingandwaxingwillmakethemlessvisible.

brakE dust

Brakepadsonyourcarslowlyweardownduetothefrictionagainst therotorsordrums.Thiscreatesdustwhichstickstothewheels.Itusuallylooksblackandisheavieronthefrontwheelsbecausethisiswheremostofyourbrakingeffec-tivenessoccurs.Thismaterialisdamagingtothefinishofyourwheelsandshouldberemovedona regularbasisor itmaypermanentlypitthewheel'sfinish.Mostwheelsarepaintedandclear-coatedandmaybewaxedor sealed tomakethecleaningprocessmucheasier.

buff

Towipeoffexcesspolishorwaxandbringasurface to itsmaximumappearance.Thekindofshapeyou'llbeinifyoupolishandwaxalotofvehicles.

car Wash

Acleanerusedtoremovesurfacecontaminantsfromyourvehicle.Mostcarwashproductsusealkalies,detergentsand/orsodiumwhichcanremovewaxes,glazes,andnaturaloilsandmayacceleratepaintoxidation.Goodcarwashsoapwillnotcontainanydetergentsandwillberichin lubricants (which safely lubricate thedirt,allowingit toglidefromthevehiclespaint).To"feel test"yourcarwash,puta smallamountbetweenyourfingerandthumbandrubitbackandforth.Bettercarwasheswillbemoreslip-pery.Griot'sGarageCarWashispHbalanced,containsnodetergents,andusesbiodegradableingredientswhichreleasedirtandcontaminants,thendispersethemforeasyremoval.

carnauba

Anaturallywater-resistant substancederivedfrom theSouthAmericanCopernicaCeriferaplant.Maybeusedinapasteorliquidformandappliedbyhandormachine.Initsnaturalstate,carnaubaisrock-hardandneedspetroleumdis-tillatestosoftenitsoitisworkablewhenappliedtothepaint'ssurface.

clEar coat Paint

Mostvehicles todayhaveclearcoatpaint.Thepaintonyourcarisamulti-layerpaintcomprisedofaprimer,abasecolor/pigmentcoat,anda

clear coat. Clear coatprovidesexcellentbril-liancebut isveryeas-ilyscratched.Onceyouscratchorrub througha clear coat, repairsinvolve re-painting, asthebasecolorcoathasno brilliance, shine,ordepth.

perfeCtion is in tHe Details

talkinG Car Care…

clEar coat 2-3 mil

color coat 1-2 mil

PrimEr 2 mil

mEtal 20 mil

Clear coats protect the color coat. Careful polishing is required so damage does not occur to the clear coat.

33

talkinG Car Care

cross-hatch

Amethodofapplica-tionusingbackandforth,upanddownmotions toapplyorremove products.Thisissaferthanthetraditional, circular"wax on, wax off"motionandprovidesmore even applica-tionandremoval.

colorEd WaxEs

Sincetherearethousandsofdifferentcolorsforvehicles,thereisnowaytomatchacoloredwaxwithyourpaintcolor.Sincemostvehicleshaveaclearcoat,theapplicationofacoloredwaxonaclearpaintcreatesanunnaturalappearance.

contaminants

Particlesofdirt,grime,birddroppings,acidrain,hardwaterdeposits,calcium,tar,oil,oranysub-stancewhichadheres toyourvehicle'ssurface.Sometimestheseare invisibletotheeye. If leftalone, theymaypermanentlyetch thepaint.RemovewithPaintCleaningClayorpolish.

dEtailEd

Used to describe a vehicle which has beencleaned,polished,waxed,anddressedwithaprotectant.Implieseverypartofthevehiclehasbeencleanedandtreated,includingdoorjambs,theenginecompartment,wheels,andtheentireinteriorspace.

dirEct drivE PolishEr

Directdrivepolishersandrotarybuffersoperateathighspeedsandworkwelltoremovelayersofpaint,orangepeelandoverspray.However,theyinducehighheatandcancutthroughpaintveryfast,especiallyifusedwithwoolorcottonbon-nets.Mostprofessionaldetailersusethismethod

forfastdetailing;however, itcreatesevenmoreswirlmarkswhichareusuallyhiddenwithaglaze.Yourfirstcarwashwillremovethisglaze,sotheswirlmarkswillbecomevisibleandyou'llbeverydisappointed.Myruleofthumb:Neverletanyonetouchyourcarwithadirectdrivepol-isher,especiallyusingawoolorcottonbonnet.YoucanpolishpaintbetterusingourRandomOrbital,foampads,andMachinePolishes.

GlazE

Apetroleumbasedliquid,usuallymadeofcar-nauba waxes and silicones that temporarilyfillsandhidessmallsurfacescratchesandswirlmarks.Glazescanbelayeredsothemorecoatsyouapply, themoreyouhide.Werecommendusingaglazewhenpolishing isnotanoptionduetotimeconstraintsoronolderpaintwhereyoudon'twanttoremoveanymorepaint,evenifitismicrons.

Gloss

Anoptical termthatdescribesasurface'sabil-itytoreflect light.High-glosspaintreflects lightwithminimalhazingordiffusion.Contaminants,oxidation,swirlmarks,andinferiorpolishesandwaxesreducegloss.

micro fibEr

Aunique,man-madefiber that isseveralhun-dredtimesfiner thanasinglestrandofcotton.Thesestrandsarethenspeciallywoventomaxi-

mize their ability toabsorb moisture andpickupdust,polishandwax. There are manygrades and weaves ofmicrofiber.OurvariousMicroFiberTowelsareultra-softandspeciallydesigned for use onyourvehicle.

Micro Fiber vs. regular fiber.

Work in this pattern to ensure you get complete coverage.


44


talkinG Car Care…

Random orbitals oscillate as they spin, providing a safer application of polish and wax.

oranGE PEEl

Abumpy look toapaintedsurface,similar totheskinofanorange,duetopoorpaintappli-cation. It canbe removedbywet sandingormachinepolishing.

random orbital (dual-action machinE)Amachine,usuallywithvariablespeedsettings,used toapplyand/or removepolishes,glaz-es,waxesandcleaners.Adual-actionpolisher

rotates ina random,circu-larmotioninadditionto

movingbackandforthin small incrementswhile orbiting. Thisprovidesasaferappli-cationmethodthanadirect drive polishersinceitdoesnotgen-erate as much heatonthepaint'ssurface.

Bestifusedwithfoampadssincewoolandcot-tonterrybonnetscouldbeharmfultoyourpaint.

oxidation

Damagedonetounprotectedpaintduetopro-longedexposure tosun,acidrain,andsevereweatherelements.Thepaint'sappearancelooksdullandchalky.Inmanysituationsthereisgoodpaintunderneaththeoxidizedsurfacethatmaybeexposedbypolishing.

Paint/WhEEl/WindoW clEaninG clays

Asoft,pliablebarofsuper-mildabrasivessus-pendedinaclayusedtoremovecontaminantsfromsmoothsurfaces.Usedwitha lubricant,suchasSpeedShine,®itglidessmoothlyoverthesurface.Whileotherclaysmaybeveryabrasive

andwillscratchyourpaint,ourCleaningClaysare extremelymildandsafe.

Paint sEalants & synthEtic WaxEs/PolymErs

Anon-organicbasedwaxused to sealpaintwith a thinbarrier. Sealants usepolymers toprovidealongerlastingprotectivebarriercom-paredtoorganicwax.Apolymerisasubstancecomposedofmoleculeswith largemolecularmasscomposedof repeatingstructuralunits,ormonomers,connectedbycovalentchemicalbonds.Thisallowsthesealanttoprovidebetterprotectionthanorganiccompoundslikecarnau-ba. Inferiorsealantsreducecolorandclarityastheybuildupovertime.Griot'sGaragePaintSeal-antandOne-StepSealantwon'tcreateabuildupofopaqueprotection.Unlikeothersilicone-lad-enproducts,oursealantswillenhancecolorandclaritywhileprovidinglong-termprotection.

Polish

Anabrasiveliquidwhichremovesthinlayersofpaint,smoothingoutthesurfaceandeliminatingswirlmarks,scuffs,overspray,andlightscratches.Polishmaybeappliedbyhandormachine.

PrEssurE WashEr

Gasorelectricpoweredwatersprayerswhichprovideaverystrongstreamofwaterforclean-ing.Neveruseapressurewasheronyourvehi-cle.Toomuchpressurewilldamagepaintandmayeven removepaintandundercoating inwheelwells.Great forcleaningengines,how-ever,coverelectricalcomponentsandpaperorvinyldecals.Bewareofforcingwater intoareaswhereitwon'tdrain.

rail dust

Smallparticlesof ferrousmetalcreatedbyrail-roadcarwheels runningon themetal tracks.Theseparticlesbecomeairborneand landonvehiclesbeing transportedvia railcars.Whenmoisturecombineswith thesemetalparticles,the ironrusts,creatingsmall rustspotsvisiblewithamagnifyingloupe.RemoveraildustwithPaintCleaningClay.Clay picks up contaminants

that are stuck to the surface!

55

talkinG Car Care

color coat 1-2 mil

PrimEr 2 mil

mEtal 20 mil

Single Stage Paint.

rubbinG comPound

Averystrongpolishusedafterwetsanding, toremovedeepscratches, toknockdownorangepeel,orremoveheavyoxidation.Followupwithourpolishestobringbackgloss.Generallynotsafeforclearcoatsormodernultra-hardpaints.

rotary buffEr/ dirEct drivE PolishEr

Direct drive buffers which typically rotate athigh,directdrivespeed,unlikeorbitalbuffers.Usedtoquicklyremovelayersofpaint.Bestlefttoprofessionalsbecauseifusedimproperly,theycanburn throughyourpaint. (SeealsoDirectDrivePolisher)

siliconE

Asyntheticsubstanceintheformofaheatandwater resistantoil.Usedasa lubricant,water-repellentcoating,oradditive.Therearemanyvariationsofsilicone.Superiorgradesiliconescanbebeneficialtoincreasingaprotectivelayerforsurfaceprotection.

sinGlE staGE Paint

Apaintwherethecolorcoatisthefinallayerofpaint.Youcantellifyourpaintissinglestageby

rubbingasmallamountof polish on thepaintwithacottonclothandseeing if paint colorshowsuponthecloth.Ifnocolorappears,it'saclearcoat.

sPray-on Wax

A liquid, protective wax or syntheticwax that leaves behind a thin layerof wax protection. Should be used inaddition toawaxorsealantasan "enhancer"andnotasaprimaryprotectant foryourpaint.Mayalsobeusedtohelpbuffdried-onwax.

sWirl marks

Smallsurfacescratchescreatedbyroughorlowqualitysynthetic towels,abrasivecleanersandpolishes,bufferswiththewrongtypeofpolish-ingpad,automaticcarwashesandbywipingdirtacrossadrypaintedsurface.Sometimesalsoreferredtoasspiderwebs.Swirlmarksmayberemovedbyhandormachinepolishing.Somewaxesmayalsohelphide theappearanceofswirlmarks.

tEflon®

Asynthetic formulasometimessoldasapaintprotectivesealant.ThemakerofTeflon®(DuPontChemicals)has issuedthefollowingstatement:"TheadditionofaTeflon® fluoropolymerresindoesnothingtoenhancethepropertiesofacarwax.Wehavenodatathat indicatestheuseofTeflon®isbeneficialincarwaxes."Griot'sGaragedoesnotuseTeflon®inanyofourproducts.

WatEr sPots

Calciumdeposits,especially inhardwater,actjustlikeacidraintodamageyourpaint.SeeAcidRainonpage2.

WatErlEss car Wash

Amethodofcarwashingdesignedtoremovesurfacecontaminantsfromyourvehiclewithoutusingahose,bucket,orwater.Theseproductsarerichinlubricantsanddesignedtosoftenandliftthedirtfromyourpaintsotheycanbewipedoffusingahigh-loftmicrofiber towel. Inmostcaseswaterlesscarwashesaresafeforcleaningyourpaint,butifthevehicleisverydirtyatradi-tionalcarwashshouldbeused.

Wax

A protective substance, natural or synthetic,whichprovidesa thin layerofprotectionoverpaint,metal,orwood.Waxcancomeasapaste,cream, or liquid. Pure wax should containnoabrasive.


66


Foryearsourcustomersandassociateshaveheardmany"isms"aboutGriot's GaraGe.Our

name,pronounced"Gree-oh'sGarage"has lentitselftobeusedinwhatwe'vecometocall"Grio-tisms".Here'salistofthemostcommononeswehearfromourcustomers.DoyouhaveaGrio-tism?Tellmeaboutit.Enjoy!

GriotEsquE

(Gree-oh-esk)Adjective. Stemming from thephenomena of Griot's GaraGe. Very modernlooking;usually red,black,orwhite incolor.Highquality,efficient,andcapableoflastinganentirelifetime.

GriotaGE (Gree-ahge)Adjective.AgaragedesignedandstyledafterthatoftheGriot's GaraGestyle.

GrionnoyancE

(Gree-oh-noy-ence) Verb. Being anallypicky, insanelyattentivetodetail,almost tothepointofannoyancetoyourcarguyfriendsand/oryourspouse.

GriothEr half

(Gree-utherHaf)Noun.ThespouseofaGriot's GaraGecustomer.

Griotual

(Gree-oh-choo-al) Noun. A ritual performedcustomarily or automatically that only aGriot's GaraGe customer would embrace.Example:Towashandsqueegeeone'sgarageflooronaregularbasisisaGriotual.

GriocEssivE comPulsivE (Gree-oh-ses-iv Compuls-iv) Adjective. Spe-cifically obsessive about the finish of one'sautomobilepaint.

Griotcratic (Gree-oh-cratic)Adjective.NeitherDemocraticnorRepublicanandmostlyacarcrazyguyinter-estedinthepoliticsoftheautomobileindustry.TheGriotcraticdrinksmotoroilforbreakfastandbreathesexhaustfumesfromthetimetheywakeupuntil the timetheyretire for thenight.Andthen,theydreamaboutracing.

GriotEd

(Gree-ohd)Adjective.Someonedevotedto theuseofGriot's GaraGecarcareproducts.

GriotllucinatE

(Gree-oh-loos-en-ate)Verb.ToenvisionGriot's GaraGeproductsinyourgarage.

GriotfEit

(Gree-oh-fit) Noun. Cheap copies of Griot's GaraGeproducts.Fake. False.Phony. Usuallywithoutguarantees.

Griotation

(Gree-oh-ta-shun) Noun. The life cycle ofwashingtheauto,washingthewheels,drying,claying,polishing,waxing,detailingtheunder-carriage, interiorand theenginebay.One fullcycle isaGriotation.For themost thoroughofGriotations, thewheelsare removed,detailedandremountedfortruetextbookresults.

Griotus intEruPtus

(Gree-oh-tusIn-te-rupt-us)Adjective.Someonewithmultiplekidsandamillionthingstodoonanygivenweekend.Theymustalwaysplanforthe"GriotusInteruptus"orhavingtodropevery-thingandtendtosomeother'moreurgent'mat-ter.Griotherhalvesjustdon'tgetitsometimes.

mr. GrioGi

(Mis-terGree-ah-gee)Noun.Thesenseiofcarcare.Oftenfoundteachingthecross-hatchmeth-odofapplicationinsteadoftheincorrect,circular"waxon,waxoff"method.

Griotisms…

77

GettinG starteD

Griot's GaraGe HeaDquartersStriving for perfection in everything we do, right down to our Flagship Retail Store. We have a Car Care School where we demonstrate any and all of the techniques found in this Handbook. You can also find videos for many of our products on our website. Look for this symbol.


88

knoWleDGe is poWer

surfaCe evaluation…WheredoIstart?AverycommonquestionI

amaskedbymanycustomers.Firstthingsfirst;walkaroundyourvehicleanddeterminethelevelofcleaninganddetailingyouwant todo.A fast cleaning with Speed Shine®: fifteenminutes. A proper wash: thirty minutes. Alittlerubber,vinyl,andtiredressing:tenminutes.Toproperlyclean thepaint,polishoutswirls,andapplyaprotectivecoatofwax:onetothreehours.Eachinvolvesadifferentrequirementandtimededication.Specialsituations likeremov-ingoverspray,cleaningofflargeamountsoftar,detailingtheenginebay,ordressingtheinteriorcantakeminutesorhoursdependingonyourlevelofperfection.Onethingisforcertain;ourproductswillproduceexcellent results in theshortestamountof time.Whateveryourcom-mitment,beginwiththepaint.It'sthelargestareawiththemostvisualimpact.

Paint conditions

Havingthepropertoolstoevaluatethecon- dition of your paint is very important.

Goodlightingandaloupeofat least10xmag-nificationwillallowyoutoaccuratelyevaluateyourpaint's conditionandwhateachofourproductsdoestocorrectthedefects.Evenifyourgarage iswell lit,ahandheld lightwillgreatlyenhanceyourabilitytofindandcorrectdefectsinyourpaint.

I'vediagramedseveral situationshere to help youeva lua te yourpaint. Usually,you'llonlyhavetocontendwithpaintwhichhassurfacecontaminantsandlight swirl marks,but some casesmay involvemoreintense correc-tionwhendeeperscratches,etching,or oxidation arepresent. The carcare system I'vedeveloped wascreated to allowyoutointegratethecleaners,polishes,andwaxestoworkin small incre-ments,evaluatingasyougo.

surfacE contaminants

Ifyourunyourfingertipsandpalmgentlyover thepaint'ssurfaceyou'll feelsmallbumpsor

roughness.Surfacecontaminantsaremadeupofthingslikedirt,grease,roadoil,tar,industrialfall-out,andbirddroppings.(Birddroppingsshouldalwaysberemovedassoonaspossibleastheycontainhighlyacidicconcentrationswhichwillpermanentlyetchyourpaint,sometimeswithinminutes.)ThesecontaminantsmayberemovedwithCarWash,SpeedShine®or,inmoreseverecases,PaintCleaningClay.Yourobjective is tocreateasurfacewhichisascleanandsmoothaspossiblebeforepolishingorwaxing.Ifyouarecleaningyourcar inpreparation forpolishingorwaxing,itisbesttoclaythepainttoensureallcontaminantshavebeenremoved.

Swirl marks, small and even moderate scratches can be removed using our Machine Polishes & Random Orbital.

Very deep scratch that goes through to the primer. Use touch up paint followed by polishing and waxing.

Learn to live with this deeper scratch. Removing it would mean reducing the thickness of your paint.

Contaminants that are hard to remove with polish, yet vanish easily with Paint Cleaning Clay.

99

Deep scratch through to primer. Nothing you can do except use touch up paint.

PrimerPaint


PrimerPaintDeep scratch through to primer.

Nothing you can do except use touch up paint.

PrimerPaint


PrimerPaint

sWirl marks

Thenext levelofchallengeinvolvesminorsurfacescratches,swirlmarks,spiderwebs,scuffs,androckchips.Theseimperfectionsare

causedbyautomaticcarwashes(whichIneverrecommend),wipingthecardownwhendry(whichdragsdustanddirtacrossthesurface),usingharshtowelswhendryingthevehicle,leavingcarcoversonadirtysurfaceunderwindyconditions,orusingharshcleansers,abrasives,polishes,andwaxes.TheseconditionscanusuallybecorrectedwithFineHandPolish,butourmilderMachinePolisheswillprovide thebestresults.UsingOne-StepSealantwithourRandomOrbitalcanalsoreduceorremoveswirlmarks.SeveralcoatsofBestofShowWax®orPaintGlazecanalso"hide"theseconditionsifpolishingmaytakemoretimethanyouhaveorthepaintisolderandyoudon'twanttoremoveanymore,evenifitismicrons.

dEEPEr scratchEs

Moreseverescratches,acidrainetchingoroxidationwillrequireagoodcleaning,claying,polishingandwaxing.Theonlywayto

completelyeliminatescratchesistoremoveathinlayerofpaintdowntothebaseofthescratch.Thisisnotthebestmethodasyoualwayswanttokeepasmuchpaintonthecaraspossible.Inmanycasesyoudon'tneedtogetdowntothebaseofthescratch.Simplyroundingoffthe"V"ofthescratch(seediagramatright)andfillingtheremainingcrevicewithBestofShowWax®orPaintGlazewillreducethevisibilityofthescratchsub-stantially.PolishingoutdeeperscratchesrequirestheuseofourRandomOrbitalandMachinePolishes,ashandpolishingisn'taneffectiveformofremovingthesemoresevereimperfections.

surfaCe evaluation

Pneumatic or electric random orbitals are a fun, fast, and safe way to polish away scratches in your paint. You can also use them to apply wax for fast, even application. With the right pad, they can even be used to buff wax, which further cuts down on your detailing time.

Swirl marks can be removed by polishing or hidden with several layers of wax or glaze.

Initial scratch before pol-ishing and waxing.

For deep scratches to be less noticeable, round off the "V" and "fill" the crevice with wax.


1010

Micro fiber is non-abrasive and safe on all paint surfaces.

Speed Shine® is the product I use most often. It leaves a "just waxed" finish on any painted surface.

step one

a proper CleaninG…IfIcanpinpointonestepthatgivesthegreat-

estbenefitoveranautomobile'sentire life,it'skeepingyourcar's surfacesclean, includ-ing:theglass,trim,paint,andwheels.Therearetwo typesofcleaning.The first isa thoroughwashtokeepthesurfacescleanandfreeofroadgrime,tar,oils,birddroppings, industrialfalloutandothercontaminants.Thesecondiscleaningwhenyou're in-betweenseriouswashingsanddon'twanttogetoutallyoursupplies.Notbeingcarefulduringeitheroftheseprocessescancre-ateswirlmarks, sousingcarewhencleaningyourcar isalwaysimportant…butIdidn'tneedtotellyouthat.

thE causEs of sWirl marks

Everytimeyouwipedown,dustofforwashyourcar,youruntheriskofputtingminute

scratches(oftenreferredtoasswirlmarks) intothepaint.When itcomes toswirlmarks, Iam

most frequently askedwhere theycomefrom,howtoavoidthemandhowtogetridof them.While swirl marks areinevitable,theyaremorefrequentondailydrivers.However, I've seen ter-ribleswirlmarksonthemostcherishedgaragequeens.Here'swhy:any-timeyoupushanobjectacross a painted sur-faceyou'll inducemicroscratches. Small dustanddirtparticlesactlikesandpaper.Evensometowels,ifmadefromlowqualitypolyester fibers,willscratchpaint.Avoid

someof thesecommonswirlmarkcausesandyou'llgreatlyreducethenumberofswirlmarksinyourpaint.We'llcover removinganyswirlmarksyoualreadyhaveinthePolishingsection.

common causEs of sWirl marks

•Cardusters, ifusedonverydirtysurfacesorwithtoomuchpressure.

•Draggingacarcoveroveryourcar,especiallyifit'sdustyordirty(dirtonthecarorthecoverwillcausescratches).

•Wipingdownadrycarwithadrytowelwiththeintentofkeepingitclean.Thisisthemostcommoncauseofswirlmarks.

•Infrequent rinsing of your wash mittduringwashing.

•Using a dirty chamois or dry towel to drythevehicle.

•Using towels fordryingand/orwipedownsthatarenotsuitableforpaintfinishes.

•Not thoroughly rinsing the vehicle beforewashingit.

•Not thoroughlycleaning thevehiclebeforedryingit.

•Usinganautomatedcarwashordrive-throughcarwash.Even"touchless"drive throughcarwasheswillscratchbecauseofhighpressurewaterjets.

•Usingharshpolishes,waxesandcleaners.

•Direct drive polishers or poorly designedrandomorbitalsystems.

Micro fiber is also extremely absorbent and great for drying.

1111

a proper CleaninG

WashinG your vEhiclE

When you are ready to begin washing,makesure thevehicle's surface iscool.

If the surface is toohot, thewaterorsoapywater will dry on thepaintandspot.Ifyou'vebeenoutdriving,waitan hour or two andlet the car cool downsince your engineheatsupthemetalsur-facesarounditandthewheelsandbrakecom-

ponentsgetveryhotduringuse.Neverspraycoldwateronhotwheelsandbrakerotorsasthismaydamagethem.

BeginbyplacingoneounceofCarWashper twogallonsof freshwater intoyourcleanUltimateWashBucket. It's important tousetheproperamountofcleaner.Likeallofourcarcareproducts,lessismore.Usingmorethantherecommendedamountiswastefulandwon'tgetyourvehicleanycleaner.ThemeasuringcupinourUltimateWashBucketwillensureyouhavetherightamountofCarWash.Ifyouhaveaccesstowarmwater,use it.The increasedtempera-turewill improvethecleaningabilityoftheCarWash.Rinse thecar thoroughlywithasteadyflowofwater;notafinemist.Istartwithastrongblastintothewheelwells,thenmovetothetopandworkdown,sprayingthewheelslast.Avoidrinsingwithhighpressureor strongpressure

washers as they canblastwater intoseals,under trim,andmayeven damage paint.The idea is to loosendirtandrinseasmuchawayaspossible.

Now, startingwith the top andworking your waydown,beginclean-

ing.SaturateourMicroFiberWashMittorPad,Boar'sHairBrush,orSheepskinWashMittwithlotsofCarWashbydippingitintoyourbucket.Forlargervehicles,useourWashMopStickKitorRoundBoar'sHairBrush&Handleas theywillallowyoutoeasilyreachthehigherpartsofthevehicle.Whenwashing,workinsmallareas.Forinstance,dohalfofthetopandrinseoffthesoap.Thenmovetotheotherhalf.Byconcen-tratingonsmallerareasyou'lldoamore thor-oughjobandbeabletofocusontroublespots.Usegentlestrokes inastraight,backandforthmotion.Witheveryrinsing,rinseyourbrushormitt,too.IfyouareusingaMicroFiberWashMittorPad,aquickdipintothebucketandashakewillknockeverythingoff.

Occasionally timedoesn'tallowforathoroughwashingwithourCarWashfollowedupbyapplicationofSpray-OnWax,butyoustillwanttogeta littleextraprotectiononthepaint for those fewpreciousminutesof "garage therapy"youtake for a weekend wash. OurWash&Waxblendsourfabulouscarwashwithawax tosupplyalittleextrashineandprotectiononyourpaintasyouwash.Simpleasthat.UsethesametoolsandwashingmethodsasrecommendedwithourCarWash.

With our Car Wash, use our super-soft Micro Fiber Wash Mitts and Pads that are gentle on your paint and rinse free of dirt with a quick shake!

Our Foaming Sprayer mixes and foams any of our cleaners and regulates the amount applied perfectly!


1212

step one ContinueD

a proper CleaninG…

Use a strong stream when first rinsing the vehicle. Use a flat stream when rinsing off soap, leaving less water on the paint.

A Sheepskin Wash Mitt picks up a lot of dirt and distributes the cleaning agent evenly over the surface of the paint. Rinse your mitt often.

A Boar's Hair Brush is a safe and fast way to remove dirt. Boar's hair is much softer than horse hair or synthetic plastic fibers.

Our Multi-Pattern Hose Nozzle And Car Wash Dispenser is great for washing and rinsing!

Ifyounoticelargetarspots,birddroppings,bugs,oranycontaminantstuckon thepaint,you'vegotacoupleoptions for safe removal.Firstofall,begentle.SaturateourFour-FingerMeshMittenwith full strengthCarWashandcarefullywipetheareausingbothsidesof themitten.Forstubborntar,useour3MAdhesiveRemover in thesamemanner.Remember,asyoubreakupthesecontaminants, theycontainminutebitsofabrasivematerialthatscratchpaint.Evenbirddroppingscontainsandandseedsthatwill scratch. If theseprocessesdon'twork foryou,useourPaintCleaningClayas instructedlater in thisHandbook.Allow theproduct tosoftenthecontaminantsoyoucangentlywipeitfromthesurfacewithoutcreatingscratchesorswirls.Neveruselotsofpressuretoremovecon-taminantsfromyourpaint.

Clean thevehicle in thisorder: top, fronthood,frontfenders,doors,reardeck,rearfend-ersandrear.Thisisusuallygoingfromtheleastdirtypartstothedirtiest.If thecar isverydirty,youmaywant to rinseyourbuckethalfwaythrough and add fresh Car Wash and water.Clean thewheelsand tires last since theyareusuallythedirtiestareas.StepThree(onpage24)willcoverthepropercleaningprocessforyourwheelsandtires.

When you do your final rinse, use a flatstreamofwater.Youmayevenwanttoremoveyourspraynozzleandletanicebroadstreamofwaterflowoverthesurface.Thisleavesalotlesswateronthesurfaceandallowsyoutodrythevehicle faster, reducingwaterspotsand towelusage.Ifyousufferfromhardwaterinyourarea,tryusingourPortableWaterDeionizerorIn-LineWaterSoftenerduringyourfinalrinse.Bothfilteroutcontaminants thatcausewater spotsandstainsshouldthewaterdryonyourpaint.SeeapictureofourWaterDeionizeronpage15nestledamongtheVettes!

1313

a proper CleaninG

rEmovinG old Wax

Ifyouplanondoinga fulldetail, itmaybenecessarytoremoveoldwaxusingPaintPrep.

It is formulated tostripold wax so you mayproperlyevaluateyour

paintcondition.Ifyou'veused other products

whichcontainsiliconeandsealants,ourpol-ishesandwaxesmay

not adhere to theseproducts or they mayappearhazy.Testasmallarea. If the polish orwaxsmears,hazesanddoesn'twipeoffcleanly,there isprobablya sili-coneladensealingprod-uct on your paint thatyouneedtoremove.

Work in the shadeand with the paint sur-facecool.Wash thecarfirst. Leave the vehiclewet and spray PaintPrep in even layers.Wear gloves and avoid

prolongedskincontact.Work in smallareas,fromthetopdown.Let itstandfor4-6minutesanddon'tallowit todryon thesurface.SprayadditionalPaintPreponareas thataredrying.Once theoldwax isdissolved, rinse theareawithwater.Youmayuseawetmicrofiberclothtowipeovertheareabeforeyourinse.Ifyouseeanyleftoverwaxresidue,repeattheprocessandwipedry.Yourpaintisnowreadyforevaluation. It's typical toseescratchesorablemishedsurface after the Paint Prep process. Thesemarksare imperfections thathavebeenhid-den by waxes or glazes. Now is the time toproperly evaluate the surface and decide ifpolishing is necessary or if simply wax-ing will suffice. Paint Prep won't removeall surface contaminants, so Paint Cleaning

Clay isyournext step. Ifyouseeswirlmarksandscratchesyouneed topolish. If the sur-face is free of swirlmarks thenwaxing is inorder.Eitherway,younowhaveanuntreatedsurface and may properly evaluate the trueconditionofyourpaint.

1953 kurtis 500s

Massage The PaintWhenworkingwithPaintPrep,ithelpstoworktheproduct intothesurfaceusingyourhandsoroneofourFour-FingerMeshMit-tens.Thisisagentlewaytoensureyouremovealltheoldwaxfromthesurface.Remember,keepthesurfacewetandrinsethoroughlywhenfinished.

If you've used other products which contain silicone and sealants, our polishes and waxes may not adhere to your paint or will appear hazy. Use Paint Prep to clean the surface.


1414

step one ContinueD


WashinG your vEhiclE

Without WatEr

Ifyou'reunable towashyourcarusing thetypical"water,hose,andbucket"methoddue

towaterrestrictionsinyourcommunity,oriftheweather is freezingbutyoustillwant towashyourvehicle,waterlesscarwashingisasafeandeasyalternativetothetraditionalwashprocess.OurSpray-OnCarWashclingstoyourvehicle'spaint,allowing the lubriciousemulsions to lift

anddissolvedirt,oil,greases,birddroppingsand grime so you

can gently wipe itaway with a high-loft Micro FiberCar Wash Cloth.Inorder toreducethe possibility ofinducingscratches

whilecleaning, it is important to followtheseeasysteps.Beespeciallycarefulonsurfacescoat-edwithmud,sandandsoil.

Similar towashingyourcarwithCarWash,workinsmallsectionsfromthetopdown,sav-ingthedirtiestportionsofyourvehiclefor last.BeginbymistingamoderateamountofSpray-OnCarWashontoasmallsectionofthevehicleandallowingittositfor15seconds(butdonotletitdry).Anextrasprayonareaswithbirddrop-pingsorthatareheavilysoiledisagoodidea.

Quarterfoldahigh-loftMicroFiberCarWashClothandgentlywipe theareacleanusingaside-to-side,wipeand liftmotion;not incir-cles.Thequarter foldgivesyou8usablesidesto the towelsoyoucanflip toacleansectionas thetowelgetsdirty.Usingaseconddrycloth,gentlybuffany remaining product fromthe surface. Depending onhowdirtyyourvehicle is,3 to4clothswillbenecessary forcleaning.Again,alwaysuselightpressurewhenwipingdirtfromyourvehicleastoomuchpres-suremaycauseswirlmarks.

bEtWEEn WashEs

For this, SpeedShine® is theproduct Iusemostoften.Why?Itallowsyoutocleanyour

entirecarinabout15minutesandleavesbehindadeepshine that looks "justwaxed". It's fast,fun,andwon'tharmglass,plastic,or rubbertrim.SimplygrabyourSpeedShine®andacou-pleMicroFiberSpeedShine®Clothsandcleanthecarusingthesamemethodasdescribedintheprevioussectionaboutwaterlesswashing.Whiletheprocessofcleaningisthesame,quickdetailproducts, likeSpeedShine®, shouldnotbeusedonheavilysoiledvehicles likewater-lesscarwashes.SpeedShine®enhancesyourpaintleavingthesurfacecleanandbrilliant.Youwon'tbelieve theresults.Greatonboats, racecarsatthetrack,asafinalprepbeforeaconcoursjudging,paintedcabinets,motorcycles,chrome,bicycles,andanypaintedorclearcoatedsurface.

Our convenient Speed Shine® Wipes areperfectforgettingintothosehardtoreachareastoremovethat finaldustingbeforeaconcoursjudging.Eachwipeis impregnatedwithSpeedShine®,soyoucansimplypulloutacloth,gentlywipeyourpaintsurfaceandbuff theareadrywithacleanMicroFiberSpeedShine®Clothor100%CottonBuffingCloth.Don't leavehomewithoutthem.

1515

1954, '55, '56, '57 & '58 CorvettesIf you live in an area with hard water and suffer from those hard to remove water spots, give our Water Deionizer a try. Replaceable, safe resins remove contaminants.

a proper CleaninG


1616

step one ContinueD


convErtiblE toP carE

Whilebeingenormously fun,convertiblesposeauniquesetofchallengeswhenit

comes tocaring for their tops.Most topsaremadeofaplasticvinylorpolyacrylic/polyestercanvas.Onoldervehiclestherearwindowisaclearvinyl,while recentlymanufacturershavebeenprimarilyusingglass.Careforthesemateri-alsrequiressomeextratimeandthought.

Vinyl topsareeasytoclean.CarWashwillremovemostofthedirtandoilsduringyournor-malwashprocess.AnyspotsmaybetreatedwithourInteriorCleaner.UseasoftbrushorourYel-lowScrubbingPadstoagitatethestain.TheYel-lowScrubbingPadsareidealbecausetheopen-cellfoamisgentleonthevinylwhilestillbeingaggressiveenoughtoremovethestain,andtheywon'tdeterioratewhenyouhavetoughcleaningtodo!Forbettercontrolof thescrubbingpadduringhandapplication,useour3"FoamPadHolderor3"PalmGripPadHolder.Toincreasecleaningpowerandreduceyoureffort,applythepads toour3"RandomOrbitalandusespeed3-4.Oncethestainhasbeenremovedrinsetheareacleanwithwarmwaterandallowittodry.FollowupbymistingaBlueDetailSpongewithourVinyl&RubberDressingandapplyinga

lightcoatingovertheentiretop.ThiswillprotectthevinylfromdamagecausedbeUVlightandalsogiveitanice,uniformfinish.

Ifyourblackvinyltophasseenbetterdays,youcandyeyourtopbacktoitsoriginalcolorin about 30 minutes. After cleaning the top,butbeforedressing,applyourBlackVinylTopReconditioner.Apply thegel to theentire topwith the includedspongeapplicator.This isapermanentdye thatwill restoreyourdrop-topback todropdeadgorgeous.Not foruseoncanvastopsoronyourinterior.

Canvas topsrequiremorework.Dustanddirt settle into theweaveof the fabricand, ifleftovertime,willstarttobreakdownthefiber.InteriorCleaner isasafechoiceasacleanser.Youhaveacoupleoptions tochoosefromforworking the InteriorCleaner into thecanvasandremovingstains.OurFour-FingerMeshMit-tensorYellowScrubbingPadsworkbest forthegeneralcleaningdue to their lint freeandmildlyaggressivenature.For toughstainsuseourNylonCarpetandUpholsteryBrushsinceitsstiffbristlescancleanthefibersmorethoroughly.Avoidusingtoomuchpressureorspendingtoomuchtimeonastainwhenscrubbingasthiscancauseunevenwearonyourconvertibletop.MistInteriorCleaneronto the top,gentlyagitate toloosenthedirt.Spendextra timeonspotsandstainsandrinsethoroughlywithwatertoremoveall InteriorCleaner residue.UseourDimpledSyntheticChamois todry the topby laying itoverthecanvasandpressingdown(avoiddrag-gingitoverthetop).Donotusecottontowelsoranythingthatwillleavelintbehind.Allowthetoptoairdry.TreatanyrubbersealsandfittingswithVinyl&RubberDressing.

Thereisa lotofmisinformationaboutpro-tectingconvertiblecanvas tops. Ifwaterbeadsonthesurfaceit'sabletorepelstains,right?No.Thewaterprotectionyougetfromaconvertibletopcomes from thebutyl rubbercore sand-wichedbetweentheoutercanvasandtheinnerpre-shrunkcotton layer.So, for the lifeof the

1717

top,I'mmoreconcernedaboutstainprotectionandsoilingontheoutercanvas.FabricProtec-tor is theultimatechoiceforstainprotection.Itworksbydeeplypenetrating themoleculesoftheoutercanvasandencapsulatingthem.MakesurethetopiscleananddrybeforeapplicationofFabricProtector.Tohelpcontroloverspray,masksurroundingareasthatarenottobetreat-ed.Sprayapproximately8-10inchesfromsurfaceinasweepingmotionusingoverlappinglayersuntiltheentireareaiscovered.Donotsaturate;alightcoatingisallthatisneeded.FabricProtectorwillnotharmpainted,chrome,plastic,orglasssurfaces,but it isbest tocleananyoversprayimmediatelyafterapplication.Allow12hoursdrytimebeforeusingtreatedfabric.Oncedriedit isvisuallyundetectableandwillprotectyourtopfromsoiling,permanentstains,andharmfulUVrays.FabricProtectorshouldnotaltercolorsbutalways testahiddenareabefore treating.NOTE:FabricProtectorwillnotcompletelypro-tectagainststainscausedbyacid,dye,bleach,birddroppings,orothercorrosives.

a proper CleaninG

Fabric Protector works by deeply penetrating

the molecules of the outer canvas and

encapsulating them.

Our Interior Cleaner is safe for all your cleaning needs in the car or around the home.

convErtiblE toP WindoWs

FoggedandscratchedplasticwindowsarethebiggestcomplaintsIhearabout.Thefogging

youseeonpolyvinylwindowsoccurswhentheplasticizers inthematerialevaporateduetoUVlightandheatexposure.Theseplasticizerskeepthematerialsoftandflexible.Keepthesunoffthismaterialwithacarcoverwheneverpossibleandkeepitclean!

Becarefularoundthewindowduringyourregularwashing.Don'tuseterrytowelsorpapertowelstodryit,either.Theywillscratch.DrywithourMicroFiberDryTowelorUltraThickMicroFiberTowel.UseourPlasticCleanerforregularcleaning; ithas special lubricants to suspendthedirtwhilecleaningyourpolyvinylwindow.Spraytheproductonthewindowandwipeinaquickupwardmotionwitha100%CottonBuff-ingCloth.Refoldorturnovertheclothfrequentlysodirtandgrimearenotdraggedacross thewindow.If thewindowisscratched, foggedorstained,applyPlasticPolishwithourRandomOrbital andanOrange Foam Pad to make itlooknewagain.Our3"RandomOrbitalisideal.Ifyouhavetoworkbyhand,apply thePlasticPolishwithaCottonPolishingPad.While thisisn'taseffectiveasworkingwithanorbital, itwillimprovethelookofyourpolyvinylwindow.AlwaysmakesureyoucleanthewindowwithPlasticCleanerbeforeandafterapplyingPlasticPolish.Don'tforgettheinsideaswell.Iftherearwindow isglass, follow thecare instructionscovered in theGlassCleaningsection later inthisHandbook.


1818

maintEnancE, carE & ProtEction

Unfortunately,theworstthingyoucandoforyour topis tokeepitdown.Theconstant

rubbingof thematerialon itselfand the top'smechanismcreateswearspotsandtherearvinylwindowgetswrinkledandscratched.Toavoidthevinylwindowrubbingagainstitselforotherparts,placeoneofoursoftMicroFiberClothsoneithersideofthewindowwhenclosingthetop.Don'tuseterryclothas it is tooroughandwillscratch.Keeptheroof'smechanismcleanofgreaseandoils.Whenloweringthetopmanu-ally,becarefulof the foldsandcreases.Avoidputtingyourtopdownwetasmildewandmoldwillgrow.Ifyouareconsideringacarcoverforyourconvertible,purchaseaNoah®,Evolution®,WeatherShieldHP®,Ultra'tect®orDustop™stylecover.Cottonorflannelcarcoverswillleavelintbehind.IpreferourWeatherShieldHP®cover.

UseInteriorCleanerandourNylonCarpet&UpholsteryBrushorYellowScrubbingPadstocleanconvertibletopsandthenapplyFabricProtector tokeepthemcleanandprotect themfromUVrays.

step one ContinueD


Both this beautiful 1941 Cadillac Series 6267D convertible and this 1932 Auburn 8-100A with its landau top can benefit from some easy convertible top care. Fabric Protector is colorless, so you can use it on any color canvas top.

Safe For Any ColorItisoftenassumedthatmanyproductscanonlybeusedonblackcanvastops.Howev-er,ourInteriorCleanerandFabricProtectorarecolorless,sotheyaresafeforuseonanycolorcanvastop.Cleanandprotectblack,blue,gray,tan,white…Ithinkyougetit.

1919

a proper CleaninG

1959 CHrYsler 300eUse many of our car care products with our 3" Random Orbital for superior results in less time.


1919

2020

Soundssilly.Howtodryyourcar.Uh,welluh,youdragthetowelacrossthepaintuntildry,

right?Yeah,that'sright.Forthoseofyouthatcareaboutyourpaint'sfinish,readfurther.Mostofthescratchesandswirlmarksyou'llnoticeappearinginyourpaintarearesultofwipingthecardownwhenit'sdryordryingyourvehicleimproperly.Therearea fewno-nosfordryingyourpaint'ssurface.The twomost important factorswhendryingyourcarareusingahighqualitymicrofibertowelandmakesurethecarisclean.Ifyourtowelorchamoishasanydirtonitafterdrying,youdidn'tcleanthecarproperly.

Withoneexception,neveruseatowelwithpolyester in it.Polyesterscratchesshowupastoweling marks; longer scratches versus theusual, small roundswirlmarksyounormallysee.Makingsureyourtoweldoesn'tcontainanypolyestercanbetrickysincesome100%cottontowelsusepolyester in thestitching.So,howdoyouavoidscratches?Checkthecare tagonthetowel forpolyestercontent. If the tag isno

longeronthetowel,usetheburntesttobesure.Theonlyexception to this rule ishighqualitymicrofiber.

Microfiber ismadeupofablendofpoly-esterandpolyamide that hasbeen split intoultra-fine fibers, thenspeciallywoventogethertomaximizetheirsoftnessandabsorbency.Thisis theexception to thepolyester rulebecauseeachof theultra-finefibersusedinmicrofiberareseveralhundredtimessmallerthanastrandofcotton!Sinceeachstrandissofine,theywon'tevenscratchthesoftestblackpaint(as longasyouareusinghighqualitymicro fiber).Therearemanygradesandweavesofmicrofiberoutthere,somakesureyoudryyourcarwithonedesigned forautomo-tive paint. Our microfiberdryingtowelsarethefinestqualitymicrofiberyoucanfindandwill absorb so muchwateryou'llgetdehy-dratedjustusingthem!For thesereasons I'vechangedallthedryingtowelsinmygaragetomicrofiber.

step tWo

safe DrYinG…

Micro fiber not only absorbs more water than cot-ton, but it also picks up dirt, dust, polish, and wax better without scratching your paint. Not all micro fiber is the same. We offer only the highest quality micro fiber products.

Ultra Thick Micro Fiber Towel soaks up a huge amount of water.

The Burn Test

To testyourcotton towels forpolyester,usea lighter toburnthe edge of the towel. If thetowel or stitching containspolyester,itwillmelt.Ifitburns,you'vegot100%cotton.

2121

Safe chamois drying depends on keeping your chamois clean.

safe DrYinG

micro fibEr dryinG toWEls

DryingyourcarwithourMicroFiberDry- ing Towel is simple. The waffle-woven

microfiber issuperabsorbentand itssewn-inhandpocketsmake iteasy tonavigate the

large,25"x35" towelacrossyourpaint.Gentlywipe the

towelacrossthepaint,working from top tobottom, front toback.

Whileonepassacrossthecarusuallydoesthetrick,I liketofollowupwithaseconddrytoweltomakesureIgeteverylast drop. The biggest

mistakeanyonecanmakewhenusingadrytowelisrubbinghardonthepainttoremoveanydirtorsaptheyfailedtoremoveduringwashing.Ifyourunintoanyspotsyoumissed,usealittleSpeedShine®orSpray-OnCarWash tosafelyremove themfromyourpaint.Makesureyouaregentleasevenbirddroppingscontainbitsofdirt,seeds,andsmallrockswhich,whenrubbedover thepaint,will scratch.Moisten theareawithSpeedShine®orSpray-OnCarWashandgentlywipecleanwith theappropriatemicrofibertowel.

synthEtic and natural chamois

Ifyouenjoyusingachamois,eithernaturalskinorsynthetic,wetthechamoisfirstinluke-

warmwaterbeforeusingit.Theproperuseofachamois is to lay itout flat

over the wet areaand pullit across

thepaint,drying the

c a r f ro mtop to bot-

tom, front toback,wringing

your chamois

outaftereveryfewpasses.OurnaturalskinStaySoftChamoisisextremelyabsorbentanditssoftsurfaceissafeforyourvehicle'spaint.Asitsnameinfers,ourDimpledSyntheticChamoishasauniquedimpledfinishthatquicklyandefficientlypicksupalotofwater,muchmorethansmoothchamois.Whenitcomestocare,keepallyourchamoiscleanbynotusingthemonwheelsandoilyareassuchastherockerpanelsofthevehi-cle.OurStaySoftChamoisismachinewashableandshouldbestoreddry.Whendrying,layitflatandstretchitslightlybackto itsoriginalshape,thenallowit toairdry.Unlikeanaturalcham-ois,ourDimpledSyntheticChamoisshouldbestoredmoist,backinitscontainer.Chamoisaresafe forpaint,glass,and trim if theyarekeptcleanandstoredproperly,awayfromexposuretodustanddirt.

WatEr bladEs and squEEGEEs

Anothersafeandquickwaytoremovewater from the surface of your car is using

asqueegee. It's important tonotuse justanysqueegee,butonespecificallydesignedforuseonvehicle'spaint.Asoft, flexiblebladeisveryimportant! I've tested tonsof theseand finallyfoundone that issafeandeffective fordryingmycars.OurFlexibleWaterBladeusessurgical

The Flexible Water Blade clears water off your car quickly, greatly reducing drying time. The T-bar design contours to every curve on your vehicle, making it almost spotless.

The waffle weave creates additional surface area for increased absorbency.


2222

Quickly Wax Your Car While You Dry It!

step tWo ContinueD

safe DrYinG…gradesilicon,and itsergonomically-designedhandle is flexible to formtoalmostanycurveandfeaturesgrippingribssoitwon'tslipoutofyourhands.Asmall,yetabsorbentdryingtowelis important tousealongwithyoursqueegeesinceanysqueegee that is safe foryourpaintwon'tbeabletoremove100%ofthewater.OurUltraThickMicroFiberTowelistheperfectcom-panion.WithourFlexibleWaterBlade inonehandandtheUltraThickMicroFiberTowel intheother,Icandrymycarinhalfthetime,givingwaterspotsalmostnochanceofforming.Gentlywipethebladeacrossyourpaint,useyourtoweltodrythebladeanddryanyremainingspotsoffthepaintwithyour towel.Repeat thisprocessuntilyourentirecarisdry.

don't forGEt thE dEtails

Doorjambsandtheguttersaroundyourtrunkandenginebaytrapdirtandwaterthatcan

ruinyourgooddryingtowelssinceitisimpossi-bletoeffectivelycleanthemduringyourregular

wash.FortheseareasIgrababottleofSpeedShine®orSpray-OnCarWashandaTim'sDirtySpotsMicroFiberWipeDownTowel.Aquickmistofproductandagentle wipe will eas-ilycleananddrytheseareas while keepingyourgoodtowelscleanandyourpaintscratchfree. Don't forget theunderside of yourdoors,hoodandtrunk.Andalwaysfinishwitha quick wipe downof the engine sincethecloth isdampandwillpickupmoredirtandmoisture.

Easily clean doorjambs.

Dry water channels.

Safely dry wheels.

Afterwashingandrinsingthevehicle,spraytheareasyouaredry-ingwithalittleSpray-OnWax.Drytheareaasyounormallywould.UsingourFlex-ibleWaterBladehelps.Workfromthetopdownandavoidoversprayonthewindows.Thiswilladdtotheshineandgiveyourvehicleajust-waxedappearance.Italsomakesitalittleeasiertodry.RemembernottoallowtheSpray-OnWaxtodryonthepaintsurfaceasitcontainswaxandwillappeardull.Ifthishappens,misttheareaagainandbuffdry.

Wash your vehicle with Griot's Garage Car Wash and rinse well.

Use our Water Blade to remove excess water and spray Spray-On Wax over the damp surface.

Wipe dry using our Micro Fiber Dry Towel and you're finished.

2323

1970 karmann GHia tYpe 141

safe DrYinG

Our Car Care products are all tested and safe for all finishes. Make any car look superb.


2424

The 21" long, sturdy, plastic handle on our Wheel Well Brush has a 20-degree bend in the perfect spot so you can get some leverage and really scrub.

Oil & Grease Cleaner cleans up even the toughest grease and oil and is environmentally friendly.

Ifthere isone thing thatmakesyourvehicle look great, it's clean wheels and properly

dressedtires.This isusuallythedirtiestareaonyourvehicle,yetkeepingthemcleanisaquickandsimpleprocess.Wehaveseveralcleaningtoolsthatwillshortenyourcleaningtime.

I recommendwearingapairofourVinyl,Latex,orNitrileGloveswhenworkingaroundyourwheels.Brakedustandroad tararehardtoremovefromyour fingers,nails,andhands.Youneverknowwhatchemicalsmaybeenter-ingyourskin.WhenIventureoutofthegarage,Ialsodon't likemyhandslookinglikeIneedapersonalgroomingclass.Plus,ifit'scoldoutside,yourhandsstaywarm.

clEaninG thE WhEEl WElls and tirE rubbEr

Rinse out the wheelwellsbeforeyoustart,

otherwise, as you ran-domly spray the tires andwheels,youwill invariablyloosencrud thatwilldripon toyour freshlywashed

wheels. Use the strongestpressureanddegreeofwateryou have to knock out the

dirtandcrud thatgetscakedup in thewheelwells. Spray

thewheelwellwithadegreaser,likeourOil&GreaseCleanerorourRubberCleaneranduse

ourWheelWellBrushtoloos-endirt,mud,andtar,thenrinsethoroughly. Ifpossible,removethewheelstogainbetteraccess(besurethevehicleissafelysit-uatedonjackstands).

Next,movetocleaningyourtires.Tirecleaningisaneasilyforgottenstepinthedetailprocess,but it isvery important.Allthegrease,grime,brakedust,androaddirtyouseeonyourwheels isgettingbuiltup inyourtires,too!Overtimethiswilldamagetherubberanditalsotakesawayfromthelook,evenwhendressedwitha tiredressing.WithmyregularwashingIalwaysuseRubberCleanertoremovetheregularbuildupandpreparetherubberforprotectants anddressings. Apply theRubberCleanerinashadedareaandmakesurethattherubberisnothottothetouch.Spraythecleanerdirectlyonto thesurface.Allowit tosoak intothe rubber,butdonotallow it todryon thesurface.AgitatewithastiffbristlebrushorourTireScrubbingBrushtopullcontaminantsoutoftherubber.Formoreintensecleaning,agitateyourtireswithour3"YellowScrubbingPadand3"RandomOrbital.Trythis!You'llbeamazedathowmuchcrudcomesoutandhowgreatyourtires look.Finishbyrinsingthetiresandwheelwellswithwater.

step tHree

WHeels & tires…

2525

WHeels & tires

Ona less frequentbasis,usu-allyonceeveryothermonth,I liketo thoroughlycleanmy tiresofany silicones, sealants, waxes,oilsorgreases thatare startingtobuildup.RubberPrep is theperfectproduct for this.RubberPrepbreaksdownandremovesthesilicones,sealants,waxes,oilsandgreaseswithoutanyscrub-bing. (It'llevenremovethat "wet& sticky shine" you see on everydealership'susedcar lot!)SimplyapplyRubberPrep to the tirewithaspongeandallow it toevaporateleavingyourtireperfectlypreparedforourVinyl&RubberDressing,Long-LastingTireDressingorTireRejuvenator.Waittodressyourtiresandwheelwellsuntilafteryou'vecleanedyourwheels.

clEaninG WhEEls

AquestionIoftenhearis,"Richard,couldyoumakeawheelcleanerthatIcanjustspray

onandhoseoff?"Thatwouldbenice.Theonlyproblemiswheelcleaners thatstrongarealsostrongenoughtoetchordamageyourrims;nottomentionwhattheycandototheenvironment.Eventhoughyouhavetouseaspongeorwheelbrushtohelpbreakupthebrakedustonyourrims,ourWheelCleaner iscompletelysafe forallwheelfinishes.Itwill loosenroadtar,grime,andbrakedustmakingremovalquickandeasy.

Iaddedaspecialscentthatmakesitpleasurabletouse,too.

Oneofthechallengesindesigningourqual-ityWheelCleanerwascreatingone thatwasassafe touseonyourwheelsasonyourskin.I'vetestedotherwheelcleanerswherethetoxicsmellsalonenearlyrequiredarespiratorduringuse.ThosecleanersusuallyhaveapHlevelsohighthatifyouuseditonananodizedrim,likeonanolderPorsche, thealkalismayetch therim.OurWheelCleanerisanon-toxic,environ-mentallysafeproduct that isproperlypHbal-ancedandcleansthedirtiestofwheels.Griot'sGarageWheelCleanerisalsofactoryapprovedbyBBS,DaytonWireWheels,™andTheTireRack®!Iamveryproudofthisasthesearesome

oftheworld'spremierwheelmanufacturersandretailers.

For those of you withchromewheels, Ideveloped

ChromeWheelCleaner justforyou.Itissafeforcleaning

allof today'schromewheelsandyouroldschoolchromewirewheels.Withthisclean-er I tookanaturalapproachandusedthepowerofcitrusoil to formulate a powerfulcleaner that'ssafeandeffec-

tive.ChromeWheelCleanerwillremovebrakedustdeposits,heavyroadoilsandothercontaminantswithoutdamagingyourchromewheel'ssurface.

hoW to usE WhEEl clEanErs

Beforestarting theprocess,makesure thewheelsarecooltothetouch.NEVERspray

wateroranytypeofcleaner toawarmorhotwheelas thiscandamageyourwheels finishandyourbrakerotors.Whenyourrimsarecooltothetouch,startbycompletelydousingthemwithwater.Thiswillallowthecleanertobecar-riedtoremoteareasthatmightnototherwisebereachedbysprayingonadrywheel.Ialsothinktheextraamountofwaterallowsthecleanerto


2626

step tHree ContinueD

WHeels & tires…

penetratethebrakedustandroadgrimeeasier.Next,workononerimata timeandsprayanevenamountofcleanerovertheentirerim.Agi-tate thecleaner rightawaywith thecleaningtoolsofyourchoice.If thewheelbeginstodryasyouarescrubbing,applymoreWheelCleanerandcontinuescrubbing.Occasionallyheavybuildupmayrequireasecondcleaning.Oncethewheelhasbeenproperlycleaned,rinsewithwateruntilclear.Finishbydryingyourwheelstoavoidwaterspotsdamagingyoufinish,espe-ciallyifyouareworkingonahotdayinwarmertemperatures.Since therealwaysseems tobesomebrakedust thatdoesn'tget completelywashedaway,IliketouseourTim'sDirtySpotsMicroFiberWipeDownTowel.Thiswill saveyournicetowelsforanotherdetailingsession.

clEaninG rEally dirty WhEEls

If you go a little too long between wash-ingsoryoudriveavehiclewithbrakesthatblackenyourwheels,spraysomeHeavy-DutyWheel

Cleanerontoyourwheelsandlet it sit forseveralminuteswhile the thick cleaningsolutionbreaksupanddis-solves tough road grimeandbrakedustbuild-ups.Heavy-DutyWheelClean-er isapHbalanced,non-

acidicandnon-causticformula. It changescoloras itworks!Asit becomes purple,agitate gently usingany of our wheelcleaning tools. Aftera light scrubbing,simply rinse awaythedirtandyou'llbeleft with sparklingcleanwheels.Safeforuse on any painted,chromed, uncoatedaluminum and pow-dercoatedwheels.

WhEEl clEaninG tools

Getting into allthe nooks and cran-nies of your wheelscreatesanotherchal-lenge,soI'vecreatedvarioustoolstomakethisjobeasy.IalwaysstartwithourBoar'sHair Wheel Brushsince the long, softbristlesdoagreat jobbreakinguptheinitialbrakedustandgrimeontherim.Oftenthis,by itself, will cleanthe wheel very well.For thoseofyou thatarereallypickyaboutcleaningyourwheels,likeme,keepreading.I thenmovetoclean-ingaroundthespokesandlipsofthewheelswi t h our Lamb-

Tim's Dirty Spots Dry Towel soaks up the water and is designed for drying tough areas like wheels, door-jambs or trunk and engine bay rails.

Spray on, thoroughly coating wheels.

Allow it 5-10 minutes to break up grime.

Gently scrub using one of our safe tools.

Rinse completely and dry.

Apply a wax coat for added protection.

2727

skinFour-FingerMittandThree-Finger Detail Mitt.Theseare likeminiwashmittsforyourwheels.Next,move to the barrels andother tightareaswithourWheel Scrubber Brushes(usethelongreachversionfordeepdishwheels)andFoamSwabs.Theseallowyou to work around thebrakecalipersand rotorsreachingall thewayback.I finishusingourLugNutCleaningBrush,whicharedesigned to fit perfectlydownintothelugnutholesonyourwheels.Don'tusetoothbrushesas theplas-ticbristleswillscratchpol-ishedandpaintedsurfaces.And,Ialwaysliketoremindpeople to never use thesamecleaningtoolonyourwheels that you use onyourpaint.Youdon'twanttocontaminateyourpaintwith the type of grease,grime and dirt that's onyourwheels.

Another great tool forcleaning tough-to-reachareas that routinely getheavy road grime andbrake dust built up onthemisourCompactandLarge Bendable WheelBrush.Youcaneasilyformeither of them to reacharoundthewheelspokes,hard to reachenginebaylocations, intricate grillwork or just about any-where on your motor-cycle.Thebristlesof thesebrushesareextruded ina

WHeels & tires

star-shapedpattern formaximumsurfacearearesultinginbettercleaningaction.Theyaresoftandflexibletoreachintotightareasthatarenotmuchlargerthanthe1⁄2"nyloncoatedstem.

Bendable Wheel Brushes make those traditionally impossible-to-clean places easily accessible. Get your wheels truly clean.

Wheel cleaning brushes, like these Boar's Hair Wheel Brushes and Bendable Wheel Brushes make your cleaning fast, easy and fun.

Wheel Scrubber Brush.

Three-Finger Detail Mitt.

Lambskin Mitt.

Foam Swabs.

Lug Nut Brush.

Micro Fiber Wheel Wands are great for cleaning wheels with tiny spaces where dirt and brake dust accumulates.


2828

Our 3" Blue Applicator Pads work extremely well for apply-ing dressings evenly, especially when used with our Palm Grip 3" Pad Holder.

ProtEctinG and drEssinG WhEEl WElls and tirE rubbEr

Detailingyourwheelwellscanbea toughjob.Inadditiontobeingatightspace,there

aretonsofareasaroundthespringsandframethat are nearlyimpossible toreach, which iswhyIdevelopedour Undercar-riageSpray.Sim-plyspraya lightmistaround thewheel well andyou're done.It provides anice look as ifyou've spenthours cleaningthe wheel well.Perfect forSUVs

wherethewheelopeningislargeandyouseealotofthisarea.Becarefuloftheoverspraymistasitmakesgaragefloorsveryslippery!Putdownadropclothornewspaperstocatchanyoverspray.Also,avoidgettingtheoversprayonyour tires,wheelsandpaint.Itwon'tharmpaint,butitwillsmearandshouldbewipedaway.

Thefinaltouchtodetailingyourwheelsandtiresisalwaystiredressing.Protectinganddress-ingtirerubberisaneasyprocessthatwillgreatlyenhancethelookofyourcarwhilekeepingyourtiresprotectedfromcracking,fadingandharden-ing.First,applytheproductontoyourapplicatorsponge. IpreferourTireDressingApplicators

fortireswithgroovesandraisedletteringonthesidewalls,but theBlueDetailSpongesand3"BlueApplicatorPadsalsodothetrick.Spreaditinthin,evencoatsacrossthetire,ensuringyouget inandaroundall thegroovesandlettering.Thincoatswillgiveyouamoreevenfinishandhelp keep thedressing fromflinging ontothesideofyourcar. Do notbuff thedress-ingintothetirerubber. Usesmooth, cleanstrokes. Theresultsshouldbeaheaviercoatofdressingthatwillprovideagloss-ierlooktothetirerubber.Keepthedressingoffthetread.Second,wipeawayanyexcessproductfromthewheelswithacleanTim'sDirtySpotsMicroFiberWipeDownTowel.Applicationofourdifferenttiredressingsisthesame,buteachoffersadifferentfinishandlongevity.

Vinyl&RubberDressingismyfavorite tiredressing.ItprovidesexcellentUVprotection, iswaterbasedandgivesyour tiresanicesheensimilar towhen theywerebrandnew.Whilethisdressinghas theshortest lifeofanyofourdressings(1-2weeks),thefinishisworthit.Thesatin finishprovidesprofessional results andis the perfect accent to your wheels. Thedressing of choice at the Pebble BeachConcoursd'Elegance.


WHeels & tires…

The Blue Detail Sponge provides easy and accurate application.

The comfortable Tire Dressing Applicator applies a smooth film of dressing on the tire.

2929

Tire Dressing TipApplyourTireRejuvenatorasabasecoat3-4timesperyear.Then,onamoreregu-larbasis,applyVinyl&RubberDressingoverthetop.Thiswillkeepyourtireslook-inggoodevenwhentheVinyl&RubberDressingwearsaway.

Anothereasyway toapplyVinyl&Rub-berDressingiswithourpop-updispenser. I'vetakenastrong,cloth-likematerialandsaturateditwithVinyl&RubberDressing.Thisprovidesaverycontrolledmethodofapplicationtotires.Thestrongmaterialwon'trip, tearor leavelint.Itenablesyoutouseyourfingertipsforpreciseapplicationneartherim.Italsomakesiteasytodressthevalvestemandkeepitfromcracking.

Long-LastingTireDressingis just that; longlasting.Longevity isoneof theprimarychal-lengeswithtiredressings.Onerainydaydriveor

a carwashandyouneedtoreapplymostdressings.Long-LastingTireDressingisspecificallydesignedtowithstandtoughweathercon-

ditions.Beinga super thickliquid, it'seasy toapply,andunlike many dressings, itwon'tflyoffoftiresandontoyourwheelsandpaint. It isalsowaterrepellentso itstilllooksgreatevenaftera rainstormoragoodwheelclean-ing.Asforgloss?It'sallupto

you.Wantaniceblack,satinfinish?Afterapplica-tion,giveaquickswipewithadisposabletowelandyour tireswillhaveanatural rubber look.Wantmega-gloss?Apply twocoatsanddon'ttouchit.Forthoseofyouthatlikeashinytire,thisisthedressingforyou.

TireRejuvenator isawater-basedblackdyethatwillprovideamatteblacktirewitha lookthatwilllastforuptothreemonths!Thinkaboutit,nomoreputtingon tiredressingeachandeverytimeyouwashyourcarordrivethroughinclementweather. Justapply thecreamy tiredressingwiththesponge(included)andwithinminutesyouhaveaperfect looking tire.Ourformulawon't flyoff,attractdustormakeyourpantsdirty ifyouaccidentallycomeincontact

withyour tireafter itdries.Sincethis isawater-basedblackdye,donotuseTireRejuvenatoron

whitewallsor tireswithwhitelettering.

WHeels & tires

Vinyl & Rubber Dressing saturated pop-up wipes are ideal for tires and all your rubber trim. They allow precise application and deliver the perfect amount of dressing.

Rubber Prep will leave you with a new surface, perfect to use before applying your Tire Dress-ing or Tire Rejuvenator.

Applies easily with our Blue Detail Sponges.


29

3030


WHeels & tires…

PolishinG and WaxinG WhEEls

Mostmodernwheelshaveapainted,colorbasecoat followedby twoor three lay-

ersofclearcoat.Thesetypesofwheelsshouldbe treated just like thepaint surfaceonyourcar,whichmeansyoushouldpolishandwaxthemona regularbasis.Thisprovidesmaxi-mumprotectionandmakescleaningthewheelsmucheasier.Sincedetailingwheelscanbeabitofachore, IpreferusingourPaintSealantonmywheels(thoughourBestofShowWax®canbeusedaswell).PaintSealantprovides longerlastingprotection that ismoreresilientagainst

the intense conditions yourwheels experience. Best ofShowWax®andPaintSealantaresafetouseonallwheels,

including clear-coated,machined aluminum,anodized, chrome, andnon-clearcoatedwheels.

Polishes,waxes,andseal-ants should be applied toyourwheelsusingthesamemethodsasyouwouldonyourpaint (covered in thePolishingandWaxingsec-

tionsof this Handbook).Here I'll giveyoua fewtechniques thatarebetter forapplicationonwheels.Alwaysstartbythoroughly cleaning your wheels andremovingbuildupwithWheelCleaningClay.Clayisgreatonwheelssinceitcanbeformedtofit intoall thecracks,crev-ices,andcorners. Shouldyourpaintedwheelshavesmallsurfacescratchesandneed polishing, useFine Hand Polishandapply itusinga 100% CottonBuffing Cloth or a3"OrangeFoamPolishPad.Workinsmallareasandwipethepolishoffbeforeitdries.For

waxorsealantonlargersurfaces,useour3"RedFoamWaxPads.Intighterareas,a100%CottonBuffingClothworkswelltogetdownintocrev-icesandworkyourwaybetweenspokes.AllowittocureandbuffusingacleanMicroFiberWaxRemovalCloth.

non-clEar coatEd WhEEls

Fornon-clearcoated,aluminum,andmagne-siumwheels,youneedtotakespecialcare

whenpolishingoutoxidationandotherimper-fections.OurMetalPolishisperfect. Itremoveseventhetoughestoxidationfromthesetypesofrimsandrestoresabright,factorypolishedfinish.Remember,theMetalPolishisfornon-clearcoat-edandnon-anodizedwheelsonly!Ifyouarenotsure whetheryour vehi-cle'srimsareclear coatedor not, con-sult with themanufacturerof therimsorcardealer.

3131

100% Cotton Disposable Wipes provide a very safe alternative to destroying your

nice cotton towels when using Metal Polish!

Felt Polishing Cones on a pneumatic or electric drill make for fast easy polishing. A die grinder, though, provides the best control. Always wear eye protection!

Heavy-DutyMetalPolish issafeandeffec-tiveonnon-clearcoatedaluminum,steel,mag-nesium, stainless steel,Plexiglas®,plasticand

acrylic surfaceswhen you needa slightly moreaggresivepolish.It is silicone-freeandwatersolublemakingiseasytorinseoffafteruse.Achieveamazing

results when usedbyhandorwithourRandom Orbital.Conforms to com-

mercialaviationrequirements.EvenourfriendsatJ&LFabricatingtellmeit'sthebestpolishavail-ableforthealuminumracecartubstheybuild.

Ifyou'veeverpolishedmetalbefore,youknow it always leavesbehindamessy,blackresidue thatwill ruinyourgoodcloths.This iswhy I loveour100%CottonWipes.Theyare

great because theyprovide the sameperformance and

softness of our10 0 % C o t to nBuffing Cloths,

but are dispos-able so you canthrow them away

when you are finished. Apply a very smallamount of polish to the cotton wipe andrub itgently ina circularmotionuntilblackresidueappearsonthewipeandrim.Buffofthepolishresiduewithaclean100%cottonclothorwipe,makingsurenottoletthepol-ishdryontherim.

Thereareacoupleofoptionswhen itcomestomachineapplication.ThebestoptionistouseourFeltPolishingConeswithavariablespeeddrillordiegrinder.Weareyeprotection!Wipeasmallamountofpolishonto theconeandwork insmallareas,wipingoff thepolish

before itdries. If thepolishspraysorsplatters,you'veputontoomuch.Becarefularoundthevalvestem,lugnuts(ifthewheelisstillmounted)andalongtheedgeofthetire.It'seasiesttopol-ishthewheelwhenit isremovedandyoucanworkonabench top. Ifyourwheelhasanylarge, flat areas,youcanuseour3"RandomOrbitalandour3"WhiteFoamMetalPolishPads.JustspreadtheMetalPolishonthepadlikebut-teronbreadandworkbackand forthon theareauntilyouseethepanelstartingtoshine.Buffoff thepolishresiduewithaclean100%cottonclothorwipe,makingsurenottoletthepolishdryontherim.

WHeels & tires

Our White Polishing Pads also work well for Metal Polish application.

Ever tried to polish a nine year old oxidized magne-sium Indy Car wheel? That's exactly what I did just to prove the effectiveness of this amazing polish...


3232

step four

paint CleaninG ClaY…

bEforE PolishinG or WaxinG, rEmovE surfacE contaminants

Afteryou'vewashedyourvehicle, runyour fingers over the paint. If it feels rough

insteadofbeingtotallysmooth,orifyouheara"friction"sound, thesurfacehascontaminantswhichneedtoberemoved.Oils,dirt,brakedust,tar,andacidraindepositsfromtheenvironmentform tinyparticleswhichstick toyourpaint.Overtimetheseparticlesbuildupandformaninvisible layer.(Althoughyoucansee itwitha10xmagnificationloupe.)This iswhatyouarefeelingandhearingwhenyoutouchthesurface.Eventhoughyou'vewashedthecar, thesecon-taminantswon'tcomeoff.Therearesomepol-ishesonthemarketadvertisedas"paintcleaners"thatarealotofworkbutstillcan'tremovethesecontaminants!Beforeyoupolishorwaxyourpaint, thesecontaminantsmustbe removed.Thiswillmakepolishingsafer,easierandensuremaximumclarityandlongevityfromyourwax.

Don'tmakethemistakeofpolishingorwax-ingover thesecontaminants. Ifyoupolishorwaxwithoutclaying first, thesecontaminantscouldgetpickedup into thepadandgroundintoyourpaintpotentiallycreatingswirlmarksandscratches. Inaddition thesecontaminants,onamicroscopic level, looklikevolcanoeson

yourpaintandwillnotacceptawaxbarrierlikeasmoothpaintsurface.These"contaminantvolcanoes"nowactasaconduit foracid rainandtakeitsharmfuleffectsright tothebaseofthepaint!Ifyoudon'tremovethembeforeyouwax,yousimplycoverthemup,leavingthemtoattackthepaint. Inallmyyearsoftestingprod-uctsthereisonlyonewaytoremovethesecon-taminantssafely.(Italsois theeasiest!)UseourPaintCleaningClay.Thisproduct isamazing.Therearemanydifferentgradesofclay.Someareverycoarseandwillscratchpaint.Othersaretoodenseand leaveahard-to-removeresidueonyourpaint.Ourclay isextremelymildandwill removeavarietyofsurfacecontaminantsincludingpaintoverspray,treesap,bugresidue,tar,dirt,oil,hardwaterdeposits,andbrakedustwithoutremovingwaxorscratchingyourvehi-cle'spaint.Howdoesitwork?Theclayispliableandstickyandactslikeanexfoliate,liftingawaycontaminants.Itmustbeusedwitha lubricant,allowingittoslideacrossthesurface.OurSpeedShine®isperfectasitnotonlycontainsacleaner,buthashigh lubricity, too. I like towearvinylaloegloveswhenworkingwithclaysoitdoesn'tsticktomyskinorgetundermyfingernails.

100 Grams 100 Grams226 Grams

Griot's Garage80 Grams

Size DOES matter!OurPaintCleaningClayissafeforalltypesofpaintandleavesnoresidueorscratchesbehindandwegiveyoumore,lotsmore!

Our clay is very mild and will remove a vari-ety of surface contaminants that are difficult to remove any other way.

3333

hoW to usE Paint clEaninG clay

Startby removing the plasticwrapperand tearingoffaboutonequarterof thebar. If

yourclay iscoldandnotpliable frombeingstoredinanunheatedgarage, trywarmingit inyourhandsfirst.Ifthatdoesn'twork,removethelidfromthecontainerandplaceitinyourmicro-wavefor10-20seconds.Kneadtheclay intoaballandpatitintoaflatpancakeshapeaboutthesizeofthepalmofyourhand.

SpeedShine®playsan integralpartof theclayingprocess.Itprovidesthelubricitytheclay

needs toglideacrossthepaint.Workinginsmallareas,about2'x2',startbysprayingtheclayinyourhandandthenthetwofootsection with SpeedShine®.Now,wipetheclay back and forthinacross-hatchpat-

ternover the surface,making sureyoukeepyourspeedup.Youdon'tneedtorubhard;theweightofyourhandisusuallyenoughpressure.Afewpasseswilldoit.Iftheclaystartstosticktothepaint, it'sanindicationthatyouneedmoreSpeedShine®onthepaint.Forlargerspecsoftaroroversprayyoumayneedtomakemorepassesandpressdowna littleharder.As thesurfacegetscleanandthecontaminantsareremoved,you'll feel theclaymovemoreeasilyacrossthepaint.WipetheareadrywithacleanMicroFiberSpeedShine®Cloth.Nowfeel.Yourpaint'ssur-faceshould feelsilkysmooth!Whiledoinganaveragesizevehicleyouwillneedthreeorfourclothsforwipingoff the lubricant.Don'tallowtheSpeedShine® todryon thesurface.Workfromthetopof thecardown,doingthelowervalancesandtherearofthecarlast.Theseareastendtobethedirtiest.Asyouusetheclay, thepattywillflattenout.Aftereachtwofootsectionknead theclayback intoaballandre-flatten.Thiskeepsthecontaminantssuspendedintheclayawayfromyourvehicle'spaint.

Your initial ball of clayshoulddotheentirecarseveraltimesunlessyourpaint isverydirty. When the clay is look-ingprettygrimy,discarditandtearoffanotherpiece.Aneightouncebarshoulddoyourcar10 to15 times. Ifyouseeanylargechunksof tar,dirtorsapin the clay, pick them out. Ifyoudroptheclay,pickoutthechunks and discard them sotheydon't scratch thepaint. Ifyoucan't remove thegrit,dis-card thatpieceofclay.Whenyoustore theclay,put itbackintoitscontainer,sprayinafewsquirtsofSpeedShine®tokeepitmoist,andsealthelidtightly.

PaintCleaningClaycanalsobeusedwithour6"RandomOrbitalusingourPaintClean-ingClayPad.Thisallowsyoutogetgreatresultswithlesstimeandeffort.ThefoamportionofthepadholdsSpeedShine®andthecenterhasacut-outfortheclay.Simplyflattenouttheentireclaybar,place it in thecut-out,spray thepad,clayandtheareaonthecartobecleanedwithSpeedShine®.Placethepadinthemachineandset itonthepaint.Runthemachineonalowspeedsetting(1-2). It is important tokeepplentyoflubricationontheclayandsurfaceofthepadsotheclaymovesfreelyoverthepaint.Aftereachsection, remove theclay,knead itand repeattheprocessacrosstheentirecar.Again,workinsmallareasanddon'tallowtheSpeedShine®todryonthesurface.

PaintCleaningClayworksonanypaintedsurfaceandissafeforallcuredpaints.Youcanalsouseitonpaintedwheels,chromebumpers,hardplasticsandmetal trim.Onceyou'redonewiththeclayyou'renowreadytopolishoutanyscratchesorswirlmarksyouwanttoremove.Or,moveontowaxingifthesurfaceisscratchfree.

paint CleaninG ClaY

As the clay slides over your paint, it picks up contaminants that are stuck to the surface that even polish can't remove!

Spray Speed Shine® while rubbing the clay over the paint surface.

Clay shows contaminates removed.


3434

ExaminE your Paint

Therearemanymisconceptions regardingpolishingandwhatthetermmeans.Simply

put,whenyoupolish,youremoveverythinlay-ersofpaint.Tocompletelyremovescratches,itisnecessarytoremovethinlayersofpaintaroundthescratchdowntothesamelevelasthebaseof thescratch. Inmostcasesyouonlyneedtoremovemicronsofpaint,whichisn'tevenmea-surable.However,youneedtobecarefulwiththepolishesyouchoosesincemanypolishesonthemarketaremoreaggressivethanyouneed.This isdonetoreducetheamountofeffort toremovethescratch,whichisneverworthitwhenriskingyourpaint.Withourpolishes,especiallyMachinePolish3,thethicknessofpaintremovedisnotmeasurable,butyoucanseethescratches

disappear!Polisheshavevaryingdegreesofverysmallparticleswhichactlikethesandonsand-paper.Asthepolishmovesoverasurface,theseparticlesremovethematerial theyaremovingover. Ideally,youwantapolishwhich is juststrongenough toeliminateor reduce thevis-ibilityofthescratch.That'sit.Ifyourpolishistooaggressive,youremovemorepaintthanisneces-saryandriskputtingadditionalscratchesinthesurface.Youdon'thavetoworryabouttoomuch"paint removal"or "burning through"withourentireproductline.

Ourpolishesaresoldinvariousgradations.MachinePolish1isourmostaggressivepolish;however, it isabouthalftheabrasivenessfoundinotherpaintpolishes.It'sdesignedtoremoveheavyoxidationandscratches.MachinePolish2ismoremildthanMachinePolish1andisusedformoderatescratchesanddeeperswirlmarks.MachinePolish3, inmostcases, is themildestpolishyouwillneed. It removesswirlmarks,lightscratches, towelmarks,etc. IuseMachinePolish 3 more than any other polish. If you

step five

polisHinG…

Our Versatile 10X Magnifier makes it possible to see contaminants that are invisible with the naked eye.

Finger Tips And PalmUseyourfingertipswhenevaluatingthepaintsurface.Youhavemanymoresen-sorynervesherethanonthebackofyourhand.Ifyouhavealotofcontaminantsonthesurface,youwillfeelthemandhearanaudibledraggingnoisefromthepaint.

3535 Deep scratch through to primer. Nothing you can do except use touch up paint.

PrimerPaint


PrimerPaint


PrimerPaint


PrimerPaint

have dark colored paint, like black or red,MachinePolish4maybenecessarytoremovetheminute swirlmarks that areonlyvisibleonthosecolors. It is thefinestpolishweoffer(andthefinestpolishyouwillneed).Theabra-sivenessofourFineHandPolishfallsbetweenMachinePolish2andMachinePolish3dueto the fact thatyourhand isnotable toexertthesamepressureon thepaintasanorbitalcan.YoucanvarytheaggressionyougetwhenhandpolishingbyusingaCottonPolishPad(moreaggressive)oraOrangeFoamPolishPad(lessaggressive),butallofourMachinePolishesshouldbeappliedusingaRandomOrbitalandOrangeFoamPolishPad.

Scratchesaretinygroovesleftinthesurfaceofyourpaintandcomefromavarietyofsourc-es.Someofthesourcesare:dirtparticleswhichhavebeendraggedoverthesurfacewhilewip-ingdownthecarwithouttheproperamountoflubrication;hardobjectslikearticlesofclothingrubbedagainstthepaint;boxesleftonthefend-erortrunk;orthesimpleactofrubbingafingeroveradustydirtycar. Inferiorpolishes, (trustme,I'vetestedmany)whenrubbedbyhandormachine,canputmorescratchesintothepaintthanyouoriginallyhad!

Ifthescratchissodeepthatyoucanseetheprimerpaintormetal,or itgoes through theclearcoatontwostagepaint, theonlycorrec-tionis tousetouch-up paint. If thescratch isnotdeepbutcanbefeltwithyour fingernail, thebestwayistopolishthescratchinaper-pendicular motionto reduce the vis-ibilityof thescratch.(Essentially it isnotworth reducing thepaint thicknesstogetdowntothebaseof thescratchandeliminate itentirely.) If thescratchislessserious(swirlmarks,towelingmarksandautomaticcarwashscratches),theyareeasytoremove.The idea is to removeenoughpaintaroundthescratchsothebottomofthescratchisnowlevelwiththesurfaceofthepaint.

polisHinG

Our Random Orbitals make short work of removing light scratches and swirl marks; fast fun and easy!

If you've used other products which contain silicone and sealants, our polishes and waxes may not adhere to your paint or will appear hazy. Use Paint Prep to clean the surface.

Initial scratch before polishing and waxing.

For deep scratches to be less noticeable, round off the "V" and "fill" the crevice with wax.


3636

Why machinE PolishinG?

Thebestandsafestwaytopolishoutscratch-esor removeoxidizedpaint iswitha ran-

domorbitalmachine.Thisiswheremanyofyougetscared. Iknowwhatyou're thinking.Don'tmachinesput those terribleswirlmarks inmypaint?Yes, ifyouuse thewrongmachineandthewrongpolishes. I'vedevelopedasafe, fast,andfunsystemthatyoucan'tmessup.Butfirst,let'stalkaboutpolishingmachines.TheRandomOrbitals I sellareprofessionaldutymachines.They'reperfectfortheweekenduserorthepro-fessionaldetailer.Theyhaveenoughtorquesotheywon'tbogdownandstalllikeotherrandomorbitals,buttheydon'tgenerateenoughheattoburnthroughyourpaint.Directdrivepolishers,on theotherhand,are theonesyou'veheardall thehorrorstoriesabout.Theyarenormallyseen inpaintshopsandusedbyprofessionaldetailers.They rotate ina singleaction likeadrillandoperateunderhighheatandveryhighspeedconditions.Combine thiswithaheavy

polishand/orawoolorcottonbonnet (evena foampad!)and theywill removepaintveryquicklyandburnthroughthepaintinthinareasandedges.Youcanalsospot theworkofoneof thesemachinesby lookingat thesideofavehicleandseeinguniformbuffingmarksgoingdowntheside.Thepaint literallyhasuniformscratchmarkseverywhere.Theownerneverreallyseestheseswirlmarkswhenhepicksupthecarafteradetailingbecausetheyusefillersandglazestocover themup.Butafter thefirstwashtheglazesandfillersarewashedawayandtheswirlmarksappear!

OurRandomOrbitalsoperate inanorbit-ingmotionwhilealsospinningaround.Evenat thehighestspeedsetting, thesystemIhavedevelopedovertheyearsiscompletelysafe.You

step five ContinueD

polisHinG…

We also offer 3" and 6" Pneumatic Random Orbitals for those of you lucky enough to have a compressed air system in your garages.

Our Random Orbitals are a safe, fast and fun way to improve the depth and clarity in your paint.

Our Random Orbitals operate in an orbiting motion while also spinning around.

3737

canstillscratchpaintwithanorbitalmachineifyouusethewrongbonnetandproducts.Withmyspeciallydesignedfoampadsandmyextra-gentlemicropolishesyoucanenjoyalltheben-efitsofmachinepolishingwithouttheworryofscratchesorswirlmarks.Lesslabor,betterresults.Itismyopinionthatthereisnoanothermethod,byhandormachinethatcanperfect thepainttothelevelthatourRandomOrbitalSystemcanachieve.Period.

safE machinE PolishinG

Centerthefoampadontheorbital'sbackingplateandpressdownfirmlysothepadis

securedtothemachine.Applypolishontothepadandspreaditaroundlikeyouwouldbutterapieceofbread.Cover thewholepadevenlywitha thinamountofpolish. I like touse thedomecaponthebottletospreadmypolish,butyourfingerworksaswell.Youdon'tneedalotofpolish. Ifyourpolish issplatteringwhen inuse,you'veputwaytoomuchpolishonto thepad.Placethepadonthepaintsurface,setthemachine tospeed4and turnon themachine.Startingintheupperlefthandcorner,spreadthe

polishacrossa2' x 2' sectionin a cross-hatch pattern.The first passshould spreadt h e p o l i s hacross yourworking areaw h i l e a l s oworking someof the polishinto your pad.

Then, if neces-sary, increasethe speed to5 . Po l i sh ingspeedswillvarybased on thesurface condi-tion, productandpadyouareusing,soadjustaccordinglytofindwhatworksbestonyourvehicle. I've found that inmostcases, speeds4and5arebest forpolishing.Continuepolishinguntil theproducthasbeenevenlydistributedacrosstheareaandhasalmostdisappearedorifthepolishstartstodryoutandbecomechalky(you'llstarttoseeadust).Thisisusuallybetween6and8totalpassesofthecross-hatchpattern.Applyanevenamountofpressureto themachineso theentirepad is touchingthesurfaceof thecar.For themajorityofyourpolishingyouwillonlyneeda lightamountofpressure,butyoumaypressdowninareasthatneedmorepolishing.Whenyouhavefinishedpolishing,turnoffthemachinewhileitisstillonthepaintandliftoffthepaintasitslowsdown.Don'tliftthemachineoffthepaintwithoutturn-ingitofforyoumaysprayproductallovertheplaceoryourfoampadmayflyoffthebackingplate.Gentlybuff theexcesspolishoff thesur-faceusingaclean,MicroFiberPolishRemovalCloth.Theseclothsareultrasoftandhavealongnapsotheyliftandholdthepolishawayfromthesurfaceasyouremove it. If thepolishhasdriedandisdifficulttoremove,donotusemorepressure.AlightmistingofPre-WaxCleanserorSpeedShine®willsoftenituptoaidinremoval.

choosinG thE riGht Polish

Even though my polishing system iscompletelysafe,itisalwaysbesttoonlydo

asmuchpolishingasnecessary.Thiswillavoidwastingproductandtime,aswellassavingyourpaintfromneedlesspolishing.Beginwithaverymildpolish;IalmostalwaysstartwithMachinePolish3.(TheonlyexceptioniswhenI'mwork-

polisHinG

Our Orbitals have variable speed motors. Polish at level four to five. Wax at two to three.

Working in this pattern ensures you get complete coverage. Overlap the areas you are pol-ishing so the results are even.

Our high-quality 3" Pneumatic Random Orbital.


3838

ingonadarkcoloredcarwithveryfewimper-fections.ThenIstartwithMachinePolish4.)

AfteryourfirstapplicationofMachinePolish3,examinethesurfaceclosely. If thescratchesaren'tgoneyoumayneedanotherapplication,butalwaysstartwithMachinePolish3.It is thefinalpolishthatwillremovemanyimperfections.Ifyouwouldliketoremoveevenmoreimperfec-tions,useMachinePolish3onemoretime.Itisthemostfool-proofwayofpolishingyourpaint.WhenyoustartwithMachinePolish3,italsoletsyouevaluatewhattypeofpaintyouhave.Evenwithallofmyyearsofexperience,IneverstartoffwithMachinePolish1or2.Why?Becausepaintsvary inhardness.Softerpaintsareeasytopolishandyou'llnoticeadramatic improve-mentwith justonepassofMachinePolish3or4.Ultra-hardpaintsmayrequireyoutoincreasethespeedandbeardownhardertoremoveswirlmarks.

Sometimesyoumayneed touseMachinePolishes1and2 fordeepscratchesorheavilyoxidizedpaint.Whenusingtheseproductsyoumayseeminutescratches in thepaintcausedfromthegranulesofabrasive.This isnormal.

Remember, to removea scratch,youhave togetdowntothebottomofthescratch,andthatmeans removingpaint (micronsata time) inthesurroundingarea.Toomuchpolishingwilleventuallyremoveclearcoatsand/orbasecoatsso watch what you're doing, especially withMachinePolishes1and2.AfterpolishingwithMachinePolish1or2,alwayswork insucces-sion,finishingwitheitherMachinePolish3or4.Forexample, ifyoupolishwithMachinePolish1,followupwithMachinePolish2,thenMachinePolish3.

Fornewcarfinishes,orshowcarsthathavetowelingmarksandlightswirls,MachinePolish4isthepolishtouse.MachinePolish4hasultra-finepolishgranulesencapsulatedintoaformulawithmorelubricitytopolishanytypeofpaint.MachinePolish4isthesafestpolishontheplan-etandwasspecificallydesignedfornearflawlesspaint.YoumayalsouseitafterMachinePolish3,butinmostcasesitisreallynotnecessary.

Afterpolishing,itisalwaysnecessarytofol-lowupwithawaxorsealant.Polishingwillper-fectyourfinish,butwillnotprotect it fromthefuturescratchesorharmfulelements.IpreferourBestofShowWax®orourCarnaubaWaxStickfor incredibledepth,colorandclarityandourPaintSealant for long lastingprotection.Con-tinueontothenextsectiononWaxingtolearnmoreabouttheseproductsandtheirapplication.

step five ContinueD

polisHinG…

Our Orange Foam Polish Pad is dense enough to hold the polish close to the paint surface while still being gentle enough as to not damage the paint.

Watch That CordWhenusingamachineorbitalpolisher,drapethecordoveryourshouldersoasnottodragitoveryourvehicle'spaint.Keepbothhandsonthemachineatalltimesandalwaysstart&stopthemachinewiththepadonthepaintsurface.

3939

machinE buffinG

Foryearsyou'vebeenaskingmeforawaytobuffpolishfromyourpaint'ssurfaceby

machine. I'mhappytosay thisbonnetsystemusingourBlueSupportPadandmicrofiberPol-ishRemovalBonnetsworksgreat.Thissystembuffstheexcesspolishfromyoursurfaceeasily,leavingyourarmfreshforotherthings.

Begin by placing the Blue Support PadontoyourmachinesbackingplateandwrapaPolishRemovalBonnetover thepad.Placethemachineontoyourpaint,set it tospeed4andturniton.Workthebonnetacrossareatoremoveabout95%of thepolishfromthesur-face.Forafinaldetailandtoremovethatlast5%,lightlymistPre-WaxCleanserorSpeedShine®andbuffwitha Micro Fiber Polish RemovalCloth.Thiswillleaveyourpaintcleanandreadyforwaxorsealant.

YourPolishandWaxRemovalBonnetscanbemachinewashedandcaredforjustlikeallofyourmicrofibertowels.Seethecareinstructionsonpage60ofthisHandbook.

polisHinG

Polish Removal Bonnet fits over Blue Support Pad.

Wax Removal Bonnet fits over Blue Support Pad.

Blue Support Pad.

Polish (and wax) removal can also be done using our Blue Support Pad and Removal Bonnets.


4040

step five ContinueD

polisHinG…hand PolishinG

Ifyouarestillconcernedaboutusinganorbitalandyouchoosetohandpolishtheentirecar,

theprocessis thesame.UseourOrangeFoamPolishPadsfornormalpolishingorourCottonPolishPadformoreaggressivepolishingalongwithourFineHandPolish. Ifyouareworkingonsofterpaintoradarkercoloredcar,Ialwaysrecommend using foam sincecotton canbea bit too aggressive and may leave behindmicroscratches.

Again,usethepolishsparingly,workinsmallareasanduse thecross-hatchmethod. Ifyou

haveadeepscratch,the best way toremove it is topol-ishitoutusingper-pendicular strokesover the length ofthe scratch. Thechallengewithhandpolishingis tokeepthe pressure evenand the coveragethorough. As with

machinepolishing,becarefularound trim toavoidgettingthepolishincracks,onrubberorinseals.Asyouwork,thepolishshouldalmostdis-appear.Ifyou'rewipingoffalot,youarewastingproductandmakingthejobmuchtoohard.

Takeyourtimewhenworkingbyhand.It'shardworkandeasy togetabit tired, thusmissingareas.Work insmall sections. Ifyou'rework-ing on heavily oxidized paint, keep severalcleanpolishingpadshandyandkeep turningyourcloths,workingwithcleanareas.Alwaysremovepol-ishbefore itdries.Unlikewax,thereisnoreasontoallowpolishto dry. Therubbing iswhat doesthe work.Drypolishisveryhardtoremove.Ifitdoesdry,alightmistingofPre-WaxCleanserorSpeedShine®willsoftenitup toaid in removal.Youcangetexcellent

resultsbyhand,butdon'tthink you will remove

everyswirlmark.Thetimeinvolved and the effort, isjust toogreat.There isstillno better way to a per-fect finish thanwithour

MachinePolishingSystem.

Our 3" Orange Foam Polish Pad is perfect for tight spaces and tricky curved areas.

Orange Foam Polish Pad.

Cotton Polish Pads.

Clean and condition paint after polishing and before waxing or sealing with our Pre-Wax Cleanser.

4141

polisHinG

sPEcial carE for clEar coat Paint

Mostnewcarsandmanyrestoredoldercarsarefinishedwithaclearcoatpaint.Inthe

past, the final layeroncarswasapigmented,singlestage,oilbasedpaint.Whenpolishingthiskindofpaintyouwereworkingonthepigmentandsawitcomeoffonyourpadsandpolishingcloths.Itgaveyousomeworkingroomandyoucouldseeexactlywhateffectyourpolishwashavingonyourpaint'sfinish.

Newer technologypaintsarewaterbasedfor environmental reasons and are much

harder. This is nor-mally referred to astwo stage paint. Thefirstcoat(ontopofaprimer,ofcourse), isthecolorcoat.This isprotectedbyathickerlayer of clear poly-urethaneorurethanepaint,providingpro-tectionandgloss.Thecolor layer is verythin while the clearcoat ismuch thickerto provide the pro-tection while givingyourvehicleaglossylook. Many clearcoats contain a UVprotectiontostopfad-

ing.Whileclearcoatsprovideagreatlook,theyshowscratchesmorethanasinglestagefinish.Why?Thinkofitlikescratchingapieceofglass.Everypitandscratch isnoticeable,especiallyinblack.

Ifyoudon'tknowifyourvehiclehasclearcoatorsinglestagepaintyoucan testbyrub-bingwithawhiteclothandpolishonanout-of-the-wayarea.Ifcolorcomesoff,it'snotclearcoated.Themost importantthingtorememberwithclearcoatsistoavoidstrongabrasives.Thisincludesstrongpaintcleanersandabsolutelynorubbingcompounds!

Paint GlazE

GlazesareaproductIavoidedforalongtimebecauseI'mof themind-set that it isbet-

ter toremovethe imperfection thantocover itup.And, frankly, Icouldn't findaglazeI liked.However,Ifinallydevelopedaglazethatworksgreatand fills thevoid inyourdetailingarse-nal forolderpaintswhereyoudon'twant toremoveanymorepaint,evenifit ismicrons,orfor timeswhen removingscratchesmay takemore time thanyouhave.PaintGlazecanbeappliedwithourRandomOrbitalsorbyhandusingourOrangeFoamPolishPadsandbuffedwith ourMicro Fiber Polish Removal Cloths.

Theapplicationprocessissimilartopolishing.Applyitsparingly,butyoucanlayerit inmultiple

coatstohidemoreimperfec-tions.Also,aglazecanbeappliedbeforeorafterwax-ingorsealing.Justremem-ber,glazeswillwearawayafterafewwashes,soonlyuseglazewhenpolishingisn'tpossible orasa finalprepbeforeashow.

color coat 1-2 mil

PrimEr 2 mil

mEtal 20 mil

Single Stage Paint.

clEar coat 2-3 mil

color coat 1-2 mil

PrimEr 2 mil

mEtal 20 mil

Clear coat protects the color coat. Careful polishing is required so damage does not occur to the clear coat.

Paint Glaze is designed to hide deeper scratches and swirl marks and is especially helpful for single-stage paint.

Get your car care arsenal all lined up and ready to have some fun. No matter how old or new your vehicle is, you can keep it in perfect condition and have a ton of fun in the process.


4242

step six

WaxinG & sealinG…

ProtEctinG your Paint

Waxingorsealingyourvehicleisanimpor-tant part of preserving its appearance.

Withpropercare, thereisnoreasonwhyorigi-nalfactorypaintcan't last theentirelifeofyourvehicle.Thegoalistoprotectthepaint'ssurfacewhileprovidingcolor,depthandclaritysothepaintlooksstunning.

Acarnaubabasedwaxisstillthebestchoice.But, ifyouonlyhave time towaxyourvehi-cleonceayear,asealant is thebetterchoice.CarnaubawaxcomesfromtheBrazilianplant,

Copernica Cerifera, which isfarmed for its vegetablefattypeofwax.Thiswax

coats theleavesandactu-allyswellswhenitgetswet.

Thisallowsanymoisture torollofftheleafandbedirected

downinto theplant's rootsys-tem.Italsopreservesanymois-turewithintheleaffromevapo-

rating.In itsrawform,carnaubaisashardasarockandneedsnaphtha,petroleumdistillates

andotheroilstomakeit intoaworkableliquidorpaste form.Those thatadvertise "100%Car-naubaWax"arebeingless thantruthfulas thatwouldeithercomeintheformofabrick(andashardasone,too)orintheflakeform.(Theflakesarestill rockhardandunable tobeappliedtopaint.)

Thebarriercreatedbyacarnaubabasedwaxnaturallyprotectsyourpaint fromtheharmfulUVraysfromthesun,whichisprobablythemostharmfulele-mentout there.Thoughnoth-ingcancreateashieldagainstacidrainandtoxicbirddrop-pings,ourcarnaubabasedwaxesdoprovideenoughof a barrier for you toremove these unwantedforeigndepositsquicklybeforethey cause damage to your paint.Withitsdenseproperties,themaximumamountofcarnaubayoucanputintoawaxisabout50%.Anymoreandtheproductbecomestoohardtoapplyandbuffonceithasdried.Ourwaxescon-tainthemaximumamountofcarnaubapossiblewhileprovidingexcellentbuffingcharacteristics.

Carnaubawaxisoneofnature'smostcom-plicatedcompounds. Itselementsaresocom-plexthatman,inhisinfinitewisdom,stillhasnotbeenabletoduplicateit.However,notallofushavetimetowaxourcars3to4timesperyearasrecommendedforwax,soIdevelopedacouplesynthetic,polymer-basedsealants thatgooneasy,lookgreatandlastuptoafullyearwithoutneedingtobereapplied.Thesearegreatfordailydrivers, trucksandSUVsorevenboats, sincethesealantwillwithstandtheharshweatheringmuchbetterthanacarnaubawax.

Allofourwaxesandsealantsarecompatiblewitheachother,soyoucanlayeroneontopoftheotheranddonotneedtoworryaboutstrip-pingthesurfaceshouldyoudecidetousewaxduringtheSpringandSummerandsealantdur-ingtheFallandWinter.

Carnauba wax flakes

4343

WaxinG & sealinG

Wax or sEalant?

WhichproductshouldIselecttoprotectmyvehicles?Startbyaskingyourself some

of thesequestions: Is thismybelovedweek-enddriver,showcar,crazy-in-love-withcar,orisitmydailydriverthattakesalotofabuse?DoIhavetimeeveryquarter towaxmycar,ordoIonlyhave justenoughtimetowashanddryitonceor twiceamonth?Do Iparkoutsidemostofthetime,oristhecarparkedindoorsatworkandathome?DoIcheatandgothroughacarwasheveryonceinawhile,ordoIhandwashmyvehiclesall thetime?DoIexpect thefinish tobeperfect, swirl-freewith incredibledepth,colorandclarity,oramIwillingtohaveaglossyfinishwiththemajorityoftheswirlmarksremoved?Onceyou'veansweredthesequestionsforyourcar,evaluateourdifferentwaxandseal-antoptionstoseewhichoptionfitsyourgoalsgiventhefinishyouwanttoachieveandthetimeyoucancommit.

carnauba WaxEs

Carnauba waxes are ideal if you want toachieve thebest finish foryourpaintand

have time to apply wax 3 or 4 times a year,park thecar indoorsathome,

useacarcoveratwork,andyouneverrun it throughanautomaticcarwash.Bestof

ShowWax®hasincredibledepth,color,andclarity.Inaddition, italsohasabetterfillingcapabilitytohideany imperfectionsyoumayhavenotbeenable to remove whilepolishing.Itcontinuestobe thepremierwaxontheconcours lawn.OurCarnaubaWaxStickpro-videsabrightshineandmaximum protectionwhilebeingveryeasyto

applyandbuff.Excellent

foracaryoulovethatgetsdrivenoftensinceithasalastingfinish.Plus,thestick-stylecontainerallowsforapplicationonanysizepad.OurPre-miumCarnaubaPasteWaxhassimilarcharac-teristics of the stickin terms of bright-nessandprotection,but itshydrophobictechnology is whatreally sets it apart.The water beadsactually curve intothemselves reduc-ing surface contactandforminga "non-wettable"surface thewaterglidesrightoffof.Eachofourwaxeshasuniquecharacteristicstoallowyoutousetheidealproductforapplication,butallwillgiveyouexcellentshineandprotectionforyourbelovedautomobile.

Paint sEalants

Oursealants focuson lastingprotection,yetstill

provide a high gloss finishyou'll only have to applyonceortwiceayear.Per-fect forcars that takeabeatingfromdailydriv-ing, being parked out-side, theoccasional tripthrough a drive troughcarwash,orwhenyousimply don't have timeto wax your car often.Our Paint Sealant canbe applied by hand ormachine; just like ourwaxes. Itgoesoneasyand isabreeze tobuff.One-StepSealant issimi-lar to our Paint Sealantbuthasasmallamountof

Our Premium Carnauba Paste Wax is hydropho-bic for superior protec-tion and water-beading.

Paint Sealant provides long-term protection for your everyday driver.


4444

step six ContinueD

WaxinG & sealinG…

Working in this pattern ensures you get complete coverage. Over-lap the areas you are waxing so the results are even.

polish toclean thepaintandhelpremoveswirlmarks, soitisappliedlikeourpolishes.Bothsealantsprovidecom-

parable protection, butOne-StepSealantshouldbeused ifyouskippedthepolishing stageandwant to remove somelight swirl marks whileyou apply the sealant.Plus, if you follow upwithSpray-OnWaxaftereachwashyoucanrelax,knowing that you'redoing the right thing intermsofprotectingyourpaintforthosedailydriv-encarsandSUVsinsteadofignoringthem.

PrE-Wax clEansEr

Professional detailers haveknown for years that you

should clean and conditionthepaintafterpolishingand

before applying wax orsealant. Minute pol-ish residuecanremainon the paint surfaceandmaybedifficult toremove. I developedthisPre-WaxCleansersoyoucansafely,quicklyand easilyprepare thepaint surface toaccept

waxorsealant.Madefromacarefullyblendedcombinationofcitrusoilandsurfactants,soitwon'tharmthepaintandisfastandeasytouse.SimplysprayandwipedrywithourMicroFiberPolishRemovalCloths.

WaxinG With a random orbital

There isnobetterway toapplyourwaxesandsealants thanwithourRandomOrbit-

als.Theaddeddepthandevennessofcolorandclarityareunsurpassed.Imaginebeingabletogooveraparticularareaaboutonehundredtimesmore thandoing itbyhand.Applyingwaxbymachineallowsyou to "burnish" thewax intoeverypaintpore,soyourwaxprotectionwilllastatleasttwiceaslong.

Start by centeringa Red Foam Wax Padonthemachine'sback-ingplateandpressingitintoplace.Pouranickelsizeamountofwaxorsealant on the centerof thepad (you don'tneedmuch).Ifyouareusing our CarnaubaWaxStickorPremiumCarnauba Paste Wax,spreadathincoatofwaxacrossthebottomofthepad. Ifyouapply toomuchproduct intoyourpaditwillbedifficulttothinoutduringapplica-tionresultinginunevenapplicationanddifficultywhenbuffing.Placethepadontothepaintsur-face,setthespeedto2andturnonthemachine.Sinceyouwantyourwaxtodry,youcanworkin larger sec-t i o n s t h a nyoudidwhenpolishing.Nor-mally, I startwith half of ahood. Start inthe upper lefthand cornerandworkyourwayacrosstheareainacross-hatch pattern.

Apply waxes evenly to the red pad to achieve the best results.

For slight swirl marks, One-Step Seal-ant contains a polish to seal and protect while it polishes.

4545

Micro Fiber Wax Removal Cloths or 100% Cotton Buffing Cloths work perfectly to buff wax.

You can eliminate a lot of work by taking off the wax with our Wax Removal Bonnet and our Random Orbital. Use two or three bonnets during the process so not to allow too much wax to build up on the bonnet.

Your firstpass isprimarily tobeginspreadingthewaxacross thearea.Fromthere, I increasethespeedto3andcontinueworkingacrosstheareainthecross-hatchpatternuntilthewaxhasbeenspreadsothinyoucanbarelyseeit.Asyouworkusealightamountofpressureallowingtheweightandmotionofthemachinedothework.Ifyouarehavingdifficultythinningthewaxout,gradually increasetheareayouareworkinginuntilyouareabletoproperlythinoutthewax.Onceyouare finished, turnoff themachinewhileitisstillonthepaintandliftitoffthepaint.Don'tliftthemachineoffthepaintwithoutturn-ingitofforyoumaysprayproductallovertheplaceoryour foampadmay flyoff theback-ingplate.Onceyou've finishedapplyingwaxwithyourRandomOrbital,youmaystillneedtohandwaxsometightareaswhereour6"and3"RandomOrbitalscannotreach—likebumpers,grills,spoilersandaroundtrim.Whendoingthis,besuretooverlaptheareassoyougetcompletecoverage.

Byworkingtheproduct intothepanelandthinningitout,youwon'tbetakingoffasmuchwithyourtowelandyourelbowgreasewillbereducedsubstantially.Allow thewax tocom-pletelycureandbufftheexcesswithourMicroFiberWaxRemovalCloth.Curetimevariesbased

ontheproductandenvironment.WithourBestofShowWax®andCarnaubaWaxStick,itisusu-allyaboutafewhours.OurPremiumCarnaubaPasteWaxcancureinaslittleas10to15minutes.If therearespotsthataredifficult tobuff,don'trubhard.Instead,withBestofShowWax®ortheCarnaubaWaxStick,mista littleSpray-OnWaxordistilledwaterontheareatohelpsoftenthedriedwaxandmakeremovaleasier.WithPre-miumCarnaubaPasteWaxsimplyapplyaquickcoatofwaxrightontothedriedwaxandbuffimmediately.

machinE buffinG

Youcanalsouseyourorbital tobuffwax!OurWaxRemovalBonnetsaremadewith

ahigh-loftmicrofiberandwork likeattachingoneofourMicroFiberWaxRemovalClothstoyourorbital(seedpage39).CenteracleanBlueSupportPadontheorbital'sbackingplateandfirmlypress intoplace.WraptheWaxRemovalBonnetoverthepad,settheorbitaltospeed4,placethemachineonthepaintandturnonthemachine.Workthemachinebackandforthand

WaxinG & sealinG


4646

step six ContinueD

WaxinG & sealinG…allowthemachinetoremovenearly90%ofthewaxresiduefromyourpaint.You'llstillneedtofollowupwithalightbuffingbyhand,butitwillsignificantlyreducetheamountofwork.Also,it isbest tohaveabottleofSpray-OnWaxordistilledwatercloseathandsincemuchofwhatisleftoverisdriedwax.AlightmistandaquickbuffwithyourMicroFiberWaxRemovalClothwillremovethosespotswithease.

hand WaxinG

Again,preparationiskeytowaxing.Youwant tobesure thatyou'reapplyingwax toa

cleansurface. Ifyouseeanythingother thanwaxonyourpadduringapplication,youhaven'tcleanedproperly.Wash,clayandwax. In thatorder. Ifyouneedtoremoveswirlmarks, thenpolishbetweentheclayandwaxsteps.

ForhandwaxingwithBestofShowWax®,CarnaubaWaxStick,PremiumCarnaubaPasteWaxandPaintSealant,applywithaRedFoamWaxPad.Cottonpadsorcottonclothsworkbutthesearemoreaggressive,soakupmoreprod-uct (creatingwaste)andmayactually inducesmallmicroscratches.Besureyourpaintsur-face isdryandcool.Applyasmallamountofwaxtoyourpadandwipe iton ina thincoatusingthecross-hatchpattern.Alittlegoesalong

way, so usesparingly.Asyou applyt h e wa x ,i t shouldb e g i n t odisappear.If you arehaving dif-ficulty thin-ning it out,g r a d u a l lyincreasethesectionyouareworkingon.Normally,eachsectionshouldbe about half of a hood. As with RandomOrbitalapplication,allowthewaxtosetupandcure, thenbuffusingacleanMicroFiberWaxRemovalCloth.

WaxinG tiPs & tricks

If you are having a problem with hazing,smearingoradulllookafterremovingexcess

wax,herearesome tips tohelp.Hazingusu-allyhappenswhenyou'veapplied toomuchwaxunderahighhumidityconditionandthemoisture iscaughtunderneath the fastdryingcarnaubawax.Thepaint's temperature,beingcoolerthantheoutsideair,speedsupthispro-cessbyallowingthetopof thewaxtohardenquicker. If thishappens toyou,youshould let

Foam applicator pads are the safest way to apply wax, provide a nice even layer and waste less product, too.

A 3" Red Foam Wax Pad is ideal for small areas and around trim.

Our Comfort Grip 6" Pad Holder makes hand waxing easy.

4747

Before After

thewax fullysetupmorebeforeremoving it.Anotherwaytodealwith it is tokeepabottleofSpray-OnWaxorSpeedShine®handy.Spritzthesurfaceandwipeitwithadry,cleanMicroFiberWaxRemovalCloth.Theexcesswaxwilladheretothedropletsandbecarriedawaywiththecloth.Ifneitherofthesetipswork,ithasbeenmyexperiencethatthepainthasapaintsealantorasilicone-basedsyntheticwaxon it that iscausinga reactionwith thenaturalcarnauba-basedwaxes. If thisoccurs,youmuststripofftheoldpaintsealantorsiliconebasedsyntheticwaxwithPaintPrepbeforeapplyingoneofourwaxesorsealants.SeethesectiononPaintPreponpage13ofthisHandbook.

Ifyouwanttoenhancethedepthandclar-ity,applyseveralcoatsofwax.Alloweachcoattocureforat least12hours. Inpreparationforaconcoursevent, IonceputsixcoatsofourBestofShowWax®onafinish.Another trickistoputaverythinlayerofwaxonandlet itsetupfor3hours.Then,withoutwipingitoff,go

backover thedrywaxwithanother layerofwetwaxbyhand or with our RandomOrbital.Allowittohaze,thenbuff.Whilethismakesforalotofwork, the finishwillbethickandrockhard.

One of the most fre-quentlyaskedquestionswegethereatGriot'sGarageis,"HowdoIremovedriedonwaxfrommytrim?"Whileitisbesttoavoidthisproblemall togetherandmaskyourtrimwithpainter'smaskingtapebeforeyoustartdetailing,ourDried-OnWaxRemover isspecially formulatedtodissolvedriedwaxso you can easilywipe itaway.Applytheproductdirectlyto the trim using aclothorspongeandwipeawaywithaclean,drycloth.Heavyamountsofdriedwaxmayrequiremultipleapplications.

sPray-on Wax

Spray-OnWaxisjustthat.Itismeanttogetyoufromwashtowashwithsomeadditionalpro-

tectionandgloss.Itisnotmeanttoreplaceyournormalwaxorsealant.Thinkofitasabasewaxenhancer.Whenusedona regularbasisaftereachwash,youwillbeable toextendthe lifeofyournaturalwaxesandsealants.Applyittoadampcarthathasjustbeenwashed.MistSpray-OnWaxacross thesurface(thewaterdropletsonthecarwillhelpcarryitintoallthecorners),thenasyoutoweldry thecar, thewaxwillbeworked into thesurfacecreatinganadditionallayerofprotection.

WaxinG & sealinG

A slick wax removal trick!AfterusingBestofShowWax®onyourvehicle'spaint,letitsetup.Then,onceit'sdry,sprayalittleSpray-OnWaxontothedriedwaxandeasilywipeofftheexcess.

Takes the difficulty out of removing dried-on wax

Use our Palm Grip 3" Pad Holder for compound curves and harder-to-reach areas when waxing.


4848

step seven

DressinG & Details…

Use Vinyl & Rubber Dressing on plastics, vinyl and rubber finishes. A little goes a long way and applica-tion is easy with our Blue Detail Sponge.

Vinyl & Rubber Dressing Wipes are perfect for the controlled application of Vinyl & Rubber Dressing on window and door seals.

Onceyou'redonewaxing,thenextstepistodressthevinyl,rubber,andplastictrimand

makesureyouhaven'tmissedanyoftheeasilyforgottenspots likethegrooves inyourgrillorchrometrim.Thesetipswillsetyouapart fromtherestandputthatfinaltouchonyourvehicle.

vinyl and rubbEr drEssinG

Therubber sealsaroundwindows,doors,doorhandles,andmirrorsareexposedto

theenvironmentandwillbe the first thing todeteriorate—longbeforeyourpaint.Thechalkywhiteappearanceorbrowndullingof rubberindicateslackofcareandattention.OurVinyl&

RubberDressingremainsdry to the touch justminutesafterapplication.Mostotherdressingswill remaingreasyandattractdustanddirt forupto24hours!Ourproductiswater-basedandsafe forall rubberandplastic trim.Sincemostof theseplaceswerecleanedduringyourcarwashingstep,I'lltalkspecificallyaboutdressingtechniques.Whenapplyinganydressing,alwaysapplytheproductontotheapplicatorthenusethattoapplyitontothetrim.Neverspraydress-

ingsdirectlyonthevehicleasthiswillresult inunevenapplicationandthedressinggettingintounwantedareas.

For large areas of hard plastic molding,trim,bumpersorgrillwork,applyVinyl&Rub-berDressingwithaBlueDetailSponge.Thesesponges hold the product on the surface toreducewasteandallowforperfectapplication.They'vebeenslicedonthesidesforbettergripandcontrolandkeepdressingoffyourfingers,too!Tighterspacesrequireadditionalcreativity.AgoodoptionisourDetailingStickSystemtousewithourdetailingsocks.Ourpre-saturatedVinyl&RubberDressingWipesareagreatalternativeifyouwanttoavoidusingyourgoodclothsforapplyingdressing. If thoseoptionsarestill toobigforsomeofthenooksandcranniesonyourcar,ourFoamSwabsmakeaperfectapplicator.Dip theswabdirectly into theVinyl&RubberDressingandapply.

Plastic bumPErs and trim

Manycarssincetheearly1980shaveporousplasticbumpersand trimwhichdryout

over timeandcan turngrayorchalkydue tosunexposure,dirt,oils,siliconeladendressings,and/orgrime.IfVinyl&RubberDressingdoesn'thelp, try our Bumper &Trim Reconditioner.

4949

Thisisagreatproduct formakingtheseareas looknew again.

Itworksasapaint todarkentheplastic.Cleanthe area to be reconditioned with our Paint

Prep,dryandapply.Theshoepol-ishapplicatormakes itmess-free.Allow it todryandyou'redone.

Withsevereconditions,youmayneed to apply a second coat

foradark,even look.Maintain yourreconditionedbumper withVinyl&RubberDressing.

carinG for chromE and barE mEtal

Whenchromecomesback fromtheplat-ers thereareabsolutelynoswirlmarks

in it.Yet, it'seasy toputswirlmarks in itwithpolishesthataretooabrasive.Ifyourchromeisswirl-freeanddoesnothaveanyrustpitsorcor-rosionsettingin,useMetalPolish. Itsabrasive-free formulacleanschemically toprovide thesafestwaytoremovestubbornresiduethatacarwashingcan't.Usingametalpolishwithabrasivewill leaveswirlandbuffingmarksinotherwiseperfectchrome.OurMetalPolishalsoworksto

restore pitted chrome,remove rust specksandto restore chrome thathas been neglected. Toapply, clean the surfacefirstwithCarWash.UseaWhiteFoamMetalPol-ishingPad,100%CottonClothor100%CottonDisposableWipes.ApplyMetalPolishandwipegently,frequentlyturningyourcloth.Don'tallowthepolishtodry.Useaclean,drycloth to removeanyexcesspolish.Workinsmallareas.Useahorse-hairbrushtoremoveexcesspolishfromcracksandseams.FollowupwithBestof Show Wax®, Carnauba Waxor Paint Sealant to protect thesurface.

Need to clean a very dirtymetal surface? Use our MetalCleaner.Simply sprayonto thesurface,allowittofoamandwipeoffwithacleancloth.Perfectforallmetalsurfacesonyourvehi-cle likeexhaust tipsandengineparts. In addition to cleaning,MetalCleaneralsoleavesbehindanon-stickycoatingthatprotectsthesurfacefromfingerprints.

DressinG & Details

Vinyl & Rubber Dressing is best applied with a Blue Detail Sponge or pop-up V&R Dressing Wipes.

With our 3" Metal Polishing Pads and 3" Random Orbital, you can easily polish chrome and other metal in preparation for a coat of wax.

Before After


5050

CleanglassissomethingI'vededicatedalife- timeofresearchandtestingontofindthe

rightproductsandprocess tomake thischoreeasywhileensuringperfectclarity.InthissectionI'llgiveyousometipsandtricksforcleaningaswellassomegreatwaystoremovewaterspotsandothercontaminants from yourwindowsleavingyouwithclear,haze-freeglass.

clEaninG Glass

Dirty,grimy,smudgyglass; it isapetpeeveofmineand, judgingbymanyof the let-

tersIreceive,it'syourconcern,too.Manyoftheplasticsusedintoday's interiorventastubbornchemical filmwhich,combinedwithoilsanddirtintheair,createahazeontheinsideofglass.Besidesbeingadrivinghazard, it's justnofunlookingthroughdirtyglass.

For crystal clear glass, start by spray-ing Window Cleaner or Foaming GlassCleaner on our Micro Fiber Window Clean-ingClothorLintFreeTowelandsaturating itwell. By spraying it on the towel, instead ofthewindow,you'll conserveproductand themist won't fall on your newly dressed dash,doors and seats. Wipe the window with thesaturatedtoweltoremoveall thedirt,hazeandothercontaminants.Then,usingasecond,drywindowcloth,wipethewindowdryremoving

anyremainingwindowcleaner.

Theexteriorwindowsshouldbe the lastthing you clean on the car. Spray WindowCleanerorFoamingGlassCleanerontoyourwindowcloth,saturating itwell.Thiswillcon-serveproductandkeep thecleaneroffyourpaint and trim.Wipe the windowcleanandfollowupwithasecond,drycloth justasyoudidon the inside.Whenyouaredoneclean-ingyourwindows, use thedampcloth, giveit a squirtofWindowCleaner,andwipe theedgesofyourwiperblades.Therubbertheyaremadeofisporousandtrapsoils,dirt,andgrime;smearing themonyourwindshield.TheWin-dowCleanerwillremovethisfromyourbladesallowing themtoworkbetter the n e x ttimeit rains.This littletipwillhelpkeepyourwindshield cleaner,keepyourwiperscleanandincreasetheir life.Icontinuetotestotherformulas and meth-ods, but there is stillnothing better thanour Window Cleanercombined with ourMicro Fiber WindowCleaning Cloths andLintFreeTowels.

O u r W i n d o wCleaner has no dyeorcover-upscent thatgets left behind onthe glass like other

Also available in a handy pop-up wipe.

step eiGHt

Glass CleaninG…

For faster and safe glass cleaning use Glass Polishing Pads on our Random Orbital.

Our crystal clear Window Cleaner and Lint Free Towels offer a solution for cleaning really dirty windows

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windowproducts. Inaddition, itdoesnotcon-tainammonia, so itwon'tdamageyour tintedwindows.Beingalcohol-based itcleanseffec-tivelyandevaporatesresiduehelpingtopreventhazingandstreaks.AndourLintFreeTowels?Theyarespunandwovenfrompolypropylene,creatinganidealwindowcloththatholdsmois-tureandwon'tbreakdownorrip.Youalreadyknowtheadvantagesofmicro fiber,butwith

Glass CleaninG

ourMicroFiberWindowCloths I'veusedanultratightweavetomakeiteasytoremoveallthewindowcleaner,dirtandhazewithout leavingstreaksbehind.Neitherofourtowelswill leavelintbehind.Papertowelsandnewspaper(grand-father'soldway)aremadewithglueswhichbreakdownwithcleanersandleavebehindglueresidueandpaper"lint".(Nottomentiontheinkfromnewspapergetsalloveryourhands.)Ifinkisgettingonyourhandsyoucanbetit'sleavingbehinda filmon theglassaswell.Makesureyouuseproperwindowclothswhencleaningyourglass. Itwillgiveyoubetterresults, fasterandeasier.

clEaninG tintEd Glass

Ifyourwindowsare tintedwith film(on the inside),useourPlasticCleaneranda100%

CottonBuffingCloth.Even thoughourWin-dowCleaner isammonia-freeandsafefor tint,ourPlasticCleaner isbetterbecauseaftermar-kettintfilmismadeofMylar,aplasticmaterial.Whencleaning tint,alwayswipegentlyas theMylarfilmwillscratcheasily.Don'tuseanyabra-siveproducts, likepolishonyourtintas itmaydamageit.

WindoW clEaninG tools

YouandIbothknowwindowcleaningcanbeachore,so

Idevelopedacouple toolstomake thisjob easierfor all of us.Startbyclean-ingyourwind-shield and rearwindowwithourWindowCleanerSet.Thistoolwasdesigned with

Our crystal clear Window Cleaner and Micro Fiber Window Cloths offer the best combination for fast, easy window cleaning.

Our Window Cleaner Set makes it easier to clean all parts of your windows.

Streaks Inside Or Outside?

Whencleaningyourwindows,wipe inadifferentdirectiononthe insidethanyoudoon theoutside. I like touse side-to-sideinsideandup-and-downoutside.Thatway, if thereareanystreaks leftbehind,you'llknowwhichsideof theglass theyareon.


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aspadeshapedheadon theendofahandletoallowyou togetall the "unreachable"areasofyourwindows.Thoseofuswith tinysportscarscan finallycleanour rearwindowswithease!The spade shapedheadacceptsmicrofiberbonnets forapplicationand removalofWindow Cleaner using the same process aspreviously recommended.Onceall the hardto reach areas are clean, finish cleaning therestofyourwindowswithLintFreeTowelsandourWindowBuddy.

Consistent,evenpressurewhenwipingyourwindowsiskeytostreakfreeglass.However,thisissomethingourhandsjustcan'tdo.Wrapyourtowelaroundthisusefultoolandwipeyourwin-dowsclean.Thesoft,pliablebackingwillformtothecurvesinyourwindowsapplyingconsistentpressurewitheverywipe.Twosimpletoolsthatwillendyourdirtywindowfrustrations.

Glass clEaninG clay

Clayworksgreat forcleaningany smooth surface, so using clay to remove water

spotsandotherbuildupfromyourwindowsisano-brainer.UseourGlassCleaningClayalongwithSpeedShine® just likeyouwouldonyourpaint. Inaddition to removing road filmsandwaterspottingbefore itetchesyourglass,hav-ingperfectlysmoothglasswillhelpyourwind-shieldwiperslastlonger.Afterclayingyourglass,always followupbycleaning itwithWindowCleanertomakesureallresidueisremoved.

step eiGHt ContinueD

Glass CleaninG…

Glass Cleaning Clay removes contaminants and road film residue so you can achieve perfectly clear glass.

Just wrap a Micro Fiber Window Cloth or Lint Free Towel around our Window Buddy, then quickly and easily clean your windows.

What's that film? Thatsmudgyfilmontheinsideofyourwindowsisfromalltheplasticsusedbyautomobilemanufacturersinsideyourvehicle.Yourbodyoils,over-applicationofinteriorcleanersanddressings,foodandsmokeallevaporateandsticktotheglass.Heataddstotheproblem.Trykeepingyourwindowscrackedoftentoreducethisannoyingproblem.

5353

Remove water spots and calcium deposits with our glass polishes.

For small areas 3" Glass Polish Pads are available.

Glass CleaninG

PolishinG Glass

If your windows have water spots on them, it is probably due to trace ele-

ments of calcium and other minerals leftbehindafterwaterevaporates. If leftuntreatedtoo long theseelementscanactuallyetch theglasspermanently. Ihaveacoupleofsolutionsforyou.GlassCleaningClaywill removemildwaterspotsandpick-upthesamecontaminantsthatattachthemselvestoyourpaint. If theclaydidn'tremovethemcompletelyourGlassPolishorFineGlassPolishwilldothetrick.

YoumayapplyeitherpolishwithadampTerryCottonPolishingPador, ideally,usingourRan-domOrbital andGlassPolishingPads.Workin small areas and wipe the majority of thepolishoffwithadampcloth, thenuseadryclothforfinalbuffing.AfinalpasswithWindowCleanershouldremoveanyremainingresidue.TheGlassPolishesworkbestwhenyourappli-catorpad isdamp,as it iswater-based. Ifyourglassispittedorhasdeepscratches,thesecannotberemovedwithpolish.I'veyettofindaproductwhichremovesscratchesinglass.GlassPolishesaresafeforglassbutshouldnotbeusedontint-

ing film whichisappliedtotheinside of win-dows. Alwaystestasmallareafirstbeforepol-ishingtheglassentirely. Therearesomewind-shields andmirrors thathave a thinplasticcoatingorabluetintingthatwillcomeofforscratch.

Glass sEalant

Whyshouldyourpaintgetall theprotec-tion?OurGlassSealantcreatesacrystal-

clearbarrierontheexteriorofyourglasstorepelwaterandincreasewetweathervisibility.Italsomakestheglasseasier toclean!Oncetheglassisclean,applyGlassSealanttoacleancottonormicrofibercloth,andapply to theglasscross-hatchpatternusingfirmpressure.Allowthefirstcoat tohazeandapplyasecondcoatrightontopusing thesamemethod.Oncethesecondcoathasdriedtoahaze,buffofftheexcesswithacleancloth.Greatforuseonallexteriorwin-dows;notjustyourwindshield!

trEatEd untrEatEd

Glass repels water for better vis-ibility with Glass Sealant on it.


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step nine

interiors…Onceyou've finished theexterior, it's time

tomoveinside.Thefirststepisacompletevacuuming.Startwith theheadliner if it'sa feltorfabricmaterial. Idon'tvacuumtheheadlinereverytime,but it'sworthdoingacoupletimes

ayear, ifonly toremovetheheadlice.Useabrushattachment tolightly pull outthedustanddirt.Too much suc-tioncouldcausethefabric topullorstretch.Don'tforget to cleanvents, dashes,consoles, and

othernooksandcrannies.Thewoodandplastictriminmostvehiclesiscoveredwithclearcoat,lacquerorpolyurethane,whichisveryeasytoscratch.OurBoarsHairDetailBrusheswillhelploosen thedust fromtheseareasbeforevacu-uming.Workingdown,attacktheseatsnext. Iftheseatsareleatherorvinyl,useoursoftBoar'sHairDetailBrushhereaswelltoloosenthedirtandcrumbsthataretrappedintheseams.For cloth seats, it'sbesttousetheNylonCarpetBrush togetthe fibers raised sothevacuumcanpullout more dirt anddust.Thefloormatsshouldbe removed,shaken,andthenthefibers roughedupabitwiththeNylonCarpetBrushsothevacuumcanpullupdebrisdeepdown.Ifanystainsorgreasespotsexist,spraysomeCarpetCleaneronthemandscrubwiththeNylonCarpetBrushorYellowScrubbingPads.Wipethespotwithadamptoweltoremoveasmuchof theclean-

erandforeignresidueasyoucan.Continuetocleananddrythespotwithadifferent,drytowel.Iprefer touseour100%CottonBuffingClothssincetheyarewhitesoIcanseehowmuchofthedirtIampullingup.Allowthefloormatsandcarpet toairdrybeforereturningthematstothevehicle.

At this point use ourMicroFiber InteriorClothsorMicroFiberCleaningPadsto completely wipe downthe restof the interior.TheMicro Fiber Cloths workgreatfordashes,seatbacksand doors, as they won'tleavebehindany lint.TheSheepskinWashMittalsomakesanexcellentduster.Themittdoesn't justpushdust and dirt around butgrabsandholdsontoit.Per-fectforthedashorrearwin-dowshelfwhereit'shardtoaccess the areas closest tothewindows.

clEaninG and carinG for vinyl and Plastics

Mostvehicleshavesomesortofvinylandplasticinthem.Newvehicleshaveallsorts

ofdifferentkindsofmaterialsbeingusedinthe

Everything you need to detail the interior of your car is in this great Interior Kit!

Concentrated Carpet Cleaner is excellent for removing stub-born stains.Soft Boar's Hair Detail

Brushes make for perfect vent and crevice clean-ing tools.

Our Yellow Scrubbing Pad works great on carpet & floor mats!

5555

The Nylon Carpet Brush is perfect for floor mats and carpets where a stiffer bristle is required.

interiors

interior.Whilebeingverydurable,thesesurfacesattractdustanddirtandholdon tooils fromyourskinandtheenvironment.Thankfully,theyareveryeasytoclean.Alwaystestasmallareafirstassomeofthesenewmaterialscanreacttocleaners.Forexample,theNissan350Zhasacol-orizedvinylheadliner,which,accordingtotheowner'smanual,cannotbecleaned.Alwaysreferto your owner's manualregardingcleaninginte-riorsurfaces.

Saturate a cleancotton cloth with ourInteriorCleanerorbetteryet,useourpre-saturatedInterior Cleaner Wipes.Wipe thesurface, turningtheclothfrequentlyasyouseetheclothgettingsoiled.RemovetheremainingInteriorCleanerwithaclean,dampcloth.Letthesurfaceairdryorwipeup theremainingmoisturewithadrytowel.FollowupbyapplyingVinyl&RubberDressingtoallvinylandplasticsurfacesinclud-ingthedash(onhardplastics,justcleananddonotdressordressverysparinglyasthesesurfac-

esdonotallowthe dressing topenetrate). Useit sparinglyandwork into thesurfacesoithasanicesatin fin-ish. You don'twant the vinyltoappearwetorshiny.Especiallyonthedashasitwill reflect lightonto the wind-shield,reducingvisibility. If you

areslippingaroundonyourseats,you'veputtoomuchdressingon.Avoidusingdressingonpedalsastheycanbecomeslipperyandcreatea

hazardouscondition.Simplycleanrubberpedalcoverswith Interior Cleaner andallow themtodry.

carinG for lEathEr

Therearetwotypesof leather:vat-dyedandspray-ondyedleather.Withvat-dyedleather,

thecolor isobtainedby immersing thehideindye.With thisprocess, thecolorpenetratescompletely throughthe leather.Withspray-ondyedleather,thecoloris"painted"on.Whilethisproducesamoreevencolor,someofthenaturalgrainofthehideislostandtheoveralllifeoftheleather isdiminished.Normallyaspray-ondyewillwearoffatthestresspoints.(Youmaythinkthisisjustdirtbuildup,butoncloseinspection,thepainted-ondyewillbegone!)Nomatterhowhardyoutry toclean thesecrackedareas,youcan'tcleantheareawherethedyehascrackedoff. IfyouownaEuropeancarmost likely theleather isvat-dyed (yeah!).U.S.and Japanesemanufacturers tend touse thespray-ondyedleathers(boo!).

BeforetreatinganyleatherwithLeatherCareorLeatherRejuvenator,useInteriorCleaneronthe leather thesamewayyouwouldonvinyl.Infact,InteriorCleanerissafeforallthesurfacesinsideyourcar.Afteryou'vecleanedthe leath-er,examineitclosely. If the leather isold,stiff,dryorcracking,ourLeatherRejuvenatorisyourbestsolution.While itmaytemporarilydarkenthecolor, itspenetrating formulawill rejuve-nateandsoften theporesdeepdown in the

Warm It UpOurleathercareproductswillworkbet-terifputinthemicrowaveuntilwarm.Likewise,warmtheleatherup,too.Thisopenstheporesintheleatherandallowsmoreproducttopenetratedeeper.Lettheheaterrunforabitorparkthecaroutsidetowarmtheleather.

Wipes are ideal for cleaning interior spaces, as they can be used quickly and easily.


5656

Micro Fiber Interior Cloths are gentle on leather and fabric.

step nine ContinueD

interiors…

leather.Aftera fewdays the treatedareawilllightenabit.TestasmallareafirsttoensureyouareOKwiththelook.Iftheleatherisnewer,useourLeatherCare.Bothproductsareappliedthesameway.Theseproductsaredifferentthanthelanolinbasedleatherproducts.First,ouroilscanpenetratedeeperthanthelanolin-basedleather

products,andif you haveanyperforatedleather ourleather prod-ucts won ' tleave behindt h e w h i t eresidue in allof the perfo-rations. And

don'tworryaboutwatergettingonyourleatherinterior.Itwon'thurtitasmostleatheristannedinwater.ApplyLeatherCareusingaBlueDetailSponge.Apply theproduct toyourapplicatorandwipethesurface,rubbingtheproduct intotheleather.AnothersimplewaytoapplyLeath-erCare isusingourpre-saturatedLeatherCareWipes.Theyapplyaniceamountofproductinacontrolledmanner.WearourVinylAloeGlovessotheproductdoesn'tgetonyourskin.Aswithallourcarcareproducts,don'tusevery

much;alittlegoesalongway.Allowtheproducttositonthesurface for several minutes.Usingacleancloth,wipeofftheexcessproduct.ForadeepfeedingofLeatherRejuvenator,apply a liberal amount tothe leatherand let theprod-uctsoak inovernight, ifpos-sible. (Sometimes I've foundmyhandsworkbetterastheykeeptheproductwarmandIcanmassageitintotheleatheraswell.)Ifyou'renotgoingtobedrivingthecarsoon,repeattheapplicationofLeatherRejuvenator,ifpossible.You'llnoticetheleathergettingsofterandsofterwitheachappli-cation.Keepthewindowscrackedsoanyexcessevaporatingproductcanescape.

clEaninG fabric

Useour InteriorCleaneronupholstery thesamewayyouwouldonvinylandleather.

It's safe to saturate thecloth

Available in a wipe-on or spray-on formula.

5757

interiors

Leather Care Wipes are a convenient way to care for your leather. They are pre-saturated with just the right amount of product and they're easy to use.

anddabwithacleancottontowel.Avoidwipingbackand forth.FormoreaggressivecleaningourNylonCarpet&UpholsteryBrushshouldbeused.Or,ifyouhaveour3"RandomOrbital,ourYellowScrubbingPadscanbeused.Useona lowspeedsetting, like3-4, toavoidcreatingunevenwear.Youmayuseawet-dryvacuum,ahairdryeroraheatgunonlowsettingtoremoveanyexcessmoisture.Don'tallowthefabrictogettoohot.Afinalairdryingisbest.Keepthewin-dowsdownallowingthemoisturetoevaporate.

oh, that smEll!

If you like the smell of leather, try a few squirts

ofour InteriorCarScent.Sprayitunder theseatsafterclean-ing. Justa fewsquirtsaweekwill keep your car smell-ing likenew.I like tosaturateasmall spongeorapieceofsoftleatherandplaceitundertheseatsnear therearheatervents.Or,poursomeLeatherInteriorCarScent intoasmallplasticcontainerand let it sit

in thecarovernight.Thenextmorningyou'll thinkSantahas leftyouanewcar. Ifyour interior issuf-fering from being a roll-ingfast foodcafeteriaandthere isalwaysa lingeringodor from french fries,spilled milk, misplaceddiapersandwetpets,useOdorExterminator®.Thisproducteliminatesodorsandeliminatesmusty,staleair.Itevenreducesnoxiousoil and gasoline fumes!It's non-toxic and envi-ronmentallysafe.Tokeepodorsdownduringeverydayuse,placeoneofourStinky-Be-Gone®bagsundera seat.The granules inthebagsoakupsmells keepingyourinteriorodorfree.Thegranulesin the bag soakup smells keep-ingyour interiorodorfree.

Stinky-Be-Gone® will absorb any type of odor.

Wipe out any smell with easy-to-use Odor Exterminator®.


5858

Even if your vehicle is a 1970 Jeep, the engine can still look spotless.

step ten

enGine baY…

Aclean and tidy engine lets you spotdevelopingoilandcoolant leaks,allows

yourengine to runcoolerand impresses theheckoutofyourmechanic.Wehaveagreatassortmentofcleaningproductsandtoolsforthemanydifferent finishesunderyourhood.Icantellyouthatacleanenginebaywillensureyourmechanicwill takeextracarewhenservicingyourvehicle.Additionally,avehicleyou'retryingtosellwillsellfasterandgetyoumoremoneyiftheengineisspotless.Withsomeregularatten-tion,thisneedn'tbeadirty,messyandtimecon-sumingtask.

Ifyouplanondoinganentirecleaningofthecar,dotheenginefirstandyouwon'thavetoworryaboutoversprayontoyourfreshlydetailedexterior.OurEngineCleanerwill removewaxfromthevehicle'spaintsoprotect thoseareasyoudon'twantaffectedorplanonrewaxing.Ifthecar isalreadyclean,usepainter'splastic tocoverfenders,bumpersandthewindshield.

clEaninG thE EnGinE

Startbycleaningawayanydebris,leaves,pineneedlesorstray rodents.Usecompressed

air ifyouhave itorabrush.Protect sensitivepartsinyourenginefrommoisturebycoveringelectricalconnections,distributorsorcarburetorswithplastic,usingelasticbands tohold them

inplace.Clearplasticwrapworkswell, too,asit sticks to itself.Having theenginecompart-mentwarmmakes thegreasesandoils softerandeasiertoremoveduringcleaning.IfEngineCleanersteamsupwhenapplied, theengineistoohot.Ifit'stoohot,cleanersandwaterwillevaporate tooquicklyandmaystainsensitiveplasticsandpaintedmetalparts.Not tomen-tionyoucanburnyourself. If theundersideofyourhoodisuncoveredpaintedmetal,youmayuseCarWashorEngineCleanertocleanit.Justremembertothoroughlyrinseitwellwithwaterwhenfinished.Ifithasasounddeadeningcover,brushtheareaoffandwipewithadamptowel.Someunder-hoodcoveringsarealmostfelt-likeandattractdust.Useavacuumbrushattachmentandvacuumthesurface.

SpraytheentireenginewithEngineCleanerandagitatethedifferentsurfaceswithanappro-priatebrushfor thatsurface.Useasoft-bristle-brush forpaintedareasandnylon forplasticparts.Forareasthatarereallygrimy,tryourOil&GreaseCleaner.Itworkswondersforremovingyears-oldgunk.Sprayiton,let itsit,agitateandrinse.After theenginebayhasbeencleaned,gently flushwithwater.Donotusehighpres-surewhenrinsingas thiscan forcewater intoareaswhere itdoesn'tbelong.I removemyhosenozzleandallowthewatertogentlyflow.Once rinsed,blowdrywithcompressedairorablower.Ifyoudon'thavecompressedairorablower,removetheplastic coverings youputonanddryalltheaccessiblepartswithacleantowel.Starttheengineandallowtheheattoaidindrying.

Oil & Grease Cleaner makes short work of removing grease, gunk and grime .

5959

Our Engine Detailing Kit will help you achieve fantastic results in your engine bay.

Wipes are ideal for precise, controlled application for cleaning and dressing.

enGine baY

drEssinG thE EnGinE

Yourcarlooksimpeccablymaintainedontheoutside—whynotdo thesameunder the

hood?Whentheengineistotallydry,andfreeofgrease,sprayEngineBayDressingonallplasticandrubberparts.Itwillleaveaclear,thin,semi-permanentcoatingwithoutyellowingthatwillgiveallofyourhosesandwiringloomsa"factorynew"lookandrestoretiredlookingblackplasticparts instantly. Itmakesmulti-coloredwiringlook incrediblyvibrant!EngineBayDressingwillrepeldustandmake"enginewipedowns"abreeze. Ifyoushowyourcar, let thisbeyoursecretforafabulousenginecompartment.

Vinyl&RubberDressingmayalsobeusedonall rubberhoses,connectorsandparts toenhancetheirappearance.HoweverthelookisnotaspermanentasEngineBayDressing.Usethe sameapplicationmethodas the interior,sprayacottonclothorBlueDetailSpongeandwipe.Ourpre-saturatedVinyl&RubberDress-ingWipesarea favoriteofmine in theenginebaybecausetheymakedressingallof thevari-oussurfacesabreeze.YoumayopttouseonlyomittheEngineBayDressingapplication,usingonly Vinyl & Rubber Dressing, however, theEngineBayDressingwill reallymakeyouroldfadedplasticpartsandwiresstandout.

Cotton & Foam Detailing Swabs work incredibly well when detailing those hard-to-reach areas.


6060

after tHe Detail

Clean up…Onceyouhave finishedcleaningupyour

car,youareusuallyleftwithapileofdirtytowels,padssaturatedwithproduct,andoveralldirtinessaround thegarage fromall thecrudyou justcleanedoffyourcar.Propercareandcleanupofyourdetailingsupplieswillhelpyourproducts last longerandleaveeverythingreadyforyournextdetailtherapysession.

toWEl clEaninG

Dueto theiruniqueproperties,microfibertowelsrequirespecialcare.Machinewash

yourmicrofibertowelswithliquiddetergent.Donotincludeanybleachorfabricsofteners.Addin2to4ouncesofMicroFiber&FoamPadCleaner

(fora5gallonload)tohelpbreak down the

polishandwaxbuildup. Donotwashmicro

fiber with anyother fabrics;

washmicro fiberonlywithmicro fiber.Afterwashing,tumbledry on a high heatsetting without any

dryersheets.Followingthisprocess will ensure yourtowelsareproperlycleaned

andstay freeofanybuildup fromothernon-microfibertowelsorcleaningagents.

Pad clEaninG

Thoroughlycleaningyourpadsaftereachuse is very important. Old, dried polish,

wax,orsealantbuildupwilldecreasethelifeofyourpadsandmayalsobecomeabrasiveandcouldscratchyourpaint ifnot removed fromthepadbefore itsnextuse. It isalwaysbest towashyourpadsshortlyafteruse;thiswillmakethecleaningprocessmucheasier. Ifyouaren'table toclean themrightaway,soak themina

bucketofwarmwatermixedwithafewouncesofMicroFiber&FoamPadCleaner.Cleaning is simple, sprayMicro Fiber & FoamPadCleanerdirectlyonto thesurfaceofthe pad and mas-sage it inwithyourhands.(Iliketowearnitrileglovestokeepmyhandscleananddry.) Rinse thor-oughlyunderwarmwaterwringing thepadoutuntilthewaterrunsclear.Drythepadby standing it on itsside.Don'tstoreawetpadinasealedbagasitwillmold.

GaraGE clEanuP

Detailingyourcarcancreatequiteamessaround the garage, and having a clean

garagecreatesanicerenvironment; it isalsoalotsafer.Amessonthefloorcanmakeforsomeinterestingfalls! Ialwaysstartbyputtingevery-thingaway.Allyourtowelsandpadsondryingracksorinthecabinet,toolsbackintheirdraw-ers,garbageinthegarbagecan,etc.FromthereImovetowipingdownallmycabinetsandworksurfaceswithSurfaceCleanerandourMicroFiberValueCloths.Finishwiththefloor.Beginbysweepingthefloortoriditofanyloosedirtanddust.Inmostcasesyouwon'tneedtodoafullmopping,butourMicroFiberMoppingSys-temalongwithSurfaceCleanerandOil&GreaseCleaner(foranyoilspots) isperfect forclean-ingupanyspotsonyourfloor.Acleangarageensuresyoualways…Have fun in your garage!®

Perfectly suited for all types of jobs around the garage, shop, and home.

Increase the life and revitalize your Micro Fiber Cloths and Foam Polish and Wax Pads.

6161

Clean up

1963 vW transporter-sambaWhether you have a small coupe, a motorcycle, or even a massive land-yacht, you'll enjoy them all better if they look great... so get out there and have some fun detailing!


6262

keepinG up

maintenanCe…

Tending to your car shouldn't stop afteryou'vewashedandwaxedit.Infact,youcan

reducethefrequencyofyourwashesandwaxesbyremovingdust,birddroppingsandtreesaponadailybasis. Icarryasmall,8ouncebottleofSpeedShine®andaMicroFiberSpeedShine®Clothor100%CottonBuffingClothinmytrunkforemergencyclean-ups.Birddroppingscanetchyourpaintinamatterofminutes;soremovethemfast.SpraysomeSpeedShine® (orwaterifyoudon'thaveanythingelse)on thedrop-pingandallowit to loosen itup.Verygently,wipeawaythemess.Birdseatseeds,sand,andwhoknowswhat,whichmaybegreatfortheirbowelsystem,but theseelementswill scratchyourpaint.IalsocarryasmallbottleofWindowCleanerandsomeLintFreeTowelsforfast,on-the-roadwindowcare.BothSpeedShine®andWindowCleanercome inconvenientpop-upwipecontainersaswellandareperfectforon-the-roadcleaning.

rEPairinG rock chiPs

Youcan repair thoseannoying rockchipsanddeepscratches thathavegonedown

to theprimer.Here'show.Startbypurchasingthecorrect factory touchuppaint fromyourcardealer.Mostcarshaveapaintcode insidetheenginecompartment.Yourdealer'spartsdepartmentcanhelpyouwiththis.Mosttouch-uppaintscomewithabuiltinapplicatorbrush.Theproblemisthesebrushesaremoresuitedtopaintingyourtoenailsthanapplyingtheproperamountofpainttoasmallchiporscratch.Again,preparationiskey.

Cleanthearea,removinganyoil,grease,dirtandoldpolishandwax.UsePaintPreptostripawayoldwaxandgrime.Tofill inpaintchipsandenjoypinpoint accuracy andgreatpaintflow,useourTouch-UpPaintApplicators.Youcanbend theplastichandle forhard to reachspots,orgiveyouabetterangletoapplypainttothechip.You'llevenbeabletosoakuppaintwiththetipsifyou'veover-filledyourchip.Diptheendintoyourtouch-uppaintandtouchthechipgentlywith theApplicator. Ifyouover-fillthechip,useacleanApplicator todabuptheexcesspaint.Ifyouhaveclear-coatpaint,applythepigment(colorcoat)first, let itdryandfol-

Perfect paint application every time with our Touch-Up Applicators.

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maintenanCe

low up withtheclearcoat.Try to avoiddriving yourvehicle foratleast24hoursafter makinga repair andwait abouttwoweeksbeforeapplyingwaxorpolish.Wanttogo to thenext levelof repairandcreateasmoothandalmostinvisiblerepair,readon.

scratch rEPair

Deepchips,nicksandscratchesortosmoothout theabovechiprepair, requiresa little

morework.Preparethesurfaceasdescribedintheprevioussectiononchiprepair.Filltheareawellwithpaintsotherepairedareaisabovethesurfaceof thegoodpaint.Allow thepaint tocurefor48hoursormoresoitiscompletelydry.Don'thurryuptheprocesswithahairdryerorheatgun.Nowyou'llwanttoleveloff thepaintsurface.

Purchasesome2500gritwet/drysandingpaper.Soakit inwaterovernight.Findaneras-er. (Thepinkkind that isslantedoneachendand isabout 3⁄4"x2" long.)Place thesandingpaperaroundtheeraser.Nowwettheareatobeworkedwithcleanwater.YoucanalsouseabitofCarWashforextralubrication.Keeptheareawelllubricatedbyflushingwithcleanwaterdur-ingtheentireprocess.Startbygentlygoingbackandforth.Whatyouaretryingtodoisbringtheraisedlevelofthechiprepairdowntothelevelofthepaint.Goslowly.Someofthesurroundingpaintwillbegintolookdull.Don'tworry,you'llbeabletocorrectthislater.Trytoworkonlyontheareayou'vetouchedup.Drytheareaandfeelitwithyourfingertip.Ifit'sstillraised,worksomemoreuntilit'sflush.

Finally,useourFineHandPolishorMachinePolish3tobringbackthepaint's luster.Followupwithwaxandyourfinishwilllooknewagain.

chiP and scratch PrEvEntion

Thisclear,protectiveshieldworksexcellentatprotecting paintedareas that aremore

pronetochipsandscratches.IcringeeverytimeIheararockglancingoffmyhood.I'vehadthisprotectiveshieldonthefrontofmycarforyearsnow,andIcouldpeelitoffatanytimeandthepaintwouldstilllookbrandnew.Useitonfrontends,airdams,aroundtirewells, insidedoor-jambs,alongdoorsillsandon painted bumpers. Wealsosellaclearprotectiveshield for headlights andfoglights.

Simplycleanandpre-pare the area to be pro-tectedwithPaintCleaningClay and Fine Hand Pol-ish.Cutthematerial tothelengthrequiredandwarmitupwithahairdryerorthe Griot's Garage HeatGun.Thismakes it morepliableandeasy toworkwith.Spray thesurface tobeprotectedwiththePosi-tioningSpray.Thisallowsyou tomove thematerialintoplace.Avoidtouchingtheadhesivebackingas itisextremelystickyandtheoils on your fingers willmake an imprint on thebacking. Use the squee-geewhichcomeswiththesprayandsmoothout thesurface. Any remainingbubblesorspraywilldis-appearafter24to48hours.It's available in 2" or 4"widths,12mils thick.Nowyoucanatleastenjoyyournextskitripwithoutworry-ingthateverylittlerockyouhearisdamagingyourpaint.

A Paint Syringe delivers the perfect amount of paint.

Easy applica-tion protects any painted surface from rock chips and scratches.


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keepinG up ContinueD

maintenanCe…WindoW chiP rEPair

There'snothing likedrivingdowntheroadwhen... "PANG!"...Followedbyafewwords

youwishyourchildrendidn'thearyousay.Thedreadedrockchip in thewindshield.Tokeeprockchips frombecoming largecracksacross

your wind-shield, theymustbedealtwith imme-diately. Evenwaiting a fewdays can betoolong.Hav-ing a profes-sional repairyourchipcanbeexpensive,anditisavery

simpleprocessthatyoucandoyourself.WesellanexcellentWindshieldRepairKitthatincludessomesimple, step-by-step instructions.Keepone inyourgloveboxorgaragesoyoucanrepairchipsimmediately.

fuEl systEm carE

Generally thereare twoschoolsof thoughtwhenitcomestopreparingyourvehicle's

fuelsystemforstorage:1)Fillthetankwithfreshgas,or2)Run thecaruntil the tank isnearly

empty. The problem withbothoftheselinesofthink-

ing is they don't takeintoaccountyour fuellines. Fuel sitting inyoursystemfor longerthantwomonthsstartsan oxidation processthat will eventuallyturn into varnish andclogyour fuel system.Griot's Garage FuelPreservativewillchemi-

cally isolate theoxygen,preventing theoxida-tionprocess,andwillalsoneutralizecorrosivecompoundsthatcancauserusttoforminyourfuelsystem.

coolinG systEm carE

Theprimeingredientinantifreeze isethylene

glycol, which chemicallybreaksdownovertimeandeatsawayatcoolingsystemcomponents. If old cool-antisleftsitting,theacidscan damage your cool-ingsystemand increasethe chances of leaks.Sincemanyvehicles thataren'tdrivenoftendon'tsee too many miles itisn'talwaysnecessary toflushyourentirecoolingsystem. Instead,youcanaddCorrosionInhibitortoyourcoolant toneutralizeexistingacidsandstabilizeyourantifreeze.

battEry carE

Someofushavecarsthatdon'tgetdriventoooftenand the last thingwewant tohear

whenfiringupyourengineisthedreadedclick-click,butwe'veallfoundourselvesinthatposi-tion.Ensuring thatyourbatterystayschargedduringthestoragewillprolongthelifeofyourvehicle'sbattery.Batterymanagement isespe-cially important inmodernvehicles thathavesophisticated electronics (like navigation oralarmsystems) thatareconstantlydrainingthejuice.Butanycarwillbenefit fromkeepingachargedbattery. I skipped this steponceandendedupneedingtoreplacemybattery.Makesureyouchooseabatterymanagementsystemthatmonitorsthelevelofcharge(toavoidover-

Untreated metal in your cooling system quickly builds up corrosion.

Quickly and easily fill and repair chips and cracks in your windows with our Windshield Repair Kit.

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maintenanCe

charging),whichissomethingtraditionaltricklechargersdon'tdo.TheGriot'sGarageBatteryManagerIVworkswith6voltand12voltgel-cell(AGM)andstandard(STD) lead-acidbatteriesandhasasimple"setitandforgetit"design.

tirE carE durinG storaGE

Flat spotscandevelop inyour tiresquick-ly,andexpensiverubber isnotsomething

anyonewants toreplacemore thannecessary.Avoiding the tha-dunk tha-dunkof flat spot-tedtires iseasy.Thetraditionalmethodofput-tingyourcaruponjackstandsstillworksreally

wellbutcanbeabitofahassle ifyoueverneedtomovethecar.This iswhyourFlatSpotStop-per ramps were cre-ated.Theserampsweredeveloped to cradleyour tires and distrib-utethevehicle'sweight

evenlywhenparked.Needtomovethevehicle?Justdriverightoff!Wellworth the investmentifyouhavea tightstoragespaceorstoreyourcaroften.

dEalinG With rust

Thereare twowaysyoucan approach rust;

removeitorneutralize it. Ifpossible, it isalwaysbesttoremovetherustcom-pletely,andourRustRemover is per-fect for that. It canremove rust fromany metal surface.Immerse the rustypart, let it sit andrinse clean. Won'tharmcopper,brass,aluminum, rub-ber,plasticorvinyl.Fast, simpleandeffective.Iftherustisinanunnotice-ableareathatwilleitherbe

covereduporpainted (like theundersideofyourvehicle)overandyoucannotremovetheparttosoakitinRustRemover,neu-tralizingitisyourbestoption.

RustRemoverGeliseffectiveforremovingrustfromalltypesofmetalsincludingsteel, ironandcopper.Coatanyrusty item, letitsitandrinse itclean.Bestofall it'snon-cor-

rosive,containsnoacidsorpetroleumsolventsand is biodegrad-

able. It'snon-flam-mable too. Fast,easy,effectiveandsafe.Thisproductwillnotharmplas-tic,rubberorvinyl,plus it brightenscopperandbrass.

Immerse the part in Rust Remover to clean off oxidation.

Prolong battery life by using the Battery Manager IV and enjoy easily starting your lesser driven vehicles.

Before After


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fun in Your GaraGe WitH

motorCYCle DetailinG…

Motorcyclesarefuntorideandachallengetodetail.Theyrequireanextensivelineof

cleaners,degreasers,bugandtarremovers,pol-ishesandwaxesaswellasspecialized(andnotsospecialized)cleaningtools.Seriousmotorcy-clistsknowtheimportanceofproperlymaintain-ingtheirbikes.Onceayear,duringthewinterIgoouttothegarageandspendacoupleofdayscleaninganddetailingmymotorcyclefromtoptobottom.Thelevelsofcommitmentcanvarydependingonthewillingnessandabilityofthedetailer.Forme,cleaningmymotorcyclealsoprovidesanopportunitytolookforsignsofwearandpotentialproblems.It'saloteasiertocheckforleaksonacleansurfacethanadirtyone.

I'vebrokendownthedifferentareasofcleaning:

• EngineandDriveChain

• Tires,WheelsandBrakes

• Frame,SuspensionandGauges

• SeatandBodywork

WhErE to start

Forthisdiscussionoursubjectwillbeamod-ernsportbike.Mostsportbikesuseaero-

dynamicallydesignedbodypanels tohelpcutthroughthewindbycovering theengineandframe. To start I like to remove all the bodypanels including thegas tankandseat.Neverattempttoperformservice-relatedworkonyour

bikeunlessyouhavetheknowledgeandabil-ity todo it safelyandproperly. Ifyoudonotfeelcomfortableremovingyourbodywork,youmay choose to skip this step. Because bodypanelsarepaintedsurfaces,caremustbetakentoensure that thesepiecesdon'tgetscratchedor damaged during removal or cleaning. Ifremoved, thesepanels shouldbeplaced inasafeareaawayfromthebikeduringcleaning.IprefertolaythepanelsonashelfusingaMicroFiberDryingTowel tokeepthemfromgettingscratched.Makesureallthefastenersareproper-lystoredinaspill-proofcontainertokeepthemfromgetting lost. I likeusingzip-lockbagsormagnetictrays.Ifneeded,makenotesorasmalldrawingonfastenerlocation.

EnGinE and drivE chain

Typically the engine and drive chain getthedirtiest.Oil leakscaneasily spread to

nooksandcrannies.Chain lubecanspread totheengine, frameandbodywork.Acleanandtidyengineletsyouspotdevelopingfluidleaks,allowyourenginetoruncoolerandimpresstheheckoutofyourmechanic. I foundthatwhenyoutakeyourmotorcycleinforserviceandthee n g i n e i sspotless, them e c h a n i ctakes extracare duringtheirservice.

It is besttocleanyourenginewhenit iswarmtothe touch.This makesthe greasesandoilssoft-erandeasier toremoveduringcleaning. If thecleanersteamsupwhenapplied, theengineistoohot. I startbysprayingEngineCleanerall

Griot's Garage has products to help you detail all the various, intricate surfaces on your motorcycle.

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Apply Engine Cleaner when the engine is warm to the touch. This makes the greases and oils softer and easier to remove during cleaning. For heavy build up use Oil & Grease Cleaner.

Lube That Chain Mostpeopleimproperlylubricatethedrivechainbysprayingthebackofthesprocketdownthemiddleintheareaoftherollers.Thechainrollersactuallyneedverylittlelubrication.Chainwearisthegreatestattheareawherethepinsholdtheinner&outersideplatestogether.It's"pin"wearthatcausesachaintostretch!Thecorrectwaytolubricateachainistosprayjustabovethechainatthebottomofthesprocket.Thisallowsthelubetoflowbetweenthesideplatesandintotheshaftofthepins.Makesureyousprayboththeinnerandoutersidesofthechain.It'sbesttoapplychainlubeonthenightbeforearidetoallowenoughtimeforthegreasetopenetrateintotheroller.Excesschainlubeshouldalwaysbecleanedtopreventgreas-ingupyourmotorcycle.

motorCYCle DetailinG

aroundtheengineand lower frameandusingOil&GreaseCleanerinareasofheavybuildup.Useasoftbrushorspongetoscrub largesur-facessuchasenginecases,valvecoversandthelowerpartof theframe.Smallbrushesworkgreatin tightareasbetweencoolingfins, around the carbure-torsor throttlebodiesandareas between the frameand engine. I really likeour Boar's Hair Brushand Detailing Stick Sys-temwithourMicroFiberSocks.Brassbrushesworkgreat at cleaning naturalaluminum parts and help remove corrosion.Becarefulasmanyaluminumpartsareclearcoatedandthebrasscanscratchorremovethiscoating.Afteryouagitate theEngineCleanerwithasoftbrush,gently flushtheenginewithwater.Youmayneed togobackoverheavily

crustedareaswithadditionalEngineCleanerorOil&GreaseCleanerforreallytoughspotslikedriedchain lubeorasphalt residue.Takecaretoavoidprolongedrinsingofelectricalcom-ponents such as engine sensors and controlmodulesas thiscouldcauseanelectricalshortcircuit.Manybikesuseweather resistantcon-nectionswithspecialseals,however, itmaybenecessarytounplugconnectorstohelpdrythecontacts.Avoidusingpressurewashersorhigh-pressuresprayersastheycanforcedirtandwaterintoseals,causingprematurebearingwearorenginedamage.Takecarewhensprayingwateraroundtheairfilterorairbox.Oncetheengineiscleaned,IliketouseourAirBlowerstoremovelargeareasofwater.Compressedairworkswell,however,youneed tobecarefulnot to forcetoomuchpressurearoundsealsandgaskets.AfterairdryingIliketofinishbyusingourMicroFiberClothsandFoamSwabs.Forme this iswherethefunreallybegins. Icanspendhourscarefullycleaningeverynookandcranny,mak-ingsureeveryspecofdirtandgrease iscare-fullyremovedfromtheengine.It'samazinghowmuchsurfaceareacanbefoundonsuchasmallengine.Your levelofcommitmentmaydiffer.Manyofthenewermotorcyclestodayhavelotsofplasticcoversoverengineparts.Afteryou'vecleanedanddriedthem,wipetheplasticwithalightcoatofourVinyl&RubberDressing.They'll


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Proper RinsingAvoidusingpressurewashersorhigh-pressuresprayerstocleanyourmotorcycle.Theycanforcedirtandwaterintoseals,causingprematurebearingwearorenginedamage.Takecaretoavoidprolongedrinsingofelectricalcomponentssuchasenginesensorsandcontrolmodulesasthiscouldcauseanelectricalshortcircuit.Manybikesuseweatherresistantconnec-tionswithspecialsealshoweveritmaybenecessarytounplugconnectorstohelpdrythecontacts.

more fun in Your GaraGe WitH

motorCYCle DetailinG…looknewandbeeasiertocleannexttime.

Duringaride it'snotuncommonforsomechainlubetoflingoutandsticktovariouspartsofyourmotorcycle.Thisgreasysubstancecanbedifficulttoremove.OurOil&GreaseCleanerworksgreatforcleaningthisfromalltheseareas

likearound thesprockets,enginecase,swingarm,exhaustorbodywork.This isalsoagoodtimetocleanandservicethechain.Avoidusingharshchemicals likebrakecleanerorcarbure-torcleanerastheseproductscoulddamagetheO-ring. Iuseanold toothbrushalongwitha100%CottonBuffingCloth toclean thechain,however, thereareotheraftermarketcleaningtoolsdesignedspecificallyforthistask.Oncethechainiscleanedit'sagoodopportunitytocheckthe tensionandadjust ifneeded. It's interest-ingtonote thatchainshaveasurprisingnum-berofparts.Theroller turns freelyonabush-ing,which isattachedoneachendto thesideplate.Apinpassesthroughthebushing,andisattachedateachendto thesideplate.Aqual-itystreetbikechainusesO-ringsbetweentheplateandroller tohelpsealoutmoistureandcontaminants.Yourtypicalchainlubecomesinaerosol form.SolventsaremixedwithspecialgreasestohelppenetratetheO-ringandbush-ing.Thesesolventsevaporate, leavingbehindthegrease that lubricates the insideof thepinandroller.Properlyapplied,chain lubehelpsmaintain theservice lifeofyourchain.Excess

chainlubeshouldalwaysbecleanedtopreventgreasingupyourmotorcycle. Ipreferapplyingchain lubeonthenightbeforearide toallowenough time for thegrease topenetrate intotheroller.Mostpeopleimproperlylubricatethechainbysprayingthebackofthesprocketdownthemiddleofthechainintheareaoftherollers.Thechainrollersactuallyneedverylittlelubrica-tion.Chainwearisthegreatestattheareawherethepinshold the innerandouter sideplatestogether. It's "pin"wearthatcausesthechaintostretch!Thecorrectwaytogetthelubricationtothepins is tospray justabovethechainat thebottomof thesprocket.Thisallowsthelubetoflowbetweenthesideplatestogettotheshaftofthepins.Makesureyousprayboththeinnerandoutersidesofthechain.Ialsotakeagoodlookat thesprockets,especially therearsprocket. Ilookattheteethandchecktoseeifthecrownofthetoothisstartingtogetsharp,indicatingwearfroma loosechain. If therootof thesprockettoothappearselongated, this indicatesachainthat's tootight.Alwaysfollowthemanufacturerrecommendationonproperchaintensionfoundintheowner'smanual.

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WheelScrubbingBrushesmake great cleaningtools for your bike.


tirEs, WhEEls and brakEs

Tiresandwheelscomeinclosecontactwiththeroadhelpingtopickupoilanddebris,

spreadingittoyourbike.Inaddition,thebrakesgiveoffdustthatcollectsontiresandwheels.Ifleftunattended,brakedustcanetchthepaintedorpolishedsurfaceofyourwheelsandturnyourtiresbrown.Specializedcleanersarenecessarytoremovedirtandroadgrimealongwithbrakedust. Imaybegoingalittleover the top,but Iprefer to remove thewheels to properlyclean them. A sturdyfront and rear wheelstand is a must if youremove your wheelsfor cleaning. Even ifyoukeepyourwheelsattached to thebike, aproper wheel standcan be used to helprotate the tires to gainaccesstoallareasofthewheel. Startby rinsingthewheelandtirewithwater.Thishelpstofloatdirtandcontaminantsfromthesurfaceinprepa-rationforcleaners.IuseWheelCleaner,ChromeWheelCleaner,orHeavy-DutyWheelCleanertohelpremovebrakedustandroadgrimefromwheels.OnpaintedalloywheelsIuseacombi-nationofcleaningtools.ForlargeareasIpreferourThree-FingerDetailMitt.For tighterareasaroundbrakerotorsandvalvestemsIuseour

WheelScrubbingBrushes.RinsewithplentyofwateranddrywithaTim'sDirtySpotsMicroFiberWipeDownTowel.OnpaintedwheelsIuseFineHandPolishtohelpremovescratchesandPaintSealanttoprotectthefinish.

TocleanthetiresIfoundourRubberClean-erandourYellowScrubbingPadsworkwelltogether.Igosofarastocleanthetread.It'snotuncommontofindbubblegumorcigarettefiltermaterialstucktoyourtires.Soapycleanersalsohelpyouspotair leaks fromnailsor screws.Makesuretoflushthetireswithplentyofwaterto removeanycleaner residue.Oncedry,useourRubberPrep toremoveanysilicones,oilsorgreasesthathavebuiltupintherubber.Ifnotremoved,thesecanbedangerouswhenleaningintoacorner.Iknowthecruisercrowdlikestouserubberdressingonthesidewall.That'sfineifyouseldomleanthebikeoverwhencornering.Onasportbikeit'sbesttoavoidtiredressingasitcanleadtoadhesionissuesfollowedbycrashing!

Brake calipers require careful attention.Avoidusingharshchemicals likebrakecleaneras itcanstainorremovepaint fromforksandwheels. IuseourWheelCleanerandaWheelScrubbingBrushwithplentyofwater tohelpcleanandrinse. Ievengoso faras toremovethebrakepadsandcaliperssoIcancleananddetaileverypart forashowroomfinish.Thisalsoallowsmetocheck thepad thickness for

Lambskin Four-Finger Mitts are soft, yet do an excellent job of removing brake dust and heavy road grime... Perfect for motorcycle wheels.


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motorCYCle DetailinG…unevenwear.Again,your levelofcommitmentandmechanicalabilitymaydiffer frommine.Aftercleaningandreinstallingthebrakes,alwayspump thebrake lever to insure thepadsareproperlyseated.

framE, susPEnsion and GauGEs

Mostmotorcycleframesaremadefromsteel tubingthat'spaintedoraluminumextru-

sionsthatcanbeabrushedfinish,polishedfin-ishorpaintedsurface.Someexoticframesusecarbonfiberandtitanium.Heavyconcentrationsofoilandgreasecanbefoundonthelowerpor-tionoftheframeandtypicallytheupperportionreceivesa lightcoatingofdirtor roaddust. IrecommendusingOil&GreaseCleaneronthelowersectionsof the framealongwithanoldtoothbrush.Thiscanbedoneat thesametimeyou'recleaningtheengine.Useyouroldtooth-brush toclean theareasaroundthe footpegsandleversaswell.Thisisagoodopportunitytocheckyourbrakeandshiftlinkageforwearandexcessiveplay.Oncethelinkageiscleanedanddryitshouldbelubricatedtohelpmaintainfreeandeasyoperation.Paycloseattention to thewiringharness.Dirtandgrimecollectsbetweentheharnessand frame.Makesure theseareas

arecleanedandthewiring insulationis intact.Oftentime'smotorcyclemanufacturersuseeithertape,shrink tubingoravinylsleevetoprotectthewiring. If the tape isunraveling it'sagoodtimetoinspectandrepairthewiringandinsula-tion.IuseourVinyl&RubberDressingwithourCottonTowelsandourSetofSwabs tocleananddetail the insulationwrap.Makesureyoucompleteyourwiringrepairsbeforeusing theVinyl&RubberDressingotherwisethetapewillnotstick.

Shocksandforksusehardenedsteelshaftsthat operate in steel or aluminum housings.Shaftsneedtobekeptcleanforpropermove-mentandmaintenance.Coilspringshavealargesurfaceareaandcanbedifficult toclean.Manymono-shocksfoundontoday'smotorcyclesarelocated inhard-to-reachplaces.Twinshocksareplacedonthesideoftheswingarmmakingaccesstocleaningmucheasier.It'simportanttopayspecialattention to threadedadjusters forspringpre-loadsetting.Keeping these threadscleanhelpeaseadjustments thatwouldother-wisebedifficult.ForheavyroadgrimeIuseOil&GreaseCleaneralongwithanoldtoothbrush.For lightdustordirt IuseWheelCleaner.Useplentyofwater tohelp rinse thepartsclean.Tim'sDirtySpotsTowelorMicroFiberWipeDown Towels can be used to dry the shockandspring.

Check Your TeethWhencleaningthesprocketschecktheteethforwear.Looktoseeifthecrownofthetoothisstartingtogetsharp,indicat-ingwearfromaloosechain.Iftherootofthesprockettoothappearselongated,thisindicatesachainthat'stootight.Alwaysfollowthemanufacturerrecommendationonproperchaintensionfoundintheowner'smanual.

A soft boar's hair brush works well to remove light road dust from control levers and gauges.

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Brake Fluid ChangeMostmotorcyclemanufacturersrecom-mendhavingyourbrakefluidreplacedabouteverytwoyearsandmoreofteninsevereridingconditions.Drainingandreplacingyourbrakefluidhelpstoremovecontaminantssuchaswaterandrust.Italsohelpstolubricatethemetalandrubberpartsinyourbrakesystem.Helpingthemlastlongerandworkingproperly.


Forks are more accessible however the areabetweenthebrakecalipermountsandaxlecanbedifficult toaccess. I found that theseareastend toreceivemorebrakedustbuildup thanroadgrime.ForthisreasonIuseWheelCleanerandaWheelScrubbingBrushwithplentyofwatertohelpcleanandrinsethedirtaway.ForbugstainsandbakedonbitsIuse3MAdhesiveRemoverona towelorcloth.MetalPolishandour100%CottonDisposableWipescanbeusedonstandard(non-coated)forktubes.Forcoatedforktubes(titaniumnitride,etc.) I recommendonlyusingacleandrycloth.

Theareaaroundthehandlebarsandgaugestendtocollectafinefilmofdirtandroaddust.IstartbyusingSpeedShine®alongwithMicroFiberSpeedShine®Cloths toclean largeareas

ofdustanddirt.OurBoar'sHairDetailBrush-esworkgreat for the levers, switches,aroundthewiringharness,headlightareaandhard-to-reachplacesbehindthegauges. It'sbest tousetheBoarsHairBrushdrybecause ithelps tokeepthebristlescleanandpreventsscratching.OncethedustisremovedPlasticCleanerisusedonwindscreenandplasticgauge faces. I fol-lowupwithsomePlasticPolishtohelpremoveswirlmarksandfinescratches.WindowCleanerworksgreatonglassgaugefaces.Vinyl&RubberDressingworksgreatonblackornaturalplasticandrubberbits,butavoidusingitonthegrips.IprefercleaningthegripswithInteriorCleaner.

sEat and bodyWork

Manymotorcycleseatsaremadefromvinylorleather.IstartbyusingInteriorCleaner.

You'llbeamazedatthedirtyouremove.InteriorCleanercanremoveaftermarketdyes,so testasmall,outofthewayareatomakesureitdoesn'tdiscoloryourseat.

ForleatherIlikeusingLeatherCarebecauseit'sahighlyconcentratedliquidthatpenetratesdeeptoreplenishthenaturaloilsof the leath-er fibers. Itworksmuchbetter than theothergreasy,lanolin-basedproductsonthemarket.It'seasytouse,andessentialforalong,supplelifeforyourfineleather.Usesparinglyasalittlegoesalongway.LeatherCaredoescontainacleanerthatcanremoveaftermarketdyes.

The sun dries leather. Keeping it clean and condi-tioned can ensure its use for many years.

Remove tar, grease, oil and adhesives quickly and safely from any paint surface.


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motorCYCle DetailinG…Testasmalloutof thewayarea tomakesureit doesn't discolor your seat. For stock vinylseatsVinyl&RubberDressingissuperiorwhenjudgedagainstothervinylprotectants. It'swaterbased, so itwon'tharmordull thesurfaceofrubberandvinylovertime.Itcleansandprotectsinonestepwhile leavingbehindanon-greasysatinfinish. Ifarawnatural finish isdesiredorextragripisneeded,avoidtheuseofdressingsalltogether.

Bodywork is most often painted and inmanycasesvinyldecalsareusedtoaddcolor.Thesedecalsareoftenappliedoverthefinishedsurfacesocare isneededwhenpolishingorwaxing tokeep themfrom lifting.Motorcyclesurfacesrequire thesameattentiontodetailasanautomotivefinish.Paintedsurfacesuseeitherasinglestagepaintsystem(non-clearcoat)oramulti-stagepaint system(clearcoat).Othersurfaceshavethecolormoldedintotheplastic.ForreallydirtypaintI liketostartbyusingourCarWashsoapwithourLambskinFour-FingerMitt.Thefirstthingyou'llnoticeishowslipperytheCarWashactsbetweenyourwashmittandthepaint.This isan importantcharacteristicofourCarWashandcontributestoitsabilitytoliftaway contaminantswhileprotecting the fin-ishduringyour"washingtherapy".Manyof themildscratchingyousee inyour finish is fromaggressivecleaning.Thedirtactslikesandpaper,scratching the finishwhileyou're rubbing thesurfaceofyourpaint.Begentlewhilewashingand frequently rinseoutyourmittduring thecleaningprocess.CarWash isgentleonyourwax,yetremovesmoredirtandroadgrimethananyotherproductwe've tested. Ifyourbodypanelshavebeenremoved,makesureyoucleantheinsideaswellastheoutside.Oftentimestheinsideofthepanelgetsmuchdirtierandrequiresadditionalattention.Onbodypanels Iprefertoworkfromthecleanareatothedirtyareasostartontheoutsideandfinishontheinside.Thiskeepsthedirtontheinsidefromscratchingyourpaint.Forstubbornstainsyoumayneedtouse

someAdhesiveRemoverona towelorcloth.Makesureyougobackover theareawithCarWashandremember touseplentyofwater torinse thepanelsclean.Todry thepanelsIuseourMicroFiberDryTowel.Thisuniqueweavelessensthefrictiononyourpaintsoit'skindandgentle,butstillretainsallthebenefitsofabsorb-ingwater.Takecarewhenwipingarounddecalstoavoidliftingthem.

Once thepanelsarecleananddry,you'reready for polish and wax. I prefer to do themajorityof thepolishingandwaxingwith thepanelsinstalledonthebike.Thishelpstoholdthebodyworksafely inplaceandreduces thechanceofscratching.ForthisreasonIsavethepolishandwaxstepfortheveryend.Someareasarenoteasilyaccessiblewhenthepanelsareinplacesoit'sbesttoworkonthosebeforeinstall-ingthebodywork.Igivethebikeonefinalcheckto make sure everything has been cleaned,detailed,servicedandputbackintoplace.Ifthecoolantoroil lineswereremovedyoushouldruntheengineuptooperatingtemperatureandmakesuretherearenoleaks.Oncethepanelsareinplaceitcanbedifficulttospotaproblem.Ifyourbikedoesn'thaveacenterstand,agoodrearwheelstandhelpsaccessthelowerpartsofthebodywork.ForpolishingI liketostartwith

Our 3" Random Orbital is perfect for getting into tight spaces and works great for detailing motorcycles, too!

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thegastank.Ifindthebackofthetanktendstogetscuffedfromcontactwithmy leather jack-et.Often timethesescratchescanberemovedwithMachinePolish3butsometimesIneedtouseMachinePolish2.Our3"RandomOrbitalworksgreatforthis! If therearevinyldecalsonyourbike,becarefulwhenpolishingaroundtheedgesofthedecal.Iprefertopolishinthesamedirectionas theedgeof thedecal. If itendsatapoint,polishtowardsthepoint tokeepfromaccidentallyliftingthedecal.Tobuff thepolishresidue IuseourMicroFiberPolishRemovalCloths.Thenon-abrasive,wedgeshapedmicrofibers, liftandtrappolish,gettingtheusedpol-ishawayfromthepaint.Next,Imovetothetailsectionandfrontfairing,finishingwiththesidepanelsand fenders.Oncepolished, IgobackoverthebodyworkwithPre-WaxCleanserandaMicroFiberPolishRemovalClothtomakesureallofthepolishresiduehasbeenremoved.

Waxing your motorcycle is an importantpartofpreservingitsappearance.Withpropercarethereisnoreasonwhyoriginalfactorypaintcan'tlasttheentirelifeofyourbike.Thegoalistoprotectthepaint'ssurfacewhileprovidingcolor,depthandclaritysothepaintworklooksstun-ning.See theWaxing&Sealingsectionof thisHandbookonpage43tochoosetherightprod-uct forprotectingyourmotorcycles finish.OurBestofShowWax® ismyfirstchoiceforshowbikes,andPaintSealant isgreat for thoseofusthatridemoreoften.Besurethepaintsurfaceiscoolanddrybeforewaxing.Applywaxtoyourpadandapplyitusingthecross-hatchmethod,justasyoudidwithyourpolish.Whenyouapplywaxtoyourpad,spreaditevenlyovertheentirepad.Rememberalittlegoesalongway.Thewaxshouldalmostbegintodisappearasyouwipeiton.Ifyouhavetoremovealotofproductwhenyouwipeitoff(lookatyourcloth)youareusingtoomuchwax.Work insmallareasonepanelat a time. To buff the wax residue I use ourMicroFiberWaxRemovalCloths.OncethebodypanelsarecompletedIgo to thewindscreen.

ForthisIstartwithourPlasticCleanertoremoveroadfilmfollowedbyPlasticPolishandaCot-tonPolishPadtoremovelightscratches.TobuffthepolishresidueIuseourMicroFiberPolishRemovalCloths.PlasticPolishalsoworkswellonpolycarbonateheadlight lensesaswellasturnsignalandbrakelightlenses.Forthemirrorglass I likeusingourWindowCleanerWipes.Thishelpstoavoidsprayfalloutandallowsmetoconcentratemycleanerdirectlyontotheglass.OncefinishedIgoaroundthebikecheckingtoseeanyareasImayhavemissedorforanywaxresidueleft.AlightmistingofSpeedShine®onaMicroFiberSpeedShine®Clothhelpstoremovestubbornwaxresidue.

1961 motobi 125 1952 inviCta 75

1957 monDial 175

Keeping your motorcycle well maintained will help you enjoy them for many years!


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Afellowautomotiveenthusiast,Susan,tellsmeshe'sconstantlyborrowingherhusband's

Griot'sGarageCarCareproductsandusingthemaroundthehouse.Shecleanseverythingfrom

windows tomirrors,carpets, leather furniture,counter tops, floors,clothes,bathrooms,kitch-ens…virtuallyeveryroominherhousegetstheGriot'sGaragetreatment."Whydon'tyoumarkettothehomemaker?"sheaskedme."Ilikequalitycleaningproductsasmuchasmyhusbanddoesforhiscars!"WellSusan,you'reright. I'vebeenusingtheminthehouse,too,andit'stimeIcameinfromthegaragetothehouse.Iwanttosharewithyou themanyproducts Iusearoundthehouse.Aswithanycleaningproduct,alwaystestasmall,discreetareafirsttobesureitwon'tdis-colororstainthesurface.NowwhenourHand-bookshowsupinthemailbox,yourspousewillsmilelikeyoudo!

everY DaY

arounD tHe House…

hand clEanEr, 8oz.

Glass Polish, 8oz.

finE Glass Polish, 16oz.

lEathEr carE, 16oz.

WindoW clEanEr WiPEs, 100 count

carPEt clEanEr, 35oz.

surfacE clEanEr, 35oz.

WindoW clEanEr 35oz.

mEtal clEanEr, 17oz.

foaminG Glass clEanEr, 19oz.

75757575

We make it. We teach it. We guarantee it. Here in the U.S.A.

WE makE it.Somecompaniesbuycarcareproductsfrommassproducers,slaptheirlabelonthebottles,andcallthemtheirown.NotatGriot'sGarage!Wedevelop,manufactureandbottleourCarCareproductsrighthereintheU.S.A.toensureeverythingyouputonyourtreasuredvehiclesisofthefinestquality.

WE tEach it.Ourjobdoesn'tendwhenyoureceiveyourorder.Properapplicationisjustasimportantasqualityproducts,soeducationisaGriot'sGaragepriority.Ourcustomerserviceassociates

arefriendlyandextensively-trained.Whenyoucalloremailwithaquestion,we'llbeabletohelp!Therearealsofreeresourcesavailableonourwebsiteandblog;videos,articles,techsheets...allatyourfingertips!

WE GuarantEE it.Becauseweknowit'sstressfultohavetoolsorproductsfail,we'vetakentoheartthewordsofSirHenryRoyce(shownontitlepage)andcreatedthefinestlineofCarCareandgarageproductsavailable.Becauseofourstrictstandardsandextensiveknowledge,wecovereverythingwesellwitha100%SatisfactionGuaranteeandLifetimeGuaranteeagainstdefect.Withourproductsyoucanresteasyandalways...Have fun in your garage!®

our car carE Products & thE EnvironmEnt.EversinceIintroducedthefirstGriot'sGaragecarcareproducts

I'vedeveloped,testedandbottledourproductstoensurequalityandcareistakenfromthestart.ProtectionoftheenvironmentisimportanttoallofusatGriot'sGarage.That'swhymanyofourproductsareenvironmentallythoughtful,toxic-freeandbiode-

gradable.Plus,toreducewaste,weusequalitysprayersandbottlesthatarenotonlyrecyclable,butalsoreusable.Enjoythebest!


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Workingoncarsismeanttobefunandrelaxing.Forme,itletsmeescapefromlife'sdailydemands,focusentirelyonthetaskathand,andbringtranquilitybacktoanotherwisedemandingworld.ShouldyoureadthisHandbookandstillhaveques-tions,rememberwe'reheretohelp.Iwanttomakesurewhenyou'reusinganyofourproducts,thatyoualwayshavefuninyourgarage.Keepsendingmeyourthoughts,ideas,andcommentssoIcancontinuetoimproveourproducts.Now,goandenjoyyourpreciousfreetimeand…

Have Fun in Your Garage! ®

RichardGriot

remember to Have fun…

Car Care DvD

Keep it handy!IfyouhaveourInstructionalRandomOrbitalDVD,storeitinthishandysleevesoyou'llalwaysknowwhereitis.Ifyoudon'thaveit,getoneandkeepithere!


Have fun in your garage!®

For answers to your car care questions or to request a free catalog please contact us at:

800-345-5789 www.griotsgarage.com

Griot's GaraGE, inc.3333 soutH 38tH street, taComa, Wa, 98409

© Griot's GaraGe, inC.

maDe in tHe u.s.a.

Detailer's HanDbook - Griot's Garage

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