Detailer's Handbook a Comprehensive Guide to Car Care
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Detailer's HanDbook a CompreHensive GuiDe to Car Care ® th Have fun in your1 garage! 9 Edition in Your GaraGe hank you for taking the time to learn from this Detailer's Handbook. I've made every effort to provide you with as much Tinformation as possible to help you achieve superior results and have fun doing it! You, the enthusiast, created this book. It is the result of the many questions and comments from Griot's Garage car care customers over the past 20 years. I thank you and encourage you to continue to send me comments and suggestions so the next edition is even better. I have developed a car care system that is comprised of complementary products that produce superior results. My intent is to create products that are easy-to-use, gentle towards the many different applications on your vehicle, and safe for you and the environment. This is not a short- cut guide, but the proper way to use our product line so you may enjoy its maximum benefits. In order to produce perfection, you must take your time and enjoy the process. Maintaining your vehicle to perfection through our car care system can become a wonderful way to escape the pressures of everyday life and have some fun. After all, that's what Griot's Garage is all about. So read on, learn a little, and most of all… Have fun in your garage!® Richard Griot 2 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 Detailer's HanDbook All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form or by any method, or stored in an electronic storage system, without prior written permission from the publisher. Copying any part of this book for any purpose other than your own personal use is a violation of United States copyright laws. This Detailer's Handbook was written and designed by Richard Griot and Mark Greene, with a little help from the Mother-In-Law! Many thanks to all of our customers and friends who donated the use of their wonderful automobiles for photographs used in this Handbook. © 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 by Griot's GaraGe, inC. Published by Griot's GaraGe, inC., 3333 South 38th Street Tacoma, WA. 98409 Printed in the United States of America. Caution Please read this disclosure statement before you start any project—it will make my attorney happy… The information contained in this Handbook should be used only as a guide and is not in- tended to warrant or guarantee any results that you may experience with Griot's GaraGe, inC. prod- ucts or anyone else's. Proper car care can be complicated due to the many different materials (both interior and exterior), types of paints, interpretations of our application methods or techniques, and including, but not limited to, chemical reactions with previous products you may have used. You may not experience the same results as me. When in doubt, always use common sense. The liability of Griot's GaraGe, inC. shall not exceed the purchase price of this Handbook. Griot's GaraGe, inC. assumes no responsibility, expressed or implied, due to misuses or misinterpretations of the information supplied in this Handbook; or for any injury that may occur due to the sugges- tions and information offered in this Handbook. At Griot's Garage, we want you as a customer for life. Everything you purchase from us comes with a lifetime guarantee against defect. We want you to enjoy our quality products for 180 days and have fun with them! If you don't like it for any reason during this time, return it for a full refund or credit. After that, you're covered with our lifetime guarantee against defect, in which we will either repair it or replace it. If we are unable to repair or replace your product, we will credit your pur- chase price. Some items have a life span during normal use and they wear out. Our warranty does not include replacement of such items after normal use. Of course our guarantee doesn't cover abuse... But you already knew that. Customers for life. That's our guarantee. This Handbook is a collection of notes I've gathered from years of experience and you may do with them whatever you please. I hope you enjoy it. Now go and… Have fun in your garage!® Richard Griot 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!® 1 perfeCtion is in tHe Details talkinG Car Care… here are many terms in the world of car car Wash Tcare. Most have been misused and misun- A cleaner used to remove surface contaminants derstood due to exaggerated marketing efforts from your vehicle. Most car wash products use and misinformation. So that the descriptions alkalies, detergents and/or sodium which can used in this Handbook are consistent and clear, remove waxes, glazes, and natural oils and may here is a list of car care terms along with their accelerate paint oxidation. Good car wash soap proper definitions. will not contain any detergents and will be rich in lubricants (which safely lubricate the dirt, acid rain allowing it to glide from the vehicles paint). To Chemicals in the air that are contained in mois- "feel test" your car wash, put a small amount ture or rain. These chemicals normally reside between your finger and thumb and rub it back as hydrochloric acid within a water droplet on and forth. Better car washes will be more slip- your paint's surface. As the water evaporates, pery. Griot's Garage Car Wash is pH balanced, the concentration of acid becomes greater and contains no detergents, and uses biodegradable eventually etches your paint; leaving behind a ingredients which release dirt and contaminants, circular mark. This mark, underneath a magnify- then disperse them for easy removal. ing loupe, will look like an etched crater. Leaving your car unattended under intense sunshine after carnauba a rain accelerates this process. Paint Cleaning A naturally water-resistant substance derived Clay or polish should remove these marks. Some from the South American Copernica Cerifera marks, however, cannot be removed and may plant. May be used in a paste or liquid form and have penetrated the clear coat entirely; polishing applied by hand or machine. In its natural state, and waxing will make them less visible. carnauba is rock-hard and needs petroleum dis- tillates to soften it so it is workable when applied brakE dust to the paint's surface. Brake pads on your car slowly wear down due to the friction against the rotors or drums. This clEar coat Paint creates dust which sticks to the wheels. It usually Most vehicles today have clear coat paint. The looks black and is heavier on the front wheels paint on your car is a multi-layer paint comprised because this is where most of your braking effec- of a primer, a base color/pigment coat, and a tiveness occurs. This material is damaging to the clear coat. Clear coat finish of your wheels and should be removed clEar coat 2-3 mil provides excellent bril- on a regular basis or it may permanently pit color coat 1-2 mil liance but is very eas- the wheel's finish. Most wheels are painted and PrimEr 2 mil ily scratched. Once you clear-coated and may be waxed or sealed to scratch or rub through mEtal 20 mil make the cleaning process much easier. a clear coat, repairs involve re-painting, as buff Clear coats protect the base color coat has To wipe off excess polish or wax and bring a the color coat. Careful no brilliance, shine, polishing is required so or depth. surface to its maximum appearance. The kind damage does not occur of shape you'll be in if you polish and wax a lot to the clear coat. of vehicles. 2 talkinG Car Care cross-hatch for fast detailing; however, it creates even more A method of applica- swirl marks which are usually hidden with a tion using back and glaze. Your first car wash will remove this glaze, forth, up and down so the swirl marks will become visible and you'll motions to apply or be very disappointed. My rule of thumb: Never remove products. let anyone touch your car with a direct drive pol- This is safer than the isher, especially using a wool or cotton bonnet. traditional, circular You can polish paint better using our Random "wax on, wax off" Orbital, foam pads, and Machine Polishes. motion and provides Work in this pattern more even applica- to ensure you get GlazE complete coverage. tion and removal. A petroleum based liquid, usually made of car- nauba waxes and silicones that temporarily colorEd WaxEs fills and hides small surface scratches and swirl Since there are thousands of different colors for marks. Glazes can be layered so the more coats vehicles, there is no way to match a colored wax you apply, the more you hide. We recommend with your paint color. Since most vehicles have a using a glaze when polishing is not an option clear coat, the application of a colored wax on a due to time constraints or on older paint where clear paint creates an unnatural appearance.