Write-Up: How to Detail your Riviera

I know most of us here on Rivperformance wash our own cars, and know the steps based on what our previous generation taught us. i personally always helped my dad wash the family cars, and once i got my first car, detailing it was all i did for 2 weeks straight.

So here is my beginners guide to washing a Riviera, or any car really. Some of this may seem trivial, but i just want to cover all the bases so that even someone who has never washed a car before can make Barry Meguiar's proud. Later on i will add an expert guide to detailing which will go over how to remove certain stains and treat areas both inside and out. I currently work at a detailing shop, but all the methods i will cover are things you can do without all the fancy equipment and chemicals.
I am always open to testing new products and hearing different ways of doing things, so if you have a comment please share!

Here are some of the cleaners i have readily available when i wash my car every week.

For just a quick wash you will need:
1.car wash soap (DO NOT use dish soap like your dad used to. the chemicals in it will strip wax) i am using Eagle one's bucket free soap which i find very nice, since there is no bucket to trip over, or spill dragging the hose around. if your soap doesn't sud up or leave paint smooth then you may need to look into a different soap.
2.wash sponge or mitt. i usually just get a cheap-o sponge for $1 and toss it after every 2-3 washes. i dont like mitts b/c they are heavy to wear full of water and they tend to hold dirt.
3.tire/wheel brush. this is just a non abrasive brush to use when cleaning the wheels. do not use the wash sponge unless you throw it away after touching the rims/tires.
4.drying towels. be careful which towels you use, bathroom towels can be a little harsh draging across paint, and if you washed and dried them with fabric softener then you WILL have streaks on a dark car. i am using chamois, but you can also use the Absorber to take off most of the water and finish it off with a few microfiber towels.
5.clean water and a good nozzle. you need good pressure to clean out all the cracks and jams on the car, and you dont want to leave any soap on the car.
6.Clean Work area. away from trees, but still in the shade. it is not a good idea to wash a car in direct sun light or during the hottest part of the day. the car will dry up with soap still on it before you wash it off and you will have to rewash it.
here is a good place to wash it, and it is overcast and around 70* outside. perfect for a car wash.


Some of you may be thinking, well if it may rain, why wash the car?? HA! Thats like saying why brush your teeth if you are just going to eat again. i enjoy washing my car every time, even though some of my efforts may be literally washed away in the next 24hrs.

start by soaking the car down and removing all the loose dirt. get as much of it off as you can so you dont drag it across the paint making scratches when you wash it.


some people like to wash the wheels first then the paint so they dont sling dirt on a clean fender. i have never had a problem with that,but it is up to how careful you are.

Wash one section at a time, top to bottom. this way you will not be washing dirty soap on clean panels, and you will wash from the cleanest area to the dirtiest on the car. also by doing one panel at a time and washing out the sponge before moving on you will greatly reduce the chance for contaminating clean paint.
if using spray soap, soak the sponge and give it one good spray with soap.
my method usually goes as follow(rinsing off the soap after that panel): passenger roof, driver roof, hood, trunk, and finally the sides. still going from top to bottom in circular motion.


be sure to pay extra attention to places like behind the tires, which collects more dirt and tar than most other places. treat this as its own panel, and wash out the sponge before continuing with the rest of the car.

As you are washing each panel keep spaying off the areas you alreay washed you keep them wet. esepcialy the windows b/c if not they will sopt up when the water dries.

The next step is to clean the wheels and tires.
spray off the rim and tire making sure to jet stream the rotor above the caliper so as to rinse out as much brake dust as posible. then use the tire brush to sud up the wheel and rubber, and even the wheel wells if you can reach them.
Before:


During:


Rinsed & Dried:


Ok now that you are sick of looking at my wheels, rinse over the entire car one last time making sure all the soap is gone.

Now dry the car off, top to bottom, and pull it into the garage to admire!
or if you are like me, you are just getting started...

Dry and wipe down all the door jams, gas cap area, trunk, and hood jams.



there is no easy way to clean it other than using your hands. but if there is stubborn dirt you can use some of the detailing tricks to clean up the jams too.(those will be covered in part 2)


you may need to re-grease any hinges if you get them too clean


Dont forget about the trunk! ours collects lots of water so be sure to wipe everything down.

It is the little things that makes your car stand out above the rest. so in this next part i will go over some of the exterior treatments and how to clay bar the paint making it ready to polish or wax and glaze.

Most of our riv's are going on 12+ years old, and since they are from the 90's era there are a lot of plastic trim and rubber exposed to the elements.
Rubber striping deteriorates over time if it is not properly maintained. which leads to leaky door lines and windows that dont seal.

Back to Black is a great restorer made by Mothers. it helps revitalize the rubber weatherstrips and gray or black plastic around the bottom of the riv. use this first to clean up any wax residue and dirt before using a protectant.

i usually apply this 3-4 times a year since FL has such intense heat.
if your sunroof is sticking, treat the rubber with back to black, then coat it with petroleum jelly (non scented vasoline).
After cleaning and restoring the rubber or plastic you need ot add a layer of protection from uv rays and the elements.

i fell in love with Meguiars "natural shine: vinyl and rubber protectant" it leave the rubber rich and shiny or you can buff it to a natural look.
feel free to use this all the way around the car to make the lower trim look amazing. the shine last about a week but even when the gloss has worn off you can tell the plastic/rubber is richer looking than before.
here is a close up of the door seal and B pillar plastic. the lower half is treated and upper is not.


Your paint is covered in IFO's even after you just washed it!
what are IFO's?? IFO = Industrial Fall Out those are tiny minute particles that are stuck in the paint. They are things like brake dust, hard water minerals, and most commonly rust.
Even brand new cars from the factory have ifo's in the paint. these are more noticeable on white paint, and occur most heavily on the rear bumper.
it is hard to capture on camera but here is a micro shot of my bumper.


here is the same picture but i adjusted the contrast to highlight the IFO in the paint. Each of those spots is embeded rust in my pearly paint


keep in mind my paint was just washed minutes before this was taken! sponges cant get it out.
so what does? CLAY BARS! like the kind you played with in art class, only these are refined and made specifically for automotive use.

I prefer Clay Magic brand b/c it includes a large 100gram bar and lube for under $15 at Autozone.
What i usually do is split the bar in half, putting one in a separate plastic bag to save for later. you can do 1 fairly clean riv with ~50grams of clay.
you can use the clay on any non porous surface.

all you do is spray the provided lube (it's just spray detailer, but you can use water too) and then rub the clay back and fourth in linear movements to pull up the IFO's. reshape the bar frequently b/c you dont want to pick up anything large and drag it across the paint. you will notice the paint feels tons smoother and the bar is now full of dirt! throw it away when it is too dirty, or use it to clean up other things like rims, glass, tiles, or anything else to remove dirt or overspray.

...to be continued

Great job! If it is ok, can I add it to the website?

you do some great work you should try out more meguiars products

98riv wrote:

Great job! If it is ok, can I add it to the website?

Yes sir

Wow, good detailing advice given here! Thanks, Mr. Riviera, please continue...

I'm not a professional detailer, but can be pretty obsessive about cleaning (usually because I let things get way too dirty, and must correct it), and have learned a few tips not mentioned that I feel compelled to share. I think Mr. Riviera might cover some of these, but here goes...

1) I think I see a can of metal polish in Mr. Riviera's first picture. If you have chrome wheels, this is very important. If you let the wheels go to a point of embarrassment, you might be surprised at what this product can do. I use CarGo Blue Magic liquid metal polish. It's actually a light blue paste that comes in a can or bottle. Get the can - the bottle becomes clogged easily, is messy, and can break over time. You just put some on a rag and wipe in on, then wipe it off to a shine; kind of like waxing paint, but you don't need to let it dry. Don't use this stuff on paint though. It will strip your clear coat in a hurry!



TIP: Next time you get a new set of tires, ask them to "static balance" using adhesive weights instead of the ugly ones that clip on to the outside of the rim. This makes wheel cleaning so much easier, and you won't have dents or chips in your rims after the weights are removed.

2) For tires, I like to use Westley's Bleche Wite. There's something about this stuff. It just finds dirt in rubber tires, and pulls it out. If you have white walls, it will magically make them white again. If not, it does a great job cleaning black rubber, leaving the tires with a nice, dull, clean look. Ready for tire shine if you want, but a tire freshly cleaned with Bleche Wite looks good by itself. To use, spray it on wet tires liberally. You can get it on the wheels, too. Now use a tire brush to scrub. You'll see a brownish film forming - that's the dirt coming out. Before it dries, spray off with water. I usually do this before washing the car, as there's SO much dirt that comes off. You'll find that using Bleche Wite first makes your rag stay cleaner when wiping on tire shine. Be careful, though. DO NOT BREATH this stuff!



3) Meguiare's Scratch-X can be a lifesaver. It is basically an abrasive polish that turns to a transparent filler as it dries. It also acts as a protective layer, like wax. It's clear coat safe, and will make fine scratches and swirl marks disappear. But it does something else, too. It will cut through tar, bugs, sap... whatever. I've never found anything this stuff won't remove, except for the very small stuff that is for the clay bar. For larger, deeper scratches, it will make them less obvious, but it's a temporary fix. Usually you'll need to reapply every few weeks. Use on very small, localized areas rather than coating your car with this. A little bit goes a long way, and it's not cheap. Like wax, do not apply to hot paint in direct sun light. It will dry very fast, and can be difficult to get off.



4) For door seals and rubber goods, another way to protect them is silicone spray lubricant. Petroleum jelly works, but I prefer the silicone because it is dry and won't attract dirt. It also goes on quickly with a rag, and a lot less messy to get on your hands. Silicone lube is the recommended care suggested by GM.



5) To dry my car, at one time I used only a natural chamois, but recently discovered The Absorber. This is a great product that lasts a long time if properly cared for. It holds an obscene amount of water, and you can wash it when it gets dirty. Just drag it over your hood and the water almost disappears!

palermocorey90 wrote:

you do some great work you should try out more meguiars products

How about Zaino Brothers? Ever tried any of their products?
http://www.zainostore.com/
Their products are super, I'll throw in a product I've found very good!

Quote from their website:
Your search for great looking tires ends right here!

For many years I have been dissatisfied with tire dressings available in the consumer market. Most are loaded with silicone oil, and those that aren't don't shine well. Plus, most of the products we've tested are very greasy, leave an oily and messy, attract dirt and dust like a magnet, and sling off the tire. Not to mention, have you ever seen a silicone oil-based dressing that has UV protection?

We created Zaino Z-16 Perfect Tire Gloss to solve these problems once and for all. Z-16 Perfect Tire Gloss is a non-oily, rubber and exterior vinyl finishing treatment. Our unique formula contains Ultra-Gard UV(40) and our exclusive moisturizing and antistatic solution to prevent drying, cracking and browning. Z-16 Perfect Tire Gloss helps repels dust and dirt to keep your tires looking great, longer. One application of Z-16 Perfect Tire Gloss leaves an incredibly durable, water repellent, perfect looking satin finish, that's only slightly glossy and dry to the touch.

The Z-16 bottle contains 16 fl. ozs. (473 ml.)
This is what I use on my tires and bottm trim and "repels dust and dirt" is true!
All of their products work great!

I was going to post over on impala ss forum about detailing. All I ever do is wash and once or twice a year I apply nu-finish. Thanks for the info !

Mr. Riviera, I noticed a white substance that appeared on my car's paint this morning. Do you have any experience dealing with this?

Thanks so much for putting this up! After reading this through I realized that I had NO idea how to properly wash a car. All I used to do was spray our cars with the hose when I was 8 or 9, which turns out makes waterspots on our Saturns' polymer body panels.

This summer, I'm gonna give it a good wash, wax, shine, and clean up the tires a bit. I'll use the Bleche-White stuff and buy an 'absorber' seeing as I don't have a good, paint-safe towel.

Thanks again!

spring is coming up soon.so as we all know this means... car wash season. i have been a loyal Meguiars fan for about 3 years now. there great products i love them.but there good for the average car enthusiast, but i need something 1 step better . what is the "best" car care brand or line of products out there. my car is going in to paint in a few months. well when the snow is gone. I want the good products. the good stuff. i did a search on Google and it brought up meguiars. Is Zanio's any good, what about zymol. spending the cash is no problem. i just prefer doing it my self. its like a passion of mine.

I've used some Meguiars car wash, glass cleaner, tire shine, wheel shine, and rubber shine (for the vinyl on the bottom). I used to use ArmorAll for basically everything, but I recently switched to Meguiars. I love all of the products I've used by them.

Right now I need something to clean the water spots off my side mirrors and off of the top of my windshield glass. I also need some chrome cleaner. I hear Mother's can be good on that. Anyone have experience with those products?

like i said i have used just about everything meguiars, there stuff is great but not good enough for my taste . great for the average person tho

there is no one line of products that has the best of everything. also "best" is relative. do you want the best shine, protection, durability, glow? you cant have them all, but products like zaino and klasse are pretty much top of the line. i have a set from klasse, but i also have white paint so i cant really get the full effect of any wax
you need to start with really clean paint (not even over spray from the paint show) and use an acrylic glaze like the ones i mentioned. you can also use "liquid glass" our shop used to use it until we switched product lines. i havent used it, but i hear its really nice. those glazes will add shine and protection, but put some gold class carnuba on top of it and it will glow!

hard water spots can be really tough to remove from glass. if they are deep enough there is absolutly nothing you can do to make it look like new. using 0000 steel wool and an abrasive cleaner like plasti-x or brasso can remove some of the lighter stuff. as for chrome (if they are rel chrome you can acid wash them and then pollish/wax them with a good chrome paste. (blue coral, mothers, eagle one, etc.)

Imo, the result you get is about 20% selecting the right type (not brand) of product to use for the application, and 80% technique of applying and working the product. I think the brand name is a minor thing; I pick the one that smells the best.

3M makes some good stuff, you will probably have to locate a automotive paint store to get it though.

Bert

AA wrote:

Imo, the result you get is about 20% selecting the right type (not brand) of product to use for the application, and 80% technique of applying and working the product.

i agree completely. i could care less about the brand name, it's whats in the bottle that matters, and without the know how and right tools you can take even the best product and flush it down the drain. however each product is different so test a few of them out and see what works best for you.

i have all the tools, i use to detail cars as a part time thing

AA wrote:

I pick the one that smells the best.

Do you use that same technique picking up ladies at the grocery store?

zep patio furniture cleaner works great on wheels and tires , still needs something to shine the tires afterwards... i know ive mentioned this in other threads but it makes sense here...
i got nothing but good things to say about meguiars products...
and as for water spots on glass , a utility blade and careful hand can help out quite a bit , but its pretty risky...i dont know if i'd try it on the riv.

Quote :

Do you use that same technique picking up ladies at the grocery store?

Absolutely!

Btw, Meguiars tire shine works great, and smells good too!

the only bad thing is that it attracts dust and in a few days ur tires look like crap, but i use there tire cleaner