Russ,

You're very welcome. Any time you have a question, don't hesitate to ask.

Also, I am not in California, I'm in Toronto. Anyway, I do have one service that is available worldwide. If you're interested, feel free to message me in private.

 

Tyler,

If you don't mind I would like to ask you opinion on tire dressings. Do you have a favorite? Most are too gummy and attract dust or just don't cover well.

Thanks,
Russ

Russ,

I have always had trouble with tire dressings. I have yet to find one I truly enjoy. Most of the time, the gloss wears off far too quickly. Sometimes, it's only a couple of days.

I will be testing Meguiar's Endurance Tire Gel as it's highly rated. You should try that and see what you think.

ooh. okay. thanks for answering all my questions. i appreciate it.

thanks. yeah. i'll be working on a friends car for the first time this weekend/next week. i hope to do well on it . haha the swirl free look is the look of satisfaction

Show us your work when its complete.

sure.

but be ready, it might turn out bad. i'm not expecting anything good as its the first time i'm using a polisher. it's a porter cable 7424. i just bought a bunch of detailing products and it made a hole in my wallet

Thanks once again Tyler!

Aloha Russ

Small (ok, being modest ) announcement:

Announcing the World's Single Largest Detailing Event of 2008!

Beginning on December 17th, Apollo Detailing will take the exceptional step of crossing the border and travel south to the United States, serving dozens of clients from Toronto to South Florida.

The last appointment will be in early January. Interested clients are advised to inquire if they will be within a serviceable area.

Apollo Detailing will be fully equipped to handle any issue and all services will be available. This includes Perfection, Paint Correction, Complete Wetsanding, and Concours Interior.

There are a very limited number of appointments available and these are open on a first come, first serve basis.

Not all shampoos are going to leave your wax alone. Many will desipate your protection much faster than others. Even high end shampoos can leave your paint vulnerable. Also, Dawn will strip wax, but in many cases Dawn requires much more than one wash to do so ime, but again far too many variables.

Lexols alright if you are looking to get something local, for me being in Florida, it has a tendency to conduct too much heat and shine if liberally applied.

If you are planning on going with the Leatherique setup you should really plan on going at it with your bare hands or with gloves on and massage it into the hide thoroughly. I wouldn't recommend Leatherique for the diyer as there are many do's and don'ts to troubleshoot before you get the hang of it. If you are trying to bring back oxidized leather, or soften stale leather that hasn't been cared for properly over the years, leatherique or leather masters is a great way to go.

For the average consumer who wants to merely keep a darker, richer, factory look and smell I would recommend a much easier process, such as Zaino's leather care, or even surf city garages leather conditioner. It has great cleaning ability and holds up very well. The smell is nice, and the look can be what you would like it to be dependant on how many applications.

The trouble with suggesting Leatheriques conditioner is that it's pretty much pointless without Pristine clean (their leather cleaner in the two step system) as pristine clean not only demolishes otherwise tough to remove residue, but it eliminates the smell of the prior application. That's what most are impressed with when it comes to leatherique, it has an uncanny ability to bring the leathers original scent back.

The Road to Cavillino complete (177 pictures) 1 wk from show - Autopia.org
In this thread, a good friend of mine who I have had the pleasure to work with on many details did one hell of a job with this detail, after a few months had gone by I met him out on the same job site, and the client was curious what could be done with his fading leather. Zaino leather treatment did not bring it back to original standard, so it was onto a full day of leatherique. My hands were noticably softer for weeks afterward as I had it on my bare hands for so long, but the results are what sells leatherique, and I don't think it's a process too many diy'ers are going to grasp completely. Not to mention it's a pretty spendy product.

If you are going with a bottle of Lexol, and your vehicle is garage kept, you should get a month of two before the conditioning agents outgas, Leatherique is not a process you should have to do very often, maybe twice a year. The callogen and protiens in rejuvinator continue to condition months after application.

Here is a diyers guide to thier product if you decide to go that route.
Do It Your Self Instructions | Leatherique Restoration Products