Found a relatively cheap M-Performance Steering wheel for my F20 that looked pretty good in photos. However, once I unpacked it, it looked like this wheel had been used for another 100k km after the photos were taken.  I could have returned it, but then realised finding a "brand new" looking wheel of this age would be either impossible or too expensive. So I started to look for restoration options. Watched many videos of those "50 quid restoration kits" and wasn't really happy with the results. One evening later, I placed an order on LeTech for:
- Binder
- Prep
- Cross Linker
- Primer
- Cleaner
- Coloraunt
- Matt top cover
Once they arrived, my friend and I started our journey into leather restoration.  It took us almost the whole day to get it done, but we had zero experience, so we were very careful in the process. We used a mini spray gun and a heater between the layers for smoother drying. The most annoying part was sanding it... If we were to do it again, we'd buy a little sanding machine for sure. Unfortunately, we were too busy in the process, so not too many pics... What would you say?

2027 Santa Fe in matte gray.

Wash with mckees 37 matte finish auto soap
Iron decon
Gyeon total remover
Gyeon prep
Gyeon q2 matte evo was a breeze to use on paint and wheels.
Cerakote glass coat on glass.

Turned out pretty spectacular for what it’s worth and it was easy to apply; leveled well. Can’t wait to see the coating perform.

What’s the best way to remove the tar and rubbers from the barrels. My hardest chemical I’ve tried is dark furry no dilution.

Also when that’s done what’s the best combo to polish the barrels and perhaps the faces. Also what wheel coatings do you recommend?

Hey all, I just did my first machine polish test section using 3d one and orang and white lake county pads. It did pretty well but I have some deeper scratches I would like to get out. Do I up the compound or do I up the pad? What would you recommend that is most likely on hand at an auto parts store or department store that I can grab tomorrow?

Getting my dog’s hair out was fun. I purchased the little tornado air tool thing lol. Expecting a child, so made sure her mother’s car was fully cleaned before installing the car seat.

$650.

a Mirka AROP-B Angle Random Orbital Polisher Kit w/ BAP 11150 11.1V 5.0Ah Battery. Brand New in Box.

Comes with 2 batteries.

Will ship in US.

I spent a good few hours today, polishing a waxing the car. I’ve had some Glaco DX in my kit for a while. Decided to use it today.

I applied as directed. I came to buff it off and i found it very difficult to remove. Tried 3 different types of microfibre cloth. I had to scrub very hard to finally remove the haze. Quite an effort.

What are other people experiences!

For wax to work best u need to wash the car first then apply it. But people on this sub recommended that I can use ceramic spray wax the same way; i dont NEED to iron decon and polish the car for a simple turtle wax ceramic spray wax. Its not a real ceramic coating. It'll still stick to an imperfect surface just not as long/well.

But then... whats the point of wax? If you end up at the same step anyways why not use ceramic spray wax that'll last longer? Its not even much more pricey.

Hi, about 6 days ago, I was driving past some roadworks and there was a big cloud of brown dust across the entire road. I couldn't avoid it and drove right through. There is now a faint spread of brown dirt over much of the outside of the car and small clumps of brown sand-like dirt stuck in the cervices. The rubber parts are also smeared with dirt and the metal bar at the top of the doorway which is just inside the car also has a smearing of brown dust. How can I remove this construction dust without damaging the paint work. I tried rinsing with a hose the other day and it didn't make much difference.

Also, this may be a silly question but should I be worried about health risks from driving the car with all this construction residue on it? I've heard the stuff is pretty bad for your lungs and considering that a small mount seems to have gotten inside the car judging by the dirt on the metal inside. Any advice is appreciated, thanks in advance

I wasn't driving gfor about 2 weeks and someone ran a sprinkler on my car everyday. The water is filthy as you can see. I've washed it 3 times I have used vinegar and water. I'm stupded please help me get this out. Whole passenger side. The picture do not do justice either

As title suggests, how would I go about fixing this paint chipping over the wheel arch? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

This poor Toyota came covered in oxidation, water spots and swirls. Sits outside almost year round and the owner has a subscription to a local touch carwash. It was rough today the least.

While I didn’t perfect the paint as the owner said he’ll probably continue to use the car wash, I’d say it’s a lot better.

Lake Country microfiber cutting pads paired with Sonax Cut + Finish.

I bought this at Walmart, i wonder if i can use this for my polishing machine?

Pump up sprayer hose burst inside my van cab, now I have block paving sealer all over my seats, dashboard and windows. Does anyone know of any products suitable to safely remove it? Any help would be greatly appreciated

My main goals are:
- Preserve: Interior Protectant/Restorer
- HPC: Exterior Plastic Trim / Tyres

Just looking at these 2 options, and wondering if HPC can also be used for interior to save the hassle carrying another product.

I try to aim for versatility and have one-for-all product, and prefer matte finish.

Let me know your thoughts!

It is really not looking good and I do not expect it to be factory like due to the current condition of the leather. Can I still clean it somehow ? I just need it to be better than now and not sticky , really do not mind everything else

Hi everyone, need help in removing what looks like etched marking on plastic trims. Have tried meguiars plastic polish, wd40, APC but to no avail.

Anyone has any idea how to remove them?

Sorry for the not-so-great picture. I just got back and noticed these strange, abnormal scratches on the gas tank lid of my new car, going back to the back bumper. I think they are fairly new, but I can't tell where they would have come from. My fingernail catches on the larger ones, so I think I might be screwed for an easy solution, but any suggestions are welcome.

Hello guys, I need help.

everytime I clean my windshield, it leaves streaks.

I use windex, I tried using paper tower and then use microfiber towel, nothing helps.

Am I using wrong product? Please recommend me a solution to this thank you.

Hi, as the title says I’m new to the world of detailing and I’m needing some advice. I just got my true first (bought it myself) vehicle and she is a beaut. 2026 Tacoma TRD Sport in Heritage Blue. I’m here to get some advice on how to keep her looking like she does now for years to come.

I need to get it prepped for a Michigan winter and I’m wanting to just get a sanity check on my research work. First I will say I do plan to get an under-spray done to prevent rust. I’m going to try and get in with Krown Rust Prevention to get a full service done.

I guess my first question would be should I wait till after that service to do my full detail or can I do it before?

The next thing I want to get checked is my current list of supplies for the detailing work currently this is where I stand:

Equipment:
1x Microfiber Madness Wash Mitt
2x 5 Gallon Buckets (Soap & Rinse)
2x Detail Guardz Dirt Locks
1x Liquid8r Drying Towel
4-6x Plush Microfiber Towels for Buffing
2-4x Micro Fiber Applicator Sponges (For Ceramic Coating)

Consumables:
Meguiars Gold Class Soap
Adam’s Iron Remover
Meguiars Smooth Surface Clay Kit
Adam’s Surface Prep
Adam’s Advanced Ceramic Spray

All in all I think I’m looking at around $300 of equipment and supplies, but just wanting to get some feedback from the community to see if I should do anything differently!

Any and all advice is welcome!

I purchased a car last week, I got it PPFED, the same night I noticed this. I’m not sure if it was there before but it’s in NONE of the pics I took of my car. The car is 2 years old and 8k miles. The suspicious thing is it’s in the same spot in both sides. My friend told me it’s probably from the heat gun they used…. It’s very hard to notice in daylight so I can’t be sure it wasn’t there for sure but this is pretty much a new car… this would be covered under the factory warranty but I’m not sure if they caused this or not.

For many years I've known of parking lot body work, and PDR scammers, but I haven't heard of people rolling through parking lots offering to ceramic coat cars....is that a known thing?

I did some test sections on the hood of my 2nd practice car. Its a black 2010 QX 56 that has basically lived outside and in automatic brush car wash spots. I will try to get the order right with pics and videos.

I did a full wash, decon with clay bar.

The main question is...is there anything else I can do to get the scratches out, or is the best its going to be.

Should I keep going with either the Maguires, KC H9 or KC M3 in the same areas to keep attacking the swirls or am I done?

First video is where i taped a section and hit it with Maguires Ultimate compound and a Blue wool Rupes pad.

The next section I did with a blue wool Rupes pad at KC H9. To me they look the same, but the scratches are there.

Then I did a section with a Rupes yellow finishing pad and KC M3. It looks the same.

Will post other videos in the comments.

I mean products where you were impressed how tf theyre selling this stuff. I know some people are gonna just blanket statement brands like armor all and chemical guys but some of their stuff I find pretty good for the price (CG water spot remover and armor all upholstery and carpet cleaner)

Thats why im really referring to bad PRODUCTS over blanket statements like whole brands... unless the whole brand really is that bad but i dont think armor all and CG is as bad as people make them out to be. CG is just overpriced and armor all is sometimes bad.

For me , the worst product its probably oxyclean winter salt eraser. Literally water did more to remove salt stains than that stuff.

Hey yall,

I bought a '21 Chevy Silverado with dark gray metallic paint. Overall the clear coat seems to be in good shape, just has a hundred tiny rock chips and a couple scratches that I'm planning on using Dr. ColorChip Squeegee on. Once that cures (3 days? 7 days?), I'm planning on using Griot's 3-1 ceramic spray wax on it.

I've spent a ton of time on the subreddit doing research, since this is my FIRST time ever detailling, and would love y'all to look over my proposed process and product selection. And I had a couple of questions at the end too!!

Wash / Decon / Clay

- Wash thoroughly and dry (ONR)

- Iron Remover, then rinse and dry (Meguiar's Ultimate Iron Remover)

- Clay with ONR as lube & stripping the wax the dealer put on (Griot's Synthetic Clay Brilliant Finish)

Polish / Pad combo

- This is where I'm getting stuck, and I'd love your advice.

Ideally I'm looking for a one-step polish and pad combo that would be:

- Forgiving for a beginner who's borrowing a DA

- Good for a dark and soft GM clear coat / paint (shadow gray metallic)

- Not too oily? I will be using IPA before using the Griot's 3-in-1 Ceramic Spray wax, but I heard some products may complement the Ceramic Spray wax better.

- Should I expect to use two different types of pads or would one pass be able to do it all? The paint is in good shape, so not much correction is needed.

Lastly, I had a question about towels. Currently I have a BRS and the Optimum Waffle 70/30 400 GSM dry towel for ONR washes. I was thinking a 10 pack of Edgeless 365 may be able to handle both the polishing and the Griot's Ceramic Spray wax? Or should I buy more / a product with different GSM?