2009 Audi A4 Brilliant Black Paint Correction

The owner of this car got a crazy deal on it about a year ago, and it's taken him quite a while to get all the mechanical issues sorted.  But it's finally time for the car to get a proper cleaning.  This car is a daily driver and it was in very rough shape when it arrived.  The owner had a budget in mind for the car and wanted to get it looking as nice as he could within that budget.  In these cases, it's important to get a consistent finish on the paint, but to get the most economy out of the job, extra time was spent on the gloss panels of the car; The hood, the roof and the trunk.  These are the panels most often in direct sun and visible at normal standing height.  

Process

• Wheels and tires cleaned with Meguiar's DUB wheel cleaner and Ardex Proper
• Prefoamed with CG citrus wash + Gloss and Bilt hamber Autofoam
• Hand wash with CG citrus wash daily
• Polish residue was removed PPF edges with APC, IPA, soft brushes and towels
• Mechanically decontaminated with traditional clay bar
• Paint was polished with HD Polish+ on a 21mm DA with rupes yellow pads
• Tight areas were corrected with HD Polish+ on a flex 3401 with LC white hybrid pads
• Paint was protected with Blackfire Wet Diamond
• Tires were dressed with carpro PERL
• Trim and wheels protected with carpro hydro2
• Exhaust cleaned with pinnacle exhaust cleaner and brightener

2014 Ford Focus deep interior clean and exterior winter prep

The owner of this car had an incident in the trunk that resulted in a lot of liquid being spilled.  They attempted to resolve the situation with baking soda and a vacuum.  This is understandable in a panic situation and when some home remedy website tells you that everything will be sunshine and snow cones.  But the reality is that they went from the frying pan into the fire.  They also had transported their niece and nephew which also resulted in some kid grime in the back seat.  Finally, with winter approaching, they wanted to get the vehicle protected.  The majority of the interior was done with an mid-range interior cleaning, but the rear cargo are and headliner got a deep cleaning. 

Interior Process

• Carpets dry brushed and vacuumed
• Hard surfaces cleaned with an enzyme based cleaner via tornador
• Leather cleaned and protected with McKee's Leather Lotion
• Carpets cleaned with high pressure stream
• Headliner cleaned with an enzyme based cleaner via tornador
• Cargo lid pressure washed and cleaned with an enzyme based cleaner via tornador
• Hard surfaces protected with McKee's Fast Interior Detailer

Process

• Wheels and tires cleaned with Meguiar's DUB wheel cleaner and Ardex Proper
• Prefoamed with CG citrus wash + Gloss and Bilt hamber Autofoam
• Hand wash with CG citrus wash daily
• Mechanically decontaminated with Speedy Prep Towel
• Paint was polished with HD Speed on a 21mm DA with rupes yellow pads
• Bumper were corrected with HD Polish+ on a Rupes LHR75 with Rupes Yellow pad
• Tires were dressed with carpro PERL
• Wheels protected with carpro hydro2
• Trim was protected with Ultima Tire and trim guard

2016 At a Glance

2016 was an awesome year for Detailed Creations.  Like most businesses, we set performance goals.  Some of these goals are strategic (financials, marketing & accreditation) while some are more self centered (awards &  accolades).  

AWARD WINNING CARS

We were able to contribute to several award wining vehicles and others that received national attention.  

2001 Audi A4 won the Eurowerks OEM+ category for squeezing a 4.2L V8 in place of a 1.8L I4 motor.  We performed a basic exterior, removed a few scratches, touched up stains on the interior and detailed the very special engine bay, also assisting by giving the custom aluminum heatshield into a mirror finish. 

1967 Shelby GT500 took home a gold award from the SAC Concours.  We prepared all parts of this vehicle for the concours event including the interior, exterior, engine bay and undercarriage.  The owner was asked back to compete for a premier award, which is the highest honor available at the concours.  Finally, the car will be featured in a book pulished by the SAC historian.

2013 Audi Allroad was featured by Audi USA as part of Camp Allroad.  We prepared both the interior and exterior for the event.  We also prepared the Volcano Red S4 seen next to it in the promotional videos

2010 Audi S4 (Ibis White) was also featured by Audi USA as part of Camp Allroad.  We prepared the exterior.  After the track season, we once again prepped the exterior for winter as well as the interior.

NEW PRODUCT CERTIFIED INSTALLER

This is probably the most exciting news for our clients; we are now able to offer some of the most innovative ceramic coatings on the market that are only available to professionals. 

Pearl Nano Ceramic Coatings offer exceptional value with a multilayer system that includes a 9H base layer and very hydrophobic topcoat to create a 3D matrix effect that will last for years. 

Nanohide is on the leading edge of coatings offerings a traditional multi-year coating as well as a self-healing coating.  That's right minor swirls and scratches within the coating layer will heal them selves and disappear.

NEW WEBSITE

After several years and a few underwhelming websites, we focused on creating a very streamlined website and simplifying the detailing menu.  

NEW PRODUCTS ADDED TO THE STANDARD REGIMEN

We are always in search of new and revolutionary products that provide great results and value for our clients.  This year there were several new products that came to market and a few that have now become available in the US; and we've incorporated these into our standard regimen.  There are also a couple existing hidden gems that we've discovered along the way.

• Bilt Hamber Autofoam
• Bilt Hamber Surfex HD
• Carbrite Brite Spot for the tornador
• Gyeon Cure
• 3M 3" pneumatic polisher with 15mm orbit
• MCKee's Fast Interior Detailer
• TAC Systems Quartz Max
• Carpro Ech2o
• Griots Garage Boss 21 polisher
• Griots Garage Fast Microfiber pads
• Meguiars D114 Rinse Free Express Wash
• Carpro Rayon, Demin & Velvete pads

BETA PRODUCTS TESTED

Along with working on award winning cars, this is probably our biggest honor.  Our peers in the detailing community recognize that we are serious about our craft and very particular about the quality of the products we use, and they choose to partner with us to develop new products.  Not only do we get the first glimpse at new products that may come to market, we also get to provide feedback to help improve these products for everyone and, in a small way, shape the future of the detailing industry.  Below are a few of the companies that we had the honor of doing beta testing for in 2016.

• Son1c Wax
• Pearl Nano
• Palm Beach Motoring Group (Wolfgang, Blackfire, McKee's 37) 

DETAILING WORKSHOPS

We put on 3 workshops this year.  They all focused on maintenance and enhancement of the exterior of the vehicle.  We trained about 20 individuals and took 3 cars from drab to dapper. We are looking forward to expanding this in the future to interiors, engines and more advanced paint correction.

NEW PRODUCTS TESTED AND REVIEWED

We test a lot of products; we don't keep track of the conversion ratio, but it's probably in the neighborhood of 5:1.  That's not to say the other 4 products are bad or didn't perform, in fact we do a lot of research before we even consider adding it to our arsenal.  We have very specific requirements based on the business model, the clients we serve and our detailing philosophy and practices.  In some cases, these are great products that just didn't fill a need in our model.  We would still encourage anyone to try these products and when we review them, we try to target who these products may suit the best.  The list below is by no mean all inclusive and it specifically excludes any product previously listed that was added to our regimen.

• McKee's 37 Wax Remover
• McKee's 37 Extreme Iron Remover
• McKee's 37 Leather Lotion
• Blackfire Wt Diamond Glass Cleaner
• Wolfgang Uber Ceramic Coating
• Wolfgang Perfekt Vision Glass Polish
• Wolfgang Perfekt Finish Paint Prep
• Pinnacle Signature Series II paste wax revised version
• Wolfgang Uber Rinseless Wash
• Carpro Hydrofoam
• Carpro Reset

Review - McKee's 37 Xtreme Iron Remover

I received this product at no cost, and in return, I agree to provide a review. I will try to keep this as objective as I can.

Copy from AG

Use this cleaner once and you’ll wonder how you ever detailed without it!

McKee’s 37 Xtreme Iron Remover solves an issue that plagues virtually every vehicle on the road today – iron contamination. Iron contamination is a real issue for old and new cars alike. A brand spanking new car can have HORRIBLE iron contamination and left untreated the iron particles will cause corrosion to the precious thin clear coat paint that comes on a brand new car. McKee’s 37 Xtreme Iron Remover is the solution to removing iron particles to maximize the gloss potential of your paint!

Iron contamination is caused by:

• Rail dust (new car transportation)
• Brake dust
• Living near a railroad track
• Airborne chemical compounds

McKee’s 37 Xtreme Iron Remover is pH-balanced and 100% acid-free, so you can use it on every exterior surface with confidence. Simply spray this powerful cleaner directly onto all exterior surfaces and wait a few minutes for it to turn red as it dissolves ferrous (iron containing) particles, leaving your paint glossy,smooth, and bright. Then, wash your vehicle as you normally would and then apply a coat of your favorite wax or sealant. Your vehicle’s paint will appear glossier than it ever has!

Don't stop at your paint! McKee's 37 Xtreme Iron Remover works wonders on old, neglected wheels too. Years of caked-on brake dust doesn't stand a chance against McKee's 37 Xtreme Iron Remover.

Q & A with Mike Phillips, Autogeek’s Director of Training and host of Competition Ready on Velocity Network:

Question: Does using an iron remover take the place of using detailing clay?

Answer: No. Iron removers only remove iron contamination. Iron removers will not remove non-iron contaminants like overspray paint, tree sap mist, industrial fallout, traffic pollution, airborne dirt and other airborne contaminants. It’s still very important to use a clay bar when you detail your vehicle.



Question: Which order do you decontaminate a car?

Answer: You always start with chemical decontamination (ie: Xtreme Iron Remover) followed by mechanical decontamination (ie: Clay Bar). The reason why is because if there are any forms of iron contaminants bonded onto or embedded into your car's paint - if you were to remove them with detailing clay, you would risk rubbing them over the paint potentially instilling scratches into the paint. This is why you do the chemical decontamination first, to avoid the risk of rubbing iron particles over the paint and scratching it.

I will agree with everything above. Though I do know how I got on without it to this point, it involved a different brand of iron remover. 

I don't know if this is the most effective or the best smelling, but it does have one big thing other don't, viscosity. This is a good and bad thing. It is extremely thick, so it clings very well to all surfaces, it stays right where you spray it, and that's a good thing; you don't get any runs into places you don't want to flush with water over and over again. It's also extremely thick, which is not a good thing when trying to disperse it on paint while spraying. The spray pattern if pretty tight, even on the fan setting. This necessitates some spreading of the product, which means potentially picking up dirt with whatever your spreading tool is. To be fair, I do spread Iron-X as well, and usually perform this task after a thorough pressure rinse so the big stuff is gone. But this step lies between the initial rinse and contact washing. Either before or after a snow foam depending on my mood, so there is still some potential to pick up some dirt. In this respect, the product may require a change in your wash procedure. 

Upon spraying the product, I am greeted with the typical rotten egg smell, though it is mild and covered by a 'fresh' cleaning agent smell. I do like the smell of DUB wheel cleaner better, but this is a close second. Folks familiar with these cleaners would say 'yeah I smell it and it's not that bad compared to brand Z'. The uninitiated would smell it and think the product had gone bad, but I don't think they would find it too offensive. 

As far as cleaning, I think the gel formula requires a little more time to react than other products, but since it stays put, this isn't an issue if you can avoid it drying on the paint. Because of the viscosity, I feel like I used a lot more product than I normally would, I need to try a couple different sprayers to see if there's one that will disperse it a little better. 

This particular allroad had PPF installed on the front clip about 1 month ago and you can already see contaminant on the hood.

Iron Contamination on the hood changing color

moments later you can see the reaction

Lower bit subject to German brake dust

Roof area, you can really see the thickness of the product here

I didn't have a chance to put this head-to-head against any other offerings, but I plan to do that in a couple weeks when I get a car that has about 10-20 track days behind it since the last detail.

In general I like this product. I know I've been wanting a thicker iron remover myself, even played around with some gelling agents to see if I could do it myself, but I had similar results were non-existent reaction, I think this is inherent in a gel formula. I can't say that I'm dead set on this product yet. It did perform, and it performed well. I think this is a case of 'be careful what you wish for', I wanted a gel type iron remover and I got one. I hadn't anticipated the other challenges associated with a gel type iron remover. If you are doing a multi step wheel cleaning, definitely consider this as it will cling to the wheel very well. For paint, the jury is out until I find a better sprayer; if I can get a good spray pattern, this product is near the top of the list of iron removers by having a balance of performance, scent and cling ability.

Review - Car Pro ECH2O

Out of all the new SEMA releases, this was the one that most piqued my interest. And based on some of the hype that is already out there by the folks who have tried it before release of at SEMA, I was further cautiously optimistic about the performance. I recall some specific line to the effect that, 'you can't make it streak even if you try' and 'it's like wiping on gloss'; that would be nice.

The bottle seems to be easily stained by the thick, teal mixture. I found that the dilution on the bottle differ slightly from what is listed on another distributors site (the latter being more dilute). Those listed on AG do match the bottle. I chose to start with a dilution of 1:20, adding 2 oz of concentrate to 40oz of distilled water in a garden sprayer. The product itself is very thick, it clung to the sides of a small measuring cup that had come from a cough syrup bottle. I poured a little of the dilute product back into the measuring cup and stirred it to reclaim the concentrate. Once diluted the product appears more of a blue color through the opaque plastic of my garden sprayer. This product does not have a distinct fragrance, rather, the smell is a byproduct of the solvents/carriers and whatever magic they put in the bottle. As long as the product performs well, I can dismiss the less than stellar odor, though I do find that my work spaces smelled a bit like a body shop afterward. 

After finishing a rinseless wash, I applied a light layer of Ech20 to one panel at a time as well as a light misting on the plush side of a 530 towel. After wiping on, I used a second 530 towel to wipe it off. Any streaking flashed away within moments. It went on and came off very easily, and the towels went smoothly over the paint. After the sun went down, the pattern of condensation on the car did mimic the wiping pattern, so even though you can't see any streaks, something of that pattern is left behind. 

The surface has a soft slippery feel, almost oily much like a traditional sealant, I feel that is new to carpro products; Reload and the CQuartz options all seem to have a hard slickness to them. This was a pleasant surprise. 

As for Gloss, yes, it's a gloss boss. I imagine at a more concentrated mixture it would have even greater gloss, but both of my vehicles showed a noticeable increase in gloss after using Ech2o at 1:20. 

In terms of cleaning as a waterless wash at a lower dilution, I think it's close to Ultima Waterless wash, but Ultima still holds a slight edge.  I often choose to use Ultima as a prespray before doing a rinseless wash and I feel that using Ech2O in the same way would likely inhibit the gloss additives and negate any benefit of using it over Ultima.  As a specific waterless wash, my use will depend on my desired result.  If I'm just trying to clean the car, I will use Ultima for the cost savings and similar performance.  If I'm cleaning before or at a show, I will reach for Ech2O.  

I will most certainly be purchasing this again. I plan to use regularly as a gloss booster just before returning vehicles to clients. At its listed price point, it's not going to complete on price with UWW, but I feel Ech2O outperforms UWW in the finish department. I will need to do some additional testing on it's cleaning ability. For now, UWW will remain the waterless choice for me in most situations, while Echo2 will be the gloss boosting QD, replacing Finish Kare 425. 

Requisite  product photo

After application and spreading the product with a 530 gsm towel

After final buff

Couple after shots

Camp Allroad Featured Car

I'm incredibly happy to see a vehicle I prepped featured by Audi USA as part of Camp Allroad.  Just so happens I also prepped the red sedan next to it!  Have a look in 1080.  And congrats to Sean.

Sean Corcoran shows off his seventh Audi, a beautiful 2013 scuba blue allroad.

2014 Ford Fiesta Deep clean and Polish

The owner of this car is a driving enthusiast.  It's very fuel efficient, but it's also a blast to drive.  It's been to the track and in general, he has not been diligent about his cleaning regimen.  Moreover, the dealership that it was purchased from did a serious disservice to the vehicle by detailing it.  Polish or wax residue everywhere, vinyl pinstriping was burned off and holograms.  This called for some serious deep cleaning before even considering picking up a polisher.  This vehicle is a testament to why an owner should decline any pre-delivery service by the dealership and go straight to a professional.  

Process

• Wheels and tires cleaned with Meguiar's DUB wheel cleaner and Ardex Proper
• Prefoamed with CG citrus wash + Gloss and Bilt hamber Autofoam
• Hand wash with CG citrus wash daily
• Polish residue was removed vinyl edges with APC, IPA, soft brushes and towels
• Polish residue was removed from plastics with McKee's wax remover for plastic
• Mechanically decontaminated with traditional clay bar
• Paint was polished with HD Polish+ on a 21mm DA with rupes yellow pads
• Tight areas were corrected with HD Polish+ on a flex 3401 with LC white hybrid pads
• Paint was protected with Blackfire Wet Diamond
• Tires were dressed with carpro PERL
• Trim and wheels protected with carpro hydro2
• Exhaust cleaned with pinnacle exhaust cleaner and brightener

2016 Audi A3 Paint Correction and coating

This car came to me with 5000 miles on it.  It was a loaner for the dealership and was purchased with 2ooo miles on it.  Despite the low mileage, it had been a mule for the dealer and was not in the best shape. The owner elected to go with a coating to provide easy maintenance and a great shine for years to come. 

Process

• Wheels and tires cleaned with Meguiar's DUB wheel cleaner and Ardex Proper
• Prefoamed with CG citrus wash + Gloss and Bilt hamber Autofoam
• Hand wash with CG citrus wash daily
• Mechanically decontaminated with traditional clay bar.
• Paint was polished with Carpro Essence on a G21 with Carpro Gloss Pads
• Tight areas were corrected with Carpro Essence on a DAS Pro Plus with 4" Rupes Pads 
• Paint was protected with Carpro CQuartz UK ceramic coating and topped with Reload
• Tires were dressed with TufShine Tire Coating
• Trim was protected with Ultima Tire & Trim Guard
• Wheels were coated with Pearl Nano HD ceramic coating
• Exhaust cleaned with pinnacle exhaust cleaner and brightener

Review - McKee's All-in-one Leather lotion

I received this product from AG at no cost, and in return, I agreed to write a review. I will try to keep this as objective as I can. 

Copy from AG

Anti-aging cream for your vehicle’s leather, vinyl and plastic surfaces!

How often do you clean the leather upholstery in your vehicle? Frequent car care is easy car care, which is why McKee’s 37 developed a one-step solution to cleaning, conditioning and protecting expensive leather upholstery with All-In-One Leather Lotion. This anti-aging cream penetrates deep into the leather, lifting dirt and grime so it can be wiped away with a soft microfiber towel. The result? The leather upholstery in your vehicle will be soft, supple, and sanitary!

There are three reasons why your vehicle is equipped with leather upholstery:

1. You purchased an expensive luxury car or SUV that came standard with leather seating surfaces.
2. Your vehicle offered leather upholstery as an upgrade from cloth, and you opted for it.
3. Your vehicle did not offer leather as an upgrade from the factory, so you had it installed from an aftermarket upholstery shop.

The point is, regardless of how your vehicle ended up with leather upholstery, you paid for it! Clean and protect it using QUALITY products,or in this case, one product – McKee’s 37 All-In-One Leather Lotion. 

Do you like the smell of new leather? We do! McKee’s 37 All In One Leather Lotion will make your interior smell like that of a $250,000 British Luxury Sedan that has acres of leather inside. This is made possible by quality chemistry that forgoes inexpensive, high-octane solvents and greasy petroleum distillates.
McKee’s 37 All-In-One Leather Lotion is not a magical cream that restores older, neglected leather to like new-condition – the truth is, such a product does not exist. What it is designed to do is PREVENT long-term leather deterioration from happening in the first place. We know your time is valuable, which is why we created a product that cleans, conditions, AND protects in one step. Here’s the kicker: you actually have to use All In One Leather Lotion in order to reap the benefits!
Here’s the good news: McKee’s 37 All In One Leather Lotion only takes minutes to apply, and it’s 100% safe for leather, vinyl, and plastic interior trim.As a matter of fact, the durable UV inhibitors found in this luxurious lotion are beneficial for plastic and vinyl surfaces. Synthetic lanolin oils penetrate deep into the pores of the leather, keeping it nourished so it remains soft and flexible. Regular application will also reduce the effects of dye-transfer on lighter colored leather.


Cleans, conditions and protects in one step, awesome. I'm not a firm believer in the ability to condition a tanned and painted leather. I'm in the clean and protect camp. But, as long as these conditioners don't have a negative affect on the leather, I'm OK with them being there. 

I am a regular user of AIO leather products, so this product is right up my alley. From a business perspective, I offer a 1-step leather treatment or a 3-step leather treatment. Having an AIO allows me to offer an entry level service that's economical because I can get the work done quickly. I also like that I can use it on vinyl and rubber, though I have other options I prefer for those surfaces.

I had an Audi Allroad that spend a few years in california. Upon arrival the leather look tired. I was only commissioned for an exterior, but I had some extra time before the vehicle was going to be picked up and this was the perfect candidate to try McKee's on. 

The product does have a nice leather scent. I do feel most of these products have an artificial leather scent, or perhaps it just doesn't match the cars I normally work on. Regardless, it's pleasant. I've had a couple customers ask what I used because after living with it for a week or two, they want their car to smell like that permanently, so that's a good thing.

Upon use I do find most of these lotions don't readily absorb into a MF applicator or towel, so I use the butterfly technique and squish the dollop of product into the applicator. In this case I used a towel for application and buffing. After doing the butterfly, I will work one part of a seat at a time, either seat or back. I will dab the product in a few spots and then wipe it in with light to medium pressure. The product does spread well, but I feel like I use quite a bit, which is typical of leather protectant in my experience. I haven't gotten through the whole bottle, but at my usage rate, it will probably last 10-12 cars. 

50/50 shot of the leather seat

Towel after just half the seat, only the corner was used.

The McKee's AIO Leather Lotion picked up a lot of dirt and left a very nice finish. It darkened this tired leather as well, I feel like the appearance is a bit artificial, but not 'dressed', I was able to knock it down a bit more with a little bit of extra buffing. To me it leaves a squeeky leather with just a little bit of slip. I would not use this on a steering wheel or shift knob, just to be safe. 

Overall I like this product, and I'll continue to use it. I'm torn a bit between the pinnacle leather cleaner and conditioner and this product. I feel they are very similar, McKee's gets the edge in cleaning and I like the finish of Pinnacle just a bit more.

Audi Q7 Interiors

The owners of these two Q7s have 3 kids.  Kids are highly skilled at making interiors dirty.  The detailing community even has a special term for their work, it's called kid grime.  There are generally 3 things that will make your interior detail much more expensive; stains, pet hair and kid grime.  The stains are easy for us, that's chemistry and a little know-how, it just takes time.  They have special stones and brushes for pet hair, again it's just time consuming.  But when it comes to kid grime, there is no magic trick.  It's purely elbow grease and adaptive techniques.  With these two Q7s, there was no shortage of kid grime.  That's not to say the owner's are slobs, it's in the nature of these kids to get messy. From time to time, a deep cleaning is necessary to address these conditions. 

Process

• Carpets dry brushed and vacuumed
• Hard surfaces cleaned with steam
• Leather cleaned with steam, leather cleaner and various leather brushes
• Leather was protected with Pinnacle Leather protectant
• Leather protected with Leather Masters Protection Cream
• Hard Surfaces Protected with Blackfire Interior Protectant
• Carpets pretreated, agitated and spot extracted
• glass was cleaned
• door jambs were steamed