DER Shiney Stuff

[Big O]

New baby on the way is forcing us to sell the commuter .... so for the last time ....

 

DER on the Honda

 

[Dylan06SS]

They say you can't polish a turd.... but it looks like you did

[Big O]

lol .... easy now ...

 

Can't complain too much ... had the car for 3 years and never had a problem ... getting over 30 mpg ... and value only lost 3k from the price I paid 3 years ago ...

 

But it sure did polish up nicely ... that car shined with the best of em. Talk about a fast car to detail ... and DER made it that much easier!

[punkt71]

All I know is that DER is extremely easy/fast to use... and I found it to be the best polish/sealer for Chrome rims... this crap is amazing, and cheap for what you get! When I run out of the individual bottles of stuff, I just run to my local Fletcher Jones Mercedes and they have everything in stock, no mail order for Zaino! I have used Zaino too, and I think DER is just as good, but quicker to use. Not sure yet on which lasts longer, but the DER has the same end result for me.

[tulanejp]

Hey. Wanted to throw my $.02 in since I just followed this How-to in this post. I'm not that great at detailing my vehicles, so though the OP wrote the How-to for dummies, I thought I'd add some stuff for REAL dummies (like me ;) )

Edit: FYI This post turned out to be really long, so be warned.

 

First off, thanks to the OP for the How-to. The product doesn't come with any instructions. Well, just wipe on, wipe off as the label says, so it's nice to have steps to follow of someone that's done it.

 

My steps were:

• wash with cleary Ivory and microfiber mitt
  
• go over with bug remover and micro fiber towel
  
• wash again
  
• go over with Mothers clay bar
  
• wash again
  
• apply Real-stuff with dense foam sponge. Remove with microfiber towel
  
• apply Shiney-stuff with damp microfiber towel. Remove with clean microfiber towel
  

Plusses:

• The Real-stuff really added some depth to the color of the truck. I had forgotten how noticeable the metallic flakes in the paint were. This stuff really brought them out. The Shiney stuff added some bling, but didn't have as drastic an effect as the Real-stuff (guess that says something bout the condition of my paint! ).
  
• Both products are made for every surface of the truck (except rubber). No more worrying about getting carnuba wax on the black plastic and leaving it white. Hell, I even did the windows.
  
• Both products go on in really thin coats, so they're very easy to remove even if you do a couple or three panels at a time and the wax dries. I've had carnuba swirls on my vehicles that I didn't notice until days later due to it drying and not coming off easy.
  
• I didn't have a problem with the white dust that the OP mentioned.
  

Minuses:

• I had assumed that the Real-stuff could be applied in the sunlight, but I don't think you should. You definitely can put the Shiney-stuff on in the sun (says so on the label), but on the parts of the truck where the morning sun was shining, it sure seemed like the Real-stuff dissappeared quickly (required recoating).
  
• It rained overnight, and the water is beading, but not the way I like. The water is definitely not being absorbed by the paint since the truck is still wet where it's in the shade. I put a carnuba wax on an Audi I had, and the beads on that thing looked like peas and made water trails on the hood, etc. from rolling off. Having said that, if the DER stuff really lasts 6-18 months, then it's way worth it.
  
• The black plastic parts didn't get as black as the paint did blue after treatment. I used some Black Magic spray stuff once that really made the black stand out - almost too much so.
  
• The shiney stuff is really liquid and was tough for me to apply. It seemed that once the towel started becoming saturated with the stuff, that it was the easiest to apply. Seemed best to put it on the surface and use the towel to spread it. Pouring it on the towel directly caused the towel to soak up the product.
  

General comments:

• The products I used came from Walmart except for the towels which I got a 30 pack for $12 from Sam's, IIRC, and the DER.
  
• The Mother's clay bar was $13 or $16 from Walmart and only has enough lubricant to do the truck once - maybe 1 1/2 times.
  
• Shaking the bottles after I was done, I think there's enough DER Real-stuff to do the truck 3 or 4 times, and enough Shiney-stuff to do it 4-5 more times.
  
• The clay bar and cleaner wax are really only for things you can't see. I'm not saying that they shouldn't be used, but if you've got stuff in your paint you can see, then don't rely on these things to remove them. Every clay bar package I've seen says it'll remove road tar, bugs, etc., well maybe so, but only if the tar, etc. hasn't bonded to your clear coat (i.e. is sitting on a layer of wax). If you can see something in your paint, use bug, etc. remover and patience to remove it.
  
• Using a microfiber mitt for washing seemed to make the wash easier; however, it's not as scouring as a cotton towel.
  
• A general wax reminder: Once waxed, one can't use a hard-core soap like Ivory unless you want to remove the wax. Must use a car wash.
  
• Due to how thin the Real-stuff goes on, and that it's supposed to be a cleaner wax, it's probably a really good idea to use a buffer. Also, this is the most labor intensive part of the waxing. Removal is really, really easy.
  
• Used a full 5 gal bucket for the soapy water to allow a little washing machine type of motion when going to refresh the microfiber mitt.
  
• A step I left out was that after every wash, I used an Absorber synthetic chamois to dry the truck. I'm a big fan of this product. Wash a few panels, then dry, then move on. I've had this thing for a few years now.
  
• Used Gunk Bug-n-Tar remover in a spray can. This worked just ok. Seemed to get stuff that was staining the paint out better than actually loosing bugs and road grime.
  

It's only been a day, but I'm impressed with the DER products. Better than carnuba in many ways especially if it lasts any where near as long as it says. I recommend it. They're having a %22 off sale right now BTW.

 

Hope this helps. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

 

JP

[Dylan06SS]

ORIGINAL POST UPDATED WITH MORE CURRENT INFO AND SOME UPDATED TIPS/PROCESSES.

 

Enjoy guys

 

tulanejp -

 

your input is appreciated... some pointers and "no-no's" that I have to clarify for you -

 

*applying DER shiney with a "towel" is a bad idea... too much of the product is absorbed into the fabric. MF applicators should be used

*the 6-18 month claim by DER is a little stretched... I'd say 6 months is the longest its going to last

*just b/c you can't see contaminants doesn't mean they're not hindering the shine... even a particle you can't see affects the light around it. claybars aren't just for smoothing the paint... its for removing these little "light bending" contaminants.

*the use of a cotton towel for "scouring" your paint is a BIG NO NO!! things like cotton towels, spounges, etc are what introduce new surface scratches to your paint. MF is just about the only product you can use on your paint that won't introduce new scratches.

*using a single bucket and the "washing machine" motion is working against you... the stuff that comes off your mit is in the water... by swirling it around your bring it back to the surface and onto your mit, eventually onto your paint... so the stuff you washed off is finding its way back and bringing scratches with it.

[punkt71]

Dylan- whats your take on the Absorber type chamois?? I have always used them with no problems.. have you seen anything wrong with using them?

[Dylan06SS]

Dylan- whats your take on the Absorber type chamois?? I have always used them with no problems.. have you seen anything wrong with using them?

 

I actually have one that I have used on occasion. I haven't seen any ill effects from it personally, but there are those hardcore detailers out there that believe it has the possibility of marring your finish... I prefer the performance of a white mf ww drying towel so thats what I stick to, but I think you should be safe with an absorber as long as its kept clean.

[Bonj87]

dylan, you seen Craig and day day running around ?

just kiddin.. good info.

i was gonna claybar mine this weekend since its never been..

[dmonotjr]

im a lil late here but, this product is no longer for sale. so what is the next best product on the market as compared to DER? my truck's paint needs some badly needed tlc!

[SilverBulletSS]

im a lil late here but, this product is no longer for sale. so what is the next best product on the market as compared to DER? my truck's paint needs some badly needed tlc!

 

Damn bro youre about 6 years too late lol. Check out Adam's. Theyre in the vendor section, everyone here can vouch for their products!

 

Ok my bad checked the vendors section and didnt see them. Just to a search for Adams Polishes.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Xparent BlueTapatalk 2

 

[dmonotjr]

Damn bro youre about 6 years too late lol. Check out Adam's. Theyre in the vendor section, everyone here can vouch for their products! Ok my bad checked the vendors section and didnt see them. Just to a search for Adams Polishes. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Xparent BlueTapatalk 2

better late than never, lol. just joined up here a few weeks ago. but i still wanna polish up my truck. i plan on painting it after this summer, just want to try out a couple products on my old paint first- just incase sumin goes wrong!!!