First Detail - Adamized the Raptor

hh65flyer said:

Hey Dan, what are your thoughts on taking care of the hood and bedside graphics (decals) on my truck? Can I use a clay bar on them? What about sealant, polish, wax, etc? Avoid?

Obviously they aren't meant to be shiny...in another thread you mentioned the H2O G&G.

I'm particularly concerned about lifting an edge up with a machine or even hand-polishing/buffing. Thanks!

Click to expand...

For matte vinyl - no clay, no polish, no wax, no machine, and no standard sealants (like our Liquid Paint Sealant). All these will cause damage and/or staining.

Yes, the best product to protect the matte vinyl is the H2O Guard & Gloss. It is applied by hand with a plush microfiber towel (damp), and then the residue is removed by hand with another plush microfiber towel (dry).

Check out this post for a step-by-step:

H2O Guard & Gloss on a Raptor

Also, for the matte vinyl, I would spray the H2O Guard & Gloss on the damp towel and then wipe it on the vinyl, rather than spraying the product directly on the vinyl. This should help avoid any streaking that takes more time to even out.

Applying this product by hand will not lift any of the vinyl edges. I have hand applied and removed all kinds of products from this gloss vinyl hood graphic, which has lots of edges, and they are fine.





-Dan

Would the H2O G&G add shine to the matte vinyl that is supposed to be flat?

Yukon Joe

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http://www.fordraptorforum.com/showthread.php?t=44744

Yukon Joe said:

Would the H2O G&G add shine to the matte vinyl that is supposed to be flat?

Yukon Joe

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http://www.fordraptorforum.com/showthread.php?t=44744

Click to expand...

It won't really add much, if any, shine to the matte vinyl. The H2O Guard & Gloss looks less shiny than using Super VRT on the matte vinyl. The protection from HGG will also last much longer than SVRT.

-Dan

What about the detail spray? I've used that on my wrap and it looks great afterwards. Just didn't last very long.... suppose I need the HGG for that long lasting look?

Yukon Joe

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http://www.fordraptorforum.com/showthread.php?t=44744

Yukon Joe said:

What about the detail spray? I've used that on my wrap and it looks great afterwards. Just didn't last very long.... suppose I need the HGG for that long lasting look?

Yukon Joe

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http://www.fordraptorforum.com/showthread.php?t=44744

Click to expand...

Yep, the HGG will last longer, and keep the nice look on the matte vinyl through many washes and rain.

The Detail Spray has some wax in it, so repeated use might cause a little build-up, making the matte vinyl look dull or dirty.

Since the HGG lasts longer, being a sealant, you only need to apply it every 1-2 months, depending on wash frequency and weather.

-Dan

love me

AdamsPolishes said:

Yep, the HGG will last longer, and keep the nice look on the matte vinyl through many washes and rain.

The Detail Spray has some wax in it, so repeated use might cause a little build-up, making the matte vinyl look dull or dirty.

Since the HGG lasts longer, being a sealant, you only need to apply it every 1-2 months, depending on wash frequency and weather.

-Dan

Click to expand...

Good to know. I've used the detail spray about twice on my four year old wrap.
I got to look to see if I have some HGG that I don't have time to use. Lol....

Yukon Joe

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http://www.fordraptorforum.com/showthread.php?t=44744

GENTLEMAN, CLEAN YOUR ENGINES!


A good engine bay cleaning was a little overdue.




Tools for the task: Fender Brush, Trim & Lug Nut Brush, Waterless Wash, All Purpose Cleaner.




Venus sprayer with the foaming tip, with 2oz of Rinseless Wash and 2oz of Car Wash Shampoo and a liter of water.




Started with a rinse with the hose to get the dust and loose dirt off.




Soaked the whole engine bay with Waterless Wash to loosen up the dirt. I did not soak everything with All Purpose Cleaner to begin with, as any overspray onto the exterior painted areas, glass or trim would strip off the sealant. Since this engine was mostly dusty, not much oil or mud stains, then the Waterless Wash should get most of it.




For the scrub-down, sprayed the Rinseless Wash / Car Wash Shampoo mixture with the Venus sprayer with the foaming tip, and soaked the whole bay. The addition of the Car Wash Shampoo adds suds, so it is easier to keep track of what areas have been scrubbed.




Scrubbed all the big areas with the Fender Brush, then went back with the Trim Brush to get into the nooks and crannies.






Gave it a quick rinse to remove the suds and loose dirt, and then used the All Purpose Cleaner on the areas that were still grimy, being careful not to get it on any exterior surfaces, to avoid stripping the sealant.




A good rinse with the hose, making sure to get all the pooled areas washed out good.
Blasted the remaining buggy-bits out of the radiator with the pressure washer.




A gentle blow-dry with the Master Blaster, mostly to remove standing water on the flat areas and the pooled water. I did not attempt to completely dry the engine bay with the forced air, as I was worried about forcing water into areas that it would not typically get under normal conditions.

Since I planned on dressing the engine bay in the morning, I left the hood open in the garage and let it dry out.

ALL DRESSED UP, AND NO PLACE TO GO!


Products for dressing: In & Out Spray, Super VRT, Block Foam Applicator, Edgeless Utility Towel.




Started by spraying everything with the In & Out Spray, being careful to just lightly coat the areas, with no runs. It works best to use quick sprays while keeping the can moving, rather than long, heavy sprays that cause drips.




Some magic Super VRT on the foam block, then dressed all the areas I could get to, including the rubber hoses.






Followed up with a wipe-down using the towel, to even everything out.




To take care of the overspray on the paint and trim, I used the yummy Pumpkin Spice Detail Spray and a Borderless Gray Towel.






Finally, the BOOM!

you sexy bastard