Danase Detailing Supply Blog

Here are some eBay auctions I put together to clearance out some items that I had laying around. All items are brand new.

Click here for Danase eBay Auctions 

Here is a test I did last weekend to show how a Cyclo Polisher can correct using the Danase Swirl Abolishers.  The end result is not 100% perfect but I think it shows very well what the Cyclo can do.

Picture descriptions:
#1 - Before shot
#2 - Before shot
#3 - Before shot
#4 - Cyclo Polisher with orange pad and Danase SAIII
#5 - Cyclo Polisher with green pad and Danase SAII
#6 - Cyclo Polisher with white pad and Danase SAI (I know the tape on the trunk says “green pad” but it was in fact the white pad.)
#7 - Cyclo Polisher with white pad and Danase Wet Glaze
#8 - Hand application and Danase Paint Sealant

Drive your car to death, save $31,000

(CNNMoney.com) — By keeping your car for 15 years, or 225,000 miles of driving, you could save nearly $31,000, according to Consumer Reports magazine. That’s compared to the cost of buying an identical model every five years, which is roughly the rate at which most car owners trade in their vehicles. In its annual national auto survey, the magazine found 6,769 readers who had logged more than 200,000 miles on their cars. Their cars included a 1990 Lexus LS400 with 332,000 miles and a 1994 Ford Ranger pick-up that had gone 488,000 miles. Honda Civic Consumer Reports calls the Honda Civic a “Good bet” to make it to 200,000 miles. Calculating the costs involved in buying a new Honda Civic EX every five years for 15 years - including depreciation, taxes, fees and insurance - the magazine estimated it would cost $20,500 more than it would have cost to simply maintain one car for the same period.  Added to that, the magazine factored in $10,300 in interest that could have been earned on that money, assuming a five percent interest rate and a three percent inflation rate, over that time. The magazine found similar savings with other models. To have much hope of making it to 200,000 miles, a car has to be well maintained, of course. The magazine recommends several steps to help your car see it through. * Follow the maintenance guide in your owner’s manual and make needed repairs promptly. * Use only the recommended types of fluids, including oil and transmission fluids. * Check under the hood regularly. Listen for strange sounds, sniff for odd smells and look for fraying or bulges in pipes or belts. Also, get a vehicle service manual. They’re available at most auto parts stores or your dealership. * Clean the car carefully inside and out. This not only helps the car’s appearance but can prevent premature rust. Vacuuming the inside also prevents premature carpet wear from sand and grit. * Buy a safe, reliable car. Buying a car with the latest safety equipment makes it more likely you’ll feel as safe in your aging car as a newer model. The magazine recommends several cars that have the best shot at reaching the 200,000 mile mark and a few that, according to its data, aren’t likely to make it. All the cars in the magazine’s “Good bets” list are manufactured by Honda  and Toyota. (One extreme example was not enough to get the Ford Ranger onto the list.) The “Bad bets” are a mixture of European models and two Nissans.

Consumer Reports’ “Good bets” for making 200,000 miles: Honda Civic, Honda CR-V, Honda Element, Lexus ES, Lexus LS, Toyota 4Runner, Toyota Highlander, Toyota Land Cruiser, Toyota Prius, Toyota RAV4

Consumer Reports’ “Bad bets” for making 200,000 miles: BMW 7-series, Infiniti QX56, Jaguar X-type, V8-powered Mercedes-Benz M-class, Mercedes-Benz SL, Nissan Armada, Nissan Titan, Volkswagen Touareg, V6-powered Volvo XC90.

This question comes up a lot.  “How long should I wait to wax after a fresh paint job?”.  My answer is 60-90 days.  I once made the mistake of listening to a shop that painted my car and insisted that I wax the paint to protect it right away.  I got home from the shop and waxed the car.  What was my outcome?  The clearcoat NEVER fully cured.  A year after the clear was still so soft that you could scratch the paint by dropping a cotton ball on it.  This led me to do some researching on my own, something I should of done before listening to the paint shop.  After contacting several of the large automotive paint manufacturers I got answers from 30 to 90 days of waiting for the paint to cure before waxing or sealing.  My advice is 60-90 days.

“What about a brand new car?”  This is a totally different story.  Brand new cars on the dealer lots are perfectly fine to wax the second they roll off the assembly line.  Why?  Because the paint and process used on the assembly line is not the same as what a body/paint shop uses.  Factory paint jobs are baked at extremely high temperatures to cure the paint on the assembly lines and the paint used is not the same as what a shop uses. 

 ”You said to wait 60-90 days after I get my car from the paint shop but the shop said they baked the paint so I can wax right away right?”  NO!  Most shops will bake the paint after painting but their bake lamps are nowhere near the same as the factory uses.  The shop bakes the paint so the work can be handled faster.

Here are some simple steps for washing your vehicles in the garage during the winter months…for those of us that actually get winter and don’t have palm trees growing in our front yards.

You can wash your car without using a hose by using a car wash like Optimum No Rinse. 

1. Simply fill a bucket of warm water and No Rinse per the the manufacturer’s directions.  Be sure to use a Grit Guard in the bottom of your bucket.
2. Using a Lake Country Ulti-Mit saturated with your No Rinse wash mixture start at the top and begin to wash the vehicle.
3. Once the top is washed simply dry it off using a Danase Water Devourer.

Wash one panel at a time and dry it before moving on to the next panel. 

Always make sure to start at the top most part of the vehicle and work your way down.

Be sure to constantly keep your Ulti-Mit saturated with your wash solution.

Follow these tips for a warmer and less messy way of washing your vehicles this winter.

Sincerely,

Bob Daniels