{"id":15161,"date":"2018-04-12T11:27:35","date_gmt":"2018-04-12T15:27:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dodgegarage.com\/news-api\/?p=15161"},"modified":"2024-03-25T11:25:09","modified_gmt":"2024-03-25T15:25:09","slug":"sweating-the-details-a-guide-to-detailing-your-dodge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/how-to\/2018\/04\/sweating-the-details-a-guide-to-detailing-your-dodge.html","title":{"rendered":"Sweating the Details: A Guide to Detailing Your Dodge"},"content":{"rendered":"

The spring cleaning clich\u00e9 is running rampant this time of the year … and I\u2019m not too proud to jump on that train! Face it, most of us are going to be giving our beloved vehicles a thorough once-over in the near future, but are you doing it the right way? Are there things you can do to make your car look better and last longer? Like you, I wanted to know. So I went to an actual expert, David Riggins, a professional detailer from Jacksonville, Florida. Dave is the real deal; he\u2019s been detailing cars (and boats and planes!) for 15 years and worked his magic on some of the most expensive cars in the country at The Amelia Island Concours a couple weeks ago. He\u2019s also the proud owner of a Dodge Charger! Dave gave perhaps the greatest “Pro Tip” I’ve ever heard. All of the info he shared is great, but the last tip is a game-changer. Make sure you read to the end!<\/p>\n

A great detail starts with a great wash and a great wash starts with the right soap. Dave points out that there are two types of soap and you\u2019ll choose which is best based on the type of cleaning you\u2019re going to do. \u201cIf you have a good surface on a good car, you\u2019ll want to use a \u201cwax safe\u201d soap. With that, you can wash off the dirt, but keep the protective coating you already have on your vehicle.\u201d However, he says \u201cIf you\u2019re going to be doing more of a restoration to the surface, it\u2019s okay to use a more aggressive soap that strips off the wax.\u201d Always wash from the top down and use plenty of water. Speaking of that, Dave has a handful of Pro Tips, including one about water. We\u2019ll get to those in a couple minutes.<\/p>\n

Clay bars are a fantastic idea; they have just enough abrasion to get surface imperfections lifted up. Be cautious to keep folding the clay to keep the rough stuff from touching the paint. Sometimes clay can seem like a lot of work, especially on larger cars like the Charger, but that \u201csmooth as glass\u201d surface you get from it really is worth the effort.<\/p>\n

Cleaning wheels can be a challenge too; road grime and brake dust cake on over time. The key here is to clean them regularly and prevent that dirt from building up in the first place. Once brake dust is on there, more brake dust will stick to it, really making a mess of things. Store-bought chemical cleaners can be effective, but be cautious to use the right one for your wheels; some can etch certain metals and paints. Pressure washers are a big help here, but again, you have to be careful because that pressure can damage the wheel surface and even knock off wheel weights.<\/p>\n

As for products, Dave says stick with a well-known name brand and you\u2019ll be fine. Yes, that includes soaps, waxes and dressings you\u2019ll see at your local auto parts store. While there is a LOT of talk on the internet about small boutique brands, Dave tells us they\u2019re not always worth the extra cash. For example, we were talking about a particular brand of wax (that shall remain nameless!) and he said, \u201cIt\u2019s still based on traditional wax, it\u2019s mostly snake oil. You may get a little bit extra shine and a little extra protection, but you don\u2019t have to spend that kind of money to get a quality product.\u201d<\/p>\n

That is a perfect segue into one of the biggest buzzwords in detailing these days: ceramic. Ceramic coatings are all the rage and for good reason; they offer a tremendous amount of protection for your paint. However, it\u2019s not something for the novice to try themselves. Dave says \u201cI recommend having it professionally installed by a detailer or dealership, that way there\u2019s a warranty. Ceramic coating is so hard and tough that if you make a mistake you\u2019re going to pay for it.\u201d He goes on, \u201cThink of it as a clear nail polish or even body filler; you apply it and work it in when it\u2019s soft, but once it hardens it\u2019s HARD!\u201d Make a mistake and you literally have to sand it off the surface. Now, the upside is that ceramic coating gives you a number of benefits:<\/p>\n