Category Archives: Exterior Detailing

The best way to remove water spots
22
Jul
Behind the Detail, Exterior Detailing, Guides & Tips, How To, Paint Correction, Professional Detailing

The Best Way to Remove Water Spots

Posted on by Mike Phillips

One of the most annoying paint defects to see on your car’s paint and then have to somehow remove are water spots! And while you may think removing water spots is a simple process, it can actually be quite complicated because there are more than one type of water spot.  In fact, I’m the guy […]

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Mike Phillips gives his tips on random orbital polishers
30
Jul
Behind the Detail, Exterior Detailing, Garage & Equipment, Guides & Tips, Live Detailing Classes, Paint Correction, Tips, Videos & Media

Random Orbital Polisher Tips from Mike Phillips

Posted on by Mike Phillips

Random orbital, free-spinning polishers are the easiest type of polisher to use and are safer for beginners than more advanced tools like rotary polishers. But don’t let their user-friendly reputation fool you — random orbital polishers are complex tools with many ins and outs to know. In this condensed reel from a recent live detailing […]

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How to Clean and Restore Black Plastic Trim
17
Jun
Behind the Detail, Exterior Detailing, How To

How to Clean & Restore Black Plastic Trim on Cars

Posted on by Mike Phillips

Most modern cars have some amount of black plastic trim as function of the body design or for beauty accents.  Over time, with exposure to the sun and inclement weather, these black plastic trim components will fade, oxidize, and lose their original factory appearance.  Besides aging from exposure to the sun and the elements, the […]

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11
Jul
Behind the Detail, Exterior Detailing, Guides & Tips, Paint Correction, Professional Detailing, Videos & Media

How to Detail a Car for a Concours d’Elegance

Posted on by Mike Phillips

Detailing a car bound for a Concours d’Elegance like Pebble Beach or Amelia Island is no easy task. How do you best preserve the original appearance? How do you handle washing? How should you approach paintwork correction on old school, single stage paint? I answer all these questions and MORE in this condensed reel from […]

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Ceramic coating the wheel of a Land Rover.
22
Sep
Behind the Detail, Ceramic Coatings, Exterior Detailing, Guides & Tips, How To, Videos & Media

How to Apply a Ceramic Coating for Wheels

Posted on by Kevin Podas

Wheel protection is one of the most important, yet overlooked, aspects of detailing your vehicle. When it comes to protecting your wheel, it’s best to use a solution that’s durable and doesn’t need to be reapplied frequently. Ceramic coating offers the best of both these approaches. Many people associate ceramic with paints, but it’s also […]

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21
Mar
Behind the Detail, Exterior Detailing, Featured, How To, Paint Correction, Professional Detailing, Tips

The Ultimate Guide to Wet Sanding Car Paint

Posted on by Mike Phillips

“Wet sanding” is a term you may come across in the world of automotive paint polishing. You may have heard it’s an incredibly effective way to remove scratches and defects from a car’s paint. You may even be wondering if wet sanding is something you should do to your own car’s paint.  The fact is, […]

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Wet, Dry, Carbon Fiber
01
Jul
Behind the Detail, Exterior Detailing, Featured

Wet vs. Dry Carbon Fiber

Posted on by Victor Espeland

When people use the term “Carbon Fiber”, they’re usually referring to carbon fiber-reinforced polymers — that is, carbon fiber sheets laminated in a polymer, usually an epoxy resin. Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers are exceptionally strong, exhibiting extreme stiffness as well as tensile strength. Because of this strength, carbon fiber is a popular material for many applications […]

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The best car polishers for beginners
24
Jun
Behind the Detail, Exterior Detailing, Garage & Equipment, Guides & Tips, Paint Correction, Videos & Media

Best Car Polishers for Beginners (2024)

Posted on by Mike Phillips

The good news about polishing car paint in 2024 is there are a LOT of options when it comes to machine polishers for beginners starting out doing paint correction. The bad news? There are SO MANY options now when it comes to polishers and buffers that it can be VERY confusing. As a teacher of […]

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24
Jun
Behind the Detail, Exterior Detailing, Garage & Equipment, Guides & Tips, Live Detailing Classes, Paint Correction, Professional Detailing, Videos & Media

Which Cordless Rotary Polisher Is Best? Flex vs. Harbor Freight vs. Milwaukee

Posted on by Mike Phillips

There are so many cordless (battery-powered) rotary polishers on the market today versus 10, even 5 years ago. With all these new options comes analysis paralysis, and I’m here to help YOU make an informed decision before investing in a new tool. It’s all here in this clip from one of my recent LIVE monthly […]

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14
Jun
Behind the Detail, Exterior Detailing, How To, Live Detailing Classes, Paint Correction, Videos & Media

How To Tell If A Car Has Hard or Soft Paint

Posted on by Victor Espeland

How hard or soft a car’s paint is affects what processes, tools, pads and products you’ll need to achieve your paint correction goals. The question is, how do you know the difference? In this edited clip from a recent LIVE detailing class, our Chief Education Officer Mike Phillips explains his method for telling the difference […]

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