New to detailing - What do I need?

[IanG]

Hello everyone!

I just purchased a newer car about two weeks ago (2009 car), and I've noticed it does have a lot of minor swirls from what I presume are automatic car washes. Also, there are some minor scratches around the car, but I don't believe they're down to the metal, as they're white hair scratches and aren't very deep.

I am currently living at an apartment so I keep my car outside, not in a garage.

What do I need for this car to get rid of the minor scratches and the swirl marks that litter the cars finish? Also, I'd like to get this so it shines and I don't see any scratches/swirls! This is my first car purchase, so I want to keep this car looking great for a LONG time even though I keep it outside. Anything you guys would recommend for my situation? Also, what are some materials I should get? Microfiber cloths? etc.

I read the stickies, but I'm not so sure that it address the swirl marks that I see in the sun and the minor scratches, and I'm not sure on what I should use to keep my car looking great even though I keep it in the sun.

And sorry if I'm posting this in the wrong forum, I'm new here

[Murr1525]

Re: New to detailing - What do I need?

Get everything?

As far as tools, etc, you'll probably want a bunch of MF Towels, both the fuzzy kind for removing products (Supreme Shine, or other brand), and a few waffle weave (Water Magnet, etc) for drying. Then some older/cheaper towels for the greasy areas. And a wash mitt, 2 buckets, Grit Guards if possible. And then applicators for the products. Some of the different styles of brushes can be good for wheels.

For products, of course there is the glass, wheel, interior type products. As for paint detailing, here is a little list:

1. Wash - Gold Class or Nxt soap
2. Clay - Smooth Surface Clay kit, maybe an extra QD bottle
3. Clean - SwirlX is the product for general cleaning, and can remove some swirls/scratches if applied with more passion. However, something stronger like ScratchX 2.0 or Ultimate Compound could be needed. I think with SwirlX and UC on your shelf, you would be in good shape for about anything.
4. Wax - Nxt 2.0 is probably best for a car left outdoors.
5. Maintain - Ultimate Quick Wax is good for after future washes if you can wash regularly, and will help extend the life of the wax.

What kind of car is it?

[IanG]

Re: New to detailing - What do I need?

Get everything?

As far as tools, etc, you'll probably want a bunch of MF Towels, both the fuzzy kind for removing products (Supreme Shine, or other brand), and a few waffle weave (Water Magnet, etc) for drying. Then some older/cheaper towels for the greasy areas. And a wash mitt, 2 buckets, Grit Guards if possible. And then applicators for the products. Some of the different styles of brushes can be good for wheels.

For products, of course there is the glass, wheel, interior type products. As for paint detailing, here is a little list:

1. Wash - Gold Class or Nxt soap
2. Clay - Smooth Surface Clay kit, maybe an extra QD bottle
3. Clean - SwirlX is the product for general cleaning, and can remove some swirls/scratches if applied with more passion. However, something stronger like ScratchX 2.0 or Ultimate Compound could be needed. I think with SwirlX and UC on your shelf, you would be in good shape for about anything.
4. Wax - Nxt 2.0 is probably best for a car left outdoors.
5. Maintain - Ultimate Quick Wax is good for after future washes if you can wash regularly, and will help extend the life of the wax.

What kind of car is it?

Murr1525, I appreciate your quick response.

It is a 2009 Pontiac G6 GT. Metallic Grey color.

So, lets say I detail my car in a few days. I don't know that I have access to a ton of waters, so I'd bring it to my local hand car wash (you know, where you have access to the high pressure hose and stuff).

What would I do? Wash the car then apply the clay to the entire car? Then after that, would I wash it again and apply the SwirlX and the ScratchX 2.0?

Sorry for the noob questions man, just new to this stuff What would the whole process look like? Also, what's the difference between a wax and a polish?

[Michael Stoops]

Re: New to detailing - What do I need?

What would the whole process look like?

The whole process looks a lot like the 5 Step Paint Care Cycle

Also, what's the difference between a wax and a polish?

Wax or sealant is your protection, the product that seals in all the hard work you did so as to preserve the high shine achieve during the full detailing process. A polish, in pure form, is essentially a gloss enhancer designed to be applied to a well prepared surface to bring up the ultimate shine. More commonly though you'll find it in the form of a cleaner/polish, which is something that both deep cleans the paint and leaves some gloss enhancing product at the same time.


Read through the 5 Step Paint Care Cycle and it will all become very clear.

[Murr1525]

Re: New to detailing - What do I need?

So, lets say I detail my car in a few days. I don't know that I have access to a ton of waters, so I'd bring it to my local hand car wash (you know, where you have access to the high pressure hose and stuff).

What would I do? Wash the car then apply the clay to the entire car?

Assuming you aren't driving through mud to go and come back, you could go to the coin-op place, and if they are not busy, can bring your own soap, buckets, mitt. And you would wash/dry the car there.

Then, you could either work there maybe if not busy, or come back to your place, to clay, clean, wax, etc.

Sorry for the noob questions man, just new to this stuff What would the whole process look like? Also, what's the difference between a wax and a polish?

Basically, it would go as I outlined above. I listed it in order. For the deeper swirls/scratches, you would try the SwirlX and UC on those, starting with SwirlX first. You just kind of need to see which product you need to remove the scratches and swirls. Hopefully, you can use SwirlX or UC to remove or at least improve the scratches, then find that SwirlX will do the rest of the car. But UC could be needed over the entire car. Never know for sure till you try it out.

A cleaner removes dirt from the pores of the paint and possibly swirls/scratches.
A polish adds oils to the paint
A wax leaves a a bit of gloss, and a sacrificial barrier against the elements.

[Murr1525]

Re: New to detailing - What do I need?

How to Wash Your Car Show Car Style

[Alexandre]

Re: New to detailing - What do I need?

Ok, since you got all the infomation one needs to get started, here goes:

You need time, patience, money and passion.

[Shawn T.]

Re: New to detailing - What do I need?

Here is a lot of the information you will need in order to choose the correct products for a detail. If I miss anything or misrepresent an item please correct it. Some of this info also pertains to detaling with a machine so if using products by hand merely disregard anything having to do with buffing pads.

Pads: at least 2 polishing pads and at least one finishing pad. You may use more than one polishing pad for the whole car depending on the extent of the damage and the amount of product used. I would eventually have 2 or 3 of each though so that you do not have to wash the pad when you switch products during the detail. Many people only use one product with each pad even after washing.

Paint Cleaners: Swirlx and Ultimate Compund; possibly Scratchx but not totally necessary. Order of aggressiveness from least to greatest: SwirlX, SctratchX 2.0, Ultimate Compund. Be sure to use ScratchX 2.0 and not the original formula as the original is weaker than SwirlX.

Polishes: Either Deep Crystal Polish or M07 show car glaze. They are both very good and will add great depth to the paint.

Microfibers: YOU CAN NEVER HAVE TOO MANY!!!!! I would recommend about 12 to begin with. Walmart has decent quality ones but you could always go with the incredible Supreme Shine Microfiber from Megs.

Wax: I like Gold Class, only tried NXT once and it was very good also. It really comes down to a personal preference. If you plan on applying the wax by hand, I recommend the paste but for machine application I suggest the liquid. The differences in the paste and liquid versions come down to a personal preferences.

Cleaner Wax: Cleaner Wax (A12), the consumer version, is very good and does a nice job of providing a little more muscle to remove slight oxidation and very mild swirls. Colorx is a much stronger cleaner wax, comparable to M06 Cleaner Wax. I have yet to use it but I have heard nothing but good reviews. These can be used if you are running low on time and still want to mildly correct, polish and wax the car.

Dressings: I like M40 Vinyl & Rubber Cleaner Conditioner for tires and some exterior trim. I also like Supreme Shine Protectant for tires and outdoor trim. Natural Shine Protectant is great for interiors and for people who prefer a low gloss on their trim pieces.

Quick Detail Spray: Quik Detailer is great and does a fantastic job. Ultimate Quik Detailer is equivalent to M135 as it utilizes the hydrophobic technology (the product is “afraid” of the water and therefore the water will either bead or sheet off the car).

Spray Wax: Quik Wax is a good product but Ultimate Quik Wax is even better. You can use these after you wash the car in order to boost the already established wax. This should really be used as a booster wax more than the base layer but it will work great either way.

Hand Applicators: I prefer the foam for when I am only applying a non-cleaner wax, if you will, and usually a microfiber applicator for applying cleaner waxes for a little more cleaning power. For most paint cleaners, I use a foam applicator as it leaves no micro-scratches while microfiber sometimes will and cotton/terry cloth usually will.

Wheel Cleaner: Read the directions on the wheel cleaners and determine which one is appropriate for your specific wheel. If you are unsure about what kind of wheel you have then use car wash saop until you can accurately determine the make-up of your wheel.

Tire Cleaner: Many people use APC or APC+ diluted at the proper ratios. I prefer Wesley's Bleche-Wite as I always get a perfectly clean tire. Comes down to a personal preference.

Brushes: Grab all kinds: paint brushes (duct tape the metal around the brushes to prevent scratching), stiff brush for tires, softer brush for interior, stiff brush for carpet cleaning, etc. Only you can really determine what you want to use brushes for.