New to detailing

[Potts]

Hello, just after some advice. I feel like i have been searching different products and how-too over the internet for the last week. I have recently just purchased a car that is only a few years old and the paint is in really good condition and will be keeping this car for the next 10 years and want to keep it looking the same. I really like the ultimate range of products and plan to wash/clay/polish/wax and upkeep in between with detailer. But my only concern is the ultimate polish being mildly abrasive. I plan to wax every 3 months and would like to polish every six to give the paint the 'pop' i have read about, but i am really concerned that this continued use will wear down my clear coat as i read the coat on my type of vehicle is quite thin and i want to keep the car for a long time. I thought about swapping the ultimate polish and using the Show Car Glaze or Deep Crystal Polish or maybe just skipping the polish as there is very little swirl marks. I would do everything by hand. Any thoughts appreciated.

[Murr1525]

Re: New to detailing

I really like the ultimate range of products and plan to wash/clay/polish/wax and upkeep in between with detailer.

The detailer sprays are nice, but generally just for dust.

The better upkeep would be to wash and then use of the the spray waxes like the Ult. Quick Wax.

But my only concern is the ultimate polish being mildly abrasive. I plan to wax every 3 months and would like to polish every six to give the paint the 'pop' i have read about, but i am really concerned that this continued use will wear down my clear coat as i read the coat on my type of vehicle is quite thin and i want to keep the car for a long time. I thought about swapping the ultimate polish and using the Show Car Glaze or Deep Crystal Polish or maybe just skipping the polish as there is very little swirl marks.

There is some abrasives in the Ult. Polish, but we are talking on the very mild side. Using it every 3 or 6 months would not be a problem at all. Of course you could always try the Show Car Glaze for fun. Just remember the Glaze will only be oils, so wont have the dirt removal that the Ult. Polish would.

Otherwise could look at a cleaner/wax of some sort for a mild cleaner/polish/wax, then follow with the regular wax after.

[EXECMOBILE]

Re: New to detailing

Using ultimate polish by hand is nothing much to worry about clear coat wise. If we're talking a rotary buffer with a cutting pad, then you may want to consider how often you run with that route (still only removing a minute amount of clear coat vis this route).

Consider washing, clay bar, ultimate compound (if you have any minor paint defects) followed by ultimate polish, then ultimate wax for you first session followed by clay bar and ultimate wax every 3-4 months in between for your maintenance program. Consider ultimate polish only as a spot corrector vs ultimate polishing the entire car.

Good luck!