First time car will be detailed...need some advice

[Shawn T.]

Re: First time car will be detailed...need some advice

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).

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).

Applicators: I prefer the foam applicator pads because they are the least agressive of the applicator types (foam, microfiber, terry cloth-->this is from least aggressive to most aggressive).


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.

[draco159]

Re: First time car will be detailed...need some advice

Alright, I appreciate the help guys!

How about this regime for starters:
wash
clay
clean (SwirlX lightly, UC over tough stuff if SwirlX didn't get it)
wax (2 layers nxt)

And say after I get the etchings mostly gone, is it better to use ColorX or a cleaner/wax before the final coats of pure wax?

P.S. Oh and those 2 holes in the rear hatch are covered by an emblem now, so no fear of water going in and doing damage.

[Murr1525]

Re: First time car will be detailed...need some advice

Well, I'd probably skip the polish this time, since you have other things you want to focus on. The car doesnt look terrible, so hopefully claying wont be too bad. Dont forget the glass.

If you arent working in the SwirlX real well to remove swirls, you will move faster. I think 4-5 hours would be more than reasonable.

Usually I wash the car one day. Save the interior for another day. Do the mufflers, etc another day, once or twice a year. Once or twice a year I'll do the wheels real good. You know, keep it simple and enjoyable.

[draco159]

Re: First time car will be detailed...need some advice

I didn't even think of bringing my own wash supplies/buckets, good idea Murr! Yeah most people here go through either the drive in touchless washes or the touch ones that pull your car through. There are more touch ones here than touchless, which is surprising.

How long on average does that regime Murr listed usually take? I'm assuming a half day ordeal if I just want to get it "good enough" for a daily. I am actually more concerned about the etching than the swirls as you can't even see the swirls by doing a walkaround.

Do regular 5 gallon buckets from Home Depot work with those grit guards?

[Murr1525]

Re: First time car will be detailed...need some advice

ONR is a good option.

The coin-op places can be good if you take you own soap, bucket, mitt. Just have to go at a really early time so you dont block anything up.

Glad I got rid of my 05 Legacy.... hated cleaning those wheels.

So,
Wash
Clay
Clean - SwirlX/UC as needed
Polish - Optional - DC2
Wax
Wax

[HCAD]

Re: First time car will be detailed...need some advice

Welcome draco. Definitely clay before you polish. Try the products you have first and then determine what your next needs are. The "touchless" wash you mentioned, are you talking about the drive-in variety? If you're going to polish your car, you'll need a better wash than that. Try something like Optimum No Rinse, it's apartment friendly.

[draco159]

Hi everyone! I have been lurking for months and finally created an account last night. Here is what I have going.

The car is a 2005 Subaru WRX Wagon that is in pretty good condition for a daily. The swirls are only evident when your face is against the paint, and there are some bird dropping etchings on the hood and two doors (from the previous owner ). I purchased the car in May of '09 and have not even clayed the car since then, so there is no wax or anything on the car. Bad I know.

I currently live in an apartment complex due to college and cannot wash my car at the complex. My other resort is either coin machines or a touchless wash, I do the latter when I can't make it home. I am able to go home about every other weekend and giver her a GC wash, but due to time constraints, I can't give the complete detail she needs till about May. I do have time though to give a full detail while at the apartment, but I will be using a touchless wash unless you guys think a coin one would be better.

Here is what I have in my arsenal as of last night:
- GC car wash (already at home)
- GC Clay Kit
- DP2 Polish
- SwirlX
- NXT 2.0 Liquid Wax

I may try and snag some UC by the time I can fully detail in case the SwirlX can't fix what's been done. In the meantime, what should I do?

Here are some pics of the car. This is how it looks as of now with only a GC wash. No detailing at all has been performed since I have owned it: