Newbie to it all

[Fullsey]

Hey all.

Just purchased a new car and have never looked after the paint and interior as well as I should

I have purchased a heap of Meguiars products based on the reviews and reputation and am really looking forward to detailing both mine and my dads cars on the weekends.

I have a silver 2009 Alfa 159 JTD Ti and want to ensure it is well maintained.

I have ordered everything from NXT wash, clay kit, scratchx, ultimate polish, NXT tech wax, UQW and a heap of towels, applicators and pads.

I am going to be doing everything by hand at this stage and may look at getting a DA soon.

I may have gone overboard on buying that many products but it was much better to order them in from you guys in the US, than buy them in Australia.

My car is parked in the Aussie sun 5 days a week so It definitely will need the best form of protection from the elements.

I hope to contribute by posting and also will be throwing questions to the experienced guys on the site.

Thanks everyone and looking forward to getting help from ya'll.

[Underdawg736]

Re: Newbie to it all

Welcome to MOL Fullsey!

I don't think you went overboard on your purchases, if you can I would also grab a bottle of SwirlX and Ultimate Compound if you can get those locally. ScratchX is more of a spot correction tool (like getting rid of single scratches or other defects) rather then using it on the whole car like SwirlX and UC are normally used as.
Other then that you look good to go! If your doing it all by hand, it would benefit you to stretch out at least 10 - 15 minutes before you begin and since I'm pretty sure the warmer weather is heading your way, drink plenty of water and stay hydrated!! Always check your work as often as you can so that if your doing something wrong you can correct it there rather then detailing your whole car thinking you did a great job only to be disappointed after pulling out into the sun and seeing something went horribly wrong......it happens!
Most importantly.....ASK QUESTIONS!! The only stupid question is the one not asked! There's plenty of talent here to help you out!

Good luck on getting your ride shining!

[Fullsey]

Thanks for the Post. I actually thought of ordering some swirlx after reading about it. Will get it here for sure.

[Murr1525]

Re: Newbie to it all

Ehh.. SwirlX and Ult Polish are close enough, I woudnt get both... the Ult. Compound would be the one to take care of defects, and the Ult. Polish for regular cleaning.

If expensive, better to go with other products you may want. And can wait on the Ult. Compound till you need a stronger product.

Now ColorX is nice for when in a hurry. And of course all the glass, trim, interior, metal, etc products....

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Newbie to it all

Product overkill is in the eye of the beholder!! If you're looking to achieve the highest possible result, two or three products probably isn't going to be enough, but the other posters here are correct that you probably don't really need both SwirlX and Ultimate Polish. Ultimate Compound, on the other hand, is going to come in very handy for you, with Ultimate Polish serving as a great follow up to that.