I'm picking up some ONR and microfiber towels so I can start washing my car better. I've been using the self wash bays for the last week or two and they're just terrible. It gets some of the grime off, but doesn't get the car anywhere near clean. I don't have a logical area that I can wash my car normally, so I'm hoping this stuff is as good as everyone says it is.

I plan to pick up a random orbital buffer in the future, but for the time being was hoping for a decent spray protectant and wax to help protect the paint and make the car shine.

What would you guys recommend?

Also, are there any cab top products that can be done in a no rinse fashion? I've been looking at getting raggtopp and just going to a friends place to clean the top, but wanted to make sure I wasnt missing some other product.

edit: If it matters, I would like to clay the car too. Can I clay and use a spray wax/QD after, or do I need to do something more in depth? Also, the car is a white porsche 911 if color/paint makes a difference

 

To keep things simple for time being, go with the einszett line of waxes. Their glanz wax is the major wa you'll be applying every 2-3 months, and their spray wax is what you'll apply after each wash. Both are very simple to use and will give you the shine you're after.

Either way, make sure you're using some quality microfiber towels for the waxing and ONR.

 

After claying, you should polish and wax.

Raggtop is suppose to be a good product.

 

Moe - Thanks for the replies! Regarding the Glanz Wax, how do you apply it? Just put a little on a MF towel, rub in, let dry and buff off?

Would something like that be suitable after a claying, or will I need to polish and wax with a machine? I really do want to just get the RO buffer and be done, but that'll prob be coming in a month or two, and I don't want to neglect the car until then.

Also, the car is my daily driver, and lives outside. So I'm looking both for looks and practical protection moreso than a showroom shine that wont last as long.

 

Glanz can be applied with a polisher or a microfiber pad. I personally like applying it with a pad. Just get their paint polish as well and when you're ready to get the polisher, we'll get you set up with the menzerna products.

The protection from the glanz is good as long as you're using the spray wax.

 

I use and like the Prima line of waxes. The Epic is something you apply every 3-6 months and the Hydro (my favorite product) you apply after each wash while drying.

My 2 cents!

D!

 

Cool thanks guys. I think I'm going to try to push up when I can get the RO, and hold off until then for that. Im getting just some ONR and some new MF towels, etc for the time being. Just need to get my old car sold so that I'm not carrying that extra weight, then I'll be getting the RO. Should just be about 2 weeks.

I have waxed cars in the past, but it was by hand and a few years back, so I know things have changed. it also used to take me like 4-5 hours. I have never used clay or polish before. My car is in good shape now, and I think I'd rather start safer by learning with the fine/extra fine clays and the gentlist polishes/waxes. Then, as I get more confident, if I need something stronger I can do that.

Regarding the PC RO buffer, what makes that one better than, say, something like this:
B&D Buffer

And realistically what am I going to need?
RO Buffer
Clay
Polish
Wax

Will I need other special pads if i'm not trying to correct paint damage, or will it come with everything I need? And it's basically just buff on, then wipe off with a MF right?

Sorry for all the questions, I'm trying to learn piece by piece so I can just comprehend it and then move on to the next aspect. I haven't even gotten to the interior yet. I'll need to get some leatherique and things for a nice day this summer

 

I'm sure others will post as well, but here's my take.

The difference between something like this little B&D that you posted and either the PC or the Flex is HUGE!!! The B&D will not have the torque that you will need to really do any correction. It most likely will not be able to take different pads, which you will need to couple with the different levels of correction you are looking for, as well as applying your LSP (wax) Products like the B&D just move stuff around, but don't really do much to work it in.

That's a good list. You will need multiple pads. What kind will depend somewhat on the products you are using. I tell my new customers to pick up a couple of each of the Lake Country Orange, White, and Black pads. (That's going from most aggressive with the Orange to least aggressive with the Black) you can do much more from there, but that's a good starting point.

I also recommend getting some good quality microfiber. Not the cheapies that you get at Coscto (although those are decent for wheels, door jambs, interior and under the hood) Also look at task specific microfiber. A mf drying towel to dry, a glass towel for glass, an mf with thick knap for quick detailing. Short loop for removing LSP, etc. You will also want a high quality car wash and some good car wash mitts. I prefer the real lambswool mitts. I am also a big proponent of the two bucket wash system. You cna probably search on that, but the basics you will need for that are 2 5 gallon buckets and something like the DirtGuard. (I put a DirtGuard in both buckets)

Other things would be a good vinyl protectant, a good leather care system (Leatherique is my favorite. I also like Prima Nourish for touch ups) A good Glass Cleaner. (Prima Clarity and Meguiar's Detailer Line are the best I have ever used)

Things you could add would be:
A Wheel Protectant (I like Wheel Armour)
A good tire protectant (I like the Meguiar's Detailer Line Hyper Dressing)
A good degreaser (I like the Meguiar's Detailer Line here too)
A good All Purpose Cleaner (Meg's Detailer line is great. Some like diluted woolite as well for interior work)
Various brushes for different tasks

• wheels
• interior carpets
• engine cleaning
• leather
• etc.

I could probably go on with a pretty big list, it just depends on what you are looking to get out of your routine and how OCD you are about your car.



Please ask away! That's why we're here!

D!

 

D - Thanks for the reply! Great info. I'm going to go step by step on being OCD. Basically start out with just the very basics and work up from there as I need/want more.

Good info on the RO buffer too, I didn't know that. How many pads does it usually take per product per detailing? Do you need more than 1 pad for polish and 1 for wax for a car?

 

Well, the general rule of thumb is to work from the least aggressive pad/polish combination to the strongest until you get the results that you are looking for. In the basics of what I use, that would mean something like Prima Finish or possibly Prima Amigo on a LC White pad would be the least aggressive I would use and Prima Swirl on a LC Orange Pad or if I needed really extreme, I would go with Prima Cut on an LC Yellow Pad (rarely need to use that though)

The best way, in my opinion, to figure this out is to pick a 16"x16" section and figure out the combination of pad and product which creates the results you want. It can take some playing around to figure it out but figure it out on a small section of the vehicle and then move those results on to the rest of the vehicle.

As far as how many pads you need, one thing to realize is that you should never use multiple products on the same pad without cleaning them in between. So you'll need various pads. I generally recommend 2 of each to start with. I have LOTS more than that, but that's what I started with and it works well. Now the pads and products you will use may vary based on which system you decide to use, but the basics are to find something that you enjoy using, because if it's a pain to use, chances are you won't use it!

I don't know about all of the other systems, but for me, with the Prima system I use, I can get away with one pad per polish on most cars. Sometimes I may need more, but that's one of the things I like about the Prima Product. Most of the polishes can be cleaned from the pad very simply with warm water. Then you can put the pad back on the PC, and spin dry it (being careful not to let it spin off and fall onto the floor - that's another thing to note. If a pad ever falls face down on the ground, you will need to wash it thoroughly and possibly discard it if after inspection it has picked up too much dirt.)

There's lot's to learn, but that's part of the fun of detailing. Welcome to the world! Hopefully we can help in the journey along the way!

D!

 

I use the Optimum Spray Wax as a quick spritz after ONR washes. Wipe on and wipe off, it's very simple and quick. It's not going to correct your paint t all, but does add some pop.

 

Here are a few good spray waxes.

Einszett Spray Wax
Optimum OptiSeal
Optimum Spray Wax

 

D - Thanks again! Great info! What led you to the Prima line vs some of the other popular ones out there/on the forum?

Awesome thanks guys!

 

I use Gloss-It Gloss Enhancer and like it best. Not temp. sensitive, shines great and goes a LONG way. It's getting great reviews among others on the detailing boards as well. $45 for 3 22oz bottles is a smoking deal, too. That's a years worth.

 

I had heard about it from a Detailer who I highly respect and who puts out some amazing work. I was using the Meguiar's stuff at the time and getting great results, but decided to try this stuff. I found that it was easier to use (especially since you could clean up most of it with warm water) it produced fantastic results like this:

Before:


After:


And I found that it wasn't so exorbitantly expensive. The guy who turned me on to the product told me that he did a side by side test between Prima Epic and one of the more expensive ($300+) waxes side by side on a black jaguar hood that had been properly restored to a flawless finish. And doing the test blind, people couldn't tell any major difference when it came to shine, depth, gloss, or anything. It was only when they revealed which side was which that people said they could "kinda" see a difference. (I think the fact that the other was so expensive played some role in that - your mind plays tricks on you because the other one "should" be better)

Anyway, that's my long winded Prima story. I like it, I use it on the majority of my D!Tails. I haven't really found a product that they make that I don't think is top notch. All the polishes and LSP's are designed to work together and do so very well. I'm also amazed at how much I am able to do with them with simply the PC and no rotary. That black car above was done with the PC only. No rotary work at all. It's on an Acura with pretty soft paint, but it was nice to be able to realize that level of correction. Doesn't mean there aren't better products out there, but I do like that stuff. I wish they would beef up the line in some areas so I don't have to use other products for things like wheel cleaner, degreaser, and carpet cleaners, but I'm very happy with what they do make. And the owners are wonderful to work with as well!

I don't want to take away from the sponsors of these boards though, so if you have more questions about specific Prima products, maybe you should PM me and I can answer the questions there.

D!