Need some advice, PLEASE!

[bojangleS_8686]

So I was talking with my dad about car detailing this morning. I told him how much I would like to pursue detailing and how it is one of my goals after college to get a detailing business going. I was talking about my need for a PC when my dad made me an offer. He said that if I can make his 1995 Ford Taurus look better than it is he will buy me the PC and some stuff that is needed for it. This is where I need you all here! I need your guys advice on what to get as far as swirl removers/polishes etc...... I am trying to find a combination that saves me a lot of money since Im not trying to break my dads wallet..

Here is what I am thinking:
PC 7424 from ebay, they have good NIB deals
LC Pad kit from autogeek
Sonus Block clay bar (in the black case)
Poorboys HC, SSR2 and SSR1
? Polish/cleaner
NXT Wax
? Interior Cleaners (I have a bottle of 303 Protectant for vinyl)

Most of the front of the car is like this, hardly any shine left and very dirty with bird droppings that have been on there for more than a year a lot of swirls too



This part is completley faded.. (inside door panel)





Again any advice would be very much appreciated!!!

[Grimm]

Holy cow, that is terrible!! Heck, just washing and claybar will make a huge difference. I bet even the crappiest polish and wax would make it look impressive compared to what it is now. Good luck!

[autoprecise1]

Clay bar? Needs buffing. Once again everyone wants to clay everything. You have a project ahead of you. You need some good exposure to technique and a material list, to get that back to what it should be. List real long for me to explain.

Good luck.

[Grimm]

Of course it needs buffing, I just meant that a basic cleanup will make it look much better.

[backwoods_lex]

You may want to consider optimum compound and polish rather than SSR. I started with SSR 2.5 and 1, but moved on to optimum. SSR dusts a lot leving much to clean up. Optimum also offers twice as much product for the same price.

303 protectant is the only product that I have tried so far that has turned my brown rubber trim black again.

Tuff stuff is a good and cheap product for carpets and upholestry.

I still have a lot of waxes to try, but I did like NXT a lot. Good luck on the hours of work ahead!

[FidoAUTO]

Originally Posted by Grimm

Of course it needs buffing, I just meant that a basic cleanup will make it look much better.

I agree......


since the car is white I will tell you a little trick for you to do to your dad....


-Clean the interior properly (shampoo all stains and suck them up with a wet/dry Vac)

-Wash the car with Dawn

-Clay the car

-Wash and dry it


THATS IT!!


When your dad comes out to look at the car he'll think that you will have waxed it allready.... I'll explain...

White is usually a detailers dream because once you pull all the impurities out of it the car (almost) looks done..... usually an LSP is all thats needed (though with that car you'd have to buff)......... after your dad goes back inside then finish it up and get him to see the car again........

I guarantee you he will not believe his own eyes.... good luck and keep us posted

[Grouse]

hmm here is a simillarly kept white car. btw the clay will only make it looked tiger striped.
http://www.pbase.com/dsgrouse/karl_detail
here is the difference with just ssr1 and orange pad.

[Cassman]

I would suggest using Meguiar's ColorX on the paint. You can use it by hand and it will chemically clean the paint. Without at least a PC, you probably cannot do much else. So, wash it, clay it, ColorX it and then wax it. Plus, you can get ColorX locally.

[bojangleS_8686]

Thanks for all the replies guys! I am going to talk to my dad to see what he is willing to buy then I will buy everthing else needed. Where is a good place to get a wet/dry vac? I wont have much money after I buy everything else so I might just have to use spray cleaners and a vaccuum to get the interior as good as possible.

[autoprecise1]

sears has a good variety.

[Eliot Ness]

Home Depot also carries a nice line of Rigid Shop Vacs. I think I picked up the 12 gallon 5 hp model on sale for $30 or $40, and I've been impressed with the suction it has.

[Oxygen]

excues me, what is an SSR?