A Southern Newb!

[delikid]

I just signed for the keys this past Saturday to a '04 G35 sedan with 20K miles! My wife said she really wanted me to have something nice, since I've driven clunkers my whole life. So... here she is (the car, that is)!



Just found out about Autopia in a thread over at the infinitiowners.org forum. NOW THEN... the ext. and int. are in a great condition. But, I want to bring the car to life! I've been hand washing and waxing cars using Meguiar's for a number of years. But, I'm sure it's never been at the quality level of you pros! So... I've been combing over this site reading and reading and reading. Lots of acronym to many products I've never heard of. So, without spending $2000 on buying equipment & products, where should I begin?
*** If there's a thread I should read or a website for me to read, I apologize for not finding it yet. I'm happy to read what's already been written! ***

Thanks for all your wisdoms!

Ian

[gmblack3a]

Ian, Welcome!

PC 7224
Pads from Excel detail orange, green and blue
Menzerna IP and FPII polish or Optimum compound and Polish
Jeff Werkstatt's prime, AJ and trigger

You can get everything except the menzerna and Werkstatt products from Patrick at exceldetail.com

He also has great price on sheepskin mits, MF towels and WW MF for drying. He customer service is second to none.

[longtimegone]

Greetings from another newbie AND another Southerner. hey there i live in dc now, but i totally miss the south, all the time - especially the food! oh my kingdom for real southern cooking!

[VelvetRose]

Welcome! Get ready to do some work

[delikid]

Well... after spending the last while looking up all the dang acronyms of all the product suggestions, I began to realize that as a newbie, that all these professional, imported products for big $$$ and little bottles might be a bit much to start off with...

So, at the risk of getting flamed or kicked outta Autopia, here my list from my first shopping trip. * NOTE: I'm not a pro, and am not looking into becoming a pro detailer any time soon.

(All Meguiar's)

• Deep Crystal Car Wash
• Deep Crystal System Paint Cleaner
• Deep Crystal System Polish
• Deep Crystal System Carnauba Wax
• Cleaner Wax
• Quik Detailer
• Gold Class Leather Cleaner & Conditioner
• Gold Class Endurance Tire PRotectant
• Tire Swipes
• Wax Pads
• PlastX Clear Plastic Cleaner & Polish
• Versa-Angle Body Brush

• Some Rain-X (used it for years on all my cars)
• 12 pk of Vroom Microfiber Towels (from Target)
• A couple of soft-bristle paint brushes (for interior 'dusting')

So... are you all laughing yet? I looked on ebay for the PC 7484. But, my wife gave me the "raised eyebrow" look. And yeah, I kinda agree that to be just starting off, $120 for a buffer is a bit much. I know, I know... a Vector Waxxpro 6" isn't a PC! But, it's a starting point! Right? Something to build on!

So, for the product list above, any suggestions? (besides 'throw it all away'!)

Cheers,

Ian

[KiaDude]

Ian--spring for the PC! You've made an investment in a sweet ride and the PC will help you preserve the cars' value. I am a casual detailer (my own car and an occasional friend or two) and let me tell you, the PC will run rings around any "econobuffer" out there and without risk of damaging the paint like a high speed in the hands of the inexperienced.

One thing I didn't see on your list was any type of clay to remove surface contaminants / fallout. Do a search or two and read up on it--I feel that it is an essential part of the prep work and will do things that any liquid or paste cleansers can't do. Believe what you read on here about prep work being far more important than a lot of expensive products! I am still using OTC products with proper prep techniques and get awesome results.

Don't be afraid of anyone flaming you on this forum. Everyone is here to help and welcome to Autopia!

Also check out the "Secret Decoder Ring" link on the home page--that's your key to the abbreviations.

[Atrocity]

welcome delikid, I know exactly what you mean by all these acronyms. Im still combing through many sites looking for these products.

[twitch]

Originally Posted by delikid

My wife said she really wanted me to have something nice

So you got a G35??? What were you thinking?

haha j/j. Very nice ride you have there

Don't down yourself so much on the products you use. Meguiar's has a great consumer product line available OTC. Don't get wrapped up in the name game because 99% of your results will come from good preperation and proper maintenance.

I would however ditch the cleaner wax and go for ColorX. It is an awesome product and will make your color look nice.

Welcome to the site and enjoy your stay!