Advice for a beginner?

[Tris1]

Hmm, I guess my first post/thread got lost in the moderation queue.



I`ve been slowly building my arsenal of cleaning supplies for my 2001 Chrysler Sebring. Currently, this includes:



Rain-x Glass Cleaner, Original Glass Cleaner and Wax



an Armor-all gift pack which includes (upholstery cleaner, car wash, foaming tire cleaner and armor-all treatment for the interior)



An Autozone car paint safe microfiber wash mitt and drying towel



4 5-gallon Home depot buckets



A Clay Magic Clay kit



Meguiar`s Cleaner Wax



Meguiar`s Plastx (My headlights were hazy and yellowed)



6 100% terry cloth applicators



I wanted some NXT 2.0 wax but I think the Autozone that I went to was out of stock...



This past Saturday I:

washed the car using the 2 bucket method



dried it



cleaned the windows with newspaper and Rain-x glass cleaner



and removed some of the haze from my headlights.



I only was able to clay and apply cleaner wax to half of the hood. I could see a huge difference in paint quality in that one section of the car alone. I wanted to do the whole car but I underestimated the power of the sun. Every time I applied the lube, I could literally see it steam up off of the hood.



What else would you add/change/improve from this process and arsenal?

[SuperBee364]

If you`re interested in really bringing the paint up to it`s full potential, you`re going to need to buy a DA (Dual Action) buffer, like the Porter Cable 7424 (PC), Ultimate Detailing machine, Meguair`s G110, or Flex (the best, but expensive). You`ll also need to get backing plates, buffing pads, and abrasive polishes.



A detailing that includes "paint correction" typically consists of:



1. Thorough wash and dry



2. Clay



3. Use DA buffer with an abrasive poilsh (this step would be when you use your most aggressive polish)



4. Use DA buffer with an abrasive polish (this step would be either a medium or light abrasive polish



5. Use DA buffer with a very fine abrasive finishing polish.



6. Use isopropyl alcohol to wipe down vehicle (lots of guys skip this step)



7. Apply Last Step Product (LSP) of your choice

[stiffdogg06]

And A LOT of microfiber towels. :cool:

[MrCLRider]

i`m with stiffdogg.. You can NEVER have too many microfibers, and of many different styles too..

[MasterBlaster]

I`m a noob to the more professional grade products and I say if you can, invest in some of the better quality MF towels. I had a bunch of store bought ones and they`re not near as nice or soft as the ones I bought online.



Oh and do as much as possible in the shade or garage. No good to have stuff "steam up off the hood".

[Less]

Try doing a search on the NXT 2.0. I believe that contains cleaners, and would be a redundant and unnecessary step after using the cleaner/wax that you already have. In fact, if I`m right, I believe the NXT will remove the cleaner wax and thus negate the work you`ve already done.



Also, I don`t believe that a cleaning wax is necessary if you`re going to be using clay. You might find that a pure wax will be easier to use and may look better.

[Tris1]

@SuperBee: A DA and all of the equipment is on my wish list but it probably won`t occur any earlier than later this year. I want to really be able to polish and apply a better grade of wax and other problems to my car.



@stiffdogg06, mrclrider & MasterBlaster: I AM going to buy some more MF towels. I had a whole bunch but I feared that they weren`t exactly paint safe. I bought the Autozone branded stuff because they were MUCH softer and more plush than my current bargain store towels. What brands/places do you recommend for MF towels?



As for the shade issue, I don`t have a garage but I do have the good fortune of living across the street from an old, tall abandoned theater which always has at least one shaded parking spot. I plan on washing and drying my car in the back yard and then just moving it over there to do the rest of my procedure.



@Less: I remember seeing either in a thread or in a tutorial on this site, the author recommended the cleaner wax step after the claying to give a deeper, wet look to any wax that you apply at the end and will help reduce some swirl marks on the paint (it did for me at least).



As a test, i did the cleaner wax after the claying, and I was able to see a difference. I also tried it on the un-clayed side and, while it was better, it still couldn`t touch the clayed side.

[Accumulator]

Try doing a search on the NXT 2.0. I believe that contains cleaners, and would be a redundant and unnecessary step after using the cleaner/wax that you already have. In fact, if I`m right, I believe the NXT will remove the cleaner wax and thus negate the work you`ve already done..



I hardly ever use NXT (just on a pal`s showcar) and thus don`t have a dog in this fight, and prior to using it on that car I knew nothing about it other than what I`d read (namely both sides of the ?cleaners? ). That said...



Nah...IME the "cleaning ability" of NXT is vastly overestimated (an opinion shared by Mike Phillips ), primarily by people who don`t use it and IMO it oughta be considered a straight wax. NXT didn`t undo the minimal "glaze effect" from #80 when I used it and it is also recommended for use over Meg`s Pure Polishes. So no worries using it over stuff; functionally speaking the "cleaners" (scare-quotes intentional) only make for a more user-friendly product...sorta like the clay in the Pure Polishes ("hey, clay is an abrasive...that stuff must do correction!" or so the argument goes) doesn`t change their functionally nonabrasive nature.



Hope the preceding didn`t sound like some kind of :argue I didn`t intend it to sound as critical as it might`ve come across.



Tris1- Welcome to Autopia!



For what it does, I support the clay/cleaner-wax/straight wax approach. The clay removes a certain type of contaminant (stuff that`s stuck to/on top of the paint) and the cleaner-wax effects a different type of deeper (chemical) paint cleaning, so both can have their place.



The only thing this approach misses is *mechanical*/abrasive prep (the abrasives in the Meg`s cleaner-wax are *so* mild as to be virtually nonexistent, functionally speaking, unless your paint is *super* soft). Most (all?) vehicles have marring (scratches/swirls/etc.) and can benefit from some degree of this type of prep. But it sure is a PIA to do by hand compared to doing it by machine.



If you have significant marring, try something like Meguiar`s Swirl-X or Scratch-X v2.0 in between the clay and cleaner-wax steps (and you could probably skip the cleaner-wax if you do this as these polishes will also clean the paint). IF that`s *not* an issue, just go ahead and clay/cleaner-wax/straight wax and I bet you`ll be happy with the results just as you were on that half-a-hood...there are all sorts of degrees of detailing and not everybody needs a full-blown Autopian undertaking to be satisfied with how their car looks.



And I agree...the #1 thing in your current situation is to find a way to work out of the sun.

[Tris1]

My post has been finally moderated (Thanks!) and has some answers to most of the questions here.



Accumulator,



I really don`t/didn`t plan on putting too much effort into this car since I plan on selling it in a few months time. I can see "spider-webs" when I view it in the sun and the half of hood that I did do had a severe reduction of it. Plus, I believe that I have Clearcoat Failure on the pillar behind the driver`s side rear passenger.

[akimel]

Try doing a search on the NXT 2.0. I believe that contains cleaners, and would be a redundant and unnecessary step after using the cleaner/wax that you already have. In fact, if I`m right, I believe the NXT will remove the cleaner wax and thus negate the work you`ve already done.



NXT is not a cleaner wax. Yes, it does contain mild cleaners to aid in adhesion, but they are mild and will not remove a fully cured previous application of wax/sealant. That`s not my opinion--this is the judgment of Mike Pennington of Meguiar`s.



Topping a cleaner wax with NXT or some other wax/sealant is popular and recommended step. A cleaner was does not typically provide as durable layer of protection as a dedicated wax/sealant does. Yes, one does not need to top it with anything else, and many don`t ... but one may.




Also, I don`t believe that a cleaning wax is necessary if you`re going to be using clay. You might find that a pure wax will be easier to use and may look better.



The use of a paint cleaner or a cleaner wax after claying is quite appropriate. Clay removes above-surface contaminants; a paint cleaner also effects a deep cleaning of the paint. The use of a cleaner wax is particularly appropriate and necessary for those who have not yet moved into machine polishing. Here is one possible regimen for the regular care of one`s daily driver: Your Daily Driver: A Simple Wash & Wax Regimen (http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29505).