1st time detail thoughts??

[motoxron]

i am about to attempt my 1st time detailing. Long story short i just bought a new car and i want to keep it looking perfect. i have always had trucks that i took offroading so i didnt really care about the paint but this car i do lol. heres my plan after reading alot on these forums, any input would be greatly appreciated and i will do it all by hand



the car is the Billet silver 2013 Dodge Challenger R/T 5.7

and i live in SoCal so not snow or ice just lots of heat and sand in the air



1st wash with Duragloss #901

2nd Collinite Prewax cleaner #840

3rd Mopar paint sealant

4th Collinite super doublecoat #476

5th Collinite IW #845

[Accumulator]

motoxron- Welcome to Autopia!



I`d absolutely use something else as opposed to the Collinite #840. There`s a DuraGloss product...501?...that`s their All-In-One (cleaner and protectant) and I`d use that instead. Actually, I`d order some HD Speed.



No need for a sealant, topped with a paste wax, topped with a liquid wax. I`d just pick one product that you like and use that. Of those, on that paint, I`d probably just use one of the Collinites.



Note I`m not addressing the whole topic of new-vehicle decontamination ;)



But the *big* thing is to get your wash routine sorted out so you don`t mar up the paint every time you wash it. Even on silver (and I have numerous silver vehicles), marred-up clearcoat looks crappy.

[motoxron]

thanks Accumulator



i`ll look into those products.

is an all in one really better than using 2 different products though? maybe im over-thinking the whole process though since im new to this lol

my main concern is protecting the clearcoat and paint since its pretty much always sunny here and i live by the beach so theres alot of salt in the air and sand everywhere and i dont want the sand to pepper the finish. thats why i was thinking about the collinite 476s. i have read that its super durable.
motoxron- Welcome to Autopia!



I`d absolutely use something else as opposed to the Collinite #840. There`s a DuraGloss product...501?...that`s their All-In-One (cleaner and protectant) and I`d use that instead. Actually, I`d order some HD Speed.



No need for a sealant, topped with a paste wax, topped with a liquid wax. I`d just pick one product that you like and use that. Of those, on that paint, I`d probably just use one of the Collinites.



Note I`m not addressing the whole topic of new-vehicle decontamination ;)



But the *big* thing is to get your wash routine sorted out so you don`t mar up the paint every time you wash it. Even on silver (and I have numerous silver vehicles), marred-up clearcoat looks crappy.

[motoxron]

thanks Accumulator



i`ll look into those products.

is an all in one really better than using 2 different products though? maybe im over-thinking the whole process though since im new to this lol

my main concern is protecting the clearcoat and paint since its pretty much always sunny here and i live by the beach so theres alot of salt in the air and sand everywhere and i dont want the sand to pepper the finish. thats why i was thinking about the collinite 476s. i have read that its super durable.



i got a wool mit and foaming sprayer and microfiber towels to use also


motoxron- Welcome to Autopia!



I`d absolutely use something else as opposed to the Collinite #840. There`s a DuraGloss product...501?...that`s their All-In-One (cleaner and protectant) and I`d use that instead. Actually, I`d order some HD Speed.



No need for a sealant, topped with a paste wax, topped with a liquid wax. I`d just pick one product that you like and use that. Of those, on that paint, I`d probably just use one of the Collinites.



Note I`m not addressing the whole topic of new-vehicle decontamination ;)



But the *big* thing is to get your wash routine sorted out so you don`t mar up the paint every time you wash it. Even on silver (and I have numerous silver vehicles), marred-up clearcoat looks crappy.

[motoxron]

now im thinking of using synthetic instead of wax since it gets hot here

[Accumulator]

thanks Accumulator



i`ll look into those products.

is an all in one really better than using 2 different products though? maybe im over-thinking the whole process though since im new to this lol



It depends what`s "good enough"..or what justifies doing more.



A dedicated bunch of products will generally do more/better than an All In One. And AIOs generally don`t protect for very long, so I`d sure use that Collinite.



BUT most of the time, on most vehicles, an AIO will polish OK and they`re *very* user-friendly, no worries about residual oils, for instance.



So unless the vehicle is marred up to the point that it needs a serious polishing, I`d just use an AIO topped with the Collinite. Oughta look swell and it won`t be a huge chore (will take plenty of time/effort though...).






my main concern is protecting the clearcoat and paint since its pretty much always sunny here and i live by the beach so theres alot of salt in the air and sand everywhere and i dont want the sand to pepper the finish. thats why i was thinking about the collinite 476s. i have read that its super durable.



It`s durable and protects well, but it won`t stand up to "environmental sandblasting" like you mentioned. For that you`d need a coating like OptiCoat or many layers of Klasse Sealant Glaze (at least 5 or 6). In your situation I might look into those two options, though the AIO + Collinite would already be a bit of a job.




I got a wool mit and foaming sprayer and microfiber towels to use also



Good. Now, *how* you use them will be the big thing...spray the foamgun`s output at the point of mitt/paint contact and move the mitt in short, interrupted "jiggling" motions so the foamgun output flushes stuff away. I myself would want to use a Boar`s Hair Brush for the initial pass(es), to get the "big stuff" like grains of sand and salt. Pressing such grains between the mitt and the paint will lead to marring.



I suspect that how the vehicle is washed/dried will have more to do with its condition than anything else.

[motoxron]

thanks Accumulator for the tips :thumb:

i will definitely look for a boars hair brush

the opticoat looks interesting. since its permanent how easy is it to wreck the finish if its done wrong?

[Accumulator]

thanks Accumulator for the tips :thumb:

i will definitely look for a boars hair brush



Do the dreaded search and find my Boar`s Hair Brush Comparison thread. You want to get the right one (from Universal Brush, also sold under the "Montana" name).




the opticoat looks interesting. since its permanent how easy is it to wreck the finish if its done wrong?



I`ve only done wheels with it, but it seemed easy enough. That might be another one worth searching on.

[motoxron]

awesome!

thank u again!

[Accumulator]

Glad I didn`t put you off with the "go search" advice, I know it can sound like a blow-off.

[motoxron]

not at all

how else are we going to learn haha