Beginners list of items needed to get started detailing properly

[Casey388]

Hey everyone. I have been a long time lurker and haven`t post in nearly a year. I am finally ready to start detailing my car at a higher level but with all the products on the market today I am stuck at trying to figure out exactly what I need. It seems every three months I get to this point and then lose interest once I look at everything I need to purchase. So I was hoping some of the detailing gurus around here could help me get past this point.



I am hoping to budget about $500 for the remaining items that I need, but even then I expect that I will be going over. Below are the items that I own:



Flex 3403

PC 7424XP

ShopVac (about to be upgraded to a central vac system in my garage)

Usual assortment of Turtlewax, ArmorAll and any department store cleaner and wax I could get my hands on

Stacks of older microfiber clothes, will need to get some new ones for working with paint, don`t feel comfortable using this on paint.

Multiple brushes for wheel cleaning



One of the big things i am wondering about, is it worth while to purchase a pressure washer or do most people just stick with the 2 bucket method for washing. Also, I am looking at waxes and sealants that work well on multiple cars, not just hard or soft paint. We currently have a 2007 Mercury Milan in Black Clearcoat and a 2005 Mercury Mariner in Charcoal Beige.



Again I understand that the options are endless but figured it was time to get some ideas on where to start.

[Accumulator]

Casey388- Here`s my 2₵...



I can`t wash marring-free without a foamgun, but the pressure washer would be very good for getting the "big stuff" off before doing the by-hand washing. I`d get a new one (mine always die...) myself if I had a means of dealing with the "overspray in a crowded shop" issue.



I don`t choose LSPs based on how hard/soft the paint is. Generally these days I`m all about function (protection and durability), so most of my vehicles wear FK1000P. But if you want to prioritize looks I`d try to figure out exactly what you want to see on the paints in question.



You mentioned two Fords, and IME they`re generally in the "medium-hard/soft" range. Not too hard to correct, not too hard to keep nice.

[brownbob06]

Looks like all you need is some.decemt pads (unless you already have them,) some quality compond and polish.... as in not turtle wax lol, a quality shampoo,some clay, a good wash mitt and some elbow grease.



Doing things to a higher level doesnt necessarily mean spending a ton on chemicals and materials, but more so a willingness to take the time to do it right. I`m talking about spending 8+ hours detailing your vehicle. Having the newest and best tools on the block is great and all, but it doesn`t mean a damn thing if you think you can properly.detail your vehicle in 2 hours.



Sorry for the crappy grammar, posting from my phone.

[SATracker]

Reading your post, you say that you want to detail your car at a "higher" level... as brownbobo6 said, get some decent pads & good polish. "Decent pads & good polish" to me means, read posts and ask questions. Depending on where you live, Mothers, Meguiar`s, & Griots are available in some auto stores & they make good polishes, waxes/sealants. Otherwise, experiment with some of the polishes available only online. As I`ve read & researched various posts, I don`t know that you need both sealants & waxes- but that may be a personal choice. To do a higher end detail- another ditto to the previous post, get some detailing clay and a good detailing clay lube. Some detailers color code their microfiber towels (one color for interior, another for polish, another for sealants/waxes, another color for windows, etc) so when you go microfiber shopping you might consider it. You didn`t mention any product for interior cleaning.

Hey man, good for you & good luck.

[brownbob06]

I would personally be ordering online for most things. Pads, polish, clay lube. I HIGHLY recommend ONR as a clay lube, it saves me so much money because you dilute it down to clay/QD solution. I also dont have that "this bottle cost me 6 bucks I better take it easy" mindset when using ONR and it`s a great glass cleaner for me as well.



But to riterate my first point, the difference between an average joe detail and a professional job is taking the time to do it right and be thorough.

[Ch96067]

Good luck in your endeavour!



I agree with brownbob06 on both accounts (ONR and time).



An approach would be to think through the `typical` good correction and maintainance regime steps (prewash / wash / decontaminate / polish / glaze (optional) / lsp) and see what products/tools you may be missing on each step.



Apart from ONR, I am a fun of Menzerna polishes and LC pads, FK1000p, Optiseal, Glasur and Cobra MFs. But of course through all the fun reading here you will form your own opinions :).

[jlb85]

But to riterate my first point, the difference between an average joe detail and a professional job is taking the time to do it right and be thorough.



This! Even if all you have is otc products, taking the time to do it right gets it done right.

[Casey388]

Guys thanks very much for the responses. I knew that it wasn`t going to be a 30 minute job but even as it is, I generally spend 4-6 hours cleaning my cars every 2-3 months. And the kicker is even when I am spending that amount of time, the Milan still looks like swirl city and this right after I am done.



What pads would you recommend for the PC? It sounds like the microfiber pads are all the rage right now, and after reading the post on HD Polish, I am planning on getting a bottle of HD Polish and HD Cut along with about 10 pads.

[Accumulator]

Guys thanks very much for the responses. I knew that it wasn`t going to be a 30 minute job but even as it is, I generally spend 4-6 hours cleaning my cars every 2-3 months. And the kicker is even when I am spending that amount of time, the Milan still looks like swirl city and this right after I am done...



Heh heh, just FWIW....if I work *very* fast (a genuinely tough effort, harder than many people`s exercise routines), I can maybe wash my easiest-to-wash vehicle in four hours. If I try to do it in less time I have to either skip some things or risk marring the paint.



And while I don`t wash my cars every week or so like many here (I do let them get genuinely *dirty* between washes), going two or three months is kinda pushing it IMO. Once a vehicle gets so dirty that it doesn`t "come clean easily" the risk for wash-induced marring goes up exponentially and it can be necessary to use harsh products/methods which I`d rather avoid.



On the bright side, many LSPs are so durable that I seldom need to reapply. I sure don`t rewax every couple of months, not by a long shot. I suppose part of that is because I don`t let the vehicles get so nasty that I have to wash aggressively.



If I`m correcting marring, even with the best equipment and products (and decades of experience), 4-6 hours can go by awfully fast.



Doing this stuff to a certain level is very time-consuming, at least for me.




What pads would you recommend for the PC? It sounds like the microfiber pads are all the rage right now, and after reading the post on HD Polish, I am planning on getting a bottle of HD Polish and HD Cut along with about 10 pads.



I`m not current on which pads are best with the HD stuff, but I plan to use Meguiar`s MF cutting disks with Cut and a variety of pads with the Polish (Griot`s orange foam polishing pads, Cyclo green and white, LC black, Meguiar`s 8006 and 9006).



You`re on the right track buying many pads :xyxthumbs