detailchick from san diego

[RoboDude]

Hey dudes, (It`s gona be long post :rolleyes: )



About a Month or so I got a 2001 FOrd Focus (Midnight Blue)...

I guess it`s been out in the sun for a while, since it`s a 2001... aslo I`ve seen swirl marks on it...has 159milies on it



I haven`t washed the car since I`ve goten it...



Let me tell you a bit about what type of conditions the car might be exposed to. Well, I live in Miami, FL in an apartment complex, so I have no shelter for my car =(, also there are a LOT of tress around, and I always park in the sun 24/7...



Would a car cover help out? I don`t really want to get one cause I live in a so/so place and I don`t want people messin with my car...



Recently I was given these products...



Meguiar`s Deep Crystal Car Wash,

Meguiar`s Scrarch X,

Meguiar`s Deep Crystal POLISH,

2 Zymol cleaner wax (that flat 16oz bottle) and,

3M Refresh Vinyl/Leather Protectant



Will these products be enogh? Are they good for a really good deep deeeep dark wet look? Are any of them Redundant?



What do you guys suggest I keep? and toss out?



My Goal for the Focus is for it to look reeeeally good all the time...

Also there are 2 other car, One being a New Black Saturn( Parents Car) and an 95 Coral Station Wagon(metallic green?) which more of a daily driver. I really want to focus on the FOCUS more... cause it`s gona be my projext car... the rest i`d like to keep in good shape so that they last a long time.



The Saturn was waxed about a week ago by some guy, he did an OK Job... although I doubt he know to much if anything at all. (still some swirl marks, also It doesn`t look smooth, sort of a mosiac thing going on)



The wagon was resently crashe by the back... this car hasne`t been wacked in a really long time if ever, and is very dirty... but it looks like it`s in good shape...



What do I do for each car? Are the products I metion good for those other cars?



Anyways... I`m very sorry for the long post....



Thanks for any Reply if any, thanks a million... :up



Ooo forgot, I bought one of those broom soft car brush...I heard it`s hard if not imposible to creat swirl markes with one..

[Lemonxxs]

Welcome to the forum.



I suggest you click on the carport site and read everything. GEt the e-book and read some more.



You will learn a lot and probably have more questions.



Also do a search for each particular question and you will get hundreds of answers.

[Steve @ Guru]

I`ll chime in with a few suggestions...



Miami is a pretty sunny and hot place. I don`t think the carnauba wax will last too long in that environment. I`d also reconsider using the ScratchX, unless the surface is scratched.



You might want to consider a synthetic system like BlackFire, Klasse or Zaino.



Enjoy!

[RoboDude]

Don`t have $$ for book... also I need info on those products...



Thanks

[RoboDude]

Those products sound expensive :confused:



I really don`t have to much money, since I relay on my parents...



Are the Meguirs PRO series any good?

[Lemonxxs]

Meguiar pro series is pretty good. There are some on here who really like it.



At least read the details, details, details section. IT has lots of different scenerios and useful info.

[RoboDude]

I did read them, I`m still at a lost on the product side... what can I use the stuff I have?

[Steve @ Guru]

hmmm... understand that trying to find out what you should use without anyone looking at your car, or knowing the amount of work that you`re willing to put in (including technique) is asking for a lot.



For most people, the products that you have should produce good results. But, if you`re going to invest in some Meguiar`s Pro products, you`ll probably end up spending at least another $30 - $40, which puts you in synthetic territory (price wise).



The synthetics will outlast the carnauba`s in your environment, but they require a little patience and skill when using. So, I`d start off using what you have (might not need the ScratchX on the new car), and practice. When you decide you need to `upgrade` on the detailing, buy a few new products and try them out.



All of us here have shelves full of stuff that we`ve tried and didn`t like...there`s no way around it. The biggest thing to remember is that technique is almost more important than the products you`re using. One last thing...make sure you wash and detail in the shade. If you do it in the sun, you`ll be unhappy with the results.



Good luck!

[RoboDude]

Thank you geekysteve,



Well...I didn`t buy any of those thing except the Car Wash, the wash brush, and a few SolCal terry cloth towels thats it...



I really want to do this right the first time...I willing to put a LOT of effort into this :)



Could any one tell me what sequence to use these products?



THis is what I figure:



1) Use Meguires Car Was

2)use the Wal-Mart Zymol cleaner wax

3)Use Meguires Deep Crystal Step2 Polish

4)I guess I could get my hands on some Gold Class Wax



Also after readin the forum for a while I concluded that I should

use that Klasse product, cause it`s the best?





This what I figure for that setup:



1) Wash car...

2)Use Klasse All in One

3)Add coat of Klasse SG

4)Add more coats of SG :)



Is klasse really the truly best? How much would it cost compared to the rest, figurin I have to wax less?

[Steve @ Guru]

Ooops..got a few things mixed up.



If you`re going to use the Zymol product, you`ll want to do things in this order:



1) Wash & Dry (I wouldn`t use a wash brush...easy to scratch, even if it is boars hair)

2) Meguiar`s #2 Polish

3) Zymol or Gold Class



The Meguiar`s #2 doesn`t contain any protectants, it`s just a glaze/polish.



I think the Gold Class will outlast the Zymol, but I`m not sure.



I`ve tried the Klasse, the Zaino and the BlackFire. Here`s my quick thoughts:



The Klasse is very forgiving. If you apply too much, you`re usually pretty safe. Some people have experienced some streaking with the SG, but everyone`s results varry. I tried it on a light colored car, and didn`t have any streaking problems. Klasse also gives you a slightly "warmer" look (more like a wax).



The Zaino is very durable, and it has a very "clean" look. With their addition of ZFX, the cure times drop so it becomes even easier to use. If you`re going to try the Zaino, I`d recommend Z1, Z5, ZFX and Z6.



The BlackFire is also very easy to use, although its durability is still open to debate. It hasn`t been around long enough to know how durable it`s going to be. It is reasonably priced, so it might not hurt to give it a try.



Then you have Meguiar`s #20...a synthetic product that I`ve never used, but many people have good luck with it. I`m sorry, can`t comment much more on it.



If you choose the synthetic route, you`ll want to wash with Dawn (first time only), to strip any old wax or `treatments` that might be lurking on the surface. Most synthetics aren`t compatible with traditional products, so unless you know what you`re doing, I wouldn`t mix-and-match them. (Some of us do, but we`ve practiced quite a bit) After you`ve applied your synthetics, you can wash with your favorite gentle car-specific wash. Don`t use Dawn too often.



Also, most synthetics benefit from multiple layers, so additional coats will usually provide better results.



Finally, don`t use circular motions when waxing or buffing...just a safe rule of thumb to help avoid swirl marks. There`s tons of topics about this here, and there are good articles at the wax manufacturer`s websites.



Ok, that`s it! Sorry so long.

[rstype]

It really depends on what your goals are. You can just wash the car with the Meguiar’s Deep Crystal Wash, then “rub-in� two layers of Klasse AIO. Maybe after 3 months, apply another layer.

<strong class=`bbc`>Costs:[/b]
Klasse AIO: $21
Foam pads: $4
Soft bath towel, cut into 4: $10

Getting a great shine: Priceless ;)

[imported_Intermezzo]

I would go with what BW suggested if cost is a serious consideration. Really, the only major thing you need to add to your detailing arsenal would be the Klasse AIO. Then just get a few foam pads at your local Autozone and a 100% cotton bath towel (make sure any cloth that touches your paint is 100% cotton)



Also, you said you wanted to make your car look nice. Well, it will look nice right after detailing it. However, since you park it outside, I would suggest also purchasing the Wipe and Shine Kit from CMA. You get a bottle QD and a Microfiber towel to QD your car every few days. I think it`s on sale right now. A car parked outside gets dusty pretty fast, especially with your color and by the time you get around to washing your car again, it will be pretty dirty.



Do a search in this forum for quick detailing and get an idea of how it`s done and whether or not you think it`s something you want to do. Most people here do a quick detail right after washing their car anyway to remove any streaks and revitalize the car`s shine.



If you wish to use your polish and your wax, keep in mind that the cleaning agents in your zymol wax will remove a lot of the oils from the Meguiar`s polish you just applied. Gold Class would be a better choice as it does not have any cleaners in it. Furthermore, you would be able to apply it over AIO, should you decide to get it. If you don`t want to waste your zymol cleaner wax, don`t apply the Meguiar`s polish before applying the zymol. Ideally, one would (1) clean the paint, (2) polish, & (3) wax. If you switch steps 1 and 2, the cleaner might remove the glaze/polish.



Also, be careful of the wash brush. Is it an OXO brush? I think I remember reading an old thread from the archives about this brush and how it caused micro-swirls in the paint. You might be better off using a chenille pad/mitt (again, make sure it explicitly states 100% cotton).



HTH

[vettefan67]

One thing that hasn`t been stressed enough above: lose the wash brush! It`s not "nearly impossible" to create swirls with that, it`s higly probable, almost a 98% guarantee.

I`d recommend using a <strong class=`bbc`>100%[/b] Cotton Chenille Mitt made by Viking and available at your local Kragen/Checkers/Shucks or whatever they are called by you. Only buy the one marked 100% cotton chenille as the others are polyester blends that will scratch your dark car. Should be $3 - 4.

I`d highly recommend Klasse. It is not as hard as certain web sites would lead you to believe, you can get ample directions here. If you don`t want to spend too much money you can get a small size sample kit from YoSteve. Tacscar (`http://www.tacscar.com`) also has good prices on Klasse.

[imported_Intermezzo]

Robodude, just try to read up on some of the past threads in this forum. There`s an unbelievable amount of info. I, being the loser that I am :D , started as far back as I could go and spent many hours going through each thread, one by one. By the time I was finished, I had more than a good idea of what I wanted to do with my car. Now you don`t have to go through the same type of obsession as I did, but you get the idea.

[vettefan67]

And it worked great for me. I can guarantee you that almost all of your questions have been asked about, down to each and every product. I`d also highly recommend reading all of it. It will take you a while...

So get going! :p (`http://www.autopia-carport.com/forum/forumdisplay.php3?s=&forumid=3&daysprune=30&sortorder=&sortfield=lastpost&perpage=40&pagenumber=15`)