How the heck do you pick a product line to start with?

[Inzane]

I`m totally a novice when it comes to detailing. I`ve already used a few Meguiar`s products. And I`m planning to get a PC.



But there are so many products out there, so many die-hard loyalists and opinions out there, so much $$ to spend. ARGGH.



Obviously one can`t run out and buy everyone`s product. That would be insane.



Options:



Waxes

1) stick with Meguiar`s. I already have the deep-crystal system 3-part, #7, #9 and GC.

I`m very curious to try the #26, and wonder what other Meg`s products I should pick up.



2) P21S/S100



Polymer/Sealants

3) Zaino



4) The Klasse twins (AIO & SG)



5) Meg`s #20.



(and obviously that`s just a few options)



I don`t know which path to chose. :nixweiss

[ultrajim49]

Not an easy one to answer, but here it goes:



No, you can`t go and buy all the products out there, that would not only be insane, by the time you get to the last product to test, it would be expired:p .



When you`re a novice you should at minimum have:

a polish

a wax or a sealant

carwash

MF`s

buffing pads

tire dressing

interior dressing



You allready have Meg`s : good:xyxthumbs



what you want next depends on what you want to do with your car and what condition it is in.

if it`s a garage-queen, you might wanna go the glaze- carnauba way

if daily driven you might think polymer sealant (Zaino, Blackfire, Klasse)



You see , you got to set some priorities first and buy later, it will save lots of $$$



Happy detailing



:wavey



Christiaan

[tommyd]

Yup... don`t worry about a product line per se...



consider what you want to do and then get a recommended product to do that job.



welcome to the addiction!

...er... i mean autopia.

:p

[Nebraska99]

..and I have been confused many times trying to figure out what to use. It comes down to a few different things.



1. What do you want to accomplish for that final look?



2. What can you afford?



3. What color is your vehicle: Different colors look better using certain products.



I finally decided upon what seemed like a safe course of action using Klaase All In One, Klasse Sealant Glaze and topped with P21S on my 2004 M-B CLK 500. The outcome is incredible, I actually got blinded one day when I was checking out the paint and got an angle that reflected the sun. :bow



Also for the quick detailer I bought the Eagle all in one brand, its great stuff.



Just experiment, be patient.

[fidelfs]

I have started like you a few months back.



You have Megs. great. I started with the same product.

Don`t buy more products start working with them and see if the product matches your expectations.

You will see something you like to improve and the current product won’t solve. Try something else. Step by step. Read autopia.

Any product is good as it match your expectations. There is not a best product above anything else.



Megs is a decent product and people are happy with them. You have a good start.

:xyxthumbs

[andriver]

I agree with BlackRegal, I use different products on my vehicles. I may use Clearkotes Vanilla Moose polish and Poorboys EX carnuba. Half the fun of detailing is experimenting with different product lines. Good luck..Andrew

[Inzane]

Thanks guys. This is really a helpful, friendly and informative site. :up



Just a little more info:

my car is a 93 300ZX Twin Turbo in non-metallic black.



I just did the whole wash, dry, clay, and the Meg`s Deep Crystal 3-step program a couple weeks ago... all by hand. (My back hurt for days!) The results were pretty good. I didn`t notice as much shine as with the GC wax, but I curious to see how the Step 3 wax compares to the GC durability wise.



The only downside from working with the 3-step was I got residue EVERYWHERE!! (still haven`t been able to clean some of it off yet). And I think it was more than just the wax, I`m positive the Step 1 paint cleaner is one of the residue culprits as well. Not sure about the step 2 polish.



I`ve been very tempted to go out and buy #26 and S100, both available locally (#26 is ~ $19-20 CDN, the S100 is $30 CDN), but maybe its silly to get both. If the #26 has more shine then the Step-3 and more durability than the GC, that`d be great. And the S100 if its super easy to apply & remove, and doesn`t leave residue that would be great too... and probably easier on the back until I get a PC. LOL

[JustinR32]

#26 is one of my favorite products, for value as well as appearance. My opinion is that it looks better than GC, as well. S100 is super easy to use and doesn`t leave residue. It also is one of my favorites, for the same reasons.



I actually did buy one of everything! Naw, just kidding, but it seems like I did. My tag line should be, "I wasted $20 so that you don`t have to!"



Almost everything works. I`ve quickly come to a few favorites, that I alternate depending on my mood. I like the Meg`s (#20, #26, Medallion, and GC), Klasses, and Pinnacle/S100 for waxes and sealants, and the Megs and Menzernas for polishes and glazes. But, Mother`s is great. I haven`t used anything from Zaino, Clearkote, Poorboy`s, Ultimate, or P21S, but I`d bet they`re great. Enjoy the buffet!





Tom

[fidelfs]

Originally posted by Inzane

Thanks guys. This is really a helpful, friendly and informative site. :up



Just a little more info:

my car is a 93 300ZX Twin Turbo in non-metallic black.



I just did the whole wash, dry, clay, and the Meg`s Deep Crystal 3-step program a couple weeks ago... all by hand. (My back hurt for days!) The results were pretty good. I didn`t notice as much shine as with the GC wax, but I curious to see how the Step 3 wax compares to the GC durability wise.



The only downside from working with the 3-step was I got residue EVERYWHERE!! (still haven`t been able to clean some of it off yet). And I think it was more than just the wax, I`m positive the Step 1 paint cleaner is one of the residue culprits as well. Not sure about the step 2 polish.



I`ve been very tempted to go out and buy #26 and S100, both available locally (#26 is ~ $19-20 CDN, the S100 is $30 CDN), but maybe its silly to get both. If the #26 has more shine then the Step-3 and more durability than the GC, that`d be great. And the S100 if its super easy to apply & remove, and doesn`t leave residue that would be great too... and probably easier on the back until I get a PC. LOL



Ok. You have reach the point that the current product does not work 100% as you want. You have residue and you don`t want that. S100 won`t leave any residue and you can use it on the wheels to avoid some break dust (or at least to clean them easy).



Well, I think the autopia bug has bite you. Keep your wallet handy and enjoy.



:wavey

[Jesstzn]

InZane .. another canuck here with a black car. I`ve been the whole wax route. Here is my opinion.



1) no matter what you use start with a good base.. eg get the car as swirl free as possible without fillers. Eg. use the polish/SMR of choise then use 50/50 alcohol and water to wipe down. This removes the fillers so you can see where you stand. All my polishing was done with Menzerna polishes.



2) I used #26 "paste" for years .. great wax .. easy on easy off but lots of curing haze noticable on black. Because of the heat on black the life is short.



3) My next evolution was Glanz Wax on black ... By far my best recomendation for the novice detailer. Easy on.. easy off and super deep gloss and great life.



4) I currently have Zaino and happy with it but its a lot of work for the minimal visual gains over Glanz. And I have now topped it with #26 to add depth. So more work.



Minimun Zaino kit will cost you $110 Can .. Glanz is available from Crush Motorsports in Ed. for $18



I tried GC on mine and understand my paint is in very good condition with minimal swirls etc and GC just amplified any imperfections there and IMHO didn`t give near the results of Glanz so I took it off and gave the bottle away.



Would I do Zaino again.. hard to say .. a lot of work comapred to Glanz and only winter will tell if Zaino stands up to it.

[weegee]

I`ll give you a few tips along Mosca`s "I wasted $20 so that you don`t have to!" advice.



Black 2003 Audi



1) First I tried #26. Good stuff, but had nothing to compare it to really. Did about 3 applications over 2 months. Happy with durability, shine and depth were okay. Definitely a lot of residue.



2) After hearing a lot of good stuff about Blitz wax, switched to that and also incorporated IHG and GEPC into the routine. IHG was pretty good, GEPC was incredible (still my favorite product). Topped with Blitz. No we`re talking. Great shine, great depth, great durability.... until....



3) Realized that the Blitz attracts a hell of a lot of dust and was staining my black trim. Also noticed some dealer installed swirls that were finally coming up after a few months. So, added SMR to the routine, replacing IHG. But after applying by hand, I realized it was pointless. So I bought a PC.



4) Now I got the routine down to tackle my swirls (SMR w/ yellow pad and GEPC w/ white to bring out shine), but what will I top with. Did extensive reading on this board about Klasse and was leaning towards that, until I read some stuff about Poor Boy`s. Klasse seemed to be a little temperamental and there were a handful of remarks about the bling bling capabilities. Not to mention it didn`t seem compatible with my beloved GEPC. Poor Boy`s seemed to have the shine, the ease of use, no compatibility issues, maybe some questions about durability. Since I wax and work on the car often, I don`t mind the durability issue as much, so I went with Poor Boy`s EX and decided as topper to use S100 wax.



5) Used the PC with SMR got out 80% of the swirls and little scratches. Applied three coats of EX (WOW, 2nd coat brings out incredible shine) and topped with S100. Now I maintain with S100 coat every few weeks and maybe a QW after weekly washes.



6) Next steps. I`ve continued my reading on Klasse and seen some incredible "shine and depth" pictures and feel comfortable giving the twins a try now, having learned some trade secrets. I`ll wait till I use up the EX (because I have no problems with it) and then go the AIO, SG topped S100 route. Using SMR and DACP (depending on how bad the swirling is) to clean up the paint. Still have to figure out a way to work in my beloved GEPC.



Anyway, that`s my 6 month detailing story. Hope I saved you about $600, because that`s what I`ve spent so far.



P.S. I didn`t mention any applicator, towels, drying mechanisms... otherwise this post would be a few more pages long. But to make a long story short, go with Waffle weave MF towels and CB to dry, MF towels with ammonia free cleaner for windows (no streaks) and MF towels for initial buffing of wax, polish, etc. followed by flannel towel buff for bling bling shine.

[imported_Tony]

Lets cut to the chase! In your climate a wax just can not match a good sealant. The best sealant prep is Klasse AIO and if you order AIO you might as well get SG.



good luck

[Lowejackson]

It would take months to go through all the different products. Almost any of the brands or products are fine. As a first step I would recommend buying the book by DavidB. Not only does it help pay for this site, it gives detailed advice on how to clean and maintain your car.



No matter what you chose, always remember it is not the product which gives the great shine. It is the preparation and technique. Spending large amounts of money will not help. Start with the basics, shampoo - clay- polish - wax or sealant.



Buy the book and or research any product you are interested in and you will not go wrong.