Detailing procedure w/ combo.

[threehundo]

Hey everyone,



Well i`ve tried and tried searching and researching.. though I have learned SOO much and have spent SOO much I still approach a brick wall concerning my daily driver.



I have a black 300. Winter is sort of wearing down in MI, and when I gave it its first hand wash a couple days ago I did notice minor, EXTREMELY minor fine swirls, and some mircomarring. Now this car has never seen a car wash. Only way to describe how it happened is from me, or snow/ice build up. Now you guys know your stuff.. thats for sure. The only problem is that ordering all this stuff alot of you speak of regarding polish, wax etc etc.. would just run me too much.



I have just purchased my craftsman buffer/polisher and can`t wait to use it. I just want to describe what I`m shooting for and maybe someone can suggest. I would greatly appreciate products that I can purchase from the store. MF towels are the only items I prefer to purchase online. This is not a car show car, but I`de love to put in the 8-12 hours making it purrty! I hand wash about every 2-3 days. My ideal setup is as follows:



gold class wash (megs)

clay bar (clay magic)

polish with MIRROR GLAZE FINE-CUT CLEANER #2 (megs)

sealer (unsure?)

tech wax 2.0 (megs)



Any suggestions? Because my swirls are real minor, could I get away with a filler glaze and then seal? Can someone suggest what pad I could use thats handy at a nearby store?



You guys don`t understand how much headache your saving me. The abbreviations are enough to drive me a-wall, but I enjoy reading everyones opinion and inputs. I have megs because its easy to get, if anyone wants to suggest a different brand, please do so.



I have a black daily driver car, so some depth, gloss/wet look is what I`m shooting for. I am going back and forth on a sealer because I guess there are set combo`s that work. You can`t just add this and that, and vwallah. A different procedure would be great if anyone doesn`t like my steps.



Thanks alot everyone.

[Butrball12]

ive noticed most people live by menzerna products. they are a bit expensive but the sizes are also big enough that they would last you for years. you might be better off just paying up front for some good product online versus running to the store everytime you detail your car.



as for the sealer I have read that carnuba works wonders on black cars whereas synthetic sealers make it look plasticy. I would do a sealer and then top it with carnuba so you get the best of both.

[xhaust50]

I`d place an order on some polishes with those microfibers. You don`t have to go all out, and can probably get what you need just as cheap online as in a store.



If you want to stick with something you can get locally, I would skip the #2. I believe it is fairly aggressive, and not what you want to remove minor swirls. If your swirls are that minor, you may just want to use a glaze to try to fill them and then protect the paint. Either way, you will have a tough time finding a local sealant that will work with local glazes.



Options:

#80 or #82, then tech wax

Mothers Power Polish, then Mothers Reflections Wax

[Accumulator]

Yeah, the #2 is sorta aggressive. It might be needed, but it`ll almost certainly need a follow-up with something milder like the #80.



threehundo- I dunno how well the Craftsman buffer will work out, I`m just not familiar with them :nixweiss



Instead of a sealant topped with the NXT, I`d just get a can of Collinite wax.



Heh heh, considering what the 300 cost, spending a little on detailing stuff might be money well spent

[KnuckleBuckett]

I gotta say go Menzerna SIP and 106ff. If you wanna go nuts and increase the last of the sealnt, finish with Ultima PPP.



Seal with Ultima PGP.



You won`t need wax. PGP holds up well through midwestern crap weather, grime, and salt.

[Accumulator]

I gotta say go Menzerna SIP and 106ff. If you wanna go nuts and increase the last of the sealnt, finish with Ultima PPP...Seal with Ultima PGP...

There are lots of good approaches, and we`ve mentioned two that are sorta on opposite ends of the spectrum. I just dunno about a relative newbie, using a Craftsman buffer, getting the best results with an approach like that (not that I have a criticism of the approach itself, it`s similar to what I use on a few of our vehicles) :think:

..You won`t need wax. PGP holds up well through midwestern crap weather, grime, and salt.

Heh heh, us Collinite fans might counter that with 476S you won`t need PGP I`m just teasin, don`t mean it as a real :argue or anything...

[Glossy McGlosserton]

Not sure washing so often is doing yourself a big favor. Washing--or anytime you swipe something on paint--is a prime time to instill swirls and marring. Look up some of Accumulator`s threads on washing for great advice on how to avoid marring. But those threads also show how far from ordinary car washing behaviour Accumulator has to go to avoid marring! Once a week or week and a half is probably often enough to wash, and more often than many of us wash.



If you are going to order microfibers online, you`re going to get hit with a minimum shipping charge anyway. Why not order from a place where you can get a good combo? Ultima Paint Prep and Sealant is good. Z-AIO and CS or Z-AIO and Z-5 plus local 100% cotton towels are also a good way to go. And Accumulator loves Einsett and Collinite, if you want a combo that will hide minor marring. Any of these will do a great job for you.

[kh765]

I had one of those Craftsman buffers for all of about 2 weeks before I returned it and got a PC. I don`t think the Craftsman is good for anything before simple wax application and/or removal. If that`s what you got it for, then that`s fine, but don`t expect it to do any correction.

[Accumulator]

Heh heh...yeah, I can see both sides of the washing-frequency issue. I`d sure never want to go through *my* wash routine that often



And yeah, I probably recommend the 1Z/Collinte combo more than anything else. If somebody already has a favorite approach then I won`t try to convert them, but it`s sorta a "if you have to ask, you really oughta try this" type of thing IMO. Unless you can really get the finish perfect, I can`t imagine any other approach working out so well for the effort involved. And most people who can get the finish perfect aren`t asking what products they oughta use, but are, rather, the ones *giving* the advice Hope that didn`t come across wrong, I don`t intend it as a slight against anybody...

[threehundo]

haha. Thanks guys for all the replies. I def got some good advice, and will take a look online for the products you all mentioned. As soon as I un-abbreviate all of it. :think:



Accum- ha yeah man I take a good 2 hours washing my car, cause I always do the inside everytime. It collects dust so often I have to. OCD with a mix of perfectionist gets you there. I understand a greatly increases chances of swirls, and scratches etc. Its something I have to do though.



I`m going to give that Mezerna SIP, 106ff a glance. I`ve noticed ALOT of people have mentioned that combo on these forums and looks like people get amazing results. I tried to keep it simple, but you guys make it impossible!