Ok guys. I have a brand new truck it`s a 2008 dodge ram 1500. metallic black in color and I absolutely love it.



I`m very passionate about how my car looks and always want it looking it`s best. I want this truck to look the way it did the day I bought it for a long time.



I understand much of the detailing process. wash,clay,polish,seal seems to be a general way to understand it. I fully undertand washing and know what to do in order to make washing go the way i want.



but question 1 is about washing. right now I`m using Z7 and good high quality cotton towels to wash the truck. seems to be working great no detectable swirls except in a few minor spots that i`m not very sure are from me to be honest or just from being a Daily driver. Would you guys recommend getting into microfiber stuff? what would be a good brand? I was considering getting a sonus wash mitt and some microfiber stuff but i`ll be darned if most of that stuff is out of stock. so what`s a good alternative to that.



so far here is my process that is not been used yet. it has been raining three times a week in pa for the past month since I bought the truck so I don`t have time to do anyting but wash it once a week. Z7 wash, Z18 Claybar, ZAIO,Z5,Z2, with Z6 in between, ZCS,Z8 and done.



this process IMO will work great for getting a shine and keeping the truck looking great. but I don`t believe it will be good for removing any imperfections that may come up.



so here is my next big question. it`s about the one IMO most important step about car detailing. Cutting/Polishing. I understand polishing`s concept. remove clear coat until the imperfections are gone but making sure not to take away too much. this is a simple process but there are thousands of products out there. and I don`t want to buy junk that`s why I went with Zaino.



but here`s what I`ve noticed. Zaino doesn`t really make an abrasive, ZAIO is supposed to remove minor flaws like minor swirls and Z5 fills them but filling isn`w what we want we want to remove them. I think ZAIO will do a decent job with this? what are your opinions?



I was considering ordering ZPC would that be a good product to go with and what type of polish does this come under. Is it even effective is it a harsh abrasive or mild type of polish?



In the end all be all of it what is the best polish to go with? In a step by step process sorta way. I`ve been reading and Menzerna comes up many times and I was trying to fully understand their process.



I currently do not own a PC but it is in my plans for product to buy at the moment. So what polish would you guys recommend to get for future use? Possible since I do have a few areas of minor swirls from I dunno where maybe to use before going through the Zaino steps?



and where would be a great place to get a great rundown on polishes and how to go about deciding what to use. plus adding in the PC brings in what types of pads to use.



I think if I can get a grip on polish and what type of polish for what situation I will be mroe than good to go. I appreciate your guys help this forum so far rox