Product selection help

[rodney757]

I`m looking to do my 1st detail on my 06 Subaru WRX and was wondering if you could offer some advice on which products to use. The car is Steel Grey Metallic in color. I`m going to be picking up either a griots or porter cable.



Swirls aren`t that bad, but there are some there. There are some scratches but I can`t feel most of them with my fingernail. There`s a lot of thing stuck to the car. I picked up a Meguiars clay kit and tested it on a area. It seemed to get about 90% of the spots off. Do I need a more aggressive clay or will polishing take care of the rest?



I was thinking of using optimum`s new compound and maybe M205 after that. Do you have any other recommendations?



As for a LSP I`m not sure what to use. My car is a DD so I need something with good protection and will last a long time. I was thinking maybe a sealant for long term protection and maybe a wax on top of that that I can reapply every 1-2 months to make it look good.



What would you recommend for cleaning the wheels and wheel wells? Sonax Full Effect Wheel Cleaner?



Any recommendations for cleaning the engine bay?



Also what pads should I get for the griots or porter cable?



Thanks

[rodney757]

Anyone have any thoughts or recommendations for products to use?

[jsilas]

As for the machine, I don`t think you can go wrong with the Griot`s unit. It costs less than the PC, and I`ve heard from many people who`ve used both that they like the Griot`s machine better. I have the Griot`s machines (6" & 3") and I`m very happy with them.



For polishing, the answer really depends on how bad the scratches are on your car. You may need something aggressive, you may not. I always start with the least-aggressive polish I think will work, and go from there. I like Griot`s Machine Polish 3 and Meguiar`s 105/205. Pads follow the same rules here - start with the least aggressive, then work from there. With my Griot`s machines I use the Griot`s orange polishing pads and red waxing pads, and I`ve had excellent results thus far.



For sealant, I`ve recently used Blackfire`s Wet Diamond sealant, and I`ve been extremely pleased with the results. The visual results are tremendous, and the ease of application/removal is unparalleled. Topped with Blackfire`s Midnight Sun `nuba, you`ll be left with a very dramatic finish.



Wheel cleaner? I generally use Griot`s Wheel Cleaner, though I think if you want "the best", generally people like P21S Wheel Gel.

[rodney757]

Thanks for the help

[Alexshimshimhae]

JSILAS is more or less spot on.. i BELIEVE the rule is start with the least aggressive and work on up, BUT if anything try a more aggressive PRODUCT BEFORE you use a more aggressive PAD



FWIW I worked on my friends STI (the write up was umm Operation Car Spa) and I DO believe wrx paints are a bit softer...but I used an orange LC CCS pad with M205.



Can`t help you with machines--I own the flex 3401....and I FRIGEEN LOVE THAT THING



If you`re working out in the sun then the Hyper compound spray will come in handy.



Wheel cleaners the Sonax if you`re not on a budget is great i hear (be careful i hear it`s a health hazard; wear protection)

also P21s wheel gel is good (haven`t tried either yet)





AFAIK, provided you have good prep, outside the ridiculous like 2 year sealant type products, Collinite 476 has a long lasting coat, which is why that`s what i use--(I think i`ll ask my boy for an update on beading as there`s been torrential downpours yesterday)..figure monthly or bi-monthly i`ll put down a quick coat of Collinite 845...though on my friends fathers car i might put down 915 just to see what it looks like =]



BFWD and umm Opti-seal seam to also be great

[Accumulator]

I`m looking to do my 1st detail on my 06 Subaru WRX and was wondering if you could offer some advice on which products to use. The car is Steel Grey Metallic in color. I`m going to be picking up either a griots or porter cable.

The Griot`s is a much better machine in almost everyone`s estimation, and comes with a lifetime warranty.

Swirls aren`t that bad, but there are some there. There are some scratches but I can`t feel most of them with my fingernail.

Be sure to inspect in good lighting, not...say, fluorescent light. Scratches that can be felt with your nail are almost always too deep for safe and complete removal. Subie clear is *THIN* and you don`t want to polish away very much of it or you`ll precipitate failure due to UV exposure.

There`s a lot of thing stuck to the car. I picked up a Meguiars clay kit and tested it on a area. It seemed to get about 90% of the spots off. Do I need a more aggressive clay or will polishing take care of the rest?

More aggressive clay will often cause marring, perhaps *severe* marring. I`d clay again with something safe and then see what`s left. You might want to use a chemical paint cleaner before polishing. I myself like decontamination systems for stuff like that, either the AutoInt "ABC" system or the similar stuff from FinishKare.

I was thinking of using optimum`s new compound and maybe M205 after that. Do you have any other recommendations?

That should be fine if you don`t want to use M105 for the first step or the Optimum Spray Polish for the second step, but I can`t help but wonder why you`d want to use two very different approaches for the two steps. I`d rather stick with Optimum or Meguiar`s for both since each one has its own learning curve and the techniques for the two are so different.

As for a LSP I`m not sure what to use. My car is a DD so I need something with good protection and will last a long time. I was thinking maybe a sealant for long term protection and maybe a wax on top of that that I can reapply every 1-2 months to make it look good.

IMO wax-over-sealant is over rated. I`d just do it with a sealant or a durable wax and then redo it as needed. FWIW, most wax toppers would need redone a lot more often than that anyhow. I just used a sealant on my WRX (the Klasse twins, which I also used on the black trim).

What would you recommend for cleaning the wheels and wheel wells? Sonax Full Effect Wheel Cleaner?

I use APCs for the wheelwells unless things in there are nicely waxed/etc. in which case I use shampoo mix (ditto for the undercarriage).



I use Griot`s or P21S Wheel Cleaners unless the wheels are waxed/sealed in which case I use shampoo mix.



I never need really potent wheel cleaners for my vehicles but you might need one for the initial cleanup if your wheels are really nasty.



Whatever wheel cleaner you use, buy it in gallons to save money, you`ll go through it fast (ditto for shampoo).

Any recommendations for cleaning the engine bay?

Some APC like P21s Total Auto Wash, used with soft cloths, swabs, and boar`s hair brushes. Once you get it clean, it`s easy to keep it that way if you do a little something at every wash. I just use shampoo mix and QD to maintain mine once they`re nice.

Also what pads should I get for the griots or porter cable?

Something no larger than 5.5" with a matching backing plate. I only use 4" pads for correction via machines like that, but that`s just me.

[Alexshimshimhae]

=[ now i`m looking into buying a griots machine =[

lol so much for saving up for a house xD



HEy accum, any shampoo suggestions? (or is it part of the abc package?)

[jsilas]

^ Griot`s makes a fantastic shampoo also.

[Accumulator]

Alexshimshimhae- The "C" part of the "ABC" is a regular shampoo, but I think it`s pretty crappy. As jsilas noted, Griot`s sells an excellent shampoo, and I use it pretty much exclusively, though others consider the Optimum (conventional style shampoo, not ONR) and the DuraGloss to be almost as good.

[rodney757]

Thanks. I`ll probably stick with just 1 brand for the polishes.

[rodney757]

Also what pads should I get for the griots and optimum polishes?

[Alexshimshimhae]

I`m ganna test out the hydrotech pads soon... but think i`ll try the middle one? (there are only three i forget which color that was lol)



Polishing wise i want to say lc white...but i`m sure someone`s better versed..

[Accumulator]

Also what pads should I get for the griots and optimum polishes?

Check out this chart for starters: Pads Compared & Explained w/Printable Charts