Some greenhorn questions (both procedural and product related)

[Reggie Died]

I`ve been lurking here and at autogeek for quite some time now, absorbing as much information as possible and to prime myself for when the sun comes out.



Even though I wash and clean my car religiously, I`m a complete greenhorn when it goes beyond anything soap related. I`m planning on detailing my personal vehicle (1997 T100, sits outside 24x7 and is theoretically a "work" truck), as well as possibly friends and relatives to offset the cost of products.



Anyways, I`ve plotted down my plan of attack, and wanted to make sure everything made sense. I also had a few procedural and product questions.



To start off, despite never having sealed or wax my truck in the past 5 years, the paint is in pretty good shape (it is a mystery?). There may be some scratches I`ll address as I get more involved in the processes and buy a DA, but for now I just want to protect what`s there and give it a bit of pop, and as such will be trying out everything by hand.



Anyways, here`s my plan of attack:



interior

- carpet (OTC carpet cleaner/spot remover)

- glass -(Stoners Invisible Glass)

- trim/vinyl - (Poorboy`s Trim Restore)

wheels

- wheel wells - (Simple Green Max)

- wheels - (Poorboy`s Wheel Polish)

- tires - (Meguiar`s Hot Shine)

wash (Dawn)

clay - (Mother`s Clay Kit)

wash

compounds (Poorboy`s SSR2.5 w/orange, Poorboy`s SSR1 w/green or white)

polish and seal (Poli-Seal)

wax (Optinum Car Wax w/Sprayer)



So that`s my initial plan of attack. I hope to maintain the initial correction with a weekly washes and monthly waxing.



First, are there any products I`ve chosen that don`t play well with each other? I know there`s a myriad of other options, but after researching I`ve narrowed it down to these products due to their relatively low cost and ease of application (both for newbies and by hand).



Second, is SSR1 slightly redundant in this situation, given the light correcting and polishing ability of the Poli-Seal? I`ll probably do a few test spots with just the Poli-Seal, and if I`m content with it`s limited correction abilities I might just stop there. I figured if I`m placing an order, I may as well grab some compounds so I have something on hand if needed. Plus, it bumps me up to free shipping That being said, autogeek`s compound chart has the SSR1 fairly high on the "least aggressive side", in line with other AIO`s.



Third, when do you guys address exterior trim in your procedures? I can`t decide if it`s best to do it before or after all the polishing and waxing.



Also, is Poorboy`s Wheel Polish a good, cheap option for protecting un-coated wheels? The clear coat on my alloy`s was in horrible shape, so I ended up stripping off the clear coat. I sanded them down, but ran out of daylight. I waxed them with $5 turtle wax to give them a bit of protection until I can fully address them, but would like to have a good polish/sealant on hand for when I finish giving them a proper polish and sand.



I know these types of questions are asked alot, so I really tried to curb the FAQ and ask some I really couldn`t find searching.



Cheers

[Ron Ketcham]

Welcome to the one real site for detailing.

I say that based upon, that here, anyone who is respectful, can discuss any product, process, etc and not be banned for discussing a product that the sponsor does not sell.

A bit unlike AG, for as if you have spent any time there, it gets a bit hairy when one doesn`t agree with them.

Use the "search" and find a few thousand, long threads, with many various inputs, ideas, suggestions for each and every concern you may wish to address.

Take you time, approach each concern as such, and where possible, post one or two photo`s regarding your concern.

Enjoy!