Newbie Could Use Some Advice....Too Many Choices Out There!

[skibik]

My main advice is to keep it simple. Don`t get caught up the the latest and greatest(from personal experience).

With that said I have the GG6, earlier model about 5 years old now. I use it a maybe 2 times a year for applying wax and/or correction/polishing. I have not polished my car now in a few years and this year it is due. The machine makes light work of it. It is the one piece of equipment I am glad I bought. At the time I thought it was quite expensive but I think now it was worth it. As for pads for it listen to the previous suggestions.

For the rest of your products all I can say is stick to one brand will help so they work with each other and not against.

This paragraph goes to my first statement. Even though I have been the average consumer for over 30 years and just went through the motions cleaning and waxing in the past. When I bought my black Camaro I wanted to keep it looking like new. I didn`t realize it would be a full time job(black you know). I found this site and started down the rabbit hole. I have a few waxes, a few different polishes, some sealants including a couple that are WOWA type to name a few. Some of these are unused and a few years old. I now know I went too far as it is only for one vehicle. So just keep it simple. Happy detailing

PS. I can say I did win a couple of these products I have from this fine site and at least one if not two of the many I items I have was a freebie with purchase from the store here(Excuses I tell myself).

[OzzieMike]

Good advice, Dean!

I can see how (too) easy it would be to accumulate an entire storage cabinet`s worth of products, following advice from several different sources here.

I`m getting closer to narrowing my search for what might be right for me. I`ve all but decided on the GG6 (25` cord) with a 5" backing plate and 5-1/2" pads. I just think the standard unit that comes with a 6" backing plate (and would use 6-1/2" pads) is too big...I`m not working on trucks or vans. I`ve used Meguiar`s products for 20 years or so....and I may consider changing out some things there. I`ve used their Gold Class car wash soap with good results over the years, so I probably won`t change that. And I`ll continue to use their QD when I clay bar the cars. Haven`t decided on what polish and wax I`ll use yet....hope to figure it out soon so I can order them with the machine.

Accumulator and others have provided some good tips that I`ll follow. Still soaking it all in!

[Mary B]

Check out some BlackFire. I like it for the waterbased compound and polish, easy to wash out of pads.
Mid.Sun is a Good long lasting wax.
My sealants of choice are WG or PA if I don`t have much cure time.
Please keep posting with updates.

[OzzieMike]

Mary...I see this site offers a GG6 w/25` cord, 5" backing plate, 5-1/2" pads and a couple of Blackfire products. For the price, it almost seems they`re throwing in the Blackfire products free. This combo is on my short list, even though I hadn`t considered Blackfire in the past.

[OzzieMike]

Just an update....I`d planned to wash the Toyota yesterday, but it wasn`t available, so I cleaned the new Edge instead. (Probably didn`t really need it, but I did it anyway).

Washed with Meguiar`s Gold class. (I actually used a 3 bucket system...started with a bucket just for the wheels/tires/wheel wells...then on to the traditional 2-bucket technique for the rest of the car).
Clayed with Meguiar`s QD and their light clay system

I was a bit surprised at how many contaminants the clay picked up on the hood of the Edge. Not much was picked up on the rest of the car, though. I did three passes on the hood before moving to the rest of the car.

Since I had it, I used the Menzerna Endless Shine I got free with the 2-bucket combo I picked up here. (And to retract from an earlier post...they did include a spray nozzle for the Menzerna...I just didn`t see it earlier). The Endless Shine worked pretty well, and I think it will provide a (small) bit of protection until I can apply something more robust.

[Accumulator]

OzzieMike- Yes indeed, many new vehicles seem to get delivered without a thorough decontamination, even though Ford (to refer to this case) has the ValuGard stuff available, even has its own Ford part number.

[OzzieMike]

OK....so I`ve got my shopping list in pretty good shape:

-- GG6 w/5" backing plate w/25` power cord and Blackfire combo (sold here)
-- Lake Country 6 pack of 5-1/2" low profile pads
-- Nanoskin "synthetic clay" pads (I`m hoping that what looks like chips on the Toyota`s hood might have clay embedded in them...and that this might remove any left over clay. Also plan on using it on the Toyota`s windshield)
-- Leaning towards Meguiar`s Ultimate Shine as the last step, as it sure seems convenient as heck
-- Haven`t decided on the AIO yet...may just try my luck with the Backfire polish and see how that works
-- Pad cleaner/conditioner

I`m not sure how many pads most folks use per car. I"m guessing I won`t need more than six for the Toyota. Leaning towards getting 4 white pads and 2 reds.

LOL...patiently waiting on a killer sale to buy.

[rlmccarty2000]

Get more pads than you think you need. 4 for compounding and 4 for polishing, minimum. You could probably get away with one for applying wax or sealant. Pick up a bottle of Iron-X (or any contaminate remover). You would be surprised at the amount of rail dust on new cars. It`s easy for me to spend your money. Take a look at the McKees lineup. It is well thought out and is a high quality line. I have not been disappointed with any of their products.

[OzzieMike]

Rim...thanks for the advice....I`ll get more pads, then....and check out the McKees lineup.

[OzzieMike]

Another update to this thread...

Placed my order Saturday night for the following:

-- GG6 w/5" backing plate
-- 12 Lake Country pads (various colors)
-- Nanoskin pads (for the Toyota windshield)

My son-in-law has offered to give me a hand/teach with the GG6, and says he has some Menzerna polish we can use on the Toyota. (I offered to buy some, but he said the bottle he has will last for years).

The products should arrive Thursday...next step will be to ward the rain off this coming weekend.

[Accumulator]

OzzieMike- Ah, that all sounds good. Heh heh, well...assuming your s-i-l knows what he`s doing

Oh, BTW...heh heh#2, I did see your comment about my post-count on the "post your location!" thread

[OzzieMike]

OK...time for another update, I guess. (I did provide sort of an update, but started a new thread for it, considering this thread`s now 3 pages long and counting).

After having used the GG6 with my son-in-law yesterday, I learned a lot about how to use the new tool and how some products worked with it.

LOL...at this point, the only thing easy to know what I need is pad cleaner and pad conditioner...looks like Blackfire has both that would work well.

I`m still on the fence, though, when it comes to choosing a polish, sealant, and wax. (Since the RAV4 is complete, I`m now turning my attention to my brand new Ford Edge). As posted earlier in this thread, I did clay bar the Edge, and put some Menzerma`s Endless Shine as the LSP.

Today, I washed it again...this time using Meguiar`s Ultimate Fast Finish as the LSP.

Maybe it`s because I didn`t polish the Edge as I did the RAV4, it does`t feel as "slick" as the RAV4. It`s certainly not "grabby" or "rough"...just not super slick like the RAV4. And unless I`m mistaken, a "slick" finish is usually better, isn`t it?

So I`m thinking I should polish the Edge to get the "slick" surface?

And, if I`m to polish it, I`m again at a crossroads here. I agree with an earlier suggestion that it`s best to keep things simple and stick with one brand, as things are more likely to work well together if they`re from the same manufacturer.

So while I don`t want to get into the "weeds" and delve into "Brand X polish, Brand Y sealant, Brand Z wax....etc." it looks to me like there are a lot of companies serving the detailer market and who make a complete line of products. The ones that seem to get almost universal good reviews are:

-- McKee`s
-- Blackfire
-- Pinnacle
-- Griot`s Garage
-- Meguiar`s (OK...maybe not rave reviews, but they`re a huge company with a lot of products)
-- Chemical Guys (A bewildering array of products!)

So I guess I should ask the question....is one of the brands mentioned above better, as a general rule, than the others? While I`m sure there`s a standout individual product from each of them, if you were to stick with one brand, which one would you choose?

[MattPersman]

Daily driver why don`t you use an AIO aka cleaner wax like Mckees 360, blackfire total polish and seal. You could always top with there sprays after washes.

Certainly nothing wrong with polishing and then using a sealant or wax either but you just end up with more products. Depends how deep you want to get sucked in. We constantly fool ourselves thinking that next 30-40 dollar bottle of sealant is gonna be soooo much better than the 5 we already have but you might find one a tad easier to work with or last a week more nothing significant really. It`s a fun hobby but easy to get sucked in to posts with perfect lighting photos on cars to show excellent gloss and reflection


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[Accumulator]

OK...time for another update, I guess. (I did provide sort of an update, but started a new thread for it, considering this thread`s now 3 pages long and counting)...

Saw that, nice outcome!

LOL...at this point, the only thing easy to know what I need is pad cleaner and pad conditioner...looks like Blackfire has both that would work well.

I don`t use Pad Conditioners and can`t help but wonder about a product that both cleans stuff out of pads and also conditions the pads for the USE of said product. Got a cognitive dissonance thing going on about that...

I`m still on the fence, though, when it comes to choosing a polish, sealant, and wax. (Since the RAV4 is complete, I`m now turning my attention to my brand new Ford Edge). As posted earlier in this thread, I did clay bar the Edge, and put some Menzerma`s Endless Shine as the LSP.

I`m fighting the urge to tell you to spend money on what *I* would use...

Maybe it`s because I didn`t polish the Edge as I did the RAV4, it does`t feel as "slick" as the RAV4. It`s certainly not "grabby" or "rough"...just not super slick like the RAV4. And unless I`m mistaken, a "slick" finish is usually better, isn`t it?

So I`m thinking I should polish the Edge to get the "slick" surface?

Yeah, IMO you do need to do *something* more and a light gentle polishing would qualify. A really good AIO might do the job without taking off as much clear and *would probably be more user-friendly*. Eh...[flips coin]...I`d use a good/pretty aggressive AIO and then top that with [something].

And, if I`m to polish it, I`m again at a crossroads here. I agree with an earlier suggestion that it`s best to keep things simple and stick with one brand, as things are more likely to work well together if they`re from the same manufacturer.

FWIW, I DO NOT, and I mean virtually *NEVER* stick with one brand and it`s not in any way necessary to do that. While it can be a bit simpler conceptually, IMO it`s not a big deal.

So while I don`t want to get into the "weeds" and delve into "Brand X polish, Brand Y sealant, Brand Z wax....etc."

Heh heh, oops....sorry.

it looks to me like there are a lot of companies serving the detailer market and who make a complete line of products. The ones that seem to get almost universal good reviews are:

-- McKee`s
-- Blackfire
-- Pinnacle
-- Griot`s Garage
-- Meguiar`s (OK...maybe not rave reviews, but they`re a huge company with a lot of products)
-- Chemical Guys (A bewildering array of products!)

So I guess I should ask the question....is one of the brands mentioned above better, as a general rule, than the others? While I`m sure there`s a standout individual product from each of them, if you were to stick with one brand, which one would you choose?

I haven`t used any stuff from some of those, and the brands I have used have both good/not offerings.

In your case- I dunno if I"d go with anything from Pinnacle or Chemical Guys. Eh, I only use Meguiar`s aggressive compounds these days, well..and their Interior QD, nothing else of theirs.

BF Polishes used to be reworked stuff from Menzerna, not sure if they still are or not. I didn`t care for my BF stuff though a few things did have (oddball) uses. I know others like it, but I just don`t get it..

I haven`t tried the newer GG Polishes but people seem to generally like them.

Never tried McKee`s, would expect it to be OK/better.

I`d get some nondiminishing-abrasive polish like HD Polish. No, it won`t do *serious* correction but I just wouldn`t have you go there. I`d also get an AIO with a bit of cut that`s KNOWN TO BE all-LSP-friendly (I`d get Zaino AIO). Then I`d LSP with FK1000P.

With your clay and maybe something for the exterior plastic/rubber/trim/seals (clean with GG Rubber Prep, seal with Ultima`s Tire & Trim Guard Plus), You`d be all set for many, MANY years of (relatively ) low-effort detailing.

[Accumulator]

... It`s a fun hobby but easy to get sucked in to posts with perfect lighting photos on cars to show excellent gloss and reflection

That. Leaving aside that "It`s the Internet!" (i.e., credibility...), different people are gonna have different [everything]. Gotta watch out for the Curse of Autopia, where every vehicle has to be perfect all the time. Easy to suck all the fun right out of the whole Car Thing.