detailing supplies

**Taxlady** · 05-27-2002, 01:22 AM

Hi everyone. I`m completely new to this. Where do I buy the MF cloths in a store in Canada? How do I know that it is an MF cloth? I checked out Canadian Tire today, and they had some Simoniz extra soft cloths, but they didn`t say anything about microfibres, so....

Would the other Canadians on the board please recommend stores for detailing supplies? I don`t even know what to look under in the Yellow Pages.

Thanks in advance,

Taxlady

**shaf** · 05-27-2002, 02:49 AM

Hello fellow Canadian!

I`m relatively new here too, but I`ve been doing a lot of reading. At the risk of repeating a lot of the info mentioned in this thread you can get:

Turtle Wax Microfiber Cloths (16x16") and 303 Aerospace Protectant at Zellers

S100 Carnauba wax at umm... motorcycle shops of all places!

Apparently the Turtle Wax MFs are good towels for the price - I`m not keen on importing stuff from the US if I don`t have to, so for $2.99 a piece I went and bought a second bunch of towels after reading some good reviews on them. Microfibre towels usually have to say "microfiber" on them and most people recommend them to be of a 70/30 (polyester/polyamide or cleaning/absorbancy?) mix, which these are. The TW towels are the only ones I`ve been able to come across in Vancouver (other than a MF Hair Wrap Towel I ran across!).

The 303 protectant is supposed to be good stuff, and healthier to use than Armor-all. Try a search if you don`t know about this already. The S100 is mentioned in the other thread.

The only way to find out what places carry detailing supplies is to look under Automotive Parts - most of these places carry a varying selection of wax and detailing stuff. Often they`re the general auto parts stores, not the ones that specialize in certain parts or specific car makes. You can phone if you`re looking for something specific, but I found the best thing to do is just drive to each one and see what they have. Pickings are pretty slim here, but it might be better back east. Also ask some of the shops listed under Automotive Racing Parts, as sometimes speed shops have car care stuff too.

Oh yeah, just incase that`s not enough, Canadian Tire can order some stuff through their "Keystone Catalogue", besides what they have on the shelves. Nothing exotic, but worth a look.

If you should happen to run into a place that sells Klasse, let us all know, heh heh! I have low hopes, but I`m going to check a few more dealerships tomorrow about this.

Hope that helps :wavey

PS, apparently it`s normal for MF towels to feel "clingy" and catch every rough part on your hands/clothing, etc.

**Red Wolf** · 05-27-2002, 09:41 AM

Thanks for the Tip 4DC. My only problem was that zellers only had 1 TW MF towel, but I just remembered there is a 2nd store in town!, hopefully they will have lots in stock.

**ALAN81** · 05-27-2002, 12:14 PM

how about e bay under .........................microfiber towels

**shaf** · 05-27-2002, 01:32 PM

Originally posted by ALAN81

how about e bay under .........................microfiber towels

Interesting. I finally found some under "microfiber cloth" but the only ones I found "available to Canada" were kinda non-descript 80/20 cloths and something vaguely referred to as "THE CLOTH"

I think I`d rather stick with a "known quantity" myself - eBay can be a scarrrry place!

**2wheelsx2** · 05-27-2002, 01:42 PM

I agree there. Experimenting with MF`s can be expensive. I got some from Costco (the 3M ones) and they lint like crazy. Then I ordered some from Neatitems.com and they were great. A bit pricey, but I love. Pricey because of all the customs handling charges, and GST and PST. However, the 3M`s have pretty much become very expensive rags, which the Neatitems towels are in use every time I wash or polish my car.

**Taxlady** · 05-28-2002, 01:32 AM

Thanks for the info. I`ll definitely check out Zellers. I found some places to check in the Yellow Pages, now that I know it`s auto parts and auto parts, performance and racing. I`ll be checking that out soon too.

I just bought a California Blade for $19.99 at Costco. It was $34.99 at Canadian Tire.

I found this at Canadian Tire`s online store

Mothers Clay Bar System:

"Product #:0392869

Product Features

Clay bar paint saving syste safely and easily removes paint damaging contaminants Clay bar system is clear coat safe and produces a smooth, ready-to-wax surface

83 mL Clay Bar, 120 mL Carnauba Cleaner, 473 mL Showtime Detailer"

for $24.99. Does this sound like something I want?

**shaf** · 05-28-2002, 02:09 AM

LOL, this is too ironic! I also bought the CWB at Costco for that price. Just be sure to keep it and the car clean when you use it to avoid scratches. I constantly hose down the car to avoid water spots and to wash away anything that might have settled on the paint.

Irony #2: I just used the Mother`s Clay Bar on my parent`s minivan tonight as practice. If you have noticable "grit" (no not Liberals) or tiny specks of dirt that come off if you scrape them with your nail, but not with washing, the clay bar will take them off. The minivan I did had horrible amounts of this on the hood (felt like sandpaper!) and after the clay bar it was 100% better and smooth as silk. Pretty short learning curve.

Read DavidB`s new post about using the clay bar in the Detailing Tips section. The only thing he missed is the hint to cut the bar into 3 or 4 pieces because small chunks are big enough and if you drop it, it`s contaminated and therefore garbage.

**Taxlady** · 05-28-2002, 01:18 PM

So, I guess I want the Mother`s clay. How about the other two items? -- are they good quality? is the 3 item package a good deal?

I found the TurtleWax MF towels at Zellers. I didn`t realize that they looked like terry cloth:doh

As you can see, I am a real beginner at this. I haven`t even washed a car since I was a kid and helped my dad.

**2wheelsx2** · 05-28-2002, 01:40 PM

Taxlady:

You just missed a great deal last month. The clay bar kit was on sale for $19.99 at Can. Tire. I got one. It`s one of the favourites here. I also got a Clay Magic bar, but have not tried it. You definitely will want to use the clay, if you have not done it before. Makes a world of difference. As for the rest of the kit, the Showtime is pretty good. But lately, I have taken to using car soap as lube, and saving the QD for just QD`ing because it`s so pricey. The cleaner wax, save it for waxing door jambs, or your friend`s beaters, or something. It`s only a small bottle anyway. I priced out getting them direct from Mother`s without the kit, and because of shipping and exchange from the US, there is no savings, and you don`t even get the QD. If you can find the kit cheaper than the CT price, that`s the best deal.

Gary

**Taxlady** · 05-28-2002, 02:01 PM

"The cleaner wax, save it for waxing door jambs, or your friend`s beaters, or something. It`s only a small bottle anyway."

So, is it crumby wax? Or is the bottle just too small for a whole car?

**Red Wolf** · 05-28-2002, 02:17 PM

I don`t know if it is a low quality wax,but it is a one-step wax.It will remove any surface prep. that you have done(such as a Glaze) or any wax that is on the car.

Usually your better off with specific products for each step. For waxes you can get readily in Canada I`d go with Meguiars #26, if you can Find the S100 at a local Bike shop I`d take that over the #26(I haven`t used the S100,but from what I have heard it is good).

**shaf** · 05-28-2002, 02:19 PM

No, I`m sure its fine wax, it`s just not the "enthusiast`s choice" since it`s a one-step thing. It`s a cleaner wax, which means it combines the job of a pre-cleaner (you`ll see this next to the clay bar if you go to CT) and a wax. It does both, but neither very well. Also, it`s carnauba wax so it won`t shine/protect for very long.

Most of the "serious" detailing people here shun one-step stuff and do the steps seperately. Prep the paint with cleaners (and polish if needed) first, then use a separate pure non-cleaner wax or polymer sealant last.

One-step things (like Nufinish) might be okay, but it depends on how much effort you`re willing to put into it and how nice you want it to look. I really recommend spending some quality time with DavidB`s articles and the search engine if you haven`t already. They can tell you a lot more than any one person can.

I was blissfully ignorant and fine doing my ghetto wax job until I got here!

**2wheelsx2** · 05-28-2002, 02:27 PM

Nothing wrong with the cleaner wax, as others have said, but the cleaners would remove everything you have done before. I am currently using Meguiar`s #20, which is a polymer, so I don`t want any wax on the car. But once I get a few more layers on, I will start adding #26 on top. In my opinion, the #26 is a great wax, and it`s easily accessible. For the price (I can get it for $16 Cdn), it can`t be beat. I have used the Mother`s pure Carnauba Wax in the past and it`s pretty good too, but the #26 is much easier to use, and the shine is better.