Introduction!!!

[oaevo8u]

Hi everyone im new to detailing, well not new but new to detailing "correctly". I have a black 03 Mittsubishi Evolution that I have a very hard time keeping offroad so you can imagine how dirty it gets. Anyways I spoke with Mr. Jon Wilson today a rep. for AT. I would assume and here is the list he gave me for keeping my car immaculant and I just wanted to c what all of you thought and if any of you folks have had any previous dealings with or use any of these products, so please feel free to leave advice or suggestions or just say hi, I will post pics of my car when I learn how (im new to this comp. stuff) lol. Anyways here is the list

1z paint polish, 1z metallic paint polish, 1z glanz wax, he reccomended applying these with microfiber app. and removing them with microfiber towles. He also said a claybar but never said what brand, he said to use soapy water as the lube for the claybar. For glass 1z glass cleaner, wheels sonus rim bright, tires 1z vinyl and rubber with a foam applicator, carpet prestone carpet cleaner, plastics use plexus. For washing he said meguairs gold class is good im thinking about the 1z perls wash I figured why not everything else is 1z, and then drying use the blade with the ultimate drying towel. He did not say wether chenele or the wool mit was better and im very curious about that. Im also curious about in between details and if the sprays they have mixed with a microfiber towel would scratch the surface of a dusty car. I am also considering buying a Skyline R32 and was just curious if these product will work well on car of another color than black. Well thank for the time guys and considering im a apprentice your input will be greatly appreciated and took into consideration before I purchase this long list of detail products. I will also be buying the porter cable buffer but not yet so will these products work well buy hand as well as on the buffer. THANKS!!!!!!

[JasonD]

You have a beautiful list there, they will work great. The only thing I would suggest is definitely using the PC for this. You are going to kill yourself trying to do all this by hand.



As far as the claybar, I like both the Perfect Shine claybar and the Sonus claybar. You can use soapy water, but the clay lube is recommended. The best deal is the Perfect Shine clay bar with the Clay Magic lube from Autopia. I buy both in quantity and save some money.



Car wash shampoo, I`d go with the 1Z product. That`s what I use and LOVE it.



Wash mits. I`d buy both. The chenille mit is great for very dirty cars, and the wool is easier on the paint if its not as dirty.



Since you have a black car, I would recommend a carnauba to go on top of the 1ZGW. I love the durability of the GW, but I like the look of a carnauba on black a little better. By layering the two, you will get the durability and the deep gloss together. I suggest P21S, PS, or PSW for that job.



All of this will work on every car you do, great products. One more product I might add to your arsenal would be 1ZUPP for the bad swirls and scratches. You may not use it that often but its nice to have on hand for getting out a scratch every now and then.

[oaevo8u]

Well thank you for that, I was advised not to use a carnuba in the climate I live in but after reading your pm having to apply the carnuba a little more often because of the climate I live in is not a prob considering the results you speak of. One other question what in between details, are they safe on my finish or should I just stick to washing whenever need be. Once again thank you for your input

[Accumulator]

What JDookie said, except that I see the cotton/wool mitt thing *exactly* the opposite- I find the cotton much softer and I`d probably go with that for a black car (and I`d use my extreme wash technique- look for "Accumulator`s Non-marring Wash Technique" in the HOF forum).



I would only give your car "real" washes. Any other touching would risk marring the finish.



And the 1Z stuff works great on other colors too, nothing like it on my silver Audis.



[Edit:] Oh, and Welcome to Autopia!

[JasonD]

I`m trying to figure out what you are asking, but I think I know. You should wash the car at least once a week with your 1Z Perls or whatever car wash shampoo you choose. If the car is outside, I wouldn`t wait any longer than once a week to wash, and just wash it like normal using your mf dyring towels. As far as a spray, I would recommend Eagle One Wax As U Dry or Sonus Carnauba Spritz. The EO product is easy to find, and I love it but the Sonus is a little bit more of a quick detail product. I use WAUD every single time I was a car and once every three washes I spray the whole car down with Sonus CS, but you could certainly get away with only using the WAUD.



Accumulator,

You find sheepskin mits to be more aggressive than cotton? To be honest, I use the cotton a whole lot more than the wool, but only because the wool is SO gently that it doesn`t get all the dirt off.

[oaevo8u]

thanks guys:up

[Accumulator]

Originally posted by JDookie

Accumulator,

You find sheepskin mits to be more aggressive than cotton? To be honest, I use the cotton a whole lot more than the wool, but only because the wool is SO gently that it doesn`t get all the dirt off.

Heh heh, we`re probably splitting hairs again But I like discussing this stuff, so...



I suspect that our different situations/etc. make it sorta a moot point even if there really *is* any difference worth discussing. What you`re experiencing (wool too gentle to clean, cotton not) is what you`re experiencing.



Consider that my wash regimen is a bit different from the norm (dunno how this will affect advice to oaevo8u, who shouldn`t worry about wool vs. cotton mitt stuff anyhow and will have to forgive me for thread-jacking this ). I don`t really "scrub" the finish; I barely touch it at all. If I *did* bear down on the mitt, the wool probably *would* be more gentle. I should`ve considered this before



I do remember a test where the cotton mitt marred less than a wool one, which in turn marred less than a BHB. Dunno if this is applicable to real life though.



I actually find MF mitts to be the most gentle of all, but some kinds of dirt just don`t rinse out of them very well.

[JasonD]

You`re right, it all comes down to different situations, methods, and preferences. I was only using the initial result as my conclusion vs. the long term result that I should have been thinking about. The bottom line is, whatever works for *you* is the best one, besides, I own all three and love them all. I haven`t used the mf mitt yet though b/c of the exact reason you just mentioned. I keep hearing that it can hold dirt pretty bad, so I`m reserving that one for my immaculate 04` Expedition (which I should be posting pics of sometime soon). We just got through the whole Ivan storm deal, and are looking at a very nice weekend so I will be detailing my brother`s filthy black Honda (full review using all 1Z products, complete with step by step pics) and if I have time I will be doing my Expedition with layered liquid and paste Souveran. I can`t wait!!