too many freakin choices!!

[nuwde]

i love the site and the input. i`ve been reading my brains out for the past 48 hours. however i do have one question. how do i decide which products to buy? there are so many different options.

[Eliot Ness]

It depends on what you`re looking for and trying to do. Some questions that come into play are:



What color car do you have?



Do you have paint defects (swirls, scratches, etc.) that need to be removed?



Do you want a deep wet look, or a shiny reflective look?



Do you want something that will last a long time, or are you willing to reapply a wax/sealant on a more regular basis.



Are you going to be working by hand or a PC?



How much time are you willing to spend taking care of your car`s finish?



So yes, there are a lot of choices out there and sometimes you just gotta buy something and try it out. For everything you want to do there will be more than one product that will do it, it then boils down to personal preferences as to how easy the product is to apply, how long it will last, etc., etc...



A good place to start is the Click & Brag forum to see what products people use and the results.



There is a great help section here on Autopia that will explain a lot of things, it may be wise to spend some time there for a while. Here is a link:



How To Link



Once there you should also download the Autopia Guide to Detailing ebook.

[RedondoV6]

Originally posted by Eliot Ness

It depends on what you`re looking for and trying to do. Some questions that come into play are.........

Wow! That is the best advice (and questioning) I have seen given to a noob in a very long time



Only thing I would add is "Is the cost of the products a consideration for you?"



Nuwde: If you answer these questions, I`m sure some fellow Autopians will guide you in the direction of products that suit YOU best. Think about what you like and what is important to you and let us know. Oh, definitely check out the Click and Brag forum and the Autopia help link, they will be very helpful.



Good Luck!

[imported_JellyBean]

Man, buying detailing products is like buying cosmetics: there`s not much hard science to it--just buy until you find something you like. And when you think you finally found something you like, then you`ll feel that you`re still new to detailing and buy some more stuff. It`s a vicious, self-destructing cycle, that we all love.



Anyway, I first decided to try sealants because I wanted durability over the elusive "deep, wet, glossy, optically clear" perfect shine (whatever that is.)



I then read like crazy for another 48 hours and narrowed down my choices to the Klasse twins because of their reputation, and Wolfgand because of its ease of use. I then bought both brands (one at a time, of course, to stay below the wife`s radar.)



I applied the Klasse twins to one car, and the Wolfgang to the other, and finish-wise, I can`t tell the difference between the two. Of course, my main reason for sealants--durability--is now a non-issue because I can`t leave the cars alone. Now I feel a strong urge to apply a carnauba "topper" and try out my latest MF towels. You see what I mean. So, just buy something, anything, and start detailling. The rest will come naturally. Good luck.

[nuwde]

Originally posted by Eliot Ness

It depends on what you`re looking for and trying to do. Some questions that come into play are:



What color car do you have?



my car and my parents cars: gold, black, silver



Do you have paint defects (swirls, scratches, etc.) that need to be removed?



swirls, but i don`t think they are that bad. maybe a few minor scratches, too.



Do you want a deep wet look, or a shiny reflective look?



i`m not sure. i guess shiny and reflective.



Do you want something that will last a long time, or are you willing to reapply a wax/sealant on a more regular basis.



i guess both. something to last a while on my parents cars while i will detail my car more regularly.



Are you going to be working by hand or a PC?



i am leaning heavily toward investing in a PC.



How much time are you willing to spend taking care of your car`s finish?



i expect to spend a lot of time on the very first try. hopefully not as much after that .



So yes, there are a lot of choices out there and sometimes you just gotta buy something and try it out. For everything you want to do there will be more than one product that will do it, it then boils down to personal preferences as to how easy the product is to apply, how long it will last, etc., etc...



A good place to start is the Click & Brag forum to see what products people use and the results.



There is a great help section here on Autopia that will explain a lot of things, it may be wise to spend some time there for a while. Here is a link:



How To Link



Once there you should also download the Autopia Guide to Detailing ebook.



i read through the ebook already. it has a lot of good stuff and i jotted down all the products that were used in it. then i started reading some threads on the forums and different product names were being thrown around. maybe you can give me some general suggestions, and then i`ll see what works best for me. thanks a lot!!

[Accumulator]

nuwde- Welcome to Autopia!



To keep things simple and user-friendly, I`d recommend you get some clay, the 1Z Paint Polish, and their Glanz Wax. This should serve as a good intro to proper exterior detailing.



The 1Z PP will take care of minor marring and will also improve the more serious scratches. It works well by hand or PC. It`ll leave some decent wax behind so you don`t have to do *every* step all at once. The GW will provide additional protection.



You can always experiment with other products, but this will get you off to a good start with minimal frustration and a modest investment. Keeping it simple and easy while you get familiar with the whole thing is, IMO, a good way to go.

[nuwde]

thanks for the suggestion accumulator. i think i will try what you suggest. is there a clay you prefer? or a wash?

[hirosh]

for clay, the mother`s clay is pretty good and available at most car parts stores. for car wash shampoo, meguiar`s gold class or nxt shampoo are pretty good too, and also available. the `review` section might show you more, better clay and shampoos out there, like 1z perl`s shampoo. i just suggested products you could find locally.



good luck and have fun. post pictures when you can!

[Jesstzn]

Originally posted by Accumulator

nuwde- Welcome to Autopia!



To keep things simple and user-friendly, I`d recommend you get some clay, the 1Z Paint Polish, and their Glanz Wax. This should serve as a good intro to proper exterior detailing.



.

I have used the Glanz on mine last winter and a couple of friends cars and it survived the winter well .. We are now getting into the "Time to put on the winter wax" season up here ans I have been using Glanz as my "wax" ( I don`t really know if its a sealant ) of choise.



Biggest problem we are going to run into up here in CanaDUH is availability. Few places handle Glanz and because it is deemed flamible it can`t be mailed. This means courier at $15 shipping for a $18 can. I see some of the Glanz suppliers in the US are saying US shipping only.



I can`t even afford to get the 1Z polishes to try out.

[nuwde]

thanks hirosh for the info. i`ll probably go to the store and grab those. i`ll be sure to check out the review section too, if i can find it

do you know if i can get 1Z products locally or will i have to order online?



jesstzn, thanks for letting me know how well the glanz wax works.



hopefully i can start working on my car by next week!

[nuwde]

just checked out a bunch of reviews and i think i`m ready to get some stuff and try them out. thanks for all the help!

[nuwde]

after some more reading and thinking here is what i have decided to purchase from autopia:



p21s gel wheel cleaner



1z tire foam



wash n dry trio - wool wash mitt, sonus ultimate drying towel, squeegee



meguiars nxt car wash



sonus clay



sonus das polisher kit - sonus paintwork cleanser, pc7424, flexplate, orange, green, blue, grey foam pads, buffing bonnet



1z glanz wax



the total is $265.65 before 10% discount, tax, and shipping. please offer up any suggestions on my choices. i would love to hear any positive or negative feedback before i spend all this money. thanks a lot!

[Scottwax]

Originally posted by nuwde

just checked out a bunch of reviews and i think i`m ready to get some stuff and try them out. thanks for all the help!

Also read through the forums and see what people are actually using.

[NickMach1]

are you going to get any polishes? I`d order one if you have any swirling problems.. like Meguiars #80 Speed glaze, seems to be very user friendly

[nuwde]

Originally posted by NickMach1

are you going to get any polishes? I`d order one if you have any swirling problems.. like Meguiars #80 Speed glaze, seems to be very user friendly

is the sonus paintwork cleanser a polish? it comes with the polish kit so i thought it might be one.



a lot of people seem to like AIO. can it be used for cleaning, sealing, polishing?