New to detailing

**offcenter** · 10-24-2001, 05:32 PM

Thanks for the advice Brian 330Cic and Brad. They removed the bumper to repaint it. I brought the car in yesterday at 8 AM. It was promised at 6 PM. When I called at 3PM, I was told it was still being prepped. Today I picked it up at 2PM. In the sunlight, the bumper look great, excellent color match. Looked factory new, matches the rest of the vehicle.

When I got home and looked under fluorescent lighting conditions which shows every little imperfection, I noticed a few very, very minor imperfections. It almost looks like a few specks of dust got trapped in the clear coat that can only be seen from an extreme angle. I am wondering if I can "smooth" these out after 30 days. I was told that I can use IHG for the first month and can wax after 30 days. The bumper certainly looks better than before it was repainted and had the chip in it and I am sure after a few years the bumper will see some "wear" just from the elements so maybe those little specks won`t really matter. If this bodyshop does the bumper repairs for the new car dealers in my area, I guess many people are buying new cars with bumpers repainted anyway- at least from the looks of all the cars in the shop.

**dougbthom** · 03-13-2010, 04:18 PM

As a new member to your forum, I must say that their is a wealth of info to be had. I`ve started searching for a good quality polish/wax to detail (learn) on my own vehicles. Every site I look at naturally states that they have the best polishes on the market. I`m looking for a durable polish/wax that will stand up for a while and a good product for a new person to use. My plan is to purchase the new Porter Cable machine but have no idea what pads to order etc.
I have a black 2006 Honda Pilot which I just got and had a "MING" traetment applied to it to remove fine scratches which it had all over it otherwise the paint is excellent ( no chips etc.) The Ming treatment removed all the scratching and came out a beautiful job. My other vehicles are a silver 2006 Toyota Matrix (wife`s car) which we purchased new and the paint is in excellent shape and a tan colored 1995 Buick Le Sabre also with an excellent finish on it.
Also looking for a top quality leather cleaner/ protectant. Any input you can offer will be greatly appreciated.
Regards
Doug

**imported_Jokeman** · 03-13-2010, 05:05 PM

For pads I would recommend the lc flat pads. I will usually buy three of each type pad so you can switch off while working. I would buy three orange, three white, and three black to start. If you want to use the pc to apply sealant then purchase one gold pad. For polished I would start with megs 105 and 205. Can`t really go worng with that combo for a weekend warrior. For sealant I like the collinite 845iw or the blackfire wet diamond.

**RED JEWELL SS** · 03-13-2010, 05:22 PM

Hi Doug,
You have found a good detail forum and store , I am pretty new here still too, you will find that the folks around here are helpful and will point us in the right direction.
What will be very helpful is if you can submit some pics of your questioned vehicles, pics say a thousand words...these guys will want to see how much paint correction you need to do so they can point you to the right materials .

I too have recently purchased dual action polishers, the PCXP and the Meguiars v2 polisher , and have yet to get a grip.

The PAC store guys can really help too ! they ship same day which is nice.

Welcome to the Forum ! :biggrin:

Steve

**Jack Kruer** · 03-13-2010, 10:55 PM

Doug, welcome to TID. I hope you enjoy your time here. I think Jokeman`s suggestion is very good. They are the three most popular and versatile foams. You can accomplish most of the task you will encounter. You can also purchase them in one of our "Pick Three" or "Pick Six" pad kits and save money.

jk