NOOB: Product selection

Ok, I need some help. I`ve done a lot of research, so I know that there is no "right" answer. But this is what I have come up with and would like some more educated opinions on my decision before I buy anything.

background on my car: 10 year old white 2dr integra. It has hundreds of minute spots on paint, and has never really had too much work done to it.

So here`s what I was thinking:

- Wash: NXT
???? Polish: ssr2.5 (i wanted to polish here to get through the 10 years of grime before clay)
- Clay: Clay Magic
- Wash: NXT
???? PP or AIO (heard various things about this before upp)
???? ssr1 (read that this after pp gives better reflectivity)
- Seal: UPP x 3
- Wax: Natty`s
???? is there anything else im missin?

My 2 cents -

I`m one of those people who prefers to use PP before the SSRs. I use PP like a chemical cleaner. When that step is finished, I can see exactly what I have to work with. Then, I can make a decision about the appropriate abrasives. I also usually prefer to clay before cleaning/polishing, but in your case it may be prudent to try one pass with PP first to cut through the 10 years of grime.

You didn`t mention if you were doing this all by hand or with the aid of machines. Without a PC or rotary, you may have to do a few passes with the swirl removers.

At this point im workin by hand. My goal is to start detailing other cars around campus until I make enough money that I can invest in a PC (and more goodies :-) )

Since you are talking Poorboys and I don`t really have much experience in that area, I`ll let the pros help you. I can tell you that the proper order is like this...

wash
clay
paint cleaner
polish
wax/sealant

So whatever products you want to use are fine as long as that is the order you are using them in. Its the process that matters and not the products. As long as you have the process right then you are set. :bigups

I also prefer to polish before clay and then polish again...long before there was clay there was only polishes/compounds and paint work came out smooth and clean. The clay bar is over-rated IMO but is a very useful tool. Anything that has that many years of build up, it would be best to cut through some of the oxidation, like awd330 said, then see what you have...if you need clay, then clay, if not, then start working on swirl removal..this is not an easy task by hand, but a very slow and deliberate job will give you the results you are looking for...

then again if you could borrow the money to set yourself up with a pc and a few sets of pads, it would be done much faster and then you could make some money with your new tool.:dunno

Like awd330, I like to clean my paint first. This lets me analyze the condition of the paint before I get started polishing. If necessary, I will clay as the next step. However, like Poorboy, I`m an "old timer", and somehow managed to do some pretty nice work without the help of clay. Still, the clay is a nice tool for removing surface contamination. If you have it............. by all means.......... use it. After claying, I like to follow up with a polish. If the spider web marks are significant, SSR2.5 or similar is a good bet. Then a final polish with a product like SSR1 or similar should work nicely. You can stop right there if you wish, or you can use PP to clean and prep the surface for a sealant like UPP. The PP will leave more of a clean/clear/bright surface, while the SSR1 will leave a glossier/wetter suface.

After preping your paint that well, any good wax or sealant should look great, and if you maintain the surface correctly, you shouldn`t need to do much polishing of the paint for 6 months to a year.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Jngrbrdman
Since you are talking Poorboys and I don`t really have much experience in that area, I`ll let the pros help you. I can tell you that the proper order is like this...

wash
clay
paint cleaner
polish
wax/sealant

So whatever products you want to use are fine as long as that is the order you are using them in. Its the process that matters and not the products. As long as you have the process right then you are set. :bigups

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I dont necessarily agree with using a paint cleaner before polishing in all situations. I class AIO as a paint cleaner and I would do that before a wax or sealant...:cool