Detailing on a budget:
MF Towels:
The Rag Company Pluffles 16"x16" or 16"x23" at qnty: at least three (I like the 16"x23" for windows)
*Griot`s PFM Edgeless 29"x36" qnty: at least one. Maybe the Luxury Microfiber Edgeless Sucker. I have both of the bordered versions of the PFM and Sucker, I like the PFM because it is a lighter towel and glides across the paint more easily, it also has a nicer/softer border. However, the Sucker does hold more water, which doesn`t matter to me because both are capable of completely drying my car.
The Rag Company Dry Me a River Waffle Weave Towels 16"x24" qnty: at least four
The Rag Company Everest 1100 qnty: at least three
The Rag Company Premium FTW qnty: at least six
Kirkland Signature Ultra Yellow MF Towels qnty: one 36 pack
Optimum Big Red Sponge
The Rag Company Terry MF Applicator sponges, think they come in a five pack
Autocraft Microfiber Chenille Wash Mitt, qnty: 2
Chemicals:
Optimum No Rinse, play with a 32oz bottle before you splurge for the gallon
Extra Tough Multipurpose Cleaner Degreaser, one gallon at least
Wolfgang Uber Rinseless Wash (for use as QD), 16oz
Turtle Wax Seal and Shine, couple bottles (can be combined with Uber Rinseless to make a killer drying aid that rinses well from towels)
Turtle Wax Ice Compound
Turtle Wax Ice Quick Interior Detailer, but really you can use the killer drying aid or ONR for as a QID
Sonax EX 04-06
Carpro PERL
Mineral Spirits
Isopropyl alcohol
Optimum Polymer Technologies MDR
ValueGuard ABC system
Eagle One Black & Plasti-Coat Wheel Cleaner
Stoners Tarminator
3M GP Adhesive Cleaner #08984
Some type of Microfiber detergent, I have had good luck with the combo of All Free & Clear paired with Oxi-Clean
Distilled Water
Stoners Trim Shine
*Meguiar`s Gold Class Shampoo
*Purple Power Boat & RV
These two depend on you. I can fully pretreat a vehicle with a mix of ONR and Extra Tough without leaving any residue after the rinse, of course this is with the IK9. I know ONR and Extra Tough can be dispensed using a foam canon. The caveat is that I do not know the dilutions for the foam canon since I didn`t bring my foam canon with me to university. However, at the rate that I have gone through my loose change at the coin-op, I may be bringing it back with me, my next trip home, as well as my PW.
*If going with the ValueGuard System, I would question whether or not you really need to purchase clay or the Eagle one Plasti Coat Cleaner. If the truck has a good amount of preexisting shine and gloss, I would also question whether or not you really need to purchase multiple types of polishing pads. Maybe purchase a set of Lake Country HDO Black Finishing pads and a bottle of Carpro Essence? If the truck already looks good and isn`t in too bad of shape, I am confident that it can be maintained with six chemicals: Turtle Wax Seal & Shine, Wolfgang Uber Rinseless, OPT ONR, Georgia MelTex Extra Tough, and Carpro PERL; ONR at multiple dilutions from pretreatment to window cleaning, Extra Tough at multiple dilutions from 1:12 for regular tire cleaning to 1:32 for super light dirt. Oddly enough, Extra Tough at 1:32 with 1/2oz ONR makes an impressive pretreatment for washes when the car has been through rain and accumulated dirt.
*Side note: If the paint is in pretty good condition, I would think about coating it and living with a few swirl marks. A coating will have some level of filling properties. If the truck is going to live a long life as a daily, I would honestly hold off polishing for when it is truly needed to restore shine and gloss, later in its life.
*Regarding ONR, I am not one of those crazy ONR converts, but I have been using it extensively over the last month and a half, which doesn`t sound like much. But where I am going to university, the elements are rough. It has rained every week, usually in between scheduled washes. We are in semi-desert so the rain is filled with dirt, which leaves quite nice water spots when not cleaned quickly after storm. Otherwise, five minutes after I dry the car, there is a fine layer of dust on the car. The mornings are filled with dew and when combined with the dust, a film of *crust* begins to build on the car. Since my arrival to Lubbock, Texas, August 14, I have already washed the car 14 times. That`s living with it getting dirty immediately after I wash it. In Dallas I could get away with washing my car once a week, and living with the dirt in between washes. ONR and Extra Tough have been life savers. The beginning weeks I would notice a residue after rinsing off a pretreatment of Gold Class or CG Honey Dew Snow Foam, the residue is from the soaps drying so quickly because of the low humidity and hard water that I use for pretreat. ONR and Extra Tough have almost eliminated the residue from pretreatment, leaving the surface pretty clean and only needing touch over with ONR at 256:1 and the Big Red Sponge. In case you`re weary about love marks from the wash process, proper pretreatment and use of ONR does no damage to my medium-soft, 17 yr old Lexus paint, the only damage I have inflicted has come from experimenting with drying aids using my drying towels. The only drying aid I have found slick enough is Uber Rinseless at 1:29 with two oz of TW SNS, not the glossiest combo but leaves the car looking pretty good. My next step will be coating the car at some point; I don`t see a need to change any of the chemicals when maintaining the coating.
Tools:
Single Grit Guard
Single Detail Guards Dirt Lock
Gamma Seal Lid from Home Depot
Detail Factory brushes
Big EZ Detail Brush
Small Mothers Wheel Brush (for tire dressing)
Chemical Guys Wheel Brush, short handle (wheel cleaning)
Mothers Wheel Brush, long handle
Wheel Woolies set of three brushes plus the big angled brush
Any set of regular detail brushes, paint brush style
The Foam Canon that Auto Fanatic will be private labeling, you can find the regular label on Amazon for less than $50
5 Gallon Carboy for Distilled or Filtered Water (for chemicals) [or multiple single gallon reusable containers, get your filtered water from whatever place is close to you. Buying Distilled water at the grocery store is much more expensive than buying reusable containers and getting filtered water for $0.25/gal.]
Air Vent Brush thingys, Amazon them, they are basically Blinds brushes
Qnty 10 Tolco Spray Heads and 32oz Bottles from US. Plastics, or twelve.
Scott`s 2 Gal Weed Sprayer from HD
*If you need light clay, the parts store kits are fine. Otherwise Meguiar`s Professional Medium Grade or 3M Perfect It are better options.
And yes, I did write this instead of studying for the two tests I have next week. Sometimes I think it`s important for me to impart knowledge that I have and others don`t.
Concerning Opti-Seal and OPT Car Wax, both good products, but when used economically they don`t provide me enough slickness or durability, one reason why there are now towel marks in the areas of my car that I used them as drying aids. Well, I mixed two oz OPT CW with 1:29 ONRWW. Not slick enough. Wolfgang Uber and TW SNS is the way to go. But why does ONR at 1:256/BRS leave no love marks whereas two oz OPT CW with 1:29 ONRWW, leave love marks when drying? I`ll have to think about it. Maybe love marks were left because the towel was dry, even though I liberally sprayed with the OPT CW/ONRWW mix?
As others say, FK1000P is a pretty good LSP for resisting etching. But for the way that I clean my car due to the dirt that I am now seeing in LBK, the few FK1000P panels have not lasted long. The resistance to chemicals just isn`t there like the Seal and Shine.
IUDJ = Garry Dean`s Ultimate Use Detail Juice, a Rinseless Wash product that I like far more than I ever expected to (to put it mildly!). I was utterly astounded how much I like the stuff and now I have to remind myself to use up may many QDs because I just automatically reach for the IUDJ instead. It`s not *quite* FK425 in the looks/etc. dept. and no it`s not a SprayWax, but it does invite that kind of comparison.