If you had 500 to purchase a starter kit what would you do?

I

imported_Grouse

New member
If you had 500 for a starter kit how would you spend it. Below is a list of general things I am trying to include. It will be a few weeks more before I buy, as I am trying to narrow it all down. However I bet some of you have some good ideas what you would purchase and why. What do all of you like and why. Please include the why. It is important to me that I learn why people like this or that, why this works. I am reading as much as I can get my eyeballs on but it’s difficult sifting through 1000’s of posts to answer this question or that. So I am trying it this way.



I am looking at this from a stand point to evaluate this as a buisness option. My previous exp is in the carpet industry. I understand quite a bit about leather, fabric and carpets in general. I am trying to learn as much as i can about the exterior, paint (both clear coat and laquer). Add into that chrome, and vinyl and plastics.



What works for you, what would you want as a starter kit now that you have the exp of doing this for a while. What mistakes in product purchasing have you made that you would not make now. What things do you wish you had purchased sooner. What 3 things have either saved the most time, stress, or simply improved your workflow.

I’m trying to put together a decent package that would include,

PC

Pads,

Swirl remover

Glaze

Wax

A sealant kit.

A quality QD

Foam gun

And little bits and extras.





Thanks Aaron
 
Are you talking for your own personal use (maybe some friends & family) or are you going into the auto detailing business?
 
for now personal use, I am evaluating this as a buisness option. By my skills right now relate more to the interior of the car not the exterior
 
If i had it to do all over again with $500 i would do the following:



assumptions: personal car only, paint in okay condition.



PC

PC/pad backing plate

2 of the less aggressive pads (no need for cutting pads, ive never used mine)

poorboys' SSR1. SSR2, & SSR2.5 (can knock out 2.5 to keep cost down)

poorboys' professional polish

an "absorber"

x5+ good thick 100% cotton terry towels (never been a microfiber fan)

a decent wax (matter of personal preference)

Tire treatment (matter of personal preference again)

a plastic tote or 2 to store it all

a 5 gal bucket for washing (grit guard is a good idea also if it doesnt shoot u over your budget)

Car wash (again matter of personal preference)

car wash mit

clay bar(s)

Tire/wheel brush better the foam with the rough side to it





I don't do the glaze thing because I think it's over kill if you're going to use a polish, the better money is spent on the polish.



Sealants i think are for those that only have their car detailed once or twice a year, good idea to make it all last longer. personally i give my car the complete treatment every 4 months or so therefore I don't use sealants.



When i first bought my PC (frm autopia) i ordered the complete pad system but quickly found i had no need for the more aggressive pads as my paint was in fairly good condtion. Actually i ended up buying another 2 meguiars pads (least aggressive) because it was those i needed the most.





hope this helps
 
hmmm must haves:



PC (I got mine from Coastal too for $110 I think)

Flexible backing plate and Pads from Autogeek, DetailCity or Autopia

Poorboys Swirl Remover ($15)

Klasse ALL in One polish ($20 bottle will last years)

Poorboys EX sealant ($15 will also last years)

FK 146 quick detailing cleaner 1 gallon $25

FK FX 100 spray gloss and sealant in one (great for after a wash, excellent on wheels)

FK 425 SUPER SLICK 1 gallon $25 (last thing that touches my paint and glass)

Clay (Blue Magic $12)

Michelin Tire Dressing ($6)

Sea Sponge or Excel Sheepskin ($20)

1Z Einzett Leather care$13 (best product I've used)

1Z Vinyl care $13 (only interior 'armor all' type product I have been satifisfied with)

1Z cockpit premium cleaner $10 (or a woolite mixture in a spray bottle)

Meguiar Gold Class Carpet Brush $10 (works great with woolite)

Meguiar's wheel face brush ($10)

12 pack of Poorboys Mega MF Towels ($148)



I want to try the Meguiar's Wheel Brightener from the Detail Line

My Ortho 2 gallon Pesticide sprayer for only $20 is a great tool

and I'm still not sold on a spray wax or paste wax. I'm using MOther's FX, FK Pink Wax

and they do a nice job on silver but I'll try something else if someone suggests a product.
 
With the exception of the dash/cockpit I have a list of interior products i like. Most of them the professional carpet leather care products i used to use.
 
I've just spend about $400 on stuff



$200 on PC rotary buffer (7428)

$30 3M hook-it polishing foam pads

$30 3M superbuff compound wool pad

$10 superbuff adapter

$100 on the 06050 kit (Perfect it-III EC compound, SMR, and glaze)

I'm gonna try Meguires Gold paste wax and see how it goes with the glaze.. $20



toss in an easy $100 for other odds and ends- washing supplies, sandpaper, block, body filler and touchup paint to fix the rust

= $500 total
 
edge pad Kit from autogeek

PC from lowes..

Poorboy's World Deluxe Wash Bucket Kit w/Dolly

A $213 Value!



1 Five Gallon Blue Bucket w/Handle

1 Grit Guard

1 Dolly

1 Seat Cushion

1 Quart Super Slick & Suds... car shampoo

1 Quart Spray & Rinse... wheel cleaner

1 Quart Bio-Degradable All Purpose Cleaner Concentrate(APC)

1 Pint Spray and Wipe... Waterless wash and Quick Detailer w/ sprayer

1 Pint Spray & Gloss... Gloss Enhancer and Quick Detailer w/ sprayer

1 Pint QW+ Quick Wax Plus ...quick wax and booster w/ sprayer

1 Pint Trim Restorer ...Trim Cleaner and Protectant

1 Pint Natural Look... Interior Dressing, cleaner & protectant w/sprayer

1 Pint Bold N Bright... Tire Dressing w/ sprayer

1 Pint Leather Stuff... Leather cleaner, conditioner, & protectant

1 Pint Bug Squash... Bug, Tar and Sap remover

1 24" x 36" Poorboy's Wolrd Waffle Weave Drying Towel

1 Poorboy's World Mega-Mitt ...plush interior detailing mitt w/ thumb & cuff



this can be had for $179





DELUXE KIT NEW!

For the frequent detailer who loves a good deal and only the best products. Includes 3 (THREE) each of:



16" Velvet Smooth Glass Towel

16" Work Towel

16" Super Thick and Plush

16" Mega-Plush

21 x 36 Velvet Smooth

24 x 36 Waffle weave

Mega-Mitt



this for 105.



and i would also get some of his DMT towels they rock.
 
i'm having a time of it finding your items on autogeek's site. could you link them for me? BTW I love the kit you put together... seems right along the lines that i was thinking, Can i ask why you picked these?
 
Man, don't half-*** anything, get the good stuff now so you don't waste money on the crap. And make sure once you find stuff you love, buy it in larger quanitites (but small enough that you will actually use them). The Poorboy's line is great, super easy to use and performs well, and Chemical Guys products are awesome too. The ease of use of a lot of these products saves a lot of time, frustration, and money.



I would get:



PC 7336 at Lowes (110), flexible backing plate , and a custom pad kit with 1 yellow, 1 orange, 2 whites, 1 black, and 1 blue.

The CGC Compounds

Poorboy's Starter Kit w/EX and PwC for dark--a great assortment of the basics to get you started. This can also be a great way to see which products you do/don't like before you get in too deep.

Chemical Guys Speed Wipe gallon --great cleaning ability as a waterless wash and leaves a nice finish too!

For when you feel like getting soap in larger quanitity, Chemical Guys Maxi Suds (gallon)

200g bar of clay Don't bother with QD as lube, just use the suds on the car after washing as well as a spray bottle of mix (see where I mention wheel cleaners).

bucket with a Grit Guard as well as a foam gun.

Tarminator or another pre-wash

Stoner Invisible Glass

CG Leather Conditioner (and it cleans a little too)

Stoner foaming Carpet Cleaner

a couple of tire dressing applicators

waffle weave

plush microfiber



Don't forget the Danase' 10% off coupon!! :werd:



pick up some green VIKING QD towels and gold VIKING edgeless polishing towels at K-Mart if you can...they are unbelievable towels for the price.



Get some Oil Eater APC/Degreaser at Costco for like $7 a gallon. It's decent, and it will serve many purposes at different dilutions.



Buy wheel cleaner in bulk NOW. IDK about you, but I use wheel cleaner like it's going out of style. Get a gallon of Meg's Wheel Brightener , it's inexpensive, dilutable and strong (without acid!). For better maintained rims, try a mix of 1:31 (shampoo:water) in one of those spray bottles with the High Output Foaming Sprayer at the bottom of the page.



Collinite 845--don't bother with wheel sealant, IMO this outperforms Poorboy's Wheel Sealant by a mile. Plus, it's super durable on the paint too.
 
the two kit's are directly from Poorboysworld.com they are new and are on the order page.



The edge kit is the only thing from auto geek i'm sorry i didn't clearify things the first time.
 
don't be sorry. I am in your debt thank you. How would you rate the PB stuff against other waxes?

I would like to try a quality sealant in addition to a wax.



any suggestions?



Any preference on types of clay. I see sonus clays on sale, How do they rate compared to OTC clays.?
 
I'd suggest starting a kit with some of the less expensive favorites, although the prices on PBs ain't too bad. Polish, Wash mits, and MF towels appear to be the areas where you'll want to spend a little extra.



Look for products with at least 3 votes on this thread:



http://autopia.org/forum/showthread.php?t=72270&page=1



Eagle 1 car wash, Turtle Wax Platinum Tire Gel, Eagle 1 all Wheel & Tire cleaner, Duragloss AquaWax, Eagle 1 Wipe and Shine (Detail spray), and Meg's #26 (wax) are all well regarded and cheap.



Oh, and you'll need a PC and pads.
 
I spent TOOOOO much money so i'm not a good person to ask.. but SSR works great with the PC.. with the rotary i go with others.. but the bucket is something I would get if i was starting new..



that and the DMT... they are the BEST BEST towel i own..
 
Studdg said:
I'd suggest starting a kit with some of the less expensive favorites, although the prices on PBs ain't too bad. Polish, Wash mits, and MF towels appear to be the areas where you'll want to spend a little extra.



Look for products with at least 3 votes on this thread:



http://autopia.org/forum/showthread.php?t=72270&page=1



Eagle 1 car wash, Turtle Wax Platinum Tire Gel, Eagle 1 all Wheel & Tire cleaner, Duragloss AquaWax, Eagle 1 Wipe and Shine (Detail spray), and Meg's #26 (wax) are all well regarded and cheap.



Oh, and you'll need a PC and pads.
Click to expand...

I'm currently using megs line, I have quite a bit of it. I'm not opposed to using it down, but I'm hearing enough good things about other products i am willing to try them. Thanks for the link, I'll head there for some reading.
 
Grouse said:
Any preference on types of clay. I see sonus clays on sale, How do they rate compared to OTC clays.?
Click to expand...



OTC clays in general come as a kit and are much more expensive for what you get than ones available online. Most clays are comparable to one another, but my recommendation is to go with a fine clay (not ultra-fine, not medium, just fine). The fine clays won't cause any marring provided you use enough lube, and they will still be aggressive enough to take off just about anything you can throw at it. So I like Clearkote clay, Four Star clay, Chemical Guys clay, Poorboy's clay, they're all really the same thing. The Sonus clay is probably very good too, but if you go that route you should stick to the Block, NOT the Ultra-Fine.
 
I would buy the following:



PC 7226

Lake Country Variable Contour pads

Zaino System ZFX, Z2PRO, Z5Pro, Z8, Z6, ZPC, Z18, Z7

Assortment of PakShak Towels (ww drying and glass, plush, applicators, etc.)

Excel Detail Sheepskin mitt x 2

Eagle One All Wheel

Poorboys SSR2.5 and Trim Restore

303 Aerospace for door seals
 
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