Looking for supplies to buy and where to get started... General help please

[MrOneEyedBoh]

First off Im looking to do this for myself only, not to make money. Secondly, if I can get supplies that are worth using locally at Advance Auto ( I have access to a 41% off coupon, so I'll save quite a bit of money ). Im not opposed to buying form AutoGeek neither, a one stop shop is what Id like. And if the products online are better then okay, but I dont need the best nor do I want to spend a lot. Im sure there are middle of the road materials out there... I currently have a 2006 f250 king ranch that is a dark blue with flake in it. There are also some light mar marks/scratches, and some deeper scratches that are stuck there, I know...



1. What supplies are needed for cleaning/recommended? Im looking to wash so any recommendations, I also need mits, towels etc etc



2. Id like to clay the truck, so what should I get?



3. Im also looking to wax it up using the HF 6" DA. I need a good wax, pads etc etc. Sealer? Process to wax etc?



4. Wheel and tire care



Like I said Any and all help on what materials to get, what works, whats safe etc. I tired to make an educated guess on what to buy, but its overwhelming and Im hoping I can get some recommendations from the Veterans here... I couldnt believe there are so many supplies out there for the same thing.



Thanks guys!

 

[Accumulator]

... I currently have a 2006 f250 king ranch that is a dark blue with flake in it. There are also some light mar marks/scratches, and some deeper scratches that are stuck there, I know...

Welcome to Autopia!



I can't address *all* of your Qs/concerns as it'd just be tooo much (like..."I have a plot of land, how should I build a house on it?" :chuckle: ) but I'll try to nudge you in the right direction:

1. What supplies are needed for cleaning/recommended? Im looking to wash so any recommendations, I also need mits, towels etc etc

I'm *really* off the deep end when it comes to how I wash, so I'll dial it back to "normal person"-level here!



You have two choices- conventional washing or "rinseless washing".



Conventional- Two buckets, one for shampoo mix one for rinse. Wash media- sheepskin mitts (more than one). Technique- eh, too involved to get into here/now, but don't "scrub"...you don't want to "grind the dirt into the paint". Shampoo- DON'T CHEAP OUT! Buy good shampoo with high lubricity. I use *only* Griot's Car Wash, but the cheaper DuraGloss stuff is probably almost as good. I would never go cheaper than Meguiar's Gold Class and I consider that stuff pretty crappy. Drying- Mist the paint with a Quick Detailer and gently dry with a Waffle Weave MicroFiber ("WWMF"). You'll need more than one.



Oops, I left out wheels and tires!



Rinseless washing: Use a product like Optimum No Rinse or Garry Dean's Infinite Use Detail Juice. If you google up the latter (or search around here at Autopia) you oughta find Garry's "the Garry Dean Wash Method" which will show you how to use such products.



With that truck, I'd *absolutely* get a few good work platforms. I use these: Bauer 20900 Fold-N-Carry Work Platform - Amazon.com . I have quite a few of them, and IMO they're all money well-spent.

2. Id like to clay the truck, so what should I get?

The clay kits (clay and lube) from Mothers and Blue Magic are OK.

3. Im also looking to wax it up using the HF 6" DA. I need a good wax, pads etc etc. Sealer? Process to wax etc?

The big benefit to DAs is *polishing*, which accounts for about 90% of a vehicle's appearance. The wax just protects the polished surface. The topic of polishing is too involved to discuss here/now (gee, I sure do say that a lot, huh? ).



But OK...thumbnail sketch: you need at least a medium polish that "finishes out well". You'll need a few pads for that DA and plenty of good plush MicroFiber towels ("MF"s) to buff off the polish residue (and some more to buff off the wax). I myself would suggest two products from 3D even though that'd mean a whole separate shopping cart- I'd ge their Uno (medium polish) and their Speed (all-in-one that'll do the final polishing and leave a good base for your wax/sealant). Those are probably as user-friendly as such stuff gets.



That HF unit will work better with 5.5" pads; you'll need a matching, 5", backing plate to use them.



For wax, I'd use either Collinite (their 845 or 476S) or FinishKare FK1000P. Those protect well, last a long time, and look OK.

4. Wheel and tire care

Ah, here that is! I'd use a mild wheel cleaner like Griot's. I use their Rubber Cleaner but I bet somebody else can suggest a cheaper/better alternative. If you wax/seal your wheels they'll clean up easier and you can just use shampoo mix. For tire dressing, I'm all about Zaino's Z16.

....its overwhelming and Im hoping I can get some recommendations from the Veterans here... I couldnt believe there are so many supplies out there for the same thing..

Perfectly understandable! Hope some of this post is helpful, sorry I couldn't cover everything.

 

[Dan]

Even though the Advance coupon looks great on the surface, it might not be quite the bargain it appears to be. There is decent stuff to be had there, but 90% of the stuff is a poor value for the money.



Some decent products available there: Meguiars stuff is a good bet, the Mother's clay kit and LSPs, and all the Griots stuff. Definitely stay away from towels and wash media, pads, etc.



Detailers domain is a great choice for mail order. I highly recommend the Optimum line. 3D, the forum sponsor has a super user friendly set of polishes that I recommend for anyone starting out. I also really like Auto Detailing Solutions for Meguiars stuff in bulk or sample sizes.

 

[MrOneEyedBoh]

Thanks guys.

 

[pwaug]

Welcome!!! You might want to take a look a this thread http://www.autopia.org/forum/car-detailing/143818-newbie-some-questions.html which may answer many of your questions.



Here is another thread that may also answer many of your questions http://www.autopia.org/forum/car-detailing/144067-02-honda-accord-advice-needed.html



This thread is concerning the HF DA and has some great information http://www.autopia.org/forum/car-detailing-product-discussion/142910-harbor-freight-6-da.html



I've noticed that Advanced prices in my area are 20-30% higher than other stores on some products so the 41% may not be that great of a savings.

 

[bill57]

Everything these guys suggest! The only thing that I'd like to add is, as Accumulator recommended: "Drying- Mist the paint with a Quick Detailer and gently dry with a Waffle Weave MicroFiber ("WWMF")", the best product to do the misting, IMHO, is Duragloss Aquawax.