Must have products?

S

SeaNile31

New member
I like to keep my car clean and well taken of but do not know many tricks of the trade. Usually I wash my car about 1x a week with a sponge and car soap (mothers, etc) and then towel dry the car. I have used Simple Green on the wheels but want to use something less harsh. I also use a spray detailer like Mothers (red spray bottle) often.



Any suggestions for a weekend warrior for must have products or tips and tricks to keep my car looking great?



Thanks.



--JK
 
A search will yield much more result than posting a thread and constantly rechecking to see who posts.



Try it, you will get more than enough information.:xyxthumbs
 
I knew better.....did a search and learned a lot already. Funny how all these years I thought i was doing a good job washing and taking care of my car. It's off to Walmart tomorrow to do some shopping!



--JK
 
ONR, Men. PO85RD polish, Red Moose glaze RMG, Pin. Souveran, Quickshine Detailing Spray. Those are just a start.
 
Looks like I need a few soft gloves/mitts and waffle weave towels. Is there s preferred wheel cleaner? It's an 2005 Boxster S.



Thanks again.



--JK
 
If you are looking for one car and OTC options - EagleOne All wheel and tire cleaner is awesome(I cant remember if its renamed A2Z cleaner now)
 
SeaNile31- Welcome to Autopia!



Ya know, oddly enough I was sorta stumped for an answer to your seemingly oh-so-simple question! Gee, what *do* I consider must-have products? Not as easy as it might've seemed :think:



Of all the swell stuff already mentioned, the only one I use on a regular basis is FK425. While it's a *great* QD, I dunno if it's a "must-have" if you like what you're using now.



I almost always counsel people to concentrate on the wash, and for that I *do* have some must-have suggestions, but that's just based on how *I* wash cars. I couldn't do without a foamgun, Boar's Hair Brush ("BHB"), and soft mitts. From there, it's all about technique as the best stuff in the world won't help avoid wash-induced marring if you use it incorrectly.



I do like Waffle Weave MicroFiber ("WWMF") towels for drying.



Beyond the wash/dry it's a question of how far you want to take things; it's a virtual certainty that your paint is marred (scratches/swirls/etc.) and that gets into the topic of polishing, which is one mighty involved subject.



Last Step Products ("LSP"s), i.e., waxes and sealants, are pretty much a personal preference topic, but there are some that are generally better/worse for most situations.



Most interior maintenance can be handled OK without getting too fancy about it, especially if you keep things from getting too nasty in the first place.



SO...I guess my question back to you is: what do you want to change/improve?
 
I have a lot ot learn considering I thought my cars were well taken care of and washed frequently. Turns out the cars were wash incorrectly frequently.



I've never used a foam gun. Not against it, just never used one before.



The car has been sent out by the dealer to be completely detailed including clay bar, or wahtever they think the car needs. Once i get the car I hope it is flawless and I can concentrate on just washing it for a few month, after the weather breaks that is.



I need to find a list to these acronyms. I'm lost with the LSP (untill the previous post), ONR, etc refrences. GOT IT http://www.autopia.org/forum/car-detailing/99979-acronym-decoder-complete-11-26-07-a.html



The one thing I really want to keep clean are the wheels, tires and brake calipers.



Thanks again.



--JK
 
I undrstand your wheel concerns with Euro brake pads! My treatment for wheels is to first polish as appropriate and then I apply Duragloss PBA610. it doubles the life of a polymer sealant. Then I apply DG 105, it is a very durable sealant over the PBA and buff. I then spray Optimum Car Wash (OCW) and wipe off before it dries. After every wash I spray OCW and wipe off. Brake dust doesnt adhere to the wheels with this combo. You wont need to scrub too much! When your brake pads need replacing, buy Hawk Performance Street Pads and say goodbye to heavy DUST AND get equal or better performance to OEM pads. Depending on conditions the DG combo will last at least 3 months.
 
SeaNile31 said:
The one thing I really want to keep clean are the wheels, tires and brake calipers.
Click to expand...



I'm regrettably well acquainted with brake dust issues, some of my vehicles are simply awful in that regard (and the worst ones are not always the high-perf German cars either).



I find that cleaning the wheels and calipers up really well (including polishing) and using a sealant on them works pretty well. If you never let things get too bad between cleanings it shouldn't be any big deal.



I like Boar's Hair Brushes for most wheel/caliper cleaning. They rinse clean no matter how dirty they get and the bristles work well for nooks and crannies. For reaching back behind the spokes to do the back sides and the inner barrels (well, this won't work well with BBS-style wheels, but anyhow...) I like the little "three finger mitts) from Griot's, PN 10209. I thought they'd be a waste of money but I ended up simply loving them.



I like Griot's Rubber Cleaner for my tires, but it's pretty mild.
 
Best place to buy some of these products? Pep-Boys or Walmart carry this stuff? Does the grit guard in the bucket really do anything? FK425 looks like it is only online? Time to go shopping to help kill the wintertime blues.



--JK
 
Sorry I should have addressed you. Autogeek.net carries lots of the products mentioned.



SeaNile31 said:
Best place to buy some of these products? Pep-Boys or Walmart carry this stuff? Does the grit guard in the bucket really do anything? FK425 looks like it is only online? Time to go shopping to help kill the wintertime blues.



--JK
Click to expand...
 
You might want to find someone on this forum who lives near you to take a look at your car and make some recommendations.



I've helped out a few people getting started like that.



See if they will do the car with you. Best way to learn.
 
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