Need Help in putting together a complete detailing system?

[onebadf150]

Hi,

I’m new to the detailing forum community but I have been using car care products for years. I’m pretty religious in washing my vehicles once a week with griots wash using 3 buckets and there wash mitt and then following up with eagle one wax as you dry bc its easy. I’ve used Meguiar’s & Girot’s products in the past and had good success but I’m always search for a better product. I currently have 5 vehicles 3 blues, 1 black, and 1 grey in my household that I maintain and none of them are small. All the vehicles are driven often and 2 of them see the garage when not being used. I live in New Orleans and let’s face it this place is DIRTY and the paint takes a butt kicking due to the heat and grime. I have some thoughts on the products I would like to try based on the research I’ve done on autopia but I could use some advice so I don’t waste money and time. Please give me some pros and cons of these products and tell if there is better product out there.



The Wash

Optimum Car Wash

Griot’s Car Wash

DP Xtreme foam formula

Or any suggestions



Clay

Girot’s clay and speedshine I’ve used it many of times and it seems to work nicely

I’m up for suggestions on another product or supporting the use of the girots



Sealer and Glaze

Klasse All In One Polish

Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze “Using the bill north method and applying the glaze once every 7 days for 3 weeks.”



Carnauba maintenance coat and quick detailer

Pinnacle Souverän Paste Wax and Pinnacle Crystal Mist Carnauba Detail Spray for ultimate shine and brilliance.

I realize that the souveran doesn’t last long but does the quick detailer help the longevity?

Can I use just the pinnacle crystal mist detailer?What’s a better option for a carnauba or synthetic wax and quick detailer that will protect the klasse year around and how often would I have to rewax ?



Microfibers, detailing and polishing pads

I’m Clueless I see that the forum favorite kit come with pads and applicators and micro fibers but I don’t know if they are good or if there is something better.

What all do I need?



Any and All help is Greatly Appreciated



Thanks

Nick

 

[craigdt]

The Wash

Optimum Car Wash

Griot’s Car Wash

DP Xtreme foam formula

Or any suggestions I suggest you give ONR a try. It has replaced my need to QD my car. a full ONR wash is almost as fast. Takes care of some pretty heavy soilage too.



Clay

Girot’s clay and speedshine I’ve used it many of times and it seems to work nicely

I’m up for suggestions on another product or supporting the use of the girots If it works for you, keep it up. I personally use sonus green or mothers yellow clay with ONR clay lube or Mothers showtime



Sealer and Glaze

Klasse All In One Polish

Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze “Using the bill north method and applying the glaze once every 7 days for 3 weeks.” Used to be the sealant of choice here. A very solid pick.



Carnauba maintenance coat and quick detailer

Pinnacle Souverän Paste Wax and Pinnacle Crystal Mist Carnauba Detail Spray for ultimate shine and brilliance.

I realize that the souveran doesn’t last long but does the quick detailer help the longevity?

Can I use just the pinnacle crystal mist detailer?What’s a better option for a carnauba or synthetic wax and quick detailer that will protect the klasse year around and how often would I have to rewax ? Really, the sealant is doing the work. Usually, you put the carnauba on top for beauty purposes. Cant go wrong with Souveran. And I think you would find that ONR QD or an ONR wash would do wonders for whatever LSP you pick. If you want a spray wax, I like Duragloss Aquawax.



Microfibers, detailing and polishing pads

I’m Clueless I see that the forum favorite kit come with pads and applicators and micro fibers but I don’t know if they are good or if there is something better.

What all do I need? Big question here. I personally use the towels from autodetailingsolutions.com You can get them for prertty cheap and they are plenty soft. Pads, I generally use LC all around. Orange, white and black are the most popular probably, in bothe 6.5" and 4" sizes.



Any and All help is Greatly Appreciated



Thanks

Nick

Best wishes

 

[Accumulator]

... Please give me some pros and cons of these products and tell if there is better product out there.



The Wash

Optimum Car Wash

Griot’s Car Wash

DP Xtreme foam formula

Or any suggestions

I use Griot's Car Wash pretty much exclusively, though I hear the Optimum is perhaps as good. Never tried the Xtreme foam as it's antithetical to my approach to washing.

Clay

Girot’s clay and speedshine I’ve used it many of times and it seems to work nicely

I’m up for suggestions on another product or supporting the use of the girots

The Griot's clay is OK but I find the SpeedShine (which I *do* really like as a QD for use on waxes) compromises its effectiveness a bit compared to regular clay lubes.



For a milder clay that's even more gentle on your wax, I like Sonus green Ultra-fine, which has pretty much replaced the Griot's for me. I use other clay that's no longer available for more aggressive claying, but you might also look into ClayMagic's Blue clay.

Sealer and Glaze

Klasse All In One Polish

Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze “Using the bill north method and applying the glaze once every 7 days for 3 weeks.”

I use the Klasse twins on one of my vehicles. Good *if* you can keep it marring free as it sure doesn't hide any flaws. I layer KSG by applying one coat every day for a while (vehicle stored in clean shop) and refresh it now and then after a regular wash, using the Sonus green clay as needed to ensure future coats are going on a clean finish.



I let KSG set up fully before buffing it off, except when using it on exterior plastic trim (then I W-O-W-O). I often let the KSG set up overnight before buffing it off and IME the longer I wait the easier it buffs off.



Use KSG very sparingly. If you use an ounce to do a Suburban you used too much.



I go for six layers of KSG and consider four a practical minimum; if I can't get at least four layers on there I'll use a different product.

Carnauba maintenance coat and quick detailer

Pinnacle Souverän Paste Wax and Pinnacle Crystal Mist Carnauba Detail Spray for ultimate shine and brilliance.

I realize that the souveran doesn’t last long but does the quick detailer help the longevity?

I use Souveran on one of my cars. I've used it on daily drivers but no longer do.



IMO the QD doesn't really help with the durability but rather refreshes things by being a kind of spray wax in its own right.

Can I use just the pinnacle crystal mist detailer?What’s a better option for a carnauba or synthetic wax and quick detailer that will protect the klasse year around and how often would I have to rewax ?

CM by itself would be pretty pricey and won't do much. I'd reserve it for sprucing up a showcar (that has Souveran on it) or something like that.



Unless you have a specific reason for wanting to use it, I'd reconsider using both Souveran and CM.



Note that I *DO NOT* top my KSG with wax as it precludes the application of *more*/subsequent KSG as needed.



Nothing will "protect the Klasse" as the KSG is the protection and, properly layered, it's the best for that IME. You can use Sonus Acrylic Spritz to help boost it. I generally spritz my KSG with FK425 after every wash.

Microfibers, detailing and polishing pads

I’m Clueless ..

Most anybody's good MFs oughta work fine. I'm currently using PakShack ones for most polishing/waxing, AutoGeek's Shamrocks for QDing, and various WWMFs for drying.



For polishing pads, it just depends what you're trying to do, on what paint, with what products, with what machine.





Oh, and Welcome to Autopia!

 

[onebadf150]

craigdt and accumulator thank you for taking the time to answer my question and give me some real world perspective on these products.



I think that I will save myself some money and postpone buying the Pinnacle Souverän Paste Wax and qd until I have a car show or something important for the trucks to look there best. I think that accumulator had a good point in adding more glaze coats and using that as a wear coat.



I think I will look into the Sonus Acrylic Spritz, FK425, ONR QD. Can I apply the KSG the next time I wash after I apply one of the these QD's ??



Can Someone School me on what Clay and Clay lube to use ?



Currently no vehicle I own has had wax on it in sometime and I really don't know how aggressive of a clay I need to clean the paint I've heard horror stories about people using aggressive clays and it cause swirls in the paint I'm sure it was 99% user error but I would like to avoid issues. It sounds like the sonus green might be a good option but will the sonus take off all the trash in the paint from not being waxed?



thanks for all the help its greatly appreciated ! :2thumbs:

 

[imported_evor1]

i used optimum car wash before and now i switched to ONR...much better. I like it because I can wash the car and dry it without getting water spots. I use optiseal now, before i used optimum car wax. optiseal is way better.

 

[craigdt]

Well for the ONR QD, you just buy the ONR. Then you vary the dilution ratios for either the ONR wash, QD or clay lube. Put them in a spray bottle and viola!

 

[Accumulator]

I think I will look into the Sonus Acrylic Spritz, FK425, ONR QD. Can I apply the KSG the next time I wash after I apply one of the these QD's ??

Yeah, that'll work fine. The Acrylic Spritz isn't a QD but rather a "spray sealant". The FK425 is a QD that leaves a lot of nice stuff behind. The ONR, as mentioned, is something you mix to various ratios for different purposes.

Can Someone School me on what Clay and Clay lube to use ?

For very gentle claying, so gentle that you're really just deconaminating the KSG, try the Sonus green Ultra-fine Clay and Glyde lube. That's what I use 95% of the time.



But see below....

Currently no vehicle I own has had wax on it in sometime and I really don't know how aggressive of a clay I need to clean the paint I've heard horror stories about people using aggressive clays and it cause swirls in the paint I'm sure it was 99% user error but I would like to avoid issues. It sounds like the sonus green might be a good option but will the sonus take off all the trash in the paint from not being waxed?

In that case, the Sonus green will be too gentle. Try the Griot's, or the Mother's, or (possibly the best idea) the ClayMagic Blue. Either use the Claymagic lube or ONR mixed to the proper ratio.