New to the forum...(ramble)

[endus]

Hi there. Well, it's nice to finally find a forum in which people actually have real experience with detailing! It's frustrating to read the forums at maxima.org (I own a Dark Green Max) and see the huge amount of misinfo that goes back and forth. Finally a place where I can actually ask some questions instead of answering them.



One thing I noticed is that there doesn't seem to be a lot of "natural" advocates here. I was a Zymool Carbon guy for a while (too bad I don't have a garage and need to drive my car sometimes), then I went to Ardex products. I absoloutely LOVED the Ardex stuff, but was concerned about the fact that it contained silicone and other nasty stuff. So now I have moved on and am trying Blitz Wax, after having a lot of people recommend it. The Blitz wax is supposed to be water based. It seems like most people on here are comfortable with products like Zaino and wierd stuff like the Klasse products. I find this interesting because outside of here most detailing types I have run into tend to get closer and closer to the all-natural end of the spectrum the more hard core they get. The one thing I am concerned about with the natural stuff and the Blitz wax is longevity during the winter when I can't clean the car much...so I might have to move back toward the synthetic side of things if the Blitz doesn't hold up.



Anyways, not really any specific question, just wanted to say hi. I have a feeling joining this board is going to cost me a lot of money....I'm already thinking about ditching the One Grand Glaze I bought to match the blitz, ordering MF towels which I had prebviously been skeptical about, ordering the 6" backing plate for my Porter Cable...etc. Yikes!



Just for kicks here's what I'm using now...feel free to comment...



Wash: Cheapo Autozone Zymol stuff. Used because it smells good and is cheap. I need to investigate better washes, but I use so little it probably doesn't matter.



Dry: Absorber, although I am thinking of trying a sheet/blot with Absorber/MF combo after abusing search for awhile.



Wheels: Eagle One A2Z



Tires: 3m Rubber protectant. The key is applying with a paint brush....what a difference.



Polish: I've only been using glazes lately because my paint has been in good shape. I was using Griots polishes, but I could use suggestions for something better. The glazes take toooooo long to get the swirls out...maybe I'll try the 3m stuff. In any case my latest glaze is the One Grand stuff.



Wax: One Grand Blitz Wax....although I have a layer of Ardex Flint Wax under it at the moment. The swirls are returning though so this might change soon.



Platic/Vinyl/Rubber: 303. I knew i was in the right place when I saw the poll on the front page that actually had 303 as an option.



Buffer: Porter Cable 10625. What is the dif betweeen the usual 7* models and this? I got this because I ordered it from Griots a long time ago.



Pads: Griots orange and red pads. These seem to work pretty well. I am becoming a bigger and bigger fan of my buffer as time goes by. Even with wax I have found it's easier to get a thinner more even coat using the machine than doing it by hand.



Think that's it. Sorry for the length but I never feel right about forums until I post at least once, and spending the last hour reading and searching has me thinking about my whole detailing routine!

 

[imported_Smoker]

Welcome aboard!



Frequenting the Autopia Loony Bin will only cost you $$$ if ya listen to the 'Z' loonies



Interesting choice on your products, classing Klasse as 'wierd' makes me feel all fuzzy inside!



I LOVE AIO and its all Jngrbrds fault .......



:angry



Anyways, I just wondered why your trying to take out swirls with a glaze ?



At the very least a Swirl Mark Remover (such as Megs SFP) is better for the job, or go a little more agressive and use DACP.

You'll find it takes alot less time and your glaze will then hide anything thats left.



I use both Megs Show Car Glaze and Imperial Hand Glaze by 3M, both seem pretty similar and work wonderfully between the polishing and waxing stages of my detailing routine.



Blitz is a good wax, tho im a cheapo so i use S100



How much are the Griots pads ?

Theres a thread somewhere else saying theyre super-overpriced and I wondered .......

 

[Accumulator]

endus- Welcome to Autopia! You'll like it here. IMHO, the whole "natural car-care product" thing is primarily marketing hype. Car paint itself is about as "natural" as a chunk of plastic. It takes SOME nasty stuff to make any wax workable (even Blitz). No need to be leery of the synthetics. My $0.02 on some of your current regimen:



Wash- better wash solutions can result in fewer wash-induced swirls (making for far less work in the long run). I basically eliminated them by switching to a high-lubricity wash (Griot's) and refining my technique.



Dry- Get a waffle-weave MF to augment (or even replace) your Absorber. You'll be glad you did.



Wheels/Tires- OK on the cleaner, not familiar with your dressing.



Polishes/Glazes-There are polishes that are easier to use than the Griot's, although I'm still using up my Griot's MP#1-3. 3M's PI-III is good, as is Meg's #83 (aka DACP). Most people prefer them over Griot's and so far I do too. Your Omega Glaze is well-liked by many glaze users here. I sounds like you have swirls (that might oughta be removed with a polish) that come back as your glaze and wax dissipate.



Wax- A synthetic (like Klasse AIO) under your Blitz will probably look better than you expect. As in, a noticeable improvement.



Vinyl/etc.- 303 is well-liked here.



Your PC from Griot's is not appreciably different from the ones mentioned here. I too like Griot's pads, but I also keep some cutting and finishing pads (from CMA) around for special cases.

 

[endus]

Thanks guys...



Not sure why I've been using glaze to get out swirls. I think it's mostly because I forgot to order any new polish the last time I got detailing stuff. I've decided to get serious about keeping the swirls away though, so I'll probably get some 3m or Meguiars when I order my new MF towels. I didn't HD Cleanse my car this year, and since I still should do it, I can live with re-polishing the car once again (I just did it about a month ago).



I do indeed have swirls, although I don't think the wax/glaze dissipating is why they keep coming back. I think they are coming back because of my washing and drying routine, to tell you the truth. I am most definitely going to get some of the high lubocity wash from griots and try that...I like their little round sponge anyway so I need to order from them again. I think that + the MF towels will probably help.



I'm not sure how much the Griots pads were, but being as they're from Griots I'm sure they're expensive. EVERYTHING from Griots is expensive. They do have some good stuff though. I was given that berzerker-expensive hose nozzle from them last Christmas. WOW is this thing great....although almost definitely not worth as much as they charge.



A synthetic under the blitz might not be a bad idea, and is a combo I was thinking about (good point about the all natual thing). I think this might last the winter if I do it. I do hate to break up the Omega glaze and Blitz wax though. I have to say that using products in the same system does sometimes work better. I was not at all impressed with 3m's machine glaze + Flint Wax or Carbon.



Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[shaf]

Hi endus, welcome to Autopia! :wavey



It's nice that you've been taking care of your Max and have come here to take even better care of it!



Your car shampoo is perfectly fine if it's the "cheap" blue Zymol Auto Wash. It's one of my favourites and provides good lubricity already. :up



You might want to think about getting a waffleweave MF towel to do your drying. They seem to be superior (not to mention gentle).



Your swirls are probably returning at least partially because you've been hiding them with glaze instead of polishing them out with a proper abrasive product, which is a more permanent solution. Smoker gives good advice for this.



You may want to check out the Autopia eBook as well as the Learn! link above. Combined with the search engine they make great resources and will help with your efforts and to give you a better idea of proper washing technique. I hope that Griot's "little round sponge" isn't for washing.....



It seems that the "10625" model you quoted is purely a Griots part number and not a PC part number. Their PC is really no different from the 7424 or 7336 that people otherwise use here.

IMHO, the whole "natural car-care product" thing is primarily marketing hype. Car paint itself is about as "natural" as a chunk of plastic.

:lol Yeah I agree! Be wary of classifying all "silicones" together since there are many types, and I don't think any wax out there could possibly be water-based and still work. It could contain water, but you'll always need solvents.