APC+ is a crazy bargain. You'll get at least 5 gallons of cleaner for about $14.
Final Detail too. It works out to about $2.25 per 16 ounce bottle (assuming you have a bottle already) assuming $18 for a gallon.
Gold Class car wash in the gallon is really cheap too.
How cheap exactly are you talking? Cleaner/Wax cheap? Or just not $20 for a protectant cheap?
Some nice towels and wash mitts are things not to cheap out on. Maybe just get some good car wash, towels, wash mitts, and a cleaner/wax to get started. Then at least he can expand from there without wanting to replace the stuff he already has.
Get a nice base of products that you can build on, instead of getting a bunch of stuff that you'll soon want to just replace and pitch.
When a co-worker wanted to get into detailing a bit more, and wanted to upgrade from her Zymol Cleaner/wax, I pointed her to nice irregular/overstock cotton towels, some ClayMagic, a sheepskin washmitt from Wal-Mart, some GC car wash, some foam apps, and some MPPP. I also tossed in a bottle of Gold Class Clear Coat Prep and Swirl Remover for her to use as I really have no use for it anymore. Probably a total of about $75 but now she has quality stuff that will always be useful even if she wants to change her routine. She was blown away at how much better a job it all did on her 4Runner (as was I when I saw the difference on the side she did compared to the hood she hadn't yet done). She subsequently bought that October special so now has some #40, a nice wheel cleaner, some more MPPP, and she picked up some APC+.
Hey, if you're thinking S100 is an amazing value, have him pick up some #16. It's a few dollars cheaper, and is 11 oz of product. It's a surprising value for how good it looks and how durable it appears to be.
