Quick and easy process for an exterior detail?

bennylava

bennylava

New member
I've been watching a whole lot of youtube videos, and reading up a bit, and I think I've finally arrived at the question I want to ask. I know that there are a thousand different ways to get to my goal here, but I guess I'm just looking to hammer out a quick and easy process that I can do every single time and get results. I'm not a pro detailer obviously, I just buy and resell. But I'm a pretty big noob to exterior detailing.

So my question is, can someone outline an process that can be my go-to, that will get good, shiny looking, reflective results, every time? Barring the car needing some serious paint repair, of course. I'm just talking about your standard paint job that is ok, but it needs a good buffing and waxing. So please forgive my noob ignorance, but here is what I know.

1. Wash car. Make sure to get all big and small chunks off.

2. ?? Buff car. Use a polishing compound on entire exterior. Which compound? I'd really like an all-in-one type of deal for this... but I don't know if that's actually possible.

3. Hand wax the car. What is the best wax out there, known for giving the best possible shine?

4. Upkeep the detailing work I've done until car sells...somehow? I've seen those giant microfiber broom looking things that some places use to go out there and just sort of dust off their cars. Is this a good idea? I mean you have to get it clean somehow, but you don't really want to have to wash the thing... or do you? Wouldn't it look better if that new wax job didn't get washed until it was really necessary?

So yeah. You can see that the gaps in my knowledge are huge. Most of the information out there, really just wants to get real specific on one particular aspect of detailing the paint. I'm looking for an overview, a general how to, and then the best products to carry out that method, over and over again.
 
HD adapt on a MF pad should be a good AIO type polish combo. Follow up withCollinite915. Thats a simple combo that should work prwtty well.
 
Ok thanks for the recommendations.

How does HD adapt stack up against Meguiars Ultimate compound?

And how does the Collinite 915 do vs Meguiars Gold Class?

I'm just looking to keep costs as low as possible. I'd like to be able to use stuff that I can just buy off the shelf at say... Oreillys or Walmart. But if that stuff is sub-par and I'd get better results out of the Collinite and HD, then I'll just order those.
 
bennylava said:
Ok thanks for the recommendations.

How does HD adapt stack up against Meguiars Ultimate compound?
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http://www.autopia.org/forums/paint...d-9-2015-autopia-polish-comparison-chart.html
this polish comparison chart should help you get an idea of the different levels polishes/compounds


I also might add looking into a spray wax/sealant to top after the AIO (to save time) Meguiar's (D157?) express spray wax is a good choice (pretty economical by the gallon) - tried to find link on ACC but looks like its not there anymore
 
bennylava- Some thoughts on your Qs follow:

1) IMO the big thing with the wash is to not instill new marring. The whole "how to wash" thing is a pretty involved subject and opinions/experiences vary.

2) Most All-In-One products are so mild that they barely qualify as "polishes" in the functional sense (i.e., removing/reducing existing scratches). Note that IMO there's little point in polishing things to perfection until you're able to keep them that way (see previous comment). Just enough polishing to "keep it shiny", which and AIO oughta do, just might be all you need to be satisfied (don't let Autopian Perfectionism carry you away to nutso-land unless you really do want to live there ;) ).

3) Most people here will agree that there's no real answer to the Q "what wax is best?" I'd choose between FK1000P and something from Collinite. Looks are important, but so are durability, protection, and how well the wax sheds dirt during the wash (hence my recommendation). A tin of either oughta last for many, many years.

4) I wouldn't touch it between washes. I'd wash it when it's dirty. Really just that simple IMO.
 
I agree never touch the car between washes. Period. That's the best advice you can get. Resist the temptation.
 
Are you going to clay the car too, in the process ? The best wax does not exist. Everyone is looking for something different. ( Shine, easy on/off, durability, etc.)
 
bennylava said:
Ok thanks for the recommendations.

How does HD adapt stack up against Meguiars Ultimate compound?

And how does the Collinite 915 do vs Meguiars Gold Class?

I'm just looking to keep costs as low as possible. I'd like to be able to use stuff that I can just buy off the shelf at say... Oreillys or Walmart. But if that stuff is sub-par and I'd get better results out of the Collinite and HD, then I'll just order those.
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HD Adapt is a polishing compound. Not necessarily an all in one as it leaves no protection behind. All in one's tend to be a cleaner wax type of product that leaves something behind. HD Speed gets rave reviews. You can use something like that. It's an all in one that leaves protection behind. You could follow up with either HD Poxy (HD Speed is a mix of HD Polish & Poxy) or 3D Express Spray wax for a quick detail.

If you go the HD Adapt route you can use any wax that you choose.


In regards to your question about the difference between Adapt and Ultimate Compound, Ultimate Compound will have more cut. A polish may or may not be needed depending on if the surface has some marring after compounding.

Are you doing this by hand or machine?
Are you looking to do this by hand or machine?
 
pgp said:
Are you going to clay the car too, in the process ? The best wax does not exist. Everyone is looking for something different. ( Shine, easy on/off, durability, etc.)
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I'm looking for the best shine. Perhaps something that resists dust settling on the car, as it sits there for 2 weeks, not being driven. The shine is very important. When they come to look at the car, I want them to at least think in their minds "The car looks great. Certainly can't fault it there." I'm not necessarily looking for a very durable wax, if that turns out to be on the opposite end of the spectrum for waxes. Once I sell the car, I obviously can't upkeep it anymore, and the responsibility then falls on the buyer to take care of their car. Even though I would want to keep maintaining it if I could because I'm a car guy and its a car that I owned, even if for a short time. So I just need something that shines like the sun, and it would be helpful if it was somewhat resistant to dust settling on it. Anything getting on it from being driven won't be a concern.

Anyway the more I learn about this... the more work keeps piling on. I sensed this when I first began looking at exterior detailing. I mean to do this job 100%, you really need to.. what...

1. Wash the car.

2. Clay bar the car.

3. Buff with the first type of compound.

4. Buff with the second type of compound.

5. Buff with the 3rd type of compound. (i don't actually know what any of these are, just that they exist)

6. hand wax the car.

7. Put another coat of wax over the first coat. ... ??? Don't really know if this is something that is still practiced.

8. ??Spray some kind of sealer on the wax??

9. Did I leave out a couple of steps? lol

All of what it takes to do this the full on, 100% way... I can't do. Its just not feasible at all from a business standpoint for me. To put it bluntly: A 100% detailed car, doesn't earn me enough extra money on a honda civic or toyota camry or a saturn Ion, with 140-250k miles on the odometer. It won't earn me any more than a 65% detailed car. I'd be doing hours and hours of manual labor, for little to no gain. So what I'm looking for is the fastest method to get a good shine/reflection. Something that you'd know the car had been buffed and waxed. But not the 26 hours worth or work that you detail guys would put in on a car, or you proud owners would put into your car.

All I'm looking to accomplish here is a clean engine, clean carpets and seats and a shiny exterior. Of course that sounds like the whole reason this forum exists, but I need to achieve that goal in the fastest, least laborious, and most inexpensive way possible. Goes back to me trying to hammer out an easy method that I can just do every time and get the same results. For example, look at new car dealerships. I know you're all well aware of the condition they sell brand new cars in, when it comes to the exterior paint. I'm the same way, its just not cost effective or really worth my time, to go all out.

I'm still learning, and it may be that due to the lack of a real "all-in-one" buffing compound, that my best bet is just to buy some quality soap for washing and wash in a way that doesn't harm the paint. It may turn out that buffing and waxing just aren't going to work out for me, from a business standpoint. Not real sure, still trying to figure it all out.
 
bennylava said:
Anyway the more I learn about this... the more work keeps piling on...
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Ah, the Curse of Autopia rears its head ;)

...[all the stuff one can do]...All of what it takes to do this the full on, 100% way... I can't do. Its just not feasible at all from a business standpoint for me..
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Keep that in mind! Lots of that stuff can be skipped IME, i.e., one compound followed by one polish followed by one good LSP oughta do it for the exterior even if you're getting really picky about it (and IMO that's not always necessary). No need to go overboard when the target audience only views the final result from a layman's perspective of "does it look nice or not?".

More than once, I've done a quick slap-dash job on a vehicle (at least by Autopian standards) only to have somebody be *so* impressed that they bought the car, saying right up-front that they wanted it because it was in "such nice shape". Happened with Service Loaners more than once and I've had somebody basically throw money at me when they saw one of my beaters in the shop getting serviced, even though I thought it looked awful. And no, I don't think they would've paid more had it been truly Autopian.
 
Accumulator said:
Ah, the Curse of Autopia rears its head ;)
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LOL. Yeah I'm thinking the first two posts in this thread might be all I really needed to know. For my particular concerns. Just an AIO followed by wax. A good spray wax sounds even more appealing lol. Just spray it on there and wipe it off. Question: Could those two (a carefully selected AIO and a good spray on wax) yield the results you're referring to, in the quote below?

Accumulator said:
More than once, I've done a quick slap-dash job on a vehicle (at least by Autopian standards) only to have somebody be *so* impressed that they bought the car, saying right up-front that they wanted it because it was in "such nice shape". Happened with Service Loaners more than once and I've had somebody basically throw money at me when they saw one of my beaters in the shop getting serviced, even though I thought it looked awful. And no, I don't think they would've paid more had it been truly Autopian.
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Next question

Accumulator said:
Keep that in mind! Lots of that stuff can be skipped IME, i.e., one compound followed by one polish followed by one good LSP oughta do it for the exterior even if you're getting really picky about it (and IMO that's not always necessary). No need to go overboard when the target audience only views the final result from a layman's perspective of "does it look nice or not?"
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Not real familiar with the abbreviations used around here yet. What is LSP?

So a polish is basically just a lighter version of a compound? So you need wash, compound, polish, wax. Is there a point where a compound can be skipped? And how exactly do you know which compound (or polish for that matter) to use for which application? The sheer volume of products on the market makes the whole thing pretty overwhelming.
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bennylava said:
Not real familiar with the abbreviations used around here yet. What is LSP?

So a polish is basically just a lighter version of a compound? So you need wash, compound, polish, wax. Is there a point where a compound can be skipped? And how exactly do you know which compound (or polish for that matter) to use for which application? The sheer volume of products on the market makes the whole thing pretty overwhelming.
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LSP = Last Step Product. So the final product to be applied and removed off the paint. Spray wax would constitute an LSP.

A polish and a compound both abrade and level the clearcoat, but compounds are much heavier. You can skip a compound on vehicles that don't need heavy defect removal or have extremely soft paint. When I corrected my Acura last year I was able to remove 95% of the defects with M205(a polish) and that saves you previous clearcoat if you're keeping the car for a long time.

As far as knowing which product to use, you have to do a test spot on the car. A test spot is just trying out a product + pad combination and then seeing if it produces acceptable results for you on that car. That doesn't mean you need a hundred different products - you can keep some products of each type around(compound, polish, all-in-one) then just figure out what works best on that car. You might find you need a heavy compound to remove the defects or you might find an AIO to give you a perfectly acceptable finish. Detailing is extremely subjective and all depends on your individual goals for either your client or yourself, and then you just adjust technique and product to fit whatever you're working on. Sure, it's nice to have a ton of different options when you're going to do a car, but if you have a few high quality products and a variety of pads you can usually adjust your technique for 90% of the cars out there that you'll work on. I probably have 4 or 5 different compounds on hand, >5 polishes and a couple AIO products and I only ever find myself reaching for a couple specific ones as my "first try" and it works out just fine more often than not.

That's why it's so easy to get caught up in buying/trying new products and why newbies feel overwhelmed. I know sometimes I convince myself after seeing someone else's results that I absolutely need that new product to have on hand in case I run across a similar scenario even though thats not really the case.
 
Ah, thanks that post really helps. I'm really learning a lot here. So does that chart that someone linked, I saved that on my hard drive. This might be a little far fetched, but does anyone have another similar chart or perhaps some kind of database on what polishes and compounds work best on the various OEM paints? For example, say I have a 2005 Chevy malibu. It would be really handy just to consult the chart on what to use on that car. Then I get a 2001 honda accord, and its different. If that information was anywhere, I figure it would be here.

So from reading your post, it seems that for every car out there, there is an array of about 10 polishes and compounds to choose from. Obviously a ton of different companies making them, but really only about 10 "grades" to look at. Pick a good company that makes a good polish, and then select how aggressive the compound needs to be. Same thing with the polish. However some cars (usually newer ones or ones with good paint) won't need to be compounded, only polished. Does all that sound correct?
 
bennylava said:
... but does anyone have another similar chart or perhaps some kind of database on what polishes and compounds work best on the various OEM paints? For example, say I have a 2005 Chevy malibu. It would be really handy just to consult the chart on what to use on that car. Then I get a 2001 honda accord, and its different. If that information was anywhere, I figure it would be here.
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Sorry, but such a database doesn't exist. The quickest answer to the "why" is that paint changes with too much frequency for anybody to be able to update any such database. For example: It's been noted that the paint type (even if it's the same color) has been changed midway through an assembly line. So, paint for a car, even the same make and model, might have different paint from one car to the next.

Given the information I've been reading, your target audience, and your overall goals, I would suggest something like HD Speed with either a medium cut pad, or a heavy polish pad. You might be able to get away without using a final wax over that, since it has one built into it. You would still want to give it a good wash and decontamination first.

It doesn't sound like you want show car results with great paint finish; but more of a quick, shines-better-than-before type result.
 
The Guz said:
HD Adapt is a polishing compound. Not necessarily an all in one as it leaves no protection behind. All in one's tend to be a cleaner wax type of product that leaves something behind. HD Speed gets rave reviews. You can use something like that. It's an all in one that leaves protection behind. You could follow up with either HD Poxy (HD Speed is a mix of HD Polish & Poxy) or 3D Express Spray wax for a quick detail.

If you go the HD Adapt route you can use any wax that you choose.


In regards to your question about the difference between Adapt and Ultimate Compound, Ultimate Compound will have more cut. A polish may or may not be needed depending on if the surface has some marring after compounding.

Are you doing this by hand or machine?
Are you looking to do this by hand or machine?
Click to expand...

AIO wasn't a good choice of words on my part. Meant in terms of cut and finish ability, it's versatile enough to be a one step fine polish and swirl remover. If you want a super simple and versatile one one step polish, Adapt is great. Not terribly expensive, either.
 
Well, everyone's paint is in different condition. With that said, do you have any pictures of the car and close ups of the paint?

My car for example never shined the way I wanted (at first) simply because the reflections were too blurry for my taste due to a distortion caused by the uneven/textured clear coat (Orange Peel) so for me my process was very involved to get that perfect shine. I spent over 100 hours diligently compounding/polishing the clear coat to be as flat as possible (most people would wet sand but I lacked the skill and knowledge at the time).

In short I understand your goal but I don't know the condition of the paint in order to make a recommendation.

Process I used to get to my goal (excluding wheels, interior, and under the hood):
1. Pressure rinse
2. Two bucket wash
3. Pressure rinse
4. Iron and tar decontamination
5. Pressure rinse
6. Clay bar & clay alternative
7. Foam canon / foam gun, press rinse, and dry
8. Inspect paint and take note of areas that are in need of more correction
7. Tape off one panel (I like to work panel by panel as I don't want to rush myself)
8. Compound using an Orange Peel removal pad (one panel at a time, doing 6-12 overlapping passes)
9. Gently wipe and inspect the panel frequently and work on that panel until your satisfied with the level of correction
10. Waterless wash the panel and dry
11. Polish the panel using a slower speed and less passes
12. Use a paint cleaner to remove any oils that may have been left behind by the polish
13. Final inspection of the panel under strong halogen lights to ensure satisfaction
14. Protect the paint with a LSP that meets your needs (Wax/Sealant/Coating/etc)

I did one panel a week and skipped steps 1-6 for subsequent panels unless decontamination was needed again. For subsequent panels I even just waterless washed as I knew it was decontaminated very recently...
 
bennylava- The vehicles I've reconditioned with such "gee, I want to buy that!" results *did* get some pretty serious attention, but just not to the degree that I think of as "Autopian". I.e., I'd correct with both a compound and a polish, but I wouldn't try for the best results attainable (that being determined by how much clear I could safely remove). Rather, I'd just try to eliminate all the *obvious* marring and make things look really clean and shiny.

The non-Autopian car enthusiast (let alone the average used-car buyer) isn't on the Autopian wavelength. The degree of perfection we're always going on about here simply goes right over their heads.

But in almost all cases you will need both a compound and a polish, then a Last Step Product. The "just an AIO" approach would only be sufficient on...gee, I can't think of an example as IMO most new cars in showrooms need more than that.

And IME people like to see everything *clean*. Those clean wells/jambs/engine compartments/undercarriages give the impression that the vehicle has never been neglected. It will probably be the *only* time the buyer ever looks at some of those areas, and you'll have to point them out, but it's that one time that it'll matter. Actually, I've received a lot more compliments for having spotless doorjambs that I have for having utterly perfect (i.e., marring-free) paint. And those compliments are usually followed by "I can tell you've always taken great care of this car". That's the kind of thing that reassures buyers.
 
Thanks for all the replies everyone. You've all been a great help and its all very much appreciated!

Accumulator said:
bennylava- The vehicles I've reconditioned with such "gee, I want to buy that!" results *did* get some pretty serious attention, but just not to the degree that I think of as "Autopian". I.e., I'd correct with both a compound and a polish, but I wouldn't try for the best results attainable (that being determined by how much clear I could safely remove). Rather, I'd just try to eliminate all the *obvious* marring and make things look really clean and shiny.
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So perhaps for my purposes, the clay bar-ing can be skipped? Which is actually another question I wanted to get to. If you compound, and then polish a car, aren't you just going to knock all those contaminants flat anyway? I mean they're not going to be gone, but they'll have to be flat... right? Which would still contribute to a better looking car than before.


Accumulator said:
The non-Autopian car enthusiast (let alone the average used-car buyer) isn't on the Autopian wavelength. The degree of perfection we're always going on about here simply goes right over their heads.
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This right here is the only reason I really even think that I can get away with doing it the quick "dealership" or "cheap detail shop" way. The fact that they just want to see a clean, shiny car. They wouldn't even know what to look for when it comes to the way people around here would have it. If I can get the paint to really shine and be really reflective, the car has a much higher chance to sell immediately and I don't have to meet with near as many people. But so many of the cars that I get, don't really shine up much, after just a good wash. You can tell they need more to really show that their paint is still good and not faded.

Accumulator said:
And IME people like to see everything *clean*. Those clean wells/jambs/engine compartments/undercarriages give the impression that the vehicle has never been neglected. It will probably be the *only* time the buyer ever looks at some of those areas, and you'll have to point them out, but it's that one time that it'll matter. Actually, I've received a lot more compliments for having spotless doorjambs that I have for having utterly perfect (i.e., marring-free) paint. And those compliments are usually followed by "I can tell you've always taken great care of this car". That's the kind of thing that reassures buyers.
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You seem to know this aspect quite well. That's all really important. You're basically giving the impression that - This right here, is a damn fine automobile. I mean just look at it. Look how clean it is. There are people out there in the world who take great care of their cars, and this one must have been owned by one of them! The other thoughts that might cross their minds is "Well this car just really hasn't seen much use comparatively..." or "Well it doesn't look like they had any kids..." stuff like that. All very good thoughts to convey.
 
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