What to get and where to get it from?

M

MyStyle00

New member
I'll start out by saying that I have been working at a detail shop near St. Louis for a year and a half now. So I know what I am doing a bit. I know how to buff, but its w/ a waffle pad. I dont know how to use that one cloth pad (sorry, dont know the name). Also, we have a orbital to take on/off wax. All our products are from a distributor...Car Chem. My boss's "premier" wax is Meguiers Medallion, but I dont know what number. After seeing this site, I kinda laugh at his thoughts.



I am wanting to know what you guys would recommend getting for a buffing/clearcoat compound, and wax. I read all your posts, but I dont understand the abreviations like Z5 and stuff like that, so you would have to elaborate. Can someone lay out a process for me with the products included. I am seeing that a lot of people like coating w/ different stuff. I am mainly wanting that mirror image shine w/ a good coat of protection. I wash my car about 2x a week, so it would have to handle that.



And last, please tell me where to get all these great products.



Thanks, and sorry for being so long
 
Hi,



Welcome to Autopia. Don't know how long you've been hanging around here but you'll find the vast majority of us are serious car nuts who want their personal cars to look great. While there are a few pro detailers here its mostly just dedicated individuals. I mention this because many of the products and techniques discussed here targeted toward individuals detailing their own cars as opposed to pros who've got to detail many cars. So the perspective is different.



Anyway, I had just posted a comment in another thread from someone with similar questions so I'm just gonna repost that here:



Welcome to Autopia.



What it sounds like you need is a total detailing regimen, not just a product suggestion or two. Detailing is not just about products and the more experienced detailers will tell you it's about technique, experience, and knowledge. Products become less and less of an issue as your knowledge base expands.



I highly recommend the purchase of the Autopia Guide to Detailing. It's has tons of info on not only what to use but how to use it and when. It'll answers most of your general questions and help you decide what to buy and how to use it.



Check out the e-book here: www.autopia-carcare.com



If you want to learn more about all the products out there and how they compare to one another, the definitive source is The Wax Test. Not only did they compare and test over 40 different products but they offer a ton of great tips and tricks to make those products work. Have a look here: www.thewaxtest.org



With these two publications you'll have lots of material to use as a foundation of information. Keep reading posts here at Autopia as they will help you with specific solutions to specific problems.



Hope this helps. Good luck.



As for acronyms and such, we have a special webapge just for that. Look here: http://www.autopia-carport.com/terms.htm



Finally, many Autopians patronize the site sponsors as they are dedicated to offering top quality products and customer service. Click on the banner ads at the top of the page and you'll can check them out. Also have a look here at the site sponsors, any of them will serve you well: http://www.autopia-carport.com/sponsors.php
 
Hi



I am going to disagree with a couple of issues. Let me first start by saying that products are very important. Whether you are a in the detailing business full time or just want to keep your vehicle up. You can ask anyone that knows anything about detailing. Yes. detailing is an art however, you need the tools to produce the end results.



I would compare detailing to art work. If you ask an artist they all have their favorite brushes and paints. This theory applies the detailing arena as well. You can get by with store bought products just like a dealer can sell his vehicle fixed just enough to sell. However, if you are going to detail vehicles do it right and that means taking your time with a quality product!





I speak from experience 8 years of it!
 
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