$75.00... what to buy? Detail products...

B

BuffMUSTANG

New member
I am about to detail a friends car. It's a new Civic. To bad i dont know what color it is. Anyway, i'm going to get 75.00 for doing it. I want to use that money to buy more/better detailing products...

This is what i have, let me know if you want to know what everything is:

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This is my car:

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My Mustang after the Tint. It is a metalic Green, dont know if you could tell from the pictures.

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My car at a car show... only Final Detail no wax, didnt have time.

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My car on the lift in the Garage.

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Thanks... Justin
 
LouisanaJeeper said:


I wouls also recommend putting that $75 towards a PC polisher
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I immediately thought the same thing, until i realized that $75 would just about cover the costs of everything needed to go with a PC.. Backing plate (~$15), pads (3 pads, $30), heavy abrasive (dacp, $18), and light abrasive (#82, $15) would just exceed that!



Boy do the costs add up fast..



My suggestion is that unless you got $200 to put down for the PC and their associated polishes, you'll be happy with what you already have. One thing I don't see is a non-cleaner carnauba.. I would spend $15 on s100. It's nice being able to put down a layer of protection and shine in 30 mins without the need for a cure time.



The one other thing I can think of is for you to try out Protect-all's Quick and Easy Wash. It's a great water saver and is a convienent way to wash. You might like it enough to completely switch over! I think a 16oz bottle is under $15, and if you like it then you can go for a gallon at ~$30.







-Raymond
 
welcome justin,



nice stang you got there. :D



i'd also suggest you put that $75 towards a PC if you can spare some extra money for a few pads and a couple polishes. a PC is really worth it, especially when you start finding swirls and scratches. :xyxthumbs



but if you can't or don't want to get one now, there is a lot of good products out there for $75. i personally like the VM and EX combo. VM can be applied to almost everything on the exterior of the car. EX applied three times (i'm bad at explaining the look) looks something like my avatar's picture. i guess it all depends on what YOU are looking for.
 
I can't tell from your pictures, but I'd probably buy some nice quality microfiber towels, and some cheaper towels for grunge work.



Some kind of abrasive might be a good idea too.



But what do you find yourself thinking "I wish I had one of those" when you are doing details? What things do you think would help you?
 
A PC is a variable speed buffer right? Like the Porter cable buffer? I would like to buy a nice one like that but i'm worried i would ruin my paint because i have never used anything like that before. All i have is a cheap 20.00 walmart brand buffer. It works good but i know i can get much better results with a buffer like the porter. If everyone thinks thats the way i should go i will just save up and buy one and buy everything i need to go with it. Now for polishes, i'm new to the game so you kinda have to explain what you mean when you put like EX and VM... Who makes these? Where can i get them? These are my towels that i have:

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I have a couple Micro Fiber towels but i would like to get more, but i dont know a good place to get them and the best price. There are so many to choose from. i would be using them to polish and clean my windows pretty much.



I just like to make my car look as good as possible and i enjoy making it look good. So i'm looking for the best products to do the job. Once in a while i will detail a car. But i'm not sure how to advertise and i dont think i have enough/ good enough products to detail a persons car that i dont know. If i started detailing on the side i would want the persons car to look perfect. I also dont know what to charge to detail a car.



Thanks for all of the help, i really appreciate it. Justin
 
BuffMUSTANG said:
A PC is a variable speed buffer right? Like the Porter cable buffer? I would like to buy a nice one like that but i'm worried i would ruin my paint because i have never used anything like that before.
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There's not much danger of ruining the paint unless you really try to! Just be methodical and pay attention to what you are doing.. No problem.



Now for polishes, i'm new to the game so you kinda have to explain what you mean when you put like EX and VM... Who makes these? Where can i get them?
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VM is a very mild polish / cleaner / glaze. It is produced by Clearkote. EX is a sealant produced by Poorboy's World. IIRC, www.pakshak.com sells em both, so does www.specialtymotoring.com



I have a couple Micro Fiber towels but i would like to get more, but i dont know a good place to get them and the best price. There are so many to choose from. i would be using them to polish and clean my windows pretty much.
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www.pakshak.com is a favorite around here. The Autopia store is supposed to sell nice ones. Check the WCD vendor forum here, he's having a good sale on MF towels right now. This thread has a big list of MF suppliers, I bet all of em sell good stuff!



If i started detailing on the side i would want the persons car to look perfect. I also dont know what to charge to detail a car.
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That's the right attitude! You charge how much you want to be paid.. $5/hour? $20/hour? $40/hour? Do cars for family and friends to get up some experience and figure out how long stuff takes you (you'll get faster with experience), then ask you friends and family to start telling people about your work. Word of mouth is the best advertising...
 
BuffMUSTANG said:


I have a couple Micro Fiber towels but i would like to get more, but i dont know a good place to get them and the best price. There are so many to choose from. i would be using them to polish and clean my windows pretty much.
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Well then that's what I personally would buy. And maybe some more foam hand apps if you don't have many. Having the right tools to use products is as important as having the right technique. IIRC the Meguiar's 20-pack of Ultimate Wipes are $49. They are nice for polishing and buffing off product, and should work well on glass. They aren't my fave for QD work, though, but are quality and you'll have a lot of towels. Pakshak's are great too, they were my first real MF purchase and I still use them. :)
 
Looks like you have a good supply of products to get started. I like to have quality tools to work with also, good sheepskin mitt, assortment of brushes and plenty of microfiber towels. I really like the SONUS Der Wunder Polishing Cloth for product removal and windows, actually it is super for windows. You will definitely want a large waffle-weave MF towel for drying so check do a search for "waffle weave," you should turn up one's from Autopia Car Care, PakShak, Autofiber, Excel Detail, and a few others. As for sheepskins, just get one that is soft and doesn't have any rough spots in it; Target has some decent ones for $6.99, but they are "thumb-less." I just got a few brushes from Winner's Choice Detaling that are top-notch. He's got a great assortment on sale for $27, plus great prices on his MF towels.



Also, check out the "Learn!" button at the top for some great info on the PC. Then check out the "Acronyms" link at the upper left menu here on the home page for all the shorthand on things.



GOOD LUCK!
 
Yup, now you are talking. Costal Tool is where a lot of us got our PC's.

Get pads from Lake Country or Meguiars...I have Lake Country from CMA (custom motor accessories-a sponser here at Autopia) and I think they were about $37 for 3 of them, shipped to my door. Get a cutting pad, polishing pad, and a final application pad.



As far as ruining your paint with the PC...FORGET IT! you would literally have to put sandpaper or rocks on the pad for it to ruin the paint. I probably had the same fears you do now before I got my PC. I was WRONG! The first couple times I didn't quite get the results I wanted, but it still came out better than by hand. HIGHLY recommend buying a PC!



Hope this helps!

:xyxthumbs
 
Oh, and one more thing to add to your laundry list...

The Klasse Twins (I don't know if someone mentioned this already)

AIO and Sealant Glaze. INCREDIBLE products! I think you can get the twins for around $30 shipped...
 
A couple more products to consider. Meguiars #16 Pro Paste Wax. Very nice look and very durable. Looks terrific over NXT. As your deep polish, Meguiars #80 Speed Glaze is excellent. Cuts pretty good to start but quickly breaks down into a fine polish. You can go straight to NXT after using it. In addition, it works extremely well by hand or PC.
 
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