A beginner! Would really appreciate some wisdom.

R

redping3

New member
Hello, I'm relatively new to detailing, but I love it; seeing any car in their most beautiful is something I love.

I've always washed my own cars, but have been hesitant to do any polishing or waxing that requires knowledge.

I want to begin though.



Here's my current car:



2004 Acura TL, White Diamond Pearl, Tan Leather



DSC02799.jpg




It has the typical swirl marks and imperfections of the average car.



I'd like to know what specific products you recommend for a wash, clay bar, hand polish, and hand wax; I've heard pearl paints are different to work with.



Any information at all is greatly appreciated. :)
 
I'll try to give you a hand.



OK, as far as looking for specific products, I've found that brand name doesn't make much difference. Usually an individual will prefer a certain name over another strictly on personal taste. There isn't really one superior product in any class of products. Everyone will tell you a different name.



For you, you could get away with using a regular car wash soap, I like to experiment and usually always have a different kind of soap on hand. Typically it's whatever is on sale. Therefore I probably have about 5 different soaps in stock.

Claybar I personally use Riccardo yellow. Why, because I can get it local, and it's cheaper than the other big names out there. Plus I REALLY like it.

Hand Polish, you could probably get away with using a medium abrasive machine polish if applying by hand. However, it's going to wear you out pretty good working those swirls out by hand. I've done it before, but quickly picked up a PC to use next time. Perhaps Poorboy's SSR2.5 Starts off medium, but breaks down and finishing good. I've had good success by hand with it, was able to take scratches around door handle out with it by hand.

Hand Wax pretty much any of the above will do. Collinite 845 is easy to apply by hand, use little and it spreads easily without drying too quick.



I've done my friend's pearl white Cadillac before, and never used anything special because of the certain kind of paint it had.
 
Thank you for the advice. :)



Do you have any pictures of the car?



I've been doing more research, and it seems that a random orbital is necessary... Will those products work well with a Griots Garage Random Orbital?
 
If you have access to a Random Orbital or will be getting one then definitely use it to remove the swirls.

If you do, then get a cutting pad and medium or heavy polish, and a polishing pad and light polish to finish prior to waxing.



I have pictures of the car, but they don't really show the pearl well at all. In fact, they are my least favorite pictures from my collection of detailing pics..haha, lousy lighting I guess.













This was just clay and wax. No paint correction.
 
Welcome!



I will agree that really there is no single product per category which will give you the absolutely best results.



Also there is no single brand that is superior in all aspects to other brands. It is for me more of a subjective mix & match game.



With these 2 things in mind, I will not get in the 'name a product / brand' scenario but will keep my comments more on a direction strategy level and you will fill the gaps either by taking other people's suggestions or by forming your own through reading here and on other forums.



Things to consider very early on:

• How much time will you be allocating per detailing session?

• How often will you be detailing?

• How much space do you have?

• Is there easy access to running water?

• What is your budget? and

• How prone are you to 'wow that sounds amazing, I will try it even if I have 2 or 3 similar products half full already'.



Answering these questions yourself will help you decide things like



Waterless / rinseless / traditional wash.

Bulk vs small packs.

Products that are saving time in their application vs others that need their time.



Finally, some things that have worked for me.

Invest in a polisher to get the most out of your time and effort.

Be very mindful of your washing/drying techniques and media.

Be ready to allocate good chunks of time to keep everything in and out in top shape.
 
If you want results without killing yourself in a hand wax, use anything labeled as a 'glaze'. It contains fillers that will hide swirls for a couple months or so (depending upon what LSP or 'wax' you top it with, along with heat, sun exposure, etc.). I would 200% suggest the Griot's DA and Meguiar's DA microfiber correction pads. Try Amazon or the Griot's web site, they should both have free shipping (or autogeek.net, they'll have limited time free shipping on orders over $99, then you can get 10% off with coupon code 'autopia').



This is a very expensive hobby, especially without sufficient research, so I'd suggest you take your time :)
 
Red,



As a newbie myself the best advice to answer any question you have can be found under the "guide to detailing" forum. It has an article for every part of your car. Start there.
 
Ch96067 said:
Welcome!



I will agree that really there is no single product per category which will give you the absolutely best results.



Also there is no single brand that is superior in all aspects to other brands. It is for me more of a subjective mix & match game.



With these 2 things in mind, I will not get in the 'name a product / brand' scenario but will keep my comments more on a direction strategy level and you will fill the gaps either by taking other people's suggestions or by forming your own through reading here and on other forums.



Things to consider very early on:

• How much time will you be allocating per detailing session?

• How often will you be detailing?

• How much space do you have?

• Is there easy access to running water?

• What is your budget? and

• How prone are you to 'wow that sounds amazing, I will try it even if I have 2 or 3 similar products half full already'.



Answering these questions yourself will help you decide things like



Waterless / rinseless / traditional wash.

Bulk vs small packs.

Products that are saving time in their application vs others that need their time.



Finally, some things that have worked for me.

Invest in a polisher to get the most out of your time and effort.

Be very mindful of your washing/drying techniques and media.

Be ready to allocate good chunks of time to keep everything in and out in top shape.
Click to expand...



I have access to both running water and electricity. And for my budget, I wouldn't mind trying something that I know will yield great results, for just one car. I'd like to spend a maximum of 4 hours :)
 
SpoolinNoMore said:
If you want results without killing yourself in a hand wax, use anything labeled as a 'glaze'. It contains fillers that will hide swirls for a couple months or so (depending upon what LSP or 'wax' you top it with, along with heat, sun exposure, etc.). I would 200% suggest the Griot's DA and Meguiar's DA microfiber correction pads. Try Amazon or the Griot's web site, they should both have free shipping (or autogeek.net, they'll have limited time free shipping on orders over $99, then you can get 10% off with coupon code 'autopia').



This is a very expensive hobby, especially without sufficient research, so I'd suggest you take your time :)
Click to expand...



Definitely, I wanna learn up as much as I can before beginning, as to not waste money unnecessarily. :)



And for towels, are Mikropak Waffle Weave really worth investing? (If you've tried them personally)
 
redping3- Welcome to Autopia!



IMO, washing the car *properly* (that is, without instilling marring like the swirls you're asking about) probably requires as much knowledge as doing moderate polishing with a random orbital buffer. Most anybody can quickly get the hang of polishing out swirls, but developing a marring-free wash regimen is very challenging.



And yeah, IMO any of the MFs from PakShak are well worth their cost. Their Ultra-soft Waffle Weaves are what I recommend for drying.



The Griot's RO buffer is *VERY* good, and will work with most products that are not "rotary polisher-only". I'm not a big fan of Griot's Machine Polishes or their waxes though, IMO you can do a lot better.
 
4 hours sounds about right to me for a thorough session.



I would think a regime of weekly/biweekly washing, bimonthly waxing (if you will use waxes) and semiannual polishing (machine assisted preferably) will keep your car in great shape.



Upfront investments to yield the results you want could be a pressure washer, foam lance and small blower to dry the car with minimal touching.



I would recommend that you buy wheel cleaner and prewash/foam wash in bulk when you decide on a specific product as they go fast. Other products tend to last for a reasonable time I think.
 
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