Another newbie with trouble

J

jpieps

New member
Hey Guys,



I have been looking around and researching for a long time now, but I still have tons of questions!(and yes I did try the search bar.) :hairpull I have finally decided to post a new thread (much to the annoyance of others I'm sure) to get all of my newbie questions answered.

Here is my dilemma; I want a nicely detailed car that will be able to go through a Minnesota winter ungaraged, but I am also on a tight budget. I originally was going to get the Klasse twins, but I hear that they are somewhat outdated, and that Duragloss is just as good. Duragloss total performance polish is a cleaner too though and that would eliminate the practicality of multiple coats, when I think I will need multiple coats of my chosen wax/sealant to get me through winter. I would get the Zaino stuff in a heartbeat if it weren't so expensive (Klasse is pushing it). Is Duragloss as durable as Klasse?



Secondly, is all of the fancy waffle weave this and micro rejuvenater that really necessary? Like I said, I'm on a tight budget and I can't afford a hundred dollars worth of towels. Now, I am planning on getting several microfiber towels for buffing (polishes and waxes and whatnot) and a 100% cotton towel (bath towel?) for drying, plus a washing mitt and a few applicators for polishes and waxes. But do I really need a special towel for washing windows and drying my car, and a special detergent for towels? It seems to me that as long as the towels are reserved for my car, I don't need anything super special right away.



Thanks for reading this long winded post, I really appreciate your help.



thanks,

Jpieps



P.S. If you suggest any sealants, please recommend a polish to go with it, and PLEASE don't use acronyms, I am too much of a newbie to understand them a lot of the time.:D:confused:



THANKS A LOT!:grinno:
 
I live in Michigan, so I have some experience with winter.



I cannot offer any advice with respect to Duragloss vs. Klasse, as I have used neither.



I use Collinite 845 as a "winter wax." It is inexpensive, easy to apply and durable. I put on two layers, although whether you should use more than one layer is a topic of debate.



I use waffle weave towels to dry my cars. I think that there are worth the expense. I wash them using Woolite, which works for me.



I wouldn't bother with hand polishing. Your arm will fall off before you get any appreciable correction. You could use a cleaner wax (like Mothers) to clean the paint before using the 845. If you want to polish, you'll need to save up for a polisher.



Good luck.
 
I had no idea that polish was useless when applied by hand. How much is a professional detail compared to a polisher? One of my options might be to get my car professionally detailed,to get it corrected, then wax it myself to protect it. it might be cheaper to do it myself though. I was having trouble finding a detailer in my area (even though I'm sure there is one, I'm an hour away from Minneapolis) so I don't know the cost of a detail. I would really like my car to look as nice as possible. So to not eventually polish seems out of the question. Anyone else have experience with Collinite?
 
Oh, also, I hear that Klasse brings out swirls. How good are Collinite and Duragloss at hiding swirls?
 
jpieps said:
Here is my dilemma; I want a nicely detailed car that will be able to go through a Minnesota winter ungaraged, but I am also on a tight budget...
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The "ungaraged" part is the challenge, the tight budget shouldn't be much of an issue depending on your definition of "tight".





I originally was going to get the Klasse twins, but I hear that they are somewhat outdated, and that Duragloss is just as good.
Click to expand...



I haven't used DuraGloss, but IMO there's nothing "outdated" about Klasse. I use it on one of my daily drivers and, with sufficient layers, it's the most durable protection I've ever experienced.



I would get the Zaino stuff in a heartbeat if it weren't so expensive (Klasse is pushing it). Is Duragloss as durable as Klasse?
Click to expand...



All sealants aren't the same. Some have claimed that Zaino didn't provide the desired protection against environmental issues (Klasse Sealant Glaze is wonderful in that regard, at least if you layer it).



Secondly, is all of the fancy waffle weave this and micro rejuvenater that really necessary? Like I said, I'm on a tight budget and I can't afford a hundred dollars worth of towels.
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WWs are nice but you shouldn't need all that many of them if you get most of the water off via some other means first.



Some of us need the "Microfiber Detergents" but others do fine with regular laundry detergent.





Now, I am planning on getting several microfiber towels for buffing (polishes and waxes and whatnot) and a 100% cotton towel (bath towel?) for drying, plus a washing mitt and a few applicators for polishes and waxes. But do I really need a special towel for washing windows and drying my car, and a special detergent for towels? It seems to me that as long as the towels are reserved for my car, I don't need anything super special right away.
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The potential problem with cotton is that even seemingly *very* soft 100% cotton towels can often mar automotive paint. Sure, people (myself included) used them for ages before the advent of MF, but cotton is simply more risky in the marring-inducing sense. And *good* cotton towels are quite expensive too.



Heh heh, the towels I use on my cars are a lot softer than the pricey 800-gram weight egyptian cotton towels I use in the bathroom.



For windows, there are no-nap/woven MF towels that wear like iron and are available cheaply OTC.



I had no idea that polish was useless when applied by hand...
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Sad but true. You *can* polish a car by hand, but it's long, hard work. But it's just a matter of how particular you're gonna be.



You can do a so-so job by hand if you pick the right products, and when I say "so-so" I mean in the Autopian context, which is mighty off-the-scale compared to how normal people look at cars. "So-so" would still be as nice as many show cars I see.

How much is a professional detail compared to a polisher? One of my options might be to get my car professionally detailed,to get it corrected, then wax it myself to protect it. it might be cheaper to do it myself though.
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If you buy the polisher you can do your own work for years and years. Beware cheap detail jobs; people who are good are *not* cheap.



It's a question of how nice you want it to look.



But also consider how hard it is to *keep* a finish nice. Most people mar (i.e., swirl/scratch/etc.) the paint up each and every time they wash it, even when they're trying to be careful.



Anyone else have experience with Collinite?
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Collinite 845 is very user-friendly, but it's durability can vary given different paints/situations. Their 476S paste wax is the most durable stuff around if you're only doing one coat.



Note that waxes are more forgiving of marring than sealants. Meaning that if you're *not* gonna polish to perfection (and keep it that way, which is the hardest thing by far) then you might be happier with a wax like Collinite.



You could polish by hand with 1Z brand Paint Polish, add a coat of Collinite 476S, and have a decent looking car with a good shine and plenty of protection. It wouldn't look, uhm..."Autopian", but it'd probably still be a whole lot better than you've ever had before.



Oh, and Welcome to Autopia!
 
So, if I clay the car, use 1Z (or something like it), apply Klasse, and then use some carnauba wax, the finish will still look good, and be durable? How about if I put some quick detailer on there instead of carnauba wax? How good are quick detailers? Also, if I get a towel like the guzzler by Cobra, how many will I need?, lastly, if I use an all natural detergent with no fabric softeners, will that be ok for MF?



VERY lastly what does OTC mean? :)



thanks for the welcome!
 
On a tight budget I'd use Meguiar’s COLORX for polish, then Collinite 845. Go to Target if you have one close by and pick up some MF towels.
 
jpieps said:
So, if I clay the car, use 1Z (or something like it), apply Klasse, and then use some carnauba wax, the finish will still look good, and be durable? How about if I put some quick detailer on there instead of carnauba wax? How good are quick detailers? Also, if I get a towel like the guzzler by Cobra, how many will I need?, lastly, if I use an all natural detergent with no fabric softeners, will that be ok for MF?

VERY lastly what does OTC mean? :)

thanks for the welcome!
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OTC Over the counter Clay, ColorX, and Klasse would work well also. A couple of MF towels would work. You can was them in regular laundry detergent. No softeners.
 
Where about in MN are you? I'm about an hour from Minneapolis, also.



I have had good luck with winter protection using Collinte 845 and Zaino Z2 /Z5. There is a local Zaino dealer in Vadnais Heights that also has other detailing stuff like buffers, pads, towels, etc. so you can check them out in person.



Randy
 
jpieps said:
So, if I clay the car, use 1Z (or something like it), apply Klasse, and then use some carnauba wax, the finish will still look good, and be durable?
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The 1Z leaves wax behind, as does Meguiar's Color-X, so don't use Klasse after those (for various reasons I can elaborate upon if necessary).



Note that with products like that, if you're pooped after washing and polishing you can wait until after the next wash to apply the "real" wax.



I'm a big fan of keeping this stuff simple and aiming for "nice" instead of "perfect".



How about if I put some quick detailer on there instead of carnauba wax? How good are quick detailers?
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The new Meguiar's Ultimate QD is supposed to leave some decent protection behind, but I'd just wax it. Not that big a deal and a can/bottle of Collinite oughta last for many years.



if I get a towel like the guzzler by Cobra, how many will I need?,
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Get two because [stuff] happens. Then you could use a small, very soft 100% cotton towel (BE VERY CAREFUL) for little drips.

lastly, if I use an all natural detergent with no fabric softeners, will that be ok for MF?
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It is for some people. But *I* do better with the MF detergent. Oh, and I use a *tiny* bit of softener with my cotton towels and it doesn't cause any problems. I find that Ultra Downy works fine, but some others do cause absorption problems so I'd stick with that brand.
 
Accumulator said:
The 1Z leaves wax behind, as does Meguiar's Color-X, so don't use Klasse after those (for various reasons I can elaborate upon if necessary).
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Please elaborate :P



Does Klasse or Collinite have better long term protection? I don't mind layering or having to spend a lot of time on it, so that isn't an issue as far as Klasse goes. If I were to use Klasse with ColorX what would I have to do to make the surface ok for Klasse? So far it sounds like I'm gonna be using ColorX with Collinite (845 or 476, not sure which yet).
 
Klasse is a sealant. There would be bonding issues if you used Klasse. You could do a IPA Isopropyl alcohol wipedown. After Color X you would have to wipe the whole car down with IPA.



I'd go with ColorX (a mild polish OTC) with Collinite 845. Wait 12 - 24 hours and apply a second coat of 845.
 
And sealants like Klasse are far less forgiving than waxes. Even if (not really an "if"...) the 1Z doesn't get all the marring out, the stuff it leaves behind, plus the Collinite, will hide some of the residual flaws. I only use Klasse on vehicles I can get (and keep) basically perfect.
 
MDRX8 said:
On a tight budget I'd use Meguiar’s COLORX for polish, then Collinite 845. Go to Target if you have one close by and pick up some MF towels.
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Exact 3 products I was going to recommend. The Vroom microfibers at target are pretty nice. I did notice a set that had those melted corners to keep from fraying, so I wouldn't buy those ones. I piicked up an 8 pack (i think they're 16 x 16") that had more round corners that weren't melted for like 8-9$. The color x will clean your paint some, 845 will protect well. The only addition I'd make is that I'd personally clay the car first. Skip polishing till spring.
 
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