Beginner detailer with questions

[RaysWay]

Which wax to choose? That's a tough question. If it was my 911 I'd go with a sealant + wax combo. Sealant for the shine and protection, then a wax for the gloss and maintenance. The BLACKFIRE Wet-Ice over Fire Total Kit would be perfect. Then again if it was my 911 I'd probably be in jail right now.

Interesting... I hadn't heard of those before. One thing I'm wondering though is the feedback. You can look at a clay bar and tell how much gunk you've picked up by the little particles in it. Not sure if the Speedy Prep Towel/Nanoskin is easy to visually see what you're accomplishing.

I think I'm leaning towards using regular clay for now, and then whenever that runs out maybe look at one of these.

You get great feedback from Nanoskin or Speedy Surface prep or other clay bar alternatives by how it feels. You can feel the nanoskin products for example feel very "grabby" at first. Once they glide across the paint easier, you know that section has been decontaminated.

 

[trashmanssd]

It gives tactile and audible feedback as you use it. as for when to rinse it out when i baggy tested wifes car felt like sand paper so I rinsed out the towel every 2 panels in the sink with warm water. took about 3 minutes each time was being cautious. but the savings in time means I will do it more often 3-4 times year before i wax it just so easy. some guys use nano skin sponge every wash with the soap as a lubricant. It is truly a game changer for "claying car I now will only use real clay for doing the really dirty areas I dont want on my towel, rims, real bad lower quarters behind the wheels, on others cars that are total abused and covered.

 

[dboeren]

Which wax to choose? That's a tough question. If it was my 911 I'd go with a sealant + wax combo. Sealant for the shine and protection, then a wax for the gloss and maintenance. The BLACKFIRE Wet-Ice over Fire Total Kit would be perfect.

Yeah, I was originally looking at the Blackfire but I wasn't sure whether it was worth the higher price for me or if I should save some cash to put towards an orbital down the line. One issue I'm working on is that with the car being nearly 20 years old it does have some paint chips which no glaze is going to be able to fill. I'm working on touching these up with some Dr. Colorchip but it's taking a while. I've seen some comments to the effect that if your paint isn't in superb good condition then applying too high level of a wax/sealant just ends up highlighting your shortcomings.

At some point I just need to pick something and take the plunge. That's partly why I'm thinking of doing it in stages so if it does end up making the chips too visible I can stop before adding another stage but the website is more oriented towards making one big order so you can get free shipping or maximize your coupon.