Confused new guy here... please help me order the right starting stuff

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dbiegel

New member
Hi everyone, I've been reading and searching but there is so much information here and a lot of it is just over my head and hard for me to simplify. Please help. Here's my situation:



I just bought a White 2003 MR-2 Spyder convertible, 11k miles absolute brand new showroom condition.



I drove it 500 miles home and it was covered in bugs and crap. So I cleaned it as well as possible this morning with some Meguiar's Quik Detailer from Pep Boys, some microfiber towels and a garden hose. I found some rock chips in the process, which made me sad but oh well.



Anyway, I want to seal/protect the paint as well as possible. I am a law student and just spent all my money to buy the car, so I want to do the most cost effective way possible (but still doing it "right"). I was thinking of the following:



Zaino Z2 PRO + Zaino ZFX + Zaino Clay Bar + Griot's Rubber & Vinyl (for the top) + Griot's Interior Cleaner

(recommended by someone I trust, but very expensive for me, plus double shipping costs)



or



Klasse All-In-One + ?? Cheaper Clay Bar + cheaper ??? (for the top) + cheaper ??? (for the interior)



Will a couple layers of Klasse AIO be comparable to the Zaino? Is there a great discount website I can order everything from so I don't get raped on shipping? If so what web site and what to get?? Or do I have to bite the bullet and buy the first set? Please help!
 
thanks steveo. is AIO + collinite as good and durable as zaino? what about klasse AIO + klasse's sealer vs zaino?



bump -- any other thoughts anyone? I guess I need the following:



1) pre-clean: is meguiar's QD and a garden hose good enough? do I need a polish?



2) a clay bar (clay magic from autozone??)



3) a very good sealer/wax. I want it to last AS LONG AS POSSIBLE as I start law school in august and won't have time to do much till xmas break.



4) something for the vinyl top. heard good things about griots viny/rubber dressing for my car.



5) something for interior plastics etc... ?? maybe something for the cloth seats too.



Please help guys, I have searched my heart out and I am starting to lose my hair trying to find a simple, inexpensive way to do this. this car is showroom and I just want to be able to protect the hell out of it. I don't mind buying stuff OTC but I want really good stuff and it only seems to be available online. but, I live near meguiar's headquarters if thats an option for getting good stuff at a good price?



should I just order zaino Z2 PRO + ZFX, griots rubber/vinyl dressing, interior stuff from somewhere else, and a clay bar at autozone and call it a day? god, the shipping costs on small orders from so many places are going to be half my budget.
 
AIO plus collinite(476s or 845IW) would get you about 4-5 months of beading and protection. It should be more than enough considering your situation. Klasse SG is difficult to work with, but competes with Zaino in terms of longevity. Yes, clay magic would be just fine for clay. For interior plastics and vinyl, consider poorboy's natural look dressing. It looks factory fresh with just a hint of gloss and has UV protection as well.
 
pre clean...you need a shampoo and wash mitt, something like megs gold class or nxt soap



yes clay magic...most places sell it( make sure the clay bar hasnt been stolen)



303 is nice for the dash and interior plastic



i dont think megs headquarters actualy holds any stock...they do however hold free saturday and wednesday evening detail classes that maybe of intrest to you...go over to megsonline and sign up if intrested..after the class they offered discounted products but you still have to have it shipped
 
I totally understand your confusion. There's lots of product info and reccommendations, but you never really know till you try them out. First thing is 85% of your final look is in the *preparation*, meaning everything you do before the final wax. I'm going to give some high quality product recommendations without busting the bank. If you've caught the detailing bug, you will spend $$ trying out exotic products for that *ultimate look*, but IMO these will do a very HQ job at a reasonable price.



Basic process for a full detail is:

1- Wash

2- Clay

3- Polish

4- AIO (highly recommended)

5- Wax



You said your car is in "showroom condition" meaning the paint is in excellent condition? Even though its in like new condtion the main idea is to clean the surface to a clean base (not thru clearcoat of course), but removing all defects to get to a clean base.....then start applying the pretty stuff like AIO & waxes.



Step 1 - Wash and an optional step 1a is after washing make a mix of 50/50 Isoprophyl alcohol & water, wipe your car down with this solution using a microfiber then rinse. This should fully remove the Megs Quick detailer.



Step 2- Get some clay magic blue bar at an auto parts store. Personally I use a car wash/water solution for lubrication instead of the lube in the package. Go easy on the claying until you feel comfortable with it and apply at the right pressure. Try not to mar the paint.



3- I would use a light duty polish here that will finsh down nicely. Since the car is in excellent condition, you shouldn't need a very aggressive polish. Glanz Paint Polish (green can) is an excellent choice or Meguiars Speed Glaze #80.



Einszett Paint Polish- http://www.pakshak.com/1z-paint-polish-500ml.html

Megs Speed Glaze- http://www.autogeek.net/mg80.html



4) AIO - Just gotta have it. I poo-poo'd it when I first started then finally tried it and was like "Uh...wow that's a different look!"



5) Wax- I would go with Duragloss Aquawax from Car Quest stores for about $7. Lots of positive threads on it here lately. I believe Scottwax noted that the polymers (Aquawax) look better on lighter colors and carnauba waxes look better on darker colors. Being a spray wax it'll be easy to freshen up the shine whenever you want.



Vinyl Top- Best product I've heard of here is called Raggtop. Did a search and an Autopian said "I can only endorse the RaggTop brand but I believe they all work about the same. Yes, Raggtop will seal the fabric and bead like the painted surfaces if applied every 6 months for a daily driver. Amazing stuff (RaggTop) that works and easy to apply. I always have a can in my inventory of detailing supplies."



Link - http://www.autogeek.net/rafaca.html



Tires, wheels & wheelwells- I like Eagle One All Wheel & Tire Cleaner. Removes most break dust like butter and good for wheelwells and tires too. Rinse it well after. On WW and tires I spray it on, let sit for 20-30 seconds, then follow with a soapy wash solution on a tire brush. Cleans great this way.



http://www.eagleone.com/pages/products/product.asp?itemid=1003



Tire protection- I use NXT Tech Protect. It works for me and leaves a natural, matte finish. You might prefer something else.



http://www.meguiars.com/?vinyl-rubber-plastic-protectants/NXT-Generation-Tech-Protect



My 2 cents. Good luck!
 
kpounds,



Thanks so much for taking the time to put that together. I actually understand exactly what to do now!



I will definitely be printing it out to refer to when doing this. I'm sure that other n00bs searching will find this a mini-clinic as well.



Also thanks to the others who posted recommendations - I will definitely take them into consideration in deciding what to buy.
 
I bought most of my stuff at cardomain.com they price match on any item sold and shipping is cheap and no tax. I got the 16.9oz bottles of klasse AIO for $20.94 and SG for $16.01. People might not know but they do have the best prices shipped if u used there price match option. They dont have the super high end stuff but if ur on a budget i suggest u check out the website.
 
kpounds - Being a noob I appreciate your effort too. Everyone here has so much information that it can get very confusing after a while. I also have a white vehicle, its an 04 Toyota 4-Runner so the paint is in good condition but having just recieved my 7424 I am very anxious to use it but I want to make sure I have all the information I can possibly have. Thanks again...I appreciate it!
 
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