Hi Melhads, welcome. I am fairly new myself but have been following instruction from David Bynon (David B) for quite some time. I would first recommend you purchase his guide to detailing from his site
www.autopia-carcare.com. You can learn everything about carcare from that document. He even got me to use (gulp) sandpaper on my finish to fix a scratch. IT WORKED!! But boy was I scared. You can also learn a lot by clicking on the link above to Classic Motoring Accessories. They also have a lot of helpful tips. In one shipment I received some defective merchandise from them which they realized was a defect from the manufacturer and it was replaced, no questions asked.
There are a lot of people loyal to
www.carcareonline.com. They also have useful info but ordering from them is a pain. They have good tips/hints on carcare so they may be good for a second opinion. There are a lot of excellent products out there and a lot of opinions.
I have a Biarritz (dark) Blue 540i/6 so I feel your pain. Those dark finishes are tough to clean.
For the BMW rims, I have found the P21s wheel cleaner to work best though get some wax on there after your first cleaning and they will clean up easier.
The basics would be bug and tar remover I use One Grand, car wash shampoo (I like Sonax), 3M Imperial Hand Glaze followed by One Grand Blitz Wax for the exterior. If you have the cash, go for the Pinnacle Souveran. If you quick detail, I like Einman Fabrik in between waxes. For the interior leather, use Lexol Ph to clean and Lexol Conditioner to condition. I lightly use Vinylex on dash surfaces to clean interior and also on tires. For that dark finish you probably want a California Car Duster as well. I use it about every other day to get off that light dust.
Of course you need the basics like two good wash buckets, wash mitts etc. If you have tinting, clean it with Plexus. Microfiber towels are awesome and recommended.
For drying your car, it is tough to beat the P21S drying towel. Easy to wring out. Some use a waterblade but I only use it on the wife's Expedition because it is so large.
There are MANY other products so just read up on as much as you can and you will start to figure out what you like best too. I have left off a lot but you need to determine what is best for you based on the time and budget available.
Like the rest of us you will soon have cabinets full of numerous products that do the same thing, just because they are all fun to try. Good luck, post pics and let us know how it goes.
BrianE '00 540i/6 (The beauty)
'99 Expedition (The beast)
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