I'm not a professional. However, a decade ago I got into detailing my car, a 1996 BMW 318ti, red. To this day the paint job looks great. However, besides garaging the vehicle nightly, I've neglected detailing the past three year. The car hasn't been waxed in over a year and most of my car washes have been the gas station car wash variety - touchless.
I now want to revive my detailing efforts. Perusing my aged detailing supplies I notice I'm out of wax and a good cleaner, although I do have some Zymol Cleanse HD left. I used to use a 3M polish followed by One Grand brand wax. I'm also short on detailing towels; I used to use Zymol 100% cotton towels. Anyway, I came to this site to find a few recommended products and was blown away with the detailing changes over the past few years. I read the learning threads, and added to my purchase cart the products I think I need. Before I pull the "buy" trigger I thought I'd post my product plans here and get your thoughts, recommendations, and possible changes.
I appreciate your feedback, and thank you.
Sincerely,
Michael
I now want to revive my detailing efforts. Perusing my aged detailing supplies I notice I'm out of wax and a good cleaner, although I do have some Zymol Cleanse HD left. I used to use a 3M polish followed by One Grand brand wax. I'm also short on detailing towels; I used to use Zymol 100% cotton towels. Anyway, I came to this site to find a few recommended products and was blown away with the detailing changes over the past few years. I read the learning threads, and added to my purchase cart the products I think I need. Before I pull the "buy" trigger I thought I'd post my product plans here and get your thoughts, recommendations, and possible changes.
- Shampoo: I'm getting low on P21s. I'm planning on adding a bottle. Is Sonus any better?
- Cleaner and Sealer: I thought I'd go the route of the Ultima Paint Sampler. This includes Paint Guard Plus, Paint Prep Plus, and their detailing spray. A MF applicator is also included. Should I purchase a second applicator for about $6? Also, I have never used clay before. Would the Ultima Elastrofoam Paint Cleaning System be a good purchase for $38, in addition to the $40 Sampler? I have water spots on my car, but the paint surface is surprisingly smooth despite its neglect. I have an old bottle of Meguiar's Swirl Remover #9. Should I use this instead of the Elastrofoam Cleaning System? It would save me $38. Or should I consider a different clay product, such as the $15 Sonus SFX Detail Clay Bundle in lieu of the Ultima Elastrofoam product?
- Towels - Is the Der Wunder Towel Trio, $38, a good buy on MF towels? Do I need more than the included six towels. Would the $13 Ultima Autospa Buffing Towel be a good addition to the Sonus towels?
- Wheels - I still have a lot of P21s Gel. I'll use it up despite its age.
- Plastic Trim - I'm running out of Rhino Black Again. Should I buy more, or is there a better product for darkening and protecting the black trim?
- Interior Vinyl - I've been using Lexol. Is Sonus Total Eclipse any better? I need to buy more.
- Other - I have some 3M carpet cleaner I need to use up. I also have Total Car Wash for the engine, and some rubber seal protecting products. I have a good fluffy chenille wash mit and some foam applicator pads. Is there anything I'm missing?
I appreciate your feedback, and thank you.
Sincerely,
Michael