New to detailing, needs some help with products

L

loancoach

New member
Hello all, this is my first post. I just purchased a 2003 Hyundai XG350, Ebony Black with a Black Leather Interior. I am looking to get all my detailing supplies in order as my new car is already a mess! Damn East Coast Winter. Here is what I am thinking of getting.



Exterior:

Shampoo: P21S

Tire Cleaner: Eagle One

Wheel Cleaner: P21S

Glass: Eimann Fabrik Clear Vision with the Viper Cloth

Swirl Marks: (yes I have them, damn dealer) 3M Swirl Mark Remover

Next Stage: 3M IHG

Wax: Pinnacle Souveran Wax (im impressed what it can do with blacks)

Tire Dressing: Lexol Vinylex



Interior:

Leather Cleaner: Lexol

Leather Conditioner: Hyde Food

Glass: Fabrik Clear Vision with the Viper Cloth

Interior Dressing: Lexol Vinylex



Accessories:



Micro Fiber Clothes

Wheel Brush



Total Cost: $216





Questions: Is it worth the money, I know most of this stuff will last a long time and I want my new car to look its best.



Have I missed anything?



Think thats it, thanks for your time.

















Exterior:
 
those are some fine products you have listed, however i think there may be some there that you dont NEED or that there are equivalents for cheaper that work just as well... Maybe you should look into the American Shine line... Not fancy looking but WOW i have some pics of cars I detailed with them. PM if you want.

Happy Detailing:up
 
Yea, the Souveran is really expensive. about 70 dollars. Unless you plan to show your car. I would stick with something like S100/P21s



Also, i would look into getting a clay bar. Clay Magic is good i hear, all i have tried is Mothers, and have had great results with it. And it comes with some Mothers Showtime QD and Cleaning Wax. Those are both things that are good to have, and they come with the clay.

The kit is called. Mothers California Gold Clay Bar you can get it at most auto supply stores. for about 15 dollars
 
Welcome :wavey

You will be buying more stuff, so to save now for more stuff later, I suggest buying some things locally.

Shampoo: Megs gold class = auto parts stores, Costco, etc. This product has been thoroughly reviewed here and will work well.

Clay: Claymagic or suggestion from Roderigo = Autoparts store

3M products = can be bought at local auto body supply stores, saves shipping and you can go buy it without having to wait.



I am not suggesting not to shop on-line at some of the fine internet retailers, I'm just indicating save a few dollars on things you can get locally. Then go hog wild when shopping on-line getting things you can't find locally.
 
welcome to the board

As you have a black car ( and I share your pain) it will never be clean enough! So don;t worry about wasting your money cause what you have is just the tip of the iceberg. There is always something new coming out that your going to want to try it. You have lots of great stuff there to start with. However you may at some point want to get a sealant and a polish. ( See told you there is always something). Search the board there is tons of info and you can download the first 8 chaps of the e book they are free I recommend you do that as it is a great place to start then you can search teh board for things that you aren;t clear on. On a black car you may want to give S100 a try. It is a wax you can get it at your local harley store costs like $13 and if your paint is preped right it will look like glass! I love this stuff.
 
Looks good. But I would suggest getting the claybar as well. You can replace the p21s shampoo with Megs Gold Class shampoo as available locally. Also consider replacing the p21s wheel cleaner and EO tire cleaner with just EO A2Z wheel cleaner, which can be used on wheels and on tires as well. Much cheaper this way. Then only use car wash for wheel cleaning after you have sealed them with some polymer to avoid stripping off the sealant. For glass, I would consider EO 20/20 Perfect Vision. Very inexpensive but effective.



Then with all these savings, you can use your Souveran to your heart's content or you can save even more by getting S100. And don't forget to get quality MF towels!
 
Welcome and congratulations on your new car!



All the suggestions above are pretty good, like S100, clay, glass cleaner, soap and EO A2Z. I'd also replace the Hide Food with something else. Since you are using the Lexol cleaner, why not use the conditioner as well? You also might also want to consider getting a CCD (California Car Duster), it'll definately keep your black car looking clean for a while after you wash.



The only thing I don't see (as of this moment) is applicators. I'd recommend some foam/cotton terry/microfiber applicators for applying products and some Eagle One Tire Swipes to apply tire dressing.



I'd definately spend less this time around. There's always going to be a product you HAVE to try, I'm in that position right now.
 
Well, I don't have as much to add anymore! :p Summarizing what everyone else has said, there are actually quite a few great products you can buy locally for less money. If this is your first stab at detailing you probably don't need some of the costlier alternatives unless you're absolutely dying to try some of them.



Instead of IHG, run a search on Autopia for Mothers Sealer & Glaze (should be a recently bumped thread called "Glazes" nearby somewhere). It's probably cheaper and easier to get, and people seem to have fewer complications using it.



Ditto on the CCD too. It's probably an essential "must have" for a black car because it will show dust more than any other colour. Black is hard work to take care of, but the results are often worth it. Remember: everything is 95% technique and preparation. Quality products just help. :)



Welcome to Autopia. :xyxthumbs
 
I have a 1994 "Brilliant Black" Miata, and I tell you, it's a chore. I'm just glad it's as small as it is.



I try to keep the price of stuff down and here are my staples:



Stoner's Invisible Glass and Newspaper for windows.



Finish 2001 Foaming Wheel Cleaner (switching to EO A2Z) and a cheapo wheel brush (skateboard to sit on). Finish 2001 "polish" to seal wheels. EO Wet Tire Shine + their neat applicators for tire conditioning.



EO Wet shampoo and cotton chinille spongey thing and dedicated 5 gal bucket. Dry with Absorber, then MF.



Polish plastic with Blue...I forgot the name...some plastic polish (my back window is plastic, but I do other hard plastics when I feel like it). Dash treatment, Finish 2001 with Sunstop (yeah, I'll get flamed for this).



Leather: Meguiars leather stuff. I like to slather up the seats and let it soak in before buffing it out.



Wax: I've not used my Zaino (Z2 and ZFX, Z6) yet. Still having fun with the S100. This stuff is great, and I never knew that a paste wax could be so easy and have such a deep, dark, warm shine.



What else? Oh, Mother's Back To Black for the engine bay plastics and the housings that hold my headlights.



Quick detailers: I like Meguiar's bottle, but I like EO better. I use MF from JTInternational and am completely satisfied.



Keep a MF in the dash for emergencies. A little water and an MF can save the paint from bird bombs. the PO of my car let it get etched pretty badly on one place. I've not had the heart to level that out.



I've only used Clay Magic and see no reason to pay more.



Good luck with your black beauty. Post pics. Try not to be discouraged that it gets dirty so quickly.



I haven't done the CCD since I think it'll streak.
 
I thought I would write a followup to this post. I want to thank everyone for their advice and recommendations. Here is what I got.



Pinnacle Total Care Kit for $119 from CMA, not bad considering the wax is $70 by itself, it includes:



Pinnacle Bodywork Shampoo.

Pinnacle Paintwork Cleansing Lotion

8 oz. Souveran Wax.

16 oz. Crystal Mist.

16 oz. Leather Conditioner.

16 oz. Vinyl & Rubber Protectant.

2 Microfiber Wipe Cloths.

A foam applicator.

2 Microfiber applicator pads.



A $182 value, not bad considering the wax is $70 by itself



I also bought the Eimann Fabrik Clear Vision with the Viper Cloth



This was all ordered online from CMA with free shipping.



Then from my local 3 brothers auto parts store i bought the 3M Swirl Mark Remover, IHG, and Tires Swipes.



I am going to order some MF towels from PakShak and I should be good to go.



You all are DEFINATELY right about wanting more stuff, already I want to try P21s, a PC, Blackfire, and the Moosewax. I will keep everyone updated with pictures of how my car is doing.
 
Check to see if you really need a leather conditioner, most seats have a plastic cover so you may not need the conditioner.



Just a thought.



Steven
 
Plastic over the leather?????? Do u mean the plastic that comes with it to the dealership???? Because if not what would the point of leather be?????:nixweiss
 
eduhilera said:
Plastic over the leather?????? Do u mean the plastic that comes with it to the dealership???? Because if not what would the point of leather be?????:nixweiss
Click to expand...



I think he means that most modern leather seats have a "clearcoat" on the leather, not the plastic that covers the seats when the car is new. :)
 
My products have arrived. I got out the Vinyl and Rubber Dressing and did the bottom of my optical mouse here at work. Makes it slide across the desk quite nicely. If I get too carried away I may be the only one with a detailed cubicle. Talk about crazy!



Tomorrow is supposed to be a gorgeous 60 degree day and I am getting up early to do both my cars. I will be taking before and after PICs to post for all to see.



Again, thanks for the help and suggestions.
 
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