Newbie Could Use Some Advice....Too Many Choices Out There!

OzzieMike- Ah, that all sounds good. Heh heh, well...assuming your s-i-l knows what he`s doing ;)

Oh, BTW...heh heh#2, I did see your comment about my post-count on the "post your location!" thread :D
 
OK...time for another update, I guess. (I did provide sort of an update, but started a new thread for it, considering this thread`s now 3 pages long and counting).

After having used the GG6 with my son-in-law yesterday, I learned a lot about how to use the new tool and how some products worked with it.

LOL...at this point, the only thing easy to know what I need is pad cleaner and pad conditioner...looks like Blackfire has both that would work well.

I`m still on the fence, though, when it comes to choosing a polish, sealant, and wax. (Since the RAV4 is complete, I`m now turning my attention to my brand new Ford Edge). As posted earlier in this thread, I did clay bar the Edge, and put some Menzerma`s Endless Shine as the LSP.

Today, I washed it again...this time using Meguiar`s Ultimate Fast Finish as the LSP.

Maybe it`s because I didn`t polish the Edge as I did the RAV4, it does`t feel as "slick" as the RAV4. It`s certainly not "grabby" or "rough"...just not super slick like the RAV4. And unless I`m mistaken, a "slick" finish is usually better, isn`t it?

So I`m thinking I should polish the Edge to get the "slick" surface?

And, if I`m to polish it, I`m again at a crossroads here. I agree with an earlier suggestion that it`s best to keep things simple and stick with one brand, as things are more likely to work well together if they`re from the same manufacturer.

So while I don`t want to get into the "weeds" and delve into "Brand X polish, Brand Y sealant, Brand Z wax....etc." it looks to me like there are a lot of companies serving the detailer market and who make a complete line of products. The ones that seem to get almost universal good reviews are:

-- McKee`s
-- Blackfire
-- Pinnacle
-- Griot`s Garage
-- Meguiar`s (OK...maybe not rave reviews, but they`re a huge company with a lot of products)
-- Chemical Guys (A bewildering array of products!)

So I guess I should ask the question....is one of the brands mentioned above better, as a general rule, than the others? While I`m sure there`s a standout individual product from each of them, if you were to stick with one brand, which one would you choose?
 
Daily driver why don`t you use an AIO aka cleaner wax like Mckees 360, blackfire total polish and seal. You could always top with there sprays after washes.

Certainly nothing wrong with polishing and then using a sealant or wax either but you just end up with more products. Depends how deep you want to get sucked in. We constantly fool ourselves thinking that next 30-40 dollar bottle of sealant is gonna be soooo much better than the 5 we already have but you might find one a tad easier to work with or last a week more nothing significant really. It`s a fun hobby but easy to get sucked in to posts with perfect lighting photos on cars to show excellent gloss and reflection


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OzzieMike said:
OK...time for another update, I guess. (I did provide sort of an update, but started a new thread for it, considering this thread`s now 3 pages long and counting)...
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Saw that, nice outcome!

LOL...at this point, the only thing easy to know what I need is pad cleaner and pad conditioner...looks like Blackfire has both that would work well.
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I don`t use Pad Conditioners and can`t help but wonder about a product that both cleans stuff out of pads and also conditions the pads for the USE of said product. Got a cognitive dissonance thing going on about that...

I`m still on the fence, though, when it comes to choosing a polish, sealant, and wax. (Since the RAV4 is complete, I`m now turning my attention to my brand new Ford Edge). As posted earlier in this thread, I did clay bar the Edge, and put some Menzerma`s Endless Shine as the LSP.
Click to expand...

I`m fighting the urge to tell you to spend money on what *I* would use...

Maybe it`s because I didn`t polish the Edge as I did the RAV4, it does`t feel as "slick" as the RAV4. It`s certainly not "grabby" or "rough"...just not super slick like the RAV4. And unless I`m mistaken, a "slick" finish is usually better, isn`t it?

So I`m thinking I should polish the Edge to get the "slick" surface?
Click to expand...

Yeah, IMO you do need to do *something* more and a light gentle polishing would qualify. A really good AIO might do the job without taking off as much clear and *would probably be more user-friendly*. Eh...[flips coin]...I`d use a good/pretty aggressive AIO and then top that with [something].

And, if I`m to polish it, I`m again at a crossroads here. I agree with an earlier suggestion that it`s best to keep things simple and stick with one brand, as things are more likely to work well together if they`re from the same manufacturer.
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FWIW, I DO NOT, and I mean virtually *NEVER* stick with one brand and it`s not in any way necessary to do that. While it can be a bit simpler conceptually, IMO it`s not a big deal.
So while I don`t want to get into the "weeds" and delve into "Brand X polish, Brand Y sealant, Brand Z wax....etc."
Click to expand...

Heh heh, oops....sorry.
it looks to me like there are a lot of companies serving the detailer market and who make a complete line of products. The ones that seem to get almost universal good reviews are:

-- McKee`s
-- Blackfire
-- Pinnacle
-- Griot`s Garage
-- Meguiar`s (OK...maybe not rave reviews, but they`re a huge company with a lot of products)
-- Chemical Guys (A bewildering array of products!)

So I guess I should ask the question....is one of the brands mentioned above better, as a general rule, than the others? While I`m sure there`s a standout individual product from each of them, if you were to stick with one brand, which one would you choose?
Click to expand...

I haven`t used any stuff from some of those, and the brands I have used have both good/not offerings.

In your case- I dunno if I"d go with anything from Pinnacle or Chemical Guys. Eh, I only use Meguiar`s aggressive compounds these days, well..and their Interior QD, nothing else of theirs.

BF Polishes used to be reworked stuff from Menzerna, not sure if they still are or not. I didn`t care for my BF stuff though a few things did have (oddball) uses. I know others like it, but I just don`t get it..

I haven`t tried the newer GG Polishes but people seem to generally like them.

Never tried McKee`s, would expect it to be OK/better.

I`d get some nondiminishing-abrasive polish like HD Polish. No, it won`t do *serious* correction but I just wouldn`t have you go there. I`d also get an AIO with a bit of cut that`s KNOWN TO BE all-LSP-friendly (I`d get Zaino AIO). Then I`d LSP with FK1000P.

With your clay and maybe something for the exterior plastic/rubber/trim/seals (clean with GG Rubber Prep, seal with Ultima`s Tire & Trim Guard Plus), You`d be all set for many, MANY years of (relatively ;) ) low-effort detailing.
 
MattPersman said:
... It`s a fun hobby but easy to get sucked in to posts with perfect lighting photos on cars to show excellent gloss and reflection
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That. Leaving aside that "It`s the Internet!" (i.e., credibility...), different people are gonna have different [everything]. Gotta watch out for the Curse of Autopia, where every vehicle has to be perfect all the time. Easy to suck all the fun right out of the whole Car Thing.
 
Accumulator.....LOL....OK....I give! If you are that passionate about the FK1000P product, I`ll have to try it!

I`m not seeing the Zaino product either here or Autogeek, so I guess neither carries that product? Can you recommend a source for this?

Regarding the HD polish, I`m assuming you mean this?
3D HD Polish

Several seem to recommend an iron remover...is that necessary if I`m going to clay bar the Edge prior to any work?

Again...I`ve now turned my attention to the new Edge....

At the risk of saying "Hey...can you provide a "Dummies" version of the steps you`d take...?" I`m guessing you`d perform the following steps with this Edge?

-- Wash
-- Clay bar
-- HD Polish
-- Zaino AIO
-- FK1000P

LOL....windows I can handle...and the plastic trim seems still like new, so I`m not tempted to work in it.

Are the steps I`ve listed correct?

(Not going to do any of this for another couple weeks, as I leave Sunday for a Europe business trip)
 
OzzieMike- Heh heh...sounds like I was kinda convincing ;) I really *AM* that passionate about the Fk1000P, at least for a daily driver (eh, *I* like it on most everything). Just apply *VERY* thin, keep it off trim, and don`t layer too soon.

Yeah, that`s the Polish that I like so much. Eh, I can`t seem to keep the "3D"/"HD" straight :o but that`s the one.

I probably got my ZAIO from the Zaino store...can`t even remember how I did order it as it`s been THAT long. One bottle lasts forever; I`ve used it on BIG vehicles many times and still have lots left. And alternative is Klasse All In One, a time-tested standby that a) IMO everybody oughta have on the shelf and b) is mighty user-friendly and LSP-compatible. BUT it`s sooo gentle, functionally nonabrasive for one thing (not that I consider that a defect, just a limitation), that I`d recommend the Z instead. I doubt you`ll go wrong with either.

Yeah, you`ve got the sequence right, and after that I bet you can just refresh the FK1000P without much, if any, prep at least a few times, and then just use the AIO to prep when needed; no need to polish unless you want to diminish some marring. (And if you ever do want to get more aggressive you`d use the Polish as a follow-up to whatever is potent enough to truly eliminate that marring.)

OK...full disclosure: I`d chemically decontaminate the Edge. But that`s just me...couldn`t resist posting that but don`t mean to nudge you in that direction.

On the exterior trim/plastic, I`d want to *KEEP* it nice, which is a whole lot easier if you do something from the jump. I`d clean with Griot`s Rubber Prep and then seal with Ultima`s Tire & Trim Guard Plus. That approach has worked *incredibly* well for me, really surprised me. Once that`s done (or even if you skip it..) you can keep it really nice with a quick wipe of some Spray Wax like Meguiar`s Ultimate Qwik (?sp? it`s something cutesy..) Wax, which is available OTC lots of places. You *don`t* want to let the plastic start to oxidize or otherwise get nasty as that can require a big project to fix. This approach simply takes the whole issue off the table and doesn`t need done very often.

Stay Safe over there across the Pond.
 
I guess I`ll have to add the chemical decontamination step when I give the Edge the full "Monty". Great news! I get to spend more money! Yay! :)

Let`s see....wash....decontaminate....rinse....wash again....clay....wash again....polish....AIO....FK1000P....Griot`s Rubber Prep....Ultima Tire & Trim Guard....windows.

Should only take me around 12 hours, right? :wacko:
 
OzzieMike- Heh heh, it *can* take a while! You don`t want to know how long I pull mine off the road when they need anything resembling a Major Detail (and I basically don`t even do whole-vehicle correction, which is usually the big time-killer).

For the Chemical Decontamination, the stuff I`ve used is basically just a "special wash" system where you wash the car with one product, rinse, wipe on the second product...let dwell, rinse, wash with normal shampoo. The rare contamination that needs some mechanical agitation (clay/nanoskin/etc.) gets that while the Decon chemicals are dwelling or afterwards when you notice something that`s still on there.

BIG issue with that approach is buying the stuff as the system I use (ValuGard`s ABC) only comes in gallons...which will last normal people lifetimes. Maybe some other manufacturer has something equally good that comes in smaller sizes.

Eh...wonder if the Edge really *does* need the Full Monty, or whether you could just skip the whole Decon thing. I`m sure not in favor of looking for additional, let alone inessential, chores to do!
 
I`m seriously considering skipping one of the steps....either the Zaino`s, 3D/HD Polish or iron removal, I`m thinking. More time on the car wouldn`t be a problem if I had more than one car, so I`m kind of limited in that regard.
 
OzzieMike said:
I`m seriously considering skipping one of the steps....either the Zaino`s, 3D/HD Polish or iron removal, I`m thinking. More time on the car wouldn`t be a problem if I had more than one car, so I`m kind of limited in that regard.
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That`s perfectly reasonable. I`d skip the polish step...that`s just off-the-cuff from a guy who hasn`t seen it, but unless the existing marring *REALLY* bugs you (and ixnay on your Inner Autopian...this is Real Life, *your* real life) I wouldn`t do that step.

Decontamination is good because you don`t want nasty stuff eating away at your clear, and yeah that really does happen. (I`m *assuming* that the Ford dealer didn`t do a decon. with the ValuGard ABC, which is Ford-approved and even has its own Ford Part Number...yeah, they`re supposed to do that...who knew, huh?)

Prepping for LSP with an AIO accomplishes a lot with one, generally very easy step. Whenever something needs some prep...paint, wheels, metallic trim...just AIO/FK1000P it, quick and easy. So IMO (gee, we all have one ;) ) you oughta have those on the shelf. I see that approach as the modern equivalent of the time-tested (if not-too-Autopian) approach of using a Cleaner-Wax (that`d be the AIO) topped with a Straight Wax (the FK1000P). LOTS of people have kept their vehicles looking real-world-great that way since forever.
 
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