Newbie-I Have A Few OTC Products

M

mikespine

New member
This was initially put in the Detailing Clay/Lubricants Forum...

My Vehicles:

-2003 Chevy Trailblazer LTZ-Charcoal/Graphite like in color with Goldish trim (pretty common)

-2007 Mercury Milan Premier-Oxford White

Would it be useful to use clay on one or the other.

By no means do I detail, but I like to keep a clean vehicle. You can tell I do not detail by the products I use but they are OK with me at the moment.

My list includes:

-Meguiars Gold Class Car Wash: Just Purchased

-Meguiars Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner: Step 1, I do this after a wash. I suppose I do this to the whole vehicle..right.

-Turtle Wax Bug & Tar/Sap Remover. (It's Ok, I do not know anything different)

-Nu Finish Car Polish (is this really polish, if it says "Polish", I should follow that up with the "Wax"-like the Black Magic or the Eagle One Nanowax??)

-Black Magic Wet Shine Liquid Wax: it was kind of hard to get off and streaky, I had to use a damp towel to get the streaks out..maybe I am doing something wrong.

-Eagle One Nanowax: just purchased at Big Lots for $3, should this also follow a polish??

-Eagle One A2Z Wheel & Tire Cleaner: stained my clear coated rims, will see if the Meg. Paint Cleaner improves the rims.

-Eagle One Wet Tire Shine

-Armor All Original Protectant: for tires and in/outside trim

***Lots of application and buffing going on here.

I am considering the Poor Boy Trim Restorer: is this only for the exterior??

Looking at getting the Porter Cable 7424 for about $119. But my wife is going to kill me when she see how quickly this stuff can add up.

Can somebody direct me on the minimum number of pads, bonnets etc..a good value?

What about the cheapy buffers/polishers (usually 7") on ebay or harbor freight? Will the pads used on the Porter cable fit on these 7" tools?



:wall, so much information.

One other thing, is this Pinnacle XMT 360 is good as it says it is. Saw buy one, get one.

Also, Need Towels: how many, which ones etc., I just want to do a nice job on my vehicles without breaking the bank and keeping my wife happy.

Thanks-Mike
 
To answer the clay question: yes, claying every once in a while is beneficial to a vehicle's finish, as it will remove embedded contaminants that normal polishing won't remove.

And to rebuff your assumption that OTC products are not "detailing" quality, I would wager that I or anyone else here could detail two cars with the same processes using OTC on one and "internet only" products on the other, and you'd not be able to tell a difference. Don't discount a product just because it's OTC.

As far as polishers, the minimum I'd suggest getting would be a PC 7424. The other type machines you see out there may be good for spreading wax, but they won't do much in the way of defect removal.
 
Just a few comments on what I have used or heard about.

Meguiars Gold Class Car Wash
I quite often use it and it seems to work fine.

Meguiars Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner
Another product that seemed to do a pretty decent job. And yes, I would do the entire vehicle except for trim.

Turtle Wax Bug & Tar/Sap Remover
Does the job in the same manner as any other tar remover I have used. Never tried it on tree sap.

Nu Finish Car Polish
I used it on two vehicles and gave the almost full bottle away. I don't remember any specific complaints, but I obviously wasn't impressed.
I think it is a cleaner/sealant and not a true polish as most of us here refer to a polish.

Black Magic Wet Shine Liquid Wax
Never used it, but the Black Magic branded products don't seem to have very many supporters.

Eagle One Nanowax
Another product that I have not used, but other Eagle One products I have tried seemed to be of good quality. The fact that it is now being sold at Big Lots indicates that it hasn't exactly been the world's best seller for them.

Eagle One A2Z Wheel & Tire Cleaner
I don't use wheel cleaners because of the possibility of having the problem you had. If you keep the wheels waxed/sealed and clean them regularly, regular car wash solution works fine for me.

Eagle One Wet Tire Shine
Another product by a reputable company, but since I don't like shiny tires, I have bever used it.

Armor All Original Protectant
Used it years ago until I heard so much about it being bad for vinyl and rubber. End of that.
I have read that it is an entirely different formula today, but since there's so many other choices, I have stayed away from it.
The bad thing about rubber and vinyl protectants is that the way you find out they are doing the job, your rubber or vinyl has been damaged.

Poor Boy Trim Restorer. Is this only for the exterior??
Good product line overall, but I have not used the Trim Restorer.
The ad copy says to use it on dashes so it must be OK for interior use although most of the posts I have read have been about using it on exterior trim.

Pinnacle XMT 360
Never used it, but the product line has a good reputation. FWIW, that will be a lot of product if you decide you don't like it.

Porter Cable 7424
Good investment.

What about the cheapy buffers/polishers (usually 7") on ebay or harbor freight?
Been there, done that. Don't waste your money on cheap tools.

Need Towels: how many, which ones etc.
Lots of different ones available. Personal opinion. Buy some good ones. 10 good ones will be of a lot more use to you than 30 crappy ones.

without breaking the bank
Don't buy everything you see. Make educated choices and it doesn't have to be that expensive. $200 to $250 should get you a PC, pads, MF towels, polish, and wax/sealant. All of which should last you for years.

keeping my wife happy.
Good idea. It wouldn't be much fun to have a shiny car and have to sleep in it. :)
 
I would not recommend NuFinish. There are a lot of people that swear by it (many never used anything else) but it still smells awful, stains any trim, and people report that you use lot per car. There are just so many products that are equally cost effective without the negatives.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top