Please critique the supplies I plan on buying (< $150 budget)

I hate to ask such a simple question, but which "AA" are you referring to? Not sure I figured out the acronym in this thread..........American Airlines, not "AAA", right?; not AA/"Alcoholics Anonymous"?



Thx.



See ya. :wavey:







Chops said:
Are you an employee of AA? Just wondering since you say you get 20% off. If so do some research in what you can get. You should be able to order up Collinite 845via PDQ. If you can still find the Carrand ww towels still they were great towels and around here they were on clearance for $2.95. The Mother's clay bar kit is great but if you want to step it up you can FDO Clay Magic.



Also if you look through the commercial tool catalog in the paint and body section they list the part # for the Meguiar's Mirror Glaze line if you need any polishes.



My oppinion is why pay shipping if you can find something comparable local and with a 20% off employee discount. And if you're not an employee I appologize for confusing you with all of this.
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Chops said:
The Mother's clay bar kit is great but if you want to step it up you can FDO Clay Magic.
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Just picked up the Clay Magic bar and lube at Autozone.



I thought the Zaino clay was a good deal because you get two clay bars....but now that I look, they are giving you 2 really small clay bars instead of one big bar.



Clay Magic = 100 grams of clay + detail spray for $12.99.

Zaino = 113.4 grams of clay for $16.95
 
The Zaino clay is softer and wont mar as badly. If the car has serious contamination than fold the clay once for almost every 8x8 section you do. The good news is the clay magic is better for a very neglected vehicle as it is firmer and able to pick up stuff easier.



After you have done the entire vehicle then switch to a softer clay for the once twice a year clayings.
 
bert31 said:
David,



I assume you say drop the ZFX because you thinking layering Zaino is a waste of time and product?
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No. Not at all. I layer Z all the time(on customer cars), just not on my own car where time isn't a factor.



bert31 said:
Besides ZFX, didn't you say you like Zaino's sealants over all?
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Yes. Out of all the sealants I've used, I've had the greatest results with Zaino. I still use many others, but just prefer Zaino's characteristics.
 
Are you looking to buy stuff at a brick and morter store or are you open to online ordering???



If i were you, i'd try and stick to one particular brand and then add extra's if the brand doesn't have a particular product.



Zaino, meguiars etc. Also, if you buy everything from online store you often get free shipping so there is no issue there as it won't add extra cost.



If it were me based on what you have said in this thread, this is what i would get:



1. Wash; Meguiars Gold Class

2. 2 Home Depot grout sponges (in case you drop one on the floor)

3. 2 5-gallon buckets (wash bucket with a grit guard).

4. Any clay manufacturer.

5. Pick a polish that can be used by hand. Do some research as I use a polisher.

6. Wax that is easy to apply, doesn't stain trim and is easy to remove. I've always like Meguiars No. 26 in a tin (not liquid) or P21S/S100.

7. Meguiars No.40 for Vinyl and Rubber

8. All Purpuse Cleaner - Either Megauirs APC+ in gallon size.

9. Stoners tarminator

10. Eagle One 20/20 or Stoner's Invisble Glass.

11. Towels; buy 1 waffleweave 16x16 and 4-6 12x12 from where you buy stuff online. Haven't found any good reliable sources at local stores.



That way, you have a kit that covers car washing, polishing, protection, cleaning of vinyl and rubber and protection as well as your glass. And should be under a $100.



You can always add later some more boutique type of products like Z2/Z5 etc.
 
Based on the original post, I'm assuming that anything marked as $0 is something you already have. So I would get the following:



Wolfgang Deep Gloss Total Concours Kit, exterior car care kit, wash, clay, polish, and wax

Cobra Microfiber Starter Kit



Use the AUTOPIA coupon and you should be right around $150. The Wolfgang Paintwork Polish Enhancer is an EXCELLENT hand polish. It won't do much correction, but I don't believe that there is such a thing as a viable hand polish for correction. The wolfgang polish enhancer is great at giving the paint a deep cleaning while filling in scratches and defects.



If you're going to go with some of the other suggested lineups in this thread, I would recommend you ditch the grit guard. I'm probably alone on this, but I just don't believe that they do anything except suck up an extra $10 of your budget.
 
For a long time I've been simulating a grit guard by rubbing my wash sponge or mitt with my other hand trying to get the stuff out. I've found this to work well. That said, i recently got myself a grit guard and can easily say it works much better than my hand. I've head of people making homemade grit guards with that aluminum grating chickenwire type stuff, I'd imagine that would be the way to go if you're trying to really ghetto/budget do it.



As far as getting good products on the cheap, I've always been a fan of Meg's and Mothers. Meg's #26 is one of the better carnaubas you can get for under $100, and it's $10 in some places(That said, Mother's California Gold Carnauba is awesome too and around $20 for a large tub that smells so good sometimes you just have to have a bite of it). NXT is a great sealant as well, and when used correctly you can get a very similar look and durability out of it as you do a Zaino. UC/SwirlX are just straight up win, you really can't beat them for the price unless you're going to make the case for M105/205. I've heard a lot of good things about their endurance tire gel as well, and their leather and interior stuff is very good for a reasonable price. Some people seem to like their clay kit, I've never used it, but the Mothers clay kit is very nice as well. Gold Class Wash is the "Gold Standard" for washes IME, sure there's many that are better, but for the money that stuff is unbeatable. Only downside is it seems to attract bugs. after you wash.



The Target MF Chenille sponge is a nice little piece, I've used one for some time now and really like it. I use their other MFs for things like door jambs, interior, etc. They seem to be decent quality, but I would rather use mu softer, nicer towels and not risk it on the paint areas.



I'd suggest taking a look at autogeek.net if you haven't already. Many times they offer some great products on buy one get one. And they give a forum discount.
 
Update: I finally got all my stuff together.:p



I got:



Mother's clay bar

Megs Gold Class wash

2 PL grout sponges

2 lambswool wash mittens from Advance Auto

blue perl WW drying towel

2 blue perl buffing towels

grit guard

Collinite 476S

Eagle One Tire shine gel, 20/20 glass cleaner and tire swipes



Now I just need some applicators...I guess I'll just pick up a few foam pads.



My total price after coupons a 'free after rebate' items is around $60. :woohoo:



BTW - which is the better wash media for the paint - the grout sponge or advance auto wash mitt? If the grout sponge is better, I'll take the wool mitts back.



Thanks for all the help.
 

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Congrats.



As for grout sponge vs. lambswool. Personal choice. Just one of each and she which feels/performs better.
 
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