Seeking Guidance from the Wise Detailers (sorry I am new)

L

Logan06GTO

New member
Well to start off, I have a Phantom Black Metallic Pontiac GTO, 2006, 6 speed manual transmission, the stock 18'' wheels, and black leather.



I have been cleaning it, but I am just now starting to get into detailing it. Mostly because the paint on these cars sucks, and I want it REALLY clean.



This is where I need the guidance...



I am going to get the Ultimate Polisher Machine.

- What pads and chemicals do I need?



Keep in mind, I have some swirl marks and minor scratches I would love to remove.



Should I get a Sonus Clay bar kit or should I go with the Elastrofoam, apparently Elastrofoam does the same thing as Clay, but lasts much longer...20 - 25 times.?



I recently bought some of the Vroom MF towels from Target... I don't konw how well these work... They are the white with the orange border. Are these OK to use?



What are the steps with products that I should use on cleaning the exterior?



I just want my car to Glisten.... Here is the directions that Lynn Phillips sent me from the support store... Is this good?



Ultima Complete Car Polisher Kit

Ultima Elastrofoam Paint Cleaning System

Ultima Paint Guard Wash

Ultima Detail Spray Plus



Step 1: Ultima Paint Guard Wash - Normal car wash procedure to remove loose dirt and grime.

Step 2: Ultima Elastrofoam Paint Cleaning System - Remove bonded surface contamination that is not removed with washing. This can be pollution, pollen and many other foreign airborne contaminants that attach themselves to the surface of your car and keeps it from being slick and smooth. This system is for both new and older cars, age doesn't matter to surface contamination.

Step 3: Ultima Paint Prep Plus - Polish out swirl marks, light staining and increase shine, even on a brand new car. Used as a pre wax/protectant cleaning step to help your surface look better and also leaves your surface slick and smooth to help the Ultima Paint Guard Plus bond better and last longer.

Step 4: Ultima Paint Guard Plus - Long lasting protection and shine. This step is instead of a traditional wax and is also known as a sealant. This will protect your paint against the harsh environmental elements.

Step 5: Ultima Detail Spray Plus - Maintain your finish by quick detailing. This step cuts down on regular washing when you keep up and don't allow your car to get more than slightly dusty. The Ultima Detail Spray Plus also maintains slickness and shine.





HELP thank you!



Logan
 
Ultima is good but really expensive and not the kind of thing I would start with as a first time user, as you may waste quite a lot of product learning how to detail properly.



You are going to have to do a lot of reading, and watch some videos on how to use the PC or UDM properly (autogeek.net has good videos, watch ALL of them) but generally for a newbie I would say to stick with brands like optimum, duragloss, collinite.





For good QD just buy a gallon of duragloss FC&S or a gallon of FK425, for soap, duragloss or optimum soap are both excellent, gallon worthy by far. As far as polishes go, I must say I am partial to menzerna or optimum and both are pretty easy to use.



As far as machines go, you are new so stick with a UDM and edge2000 pads, I would say you should get a yellow, green, blue, and white. Once you use the edge2000 pads, you will wonder why anyone still uses a backing plate. Also, if you ever decide to get a rotary, edge wool is excellent.



Oh yea, however many microfibers you think you need, buy 10 times more, you won't regret it (I have around 300).





I am sure many more will chime in here, but I would stick with regular clay and not the foam blocks. Dedicated clay lube is a waste of money IMO, the duragloss FC&S or FK425 will work perfectly, and are also both good QDs.
 
You might want to add a more aggressive polish before UPPP - Sonus SFX2 for example, to remove light swirls and scratches. UPPP does not cut enough to get out most defects.



Other than that, looks great. It's critical to keep a good coat of protection on the new GTO's - Pontiac painted them with complete crap, and they have real problems with bird bombs and acid rain.
 
Ya I am thinking about getting the UDM with the Sonus Package Comes with SFX1 SFX2 SFX3, and 3 diff pads and the MF bonnets.
 
themightytimmah said:
It's critical to keep a good coat of protection on the new GTO's - Pontiac painted them with complete crap, and they have real problems with bird bombs and acid rain.
Click to expand...



I'm presuming it was really Holden that painted these cars in Australia, thus explaining why they don't have the usual hard GM paint.







Logan06GTO said:
I recently bought some of the Vroom MF towels from Target...They are the white with the orange border. Are these OK to use?
Click to expand...



No! Those towels are crap...save them for wheels and engine bay. If you are going to buy Vroom, you want the all orange ones, or better yet, the heavy gray ones, which are very good. Plenty of other towel choices, too.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
If you are going to buy Vroom, you want the all orange ones, or better yet, the heavy gray ones, which are very good. Plenty of other towel choices, too.
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Sound advice.



Without seeing your car, it is hard to say exactly what pads and specific polishes you need. Get a couple cutting, polishing and finishing pads and the corresponding polishes. UPGP is a really good sealant, looks better than most on black.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
If you are going to buy Vroom, you want the all orange ones, or better yet, the heavy gray ones, which are very good. Plenty of other towel choices, too.
Click to expand...



Just to clarify, are you talking about the grey Vroom that has the dual sides to it (short nap on one side, medium nap on other)? Or are you referring to the newer ones that has the short nap on both sides?
 
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