step by step detail

mgsjester

New member
I am 15 years old and started to get very interested in auto detailing. I want to do my first detail on my dad's 2003 Desert Mist Metallic Accord. I've been looking on this website and other sites and they show how to do polishing, waxing, washing, etc but does not show the order. Can someone tell me the order?



1. Wash

2. Dry

3. Clay

4. Buffer

5. Wax

6. Polish



Can anyone put those in order and add in anything else that I should do?

Thanks.
 
1. Wash

2. Clay/Dry (can be done at the same time, first clay the area(s) of concern or the whole vehicle and then dry off that area when done, be sure to use a qd or clay lubricant while using the clay on any painted surface)

3. Buffer/Polish (I believe you are referring to the same thing w/ these two? you will be using a buffer to polish the paint)

4. Wash again or IPA wipe down (it's pretty important to wash the vehicle after polishing to remove any leftover residue and/or oils. The least you should do in this step should be to spray/wipe the vehicle down with rubbing alcohol- IPA)

5. LSP (this is where you apply wax or sealant)



a search will yield more in depth step by step processes
 
mgsjester said:
also van someone also tell me good products for each step of the detail



thankd





Welcome to Autopia!



There are a *LOT* of different ways you can approach this stuff, and the following recommendation is one of 'em.



1. Wash with Meguiar's Gold class

2. Clay while washing with Mother's clay kit or ClayMagic Blue (keep vehicle wet to avoid waterspotting)

3. Rewash (quickly/easily) and dry

4. Polish with 1Z brand Paint Polish

5. Wax with Collinite brand wax (either 845 liquid or 476S paste)



I do not advocate getting into IPA (rubbing alcohol) wipedowns, sealants, or other such stuff at this point. The very basic 1Z/wax approach is manageable and newbie-friendly and hey, it's good enough for some of *my* vehicles ;) I've never had negative feedback on it yet.



You *could* do the polishing without using a buffer, but that will make things go better (and much easier). Ones to consider: Porter Cable ("PC"), Ultimate Detailing Machine ("UDM"), Cyclo, Flex. Do not buy a rotary-style polisher at this point. You will need pads to go with whatever polisher you buy and the whole thing can get a bit involved/expensive.



Sources for 1Z and Collinite: Welcome to Exceldetail.com! or Aloha & Welcome to Our Oasis for All Your Auto Detailing, Auto Detailing Supplies, Auto Detailing Equipment, Auto Detailing Products, & Auto Detailing Accessories for all your Automobile Detailing
 
Accumulator & others' ideas are great.



I would go straight to Flex 3401 VRG and skip PC... That unit's more balanced, stabled, and powerful in my opinion.
 
I am from the school of Accumulator. I followed his "new to detailing" approach and products with awesome results.



chris
 
Okay thanks guys for all the info. I will do parts of the car and show a before after picture. One last question, I am going to detail my dad's Desert Mist Metallic Accord...so it's basically gold. Will it have the same effect as a black car? Or will it almost show no difference like a Taffeta White?
 
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