advice on products

[uk300matt]

hi,im new to detailing and any help would be great.
i have a meguires claybar and some meguires gold class shampoo/polish,lambswool wash mit ect

please explain the process and whats involved and what starter products i need.
i thought i knew lol,but now im confused by polish/wax/sealant ect and what order to use them in.
its a minefield nowadays.

cheers for any help/advice.:S

 

[Jay.S]

Have a look through this mate.
http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?576095-The-Cleaning-Guide

General opinion is:-

Snowfoam/Powerhose down > Wheels > 2BM wash > Rinse > Iron x/De Tar > Rinse > Dry > Clay > Wash > Rinse > Polish > Glaze > LSP(Wax or Sealant).

Think that has covered it, You can of course leave stages out e.g Claying doesnt need to done once a month, once every 6months to a year is fine.

A decent basic clean would included.

Snowfoam/Powerhose down - Wheels > 2BM wash > Rinse > De tar > Rinse > Polish/Glaze > LSP.

Im a little rusty myself having not done it in a while but hopefully this will kick start some posts and some people will come in and correct me if im wrong.

As for products its hard to say with out a budget plus many people on here have different views and favourites they use proberly best to do a search.

 

[uk300matt]

thankyou very much for that buddy,a great help.
just confusing,i guess like many people,folk think theyve washed then polished as
it used to be know,their car,but know bugger all regards to the difference between
wax/sealant/polish ect.im currently on the hunt for a decent pressure washer and snowfoam lance.

ill have a read through the link you put up mate,thanks.

 

[Jay.S]

There is a 3for2 offer on AutoFinesse products here:-
http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/car-care-products-special-offers.html

That is a great deal to get started its hard to beat with free P&P. Lather(Shampoo), Rejuvenate(Light Polish/Cleaner) and Tough Coat(Spray Sealant) are great products and easy enough to apply.

Things like Applicator pads, Mircofibres, Wheel Brushes, Drying towels all the little bits can start to add up aswell.

Wheel Cleaner I would recommend Bilberry wheel cleaner although again the AF imperial in that offer is good so may be worth doing it twice.

Personally i think Gally should make a begineer's guide to detailing along with some enrty level products, as this topic gets covered alot.

 

[uk300matt]

excellent,superb help/info mate.
cheers buddy.

and i totaly agree,a begginers/idiots guide would be fantastic.
if your starting out at the beggining,the abbreviations and what most take for granted
mean bugger all to us lol.

a few general starter kit products/ideas would also be great.
like start with product A, then apply product B,coat/seal with product C ect.
as some buy 2 products thinking they compliment each other
but theyre actualy the same thing in essence or one counters out the other

 

[wozza182]

Get yourself onto Detailingworld.com loads of useful information about products and techniques.

 

[uk300matt]

cheers wozza mate.
i look on there regular,but i end up in the gallery slavering over all the gorgeous car that have been detailed lol.
seems a bit daunting on there for a novice though,like id buy a buffer and strip my paint off lmao.

 

[MatthewR]

Theres already alot of guides that gally/ Dave KG (from DW) have done as stickys at the top. read through all of them and it will give you a start.

the main thing you need to start with is ensuring a safe wash method is used, as theres no point fully correcting a car and then washing it wrong thus inflicting swirls.

A full rinse down with either a hose or preferably a power washer

Next step is to fully clean the wheels, i personally rate this as the best wheel cleaner but there are others out there:

http://www.autobritedirect.co.uk/in...aners/very-cherry-wheel-cleaner-non-acid.html

Use a selection of brushes such as:
http://www.autobritedirect.co.uk/index.php/wheels-tyres/wheel-tyres-accessories/ez-detail-brush.html
http://www.autobritedirect.co.uk/in...heel-tyres-accessories/spoke-wheel-brush.html
http://www.autobritedirect.co.uk/in...es/swissvax-envy-style-detailing-brushes.html

Then wash with the two bucket method (guide at the top) ensuring you wash from the top down and empty the rinse bucket as and when needed.
Popular shampoos include:
Autofinesse Lather - http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/auto-finesse-lather-cat3.html
Dodo Juice born to be mild (BTBM) - http://www.i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/Dodo_Juice_Born_To_be_Mild_Shampoo_1.html
Gtec GWash - http://gtechniq.com/shop/3s-for-cars/wash-maintenance/g-wash/
Autobrite Banana gloss - http://www.autobritedirect.co.uk/index.php/autobrite-banana-hyper-concentrated-gloss-shampoo.html

Once that is done dry off with a drying towel
Popular towels include:
http://www.i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/I4D_Uber_Blue_Drying_Towel_1.html
http://www.i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/I4D_Uber_Premium_Drying_Towel_1.html
http://www.chemicalguysuk.com/Chemical_Guys_Wooly_Mammoth_Drying_Towel_p/woolmamm.htm

Now its time where you want to decontaminate the paintwork. Youll need to remove the iron, then remove the tar, then clay. The following products are used most:
http://www.i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/Iron_X_500ml_Spray_Bottle_1.html#aAQIC500
http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/autosmart-tardis-cat6.html
http://www.elitecarcare.co.uk/autoc...id=33&osCsid=272bbb8128feb8193a6726c0e565f8c6

Now you need to decide on wether your going to fill the swirls or correct them, being a newcomer id suggest filling. following products can be used (please also look at gallys guide to glazes)

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/glazes/prima-amigo-polymer-glaze/prod_696.html
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/glazes/poorboys-black-hole/prod_494.html
http://www.autobritedirect.co.uk/index.php/extreme-glaze-show-car-glaze.html
http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/auto-finesse-rejuvenate.html

Now its time to seal the paint. Depending on colour and what your after look at either sealants or waxes. Sealants for light colours waxes for dark/ warm colours.

This is all on the budget so a few recommendations for you would be:
Waxes:
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/wax/poorboys-nattys-paste-wax-blue/prod_11.html.
http://tinyurl.com/7t9gjv3
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/wax/zymol-wax/zymol-carbon-wax/prod_998.html
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/zymol-glasur-wax/prod_996.html

Sealents:
http://www.autobritedirect.co.uk/index.php/to-seal-protect-extreme-synthetic-paint-sealant.html
http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/auto-finesse-tough-coat.html
http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/werkstat-acrylic-jett-trigger.html
http://gtechniq.com/shop/3s-for-cars/exterior-coatings/c1-5-silo-seal/
Other useful products to have are All purpose cleaners (APC) to clean general much away from the car, tyre shines, glass cleaners, trim protectants.

Hopefully that will cover most of it, if not all of it.

 

[wozza182]

cheers wozza mate.
i look on there regular,but i end up in the gallery slavering over all the gorgeous car that have been detailed lol.
seems a bit daunting on there for a novice though,like id buy a buffer and strip my paint off lmao.

I'm fairly new to detailing/car cleaning. I bought myself a DAS-6 Pro from cleanyourcar.com and got some pads and polishes with it.
The DAS-6 Pro is a Dual Action polisher and is easier to use than a rotary polsher, but patience is needed.

Have a read through some of the guides in this section. really really useful.