Starting a detailing collection... HELP!!!

[cg172]

Ok, so, so far my detailing products shelf consists of:

Meguiars Gold Class Wash & conditioner
Meguiars Clay bars x 2
Meguiars QD
Meguiars 3 step system bottles 1, 2 & 3
Meguiars Gold class trim detailer
Meguiars Gold Class Show wax
Carplan balck trim wax (awful stuff)
Armour-all Tyre foam
Assorted microfibres
Meguiars Watermagnet
Meguiars microfibre wash-mit
2 buckets (for 2 bucket system washing)
Asssorted old cotton t-shirts cut up into rags
Armour-all Glass wipes
Armour-all Dash wipes
Autoglym metal polish

I've just got my beautiful black pearl 172, and I want to get the paint as good as humanly possible. The meg's 3 step is ok, but isn't really doing much to buff the scratches out of the cc.

What products should I be adding to my collection to get going in the right direction? I guess I want a good polish and wax more than anything. Any reccomendations?

 

[Anonymous]

For paint correction, you will need a Porta Cable or Meguiars G220 machine polisher to start with and something like Meg's number 80 & 83 or some polish from the Menzerna range

 

[The Big Yin]

Ditch the t-shirts for some decent microfibres

 

[Rich]

Ditch the Watermagnet, will known for causing Marring.

Some applicators would not go a miss.

As said you will need some proper polishes do do any real defect correction - working by hand you are limited to what you can use.

Not a big fan of the Megs 3 Step stuff, find I get better results with Autoglym Super Resin and Extra Gloss

 

[cg172]

What's "marring"?

Not too keen on the Megs 3 step either. Not getting the sort of results I'm after. Will try to get hold of some of the autoglym stuff instead. Does anyone rate the "Dodo" waxes? Thought I might try the "Purple Haze" one for my black pearl...

 

[Rich]

Marring = Swirls, Hazing and fine scratches.

Not a big fan of the Dodo Purple Haze, no better than any of the other waxes in the same price category with the added downside of being like using a colour magic product with all the added colour in it. Enough to put me off it.

Spend a bit extra on the Swissvax Onyx IMO, put a coat on mine yesterday and forgot how good it looks.

 

[cleanyourcar]

Victoria waxes also look spot on. 90% of the time I end up reaching for these.

 

[cg172]

I'm getting the feeling that my Halfrauds assembled kit really isn't up to scratch... is i4detailing the best way to go?

 

[Anonymous]

I'm getting the feeling that my Halfrauds assembled kit really isn't up to scratch... is i4detailing the best way to go?

depends what you want mate, shop around as there are plenty of alternatives

Clean & Shiny
Clean Your Car
Polished Bliss
Vertar

etc etc

 

[Rich]

I'm getting the feeling that my Halfrauds assembled kit really isn't up to scratch... is i4detailing the best way to go?

depends what you want mate, shop around as there are plenty of alternatives

Clean & Shiny
Clean Your Car
Polished Bliss
Vertar

etc etc

Indeed - big list here:

http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?t=204970