Detailing questions - many various ones.

[Sean]

Im going to bite the bullet and buy some decent wax, and other detailing products. My roof is fading pretty bad, I could show pics if anyone is wondering how bad. Basically, it's to the point beyond saving, I'm pretty sure. I can scratch paint off with my fingernail - so give it another year, and half my roof will be gone. lol However, the rest of my paint can still look pretty so I want to do that. Does anyone know if I can slow the roof down? Maybe some polishing and whatnot?

So, lets see...I was thinkin of just getting some decent Meguiars products, just because they are pretty good, and not insanely expensive.

First, I don't have money to buy a buffer, so I'm going to do everything by hand.

Second, I was looking at getting the meguiars NXT wax. Is it any good? I want something durable, not too worried about how it looks - it will look fine, but I'd love for it to last. I wasn't sure what to get - the liquid wax or the paste wax?

Additonally, here are the other products I was considering purchasing (all meguiars)
- Smooth Surface Clay Kit
- Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner
- Deep Crystal Polish
- Scratch X <<< is this any good? Would it be the same as a polish?
- NXT Wax (either paste or liquid...get more with liquid).

I'd need some more nice towels and applicators and whatnot - is the best place to get those someone here in town? I'm not sure if anyone is town has all the meguiars products, but I'm going to find out.

I'm by no means a professional detailer, but I just want to make my car look nice, and not spend a shitton to do it - at least a whole lot. :)

Thanks!

-Sean

[Schniddy]

http://www.autopia-carcare.com/how-to.html

Get the P21S Carnauba Car Wax, it is a paste.

What I suggest.. If you paint is bad I would a mildly aggressive polish over the whole car, and maybe even a more aggressive one on the bad spots. After that put on Klassa AIO followed by a 2 coats of sealant glaze(on cost per day) and then P21S Wax.

I highly recommend saving until you have money for an orbital. Its like 100 bucks. until then get yourself some nice drying towels so your paint doesn’t get more scratched up and just keep it washed often and free of things such as bird poop. It also might be worth doing the heavy polishing (anything that is aggressive) by hand so you don’t burn through to much paint. Everything else orbital FTW

[Sean]

http://www.autopia-carcare.com/how-to.html

Get the P21S Carnauba Car Wax, it is a paste.

What I suggest.. If you paint is bad I would a mildly aggressive polish over the whole car, and maybe even a more aggressive one on the bad spots. After that put on Klassa AIO followed by a 2 coats of sealant glaze(on cost per day) and then P21S Wax.

I highly recommend saving until you have money for an orbital. Its like 100 bucks. until then get yourself some nice drying towels so your paint doesn’t get more scratched up and just keep it washed often and free of things such as bird poop. It also might be worth doing the heavy polishing (anything that is aggressive) by hand so you don’t burn through to much paint. Everything else orbital FTW

So, this is what your suggesting:

1. Polish the car, after a good wash of course. Use any polish - Meguirers, anything that will polish good. Just put some elbow grease into it.
2. Follow the good polishing with an application of Klasse All-in-One
3. Apply two coats of Klasse Sealant Glaze
4. End with a coat of the P21S Wax Paste

I'm beginning to like your suggestion of waiting on a good detailing job. When I get down to Califronia for my Coop- I'll have more time, and after a couple weeks, much more money. Then I could really do a top-notch job, huh?

Right now, we have the Meguirers 3-step stuff in the garage that my brother used. Maybe I'll use that for now, and go balls-in when I get down to CA? Hmm...I'm liking that idea. lol

-Sean

[DarkWing6]

If you are going to wait to do the propper job (I would agree on this) then still get some average wax and throw a coat of wax on the car. This will help things from getting worse.

[trent]

doing things by hand sucks asshole. Wait until you can afford a buffer, otherwise you are just wasting a lot of time.

[Schniddy]

My suggestions may be out of date. I did all of my detailing research almost 3 summers ago (wished I would of waited until I really got to drive the car.. that way I could of burned a few layers of paint of this summer instead of way back then) I would highly suggest reading some detailing forums such as the one I posted, in depth to get others opinions.

Also, after you wash the car (if its the wash before the big detail job, do it twice!) make sure you clay it. It will already feel buttery smooth after you clay it. And then after you AIO it... it feels sooooo good!

[whelton70]

just take it to a reputable detail shop and pay a pro to detail and buff the car out. Trust me I use to own a detail shop and if you do not know what you are doing it can cause more harm than good trying to detail a car. I have seen people try to high speed buff the paint out and burn the paint like on the edges of the fenders for example. Or pressure cleaning the engine can cause electronics to get messed up or distributor cap gets wet and car will run rough or not even start. If you let a pro do it probably will cost you something around $150-$200 and then it will be easy to maintain it from there.

[Schniddy]

just take it to a reputable detail shop and pay a pro to detail and buff the car out. Trust me I use to own a detail shop and if you do not know what you are doing it can cause more harm than good trying to detail a car. I have seen people try to high speed buff the paint out and burn the paint like on the edges of the fenders for example. Or pressure cleaning the engine can cause electronics to get messed up or distributor cap gets wet and car will run rough or not even start. If you let a pro do it probably will cost you something around $150-$200 and then it will be easy to maintain it from there.

Do it yourself. Don't take it to a shop.

[whelton70]

OK trust me if you have never high speed buffed a car before you will swirl the shit out of it and possibly burn the paint. By all means go ahead and fuck your shit up then. Just warning you

[whelton70]

random orbit buffers are for light polishing only or to remove a wax coat and not for removing serious oxidation and scratches from the paint surface. That is when a high speed buffer is needed dumba.. !!! If you knew half as much as you act like you might be dangerous. I use to run the detail shop at the local BMW/VOLVO/VW dealer for 5 years before opening my own business up and ran it for 10 years so I know a little about what I am talking about.

[BUDNUNTA]

Sean go out and buy the Mequires smooth clay kit and there NXT Paste wax.
Under $35 for all of it, it'll make your car super smooth and protect it for a good while. the NXT is easy to apply and take off. Use the applicator pad that comes with it(the purple and green one) and buy an extra Micro fiber towel(one comes with the Smooth Surface Kit).
If your paint isnt total shit thats all your need.
Has your car had any paint work before?




Hunter

[Sean]

Sean go out and buy the Mequires smooth clay kit and there NXT Paste wax.
Under $35 for all of it, it'll make your car super smooth and protect it for a good while. the NXT is easy to apply and take off. Use the applicator pad that comes with it(the purple and green one) and buy an extra Micro fiber towel(one comes with the Smooth Surface Kit).
If your paint isnt total shit thats all your need.
Has your car had any paint work before?




Hunter

Nope, all original. I may end up doing that. :D

[Schniddy]

Don't buy a clay bar "kit". All you need is a spray bottle with soapy water for lubricant. The cheapest clay is the same as the most expensive clay, they just want to make some money selling the lubricant.