Starting from scratch

[Mathelo]

Help me finalize my purchase list.

This is only my second post here and I’m a complete noobie at detailing. So please be gentle.

I’m new to detailing and I’m trying to get started right. I’m an “enthusiast” meaning I have no plans to do this professionally but that doesn’t stop me from buying professional grade gear. I typically don’t settle for consumer grade.

I currently own a 2003 Porsche Boxster – grey (to be sold), a 2010 Volkswagen Tiguan – black, several year old Honda Civic – grey, and just purchased a 2006 Porsche Cayman – grey.

Based on what I’ve read the Porsche and the Honda have relatively soft paint and I should expect that the Volkswagen has relatively hard paint. The 2003 Porsche and Honda have a mix of OEM and non-OEM paint. I could do some detail work for friends but this is my ‘fleet’. Generally, I’ve not taken very good care of the finish on these cars but they don’t see too much of the elements – pretty much garage to garage.

I’m ready to change my ways and make my cars shine like the sun! So with that out of the way, this is what I’m planning to purchase. There are several places that I’m unsure and I could use some help.

General questions:

• Anything I’m wasting money on?
  
  
• Anything I’m missing?
  
  
• Anything I should get instead?

Washing

Duragloss Car Wash Concentrate #901
OR
Ultima Paint Guard Wash, car shampoo, auto wash shampoo, car soap, lubricating car wash

Ultima Waterless Wash Plus+ Concentrate, concentrated waterless auto wash, waterless car wash
OR
Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine: clay lubricant, optimum rinseless wash, no rinse car wash, optimum detailing products

MTM Hydro Foam Cannon

Home Depot 5 gal buckets

The Grit Guard Insert - 2 Pack

Merino wool wash mitt, auto wash mitt, sheepskin wash mitt

MF Towels
The Guzzler Triple Kit


Wheel Care

SONAX Wheel Cleaner, aluminum cleaner, chrome cleaner, all wheel cleaner, full effect wheel cleaner

Four Star Ultimate Tire Protectant Gel Boosted with Polycharger!

Daytona Speed Master Two Brush Combo, wheel brushes, detailing brush, auto detail brush

Lug Nut Brush,Clean Wheel Brush,clean brake calipers, clean lug nuts, boar's hair wheel brush, best wheel brush, wheel lug nuts

Mothers Tire, Wheel & Well Brush Kit

Mothers Detail Brush Set cleans crevices and creases inside your car. Mother Detail Brush Set includes 2 small brushes.


Polishing

DA
FLEX XC 3401 VRG HD Orbital Polisher, FLEX buffer, car polisher

Polishing Pads

LC 6.5 inch Hybrid Orange Heavy Cutting Pad – how many?
LC 6.5 inch Hybrid Blue Light Cutting Pad – how many?
LC 6.5 inch Hybrid White Polishing Pad – how many?
Lake Country Hybrid Power Finish Ultra Performance Pad System, buffing pads, foam pads, polishing pads
OR
CCS 6.5 inch foam pads, Lake country ccs foam pads, porter cable pads, ccs polishing pads, ccs pads, lake country ccs pads but which ones and how many? Too many choices.

AND for hand work

Griot's Garage Mini 3 Inch Pad Holder, hand polishing pad holder

Griot's Garage 3 Inch Orange Polishing Foam Pads, Griots foam polishing pads, Griots orange foam pads

Foam Pad Conditioning Brush cleans and reconditions foam and wool pads on the buffer. remove excess caked wax and polish from buffing pads.

Polish
Menzerna Final Polish,Menzerna PO 85U, Menzerna final polish, Menzerna polish

Menzerna Nano Polish PO 106 FA, Menzerna Final Polish, Nano abrasives, finishing polish, professional polish

XMT Polishing Pad Conditioner by Pinnacle For your dual action or rotary polisher.

MF Towels - will this be enough?
6 Pack Miracle Towels, 16 x 24 inches (39.99)
OR
Griots Garage Micro Fiber Polish Removal Cloths, 3 Pack x2 (35.98)


Sealing
Four Star Ultimate Paint Protection, paint sealant

LC 6.5 inch Hybrid Black Finishing Pad

MF Towels- will this be enough?
Deluxe Jr. 600 Microfiber Towels 6 Pack ($39.99) – enough?
OR
Super Soft Deluxe Microfiber Towels with Rolled Edges, 6 Pack ($17.99) – enough?


Detailing
Four Star Ultimate Spray Wax Plus

Application Pad
6.5 inch Hybrid Black Finishing Pad

MF Towels- will this be enough?
Deluxe Jr. 600 Microfiber Towels 6 Pack ($39.99) – enough towels?
OR
Super Soft Deluxe Microfiber Towels with Rolled Edges, 6 Pack ($17.99) – enough?


Other
Kwazar Mercury Pro + 1 Liter Spray Bottle (33 oz.) - 3 Pack

DP Polishing Pad Rejuvenator

Brinkmann Maxfire Dual Xenon Rechargeable Swirl Finder Spotlight

Griot's Garage Glass Sealant 8 oz.

CarPro Eraser Intense Oil & Polish Cleanser 16 oz.

Poorboy’s World Bug Squash 16 oz.

Meguiars D103 All Purpose Cleaner Plus

Ultra Suede Glass Cleaning Towels, 3 Pack

Duragloss Marine & R/V Protectant #531


Thanks!

Louis

 

[rider9195]

My responses are in blue

Help me finalize my purchase list.

This is only my second post here and I’m a complete noobie at detailing. So please be gentle.

I’m new to detailing and I’m trying to get started right. I’m an “enthusiast” meaning I have no plans to do this professionally but that doesn’t stop me from buying professional grade gear. I typically don’t settle for consumer grade.

I currently own a 2003 Porsche Boxster – grey (to be sold), a 2010 Volkswagen Tiguan – black, several year old Honda Civic – grey, and just purchased a 2006 Porsche Cayman – grey.

Based on what I’ve read the Porsche and the Honda have relatively soft paint and I should expect that the Volkswagen has relatively hard paint. The 2003 Porsche and Honda have a mix of OEM and non-OEM paint. I could do some detail work for friends but this is my ‘fleet’. Generally, I’ve not taken very good care of the finish on these cars but they don’t see too much of the elements – pretty much garage to garage.

I’m ready to change my ways and make my cars shine like the sun! So with that out of the way, this is what I’m planning to purchase. There are several places that I’m unsure and I could use some help.

General questions:

• Anything I’m wasting money on?
  
  
• Anything I’m missing?
  
  
• Anything I should get instead?

Washing

Duragloss Car Wash Concentrate #901
OR
Ultima Paint Guard Wash, car shampoo, auto wash shampoo, car soap, lubricating car wash

DG 901 without a doubt. The Ultima is good from what I have heard, just haven't used it.

Ultima Waterless Wash Plus+ Concentrate, concentrated waterless auto wash, waterless car wash
OR
Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine: clay lubricant, optimum rinseless wash, no rinse car wash, optimum detailing products

Get both. If your cars are garaged, you can use the Ultima WW+ as a waterless wash for the quick clean ups when your car isn't very dirty. Then use the Optimum No Rinse as a rinseless wash and clay lubricant.

MTM Hydro Foam Cannon
Don't have one. They look cool though! Do some searching on it. Do basic hand washing first though.

Home Depot 5 gal buckets
They work fine and fit the grit guards nicely.

The Grit Guard Insert - 2 Pack

Merino wool wash mitt, auto wash mitt, sheepskin wash mitt
Heard it's a nice wash mitt. Check out CEE DOG's review on it. I would also get a microfiber chenille mitt if the car is extra dirty.

MF Towels
The Guzzler Triple Kit
Great towels!


Wheel Care

SONAX Wheel Cleaner, aluminum cleaner, chrome cleaner, all wheel cleaner, full effect wheel cleaner
Not worth the money in my opinion. Just use the Meguiar's APC + diluted 4:1 or 10:1. Never let me down on flightly wheels and tires.

Four Star Ultimate Tire Protectant Gel Boosted with Polycharger!
Never tried it. I use Chemical Guys VRP for high gloss and DP Gloss Tire Gel for a more natural look.

Daytona Speed Master Two Brush Combo, wheel brushes, detailing brush, auto detail brush

Lug Nut Brush,Clean Wheel Brush,clean brake calipers, clean lug nuts, boar's hair wheel brush, best wheel brush, wheel lug nuts

Mothers Tire, Wheel & Well Brush Kit

Mothers Detail Brush Set cleans crevices and creases inside your car. Mother Detail Brush Set includes 2 small brushes.
All those will work good.

Polishing

DA
FLEX XC 3401 VRG HD Orbital Polisher, FLEX buffer, car polisher
Have you ever used a machine polisher? If not stick with a Porter Cable 7424 XP. It's not forced rotation like the Flex so it won't walk on you like the Flex will if not used right. Also just buy an extension cord instead of the HD model. Then you can use the cord for other power tools.

Polishing Pads

LC 6.5 inch Hybrid Orange Heavy Cutting Pad – how many?
LC 6.5 inch Hybrid Blue Light Cutting Pad – how many?
LC 6.5 inch Hybrid White Polishing Pad – how many?
Lake Country Hybrid Power Finish Ultra Performance Pad System, buffing pads, foam pads, polishing pads
OR
CCS 6.5 inch foam pads, Lake country ccs foam pads, porter cable pads, ccs polishing pads, ccs pads, lake country ccs pads but which ones and how many? Too many choices.I would get 5.5 inch Lake country flat pads. You will also need a 5 inch backing plate to fit these. Two yellow, two orange, two white, two black, and two blue will be a good start.


AND for hand work

Griot's Garage Mini 3 Inch Pad Holder, hand polishing pad holder

Griot's Garage 3 Inch Orange Polishing Foam Pads, Griots foam polishing pads, Griots orange foam pads

Foam Pad Conditioning Brush cleans and reconditions foam and wool pads on the buffer. remove excess caked wax and polish from buffing pads.
I would just get some LC Hand polishing pads. They come in orange, white, and red. That brush is awesome as well.
Polish
Menzerna Final Polish,Menzerna PO 85U, Menzerna final polish, Menzerna polish

Menzerna Nano Polish PO 106 FA, Menzerna Final Polish, Nano abrasives, finishing polish, professional polish

XMT Polishing Pad Conditioner by Pinnacle For your dual action or rotary polisher.
To keep it simple get the Optimum combo. Hyper Compound and Hyper Polish. Very easy to use, long working time and great results.

MF Towels - will this be enough?
6 Pack Miracle Towels, 16 x 24 inches (39.99)
OR
Griots Garage Micro Fiber Polish Removal Cloths, 3 Pack x2 (35.98)
Get some blue rolled edge towels for wax removal and Cobra Gold Plush for polish removal.


Sealing
Four Star Ultimate Paint Protection, paint sealant

LC 6.5 inch Hybrid Black Finishing Pad
Looks good.

MF Towels- will this be enough?
Deluxe Jr. 600 Microfiber Towels 6 Pack ($39.99) – enough?
OR
Super Soft Deluxe Microfiber Towels with Rolled Edges, 6 Pack ($17.99) – enough?


Detailing
Four Star Ultimate Spray Wax Plus

Application Pad
6.5 inch Hybrid Black Finishing Pad

MF Towels- will this be enough?
Deluxe Jr. 600 Microfiber Towels 6 Pack ($39.99) – enough towels?
OR
Super Soft Deluxe Microfiber Towels with Rolled Edges, 6 Pack ($17.99) – enough?
Use the blue rolled edge towels for applying a spray wax. I would get Duragloss Aquawax though. In my opinion the easiest to use.


Other
Kwazar Mercury Pro + 1 Liter Spray Bottle (33 oz.) - 3 Pack

DP Polishing Pad Rejuvenator

Brinkmann Maxfire Dual Xenon Rechargeable Swirl Finder Spotlight

Griot's Garage Glass Sealant 8 oz.
Just use the sealant you put on your paint and save money.

CarPro Eraser Intense Oil & Polish Cleanser 16 oz.

Poorboy’s World Bug Squash 16 oz.

Meguiars D103 All Purpose Cleaner Plus

Ultra Suede Glass Cleaning Towels, 3 Pack

Duragloss Marine & R/V Protectant #531


Thanks!

Louis

What about a clay bar? I'm sure your cars will need it. You can get some Blackfire clay and use ONR as a lubricant. What about interior? You can use Chemical Guys Inner Clean on almost all surfaces.

That was a really long post so I probably missed something. Hope it helps.

 

[ryance39]

Everything rider said is about right on. You have the 3inch griots polisher on your list you may consider the 6 inch as well, in place of the flex. The lifetime warranty and the fact you can get the two polishers a few pads, a clay bar, and some polish in a package.
I also second the Meg's APC+ it's really an awesome product for the price point and variability of uses.

 

[brawl]

Wow! That's a great list for someone just starting to get hooked in detailing. Just think it through so you would just buy everything you need. I agree with their suggestion to get clay and APC+. Also consider decon products like IronX and/or Trix.

 

[soccer05]

You might want to add a leaf blower for drying your car :xyxthumbs:

You also might want to add some interior care products.

 

[Mathelo]

Everything rider said is about right on. You have the 3inch griots polisher on your list you may consider the 6 inch as well, in place of the flex. The lifetime warranty and the fact you can get the two polishers a few pads, a clay bar, and some polish in a package.
I also second the Meg's APC+ it's really an awesome product for the price point and variability of uses.

Ryance39,

Thanks for the ideas. However, I don't have the griots polisher on my list. That is the handheld for getting into the tight spaces the Flex can't reach. I'll add Meg's APC+ to the list.

Louis


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[Mathelo]

My responses are in blue



What about a clay bar? I'm sure your cars will need it. You can get some Blackfire clay and use ONR as a lubricant. What about interior? You can use Chemical Guys Inner Clean on almost all surfaces.

That was a really long post so I probably missed something. Hope it helps.

Already have a griots clay bar. Assuming that will be fine. Not focusing on interior yet but I have a number of quality interior supplies I bought a few years back from griots.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[Mathelo]

You might want to add a leaf blower for drying your car :xyxthumbs:

You also might want to add some interior care products.

Have a blower and a pressure washer too.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[umi000]

I'd replace the Final Polish with another polish with more cut (maybe PF2500) - 85U and 106FA would be kind of redundant to me. Also, for the Four Star Ultimate Spray Wax Plus, you apply that using an MF towel, not an applicator pad. (On a side note, I've never used the 4* spray wax, and it doesn't seem to get much press around here, so I don't know how well it works, but I'd probably have gone for OCW or Meguiar's Ultimate Quik Wax.)

Like rider said, I'd get both UWW+ and ONR - different uses for these (you can use UWW+ as a rinseless wash, and I actually found it to be a better rinseless than ONR v2 - haven't used v3 yet - but it'll be around three times more expensive). Get a bunch of towels if you're planning on doing waterless washes - I use around ten towels for the whole car, and these are towels which are plush on both sides - I'd use twice the number if I used the dual-sided towels (I would only use the plush side with waterless washes).

 

[Mathelo]

I'd replace the Final Polish with another polish with more cut (maybe PF2500) - 85U and 106FA would be kind of redundant to me. Also, for the Four Star Ultimate Spray Wax Plus, you apply that using an MF towel, not an applicator pad. (On a side note, I've never used the 4* spray wax, and it doesn't seem to get much press around here, so I don't know how well it works, but I'd probably have gone for OCW or Meguiar's Ultimate Quik Wax.)

Like rider said, I'd get both UWW+ and ONR - different uses for these (you can use UWW+ as a rinseless wash, and I actually found it to be a better rinseless than ONR v2 - haven't used v3 yet - but it'll be around three times more expensive). Get a bunch of towels if you're planning on doing waterless washes - I use around ten towels for the whole car, and these are towels which are plush on both sides - I'd use twice the number if I used the dual-sided towels (I would only use the plush side with waterless washes).

Francis,

Thanks for your input here. Greatly appreciated.

Good catch on the polish. I really meant that to be Menzerna SIP - Super Intensive Polish (IS 1500) PO 83. Would that be a good choice?

On the Four Star Ultimate Spray Wax Plus I think I was going off of a review by Corey but I'll have to double check.

What about the quality of the MF towels? I'll buy what I need to but I'd rather not over spend. And how many towels do you typically go through for each stage? Will 6 be enough for polishing or do I need more? And so on for the other stages.

I'm also curious what you and others think about the new LC Hybrid Power Finish System. Looks like a good match for the Flex but being new I'm guessing there isn't too much experience. And just how many pads of each type should I buy to do a car in one sitting?

Louis

 

[CEE DOG]

Hey bud, looking at your thread now. Will respond to pm momentarily. I would get a bare minimum of 3 pads for each stage. So 9 pads would be the very bare minimum and you really need about 2 more of each in the 3 or 4 inch size (6 more) but you can get around that and skip the small pads getting started.

The rolled edge towels are good

 

[CEE DOG]

Help me finalize my purchase list.

Washing

Duragloss Car Wash Concentrate #901
OR
Ultima Paint Guard Wash, car shampoo, auto wash shampoo, car soap, lubricating car wash

UPGW is my favorite wash... however you can absolutely not go wrong with Duragloss or Optimum. Also the Duragloss has gloss enhancers while the Ultima does not and the Optimum "kind of does"

Ultima Waterless Wash Plus+ Concentrate, concentrated waterless auto wash, waterless car wash
OR
Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine: clay lubricant, optimum rinseless wash, no rinse car wash, optimum detailing products

UWWP for detail spray and waterless wipedowns

I haven't used it for rinsless and likewise I have always used ONR for clay lube because it came out before UWWP and thats what I was in the habit of

MTM Hydro Foam Cannon

hmm

Home Depot 5 gal buckets

Yes! Grit Guards fit down into them if you get the size I have and you can even turn the bucket upside down for storage without removing the grit guard. It fits snug

The Grit Guard Insert - 2 Pack

Merino wool wash mitt, auto wash mitt, sheepskin wash mitt

Yes :dblthumb2:

MF Towels
The Guzzler Triple Kit

Not sure about that one, not my cup of tea

Wheel Care

SONAX Wheel Cleaner, aluminum cleaner, chrome cleaner, all wheel cleaner, full effect wheel cleaner

Overpriced in my opinion

Four Star Ultimate Tire Protectant Gel Boosted with Polycharger!

Shockingly I haven't used it.

Daytona Speed Master Two Brush Combo, wheel brushes, detailing brush, auto detail brush

Yes, but also consider wheel woolie kit in the future depending on your wheel style. Somewhat open wheels they are amazing and also work on other areas

Lug Nut Brush,Clean Wheel Brush,clean brake calipers, clean lug nuts, boar's hair wheel brush, best wheel brush, wheel lug nuts

Yes

Mothers Tire, Wheel & Well Brush Kit

Yes

Mothers Detail Brush Set cleans crevices and creases inside your car. Mother Detail Brush Set includes 2 small brushes.

7 out of 10


Polishing

DA
FLEX XC 3401 VRG HD Orbital Polisher, FLEX buffer, car polisher

9.5 out of 10 in my opinion :dblthumb2:

Polishing Pads

LC 6.5 inch Hybrid Orange Heavy Cutting Pad – how many? 4
LC 6.5 inch Hybrid Blue Light Cutting Pad – how many? 4
LC 6.5 inch Hybrid White Polishing Pad – how many? 4
Lake Country Hybrid Power Finish Ultra Performance Pad System, buffing pads, foam pads, polishing pads
OR
CCS 6.5 inch foam pads, Lake country ccs foam pads, porter cable pads, ccs polishing pads, ccs pads, lake country ccs pads but which ones and how many? Too many choices.

AND for hand work

Griot's Garage Mini 3 Inch Pad Holder, hand polishing pad holder

Consider a smaller backing plate and pads for machine instead but I haven't gone this hand route so maybe its best for you. My advice here is worthless as I have no experience with it

Griot's Garage 3 Inch Orange Polishing Foam Pads, Griots foam polishing pads, Griots orange foam pads

Foam Pad Conditioning Brush cleans and reconditions foam and wool pads on the buffer. remove excess caked wax and polish from buffing pads.

Overpriced alligator toothbrush but yeah I use mine all the time and don't have an alternative for you off the top of my head. Burch the pad out with this after every section or every other section at the very most depending on polish

Polish
Menzerna Final Polish,Menzerna PO 85U, Menzerna final polish, Menzerna polish

Menzerna Nano Polish PO 106 FA, Menzerna Final Polish, Nano abrasives, finishing polish, professional polish

I like Wolfgang TSR and 85RD as well as some others but in line with what you seem to like I recommend those two. You can ignore me here though. You'll do fine with your thoughts and the comments above mine.

XMT Polishing Pad Conditioner by Pinnacle For your dual action or rotary polisher.

I've changed my opinion on this one with further experience I don't want to piss of AG but I think a bottle of water will do you fine when you need it. Just prime the pad with the polish first very thin and eve across the surface before you first use it.

MF Towels - will this be enough?
6 Pack Miracle Towels, 16 x 24 inches (39.99)
OR
Griots Garage Micro Fiber Polish Removal Cloths, 3 Pack x2 (35.98)

Haven't used these


Sealing
Four Star Ultimate Paint Protection, paint sealant

Yes, Yes, YEs! Not the most durable sealant but still my favorite for all other abilities. Feel free to add a second layer after 6 hours. When sealing a vehicle be sure to be done by early afternoon if you won't be storing it in a garage because you must ensure it doesn't get moist before it cures

LC 6.5 inch Hybrid Black Finishing Pad

MF Towels- will this be enough?
Deluxe Jr. 600 Microfiber Towels 6 Pack ($39.99) – enough?

No comment

OR
Super Soft Deluxe Microfiber Towels with Rolled Edges, 6 Pack ($17.99) – enough?

I like these towels and GREAT DEAL!


Detailing
Four Star Ultimate Spray Wax Plus

Ya, this is great stuff. Depending on your purpose for this also consider Optimum or Duragloss. I think stick with what you have here if I understand your purposing of it correctly.

Application Pad
6.5 inch Hybrid Black Finishing Pad

MF Towels- will this be enough?
Deluxe Jr. 600 Microfiber Towels 6 Pack ($39.99) – enough towels?

Get some of those Sonus white towels with red border to get a taste of a very very soft towel you will love.


Skip these and get some cheap mf towels at the store for non paint duties

OR
Super Soft Deluxe Microfiber Towels with Rolled Edges, 6 Pack ($17.99) – enough?

Ya, might want 12 of these total to get started. The Sonus are better but these are awesome and I use them often (or did, haven't had time for detailing much the last couple months)




Other
Kwazar Mercury Pro + 1 Liter Spray Bottle (33 oz.) - 3 Pack

Costly, but awesome. If you need to trim some fat some comes off here

DP Polishing Pad Rejuvenator

Yes, this is good, could also consider other options for the same type of orange cleaning solution at a better price

Brinkmann Maxfire Dual Xenon Rechargeable Swirl Finder Spotlight

Depends...

Griot's Garage Glass Sealant 8 oz.

Don't know

CarPro Eraser Intense Oil & Polish Cleanser 16 oz.

Yes, great product and useful for you but not necessary with a sealant like it is with a coating

Poorboy’s World Bug Squash 16 oz.

Dont know

Meguiars D103 All Purpose Cleaner Plus

Yes, I suppose so

Ultra Suede Glass Cleaning Towels, 3 Pack

Not sure

Duragloss Marine & R/V Protectant #531

Absolutely!!!


Thanks!

Louis

No, thank you Louis!! I hope I helped some. I tried to get as much info in as I could. If you need anything pm me anytime.

 

[Mathelo]

No, thank you Louis!! I hope I helped some. I tried to get as much info in as I could. If you need anything pm me anytime.

Thanks for your feedback. I need to review this more carefully but very helpful.

Louis