first time detailing

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mstapes

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hey guys

new here, I've been browsing the forum and I have picked up a ton of useful information regarding the care and maintenance. However I have a few lingering questions pertaining to the polish/wax of my '95 camry.

I always thought that I took good care of my car, but after viewing this site for a while, I realized that I could have been doing a lot better.

I recently had the front end redone do to an accident and I would like to restore the luster and shine back into the rear end and doors to match closer to the new hood and bumper.

now on to the questions:

The camry is beige/gold, and I have read that lighter cars do not benefit as much from multiple polishes (specifically glaze). so what polish or polishes(2) would you recommend to get out some minor scratches and swirl marks? Originally I was planning on doing everything by hand, but if purchasing a PC will produce better results then that's the route I will take.
polishes I have heard good things about the following:
adam's polishes
griots machine polishes
poorboys
pinnacle
sonus

I plan on waxing with collinite 845 because I live in new england and I need as much protection as I can get.

1. which polish would work the best for use with 845? many lines such as adam's has at least 3 different polishes, would all of them be necessary or do I just need to use one or two? if not which ones are the most necessary?

2. there are a lot of areas on my car that are not metal, such as the side view mirrors, spoiler, bumpers etc. do I need to polish these too? or just use cleaners such as adams all purpose cleaner (The side view mirrors/spoiler are not painted, they are just gold plastic.)

3. which pads are the best to use with a PC? I was looking at lake country flat pads, and they seem like high quality. which size is the best for all around use 5.5, 6.5, 7.5?

4. Microfiber towels are one thing that I have learned alot about recently. I used to use anything I could find that was on sale. I was unaware that cheap towels cause scratching and swirls. Which towels are the best for removing polish and wax? griots has specific towels for each application and seem like a reasonable deal. adam seems to have good towels as well, but are on the expensive side. I also heard good things about pak shak towels. I need towels for both the removal of wax/polish and for drying. what do you suggest to get started?

Thanks in advance for all the help, I look forward to becoming part of this community. I will be sure to post pictures of before and after the detailing as well.
 
:welcome: To Autogeek Online! :props:

This is "the" place to learn some of the finest ways to detail your car. There is a wealth of knowledge here for the beginner to the most advanced. A simple question is all that's needed to initiate helpful responses from members here and also Autogeek Professional Staff.

This is something I've posed several times and it covers many areas at a high level but give you an idea of what's available and some of the prices.

Everyone starts off as a beginner but with some reading, questions, and trial, error, and practice you'll be amazed how much you'll be able to do. After reading and understanding some of the basics, the more hands on your are the quicker you'll build your knowledge and gain experience.

This link contains articles written by Mike Phillips and has allot of great reading within.

Articles by Mike Phillips

Basic steps in order are:

  • Wash
  • Clay
  • Paint Correction & Polish
  • Seal
  • Wax
Make detailing enjoyable and practice. Take your time and do not become overwhelmed. Just because there are a thousand product doesn't mean you have to use them all.

Pick one product from each category from the steps above. You already have some great waxes so you're that far ahead of the game..

Autogeek has a kit section that contains everything you need to get started. For starting off I recommend a dual action polisher. These come on a variety of flavors and Autogeek carries most of them so take your time and educate yourself.

The kit pages below will give you an idea of what's available but if you do decide to purchase a Porter Cable 7424 style polisher opt for the 5 1/2" flat pads right off. The 6 1'2" are just too large and this has been confirmed many time over.


Kit Page

Car Care Kits, Car Care Cleaning Kits, Complete Detailing Kits

Decent kit

Pinnacle Twins & Meguiar's G110v2 Dual Action Polisher Kit FREE BONUS

Much better kit

Menzerna Porter Cable XP Maximum Shine Kit FREE BONUS

Flex Kit

If I were in the market for a kit this would be the one I'd choose.
Pinnacle Flex XC3401 Polishing & Swirl Remover kit, Pinnacle polishes, swirl removers, finishing polish, flex buffer

Don't overlook a one step product

One Step Product

Klasse

Klasse ALL-IN-ONE Auto Polish, Klasse All In One, klasse aio, Acrylic polish

Menzerna Sealing Wax

Menzerna Sealing Wax APO 60, Menzerna APO 60, Menzerna wax

Meguiar's D151

Meguiars Paint Reconditioning Cream D151

Pinnacle XMT

Pinnacle XMT Clean & Shine Bundle

Forum Favorite

Klasse All-In-One, Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze, Pinnacle Souveran, Pinnacle Crystal Mist Spray Wax come together to create a forum favorite kit.

Sealants

Menzerna Power Lock Paint Sealant

Menzerna Power Lock Polymer Paint Sealant, Menzerna auto sealant, car sealant, paint sealant protectant

Other quality sealants

  • Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant
  • Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze
  • DP Poli-Coat Paint Sealant
Wax

Collinite 845

Collinite Liquid Insulator Wax #845, liquid wax, heat-resistant wax, car wax

Pinnacle Signature Series ll

Pinnacle Signature Series II Carnauba Paste Wax will give you a deep, wet finish will exceed your expectations. car wax, carnauba paste wax, pinnacle
 
mstapes said:
I always thought that I took good care of my car, but after viewing this site for a while, I realized that I could have been doing a lot better.
Click to expand...

This is pretty much right where everyone begins their journey! :props:

mstapes said:
now on to the questions:

The camry is beige/gold, and I have read that lighter cars do not benefit as much from multiple polishes (specifically glaze).
Click to expand...

This is not true at all.

Polishes contain very fine sanding particles suspended in their formulation. These particles when combined with the correct pad will polish or remove swirls and micro-scratches up to and including a specified grit.

mstapes said:
so what polish or polishes(2) would you recommend to get out some minor scratches and swirl marks? Originally I was planning on doing everything by hand, but if purchasing a PC will produce better results then that's the route I will take.
polishes I have heard good things about the following:
adam's polishes
griots machine polishes
poorboys
pinnacle
sonus
Click to expand...


A couple of great combo's I highly recommend.

Pinnacle Swirl Remover
Pinnacle Finishing Polish

Pinnacle Natural Brilliance, pinnacle car care products, souveran, signature series, carnauba, paintwork cleansing lotion, car wax, paint protection


Menzerna Power Finish PO203
Menzerna Super Finish PO106FA

Menzerna Power Finish & Super Finish Bundle, Menzerna Polishing Compounds, Menzerna PO203 & PO106FA, car polishes

A couple of nice sealants

Menzerna Power Lock
Detailer’s Pro Series Poli-Coat Paint Sealant

Menzerna Power Lock Polymer Paint Sealant, Menzerna auto sealant, car sealant, paint sealant protectant

DP Poli-Coat Paint Sealant, polymer paint sealant, auto paint sealant, DP Policoat paint sealant, paint sealer __________________

mstapes said:
I plan on waxing with collinite 845 because I live in new england and I need as much protection as I can get.
Click to expand...

I too live in New England! Collinite 845 is a great wax, especially for the price.

mstapes said:
1. which polish would work the best for use with 845? many lines such as adam's has at least 3 different polishes, would all of them be necessary or do I just need to use one or two? if not which ones are the most necessary?
Click to expand...

Take a look at what I've recommended above.

mstapes said:
2. there are a lot of areas on my car that are not metal, such as the side view mirrors, spoiler, bumpers etc. do I need to polish these too? or just use cleaners such as adams all purpose cleaner (The side view mirrors/spoiler are not painted, they are just gold plastic.)
Click to expand...

It's entirely up to you how far you take detailing. Your ultimate goals are set by you and no one else. Some of these areas I do manually just because they're tough to do with a machine.

mstapes said:
3. which pads are the best to use with a PC? I was looking at lake country flat pads, and they seem like high quality. which size is the best for all around use 5.5, 6.5, 7.5?
Click to expand...

5 1/2" are the ones to use on this style polisher...period!!

mstapes said:
4. Microfiber towels are one thing that I have learned alot about recently. I used to use anything I could find that was on sale. I was unaware that cheap towels cause scratching and swirls. Which towels are the best for removing polish and wax? griots has specific towels for each application and seem like a reasonable deal. adam seems to have good towels as well, but are on the expensive side. I also heard good things about pak shak towels. I need towels for both the removal of wax/polish and for drying. what do you suggest to get started?

Thanks in advance for all the help, I look forward to becoming part of this community. I will be sure to post pictures of before and after the detailing as well.
Click to expand...

The Cobra line Autogeek sells are very good quality and they offer a variety of styles dependent on your specific needs and requirements.
 
A ton of great information here. thanks alot! I am still unsure about the best option for polishes since there is so much to choose from.

I like the looks of the menzera 203 and 106 as well as the poorboy's ssr 2.5 and 1. (pinnacle is priced a little too high) I would prefer to stay with a two step process. Will the ssr 2.5 and 203 be able to remove some larger/deeper scratches and swirl marks or should I go another step down to something heavier such as the ssr 3 or po83/s34?

Also regarding the 106 and ssr1, are these fine enough to wax on right after with collinite 845 or should I go another step up to a finer finishing polish?

finally, which pads from lake country would correspond with each polish:

203/ssr 2.5- orange or white?
106/ssr 1- white or black?
collinite 845-blue pad
 
Either. You can adjust according to your needs. 203 and an orange pad will be more aggressive than 203 and a white pad, but they both can be used fine. Same goes with the 106 and everything else. Just don't use an orange or white pad with some wax or sealants.
 
mstapes said:
I was unaware that cheap towels cause scratching and swirls. Which towels are the best for removing polish and wax? . I also heard good things about pak shak towels. I need towels for both the removal of wax/polish and for drying. what do you suggest to get started?
Click to expand...

Get a few different MF towels in different colors and different thicknesses. Colors let you dedicate one color to washing, one to polishing etc. This cuts down on chances leftover something in a towel will screw up your work. A couple fluffy ones for buffing, a waffle weave (see BOGO page) and a few 'regular' thickness for utility work for me.

Cobra, Poorboys and PakShak all have their fans around here. Check for safety by rubbing the towels on the shiny side of a CD before using. If it scratches the CD, don't use it on your paint.
 
I think I will get the orange pad for the 203/ssr 2.5 for a bit more cut rather than getting a compound. Would it make more sense to transition to the white or black pad for the 106/ssr 1?

I assume that wax is best applied with the blue pad because it is the softest and has no cut?

As for microfibers, I plan on getting three of each for buffing out each polish and wax.
supreme 530
deluxe jr 600
gold plush jr
(all 16x16)

Then I will also get the cobra guzzler based upon all the positive reviews I have found. Which size works best for the average sedan?
 
I have finalized most of my detailing list, however I have a question regarding tire gel and trim. What would be the best product for black plastic mudflaps, window trim and anything black under the hood? I am looking to purchase DP tire gel, is this something I can use or should I purchase something like PB trim restorer?

Also, I would like to get a few basic items to clean the interior of my car as well. It is in very good shape for its age so I just need basic carpet and vinyl cleaner. I was considering DP interior cleaner and protectant since it is currently on BOGO. is this a good idea for all interior needs(other than glass)?
 
I use Wolfgang tire gel and like it quite a bit. For under the hood and window trim, I use 303 Aerospace protectant. That stuff is great. You can also use it on your vinyl trim interior. It has UV protection and won't dry anything out.
 
A lame question:

can somebody tell me what color is Klasse-All-in-One...???
also, what color is Blackfire wetdiamond?
 
BFWD is sky blue in color when mixed properly!

@mstapes - 303 aerospace protectant for engine bay plastics and rubber, mud flaps, exterior window and other textured plastic trim + it can also be used on interior dash, door panels etc.

btw M105 finishes quite great for a compound
 
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