I've been doing a lot of reading lately and figure it's time to do an intro thread.
I have 2 cars that I'm looking to provide better care for. A 2014 Subaru XV in Desert Khaki and a 2013 Ford C-Max in Tuxedo Black. I've never used an DA buffer in my life but I'm not worried about my ability to use one. I have taken good care of cars in the past sans machine polishing. My 05 Mustang GT always received kudos even when it had over 100k miles on it. I used Zaino products exclusively on it and have no complaints.
Times have changed though. I'm looking into using a paint coating to provide extended protection vs a wax or sealant. I've picked up DA buffer from HF. I know, not the best but from reviews it works and I'm not getting into the detailing business. I also picked up some Meguiar's Ultimate Polish along with a couple CG white pads and a backing pad. I already clay'd both cars before using left over Zaino AIO on them until I found something better.
Looking at Opti Pro Gloss-coat as my coating. Plan is to wash the Subie with dawn, use some iso to wipe it down, polish, iso again, and then coat. If all goes well I'll rinse and repeat with the Ford. The Subie I expect to be a challenge due to its color. The khaki doesn't reflect hardly at all. The black C-Max will, of course, be its own special challenge.
So, my real question is what can I do to make the process easier or increase my odds of success. Budget is not unlimited but I'm willing to buy things that will make life easier on me. I'm 3 months out from a 2 level cervical fusion. Easy is good lol!
I do have high quality micro fiber towels. Is Iron-X necessary if I've already given the cars a good clay bar once over? Is there a better cleanser than iso before applying the OP? These are daily drivers, not garage queens so no need to go crazy, but we do keep our cars for at least 7-8 years so willing to take some extra steps to make them last.
TIA for any help!
I have 2 cars that I'm looking to provide better care for. A 2014 Subaru XV in Desert Khaki and a 2013 Ford C-Max in Tuxedo Black. I've never used an DA buffer in my life but I'm not worried about my ability to use one. I have taken good care of cars in the past sans machine polishing. My 05 Mustang GT always received kudos even when it had over 100k miles on it. I used Zaino products exclusively on it and have no complaints.
Times have changed though. I'm looking into using a paint coating to provide extended protection vs a wax or sealant. I've picked up DA buffer from HF. I know, not the best but from reviews it works and I'm not getting into the detailing business. I also picked up some Meguiar's Ultimate Polish along with a couple CG white pads and a backing pad. I already clay'd both cars before using left over Zaino AIO on them until I found something better.
Looking at Opti Pro Gloss-coat as my coating. Plan is to wash the Subie with dawn, use some iso to wipe it down, polish, iso again, and then coat. If all goes well I'll rinse and repeat with the Ford. The Subie I expect to be a challenge due to its color. The khaki doesn't reflect hardly at all. The black C-Max will, of course, be its own special challenge.
So, my real question is what can I do to make the process easier or increase my odds of success. Budget is not unlimited but I'm willing to buy things that will make life easier on me. I'm 3 months out from a 2 level cervical fusion. Easy is good lol!
I do have high quality micro fiber towels. Is Iron-X necessary if I've already given the cars a good clay bar once over? Is there a better cleanser than iso before applying the OP? These are daily drivers, not garage queens so no need to go crazy, but we do keep our cars for at least 7-8 years so willing to take some extra steps to make them last.
TIA for any help!
