New to detailing, any product suggestions?

D

DarkStar140

New member
Joined
Mar 16, 2012
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Hey guys, I just bought a new 2012 Dodge Charger SXT Plus and I've stumbled rather blindly into your world. I discovered this website by accident and I've already bought a few products and since there's a sale going on now, I figured I'd pick up some other things. I'm currently using a Mothers Clay Bar and Liquid Souveran as my LSP, along with Cobra's Miracle MF towels and a dedicated vacuum. I'd like to get a window cleaner to treat the water spots and an interior leather protector for my nappa leather seats. Here's what I have in my shopping cart:

2 Grit Guards
Dodo Juice Supernatural Shampoo
Dodo Juice Lime Prime Lite Cleaner Glaze
Cobra Supreme Guzzler
Detailer's Leather Cleaner & Conditioner

Anything I should add/take off my order? There's a few waxes I want to try, like the Dodo Juice Orange Crush and the Collinite 845, but I realize it's all personal preference (I hope :D ) Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Here she is :xyxthumbs:
IMG_20120518_142148.jpg





 
First of all, welcome to Autogeek!!! That's a nice ride you have there!:xyxthumbs:

If you want to save money on your car wash I would recommend Chemical Guys wash and gloss or Duragloss 901. You can't go wrong with either of them they are great products.

I don't have much experience with glazes and such, but I just ordered some P21s paintwork cleanser, which is talked about quite highly on here.

I would maybe add some more microfibers because you can never have to many.

I would start by reading some of Mikes articles here: http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...ke-phillips/23722-articles-mike-phillips.html
and watching his videos.

Also I recommend reading CEE DOG's reviews, ( He's like the king of reviewers on here) Index of Reviews - AUTO DETAILING AND CAR CARE PRODUCT SPECIALIST

That should get you started. There are others on here who have experienced many more products then me so I'll leave that to them. :xyxthumbs:
 
If your looking for glass products, definitely go with stoners invisible glass. And you can never have too many mf towels. Welcome!
 
I'm a big fan of both Stoners and Meguiars Professional Window Cleaner. The Megs one is something like $20/gallon and can be diluted!
 
Yea, the Meguairs Window Cleaner is the best value for sure. You can get 11 gallons for $20. It's something like .014 cents per ounce!

Just be sure to use filtered water so the cleaner doesn't leave water spots.

Even if you don't clean 11 gallons worth of cars it can be used on mirrors, glass etc around the house.
 
Stock up on applicator pads, and wash mitts, they will always come in handy. I would also buy a good wheel cleaner and brush. I use mothers all wheel and tire which does a great job. I then finally would get a drying towel like the absorber.
 
I picked up some Stoners Invisible Glass and the Megs Hot Rims All Wheel Cleaner today. After washing I tried the Stoners but I wasn't able to completely get the water spots off my windows...is this normal? The car was cool to the touch and I cleaned each window two or three times.
 
came to a great place, people could rec. different good products all day long, are you more of bang for buck kind of guy, or you're willing to spend a little more for a product that claims to do more?

water spots may need something dedicated for it, for example I have the water spot remover by chemical guys, I bought it here, however I have yet to use it, I could do it sometime tomorrow before and after pictures if you're serious about this

Definitely pick up a bottle of chemical guys wash and gloss ( red? ) its a great product, cheap imo, and so little goes such a long way

for a glass cleaner megs gallon of it is the best deal by far.

for apc apc+ by megs is another great deal.

you'll need microfibers, the more the better, I personally like cg mf towels the best atm, but I also have some bulk ones off of ebay

you can pickup mf sponge applicators from lowes for 1.25 a sponge, cg also sells applicators but off the top of my head i dont know their prices and options (im sure they have several)

wheel cleaner, mothers, done. (wheel and tire)

one day you will hear or read about sonax wheel cleaner, imo don't waste your time and money. lol

grit guards are great

get some quality wash mitts i use a wash mitt and wash pad for the larger panels (its great.)

mothers clay bar kit is great, atleast try one, comes with a qd and mf as well as the 2 clay bars

a lot of people like fuzion on red paint

idk theres so much to say and recommend, what are some other questions you have
 
Can I use a liquid wax, like the Pinnacle Souveran I already own, over Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant 3.0? Or does the wax need to be a paste wax?
 
Welcome!

I don't consider myself an expert, but I've used a clay bar on water spots, and I've also used alcohol and a bug sponge with elbow grease for them. I'd use a water spot remover if I had some.

As for liqiud or paste, it's personal preference. As a rule, I like paste wax, but I have liquids too. Maybe I like paste because they stack easier, lol.

I recommend you get enough microfibers in different colors to dedicate a color for a task. I use separate plastic bins, sealed and labeled to store each in, and launder each task's separately.

Get Mike's book or videos. I won the book (Thanks again, guys!), it's a wealth of information.

Nice car, but I can't resist, "That thing got a Hemi?" I had a lot of Chargers in my day, no hemi, but a couple of 440s.
 
DarkStar140 said:
Can I use a liquid wax, like the Pinnacle Souveran I already own, over Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant 3.0? Or does the wax need to be a paste wax?
Click to expand...

That combo works great. Just let the WG cure first.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk 2
 
Welcome to AG. I would suggest considering a sealant underneath your wax. You should also consider Iron X. This will decontaminate your paint prior to sealant/Wax application.

Iron X Soap Gel, Iron X iron remover, paint cleaner, paint decontamination Link to Iron X Soap Ge.

Some links to some really good sealants.

Wolfgang, One of the best out there. Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant 3.0 Special

Blackfire Sealant, another great sealant.
BLACKFIRE Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection, paint sealant, synthetic sealant, blackfire sealant

You can wax on top of the sealants and you will get a really great look on your car.
 
vet said:
Nice car, but I can't resist, "That thing got a Hemi?" I had a lot of Chargers in my day, no hemi, but a couple of 440s.
Click to expand...

Nah, I couldn't afford the Hemi with all the other options I wanted. It's basically fully loaded. :)

I'm going to read some reviews on the Wolfgang 3.0 sealant and the IronX. Thanks for the suggestions! I'll get some more pics up soon, too.
 
: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
Do you own a dual action polisher? If not seriously consider add one to your detailing arsenal.

Dual Action Polisher

Here's some great information that will help you if you need it.

I prefer to put my own package together.

Autogeek offers a lot of great products but if I had to choose one for each category this would be it...

Wash - Duragloss #901

Clay - Mothers

Compound - PG 1000 – PowerGloss Compound (POS34A)

Polish - PF 2500 – Power Finish Polish (PO203)

Finishing Polish - SF 4000 – Super Finish Polish (PO106FA)

Sealant - Ultima Paint Guard Plus

Wax - Collinite 845

Spray Wax -Optimum Spray Car Wax

Tire Cleaner - Meguiar's Super Degreaser

Tire Treatment - CarPro PERL

Trim - Ultima Tire and Trim Guard

Wheel Cleaner - Meguiar's Wheel Brightener

Wheel Protectant -Optimum Opti-Coat 2.0

Glass Cleaner - Meguiar's Glass Cleaner

Glass Treatment - Aquapel

All Purpose Cleaner - Optimum Power Clean

Interior Protectant - Meguiar’s M40

Chrome & Stainless Steel - BLACKFIRE Wet Diamond Metal Acrylic Sealant
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top