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Photecs

Photecs

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Ok boys n' girls... new member to Autogeek - seems like a good place to start.
Bought my first new vehicle last year, and took it to a buddy that owns a detailing shop to have it clayed and waxed. Not sure of the products he uses, and i'm not going to ask him, as i'm going to start doing my own detailing as of this spring - don't want to hurt his feelings!

Over this past weekend, I spent at least 5 hours watching videos on detailing - from the "junkman 2000" and the "chemical guys" videos. I think the two combined did a very good job explaining how things work, and some do's and dont's.

With that said... I'm now looking for answers and opinions!!! This is where I'd appreciate any input. I'm going to copy and paste an email I sent to Chemical Guys yesterday, so I don't have to re-type the questions I have etc.
Not that i'm stuck on Chemical guys, but they seem to know what they're talking about, and it also seems they make a pretty decent product.

Please read below - and let's start talking!!!
PS: I'm going to be picking up a PC 7424xp in the next couple months when spring gets here...

***** email to chem guys ******

I have a few questions for you about a couple of your products.... So I'd appreciate the help!

I have a 1 year old Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T, and it's black. Had it waxed at a shop last year, but have always enjoyed detailing my own vehicle in the driveway growing up... Now that I have my first brand new car, I want to take of it on my own from here on out.

First off, I know I should start with a wash that will remove any waxes that have been left on the car, then clay bar if needed (as this was also done last year at the shop prior to wax).

Now that the SFS would be prepped, here's where the questions come in. If I have near perfect paint, but wanted to take out light swirls, would I go with V38 and a black hex pad? (Using a PC)
If not, then what...

Then after the polishing is done, and I've taken a microfibre towel to wipe it down... Are we ready to wax, or is there a step I'm missing like a spray of some kind?

Now.... Waxes. I'm tossing between the Pete's 53 and butter wet wax. Both go on easy enough... But what's the difference in protection? I'm sure one is better.. But one of my main questions is how long can I go between waxes?
I was going to apply and remove the wax with the PC and hex pads, but in all your videos, you're applying them by hand with foam pads and removing them by hand with microfibre towels... I guess that's the best?
I live in southern Ontario, and have to deal with 5 months of minus temps, and salt and junk hitting the car... So keep that in mind. I'm thinking once in April, then again before winter hits in October? Or more often...?

Then from that point on, I'm pretty sold on a foam cannon and mr pink....

I'm poised to spend a few hundred on your site in about a month so I'm ready to go in the spring.. Just want to be informed.

Thanks a lot! Spent about 4-5 hours watching your videos today... Still more to learn!
***********************
 
You can always call AutoGeek and order from them. They always have sales. (Not sure the specifics since your in Ontario however)

They'll give you advice and offer other products that you could try. Plus they have BOGO items on sale all the time.

I really like the Menzerna products if you want to look into something else. Meguiar's is always good all around to.

Well good luck on your journey and :welcome:
 
Photecs said:
Bought my first new vehicle last year
Click to expand...


Here's an article I wrote for people that have bought a new car and want to detail it. The article walks you through each step you want to do in the correct order and there are embedded video throughout plus links to more topical articles related to the current topic being discussed.

Take a few minutes to read through the article. Watch the videos and then when you're ready, substitute the products you've chosen where appropriate.


How To Detail Your Brand New Car by Mike Phillips



:)
 
Mike.Phillips@Autogeek said:
Welcome to the AGO forum...


:welcome:





What kind of answers did you get?


:dunno:
Click to expand...

Mike.Phillips@Autogeek said:
Here's an article I wrote for people that have bought a new car and want to detail it. The article walks you through each step you want to do in the correct order and there are embedded video throughout plus links to more topical articles related to the current topic being discussed.

Take a few minutes to read through the article. Watch the videos and then when you're ready, substitute the products you've chosen where appropriate.


How To Detail Your Brand New Car by Mike Phillips



:)
Click to expand...


Wow guys... fantastic! 30 mintues, and 5 responses already... love this forum already.

As far as answers back from Chem Guys... nothing yet. That email was sent last night around 8pm eastern - so i'm hoping to hear back by tomorrow...

Thanks for the link on "how to detail your brand new car"... i'll be sure to look at it tonight.
From what i've read/watched over this past couple days of doing some heavy homework on this topic, lots of people do favour Meguiar's products. Also, I understand there's the consumer grade, detailing grade then the professional grade. I'd be sure to hunt down the middle/high end products - trying to get away from the OTC stuff, want a higher end product.

I take pride in my vehicle - always want it looking it's best, and I still want it to shine as much as it is now after 6-7 years of driving it.

Thanks... keep those comments coming!
 
I don't think you can go wrong with Megs consumer Ultimate line. It has everything you need from interior to exterior and nice prices. The thing with those products is they will give you fantastic results, without the price and effort some other products have.

I use two different products at home. I use Megs Ultimate like for all of my wifes Santa Fe, it doesn't look like it now as it site outside all the time and is her DD in Wyoming, and I use Wolfgang exterior products with mostly Megs Ultimate line on the interior on my ST. My ST gets to sleep in the garage, but is my DD and sits outside at work.
I guess what I am saying is don't discount the Ultimate line just becase it isn't in the tan bottles the professional line comes in.
 
I know there's many different factors involved here... but on average, what is the lifespan of a coat of liquid wax vs. a coat of paste wax?
I've read reviews of the CG BWW and most love it, but the people that complain about it say it stops beading after 3-4 washes... so an application of BWW is required once every 6 weeks or so...
Would a paste wax not last at least twice as long?
 
Welcome to AG. Sounds like you've absorbed and learned a lot. And you'll continue to learn. I love this place.

Butter Wet Wax, if that's what you're referring to, is an ok wax. Not great, just ok. Durability is eh. I lean towards the paste wax having more durability. Just my opinion, it could all be placebo.

I'd start experimenting with different waxes and products and see what works for you. That way you'll know because you know, not because what someone told you.
 
Welcome!! I was about to ask if you watched junk man because he says that! After doing your light correction you will need to do a IPA wipes down before waxing
 
BrianMcLeod said:
Welcome!! I was about to ask if you watched junk man because he says that! After doing your light correction you will need to do a IPA wipes down before waxing
Click to expand...

Crazy... just learned something new! This was another question I had, and was going to do some looking around here tonight. I have watched a lot of video's now, but somehow have missed the step between clay and wax. I figured another car wash would be ideal - but now, IPA is another first for me. After reading your comment and doing some quick looking around (had to look up IPA even...) I see that CarPro Eraser and Griot's Garage Pre-Wax Cleanser seem to be two top brands... CarPro maybe more favoured, but for $5 less and double the volume, Griot's might be a solid bet too.
Thanks!

DaVinciAutoSpa said:
Welcome to AG. Sounds like you've absorbed and learned a lot. And you'll continue to learn. I love this place.

Butter Wet Wax, if that's what you're referring to, is an ok wax. Not great, just ok. Durability is eh. I lean towards the paste wax having more durability. Just my opinion, it could all be placebo.

I'd start experimenting with different waxes and products and see what works for you. That way you'll know because you know, not because what someone told you.
Click to expand...

Yes... Butter Wet Wax. It seems to be a really popular one as i'm sure it's the same type of liquid wax as Turtle Liquid ICE - which did a solid job for me last year... I have to say I liked how there was no white residue, and it worked on my black plastic trim and headlights.... easy WOWO.

So... If I were to get a paste wax, I would figure that I would get at least another 4-6 weeks more out of it compared to a liquid... was just looking for some more "expert" opinions compared to my novice one...

Has anyone used CG Pete's 53 or 50/50?

Second Question:
Using a PC 7424xp, what hexlogic pad would be best to apply a coat of wax? I see tha most remove wax by hand with a MF towel... but what about a MF pad on the PC?
 
If you're looking for a durable paste wax might as well pick up some Collinite 915. Looks great and its cheap too!
 
I'm looking for a good quality wax (under $75) that I can get 3 months out of before it needs to be re-done.
I don't mind waxing/washing in the spring/summer/fall... but then there's a solid 4-5 months of winter with road salt hitting the car... - that's where the protection comes in really.
 
Photecs said:
Ok boys n' girls... new member to Autogeek - seems like a good place to start.
Bought my first new vehicle last year, and took it to a buddy that owns a detailing shop to have it clayed and waxed. Not sure of the products he uses, and i'm not going to ask him, as i'm going to start doing my own detailing as of this spring - don't want to hurt his feelings!

Over this past weekend, I spent at least 5 hours watching videos on detailing - from the "junkman 2000" and the "chemical guys" videos. I think the two combined did a very good job explaining how things work, and some do's and dont's.

With that said... I'm now looking for answers and opinions!!! This is where I'd appreciate any input. I'm going to copy and paste an email I sent to Chemical Guys yesterday, so I don't have to re-type the questions I have etc.
Not that i'm stuck on Chemical guys, but they seem to know what they're talking about, and it also seems they make a pretty decent product.

Please read below - and let's start talking!!!
PS: I'm going to be picking up a PC 7424xp in the next couple months when spring gets here...

***** email to chem guys ******

I have a few questions for you about a couple of your products.... So I'd appreciate the help!

I have a 1 year old Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T, and it's black. Had it waxed at a shop last year, but have always enjoyed detailing my own vehicle in the driveway growing up... Now that I have my first brand new car, I want to take of it on my own from here on out.

First off, I know I should start with a wash that will remove any waxes that have been left on the car, then clay bar if needed (as this was also done last year at the shop prior to wax).

Now that the SFS would be prepped, here's where the questions come in. If I have near perfect paint, but wanted to take out light swirls, would I go with V38 and a black hex pad? (Using a PC)
If not, then what...

Then after the polishing is done, and I've taken a microfibre towel to wipe it down... Are we ready to wax, or is there a step I'm missing like a spray of some kind?

Now.... Waxes. I'm tossing between the Pete's 53 and butter wet wax. Both go on easy enough... But what's the difference in protection? I'm sure one is better.. But one of my main questions is how long can I go between waxes?
I was going to apply and remove the wax with the PC and hex pads, but in all your videos, you're applying them by hand with foam pads and removing them by hand with microfibre towels... I guess that's the best?
I live in southern Ontario, and have to deal with 5 months of minus temps, and salt and junk hitting the car... So keep that in mind. I'm thinking once in April, then again before winter hits in October? Or more often...?

Then from that point on, I'm pretty sold on a foam cannon and mr pink....

I'm poised to spend a few hundred on your site in about a month so I'm ready to go in the spring.. Just want to be informed.

Thanks a lot! Spent about 4-5 hours watching your videos today... Still more to learn!
***********************
Click to expand...



IMO you will get the best advice and products from AutoGeek. CG has some OK stuff (shampoos, APCs, etc...), but the knowledge is distributed a little more "cleanly" around here if your a new guy. Also - you will need a machine polishing set up to get rid of your light scratches. If you need help (and you likely will) - you will get the best/most/fastest help here. CG is OK, AGO is top of the line.

I'm going to make some recommendations based on products I've used that are EASY to use, satisfying/fun to use, and are top notch.

1. Clay: you need some type of decon. I would get Pinnacle Clay because it's not super aggressive and your car is black. Aggressive clay can mar/scratch. Of course, installing extra scratches is never a good idea - even if your polishing afterwards - especially if you are new to claying.

2. Clay lube: get a bottle of Ultima Waterless Wash Plus. It's a no-rinse/waterless wash that has a zillion uses - one of them is a clay lube. It's generally considered the benchmark.

3. Iron decon: paint often has iron particles in it. Get IronX to remove. It's a spray. If your not sure what this is or how it's done, check out the product on You Tube in action. It's a necessary step once a year or so.

4. Polisher: Griots Garage 6". Trust me in this one. You can spend 2x as much + on a polisher - but it won't be as versatile as this machine. I know you have a PC - but the GG6 is worth picking up.

5. Pads: I would get Buff N Shine pads. However, the pads that are sold by AG are OK and work well, but IME BnS pads hold up better. You will need cutting, polishing, and finishing pads - 3 of each at the minimum. The reason why you need so many types of pads is you won't know how the paint will react until you actually go to polish it.

6. Polish: I would get the 3 WG (Wolfgang) polishes. If your swirls are light, you probably only need the TSR and FG. But you won't know for sure until you try.

7. *** So, all the above products will add up to hundreds of $$$. You may not want to go that route at this time. This is the stuff to get if your trying to make the car PERFECT. If you just want to "clean it up" and wax it - Get Prima Amigo. It gets paint ready for a wax and leaves it looking great (hides some scratches/swirls).

Please trust me here. Prima Amigo is a light polish/pre-wax cleaner/ and acrylic type glaze all in one product. Anyone with 1 functioning arm can use it by hand/machine and get very good results. Wipe off is effortless and it will leave your paint ready to be waxed. You use this after claying and iron decon.

Amigo can also be used with a machine on a variety of pads to prep the paint for wax. The more aggressive the pad - the more aggressive Amigo becomes. But, it's mainly a prep product - not a swirl remover. It won't remove scratches - but it leaves a shiny glazed finish.

8. Wax: really you can pick any quality wax. The real difference in how the paint will look will come from machine polishing - not which wax you pick. But a good wax that is easy AND fun to use is Dodo Juice Blue Velvet Pro. I think it's about $80. If $80 is too much, go with P21S Concours Wax. I think it's about $35. That is also easy and enjoyable to use. I have Pete's 53 as well, it's a good wax - but these are better IMHO.

9. Towels: you need some decent towels. Towels from Autozone shouldn't touch your paint. Get some decent towels from AG. I'd start with some Cobra Golds 16x16". These towels are universal enough to do almost any job on paint.
 
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