Ok I've know this topic has been mentioned in multiple forums, what wax to use, what wash, what polish, how you wash, etc. So I wanted to make it way easier and have it all in one topic..

Whats your product of choice for each step and why you use it.

Also maybe mention what's your process when you clean your car and how often do you clean.


BODY/EXTERIOR:
car wash soap-
sponge/washing mit-
wax-
buffer/waxing technique-
polish-
windows/t tops-
tire protectant-
Rims-


INTERIOR:
seat cleaner/shampoo (for cloth)-
carpet cleaner/shampoo-
dash-
windows-
plastic-
leather-
vinyl-

MISC. :
Engine Bay-
Washing underneath-
Exhaust pipes-
etc...


If anything from the above list doesn't apply to you then just write N/A

If there's anything else worth mentioning then add it in!

 

Zaino products..

 

I like the Mother's FX products.

 

oh and all the Adams stuff works really good..i actually dont even use Zaino anymore..

http://www.adamspolishes.com/

 

meguiar's tech wax. very good stuff.

 

I like Ice, seems to work great!

 

I paint cars for a living and the most valuable tool you can have for keeping your paint looking good is a buffer. If your paint is in good shape you can run a buffer with polishing pad and a quality polish over your paint once a year, AFTER washing all the dirt off it , your paint will look and hold up great. If your paint is in rough condition to start with, use a rubbing compund with the buffer before you polish. It has a courser texture and will remove paint defects quicker than polish. Waxing is the last step and it does add protection but buffing is how you get a awesome gloss and shine, ect...

 

By the way, we use 3m products as well as Meguires at our shop.

 

............I second that. I used Zaino on my '03 Silverado SS, but switched over a couple of years back to Adams Polishes....They have an extensive line of products that are very "user-friendly".

 

Have some experience before using a buffer. Not as easy at it seems, you can burn the paint right off real quick! I spend a whole day using a buffing machine, wow what a job! But once its done, the up keep is easy!

 

Yea you can burn the paint easily. If you don't have experience using a buffer, start out with the rpms low. Its friction that can melt paint so try to stay off the edges of the panels and hold the buffer level with the surface. Take your time. The results are usually worth it.

 

That's why I love my UDM...(Ultimate Detail Machine)...it's a variable speed/ dual action /orbital polisher that makes it virtually impossible to burn thru...I paid $175 for it 3-4 years ago, and it has literally paid for itself several times over....With the different foam pads/polishes available, it makes quick work on paint imperfections...........
Another good polisher is the Porter Cable 7424................

 

It's all in the prep work. Not so much the type of product you use.

 

i agree. I get better results cause of experience and technique, not so much cause of the brand name of the products used. But I get paid to do it. That helps motivate me to do the best job I can.

 

Well my paint job is 9 years old and the picture above was taken 3 weeks ago. Before the FX line I just used regular mothers. I also dabbled with the 3M stuff and would probably use it more but it is hard to find around here.

 

BODY/EXTERIOR:
car wash soap- For wash soap, I usually use any high concentrate soap and dilute to appropriate ratio depending on what I am doing. Quick wash, stripping wax, ect. Recommend investing in a pressure washer and REAL foam cannon, not a piece of crap garden hose attachment.

sponge/washing mit- Wash mitts are either microfiber towels that I throw away after each use, or a Micro-chenille wash mitt that's kept in a bag and used for a few months tops.

wax- Depending on the look, application, and time I go with a few different waxes. P21S 100% caranuba, Dodo juice Orange crush(my car is red), Autoglym HD, 3m Synthetic finishing wax. Depending on your paint and its color you might get better results from other products. P21S, DP MAX WAX, and Autoglym HD are good for any color.

buffer/waxing technique- Buffer of choice is a DA PC7424 with Lake country pads. I usually use my pads for one year before replacing the heavy use ones. The others get used longer. Polish apply low speed and finish on high. Wax apply low speed.

polish- Polishes all depend on your cars finish and how well it was maintained. Something that should only be done very rarely. For products I love Megs 105/205 combo for really shining up old paint. Also use 3m products and some other megs. Rarely stray from those two.

windows/t tops- For windows I usually by glass cleaner in bulk, and I also use Stoner Invisible glass. Also use Rainex.

tire protectant- Adams VRT is my top choice. I hate gel and oil based tire protectant. Water based is the way to go. Less messy, apply more often but a better choice.

Rims- Sonus wheel cleaner top choice for a dirty wheel. I keep on top of my wheels so I rarely use a special cleaner. Usually only soap, Quick detail, and some synthetic sealer wax. Klasse, or DP, or 3m
I have used the eagle one keep clean, I do recommend it if your not going to drive your car for awhile. It definitely keeps them clean while sitting but doesn't hold up to road grime as well as they say.


INTERIOR:
seat cleaner/shampoo (for cloth)- Number one choice is DP's entire interior line diluted to application.

carpet cleaner/shampoo- as stated above. Sometimes will rent a carpet cleaner maybe once a year.

dash- Pinnacle Vynyl and Rubber Protectant,

windows- Same as stated above, without rainx.


MISC. :
Engine Bay- Diluted simple green, Steam cleaner those are my only choices.
Chrome gets waxed or sealed.

Washing underneath- Pressure washer, Foam Cannon.

Exhaust pipes- All my pipes are coated, they just get washed with the rest of the underbody. If you have tips megs chrome polish is fine, I wouldn't go to crazy with these just keep on top of them so they don't oxidize or rust.

My opinions are to get a good dual action buffer and learn how to use it. That's number one. Number two is hop on a dedicated detailing forum and get some usefull information before tackling anything like polishing. Theres lots of things you are likely to have no idea about, get some advice from professionals. Keep on top of your wheels, engine bay, trim, and interior. These things can get ugly fast. Use quality products.

 

Polish or Wax?

Both?

 

I don't understand your question. I will try to answer the best I can. Next time be more specific.

Polish and wax are two TOTALLY different products.

Polish is a form of abrasive harsher than any cleaner wax and usually has a minimal of no amount of wax or protectant in it. Polishes are used to cut and correct paint when used properly. Correction will remove, minor imperfections to orange peel. Also used to correct oxidation and minor scratches.

Wax is a protector usually caranuba or sythetic blends. Wax will protect your paint with a ultra thin film and also enhance the shine/color of paint. Also will give a certain wetness. Don't be afraid to layer.

If your car hasn't been washed or protected in awhile I recommend both. Always was after polish to protect. Sealants are nice also while they don't offer as much of the wet, beautiful glow of a nice wax, they do last a long time, and protect really well.

 

well the reason why i asked is because people say that they always use either one and never the other, and then there are others who swear by using both. I just wanted to get a few opions on the answer.

I appreciate the info. I wasn't really sure what car polish was

 

Who ever says only use one or the other is full of ****. They must not know a thing about detailing. The products are made to be used for entirely different reasons, a polish can never protect the way a wax does, and a wax can never polish the way a polish does.

 

Yeah it all really depends on what your car needs. Polish helps restore with its abbrassive properties and wax protects

 

On my daily driver I use Maguires Gold Class car wash and conditioner with a micro- fiber sponge, rinse, then a water blade and a synthetic chamois called the “Absorber” .Lastly a product called “Race Glaze”(polish/sealant) that you lightly hand buff on then lightly hand buff off. Thats it. Ive been using this method since paint was new about three years ago . I had the paint done by a friend that is a professional painter and was told that I “can” if I want only use the Race Glaze product. Thats what I have decided to do. It gets washed about every two weeks and polished/sealed about every four months and using a California duster when needed. It may not have that deep wax look but has no problem with shine. It looks like glass and that works for me.

 

I am familiar with the product race glaze. If you have a nice paint job on the car I wouldn't recommend using the raze glaze so much it is a polish and believe it or not you are taking the paint down a level every time you use it. Paint should be corrected once and then only be polished once a year when needed. If you paint is worth it to you invest in a paint thickness gauge you will know exactly how much paint you have left and when to stop using polishes is certain areas.

When you apply a polish by hand, which is much more difficult than by buffer and more time consuming, you are by nature applying it much less even. There will be high spots and low spots on your surfaces.

Just a suggestion I have been correcting and detailing paint for years. I don't expect anyone to just go ahead and do anything I say but I do suggest you do a little bit more research. Reacherch will help extend the life of your paint for sure.

You could get better results by layering. You can use a light polish like megs 105 or a cleaner wax. Then layer a pure caranuba wax a few times, and then seal with a product like klasse.

I try to stay away from all in one products. They don't work as well as individual products stacked together. Now, by having a few different products you can apply a quality wax more often, only polish about once a year, and seal when you decide you want to.

With polishes you should have a few different abrasive levels. Meguires give amateurs and professionals alike a nice abrasion level chart as well as a number on the front of the bottle.

 

If any thing I'm open minded and I see your point and its a good one. I think I will take your advise . Thanks

 

Nobody mentioned turtle wax express shine. And yes, I use armor all also.

 

Be careful with armor all products, not all of them are good. Some contain petroleum distillate, and other chemicals that over prolonged use can damage certain plastics and rubbers. Some have had bad experiences, some have not. My best advice is to do research on any product before you use it, try to see others long term results.

Turtle wax makes some ok products, I use there soap more than anything else on their line. Its cheap, and easy to find. I tend to stay away from most over the counter products. Im just one of those guys who started out using OTC product and transitioned to the more professional lines, once you learn how to use most professional products correctly its a world of difference and I could never go back. Kinda like having to go back to dial up from cable.

 

I've been using armor all since the 70's and never have had a problem. Always keeps things protected. Express shine is spray on wipe off wax.

 

ive always liked meguiars show car glaze and yellow wax

 

Like I said some people have had problems some have not. As with anything. I still say do some research before you lock in a product as your "go-to".

The only armor all products I have ever used is their tire shine when I was younger, and some of the interior wipes on my daily(that I found to be a waste). I dont use oil based tire dressing anymore.

 

Here is my 2 cents......I have been using Meguires products since shortly after the car was new.....this is still the 1985 factory single stage paint on the car, it's never been machine buffed or polished always done by hand......think I will stay with what works lol

 

nice lookin maro ^

Anybody recommend any particular products for white paint jobs?

 

Just went out and bought Meguiars Ultimate pure synthetic polymer paste wax. All I have to say is wow. Easy hand buff on, easy hand buff off. After washing, drying and giving it a polish/sealer treatment with Race Glaze I applied two coats of the new wax and it really looks and feels great,much better than the sealer alone.Has a deeper kind of wet look to it. I'm only going to use the synthetic products on the car because that's what Ive been doing all along with the new paint and I don't want to change that now. I just needed to find the right stuff for me. I will be using the synthetic wax during the year and a polish/sealer maybe once a year. I'm sure there are many other ways to do this but this is what I'm going to try.

 

I keep seeing Adams products popping up everywhere...for some reason I cant justify spending $300+ on a kit...IF I buy the porter cable unit only( $120) what else would I need to buy to do my car. Its an 87 TA with a paint job of at leat 15 years or more. Its is faded and swirls in some areas. Here is my car...

http://i559.photobucket.com/albums/s...n/IMG_3291.jpg

 

Get the porter cable or comparable unit, a FULL set of Lake Country foam pads, and some of the meguires pro detailer line. Preferably megs 105 and 205 polish. Get yourself a good wax ( autoglym hd, P21S full caranuba, DP max wax.) Klasse Sealer. Adams makes a good product but DO NOT buy a kit of everything. You have to make your own there is no company that puts out the best of everything. Some products are great some suck. The only adams product I use is the VRT its great, But I never tried anything else off their line.

Build your products up over time, If you go out and buy everything its sure to cost you an arm and a leg. Get the buffer and pads first, then some megs polish and a good wax. Build from there.

$300 is not a lot. All at once maybe depending on your budget. My collection is easily over 800$ where it stands right now, and I have a lot less than most detailing buffs.

 

Thanks for your input...I will start looking for these items...everything that you have listed is how I would apply the products in that order...

 

i just repainted my car and i put some meguiars pre-wax glaze polishing compound on first and then i used "3M Perfect-It show quality car wax" on which is my favorite wax. its got a real deep shine to it, only problem is that is like 25 bucks i think for a can of the paste wax. i love it though

 

I'll be dumping the Meg's 3-step in favor of some Chemical Guys when I get home this fall. Been reading a lot the last few weeks, going to get a Porter Cable, Hexlogic pads, and some NICE wax, among other CG products. Probably some Menzerna polishes, some Jetseal sealants, and some baller wax, a good clay bar/lube, and some nice citrus wash...and I'm due for all new towels, etc.

While the Meg's looks good after it's applied, I've never been happy with how long it lasts, it wears off within a couple weeks/washes being a garaged car that's rarely driven. After 2-3 washes with Gold Class, there is zero beading. Always been slightly irritated by that, given that I've done four coats of wax by hand--one coat of cleaner wax, one coat of oil replenisher, and two coats of the carnauba.

Also FWIW I hear that Adam's is just knock off Chemical Guys stuff. Not all of it, but a good bit of it, and supposedly not as good.

 

Also FWIW I hear that Adam's is just knock off Chemical Guys stuff. Not all of it, but a good bit of it, and supposedly not as good.[/quote]

Is it cheaper thans the Adams stuff? I find that stuff way overpriced.

 

I don't use megs products that will wear. Only some of the pro detail line as far as soaps and cleaners, and the 2 step polishes. I do others cars as well some times and it doesn't justify cost wise to use more expensive polishes. If polishes do what they are supposed to there is no sustainable lifetime, they are abrasive and do what they are supposed to one time. As far as a polish goes you cant wash a polishing job off, it already physically changed the state of the paint.

You mentioned some really great products, some of which I own and some I dont. I don't recommend going ***** deep into products like that until you have a feel for what you are doing. They are expensive, and unless you are good at correcting you wont benefit from a more expensive system.

I recommend for the new guys to start out with a buffer and some entry level polishes. You can get as good of a wax as you want, as takes literally no skill to apply.

 

Ive spent tipple that on a small tub. That price is less than average for a quality wax. I'm sure it will last you awhile, if your only using it on your car.

 

I agree

 

Route 66 Exotic Coatings is what I use. www.rt66wax.com Great products, easy to use and not to expensive for the quality. Met the owner at a car show and he is a cool guy.

 

These products seem to be alot cheaper than anything else that has been posted...thanks for the info

 

Dont buy into a product because its cheap, that's one of the first indicators of a crappy product. Use products because of their track record. I have never heard of rt66wax, and Ive been in the detailing business for a while. Im not saying they are bad, but please don't go buy website sales pitches, and biased reviews on the company website. You mind as well just go to autozone and start throwing over the counter products in your cart.

A few years ago I decided to buy into the shining monkey line, after an un-experienced novice, told me it was the best stuff hes ever used. So I spent about $70 on Another small line that claimed to produce wonders. It was the biggest waste of $70 I ever had spent. Best stuff in the kit was the wash soap, It smelled great and that's it. Even at that it was extremely diluted.

Make sure the products you buy have a good track record and are backed my members of detailing communities. Sure you can try stuff you haven't heard of but be aware you will waste tons of money before you come up on a good product.

 

I agree but a company has to start somewhere. The wax line is a newer company. Like I said before I got a chance to meet the owner at a car show and he told me his whole story. He has been restoring cars for 30 + years had body shops etc.... and wanted to have his own detailing products. Look at his other sites he builds Awesome cars www.rt66motorsports.com Try them you will love them, they even have small sample bottles for people who want to make sure they like the product before buying a bigger bottle. The tire gel is GREAT stuff, heck all there stuff is great!

 

Have you been into paint correction, and detailing as a hobby or professionally? Can you compare it to proffesional products like, DP, menzerna, megs pro detail, poor boys, wolfgang, autoglym....? Id like to here how it compares in that type of market.

 

Cars are a hobby for me, so I would not call myself a professional. I have been in the car hobby long enough to know a good product from a bad one. I have never used the products you mentioned. I have used Zaino,Zymol, Mothers, Surf City, Turtle etc.... Again this is just my opinion on Route 66 Exotic Wax. Some of the cars I have won awards with have been 91 Z-28 (Blk) with 9,000 orig miles, 87 SS Monte Carlo (Maroon) 13,000 orig miles, 69 Camaro Z-28 (Cortez Silver).

 

I just picked up some rain x spray wax, and it seems to be a good product. Much like express shine, but less expensive.

 

No one has mentioned this that I could see so I thought I would. If you live in an area where the temp gets below freezing and your garage isn't heated keep your car care stuff inside. I have a lot of money invested in vehicle care products for all my toys so I keep them in a cabinet in my basement for safekeeping.

Also since most of us here on this board are pretty hands on it's obvious that we are going to take care of our car's appearance ourselves, but for those who maybe aren't hire someone to do it. In the winter I don't have the facilities to wash and wax my truck so I pay a guy $75 once a month to detail it for me. It is worth the money and i know my paint is going to last.

 

On my Trans am i use all Griot's products. Griot's plush Merino Wool mit. car wash. and i use the tbar water blade. Paint prep. Pre-wax cleaner. paint cleaning clay. Paint glaze, best of show wax, and a carnauba wax stick. for inbetween washes i use Griot's spray on wax. and i use the Speed Shine or quick cleanups on the road.

I use Griot's wheel cleaner, and the wheel scrubber brushes. for the tires i use rubber cleaner and the vinyl and rubber dressing. and the undercarriage spray.

As for interior i use their interior cleaner and leather care spray, as well as the leather rejuvenator. little trees black ice smell.

under the hood i just stared using Griot's engine cleaner, and the engine bay dressing. And i use the Speed shine on the underside of the hood.

All is done using ultra plush microfiber towels too!