Silveon

So i have never detailed my own car, and since i've bought my new car, i have became more OCD + i have always spent $70 for people to do it for me when i probably should do it myself + get some cardio in.

I am totally new and have no idea what to do.

Here are the basics that i have so far, correct me if i am wrong anywhere! If you reconmend a better product, feel free!

1. Wash my car with Optimum (NRWW2012Q) No Rinse Wash & Wax - 32 oz. while using the two bucket method (one with clean water and a grit guard, and the other bucket containing the Optimum No Rinse Wash & Wash formula mixed with distilled water. Wash using a microfiber cloth in sections.
2. Clay bar the car with Meguiar's G1016 Smooth Surface Clay Kit or should i skip this part?
   
3. Polishing: because i do not have any visible scratches or such, i should skip this part? Car has since seen 1000 miles and garage kept. Or do i need to go through with this step? Will i need those buffing machines or just hand buff?
4. Sealant... This is where i got confused between Meguiar's M20 Mirror Glaze Polymer Sealant and Meguiar's M21 Mirror Glaze Synthetic Sealant 2.0 (what is the difference?) using
   Viking 862400 Blue Microfiber Wax Applicator (or is microfiber towel okay?)
5. Waxing... Meguiar's G18216 Ultimate Liquid Wax using the
   Viking 862400 Blue Microfiber Wax Applicator in sideways, vertical and circular motion.
   
6. Wait 15-30 minutes until wax fogs up, remove with dry and clean microfiber cloth
7. Touch up... every month, touch up with Meguiar's G17516 Ultimate Quik Wax
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Does everything seem right? Please correct me if i am wrong, i do not mind if you have any other products in mind. I also saw a product call Nufinish with very good reviews, where does that tie in? I also have some questions on what these other products are..?
8. Optimum (SW2008P) Car Wax - 17 oz.
9. Optimum Opti-Seal - 8 oz

Mandrake

I don't know how old your car is or what condition it's in but if you claybar the car, you should use a paint cleaner. It gets out stuff like oxidization that the claybar won't get.

I've actually never used a sealant, I honestly thought wax was a sealant.

Silveon

its 2014, i bought it at 16000 miles and now it has about 17000 miles, garage kept. So should i use both claybar and painter cleaner? or just paint cleaner?

as far as waxing and sealing, that is where i am totally lost. All i know is that sealant lasts 1 year but not as "bright" as wax, while wax is once every 8 weeks ish. I also heard that wash should be applied after sealant or something, now even sure

GeoFSPORT

I'm interested as well. Detailing tips are always welcome!

skyfaye

tea

i'll just leave this here
http://www.detailedimage.com/Auto-Detailing-Guide/

tea

i'd also recommend a ceramic coating than wax/sealant.

KMG

It is always rewarding to take good care of your vehicle.

The first thing I would recommend changing in your list would be to change your first product to Optimum No Rinse Wash and Shine. This is the product that is more commonly used by a majority of people for rinse less washes and what I sell to a lot of my clients.

Next I would do the baggie test (take a sandwich baggie and put it over your hand and gently run it across the surface) on the car to see if it really needs clayed or not. If your paint feels rough while doing this you will want to clay the vehicle. A lot of people with argue with this, however I will not clay a vehicle unless I am going to be polishing it. It is nearly impossible to clay a vehicle without causing any marring on the finish.

If you are wanting to start doing this yourself I would invest in a polisher. I would recommend something like this Griot's Garage Polishing Kit, however I would also pick up a 5" backing plate and some 5.5" pads as they are much easier to work with.

For a sealant I would recommend using Gtechniq C2V3 Liquid Crystal. This product is very easy to use and will last several months while providing excellent gloss and a nice slick feel.

Mandrake

I use paint cleaner once per year. You'll find bug gut stains and all kinds of things it takes out. I do claybar and then paint cleaner personally because my thinking is that the claybar removes physical impurities like sap, bug guts and tar while the paint cleaner removes minerals, oxidization and chemical imperfections. Seems like there is some different opinions on that though

Yeah that's what I kind of took away too but it's pretty confusing.

I just read about those after this thread but it looks like most companies won't sell you the product directly and rely on an installer. They say it's because of so much surface prep being required, you have to strip off all the old wax and even wipe the car down with alcohol.
Can you recommend one we can do at home? I mean I can take the wax off with paint cleaner, polish and wipe it down with alcohol. I don't need to pay someone for that.

KMG

There are many companies that offer nano coatings to the general public. Just go on Detailed Image and you will notice many different options from 22ple, Carpro, Optimum and many others.

Mandrake

Thanks.

This one looks good, a coating that lasts 3-5 years:
http://www.detailedimage.com/GTechni...1128/30-ml-S1/

GeoFSPORT

I know there's a lot of labor involved, but $70 for the bottle and the stealership charges $1-2k?! 😒😒

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

The dealership is a rip off because of hte fact that they don't usually do the proper prep work required for these types of coatings, and the coatings they tend to use (Simoniz, etc) are even cheaper.

A proper detailer will take the time to thoroughly clean, decontaminate, correct the paint (if needed), machine polish, prep the surface with an alcohol wipe, then apply the coating. This type of work is what we specialize in and it can take 10-30+ hours to accomplish. Anyone who has done a full correction job knows that it is incredibly time and labor intensive... that is where the bulk of the cost comes from. $1000 for 15 hours of labor + product costs & overhead is a fair cost for detailers who do the work the right way.

I have yet to see a vehicle that was properly prepped and coated from dealerships in our area, which is a shame, but that is not what their business is about. Our advice is to always skip the bogus services the dealership tries to sell and spend your money with a real detailer... even for something as simple as a wash & wax.

-Zach

Silveon

which of the liquid wax and sealant does everyone recommend?

And Can i use spray wax instead of normal liquid wax?

sydtoosic

70 dollars is not a detail... You basically paid for someone to mollest your car... A real detail takes anywhere from 6 hrs. + ... You must be careful because they will take your money and do more damage to your car...