Exterior detailing diy help..
05-07-13, 05:22 PM
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Exterior detailing diy help..
I want to keep my car looking great without costing a fortune always going to the shop, im currently looking at this product,
...
what do you guys think? I do not have a buffer so I am not sure if i can get the complete detailing without one... should i get one? I am not so experienced with it so i am afraid i would go through the paint with a buffer..
what do you guys think? I do not have a buffer so I am not sure if i can get the complete detailing without one... should i get one? I am not so experienced with it so i am afraid i would go through the paint with a buffer..
05-07-13, 07:04 PM
#2
That's not a bad start, especially being a novalist detailer. And to be honest, you could do everything by hand...but having a buffer does make things a little easier. If you decide to get a buffer, I'd recommend a DA (dual action) buffer, more so a Porter Cable XP 7424. It's very user friendly, and you won't have to worry about burning thru clears/paints, etc. If you get a chance, check out detailing bliss on their forum, look under "show and shine" and see what some members are using, things that work or didn't work for them, etc. For a easy read, look at some of threads created by detailersdomain. A lot of great information, to include pics there. Phil and his team does awesome work! Look around, there's tons of information available. GL
steve
steve
05-08-13, 01:00 PM
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^thanks! ill check that out, is there anything i am missing from that maguiar package? I don't see any polishers/compound... and is there any product that'll make my car look "wet" mirror black?
05-08-13, 07:56 PM
#4
what year is your car? how is the condition now? you may not need all that. Go with your wash of choice. Get the clay bar. then do a paint cleaner like mothers or megs DC paint cleaner. top that with megs ultimate wax. your car will look dripping wet. Also you can maintain that look by spraying on some ultimate spray wax between washes. trust me dude all thats cheap and you get great results by hand. Just take a look
05-08-13, 09:20 PM
#6
If you're going to clay your car or use an autoscrub pad on it....you definitely need to polish it afterwards to remove any clay/pad induced marring. It may not be obvious on a light colored car, but trust me, any time you use that pad or a clay bar, you are marring the paint. I experimented with several different clay lubes, and there is no escaping marring when you clay/pad your car. On a soft black car, it's scary how much marring clay/pad adds and will probably freak you out if you see if for the first time.
So in short, if you're gonna clay or pad it, polish it afterwards. Just get a finishing polish of some kind like Sonax Perfect Finish or SF4000 and go around it as if you are doing a finishing polish because that's all it takes to remove the clay added marring.
So in short, if you're gonna clay or pad it, polish it afterwards. Just get a finishing polish of some kind like Sonax Perfect Finish or SF4000 and go around it as if you are doing a finishing polish because that's all it takes to remove the clay added marring.
05-10-13, 07:01 AM
#7
If you're going to clay your car or use an autoscrub pad on it....you definitely need to polish it afterwards to remove any clay/pad induced marring. It may not be obvious on a light colored car, but trust me, any time you use that pad or a clay bar, you are marring the paint. I experimented with several different clay lubes, and there is no escaping marring when you clay/pad your car. On a soft black car, it's scary how much marring clay/pad adds and will probably freak you out if you see if for the first time.
So in short, if you're gonna clay or pad it, polish it afterwards. Just get a finishing polish of some kind like Sonax Perfect Finish or SF4000 and go around it as if you are doing a finishing polish because that's all it takes to remove the clay added marring.
So in short, if you're gonna clay or pad it, polish it afterwards. Just get a finishing polish of some kind like Sonax Perfect Finish or SF4000 and go around it as if you are doing a finishing polish because that's all it takes to remove the clay added marring.
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05-10-13, 05:02 PM
#8
Great results
what year is your car? how is the condition now? you may not need all that. Go with your wash of choice. Get the clay bar. then do a paint cleaner like mothers or megs DC paint cleaner. top that with megs ultimate wax. your car will look dripping wet. Also you can maintain that look by spraying on some ultimate spray wax between washes. trust me dude all thats cheap and you get great results by hand. Just take a look
05-11-13, 03:45 PM
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what year is your car? how is the condition now? you may not need all that. Go with your wash of choice. Get the clay bar. then do a paint cleaner like mothers or megs DC paint cleaner. top that with megs ultimate wax. your car will look dripping wet. Also you can maintain that look by spraying on some ultimate spray wax between washes. trust me dude all thats cheap and you get great results by hand. Just take a look
05-11-13, 03:47 PM
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If you're going to clay your car or use an autoscrub pad on it....you definitely need to polish it afterwards to remove any clay/pad induced marring. It may not be obvious on a light colored car, but trust me, any time you use that pad or a clay bar, you are marring the paint. I experimented with several different clay lubes, and there is no escaping marring when you clay/pad your car. On a soft black car, it's scary how much marring clay/pad adds and will probably freak you out if you see if for the first time.
So in short, if you're gonna clay or pad it, polish it afterwards. Just get a finishing polish of some kind like Sonax Perfect Finish or SF4000 and go around it as if you are doing a finishing polish because that's all it takes to remove the clay added marring.
So in short, if you're gonna clay or pad it, polish it afterwards. Just get a finishing polish of some kind like Sonax Perfect Finish or SF4000 and go around it as if you are doing a finishing polish because that's all it takes to remove the clay added marring.
05-11-13, 11:49 PM
#11
making the finish dull. it happens if you use aggressive grade of clay or even very fine clay can do it on a soft paint. Under a light it almost looks like it was wetsanded 3000-5000 grit, but it comes off right away when polished with a medium-fine polish.
05-17-13, 07:15 AM
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I'm still learning and this is a helpful tidbit. Thanks.
05-17-13, 04:19 PM
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You bought the wrong car, quick go back and change the color! j/k .. but black is the hardest color to maintain looking clean and shiny because you can see every flaw clearly. the cleaner it is, the more you will see imperfections and dirt/dust, how ironic right? I've had 2 black cars back to back, needless to say I now own a white car.
#1 rule - NEVER EVER bring your car to a cheap drive through car wash, or even a high volume hand wash place - it'll destroy that shine especially on black. There is a specific (2 buckets) method to wash your car to minimize scratches. Cleanliness and types of materials used to wash the car matter a great deal. Invest in the proper equipment and wash it yourself for peace of mind. You can find all this info in the basic sticky threads on most detailing forums already mentioned above. If you want to get a little more into it, I agree a portercable is a good choice. its orbital so it'll be very hard to damage your paint. I would also recommend Zaino products for 'waxing' - synthetics last longer that carnuba wax, and zaino is the longest lasting product ive come across. I used it on my black supra and swear by it for the shine and more importantly durability. its pretty pricey but well worth it. Zaino on black is really shiny/reflective, but for the wet look, you need 100% carnuba wax. some people do the zaino and then put carnuba on top.
I didnt like spending whole weekends waxing, but i also didnt want to pay a fortune just to have a clean car. you can alternate - find a reputable detailer and use him once or twice a year as needed for a full on detail, and do the minor stuff - washes / touch up waxes - in between yourself.
#1 rule - NEVER EVER bring your car to a cheap drive through car wash, or even a high volume hand wash place - it'll destroy that shine especially on black. There is a specific (2 buckets) method to wash your car to minimize scratches. Cleanliness and types of materials used to wash the car matter a great deal. Invest in the proper equipment and wash it yourself for peace of mind. You can find all this info in the basic sticky threads on most detailing forums already mentioned above. If you want to get a little more into it, I agree a portercable is a good choice. its orbital so it'll be very hard to damage your paint. I would also recommend Zaino products for 'waxing' - synthetics last longer that carnuba wax, and zaino is the longest lasting product ive come across. I used it on my black supra and swear by it for the shine and more importantly durability. its pretty pricey but well worth it. Zaino on black is really shiny/reflective, but for the wet look, you need 100% carnuba wax. some people do the zaino and then put carnuba on top.
I didnt like spending whole weekends waxing, but i also didnt want to pay a fortune just to have a clean car. you can alternate - find a reputable detailer and use him once or twice a year as needed for a full on detail, and do the minor stuff - washes / touch up waxes - in between yourself.
Last edited by supranyc; 05-17-13 at 04:38 PM.
05-20-13, 08:36 AM
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Hey, whats up supranyc. man i am already regretting the black... when i drive around seeing white gs350s pop up here and there i slap myself for getting a black one.
Just went to a car wash the other day and when it came out i wanted to dig a hole and throw myself in there after seeing all the little scratches/not so little scratches around the car!!!!! Where did these come from?! Hopefully i can buff them out sigh sigh.
Just went to a car wash the other day and when it came out i wanted to dig a hole and throw myself in there after seeing all the little scratches/not so little scratches around the car!!!!! Where did these come from?! Hopefully i can buff them out sigh sigh.
You bought the wrong car, quick go back and change the color! j/k .. but black is the hardest color to maintain looking clean and shiny because you can see every flaw clearly. the cleaner it is, the more you will see imperfections and dirt/dust, how ironic right? I've had 2 black cars back to back, needless to say I now own a white car.
#1 rule - NEVER EVER bring your car to a cheap drive through car wash, or even a high volume hand wash place - it'll destroy that shine especially on black. There is a specific (2 buckets) method to wash your car to minimize scratches. Cleanliness and types of materials used to wash the car matter a great deal. Invest in the proper equipment and wash it yourself for peace of mind. You can find all this info in the basic sticky threads on most detailing forums already mentioned above. If you want to get a little more into it, I agree a portercable is a good choice. its orbital so it'll be very hard to damage your paint. I would also recommend Zaino products for 'waxing' - synthetics last longer that carnuba wax, and zaino is the longest lasting product ive come across. I used it on my black supra and swear by it for the shine and more importantly durability. its pretty pricey but well worth it. Zaino on black is really shiny/reflective, but for the wet look, you need 100% carnuba wax. some people do the zaino and then put carnuba on top.
I didnt like spending whole weekends waxing, but i also didnt want to pay a fortune just to have a clean car. you can alternate - find a reputable detailer and use him once or twice a year as needed for a full on detail, and do the minor stuff - washes / touch up waxes - in between yourself.
#1 rule - NEVER EVER bring your car to a cheap drive through car wash, or even a high volume hand wash place - it'll destroy that shine especially on black. There is a specific (2 buckets) method to wash your car to minimize scratches. Cleanliness and types of materials used to wash the car matter a great deal. Invest in the proper equipment and wash it yourself for peace of mind. You can find all this info in the basic sticky threads on most detailing forums already mentioned above. If you want to get a little more into it, I agree a portercable is a good choice. its orbital so it'll be very hard to damage your paint. I would also recommend Zaino products for 'waxing' - synthetics last longer that carnuba wax, and zaino is the longest lasting product ive come across. I used it on my black supra and swear by it for the shine and more importantly durability. its pretty pricey but well worth it. Zaino on black is really shiny/reflective, but for the wet look, you need 100% carnuba wax. some people do the zaino and then put carnuba on top.
I didnt like spending whole weekends waxing, but i also didnt want to pay a fortune just to have a clean car. you can alternate - find a reputable detailer and use him once or twice a year as needed for a full on detail, and do the minor stuff - washes / touch up waxes - in between yourself.
05-20-13, 08:42 AM
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GUYS,GUYS i been working lately too tired to update, but im ready to purchase products for me vehicle. im between
Which one should i get? Throw in some products that aren't in there if you feel i need.. I want to knock the purchasing down to one swoop. And does scratch-X work? I got afew scratches on my car i would like to try to make disapear.. ty ty!
Which one should i get? Throw in some products that aren't in there if you feel i need.. I want to knock the purchasing down to one swoop. And does scratch-X work? I got afew scratches on my car i would like to try to make disapear.. ty ty!