2008ISF

iTrader: (1)

So I am tired of the paint on my wifes car looking so bad after she takes it to get the $39 hand car wash special. Its a 2006 Scion xB.

I thought since I plan on getting her a new car soon, it would be time to start practicing on my Tacoma and her Scion before I jump into doing her new car and my other car.

I have started reading and watching a lot of car detailers on other forums and trying to piece together a starter kit for me since this will be a first time that I use a DA Orbital buffer.

Since I am brand new to this I figured I would start with something cheap to learn with.

DA Orbital:
Griots DA Orbital 6: https://www.autogeek.net/griots-gara...sher-club.html
Pad recommendations?

Products:
Not sure what products to choose yet...any recommendations?
Meguiars?
Pinnacle?
Wolfgang?
Blackfire? (Just throwing names out there)
What I am looking for is ease of use (remember - beginner), that will get me nice results. Medium price range is fine. I don't want to spend hours making the car looking flawless, just something that I can learn with, use to make the car look decent, and not cost an arm and a leg.

For washing the car I use a pH neutral soap. I have used both Meguiars Gold Class and Zaino and they both seem to work well.

My understanding for a decent car detail is:
1. Wash car
2. Claybar vehicle - Important step for a better overall shine
3. Polish
4. Wax

Any other steps I am missing?

Thanks for you help!

ultimase

Some of the pro's will be by shortly...until them.

I used a Porter cable I had sitting around with some lake country light cutting orange pads and the BOSS correcting cream and BOSS fast correcting cream for a pretty good result. No definitely not pro level, but pretty happy with the results.

I washed the car, iron xed it, then clayed it, then started a polish with the BOSS creams over the period of a few days in my garage. Finally went with 22ple hpc ceramic coat. I'm pretty impressed with the BOSS system, it was easy to work with and lasted quite a long time, and there was minimal to no dusting. There is definitely better products but I choose the BOSS system as it seemed pretty mainstream and from most reviews seem to be fairly idiot proof. I did also pick up a astro pneumatic 50sl sunlight handheld light that really made it easy to see where the swirls and scratches were and where I needed to spend a bit more time.

chinee

This is my philosophy as well. I went years using Meguiars Cleaner Wax, 2-3 times a year by hand, and after 16 years, the finish is still clean and shines... no one believes my Sequoia is an '02.

Now that I have my new GS 350, I stepped up my game, but only a little. Still using a one-step product, but now using a Griots DA like you.

My initial detail consisted of:
Wash - Meguiars Gold Class Car Wash Shampoo
Rinse
Clay Mitt with Blackfire Clay Lubricant
Rinse
Dry
Clean and polish, Blackfire One Step, using orange pad with the DA polisher
Seal/coat with Sonax Polymer Net Shield

Subsequent washes occur every 2-3 weeks and I top the finish with Sonax Brilliant Shine Detailer every other wash.

And of course, use thick fluffy microfiber cloths... don't cheap out on these or you will simply end up scratching and destroying all your hard work. You don't have to pay an arm and a leg either, they are actually some really good affordable microfiber cloths out there. I think I took some recommendations from some of the youtubers out there.

Well that's my simple detailing process.. and I bought a silver car since the color hides imperfections so well. Good luck!

2008ISF

iTrader: (1)

Thank you for you help, Chinee and Ultimase, for your responses. I appreciate you taking the time to respond.

chinee

No problem... I share this stuff with the wife and all I get is a blank stare, so I'm more than happy to share with ANYONE who will pay attention.. LOL.

GunnyFitz

Looks like you are on the right track with mindset and gear. We all have our favorite Go-To Brands when it comes to car care products - mine has always been Pinnacle, and the Porter Cable 7424XP. Now that I had my RCF covered with Suntek Ultra and a CQuartz Ceramic Coating - I need to use "safer" products to ensure its lifespan = GTechniq products mostly. Rather than take up tons of real estate here in your thread, you may wish to browse thru some of the other Threads I made here in this section as it pertains to some of the best products, and resources to obtain them from. Good luck and enjoy!!!

ultimase

No problem. The correcting cream is fairly mild, I was say the fast correcting cream is a bit more aggressive. I was very conservative when I started so I didn't even order the fast correcting cream. But then realized that I had to make several passes on a some panels to get rid of the scratches. The fast correcting cream was maybe equivalent to 2-3 passes with the correcting cream. So if you're in doubt start with the correcting cream, after a panel or two you begin to realize each products limitations.

An with iron X, you may not need that step, but I definitely had iron deposits. I actually used the iron X as the lubricant for the clay bar. If you can stand the smell it worked fairly well for me and basically combined two steps to one.

2008ISF

iTrader: (1)

Anyone have any recommendations for foam pads?

Country Lake? Hex Logic?

How about quantity of pads for use on a single car?

I don't want to get into TOO heavy of a correction pad...so I was thinking more along the lines of a medium to light correction pad, and then a nice light pad for finishing/polishing.

Thanks ahead of time for your suggestions and counsel...I really appreciate it.

fwhomeboy

I just got my order from Auto-geeks and I got Terry bonnets for my DA polisher and I thought I ordered Microfiber bonnets. Question: What's the difference? Is one better than the other? One for polish ad one for wax maybe? I'm such a rookie. The good thing is, I have mercury metallic paint so it's not like a black car. HELP.

Beachtyme

iTrader: (1)

I prefer the Hex Logic pads over the Lake Country pads, but either will work and do the same thing. I have and use both, if one or the other is dirty, I will interchange them as needed.

If you can find the Lakes on sale, go for it, you'll be plenty happy with them. You can also find a bunch of starter kits that will include the DA and pads, which would be a good choice for you if you are just getting started. One set of pads is fine to get started, you'll just have to wash clean them after each use, no biggy.

You're on the right tracking as far as starting, wash (aggressive) / decontaminate, clay, correct, polish, seal, wax, maintain.

Don't forget some waffle weaves and quality microfibers as well.

Edit: Just realized this thread is a couple of months old and the OP has more than likely already started on his detail journey.

Beachtyme

iTrader: (1)

I'm not much of a bonnet guy unless I'm using an old school polisher to remove polish / wax that's on to heavy or being stubborn coming off.

From AG's site: "Use a microfiber bonnet for sealants like Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant 3.0 and non-hazing paste waxes like Pinnacle Souveran™. For heavier products, like cleaner waxes, use a terry bonnet to remove the majority of the haze. Then follow up with a microfiber bonnet to remove any haze and to buff the paint to a gorgeous shine."

Blkexcoupe

iTrader: (8)

I've never tried the hex logic pads, but I've been using lake country pads for 10 years with great results. You should be fine with either since they both have their own following.

I prefer to have 2-3 of each type (light cutting and polishing). It saves time on cleaning and worrying about the pads getting overworked/overheated.

Terry bonnets are a bit more aggressive and have a little more "bite" compared to microfiber.

fwhomeboy

I guess I'll be doing my polish by hand then. Thanks

Beachtyme

iTrader: (1)

I personally wouldn't worry about it, I don't like doing anything by hand that a machine can do for me much faster and to a level that your hand cannot physically do (OPM's). I seriously doubt you are going to do any harm using a bonnet to apply and/or remove a polish, sealant or wax.

As I mentioned, it wouldn't be my go to way to detail, but can work just fine in its own right.

46750

First off, great choice on the GG6. It was the first DA I purchased and has been flawless. I would recommend that you ditch the 6" backing plate and replace with a 5" backing plate (it also wouldn't hurt to get a 3" plate for tighter areas around the bumpers, a/b pillars, etc). The BOSS system of creams and pads works really well together, and the color coding makes it damn near idiot proof. As far soaps go, Meg's Gold Class is fine, I personally like Chemical Guys Honeydew soap for the smell and suds, but any pH neutral soap is generally a good way to go. Regarding the next step after a wash, I will sometimes opt for a chemical decontamination using a product like CarPro Iron-X or DoDo Juice Ferrous Dueller prior to the clay bar. It is great for both paint and wheels, especially if you have never done it on a vehicle, or on a brand new vehicle to ensure that you have a clean slate to start with. Be warned though, this stuff smells awful. For clay, I've always like the Mother's Clay Kit, although their instant detail spray which they include for lube did not work well on the last car I cleaned, so I've since switched to DoDo Juice Born Slippy Clay Lube and found it to be a solid product. On the other hand, I also tried ONR (Optimum No Rinse Wash) as a clay lube at their recommended dilution and found it to be awful, despite many people recommending it. Moving on, once you've done the initial wash and decon, then you should work a small test spot on the car, generally you want to start with the least abrasive method first to see how aggressive you may (or may not) need to be. Compounds are more aggressive and offer more "cut", whereas a polish is used afterwards or if you only have minor paint defects and don't require as much correction. When you're happy with the paint, you can finish with either a wax (which will typically last 1-3 mos), a sealant (approx. 6 mos of protection), or a coating (anywhere from 6 mos. to 2-3 years of protection for most consumer grade options). If you opt for a coating, you will want to do some additional work like an IPA wipedown or using a dedicated panel prep product.

I mix and match product combinations, I don't stick with just one brand as you can tell...but I do tend to try and use compounds/polishes with the coinciding pads from the same manufacturer. There are entirely too many detailing products on the market these days, so try not to be overwhelmed. Check out Autopia or AutoGeek for an absolute wealth of additional info on the art of detailing if you really want to take things to the next level...