About to do my first big(?) detail. Have I got the key things?

[coreythorny]

Ok I'm about to do my first big to me detail. Looking at cleaning all over, polishing, waxing and polishing and waxing the glass.

I was going to use this process
Pressure wash,
Two bucket method,
Dry,
Lube up and clay (need both),
Wash and dry again as above,
Polish by hand (havnt got a machine and not to bothered about getting right now),
Wax (need),
Polish glass,
Seal glass.

Ok as you can see I've staters what products i need.

I was going to order Sonus green clay and born slippy lube.
Also I saw this for waxes http://www.elitecarcare.co.uk/dodo-j...t.php?cPath=66

Are these products the best for the prices?
Do I use the soft wax then go over with the hard wax?
What is the lime for? (sorry to sound dumb).
What glass sealant do you reccomend?
I have some AutoGlym glass polish I was gonna use. Is this good enough? If not what would you suggest?
Is it worth polishing and sealing the wing mirrors as there glass mirrors?
I'm a bit stingy I really just want the job done but to look effective also and protect well.

I have some AutoGlym super resin polish about also which I was going to use as a polish? Is this good enough? If not what would you suggest?

Is this all I really need? I'm obviously new to detailing so any help or suggestions kf other products that would be beneficial or alternatives would be appreciated.

Lastly im ordering all off elite car care as Ive never had a problem with them and they have quick delivery.

Thanks.

Corey.

[Daz]

a cuuple of reccomendationf for you

bilthamber clay 200g and you only need to use water as a lube but if not avaliable at elite then sonus is a good clay but don`t waste money on lube as a drop of car shampoo mix with water in a spray bottle makes a good lube ,
by hand super resin polish SRP is very good as it fills and hides swirls which isn`t a bad thing
by hand i don`t think you will benifit from lime prime ,
also no need for both hard wax and soft wax for now ,

keep it simple and along the lines of polish , glaze then wax or sealant , saying that even using a glaze is optional on white cars as SRP when used with a bit of elbow grease does a good job on it`s own ,
glass , i`de say use the the auto glym glass polish until it`s runs out and do the wing mirrors aswell ,

one main thing is washing and drying techniqs and decent drying towels and a good sponge or mitt , bad techniqs gurantee swirls so prevention is easier than the cure

[coreythorny]

Thanks for the reply!

Would you suggest not waxing an instead glazing or sealing? I'm not 100% sure on all the glazing/sealing/quick detailers etc.

If so what would you reccomend?

[Daz]

the choice wether to use sealant or wax is your choice , both look great on white , hardest part for you is thinking wether you made the right choice or not , only you will know once you have tried both wax and sealant but for now keep it simple and choose either the wax or a sealant , what ever you choose and your happy with it then stick with it until the time comes when you fancy a change ,

quick list is to

wash n dry ( including claying ect )

polish SRP
glaze ( poorboys whitediamond looked great on my old burg ) glaze is optional as some don`t bother after using SRP
wax or sealant , doesn`t have to be expensive as there plenty of cheap good products , jetseal is a good sealant which can be used on wheels , wax ,,, well with white you want an hard durable wax , i used a soft paste wax before which looked great but it didn`t last too long , somthing like collinite 915 for example .

also shop around as prices vary from site to site , cleanyourcar is where i got 90% of my products from as they`re not too far from me so i save on postage aswell

[coreythorny]

Thank you very much mate. I'll use your help later when I order

Lastly what applicators would you recommend for glass polish, glass sealant, car polish and car wax?

[coreythorny]

Also would you a sealant protect as long as wax and as well?

[Daz]

the general view is sealant will last longer than most waxes but this isn`t the case , theres waxes out there that will last longer than sealants , prep and application is essential when applying any product and of course choosing a decent product to begin with ,

heres 2 products i chosen for durabilty when i started taking detailing a bit more serious
1st sealant i bought was jetseal 109
1st decent wax i bought was collinite 915

i still use both the above products when doing mates cars ,

the 2 i mentioned above are 2 of many good products out there , i`m sure others will be along soon which will recommend other products which no doubt will be as good , personal preference

[coreythorny]

Ok.

So what would you recommend for a complete beginner at waxing/sealing. I honestly have no way of choosing a product and whether to go with was or sealant. I'll just end up buying one with amusing name...

As said I would like good protection for hopefully 6 months, I wash weekly using two buckets and pressure washer and cover about 200 miles a week. I would also like a good finish.

Also any help of the applicators?
If sealant should I get spray or a paste one? Or a bottle one which you apply with a pad?
Same with wax, paste or solid stuff?


I wish detailing was easier. Why can't products just say if you have a White car buy this for these benefits.

[Daz]

as mentioned before >> http://www.elitecarcare.co.uk/collin...t.php?cPath=66

or if your wanting something a little cheaper http://www.elitecarcare.co.uk/poorbo...x.php?cPath=66

as for sealant well you won`t go wrong with this http://www.elitecarcare.co.uk/chemic...9.php?cPath=66 and also can be used on wheels

detailing is easy if you enjoy it , just the amount of products to choose from where it`s gets confusing . trying to take so much in the 1st time will be hard to do ,
clean . polish , protect ,

[coreythorny]

Daz you're a tap man.

So here's my plan of attack:

Pressure wash,
Two bucket method with soft mitt and AutoGlym shampoo (got loads for free a while back),
Big fluffy dry,
Bilt hamber clay (do I need soft or normal?)
Bilberry wheels,
Wash again as above,
AutoGlym SRP,
White diamond glaze,
Collinite #915 (that offer is pretty good and comes with apicators and some microfirbres),
AutoGlym glass polish,
Supernatural glass sealant,
Poorboys tyre dressing,
Lastly a good vacuum and dust inside followed by some cherry scent chemical boys air freshener.

Sounds like a plan.

Did I cover it all?

[deans arctic]

you should invest in some snow foam Corey

it's great fun

[Grumpybob]

One essential item I would add to the list is Autosmart Tardis. It's a tar remover and works a treat, will make claying so much easier afterwards.

[coreythorny]

you should invest in some snow foam Corey

it's great fun

Ive used my mates. I do like it, alot but I can bring myself to spend £80 just for snowfoam considering we have a pressure washer at home. It's a big machine one like you find at a garage so can't attatch snow foam unfortunately.

One essential item I would add to the list is Autosmart Tardis. It's a tar remover and works a treat, will make claying so much easier afterwards.

I do have some AutoGlym tar remover. Never really used it? Where would you use it and how? I don't have any majorly built up areas the shine is just fading which is why I want to detail it.

[Daz]

use tar remover on visible tar spots prior to claying , just make sure you give the areas a good rinse where you have used tar remover as it will deteriorate the clay bar once your clay the area .

[Ralphvxr]

Daz has covered pretty much everything.

No need to dry before claying mate, the mate on the car will act as extra lube anyway. As much as Bilthammer is to be used with only water i still like to lube up, i find it can be a tad tacty when only used with water

Keep it simple as already stated

Wash 2BM (Autogylm Shampoo is fine)
Rinse (water good here sorry joke )
Clay (i use Bilthammer with Dodo Born slippy)
Wash
Rinse
Dry (stay clear of blades and leathers and your be fine)
Polish (As already stated by hand SRP is god)
Wash (i always wash after a polish or i snow just to remove poilish but your probably get away with a rinse tbh)
Dry
LSP (last stage protection) Wax/Sealent (keep it simple mate, Get some sample panel pots from Dodo for light coloured cars and your onto a winner or try Light fantastic or Diamond White or try a sealent like Jetseal or even CG blacklight which i need to trry again using a polisher to apply)

Dont get bogged down by all the products mate, break it up into jobs as in the above stages, 1 product 1 stage simple