I don't think you need to get too fancy with the wax. You've got a white car, so the bright side is that it's not going to be too tough to get it looking as nice and glossy as it's going to look. The down side is... that's as nice and glossy as it's going to look.

For the wheels, my best advice is to simply clean them often. I've had good luck with some wheel cleaners in the past, but nothing works as well as simply keeping on top of it. The longer the brake dust is there, the harder it is to get off.

For the interior... well... I had good luck with Mother's leather products, and they smell nice. The bottom line is that whatever you use, you need to test in an inconspicous area first to make sure it plays nicely with your particular car. Then you'll want a cleaner, and a conditioner and follow the directions on the bottle.

 

Thanks you Weasel.. Do you think for a 100$ that I could get everything I need including towels, shammys, sponges etc?

 

Hmm... starting from scratch... it's a new car so you probably won't need a polish or clay bar yet...

Just looking at the crappy tire site at some Meguiar's products:

Jug of car wash: $20.
Wax: $20
Leather cleaner/conditioner: $15

Then... sheepskin wash mitt: $15.

I hope you own a bucket of some sort.

Then you need a way to dry your car. I use a water blade ($30) followed up with some somewhat pricey towels I bought years ago from The Bay just for this purpose. Can't remember how much those were.

So you're probably going to spend more than a hundred but way less than $200.

Edit: Also need wax applicators ($6) and soft cloths for buffing it off ($10) and, if you want, a tire shine. That's about the only Turtle Wax product I use, and there's a kit for $20.

 

As a 'hobbyist' level detailer, here are my opinions:

Leather care:
Leatherique Rejuvenator Oil (conditioner)
Leatherique Pristine Clean (leather cleaner)

Pretty pricey but in my opinion and also from many reviews I've read on detailing sites, one of the best products for maintaining or restoring your leather.

I try to do the application at least once or twice a year, you can find detailed instructions on their website, but basically apply the conditioner first, let it work in to the leather and then wipe clean with the cleaner.


Interior trim/panels, non leather surfaces - 303 aerospace protectant. I've been happy with it but not sure how much different or better it is than some equivalent products you can find at Walmart like Armor All interior cleaner


Drying after wash & wiping off wax - microfiber cloth/towels. Can buy them in bulk off detailing websites


As WW mentioned, you have a white car so it doesn't have the high reflectivity of some other colors, I find it also hides swirls or other flaws in clear coat much better than some other colors. This also makes it much harder to polish and view results of your work.

One thing regarding the shine, I would say 90-95% of the shine comes from the prep work (clay & polishing) prior to waxing. Waxing is just the last step which can enhance the shine and provide some layer of protection to the paint.

If you have a relatively new car, it may not need too much work in the polishing department though depends on how it's been washed and dried. You would have to look at the paint up close with appropriate lighting such as using halogen lamps to be able to properly gauge this.

I'm pretty sure there are threads on here that cover the above topics in more detail if you are interested in learning more.

 

Get Wheel Wax (that's a brand name) for the wheels. Take the wheels off the car, clean them, and wax them. They will be much easier to take care of from that point on.

 

get anything/everything you need at: www.detailersdomain.com

 

I know that a lot of guys don't buy into the pay 5x more get a nicer shine. I want stuff that is less expensive and works.

A lot of the detailing stuff is personal preference. I tried most of the stuff from crappy tire and they are not as good as the products I got from the detailing stores. I can tell you that white car takes as much effort to detail if you want the white to pop and look the best. I have been using the products below for my white X6 and my wife's new white MDX. I just detailed her car this past weekend and she told me it looked better than when we picked it up new from the dealer 9 months ago. You can get most of these product from eshine or autoobessed. The list below should be able to get you started with reasonable cost.

Griot's Garage Paint Clay and speed shine kit
P21S body work shampoo
CarPro Iron X (get rid of all the yellow dot on white car)
Menzerna Power lock polymer paint sealant
P21S Carnauba paste wax
Swisswax leather kit (great product but a bit pricey and not sure i would buy again)

 

Two buckets, with a grit guard. Wash mitt. A wheel brush and a lug brush. Lots of microfiber towels. Do you have a vac with a brush and crevice tool?

You can start with some inexpensive shampoo and wax products, like Griot's or Meguiar's. If you don't like them, move up to something more expensive like Zymol or Blackfire. Glass cleaner. Griot's interior cleaner works pretty well on plastics. Leatherique is going to blow most of your budget, and it's a PITA to use, IMHO. Get some Meguiar's leather cleaner. There's a thread or two here about wheel and tire cleaners. You can wash with regular shampoo, and there are a zillion opinions about keeping the brake dust off. And you'll need a cleaner for the soft top. Poorboy's Bug Squash is helpful if you get bugs all over your front bumper.

 

Great list Karen.

But forgot to note that a 2nd mortgage is then needed.:hilarious:

The 2 bucket wash with grit guard and always using a well rinsed wash mist is STEP uno. PS - I wonder if Stan ever got his Pt Silver washed - maybe when it had Dealer service?

:cheers:

 

Assuming that you have somewhat of an idea in detailing (2 bucket wash method, claybar, paint correction etc). I'm certain you can fix up a kit for well under $100. However, from what I've learned/gathered on detailing sites and detailing on my own vehicles for some time, is that there are a million different products for a million different tasks. When I started to venture into detailing, I was disillusioned in thinking that those million different products were 'products' that I absolutely needed. It was a very expensive mistake.

Over the years and after testing out different products on my various vehicles, I've learned to be a bit more selective and able to filter out the, so to speak BS. You'll soon discover that there are products that actually supersede one another. I also thought that the more expensive products were the better option, but like anything else, all that can be accounted for is fluff and great marketing. Again, this is my opinion entirely.

If you have full leather seats, leatherique is a good option, but I just think there are way too many steps that are involved. I want it to be simple and to the point. Not a chemistry set. I like using Ultima Interior Guard Plus. Its a sealant of sorts and it provides great protection for your leather seats. Not too glossy or oily.

There are so many arguments for wax/sealants. Wax has carnuba wax properties that provide that great shiny luster you may be looking for, however wont provide the protection as long as a sealant. Sealants have chemical polymers that provide that long protection you seek, but may not have the shiny luster you're seeking for. So many arguments, of "which goes first, how many coats do you need etc" Its mind blowing and all it does is give me a headache. I've used Collinite 845 (cheaper) and have gotten amazing results and I've used Wolfgang Fuzion ($$$) and attained great results. Some people apply 2 coats, some 3. I think its all just a preference. The logic is that, the more you apply, the more protection you're providing for your vehicle from the elements. I use a Wolfgang 3.0 sealant/Wolfgang Fuzion wax combo on my white CS.

For wheels, I use Brown Royal. Comparable w/ Sonax, but significantly cheaper and can be diluted to 3:1. The cheaper route that provides the same result. After cleaning/drying wheels, I just top off the wheel w/ Collinite 845 wax or any wax/sealant of your choosing.

I get my MF towels from a site, so contact me via PM if you'd like to know the details.

I tried to not go into too much detail, but if you'd like to know what I do for my detailing regimen, again, PM.

Good luck.

 

Microfiber towels: $27.
Amazon.com: Eurow Microfiber Premium 16in x 16in 350 GSM Cleaning Towels 36-Pack: Automotive
Meguiar's complete car care $44.
Amazon.com: Meguiar's Complete Car Care Kit: Automotive

Now you have some spare changes for Starbuck's

 

... I have a polisher so a nice polish would do me good, and finally some wax. The wax is something I would like to put more dollars towards. I guess multiple coats and a show car finish is what I'm after. Some guys do two coats of Zymol followed by another coat on another type of Zymol.. Why do they do this I thought one coat of wax was enough?

I'm not even sure where to begin here. I suggest you go read autopia or autogeek.net and read the detailing articles. There is so much info out there and the technology is changing all the time.

You could opticoat the entire car. You could wrap the whole thing in xpel and be done with it, etc.

There is a world of difference between synthetics and carnauba.

Towels ALONE are easily $100. You don't want to use the same towels on your wheels and body. Yes, wheel wax is good stuff. I would do that several times a year.

A simple and old school way to begin is to buy the Klasse Twins, an acrylic, then layer any carnauba on top of it.

Yes, some people put layer after layer of carnauba? Does it add anything? Dunno, It seems a waste to me. You need to go learn the difference between synthetic sealents and carnauba.

I'm going to suggest you read this thread, start at post 16 and for a couple of posts beyond 16. And that is just washing the car.

Do some research. Good luck

 

Some of stuff is so complicated. I looked at detailersdomain as suggested and on maguiars site. Would I be fine with
1) 2 pails/grit guard
2) 8 microfibres towels
3) 2 shammys
4) Wash/shampoo
5) Polish
6) Wax
8) Leather Cleaner
9) Leather conditioner
10) Plastic Protectant/cleaner
11) Adam's In/Out Spray
12) I have a polisher already


i just wanted inexpensive stuff so I was thinking Aino, Zymol, Maguiars, Lexan (?)

 

i just wanted inexpensive stuff so I was thinking Aino, Zymol, Maguiars, Lexan (?)

Are you referring to Lexol? Leather cleaner is decent, but steer clear from the conditioner. The smell is pretty bad and lingers.

One of the other things you need to decide is whether you want to use a carnauba-based wax or polymer sealant. Description here (also other tips). How To Choose The Right Wax or Paint Sealant for your Vehicle

There's no reason you cant use both. I use chemical polymer sealant for that extended protection and top it off w/ carnuba based wax.

 

So much of this is personal preference and you can argue products all day long. No matter what you do, read up on the two bucket wash method as someone previously noted. The grit guard is a must have item.

Once you you have the wash down, make sure you dry it properly. I am a waffle weave microfiber fan for drying needs. Get a few and they are not cheap, unfortunately.

After it is washed and dried, spend your time on surface prep. Even the best sealant/wax will lose some shine when put on a poorly prepared surface.

 

One of the other things you need to decide is whether you want to use a carnauba-based wax or polymer sealant. Description here (also other tips). How To Choose The Right Wax or Paint Sealant for your Vehicle

 

Autogeek.net has all the how to videos you will ever need. Keep it simple.

 

Have a look here at Post #20. I found a bit over kill, but I did go buy a leaf blower this weekend and will give it a try.

Money2536's White 991 C2S Journal - Page 2 - ******** Discussion Forums

 

Wow. I'm retired and still wouldn't have the time to do all that.

 

I think I have towel envy.

Does anyone else use that Hydes Rustopper for rotors? I noticed Detailers Domain sells it. http://www.detailersdomain.com/Hydes-Serum-Rustopper_p_947.html Or some other product?

 

Would you guys recomend ordering a bunch of MF like posted earlier
Amazon.com: Eurow Microfiber Premium 16in x 16in 350 GSM Cleaning Towels 36-Pack: Automotive

or

Go with like 6 packs of these for the same price which may be of higher quality and are a tad larger
Amazon.com: Meguiar's Supreme Shine Microfiber Cloths (Pack of 3): Automotive

 

Would you guys recomend ordering a bunch of MF like posted earlier
Amazon.com: Eurow Microfiber Premium 16in x 16in 350 GSM Cleaning Towels 36-Pack: Automotive

or

Go with like 6 packs of these for the same price which may be of higher quality and are a tad larger
Amazon.com: Meguiar's Supreme Shine Microfiber Cloths (Pack of 3): Automotive

The Rag Company Home Page
Eagle Blue Borderless

 

Sorry for bumping a very old thread, but I need help deciding on two products:

1) A compound to remove microswirling in the clear coat. Very minor, but I'm not sure a polish is going to be abrasive enough to remove? I may start with a polish, then if they aren't coming out, move to a compound, then back to the polish to finish.

2) After I get the aforementioned swirls out, I want a coating. And then maybe a sealant. I'm thinking OptiCoat Pro, because it seems pretty standard...can't be a bad choice with so many users, right? And after I OptiCoat...I likely don't need additional sealant on top, do I?

Then I can 'nuba wax on top of the OptiCoat for additional shine, yes? As I understand it, wax is like makeup.

 

Have you tried a swirl remover? They are usually less aggressive than a polish. I had excellent results with Pinnacle Advanced Swirl remover on a minivan that had only been washed for ten years. (no polishing or waxing) I probably could have stepped up to a compound, but it reduced the swirls to the point that only in the brightest sunlight and looking very closely could you see any imperfections. Almost non-existent. That was my first experience with a dual action polisher, so the van was my test vehicle.