@stemikel , thanks!!
@The D tha Depends on cost. I don't mind hard wlrk if it's worth it. $3k for a "wax job" is ridiculous. Just seems like there should be good alternatives to waxes and polishes.
I’ve been snooping around the detailing scene for a while. I’m no pro and I don’t even have time to
really detail my cars(I have 3 kids). This is what I’ve found so far.
Start with products from one or two of the bigger manufacturers. They will have the widest product range that will be engineered to work together. The big bucket kits will be fine for a little bit but if this bug bites you they will fall short pretty fast. I’m partial to German products so I have stuff from SONAX and Menzerna. If you go full retard get on a detailing forum and YouTube to soak up as much info as possible
Wash: I have a cheap electric power washer(on pretty good sale from Sam’s Club) that has a foam cannon attachment. Foam, scrub with wash mit, rinse, dry with good towel or blow dry
Decontaminate: Spray and rinse with fallout cleaner. Clay bar to get
everything off the paint
Correction: I have a cheap Amazon copy of the Rupes da polisher. I don’t need it for 10 cars a week so el cheapo is the way for me. You do need good pads but any of the big names will be fine. The widest variety of products in the detailing world are polishes and waxes. I have Menzerna 3 in 1 that is one of the best do-everything polishes out. If you need a more aggressive compound any of the big names will have it. Wipe down with 10:1 water:isopropyl alcohol to get everything off of the paint
Last step protection: This is either ceramic coating or sealant/wax. Choose one and stick with it. Ceramic coatings range from affordable and easy for the diy detailer to professionally applied and $$$$$. I went the sealer/wax direction and have a bottle of Collinite 845(detailing hidden secret) but will get different waxes in time. Some lsp’s last longer than others. Some give different finishes. Experiment
Plastic trim: What good is a shiny polish/wax job if your plastic trim looks like shit? Find one you like and use it whenever you need to
Wheel cleaner: All the big names have one. Get some good brushes and use whichever one you get correctly. Some can mess up a rim if you aren’t careful
Interior: This is definitely not as fun or cool as talking about polishes and waxes, the exception may be leather/vinyl seat and trim care. But, vacuum & scrub carpet. Glass cleaner. Various interior cleaners. This is actually where the bigger manufacturers have an edge. A significant portion of my detailing shit is SONAX interior cleaners. Be as basic or go as ham as you like
Microfiber towels: There are
So. Fucking. Many. types of microfiber towels. Don’t get caught in the hype. Buy some good drying towels and the rest can be just basic microfibers. But you will need a large pile of them, trust me
You’re welcome or I’m sorry
