Noob detailing question?
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: 01-07-07
Posts: 1,623
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From: NE Houston
Noob detailing question?
Ok i really have never detailed a car before , ive done basics wash and wax
but im hoping to enter a local car show areound my neighborhood and i want my car lookin clean and shiny
haha ive searched alot but i want an easy explanation
I have some products some good some suck i guess here they are :: turtlewax liquid claybar and polish: meguirs quick detailer, meguirs gold class wax, mother instant detailer ,and other basics( bug remover,tire cleaner,chamois
ok so the question is what step do i exactly do
-----like wash,liquid claybar, polish,quick detailer, wax??------
thanks
and if not what should i get that not like zainos and expensive stuff
but im hoping to enter a local car show areound my neighborhood and i want my car lookin clean and shiny
haha ive searched alot but i want an easy explanation
I have some products some good some suck i guess here they are :: turtlewax liquid claybar and polish: meguirs quick detailer, meguirs gold class wax, mother instant detailer ,and other basics( bug remover,tire cleaner,chamois
ok so the question is what step do i exactly do
-----like wash,liquid claybar, polish,quick detailer, wax??------
thanks
and if not what should i get that not like zainos and expensive stuff
Senior Member
Joined: 09-29-05
Posts: 1,113
Likes: 0
From: Goodfellow AFB, TX
wash, claybar, swirl remover, polish, 2 coats of wax.
I'm ****, so I stay with a "system" i.e all meguier's, or all mother's products.....Turtle wax ice is easy, but I don't like the finish after a day or two...Meguiers I have found to yield the best finish for the longest time in relation to the budget you are trying to stay in(givin that you do not want "expensive" stuff like Zaino).....Use the quick detailer to knock the dust off the car
I'm ****, so I stay with a "system" i.e all meguier's, or all mother's products.....Turtle wax ice is easy, but I don't like the finish after a day or two...Meguiers I have found to yield the best finish for the longest time in relation to the budget you are trying to stay in(givin that you do not want "expensive" stuff like Zaino).....Use the quick detailer to knock the dust off the car
Senior Member
Joined: 12-19-05
Posts: 9,704
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From: Raleigh, NC
I pm'd you Texas SS....
Kritter can attest to how I keep my car! I tend to use higher end ****... I buy normal stuff at stores but for my good wax....
What I am using now is Royal somethin' or other... it's 85 bux!
Kritter can attest to how I keep my car! I tend to use higher end ****... I buy normal stuff at stores but for my good wax....
What I am using now is Royal somethin' or other... it's 85 bux!
Senior Member
Joined: 02-16-08
Posts: 765
Likes: 0
From: New Jersey
Ice sucks.
End of story.
Meguiars is awesome, as is Mother's. I do the same...I stick with a system.
My mustang had 4 coats of synthetic with 2 coats of caranuba on top when I sold it...looked like it could suck you right into the paint.
End of story.
Meguiars is awesome, as is Mother's. I do the same...I stick with a system.
My mustang had 4 coats of synthetic with 2 coats of caranuba on top when I sold it...looked like it could suck you right into the paint.
Senior Member
Joined: 12-19-05
Posts: 9,704
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From: Raleigh, NC
Zaino's is the ******* bomb man! It's badass stuff! I've used it before!
Mothers is excellent quality if you stay away from the "over the counter versions" order their Mother's Reflections series excellent stuff!
Meguairs is okay not a fan of them too much... I use their polish and cleaner waxes!
Mothers is excellent quality if you stay away from the "over the counter versions" order their Mother's Reflections series excellent stuff!
Meguairs is okay not a fan of them too much... I use their polish and cleaner waxes!
Senior Member
Joined: 09-29-05
Posts: 1,113
Likes: 0
From: Goodfellow AFB, TX
I will enviously vouch for M-Dub's car....Holy damn it was nice....I'm on a budget to though, next round ofsavings goes to the HE, TTR rear sway, and higher end waxing systems. I expect Turbo Wax to be in this thread shortly, nothing against Turbo Wax BTW, I've never used their stuff, so I have no opinion.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: 01-07-07
Posts: 1,623
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From: NE Houston
yeah got the pm m-dub
and thanks guys for all the help and info
haha over here its hard to wash my car and detasil cause its always sunny as hell, changin weather, garage full so cant pull car in and not to much shade haha
gotta love texas weather =(
and as well M-dub got polished wheels
and here is some pics of my car clean
My friends car , get washed at Cales car wash but looks clean
and thanks guys for all the help and info
haha over here its hard to wash my car and detasil cause its always sunny as hell, changin weather, garage full so cant pull car in and not to much shade haha
gotta love texas weather =(
and as well M-dub got polished wheels
and here is some pics of my car clean
My friends car , get washed at Cales car wash but looks clean
Last edited by Texas SS; Apr 5, 2008 at 03:14 AM.
Senior Member
Joined: 12-19-05
Posts: 9,704
Likes: 0
From: Raleigh, NC
I can understand that... I washed my car tuesday.... it rained it's ass of and a bird took a long hard **** on it....
So since it's nice I am going to redo it again this week... never used Turbo Wax but never heard anything but good things about them
I can personally vouche for Zaino though! Very high quality ****!
So since it's nice I am going to redo it again this week... never used Turbo Wax but never heard anything but good things about them
I can personally vouche for Zaino though! Very high quality ****!
Junior Member
Joined: 03-17-05
Posts: 499
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From: Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Zaino is great, but certainly not the "best". There is no "best" in the detailing world. Only "what works best for you".
It can be debated at length as to what brands are top of the line, and what should be avoided. Zaino is definitely one of the top tier marques, however, don't be afraid to try other products. Many times, you can get much better results from far less expensive product. Which brings me to my next point.
You could be using the best of the best, taking a $30,000 wax like Zymol Solaris, and use it on your Cobalt. Problem is, if your not using proper technique, the guy with his $20 bottle of Meguiar's NXT could have a better look. Sure, its an extreme analogy, but it drives home the point of process over product.
Same with Zaino, great product line, but if you don't take the necessary steps to properly prepare the finish, its pointless.
Steps as follows...
Initial Wash:
I'd start with a good quality car wash soap. That doesn't mean an expensive car wash soap either. Meguiar's Gold Class is a good soap at an affordable price. Also, there is Optimum No Rinse, which is a very versatile soap at a good cost, at different dilutions, you can use it as a waterless wash, traditional wash solution, or even as a clay lubricant.
Clay Bar/Contaminant Removal:
Next thing your going to want to do now that the car is clean (visually), is run your fingers across the paint. Notice that you paint doesn't feel slick or smooth. That's all the bonded contaminants that have worked their way into your paint, and are very hard to see with the naked eye. So this is where the Clay Bar comes into the process. Meguiar's makes a clay bar kit that comes with two clay bars, quick detailer/clay lubricant, a microfiber towel, and some cleaner wax. It's a decent kit that provides you with the basics to perform contamination removal on your car. Sonus is another company that has a very popular clay bar, as does Mother's. It really comes down to choice, although buying from boutique brands allows you to choose the aggressiveness of the clay. I can't recommend ICE Liquid Clay Bar as it, one, is not a clay bar, and two, more of a cleaner polish than anything. You will never get the performance of traditional clay out of liquid clay bar.
So go over the car, following the directions of the clay kit. Use the plastic bag method to check if you missed anything. That is, place your hand is a plastic sandwich bag, and glide your fingers over the area you just clayed. The plastic will amplify your feeling of any contaminants you may have missed, then you can go back over till you've got it all.
Defect/Swirl Removal:
Most people at this point would be satisfied to throw on their favourite LSP (Last Step Product, ie. Wax or Sealant) and call it a day. But to truly get the most flawless finish, you have to start thinking about removal of the thousands of minute swirls that flow across the paintwork. This can be done by hand, but honestly, your going to eventually want a machine. But if using a hand based product, Scratch-X or similar would be your best bet. But I would seriously recommend, for a beginner, a machine like the Porter Cable Dual Action Polisher, UDM, or similar. It really takes the effort out of defect removal, and at the same time, is much safer than a rotary polisher. Once you've got a machine, and assorted pads of differing aggressiveness, you can set about removing swirls. There are many articles written on this over at Autopia, as to what brands, process, etc to follow, and many helpful members that will steer you in the right direction to get your paintwork to a mirror like finish.
LSP (Last Step Product):
Once you've finished polishing out the swirls and are now left with a mirror like finish, you can move on to the LSP. Now you have two choices, either a carnuba based wax, or a sealant. Carnuba's give off a much warmer appearance, however, longevity and durability are not their strengths. This is where sealants come in. These are engineered to give the most protection to your cars finish, however, many times, they come off sterile looking in comparison to carnubas. The choice is down to whether you want that carnuba glow, or the shine and protection of a sealant. By the way, Zaino is a sealant, and many people marvel at its shine, so don't equate sealants to a dull finish. Once the LSP is applied, stand back and marvel at the now, show car quality finish on your car.
But, now that you've invested all that time and energy into getting the car looking that way, you have to be very careful not to ruin the finish. This means washing the car using proper washing/drying techniques to ensure that you don't put any more swirls back into the paint. This means ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY, NO BRUSH BASED AUTOMATED WASHES...and I don't think I can stress that enough. There is a reason in the detailing world why the are called "Swirl-O-Matics", and if you want your finish to look shiny, deep, and reflective for years to come, never allow your car to cross paths with one
It can be debated at length as to what brands are top of the line, and what should be avoided. Zaino is definitely one of the top tier marques, however, don't be afraid to try other products. Many times, you can get much better results from far less expensive product. Which brings me to my next point.
You could be using the best of the best, taking a $30,000 wax like Zymol Solaris, and use it on your Cobalt. Problem is, if your not using proper technique, the guy with his $20 bottle of Meguiar's NXT could have a better look. Sure, its an extreme analogy, but it drives home the point of process over product.
Same with Zaino, great product line, but if you don't take the necessary steps to properly prepare the finish, its pointless.
Steps as follows...
Initial Wash:
I'd start with a good quality car wash soap. That doesn't mean an expensive car wash soap either. Meguiar's Gold Class is a good soap at an affordable price. Also, there is Optimum No Rinse, which is a very versatile soap at a good cost, at different dilutions, you can use it as a waterless wash, traditional wash solution, or even as a clay lubricant.
Recommended Products:
Meguair's Gold Class
Optimum No Rinse
Meguair's Gold Class
Optimum No Rinse
Clay Bar/Contaminant Removal:
Next thing your going to want to do now that the car is clean (visually), is run your fingers across the paint. Notice that you paint doesn't feel slick or smooth. That's all the bonded contaminants that have worked their way into your paint, and are very hard to see with the naked eye. So this is where the Clay Bar comes into the process. Meguiar's makes a clay bar kit that comes with two clay bars, quick detailer/clay lubricant, a microfiber towel, and some cleaner wax. It's a decent kit that provides you with the basics to perform contamination removal on your car. Sonus is another company that has a very popular clay bar, as does Mother's. It really comes down to choice, although buying from boutique brands allows you to choose the aggressiveness of the clay. I can't recommend ICE Liquid Clay Bar as it, one, is not a clay bar, and two, more of a cleaner polish than anything. You will never get the performance of traditional clay out of liquid clay bar.
So go over the car, following the directions of the clay kit. Use the plastic bag method to check if you missed anything. That is, place your hand is a plastic sandwich bag, and glide your fingers over the area you just clayed. The plastic will amplify your feeling of any contaminants you may have missed, then you can go back over till you've got it all.
Recommended Products:
Meguair's Quik Clay Kit
Sonus Green Clay
Mother's Clay Bar Kit
Meguair's Quik Clay Kit
Sonus Green Clay
Mother's Clay Bar Kit
Defect/Swirl Removal:
Most people at this point would be satisfied to throw on their favourite LSP (Last Step Product, ie. Wax or Sealant) and call it a day. But to truly get the most flawless finish, you have to start thinking about removal of the thousands of minute swirls that flow across the paintwork. This can be done by hand, but honestly, your going to eventually want a machine. But if using a hand based product, Scratch-X or similar would be your best bet. But I would seriously recommend, for a beginner, a machine like the Porter Cable Dual Action Polisher, UDM, or similar. It really takes the effort out of defect removal, and at the same time, is much safer than a rotary polisher. Once you've got a machine, and assorted pads of differing aggressiveness, you can set about removing swirls. There are many articles written on this over at Autopia, as to what brands, process, etc to follow, and many helpful members that will steer you in the right direction to get your paintwork to a mirror like finish.
Recommended Products:
Meguair's ScratchX
Prima Swirl
Menzerna SIP and 106FF
Meguiar's Mirror Glaze Compounds and Polishes
Optimum Compound and Polishes
...really, there are so many players in the arena, just find something that works well for you and stick with it
Meguair's ScratchX
Prima Swirl
Menzerna SIP and 106FF
Meguiar's Mirror Glaze Compounds and Polishes
Optimum Compound and Polishes
...really, there are so many players in the arena, just find something that works well for you and stick with it
LSP (Last Step Product):
Once you've finished polishing out the swirls and are now left with a mirror like finish, you can move on to the LSP. Now you have two choices, either a carnuba based wax, or a sealant. Carnuba's give off a much warmer appearance, however, longevity and durability are not their strengths. This is where sealants come in. These are engineered to give the most protection to your cars finish, however, many times, they come off sterile looking in comparison to carnubas. The choice is down to whether you want that carnuba glow, or the shine and protection of a sealant. By the way, Zaino is a sealant, and many people marvel at its shine, so don't equate sealants to a dull finish. Once the LSP is applied, stand back and marvel at the now, show car quality finish on your car.
Recommended Products:
Whatever looks best in your opinion
Whatever looks best in your opinion
But, now that you've invested all that time and energy into getting the car looking that way, you have to be very careful not to ruin the finish. This means washing the car using proper washing/drying techniques to ensure that you don't put any more swirls back into the paint. This means ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY, NO BRUSH BASED AUTOMATED WASHES...and I don't think I can stress that enough. There is a reason in the detailing world why the are called "Swirl-O-Matics", and if you want your finish to look shiny, deep, and reflective for years to come, never allow your car to cross paths with one
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: 01-07-07
Posts: 1,623
Likes: 0
From: NE Houston
Zaino is great, but certainly not the "best". There is no "best" in the detailing world. Only "what works best for you".
It can be debated at length as to what brands are top of the line, and what should be avoided. Zaino is definitely one of the top tier marques, however, don't be afraid to try other products. Many times, you can get much better results from far less expensive product. Which brings me to my next point.
You could be using the best of the best, taking a $30,000 wax like Zymol Solaris, and use it on your Cobalt. Problem is, if your not using proper technique, the guy with his $20 bottle of Meguiar's NXT could have a better look. Sure, its an extreme analogy, but it drives home the point of process over product.
Same with Zaino, great product line, but if you don't take the necessary steps to properly prepare the finish, its pointless.
Steps as follows...
Initial Wash:
I'd start with a good quality car wash soap. That doesn't mean an expensive car wash soap either. Meguiar's Gold Class is a good soap at an affordable price. Also, there is Optimum No Rinse, which is a very versatile soap at a good cost, at different dilutions, you can use it as a waterless wash, traditional wash solution, or even as a clay lubricant.
Clay Bar/Contaminant Removal:
Next thing your going to want to do now that the car is clean (visually), is run your fingers across the paint. Notice that you paint doesn't feel slick or smooth. That's all the bonded contaminants that have worked their way into your paint, and are very hard to see with the naked eye. So this is where the Clay Bar comes into the process. Meguiar's makes a clay bar kit that comes with two clay bars, quick detailer/clay lubricant, a microfiber towel, and some cleaner wax. It's a decent kit that provides you with the basics to perform contamination removal on your car. Sonus is another company that has a very popular clay bar, as does Mother's. It really comes down to choice, although buying from boutique brands allows you to choose the aggressiveness of the clay. I can't recommend ICE Liquid Clay Bar as it, one, is not a clay bar, and two, more of a cleaner polish than anything. You will never get the performance of traditional clay out of liquid clay bar.
So go over the car, following the directions of the clay kit. Use the plastic bag method to check if you missed anything. That is, place your hand is a plastic sandwich bag, and glide your fingers over the area you just clayed. The plastic will amplify your feeling of any contaminants you may have missed, then you can go back over till you've got it all.
Defect/Swirl Removal:
Most people at this point would be satisfied to throw on their favourite LSP (Last Step Product, ie. Wax or Sealant) and call it a day. But to truly get the most flawless finish, you have to start thinking about removal of the thousands of minute swirls that flow across the paintwork. This can be done by hand, but honestly, your going to eventually want a machine. But if using a hand based product, Scratch-X or similar would be your best bet. But I would seriously recommend, for a beginner, a machine like the Porter Cable Dual Action Polisher, UDM, or similar. It really takes the effort out of defect removal, and at the same time, is much safer than a rotary polisher. Once you've got a machine, and assorted pads of differing aggressiveness, you can set about removing swirls. There are many articles written on this over at Autopia, as to what brands, process, etc to follow, and many helpful members that will steer you in the right direction to get your paintwork to a mirror like finish.
LSP (Last Step Product):
Once you've finished polishing out the swirls and are now left with a mirror like finish, you can move on to the LSP. Now you have two choices, either a carnuba based wax, or a sealant. Carnuba's give off a much warmer appearance, however, longevity and durability are not their strengths. This is where sealants come in. These are engineered to give the most protection to your cars finish, however, many times, they come off sterile looking in comparison to carnubas. The choice is down to whether you want that carnuba glow, or the shine and protection of a sealant. By the way, Zaino is a sealant, and many people marvel at its shine, so don't equate sealants to a dull finish. Once the LSP is applied, stand back and marvel at the now, show car quality finish on your car.
But, now that you've invested all that time and energy into getting the car looking that way, you have to be very careful not to ruin the finish. This means washing the car using proper washing/drying techniques to ensure that you don't put any more swirls back into the paint. This means ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY, NO BRUSH BASED AUTOMATED WASHES...and I don't think I can stress that enough. There is a reason in the detailing world why the are called "Swirl-O-Matics", and if you want your finish to look shiny, deep, and reflective for years to come, never allow your car to cross paths with one
It can be debated at length as to what brands are top of the line, and what should be avoided. Zaino is definitely one of the top tier marques, however, don't be afraid to try other products. Many times, you can get much better results from far less expensive product. Which brings me to my next point.
You could be using the best of the best, taking a $30,000 wax like Zymol Solaris, and use it on your Cobalt. Problem is, if your not using proper technique, the guy with his $20 bottle of Meguiar's NXT could have a better look. Sure, its an extreme analogy, but it drives home the point of process over product.
Same with Zaino, great product line, but if you don't take the necessary steps to properly prepare the finish, its pointless.
Steps as follows...
Initial Wash:
I'd start with a good quality car wash soap. That doesn't mean an expensive car wash soap either. Meguiar's Gold Class is a good soap at an affordable price. Also, there is Optimum No Rinse, which is a very versatile soap at a good cost, at different dilutions, you can use it as a waterless wash, traditional wash solution, or even as a clay lubricant.
Recommended Products:
Meguair's Gold Class
Optimum No Rinse
Meguair's Gold Class
Optimum No Rinse
Clay Bar/Contaminant Removal:
Next thing your going to want to do now that the car is clean (visually), is run your fingers across the paint. Notice that you paint doesn't feel slick or smooth. That's all the bonded contaminants that have worked their way into your paint, and are very hard to see with the naked eye. So this is where the Clay Bar comes into the process. Meguiar's makes a clay bar kit that comes with two clay bars, quick detailer/clay lubricant, a microfiber towel, and some cleaner wax. It's a decent kit that provides you with the basics to perform contamination removal on your car. Sonus is another company that has a very popular clay bar, as does Mother's. It really comes down to choice, although buying from boutique brands allows you to choose the aggressiveness of the clay. I can't recommend ICE Liquid Clay Bar as it, one, is not a clay bar, and two, more of a cleaner polish than anything. You will never get the performance of traditional clay out of liquid clay bar.
So go over the car, following the directions of the clay kit. Use the plastic bag method to check if you missed anything. That is, place your hand is a plastic sandwich bag, and glide your fingers over the area you just clayed. The plastic will amplify your feeling of any contaminants you may have missed, then you can go back over till you've got it all.
Recommended Products:
Meguair's Quik Clay Kit
Sonus Green Clay
Mother's Clay Bar Kit
Meguair's Quik Clay Kit
Sonus Green Clay
Mother's Clay Bar Kit
Defect/Swirl Removal:
Most people at this point would be satisfied to throw on their favourite LSP (Last Step Product, ie. Wax or Sealant) and call it a day. But to truly get the most flawless finish, you have to start thinking about removal of the thousands of minute swirls that flow across the paintwork. This can be done by hand, but honestly, your going to eventually want a machine. But if using a hand based product, Scratch-X or similar would be your best bet. But I would seriously recommend, for a beginner, a machine like the Porter Cable Dual Action Polisher, UDM, or similar. It really takes the effort out of defect removal, and at the same time, is much safer than a rotary polisher. Once you've got a machine, and assorted pads of differing aggressiveness, you can set about removing swirls. There are many articles written on this over at Autopia, as to what brands, process, etc to follow, and many helpful members that will steer you in the right direction to get your paintwork to a mirror like finish.
Recommended Products:
Meguair's ScratchX
Prima Swirl
Menzerna SIP and 106FF
Meguiar's Mirror Glaze Compounds and Polishes
Optimum Compound and Polishes
...really, there are so many players in the arena, just find something that works well for you and stick with it
Meguair's ScratchX
Prima Swirl
Menzerna SIP and 106FF
Meguiar's Mirror Glaze Compounds and Polishes
Optimum Compound and Polishes
...really, there are so many players in the arena, just find something that works well for you and stick with it
LSP (Last Step Product):
Once you've finished polishing out the swirls and are now left with a mirror like finish, you can move on to the LSP. Now you have two choices, either a carnuba based wax, or a sealant. Carnuba's give off a much warmer appearance, however, longevity and durability are not their strengths. This is where sealants come in. These are engineered to give the most protection to your cars finish, however, many times, they come off sterile looking in comparison to carnubas. The choice is down to whether you want that carnuba glow, or the shine and protection of a sealant. By the way, Zaino is a sealant, and many people marvel at its shine, so don't equate sealants to a dull finish. Once the LSP is applied, stand back and marvel at the now, show car quality finish on your car.
Recommended Products:
Whatever looks best in your opinion
Whatever looks best in your opinion
But, now that you've invested all that time and energy into getting the car looking that way, you have to be very careful not to ruin the finish. This means washing the car using proper washing/drying techniques to ensure that you don't put any more swirls back into the paint. This means ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY, NO BRUSH BASED AUTOMATED WASHES...and I don't think I can stress that enough. There is a reason in the detailing world why the are called "Swirl-O-Matics", and if you want your finish to look shiny, deep, and reflective for years to come, never allow your car to cross paths with one
will remember
and yes I HAVE NOT AND WILL NOT go to auto car wash due to i know what it does to paint and well i like satisfaction of doing it myself
Senior Member
Joined: 12-19-05
Posts: 9,704
Likes: 0
From: Raleigh, NC
I use car washes... but only the manual ones for the high pressure spray!
I do have the Zymol Ryal Glaze as well... but I'm out of it... come to find out it includes free refills of it so I called and they are sending me a new container! But they should for 5800 bucks!
Althought I have used better nothing leaves a better shine than the Zymol only problem it doesn't last as looong as you would think!
I do have the Zymol Ryal Glaze as well... but I'm out of it... come to find out it includes free refills of it so I called and they are sending me a new container! But they should for 5800 bucks!
Althought I have used better nothing leaves a better shine than the Zymol only problem it doesn't last as looong as you would think!
Senior Member
Joined: 10-28-07
Posts: 3,713
Likes: 0
From: Tall Timbers, MD
Zaino is great, but certainly not the "best". There is no "best" in the detailing world. Only "what works best for you".
It can be debated at length as to what brands are top of the line, and what should be avoided. Zaino is definitely one of the top tier marques, however, don't be afraid to try other products. Many times, you can get much better results from far less expensive product. Which brings me to my next point.
You could be using the best of the best, taking a $30,000 wax like Zymol Solaris, and use it on your Cobalt. Problem is, if your not using proper technique, the guy with his $20 bottle of Meguiar's NXT could have a better look. Sure, its an extreme analogy, but it drives home the point of process over product.
Same with Zaino, great product line, but if you don't take the necessary steps to properly prepare the finish, its pointless.
Steps as follows...
Initial Wash:
I'd start with a good quality car wash soap. That doesn't mean an expensive car wash soap either. Meguiar's Gold Class is a good soap at an affordable price. Also, there is Optimum No Rinse, which is a very versatile soap at a good cost, at different dilutions, you can use it as a waterless wash, traditional wash solution, or even as a clay lubricant.
Clay Bar/Contaminant Removal:
Next thing your going to want to do now that the car is clean (visually), is run your fingers across the paint. Notice that you paint doesn't feel slick or smooth. That's all the bonded contaminants that have worked their way into your paint, and are very hard to see with the naked eye. So this is where the Clay Bar comes into the process. Meguiar's makes a clay bar kit that comes with two clay bars, quick detailer/clay lubricant, a microfiber towel, and some cleaner wax. It's a decent kit that provides you with the basics to perform contamination removal on your car. Sonus is another company that has a very popular clay bar, as does Mother's. It really comes down to choice, although buying from boutique brands allows you to choose the aggressiveness of the clay. I can't recommend ICE Liquid Clay Bar as it, one, is not a clay bar, and two, more of a cleaner polish than anything. You will never get the performance of traditional clay out of liquid clay bar.
So go over the car, following the directions of the clay kit. Use the plastic bag method to check if you missed anything. That is, place your hand is a plastic sandwich bag, and glide your fingers over the area you just clayed. The plastic will amplify your feeling of any contaminants you may have missed, then you can go back over till you've got it all.
Defect/Swirl Removal:
Most people at this point would be satisfied to throw on their favourite LSP (Last Step Product, ie. Wax or Sealant) and call it a day. But to truly get the most flawless finish, you have to start thinking about removal of the thousands of minute swirls that flow across the paintwork. This can be done by hand, but honestly, your going to eventually want a machine. But if using a hand based product, Scratch-X or similar would be your best bet. But I would seriously recommend, for a beginner, a machine like the Porter Cable Dual Action Polisher, UDM, or similar. It really takes the effort out of defect removal, and at the same time, is much safer than a rotary polisher. Once you've got a machine, and assorted pads of differing aggressiveness, you can set about removing swirls. There are many articles written on this over at Autopia, as to what brands, process, etc to follow, and many helpful members that will steer you in the right direction to get your paintwork to a mirror like finish.
LSP (Last Step Product):
Once you've finished polishing out the swirls and are now left with a mirror like finish, you can move on to the LSP. Now you have two choices, either a carnuba based wax, or a sealant. Carnuba's give off a much warmer appearance, however, longevity and durability are not their strengths. This is where sealants come in. These are engineered to give the most protection to your cars finish, however, many times, they come off sterile looking in comparison to carnubas. The choice is down to whether you want that carnuba glow, or the shine and protection of a sealant. By the way, Zaino is a sealant, and many people marvel at its shine, so don't equate sealants to a dull finish. Once the LSP is applied, stand back and marvel at the now, show car quality finish on your car.
But, now that you've invested all that time and energy into getting the car looking that way, you have to be very careful not to ruin the finish. This means washing the car using proper washing/drying techniques to ensure that you don't put any more swirls back into the paint. This means ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY, NO BRUSH BASED AUTOMATED WASHES...and I don't think I can stress that enough. There is a reason in the detailing world why the are called "Swirl-O-Matics", and if you want your finish to look shiny, deep, and reflective for years to come, never allow your car to cross paths with one
It can be debated at length as to what brands are top of the line, and what should be avoided. Zaino is definitely one of the top tier marques, however, don't be afraid to try other products. Many times, you can get much better results from far less expensive product. Which brings me to my next point.
You could be using the best of the best, taking a $30,000 wax like Zymol Solaris, and use it on your Cobalt. Problem is, if your not using proper technique, the guy with his $20 bottle of Meguiar's NXT could have a better look. Sure, its an extreme analogy, but it drives home the point of process over product.
Same with Zaino, great product line, but if you don't take the necessary steps to properly prepare the finish, its pointless.
Steps as follows...
Initial Wash:
I'd start with a good quality car wash soap. That doesn't mean an expensive car wash soap either. Meguiar's Gold Class is a good soap at an affordable price. Also, there is Optimum No Rinse, which is a very versatile soap at a good cost, at different dilutions, you can use it as a waterless wash, traditional wash solution, or even as a clay lubricant.
Recommended Products:
Meguair's Gold Class
Optimum No Rinse
Meguair's Gold Class
Optimum No Rinse
Clay Bar/Contaminant Removal:
Next thing your going to want to do now that the car is clean (visually), is run your fingers across the paint. Notice that you paint doesn't feel slick or smooth. That's all the bonded contaminants that have worked their way into your paint, and are very hard to see with the naked eye. So this is where the Clay Bar comes into the process. Meguiar's makes a clay bar kit that comes with two clay bars, quick detailer/clay lubricant, a microfiber towel, and some cleaner wax. It's a decent kit that provides you with the basics to perform contamination removal on your car. Sonus is another company that has a very popular clay bar, as does Mother's. It really comes down to choice, although buying from boutique brands allows you to choose the aggressiveness of the clay. I can't recommend ICE Liquid Clay Bar as it, one, is not a clay bar, and two, more of a cleaner polish than anything. You will never get the performance of traditional clay out of liquid clay bar.
So go over the car, following the directions of the clay kit. Use the plastic bag method to check if you missed anything. That is, place your hand is a plastic sandwich bag, and glide your fingers over the area you just clayed. The plastic will amplify your feeling of any contaminants you may have missed, then you can go back over till you've got it all.
Recommended Products:
Meguair's Quik Clay Kit
Sonus Green Clay
Mother's Clay Bar Kit
Meguair's Quik Clay Kit
Sonus Green Clay
Mother's Clay Bar Kit
Defect/Swirl Removal:
Most people at this point would be satisfied to throw on their favourite LSP (Last Step Product, ie. Wax or Sealant) and call it a day. But to truly get the most flawless finish, you have to start thinking about removal of the thousands of minute swirls that flow across the paintwork. This can be done by hand, but honestly, your going to eventually want a machine. But if using a hand based product, Scratch-X or similar would be your best bet. But I would seriously recommend, for a beginner, a machine like the Porter Cable Dual Action Polisher, UDM, or similar. It really takes the effort out of defect removal, and at the same time, is much safer than a rotary polisher. Once you've got a machine, and assorted pads of differing aggressiveness, you can set about removing swirls. There are many articles written on this over at Autopia, as to what brands, process, etc to follow, and many helpful members that will steer you in the right direction to get your paintwork to a mirror like finish.
Recommended Products:
Meguair's ScratchX
Prima Swirl
Menzerna SIP and 106FF
Meguiar's Mirror Glaze Compounds and Polishes
Optimum Compound and Polishes
...really, there are so many players in the arena, just find something that works well for you and stick with it
Meguair's ScratchX
Prima Swirl
Menzerna SIP and 106FF
Meguiar's Mirror Glaze Compounds and Polishes
Optimum Compound and Polishes
...really, there are so many players in the arena, just find something that works well for you and stick with it
LSP (Last Step Product):
Once you've finished polishing out the swirls and are now left with a mirror like finish, you can move on to the LSP. Now you have two choices, either a carnuba based wax, or a sealant. Carnuba's give off a much warmer appearance, however, longevity and durability are not their strengths. This is where sealants come in. These are engineered to give the most protection to your cars finish, however, many times, they come off sterile looking in comparison to carnubas. The choice is down to whether you want that carnuba glow, or the shine and protection of a sealant. By the way, Zaino is a sealant, and many people marvel at its shine, so don't equate sealants to a dull finish. Once the LSP is applied, stand back and marvel at the now, show car quality finish on your car.
Recommended Products:
Whatever looks best in your opinion
Whatever looks best in your opinion
But, now that you've invested all that time and energy into getting the car looking that way, you have to be very careful not to ruin the finish. This means washing the car using proper washing/drying techniques to ensure that you don't put any more swirls back into the paint. This means ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY, NO BRUSH BASED AUTOMATED WASHES...and I don't think I can stress that enough. There is a reason in the detailing world why the are called "Swirl-O-Matics", and if you want your finish to look shiny, deep, and reflective for years to come, never allow your car to cross paths with one
thats a pretty good write up. agreed with all of it basically, but everyone has there own way of doing things.
here is mine, mind you not the best pictures but take a look at the reflections
https://www.cobaltss.net/forums/show-shine-140/first-detail-2008-a-102857/
haha
New Member
Joined: 02-27-08
Posts: 66
Likes: 0
From: New Zealand
Eeeks, please don't. Dishwashing soap is really harsh, it makes me kringe just to think of it. 
A good car shampoo, and pre-wax cleaner, will do the same in a more gentle manner.
Always a good move to carry around a small bottle of Quick Detailer and cloths to remove bird doos as soon as they are spotted, or you'll end up with etching.
I'm a big fan of the Turbo Wax products. Been using them for a year, and certainly haven't looked back even after all the comp grooming I've done, with very stiff oppositon. Some other brands that take hours to cure worry me, for the reason that a multitude of things can happen whilst it's curing, and it just takes so long!!
Yip, have to agree with you there, whatever brand you chose, stick with the whole system, otherwise you are mixing compounds/brands that may not be friendly together.
Texas SS have you been to your show yet, how did you get on???????
A good car shampoo, and pre-wax cleaner, will do the same in a more gentle manner.I'm a big fan of the Turbo Wax products. Been using them for a year, and certainly haven't looked back even after all the comp grooming I've done, with very stiff oppositon. Some other brands that take hours to cure worry me, for the reason that a multitude of things can happen whilst it's curing, and it just takes so long!!
Yip, have to agree with you there, whatever brand you chose, stick with the whole system, otherwise you are mixing compounds/brands that may not be friendly together.
Texas SS have you been to your show yet, how did you get on???????
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: 01-07-07
Posts: 1,623
Likes: 0
From: NE Houston
Eeeks, please don't. Dishwashing soap is really harsh, it makes me kringe just to think of it. A good car shampoo, and pre-wax cleaner, will do the same in a more gentle manner.
Always a good move to carry around a small bottle of Quick Detailer and cloths to remove bird doos as soon as they are spotted, or you'll end up with etching.
I'm a big fan of the Turbo Wax products. Been using them for a year, and certainly haven't looked back even after all the comp grooming I've done, with very stiff oppositon. Some other brands that take hours to cure worry me, for the reason that a multitude of things can happen whilst it's curing, and it just takes so long!!
Yip, have to agree with you there, whatever brand you chose, stick with the whole system, otherwise you are mixing compounds/brands that may not be friendly together.
Texas SS have you been to your show yet, how did you get on???????
A good car shampoo, and pre-wax cleaner, will do the same in a more gentle manner.Always a good move to carry around a small bottle of Quick Detailer and cloths to remove bird doos as soon as they are spotted, or you'll end up with etching.
I'm a big fan of the Turbo Wax products. Been using them for a year, and certainly haven't looked back even after all the comp grooming I've done, with very stiff oppositon. Some other brands that take hours to cure worry me, for the reason that a multitude of things can happen whilst it's curing, and it just takes so long!!
Yip, have to agree with you there, whatever brand you chose, stick with the whole system, otherwise you are mixing compounds/brands that may not be friendly together.
Texas SS have you been to your show yet, how did you get on???????