Noob detailing shopping list

Liampope

Liampope

Liampope

Soldato
Joined
8 Jan 2010
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3,379
Location
Bedford/Stavanger
Always thought it was all a bit OCD, especially after reading that hilarious thread about a guy spending months/thousands cleaning his brand new Astra including polishing the paint inside under the carpets, applying 50 coats of some product to the outside after seeing no difference around coat 3, buffing the boot hinges with cotton buds, etc etc, but I've caved in now and realise I need to enter the world of people who call washing a car detailing :).

So I've been reading a lot and starting to put together a list of stuff to buy - would appreciate any comments/advice on what to get.

Paint is terrible really if you get up close so needs a good 'correction'. To be honest some bits I'm sure need a respray but I'll see what I can do. I've decided I'm scared of a rotary so will get a DA. I'm thinking of going for one of the DAS-6 Pro kits from Clean your Car - either the Chemical guys kit that comes with pads and V34, V36 and V38 compounds, or the Meguires kit that comes with pads and #80 and #83 compounds. Any thoughts on that?

If I get the Megs kit it doesn't seem to come with a heavy cut compound which I think I'll need, so I was looking at #101 or #105 - no idea what the difference is as they both have the same 'score' on the chart on the label.

What to put on afterwards - I read a lot of good reviews of Poorboy's Black Hole so was gonna go with that (Topaz Blue paint).

Then I read about Finish Kare 1000p which is supposed to be awesome and I could use it on my wheels too so I thought I'd get that instead.

Then I read you would actually put the 1000p on top of the Black Hole, so I may aswell get both and do that.

Then I read you could put even more stuff on the 1000p, but at that point I thought **** that, that'll do.

My glass is also terrible too - like somebody fit sandpaper to the wipers and door strips. I read a lot I wouldn't be able to do anything about that with a rotary, but then I saw this thread with some pretty stunning results...

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/product-reviews/58269-removal-glass-scratches-carpro-griots-da.html

...so I think I'll get some Ceriglass and the exact same pads that guy used. This is also one reason I was thinking of the Das-6 Pro instead of some other machine, as that has a bad-boy 850W motor like the one used by the guy in that thread, so a better chance of success on the glass, I thought.

Other thing I thought of was a 3" backing plate for the machine and a set of 3-4" versions of whatever pads I get for hard to reach areas. Good plan?

That's as far as I've got. Anything else I really need? Any advice appreciated. Cheers.
 
I got the DAS 6 Pro Chemical Guys kit as a present from my mother for my birthday. Only tried it on a couple of panels as haven't really had the time due to work but it's a fantastic piece of kit.
 
I wouldn't be too scared of rotarys, yes they can be problematic however used with common sense they are fine. However they do have a longer learning curve than using a DA so if you just want to get on and do it or don't have time to practice on scrap panels etc then I would agree with your choice of getting a DA. Also the choice you have made for the DA is a good choice, same DA I have. Something to consider with buying the DAS 6 pro, CYC have an offer on detailing world forum where they sell the machine for £99 so may work out cheaper to buy pads and polish separately. Getting some spot pads and small backing plate is a must, there are plenty of places round a car where you just cannot get the big pads around.

I haven't used either of the pads or polishes mentioned so can't comment however tbh they are all much of a muchness. People have preferences but I don't think there is really any polish that is substantially better than others.

Using black hole depends on how much you are planning to polish your car, if you plan to polish it just to remove the light swirls then it is good to get a glaze. If you plan to remove all but the deepest of scratches then a glaze isn't needed as there is nothing for it to fill in.

Anything else you need?
I don't know what other kit you have but I would suggest some good quality MF towels for buffing off polish and wax. Also a quality wash mitt too (if you don't already have one) to help keep the car looking good.

Edit: Forgot to add, welcome to the dark side :)
 
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I would advise not getting too into detailing.

You can waste soo much money on fancy products, then you'll be wasting loads of time reading up on new fancy products and polishing and detailing your car for the sake of it. Putting this over that and then this over them all is just detailing people on the forum doing stuff just because it can be done and they've nothing better to do ;)

For a wax I'd get collonite 476. It's awesome stuff and lasts for ages and all you need is x2 thin coats over the car. Wax it 2/3 times a year and be done with it, then use a good shampoo from the likes of Wolfs or if you want super value then get a 5Litre bottle of Autosmart Premier car shampoo.

Remember, you don't need expensive fancy products to make your paintwork look good and have a long lasting protective finish.
 
Rotary are easy, people make a mountain out of a mole hill. A DA will kill your amrs because it takes ten times longer to correct with them and more pressure needed. With rotary the speed does the work a lot
 
-Ad- said:
I would advise not getting too into detailing.

You can waste soo much money on fancy products, then you'll be wasting loads of time reading up on new fancy products and polishing and detailing your car for the sake of it. Putting this over that and then this over them all is just detailing people on the forum doing stuff just because it can be done and they've nothing better to do ;)

For a wax I'd get collonite 476. It's awesome stuff and lasts for ages and all you need is x2 thin coats over the car. Wax it 2/3 times a year and be done with it, then use a good shampoo from the likes of Wolfs or if you want super value then get a 5Litre bottle of Autosmart Premier car shampoo.

Remember, you don't need expensive fancy products to make your paintwork look good and have a long lasting protective finish.
Click to expand...

Could not agree more.
 
Thanks for the comments. Ah I see so a glaze is really a Band-Aid and not required if I'm going to thoroughly polish the paint. I'll probably ditch the black hole and keep the sealant then.

Might look into a rotary a bit more, but will probably stick with the DA. Seems you can get fine results with a DA but your trading more elbow grease for lower risk and difficulty, and I'd probably go for the lower risk and difficulty and put in the extra elbow grease.

Thanks for the concern AD :). I agree with you - I'm sure it can get silly and I bet there's a level of bs, snake oil and undetectable results right up there with the audiophile world. I think I can keep it sensible, but I love the car and am putting lots of effort into the interior, but the exterior is such that the usual wash and SRP is not really good enough. Definitely needs a good correction on both paint and glass, then after that hopefully I can keep maintenance simple with the right products and techniques.

Oh yeah - also gonna add some plastx to sort the headlights I think, too. And of course general stuff like some good cloths and a mit - cheers Greboth. Oh and not one, but two, yes two buckets! I actually already have some clay. I felt a bit weird rubbing clay over the car but it was rather satisfying I have to admit and pulled off an amazing amount of crap. Made my windscreen wipers work 100x better too :).
 
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Ad is spot on. A high quality shampoo. Nice polish and a good hard wearing wax are all you need.

Invest in two buckets with grit guards, a large drying towel, polishing cloths, was applicator pads and a good quality lambswool wash mitt.

These tools will make it easier to get good results with fewer products.

Also, get some cheap paintbrushes for cleaning wheels.

That should allow you to do a really good car clean.

If your paintwork is in a bad way, consider a paint correction from a professional and then keep on top of it from there.
 
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