Long time lurker looking to upgrade his go-to kit

[jonnyg333]

Hey, so I've been around lurking in the dark shadows of the AG forum for probably 10+ years (First time post though). Over the years I've acquired and tried several products, but really haven't messed with my go-to kit for 6-7 years. Recently I've been digging into the forums again and it seems like there have been some advances in last few years. I've tried to do a little catching up, but there is quite a bit of new stuff out there. I'm just looking for a basic solid simple process with some upgraded/newer products.

This is what I've mainly been using for the last decade:

Meguiar's Gold Class Wash
Absorber synthetic chamois, for drying
Mother's clay bar, using with mother's or meguiar's quick detailer (whatever is on sale)
3M Rubbing compound 03900, for corrections
3M Foam Polishing Pad Glaze - Dark, for finish polish (mostly have owned dark cars)
Klasse AIO
Klasse Sealant
GG 6 inch DA polisher (This is my newest add a few years ago)
Chemical Guys Pads


I'm open to changing up almost any part of my process, but I would like to speed up and/or make certain steps easier if there is a product that provides that and is at least equal or better than my current line up.

There are a few trends that have stood out and just want to get some general opinions/clarification on them:

- Rinseless washes. Are these good/safe and even a preferred method of washing over the traditional soap+mitt > rinse > dry process? I've heard some people talk about drying agents (helpers, not sure of the term now) and/or wax boosters. Should I be using microfiber for drying instead? Most likely with rinseless I would assume.

- Long lasting sealants. Also what does LSP stand for? I went with Klasse a decade ago because of the durability of it compared to a lot of other products back then. It seems there is a new generation of high durability sealants (not including the ceramic coatings) and a lot of them have a pretty easy wipe-on applications, which is nice to see. Seems like Sonax PNS, Duragloss 111 are a couple of favorites (DG 601 bonding agent is new to me too, worth it?). Does Meguiar's UFF hold up to those two? Looking at cost too here?

- AIO polish/cleaner/wax products seem to have improved too. With Klasse AIO, I never thought it was great on its own, but paired with their sealant, I liked the combo and durability. HD Speed seems to be popular and I like the seemingly ease of use and effort involved when using it. Seen some good things about Optimum Hyper Polish too. Are there other easy to use machine polishes that would pair well with a long lasting sealant?

I've got a couple of ideas of what I might want to try out, but just wanted to get some feedback, before jumping in... again...


I'm thinking maybe:

Rinseless wash with appropriate microfiber towels
Clay
If needed a rubbing compound/higher cut polish
HD Speed or other AIO
DG 101 (+ 601?)

I feel like the above could cut down my workload. At least if everything layers ok.


Sorry for the long post and thanks for any help, Jon

[acuRAS82]

I’ll answer a few quickly here: Rinseless is safe when done right. Doing with microfiber clothes is the consensus safest but I myself use microfiber wash mitts. For drying anything, use microfiber, particularly waffle weave.

LSP = last step product, so carnauba, Sealant, coating, via whatever method of transmission you choose (wax, Liquid, Spray). There’s sooo many good sealants out there. For long lasting and ease of application UFF does stack up well. Maybe not the best looker but everything else is heralded. DG, Sonax PNS, the Collinites, Wolfgang, Blackfire, Polish Angel MS, Mckees High Def, they are all great and last half a year.

AIOs not mentioned that are great: Mckees 360, Pinnacle Jeweling Wax and BF One Step. They can all be paired with numerous LSPs, particularly waxes. There is some debate about whether certain sealants top well with AIO sealants, but Collinites seem to get good reviews for topping these AIOs.

As for your plan, looks good except DG101 is a cleaner wax so it should be OR’d with HD Speed, or replaced with DG111 (finishing sealant) + 601. Not sure if DG611 plays well on top of Speed but it certainly should on DG111.

[Dr Oldz]

A lot to digest here without being too drawn out. So I’ll try to make it simple.

Rinseless washes are not as good or safe as a traditional wash no matter what anyone says. Rinseless washes were a solution to people who don’t have available water. Are they good? Yes but not as good!

Dump the absorber and get a quality drying MF

LSP = Last Step Product. Your wax, sealant or coating of choice.

The klasse twins are still very durable but can be finicky to work with.

Those 3m products are ok. But not great IME. I would suggest the Griots Boss system. It’s a heavy compound, light compound, finish polish and a sealant that is also an AIO. The sealant is on par with HD Speed as far as cut but claims better durability. All 4 products are super easy to work with and produce great results.

Hope that’s a start for u to get going in the right direction.

[dlc95]

I toggle between Meguiar's and Menzerna abrasives.

My usual recommendation to someone in your position is to grab the Meguiar's Ultimate line of Compound, Polish, and Liquid Wax (which is actually a sealant). Their common Cleaner Wax in the maroon bottle is criminally underrated, however if you're looking for a more abrasive Cleaner Wax, look to D166 Ultra Polishing Wax, or Duragloss 501. From their Professional Mirror Glaze line I have M100 compound, M205 polish, M66 "quick detailer" cleaner wax, M21 sealant, and M26 paste wax.

When I use Menzerna abrasives, I like to pair them with Duragloss sealants. I keep Heavy Cut 400 Compound, Medium Cut 2500, and Superior Finish 3500 Fine polish in my bag with Duragloss 501, 101, 111, and 601. Aquawax is in there too. DG501, and 101 are both cleaner sealants, where the protective ingredent is a long lasting, durable sealant instead of a natural wax based ingredient.

I love Optimum No Rinse for my rinseless / waterless process. I also use this for clay lube.

The towels that I like sold here are the Meguiar's Supreme Shine.

[Mike Phillips]

Hey, so I've been around lurking in the dark shadows of the AG forum for probably 10+ years (First time post though).



Wow!

That's a LONG time to lurk.

I see so many lurkers on this forum. Nothing wrong with lurking, I guess that means you're able to find the info you need without joining.






This is what I've mainly been using for the last decade:


3M Rubbing compound 03900, for corrections

3M Foam Polishing Pad Glaze - Dark, for finish polish (mostly have owned dark cars)

GG 6 inch DA polisher (This is my newest add a few years ago)

Chemical Guys Pads




Here's an article I wrote last year, besides my article that shows and explains how thin factory clearcoats are, this is the second most shared article I've written lately...

Here's what you need to get into machine polishing - Recommendations for a beginner by Mike Phillips (https://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/redirect-to/?redirect=http%3A%2F%2Ftinyurl.com%2Fy736nudd)


As for products, I wrote this article back in 2013 - after a guy on YouTube posted a comment more or less blaming the tool for micro-marring when it was the product.

For Use with Rotary Buffer Only - Read the Directions (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/70216-use-rotary-buffer-only-read-directions.html)


The GG has so much power for a 8mm free spinning polisher that you are not limited to smaller, thinner pads. It will easily turn and churn thicker 5.5" pads and even 6.5" pads.

I'd take a look at LC and Buff & Shine 5.5" pads.


:)