Product advice for a newbie

[Kevin509]

I'm sure these questions are somewhat irritating to you seasoned car-beautifiers, but I'm very new at all this. I'm taking delivery tomorrow of a new-to-me 2006 Mustang GT in satin silver that has just received your typical used-car-lot detail job.

I'm looking to acquire a good 'starter kit' of products to maintain, enhance and protect the paint of this car. Long story short: my budget is around $100, I don't yet have a DA polisher so everything goes on by hand, and I'm trying to decide between the Zaino "Total protection show car kit" which includes Z-2, Z-5, Z-6, Z-7 and Z-18 for $85 dollars

Or

One of the myriad of car care kits available here on autogeek that are within my price range. There's just so many of them and I don't really know the difference between the brands and products and what not.

Any advice for a car-care newbie?

[embolism]

what look do you like? sealant or carnauba?

do you enjoy waxing or do you want to do a thorough job twice a year?

pick up some collinite 845 for sure, get a sample of wolfgang deep closs paint sealant, and maybe a mother's clay kit, some blackfire waterless concentrate, some of those german trifoam hand applicators, and some ultimate compound or m105

congrats also on the new ride!

[glen e]

I don't like the kits becasue there is always stuff I won't use. All you need for a car in good shape is:
1.a wash: meguires gold class at any auto parts store
2.clay and clay lubricant like ONR
3. Wax on/off a coat of Meguire's Ultimate compound

From here I would stay inside a product line as they compliment each other:
Blackfire Total polish and seal (my fav)
Blackfire Crystal Seal
Blackfire Wet Diamond spray

two buckets , wash mitt and some MF towels

another way to go is the ultima line:
3. Ultima paint prep
4. Ultima Paint Guard plus
5. Ultima Spray

all this stuff is great by hand....




with that you'll be more detailed than any car in your neighborhood....

[Kevin509]

what look do you like? sealant or carnauba?

do you enjoy waxing or do you want to do a thorough job twice a year?

pick up some collinite 845 for sure, get a sample of wolfgang deep closs paint sealant, and maybe a mother's clay kit, some blackfire waterless concentrate, some of those german trifoam hand applicators, and some ultimate compound or m105

congrats also on the new ride!

I appreciate the fast response!

As to your question, do I prefer sealant or carnuba, I'm not really sure. All I've ever used before is turtle wax out of a little round tin.

I enjoyed waxing with it, but the black paint on my old truck is so swirled and scratched and sun faded and everything else that I sort of gave up on it because I wasn't seeing satisfactory results.

I'll definitely look into those products you suggested.

[embolism]

total polish and seal may not have enough cut for a first detail, especially if a hack took to it with a rotary. Probably a good thing to have on hand for maintenance though...

[embolism]

I appreciate the fast response!

As to your question, do I prefer sealant or carnuba, I'm not really sure. All I've ever used before is turtle wax out of a little round tin.

I enjoyed waxing with it, but the black paint on my old truck is so swirled and scratched and sun faded and everything else that I sort of gave up on it because I wasn't seeing satisfactory results.

I'll definitely look into those products you suggested.

845 is a hybrid and WGDGPS is a warmer looking sealant so get both. The free sample you can get with your order of $50 or more here is enough to do your car about 4 times and the 845 will only run you $15

there are lots of guys here with silver cars so I'm sure you'll get lots of other suggestions. It's also harder to see swirls on silver so until you get OCD like the rest of us, those products will serve you well and definitely keep you within budget.

XMT spray wax or optimum car wax spray are also good ones to look into.

[glen e]

total polish and seal may not have enough cut for a first detail, especially if a hack took to it with a rotary. Probably a good thing to have on hand for maintenance though...

ultimate compound 1st

[embolism]

ahh missed that

kinda tipsy atm

21 yr old glen is some good stuff

[Kevin509]

ahh missed that

kinda tipsy atm

21 yr old glen is some good stuff

:iagree:

So I'm picking up that there's not a lot of love for zaino products around here? Seems like things I read on other forums lead me to believe that zaino is some sort of mysterious super-product that blows everything else out of the water.

[glen e]

:iagree:

So I'm picking up that there's not a lot of love for zaino products around here? Seems like things I read on other forums lead me to believe that zaino is some sort of mysterious super-product that blows everything else out of the water.

it used to be that way - and now others are good as well......

[Hoytman]

ahh missed that

kinda tipsy atm

21 yr old glen is some good stuff
:dunno::doh::laughing:

[embolism]

I meant glenlivet (scotch)

though I do see now how funny it looks considering glen and I were both posting last night...

[Hoytman]

I was thinking 21 year old gin. Is glenlivet a drink as well? I'm not a drinker. Never had as much as a single drop.