Starting from Scratch(need help with order)!

[mrgfy6]

Ok, I thought to myself 'hey, I'll get a polisher, some polish, and go to town...' then I found this site. :wow:

Then I started reading about the positives and mostly for me, negatives, about a non-DA polisher, so I then started reading about DA instead, as I thought it would be "safer" for me, and possibly help me achieve a more 'uniform' (for lack of a better term) finish. I have always had really good luck with Porter Cable(woodworking) tools, so I settled on that as my polisher...then I found out about the differences in pads....That's where it starts to get out of control...

I'm under the understanding the Lake Country are kind of the 'go-to' around here, but have read several people say that the FLAT pads are the way to go. This surprised me a bit since the CSS is the "new" technology, and new is better, right ;)?! Then, there are two different types of Lake Country Flat pads...

THEN, coupling the pads with different polishes is where the wheels REALLY fall off of my train...I've always, like many here started with megs products, and have had what many would call "success", so my current set-up is this:

*(2) microfiber mits from Wal-Mart one for wheels and wheel wells and one for car
*(2) buckets to do an attempt at a 2 bucket wash system
*(1) crappy wheel brush that is designed to fit into wheels, but doesn't really fit my wife's car
*(1) detail brush I got as a stocking stuffer or something once that has fluffy mop like end and a short nylon type bristle at the other end(does a descent job of picking up dust from dash)
* a large stack of walmart microfiber towels(it was like a bulk thing)
*(4) bottles of quick detailer (not sure how I got so many!) one being mothers, one being an old bottle of Zaino, one megs, and the other I keep in my wife's car is probably megs
*(1) GUNK tar-n-bug
*3M perfect it foam polishing pad glaze(got from a body shop that did some work on a different car a long time ago)
*3M Imperial hand glaze(also from the body shop)
*Meguiar's one step leather care
*Stoner's invisible glass(almost empty)
*Meguiar's hot shine tire spray(never liked it as it seemed too 'wet' for tires)
Then I also have a bottle each of Meguiar's Ultimate Compound, Polish, and Ultimate liquid wax.
*I also have a couple packs of clay still in packages from Mother's, Megs, and Zaino.

Now, if you have made it to this point, is where I need your help:

I know most of my stuff is "crap" as far as the industry goes, and some of it you will say 'DO NOT LET THAT TOUCH YOUR CARS, EVER" which is fine and won't hurt my feelings at all, as I was uneducated.

I've tried to read all of the details I can regarding the charts and such and realize that the 3M stuff is pretty mild, and the Meguiar's compound and polish I have are also pretty mild. I also know that not one company makes EVERY.SINGLE.ITEM as the best, so I'm not brand loyal to anything.

I have a black '07 Civic(according to the chart it has soft paint) and the wife drives a white '11 Rover. the civic needs a compounding, while I think the Rover will be able to get by with polish.

My questions are this:
What would you all recommend I make a purchase of now? I have looked at some of the "kits"
How many of each pad type should I need? I am thinking 1 compound, 1 polish and 2 finishing(one for sealant and one for wax)
Would I need bonnets to remove or do you recommend removing by hand?
Basically what would you recommend as a "dream list" as I realize I'm going to drop a little coin here, and yes I know this is sort of opinion based, but realistically, there are a few products in each category that "rise to the top"

PLEASE HELP!

I do have the bug sponge and those Daytona things on my short list!

[mrgfy6]

Oh, and when I see people say Iron-X with a grout float, do they mean a grout float like I think of a grout float? Those that I have always used are like a VERY stiff composite/rubber material?

Why the paste instead of just the spray? Waste?

[mikesal57]

before you get into the crazy decision making , why dont you do this...

wash car
clay
apply Meg Ultimate Compound and then apply Ultimate Polish both by HAND
to the hood....

maybe that's all you need to be satisfied....

Check out this Meguiars video of a black car with swirls and UC applied by hand


How to use Meguiar's® Ultimate Compound - YouTube

if you like then do rest of car or do in pieces...no need to rush

mike

[DogRescuer]

Hi keep it simple at first for your sake, I have:

Wash
Nano skin (clay)
GG Polisher
Meg 105 compound I recommend NOT DOING entire panels/car only spots
Meg 205 polish, I would do entire panel/car with this
Meg 21 sealent entire panel/car
This is all IMHO
Work at own pace
Learn by your mistakes we all make them
**HAVE FUN**

[Setec Astronomy]

I'll make it easy for you, you like Megiuar's, you want easy, good results, no wondering what pad/product to use. Buy this kit:

Meguiars G110v2 DA Microfiber Correction System Complete Kit (http://www.autogeek.net/meguiars-da-correction-kit.html)

Get some extra MF pads, and it helps if you have a small air compressor to blow out the pads.

PS I'm not 100% sure what you were talking about with Iron-X and a grout float, but I would imagine people were talking about a grout [I]sponge[I].

[mrgfy6]

mikesal57, thanks for the recommendation; I typically have a problem with the KISS method, as I'm the personality that figures you get what you pay for. That being said, yours is VERY sound advice, so thank you for that.

ayankeeman1968, thank you for your 'short list' also, again, I have read that a good shampoo can make a large difference...some maybe marketing hype, but not all. Also, one of the best dogs I have ever owned was a boxer similar to yours. He was chained to a pole outside of a house with no shelter and finally after about a month of my brother seeing him get skinnier and skinnier, my brother stopped and asked the lady how much she wanted for him...long story short she said 'take him, that piece of *explitive* was my *multiple explitives* ex-husbands...he brought him home and was one of the kindest, most loving, protective animals(including humans) I have ever seen! he was also very jealous, so that may be why Max is "missing"! Love it, thanks

Setec Astronomy, I have always used Megs as they were what was available in my small town before the internet was big(or that I was able to find), so I am not a Meguiar's person per say, that's just was at the local walmart in my small town, I maybe wasn't clear that I am in no way "loyal" to Meguiar's, unless a product they have IS the best for a particular use...They were just always the "top shelf" of the selection I had. Not to say they are bad at all, just trying to clarify that I don't feel a draw to them specifically. It's like many things to me, how much of the price is for the name? Thanks!

Please keep the suggestions coming, the help is MUCH appreciated.

Also, suggestions for interior? I just grabbed some DEP Orange citrus stuff at HD to try out...should I have gotten the 505 instead?

[Robbiek]

I'm a big fan of chemical guys some stuff not all of it If I find some thing I like I buy it by the gallon If I don't really care for it I'll give it away. Some stuff I really like is the fabric clean, It did wonders on the wife's car, cg natural shine dressing for inside great matte look cg non sense not sure how much I'm going to like that stuff need a dirty car to work on for a good test I felt the gtiots interior cleaner worked better. I also use cg wheel and tire cleaner its ok for really dirty rims I use griots heavy duty wheel cleaner. Most of cg stuff you can dilute which I love that idea. Few thing's I didn't care for was silk shine for inside not bad just was not my taste. I have 3 different kind of soaps DP, Mr. pink, and wash and gloss have not found a soap that I like yet. For tires and trim I picked up some ammo mud that stuff rocks I've tried a few of ammo products liked all of them got more on the way but they are a little high in price per oz I think. I don't always use ammo products other then the mud. Oh ya 1 more thing not a fan of cg jet seal 109. I'm going to be picking up ammo skin in a few days think that going to be the sealant I use going forward. Now I only detail my car and a few co workers these are some of the products I've come to like I'm sure there is better out there this is what I like and use.

[Sfoster]

Buy the new Dewalt rotary buffer you won't be sorry

Sent from my XT907 using AG Online

[mrgfy6]

Robbiek, thanks!

Sfoster, you don't think a rotary for a first timer is a "bad" idea? I've just read and heard horror stories of guys burning through paint, leaving worse swirls from inconsistent movement, etc. from rotary as opposed to DA, as it has a bit of a "safety" built into it for a few of those issues. Always had good luck with Dewalt stuff too...

[Robbiek]

Do not buy a rotary for 1st buffing that's not a good idea get a da for sure. gg makes a good one i use hex logic pads really works good for me