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Thread: DIY vs pay $$$

  1. #1
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    DIY vs pay $$$

    Hey guys!!

    with detailing season right around the corner for me, I'm on the fence this year to buy my own equipment and do it myself. A pro detail(single step polish and sealant) will cost me about $300 which is about what I'd spend on the following equipment:

    porter cable 7424xp
    three white pads
    clay and lube
    gyeon polish
    gyeon prep
    gyeon cancoat

    ive watched soooo many videos and feel like I'm ready to tackle this, but is a single step polish really as easy as everyone doing the videos says it is?

    or should I take the $200 polishing class at chemical guys first? I really don't want to tho lol

    thanks for reading guys!

  2. #2
    Super Member custmsprty's Avatar
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    Re: DIY vs pay $$$

    You need way more than just htree white pads.

    pads are what touch your paint, they are hands down the most importand component. Kind of like tires are to your vehicle.

    6 white

    6 orange

    then 1-2 balck or blue for applying wax / sealant

    HD Speed

    HD Poxy

    HD Polish

    with those three products you'd be good to go.

    Check out the link and the BMW I did

    3D Professional Detailing Products, HD car care, 3D HD

    boom done.

    DIY vs pay $$$-bmw435ia-jpg
    2013 Genesis Coupe 3.8 Track Edition
    2015 Hyundai Sonata Limited, 2016 Pearl White Nissan Altima SR
    2019 Nissan Rogue SL

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  4. #3
    Super Member LEDetailing's Avatar
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    Re: DIY vs pay $$$

    DIY all the way!

    With a DA and today’s abrasives, a one step is easy. Best part, if you aren’t satisfied with your one-step, a two-step polish only costs you another bottle of polish and some more pads. Welcome to the addiction

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  6. #4
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    Re: DIY vs pay $$$

    Quote Originally Posted by LEDetailing View Post
    DIY all the way!

    With a DA and today’s abrasives, a one step is easy. Best part, if you aren’t satisfied with your one-step, a two-step polish only costs you another bottle of polish and some more pads. Welcome to the addiction
    Haha ive fought the addiction for a while! So about 6 pads per polishing step? I'm definitely only doing a single step and using cancoat instead of sealer. Hydrophobic videos amaze me and that's kinda what I'm going for. But of course I'm open to suggestions. My main goal was just to get pushed to buy my own equipment. Thanks again man!

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  8. #5
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    Re: DIY vs pay $$$

    Quote Originally Posted by custmsprty View Post
    You need way more than just htree white pads.

    pads are what touch your paint, they are hands down the most importand component. Kind of like tires are toy our vehicle.

    6 white

    6 orange

    then 1-2 balck or blue for applying wax / sealant

    HD Speed

    HD Poxy

    HD Polish

    with those three products you'd be good to go.

    Check out the link and the BMW I did

    3D Professional Detailing Products, HD car care, 3D HD

    boom done.

    DIY vs pay $$$-bmw435ia-jpg
    Thanks for the advice man, I'll def get more pads and look into 3D products. My wife got a new benz with the typical dealer micro swirls so I don't believe any heavy correcting would be needed.

    The bimmer looks toooooo clean btw !!

  9. #6
    Super Member LEDetailing's Avatar
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    Re: DIY vs pay $$$

    Quote Originally Posted by jboy2015 View Post
    Haha ive fought the addiction for a while! So about 6 pads per polishing step? I'm definitely only doing a single step and using cancoat instead of sealer. Hydrophobic videos amaze me and that's kinda what I'm going for. But of course I'm open to suggestions. My main goal was just to get pushed to buy my own equipment. Thanks again man!
    Six would be about right. Or you could divide the car into two polishing days/sessions and clean the three pads after day one. The slower you go and take your time, the better the final results. I’ve rushed to finish polishing in the past and paid the price with inferior results. Breaking the polishing into multiple sessions can make it more enjoyable and less stressful.

    I’ve wanted to try Gyeon products. Let us know how it turns out.

  10. #7
    Super Member LEDetailing's Avatar
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    Re: DIY vs pay $$$

    Custmsprty,

    I’ve never used Poxy, but I still remember the first time I used HD Speed. Blew my mind how much fun and relaxing polishing is when paired with such a great product. Speed really is a “no brainer” product to always have on hand.

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  12. #8
    Super Member Calendyr's Avatar
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    Re: DIY vs pay $$$

    That is very subjective. Are you a DIY type of person? If you are, I suggest you get the tools and products to do it yourself. If not, you might want to let a pro do it. Doing a full polishing job will take you roughtly 6 hours with the wash and decontamination. Is that something you feel would be interesting to do?

    If for you working on your car is a pleasant thing, you have patience and are a perfectioning you should definatelly get the stuff and learn to do it yourself. Otherwise, if you think this will be a shore and you are gonna want to rush through it, let someone else do it.

    You know yourself, so it should be clear to you if you should go one way or the other.

  13. #9
    Super Member Route246's Avatar
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    Re: DIY vs pay $$$

    Quote Originally Posted by jboy2015 View Post
    Hey guys!!

    with detailing season right around the corner for me, I'm on the fence this year to buy my own equipment and do it myself. A pro detail(single step polish and sealant) will cost me about $300 which is about what I'd spend on the following equipment:

    porter cable 7424xp
    three white pads
    clay and lube
    gyeon polish
    gyeon prep
    gyeon cancoat

    ive watched soooo many videos and feel like I'm ready to tackle this, but is a single step polish really as easy as everyone doing the videos says it is?

    or should I take the $200 polishing class at chemical guys first? I really don't want to tho lol

    thanks for reading guys!
    You can do less than a whole vehicle at a time. Start with your roof to get a feel for your DA. Or your hood. You don’t need to do the whole car in one shot. Save on pads that way, too. Because of time I do my vehicles in three parts on separate Saturdays.


    Sent from my iPhone X using Tapatalk

  14. #10
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    Re: DIY vs pay $$$

    Thanks for all the insight guys. I'm going to pull the trigger!

    Do you guys recommend purchasing white or orange pads? (Or a few of both)
    I'll be working on my single cab ram and my wife's Mercedes c300 using 3D Polish+ and the porter cable
    Both are black with with light to moderate swirls. (More light than moderate)

    Thanks again!!

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