Where to start?

[EyesofThunder]

I'm a detailing noob....

My 98 Lexus GS400 has 303k miles and hasn't had any serious detailing since I have had it the last 165k miles and 7 years. It used to have a much prettier paint hue than it does now. The cars we have sit rarely get a break from the sun and elements. And see most any temp range in the US, as low as -20F to +100F.

I want to learn how to work on the paint. As I start looking close on my wife's 04 RX330 I see the fine scratches all over. I never realized how many there are. My car is likely the same.

Where do I start? Compound? Or Claybar then compound, polish and wax?

For now going to start by hand, but a polisher is something I want to get.

On my old 80 Turbo Trans Am I polished it too much and thinned the paint down. But that was a 1980 Acrylic (Acrylic was a new thing in 1980) paint with no clear coat (they didn't exist from GM back then).

For products I have on hand, Meg's Ultimate Wax, Meg's spray detail wax (old, I have had it for eons, may not be any good) and a handful of microfiber towels (cheap ones) that are new in package.

Thanks! Any advice is greatly appreciated!

[Coopers ST]

Are you going to do this by hand, or machine? If machine a DA or Rotary?
I would start with a wash, then clay.
I use a DA so I would then use a bunch of test spots. Compound with a pad or two, and polish with a pad or two. See what gives you acceptable results.

If by hand you have your work cut out. It may be beneficial to buy a da kit.
Or
Pay a detailer once then maintain it.

Your ultimate wax is just fine. It's really a sealant, I am cheap and would use the spray wax you have for a drying aid just to use it up.

I would then get a bottle of ultimate polish and ultimate compound. That would make a great combo that is hard to beat. All of them work together, go on and come off easy and have good work times.

Keep asking questions you have a good start.

[Toolhead]

well...you have a project car which should show a big before and after..

id recommend reading mike p' how to detail video/posts on the ag website....good foundation and concepts.

to specifically answer your question

decon the paint.

wash/ironx /clay

2 step paint correction /compound then fine polish.

then your chooce of sealant or wax or both

[Toolhead]

coopers post has a good suggestion as well..if you dont want to go through the whole process and initial cost investment....you can pay a detailer andnthen maintain your vehicle differently to maintain the detailers work....(no more auto car washes)

[EyesofThunder]

For home use, whats a good DA thats worth the $? I'm not in business for detailing, just home stuff. Of course I might get addicted to paint restoration work too!

Thanks all for the replies! I'll do my best to take photos of it before during and after to see how it progresses. I'm detailing ignorant to say the least, so I guess I'll just be a sponge learning all about it. I never guessed paint was so fragile. Raising 4 kids my cars have plenty of scratches from bike handle bars, running the trash cans between the cars, setting a pizza box on the roof or trunk (AAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! "but dad I'm careful!").

Any tips or advice or lessons learned is incredibly appreciated!

[Coopers ST]

The GG6 is a good machine. Powerful enough to do anything you want, with a lifetime warranty. Swap out the 6" plate for a 5" plate and it is even better. And as a bonus the smaller pads are less money.

As a dad myself, really it's just a car. Don't lose sleep over living life and small things happening. Do your best to keep it nice, but sometimes life gets in the way and you need to eat that pizza in the back at practice. Sometimes that special hike is down a dirt road. It's all fixable or a memory of time spent with your kids.

[Belo]

Highly recommend the porter cable starter kit. it's an investment, but well worth it in my opinion and the only way you're going to get major work done is with a machine.

From there do some researching here and pick up a compound, polish and then your preference for a sealant or wax. I prefer a sealant.

I'd also recommend a synthetic clay mit like the griots one sold on this site, it's so much easier and nicer in my opinion. Assuming you have basic wash and dry equipment already I'd say for under $300 you can be on your way to a beginners detailing kit. from there you can go wild with wheels, glass, trim and other products.

[EyesofThunder]

My thoughts exactly. It is just a car. If it get scratched, its still a car. My goal is 400k miles, maybe 500k. Its at 303k now. Its GOING to get scratched. It has some rust I have to work on too this fall before snow hits. Never wanted to make the kids think the car was more important than they are. I hope to use this car to learn some bodywork on. Small scale stuff like airbrushing a scratch that's DEEP in back in the trunk (deep enough a passing Mack truck would notice it) I want to fill it and paint it and try to blend it best I can. And I have a friend who can tint Lexus paints for me. So we can experiment.

I'll try to get a machine this week and maybe some time this weekend to do some work. The temps are cooling down finally.

The GG6 is a good machine. Powerful enough to do anything you want, with a lifetime warranty. Swap out the 6" plate for a 5" plate and it is even better. And as a bonus the smaller pads are less money.

As a dad myself, really it's just a car. Don't lose sleep over living life and small things happening. Do your best to keep it nice, but sometimes life gets in the way and you need to eat that pizza in the back at practice. Sometimes that special hike is down a dirt road. It's all fixable or a memory of time spent with your kids.

[EyesofThunder]

Are the Clay Mit's a synthetic clay like material? Seems easier to use than actual bar.

I picked up some modelling clay to experiment on my son's old car sitting in the driveway just to get a feel for it. Its a red 94 Camry that needs serious attention. So I could do a nice half/half on that one to see what it starts to look like. And if I mess up (can you mess up with clay?) no harm done.

In the mits I see medium or fine. Guessing with a vehicle that has never been done medium is a good start?

Belo that Porter Cable kit is a nice kit, will look into that for sure.

[Toolhead]

clay bars are cheap and available at AG or walmart if you want to get one quick....
its the clay lube that adds up when claying a car.

buy a rinseless wash like onr and dilute it per oem instructions to make your own detailer spray /clay lube...one bottle will last a long long time....

id start with fine grit clay ....just keep the section wet and lubed..you will know when its drying and you need to spray more lube.

take a sandwich baggie and use it to feel the panel to feel the panel....you will probably need 5-6 passes on one section to get smooth feel through baggie

the nanoskins make this a lot easier...

buy a few clay bars bc when you drop one on the ground...its useless ...id say 90% chance you drop the clay on the ground ..it happens