Your top 10 must have detailing products*

[blackattack]

Hey guys I'm new to the forum and fairly new to detailing. Basically I have an '07 black chevy silverado that needs some serious love. I also know their are a TON of products out their and a lot that do the same thing or hardly anything. So if you guys could give me some products for my truck that would be great!

Thanks

[Legacykid]

First off Welcome!

Your best bet is as follows to get you off into the right direction

2buckets+grit guards+ soap + mitt
clay bar, or like product
DA polisher + pads
compound
polish
wax
microfiber towels

There are so many videos on how to use a DA and everything else really. Read through Mikes threads on literally everything, he also has books that are great for a hobbyist. You only limited to how much time you want to invest into learning the craft.

[VISITOR]

too many to list...

[AaronC]

x2 but reading is your friend, first start with what tools your going to use and go from there.

[willtothewong]

If you had nothing and needed to start for scratch, here are my top 10 recommendations. I'm sure you will get a very large variety so I am by no means saying my list is the best list.

1. Two Buckets + Grit Guards

2a. Quality car soap (Optimum Car Wash, Meguiar's Shampoo+, etc)
2b. Quality Rinseless (Optimum No Rinse, DP 4 in 1, etc)

3a. Microfiber Wash Mitt (for traditional car wash)
3b. Large quantity of 300GSM or so microfiber towels to preform the "Garry Dean Wash Method" for rinseless car washes.

4. Clay Bar or Clay Towel (use car soap/rinseless solution for clay lube)

5. Light Polish/All in one cleaner (Klasse, Auto Finesse Tripple, etc)

6. All Purpose Cleaner (Optimum Power Clean, Meg's D101, etc. Can be used for wheels, engines, and even interior)

7. Tire Gel (Optimum Tire-Bond, Pinnacle Black Onyx, etc)

8. Wax (Optimum Car Wax, Pinnacle Liquid Souveran, etc)

9. Stoner Invisible Glass

10. Shop Vac for interior vacuuming.

I hope this helps.

[EVOlved]

If you had nothing and needed to start for scratch, here are my top 10 recommendations. I'm sure you will get a very large variety so I am by no means saying my list is the best list.

1. Two Buckets + Grit Guards

2a. Quality car soap (Optimum Car Wash, Meguiar's Shampoo+, etc)I would go Hyperwash over Shampoo+
2b. Quality Rinseless (Optimum No Rinse, DP 4 in 1, etc)

3a. Microfiber Wash Mitt (for traditional car wash)
3b. Large quantity of 300GSM or so microfiber towels to preform the "Garry Dean Wash Method" for rinseless car washes. I prefer more plush 470+

4. Clay Bar or Clay Towel (use car soap/rinseless solution for clay lube)

5. Light Polish/All in one cleaner (Klasse, Auto Finesse Tripple, etc)Light polish here (Menzerna SF4000 or HD Polish)

6. All Purpose Cleaner (Optimum Power Clean, Meg's D101, etc. Can be used for wheels, engines, and even interior)

7. Tire Gel (Optimum Tire-Bond, Pinnacle Black Onyx, etc)

8. Wax (Optimum Car Wax, Pinnacle Liquid Souveran, etc)I would go sealant(Sonax PNS, Wolfgang DGPS, or BF AFPP) or coating(Optimum Gloss Coat, Cquartz UK, PBL PC).

9. Stoner Invisible Glass

10. Shop Vac for interior vacuuming.

I hope this helps.

Fair assessment the things I would change would be in the red.

[allenk4]

Brain

Hands

Eyes

Willingness to learn from others


#1 Being Most Important

[cardaddy]

First and BY FAR the most important thing that'll help you beyond measure. Find an Autogeek within driving distance (even if it's 2 hours away) of your location. Go to him (or her if it's Monica, we love ya' girl) and (even if it means paying for their time) ask them to do a half day to a full day training with you.

The tools, methods, products, and experience will be well worth the time and effort (and most likely save you money on the back end from not buying products you don't need, want, or will end up not liking). And if you're lucky, they'll offer to show you how to buff your truck that first day. Which in a full day you could finish with an AIO process!. That alone is something that could save you the purchase of a buffer in the very beginning.

One thing on the 2-buckets.... get THREE buckets. You'll use the 2BM (2 bucket method) for washing, but you need a dedicated bucket for your wheels. Do not EVER use a wheel bucket when washing paint.

[dcjredline]

Mine would be.

1. Soap
2. Buckets (2)
3. Wash mitt
4. APC
5. Towels
6. Glass cleaner
7. Wax
8. Wheel brush
9. Applicators
10. Friends cars to clean

Then go from there if u need something else and have the cash to get it, buy it. Don't buy stuff just cause everyone else has it or cause u want it. The iwantits will always get u in trouble financially

Sent from my XT1030 using AG Online

[binly]

1. Two buckets, with at least one grit guard
2. microfiber towels - lots. Instead of a microfiber wash mitt, look at the Lake Country Wash Wedge
3. Optimum No Rinse for rinseless washes or a car soap (Meguiar's Gold Class, Optimum Wash)
4. Light polish (Menzerna SF4000, or a glaze/polish with Prima Amigo)
5. Clay bar
6. APC (Optimum Power Clean, Amazing Roll-Off) for tires, wheels, plastics, interior
7. Compound
8. Plastic/ Vinyl Dressing (CarPro PERL, Wolfgang Exterior Trim Sealent) use it for exterior plastics, as a tire coating, and interiors
9. Wax/Sealent (Collinite 845 for sealent, DP MaxWax/Pinnacle Souveran or Optimum Car Wax).
10. Quick Detailer or Waterless Wash (Finish Kare 425, Pinnacle Liquid Crystal Waterless Wash) for convenience