I'm trying to ween myself off the products listed below... I'm a recovering user of all kinds of crap. In order to avoid slowly ruining my cars, I'm going to make an effort to do things "right" or at least better.
What do you think of Meguiar's clay and "car wash shampoo and conditioner"? My local Napa and Autozone have those on hand and places like Wal-mart have the the wash very cheap. The local supply of Duragloss is close to non-existent, even though the Duragloss site says certain retailers carry their products. I know that I can get this stuff online, but I like to try to give some of the local retailers my business.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brandon1
The products mentioned in this post are only recommendations. They are what work best for me and you may not think the same thing. I will say that you should generally stay away from products like Nu-Finish, Black Magic, Turtle Wax, etc. These products may be rated high by Consumer Reports, or they may be what you have been using for years with no ill-effects, but as the old saying goes, “you never know what is bad until you have seen better”, and this is very true with detailing.
If you have any ?’s or you want another recommendation on another product, give me a shout. I love answering detailing questions and hope that this post will help you in the future to keep your tundy or other cars looking great.
Last edited by father of 3; 02-09-2008 at 07:27 PM.
Probably already been asked but what type of wax applicator should I be using? I went and bought the duragloss AW, 101 and 105 but need to know what I should be applying with. Should I use the old faithful (and scratchy as heck) wax pad...?? What is good for this? Microfiber cloth?
I would also recomend this kit. I did not know they had this. It comes with optimum compound, optimum polish (another really good polish, IMO), and optimum car wax. The spray car wax is ok, but the Duragloss will be better. Also comes with towels and pads.
If you are looking to get all from one store, then go with this kit. If not, then you would be better off getting things from different stores. You get more pads with the PC kit you linked.
I'm still putting together my shopping list while I've been researching these kits. If I'm doing the math correctly, it seems that the "discount" from autogeek is not that substantial when you compare how much the kit would cost if you purchased each individual item separately. After they throw in some microfiber and free pads, then you probably save ~$10 or so (not that I don't like the idea of saving $10).
The downside, if you want to call it that, is that you have to stick with the product line in the kit. It seems if you want to try products from different manufacturers, you don't pay much of a penalty if any at all.
Here's the Optimum kit for example:
Kit includes: (Prices are for items if ordered separately)
$129.99 Porter Cable 7424 Dual Action Polisher
$ 16.99 5” Flexible Backing Plate
$ 16.99 32 oz. Optimum Polish
$ 16.99 32 oz. Optimum Compound
$ 15.99 32 oz. Optimum Poli-Seal
$ 10.99 6.5 inch CCS Orange Light Cutting Pad
$ 9.99 6.5 inch CCS White Polishing Pad
$ 9.99 6.5 inch CCS Gray Finishing Pad
$ ? 3 Cobra Microfiber Detailing Towels
$ 227.92 is the total w/out the microfiber
AG's price is $239.99
You get the Wolfgang stuff free
$ 17.98 2 Wolfgang™ Low Profile 5.5” Orange Light Cutting
One more question. Some kits come with the "counterweight" and other do not. Is this weight necessary?
I mean, I just suggested the kit to that guy b/c he asked about one. I never do kits b/c not one manufacturer makes the best product. I like optimums polish and compound, but not poli-seal.
Just put together your own pad kit and sealant package. Optimum hyper, Optimum Polish, #105, Aquawax, and pads/PC (with counterweight) should work much better.
__________________ 2003 Toyota Tundra V8 4x4 AC Exterior: Trd Off-Road package, Trd Skid Plate, Borla Side Exit Exhaust, 15% Lumar tint, Enkei Deep Six 20's, 275/55/20 Scorpion ATR, Bilstein 5100's, Toytec add-a-leaf, UWS Lo-Pro Toolbox Interior: Alpine 9851, CDT 6.5" components, Alpine MRP-F240, MRD-M300, ED SQ 10, Ruger SR9 9mm in the console.
Showroom Shine Details Premium Automotive Detailing
www.ShowroomShineNC.com
No problem, Brandon. I really wasn't trying suggest that you were advocating going with a kit.
I'm guessing a lot of others (myself included) are taking several of your suggestions for polishes, compounds, etc. If so, they won't find them all in one kit. I thought they might want to know if they'll be saving/losing a lot of $ in opting to piece things out instead of going with the kit.
What does that counterweight do anyway? Is it necessary?
Hmm. Is the UDM a well-tested product? It *sounds* great. I read most of the thread monitored closely by the maker of the UDM (I believe), and it seems that some of the bugs are yet to be worked out. Not that they aren't working hard and supporting those customers who have already purchased the product. From the description of the product, it sounds fantastic and an improvement over the 7424, but from what I can tell, it needs a bit of time to fully realize its potential.
Any UDM purchasers out there wanna comment on the difference between it and either the 7424 or 7336?
Here's a link to the thread I found. Very long thread that chronicles the progress of the UDM (Ultimate Detailing Machine) from idea to market.
Yeah, I've got a PC and UDM. I like the UDM, it's got a tad more power and it's smoother to run.
That being said, i've got the PC, and wouldnt trade anything for it.
If you were willing to wait a week or so, i'm parting out allot of my detailing stuffs. a PC, some pads, polishes, some waxes, etc.
I would be willing to wait : ) I dont like to steal though. So let father of 3 have first dibs. Can I make a request? Throughout the thread, you have suggested many different polishes and cleaners and such. Is there a way you can put together a list of your favorite products? It seems as though you are very knowledgable about your profession. I on the other hand own a black tundra and am not very knowledgable about your profession. I think most of us here dont mind paying the extra money for the best products, if we know what they are. I read this whole thread and there are a lot of suggested products. If not, I will try to piece one together. Summer is coming and I am ready to detail. Not to mention I have a boat that could use a little porter cable love itself.
Re: How to correctly detail your auto
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