A newbies view on detailing.
Discussion
Would love comments to help me avoid continuing mistakes or ways to improve technique. Am a month into this detailing/cleaning cars gig.
Initial process:
1 - Watch loads of YouTube videos. Favourite was AMMO NYC. Would probably have preferred Junkman but he does get a bit repetitive.
2 - Deciding what product to buy. At this point my head wanted to explode. Meguiars have at least seven waxes for example.
3 - Missus getting annoyed as loads of product arrived and was not used for a few months as drive etc being sorted and waiting for change of cars.
Once I got going my thoughts were:
1 - The videos really helped with info I would not have even thought of like new paint should not be sealed for up to ninety days, testing paint with a plastic bag and using disposable gloves. The other one was assessing the paint before going through a process. For example does it need compounding, claying etc. Forgot. The advice re treating painted wheels like paint as opposed to using a wheel cleaner was obvious once told.
2 - Was amazed at the paint difference in both cars. Nissan X-Trail and Ford Mondeo. Both zero miles, but Nissan came from factory to dealership to us in short order and the Mondeo had hung around an Arnold Clark pound in Aberdeen for 6 months. The Nissan paint was quite flat and the Mondeo after claying literally changed colour as it had what looked like a rust colour contaminant over the whole vehicle.
3 - Using the Meguiars DA polisher was really therapeutic.
4 - Cost a lot to do this and can't understand how a hand wash can do it all for a tenner.
5 - You can't have enough microfibres, applicator pads and cheap clear plastic boxes (to keep everything in dust free). Wish I had bought more microfibres with a fine nap for windows.
6 - Takes ages, but once done is so satisfying. Cars do lots of miles and so wanted a regime that did the cars well but having to accept that it is probably a waste of time going full on Swissvax.
Products used:
Two buckets and gritguards.
Grit Guard - Universal Pad Polisher Cleaner Kit / Washer
Loads of Autoglym rapid detailer. Now changed, but not used yet, to Garry Dean's Infinite Use Detail Juice as recommended by Junkman to try and save some ££ as dilutes 1:50.
Meguiars MT320 DA polisher kit.
Meguiars Ultimate wash and wax.
Meguiars Ultimate polish.
Meguiars Ultimate liquid wax.
Dodo Juice Supernatural wheel cleaner. Chosen as seemed least aggressive option.
Valet PRO Citrus prewash. I found this quite aggressive and now dilute to slightly more than recommended as made the Nissan paint even flatter.
Autoglym Fastglass.
RainX
Euro car parts clay.
Autoglym Vinyl and rubber care.
Sonax Xtreme Tyre Gloss gel.
LTT leather care products. Totally superb and found via a tip on PH. Did not add a slime layer to leather.
The above bought from Elite Car Care, Euro car parts, Amazon and LTT Leathercare direct. All offered terrific service.
So there you have it. Like I said am in no way an expert. Just an enthusiastic amateur. Any tips or straightforward you are wrong but do it this way comments welcomed.
No pics as cars away from home working.
Initial process:
1 - Watch loads of YouTube videos. Favourite was AMMO NYC. Would probably have preferred Junkman but he does get a bit repetitive.
2 - Deciding what product to buy. At this point my head wanted to explode. Meguiars have at least seven waxes for example.
3 - Missus getting annoyed as loads of product arrived and was not used for a few months as drive etc being sorted and waiting for change of cars.
Once I got going my thoughts were:
1 - The videos really helped with info I would not have even thought of like new paint should not be sealed for up to ninety days, testing paint with a plastic bag and using disposable gloves. The other one was assessing the paint before going through a process. For example does it need compounding, claying etc. Forgot. The advice re treating painted wheels like paint as opposed to using a wheel cleaner was obvious once told.
2 - Was amazed at the paint difference in both cars. Nissan X-Trail and Ford Mondeo. Both zero miles, but Nissan came from factory to dealership to us in short order and the Mondeo had hung around an Arnold Clark pound in Aberdeen for 6 months. The Nissan paint was quite flat and the Mondeo after claying literally changed colour as it had what looked like a rust colour contaminant over the whole vehicle.
3 - Using the Meguiars DA polisher was really therapeutic.
4 - Cost a lot to do this and can't understand how a hand wash can do it all for a tenner.
5 - You can't have enough microfibres, applicator pads and cheap clear plastic boxes (to keep everything in dust free). Wish I had bought more microfibres with a fine nap for windows.
6 - Takes ages, but once done is so satisfying. Cars do lots of miles and so wanted a regime that did the cars well but having to accept that it is probably a waste of time going full on Swissvax.
Products used:
Two buckets and gritguards.
Grit Guard - Universal Pad Polisher Cleaner Kit / Washer
Loads of Autoglym rapid detailer. Now changed, but not used yet, to Garry Dean's Infinite Use Detail Juice as recommended by Junkman to try and save some ££ as dilutes 1:50.
Meguiars MT320 DA polisher kit.
Meguiars Ultimate wash and wax.
Meguiars Ultimate polish.
Meguiars Ultimate liquid wax.
Dodo Juice Supernatural wheel cleaner. Chosen as seemed least aggressive option.
Valet PRO Citrus prewash. I found this quite aggressive and now dilute to slightly more than recommended as made the Nissan paint even flatter.
Autoglym Fastglass.
RainX
Euro car parts clay.
Autoglym Vinyl and rubber care.
Sonax Xtreme Tyre Gloss gel.
LTT leather care products. Totally superb and found via a tip on PH. Did not add a slime layer to leather.
The above bought from Elite Car Care, Euro car parts, Amazon and LTT Leathercare direct. All offered terrific service.
So there you have it. Like I said am in no way an expert. Just an enthusiastic amateur. Any tips or straightforward you are wrong but do it this way comments welcomed.
No pics as cars away from home working.
Edited by SDB660 on Tuesday 30th May 09:50
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