Need advice before I detail (about products and product type)

[m4gician]

Hey guys,

I already know what to do as I've done it before several times and created that wonderful "wow that car is sexy" shine.

I actually want to lay out my method and products that I use and get you guys to maybe give me your feedback on it and let me know what I should and should not be using in terms of products and product types (wax, polish, etc.)

So here we go.

(I use 100% terry cloth to dry, microfibre to buff and remove, and foam applicators to apply, I also allow ample time in between to cure, and i'm doing this all by hand nice and thoroughly - I love to wax )
I start with...

1) wash the car - do a thorough job and clean away any stuck on dirts, etc,

2) Clay bar - OTC clay bar w/ detail spray.

3) Cleaner Wax - I have Meguairs Cleaner wax on hand, apply throughly by hand (I have a PC 7474 on order), cure, wipe off
Here's where I need opinions,
4) Swirl Removal - I was thinking of using Meguairs Scratch-X over most of the bigger panels --> Hood, Trunk lid, roof, (doors are fine apparently), buffing it out and using...
5) Polish - in this case meguairs 7 show car glaze.

and then finally...

6) I have meguairs 26 mirror glaze tech wax to top it off, is there a sealant I can use that OTC that's realtively cheap?

Anyway, that's my detailing in a nut shell. In between curing I throughly clean the wheels, tires. And it gives me a lot of time to Vaccum the interior and shine the inside.

Im not so sure about my last few steps, is there somethign OTC (i prefer OTC for now, zaino maybe in the summer) I should be including, or something I should do / not do?

P.S. Thanks to Pete for basically teaching me what I know about detailing.

[Dr. Cross]

Since you have a PC on order, I would recommend getting some Meguiar's #80 to do steps 3,4,5 all at once! I've used it for the past 3 years and I love it. It's a step less agressive than ScratchX, but since you can apply #80 w/ the PC the process is much easier. It breaks down to a polish in the end, so you wouldn't need to apply #7 (which I've found to be a bit difficult to work w/ sometimes). I've switched to #81 for my polish (if I don't use #80). As for the sealant, that goes on before #26. #26 over NXT looks nice. If you're going to order #80, I would recommend getting some #21 also. Use that instead of the NXT, it lasts a LOT longer and gives more depth than NXT.

[GTO Pete]

You're picking up a PC - big thumbs up.

Now get some quality products to go with it.

You have to get good polish. Scratch-x just doesn't cut it. Optimum is currently my favorite. Very easy to use and best results I've gotten to remove swirls.

I'm not a big fan of glazes. I prefer synthetic sealants for longevity. I also prefer the "sharper" look that's more popular these days than the "deep" look from non-syns.

For OTC, take a look at the Mother's FX and Reflections lines. The small samplings I've used I've been impressed as far as an OTC goes.

HTH

[Matt2kSVT]

You're picking up a PC - big thumbs up.

Now get some quality products to go with it.

You have to get good polish. Scratch-x just doesn't cut it. Optimum is currently my favorite. Very easy to use and best results I've gotten to remove swirls.

I'm not a big fan of glazes. I prefer synthetic sealants for longevity. I also prefer the "sharper" look that's more popular these days than the "deep" look from non-syns.

For OTC, take a look at the Mother's FX and Reflections lines. The small samplings I've used I've been impressed as far as an OTC goes.

HTH

I have used 3M fine cut compound with a PC with pretty good results, and you can find it at most auto parts stores. It makes tons of dust though and you have to follow it with a less abrasive polish.

I just received my Optimum Compound and polish, for next time.

Here's two pix of my car after a quick polish with Sonus SFX2 (from autopia.org, not my favorite final polish, but it came free with my PC), and then followed by Klasse All in One and Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze. Looks even better outside in the sun. http://www.contour.org/ceg-vb/showth...?t=7805&page=2 I know Klasse isn't OTC, but man is it nice. It can be tricky to apply, but not if you read all the advice for it on autopia.org.

[BK4293]

I usually order from Autopia Also!!!

NXT Wash,
Claybar,
Klasse All In One
Klasse Sealant
Then wax is up for grabs...I personally love P21S Carnuba, definately a contender, and my personal favorite

All available at Autopia Car Care

Use Coupon code SAVEBIG

Here's some examples of Kevin's EVO...

Here are pics of my old 3L about a week after the detail, and all I did was run it to the car wash the night before the meet....



The Evo and my old 3L were all done by hand, no buffer...I could only imagine what it would look like professionally done.
This is just about all us Chicago CEGers use....

[Goonz SVT]

Zaino ultimate kit