OK, I've always constantly cleaned and looked after my cars but keep reading in posts on detailing world e.t.c. and looking into some decent products...

I currently have...

Megs Wash Mit

Two decent buckets for two bucket method

The car has just recently been machine polished by the previous owner, the paint work is stunning. Magic Black. So I'm guess I don't need to bother with Claying the car for a good while yet. I've washed the car once and it felt very very smooth and beaded very well (Previous owner was a keen detailer)

Could someone provide me with some recommendations for some decent products? I really want to keep her looking stunning.

- Shampoo

- Polish

- Wax

- Drying towel :- Miracle Dryer Towel?

I've been looking at the vast amount of products on cleanyourcar.co.uk but totally baffled by how many there are!

Cheers

OK, I've always constantly cleaned and looked after my cars but keep reading in posts on detailing world e.t.c. and looking into some decent products...

I currently have...

Megs Wash Mit

Two decent buckets for two bucket method

The car has just recently been machine polished by the previous owner, the paint work is stunning. Magic Black. So I'm guess I don't need to bother with Claying the car for a good while yet. I've washed the car once and it felt very very smooth and beaded very well (Previous owner was a keen detailer)

Could someone provide me with some recommendations for some decent products? I really want to keep her looking stunning.

- Shampoo

- Polish

- Wax

- Drying towel :- Miracle Dryer Towel?

I've been looking at the vast amount of products on cleanyourcar.co.uk but totally baffled by how many there are!

Cheers

Just swapped over to Zaino products (if you can get them) they are expensive but they work very very well, Baker21 is the person to tell what you need....or go through and read up on one of his details to see what he used.

Get a snow foam lance and pressure washer as a priority

THEN

1. Shampoo.....Meguiars NXT..via your 2 bucket method

2. Polish?......Use AutoglymSuper Resin Polish followed by Poorboys Black Hole Glaze...Followed by Poorboys EX-P Sealant...stunning results on dark/black paint

3. Wax... AG Hi Def Wax..other carnauba waxes are just as good but Collinite 915 is great for the winter months because it lasts longer

4. I use a Miracle Towel too

Get all these here:

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/

Good luck..Pictures are mandatory

Grit guards for your buckets will also help keep the swirls and spider webs at bay.

People will give you ideas what they are using,

But it all depend on what you have to spend

I have a shelf and bag full of bits and bobs. and cloths

It just builds over time

Im not detailer like most of the guys and girls on here.. im no where close and still learning differant techniques

But i will say one thing.. keep your bits clean.. ie cloths mits etc.. if its at all dirty .. get a new before you use it , asit may scratch the paintwork

If you drop it.. get a new..

As for products, Can just start off with general stage 1 2 3 from megs.. does most of what ya need and the smalls just as addictive lol

Nice claybar every so often. im on my 5Megs claybar.. their are others out their but not tested any others so cant comment

Many companies will have starter deals with multi products

Could maybe even get the autoglym pack?

Read through the styling and care for reviews on products

Get grit guard and good drying towel first. Then either a pump sprayer or foaming lance and some pre wash.

I'd get a simple cheap wax first, something like Collinite 845 which lasts months and very easy to use, you can get some MF pads to apply and some MF clothes to clean it. IMO I would'nt get anything abrasive as it might marr the paint work which is already polished.

I vote against the snow foam lance until you've got everything else. It's great for use on a dirty car, the more dirty the car the more it shines -- less chance of swirl marks or scratches.

That being said, If you're washing every week, the amount of stuff that comes off with snow foam is minimal -- given there's minimal dirt on the car anyway. On top of that your local polish/romanian car wash will do a snow foam only and rinse for £3 which you could opt to drive down to before you start your own wash if the car's really badly soiled one week.

If you've already got a pressure washer then it's only £50 to buy into contactless washing but it's for after you've hand washed, glazed, sealed and waxed the car & wheels anyways. I'd postpone the purchase until a good bit down the road.

Easier to prevent it getting dirty (keep a skooshy bottle of quick detailer in the boot and a micro fibre cloth for bird poo and general mid week cleaning, change the cloth every week) than to get it so dirty it needs a snow foam.

EDIT:

- Shampoo -- i don't have much experience with different products but i didn't like the serious performance one. The meguirs gold in a £5 bottle was good and i still have some. The turtle wax ice stuff (royally berated by most so take my recommendation with a pinch of salt) has been the best so far, glides, bubbles, causes water to sheet off and just very easy to work with.

- Polish -- bought a Menz kit with my DA polisher -- BMW & VAG paint are typically hard and this had been the recommended choice for harder paints

- Wax -- I don't think you can go wrong? I picked up £10 megs #16 wax just because it was there, it leaves a very nice finish intially for the first week, maybe 2 and while the beading / protection seems to last a lot longer, the look / finish doesn't

Edited 19 May, 201016 yr by Mute

As has been mentioned depends on how much you want to spend.

You have missed out on clay and a QD, I would also throw in a paint cleaner.

However, if you keep it simple and get duragloss shampoo, bilt-hamber clay, valet pro citrus bling, carlack AIO then that should do everything you need. (the carlack will remove light swirls and hide others, its also a proper sealant and will outlast fk1000p and collinite and its really cheap)

(yes I do have all those bits and use them all the time)

I would ask a local member if you could pop around for a go with the products they have and see which you like. For instance if your close to me you could use my PC, Rotary, Paint Guage, etc etc for a proper go at your car and see if you really want to get into valeting and spending the hundreds (thousands) of pounds that goes with it

(am based in manchester, valeter by trade)

You can't go wrong with AG SRP sealed with AG EGP.

Snow foam for a prewash is a nice to have. Only used AG shampoo and Megs gold glass.

I would say Clay every 3 or so months then reapply agp/egp.

Edited 19 May, 201016 yr by faboka vrs

OK, I've always constantly cleaned and looked after my cars but keep reading in posts on detailing world e.t.c. and looking into some decent products...

I currently have...

Megs Wash Mit

Two decent buckets for two bucket method

The car has just recently been machine polished by the previous owner, the paint work is stunning. Magic Black. So I'm guess I don't need to bother with Claying the car for a good while yet. I've washed the car once and it felt very very smooth and beaded very well (Previous owner was a keen detailer)

Could someone provide me with some recommendations for some decent products? I really want to keep her looking stunning.

- Shampoo

- Polish

- Wax

- Drying towel :- Miracle Dryer Towel?

I've been looking at the vast amount of products on cleanyourcar.co.uk but totally baffled by how many there are!

Cheers

Well to add my 2p, I would as stated by ChrisRs invest in a Pressure Washer as that is a must but if the car has recently been machine polished then chances are it will have some good protection on top so investing in snow foam and a foam lance may be a little OTT.

I tend to agree with Mute here and personally I don't use Snow Foam on my own car as if it's a regular wash and top up wax / sealer your going to use then it's a waste of money and will remove little dirt, this is however just my opinion......... :yes:

I ran a group buy a while back and people can still order from the supplier, I don't get any benefit from this it's just a good package that you can buy which will allow you to wash and protect your car safely:

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/122005-baker21-detailing-kit-gb-begins/

There are plenty of products on the market offering this and that so we will all use different things, but as long as you have your pressure washer, two bucket method with Grit Guards and a Drying Towel then you can't go far wrong.........

All the best and plenty of people on here to offer advice.......... :yes:

Just swapped over to Zaino products (if you can get them) they are expensive but they work very very well, Baker21 is the person to tell what you need....or go through and read up on one of his details to see what he used.

http://www.zainoeurope.com/

Another Zaino vote here.

Shampoo - http://www.zainoeurope.com//index.php/zaino/z-7-show-car-wash/p_7.html is awesome and smells of Fruity Tooties

Polilsh - http://www.zainoeurope.com//index.php/zaino/z-5-pro-show-car-polish/p_5.html the shine it gave my Passat was amazing

Sealant - http://www.zainoeurope.com//index.php/zaino/z-cs-clear-seal/p_16.html is so simple. Literally spray on, spread and leave.

I used the above combo one one wing and the difference to the rest of the car was amazing. Best of all there wasn't any dew on it in the morning. Very hydrophobic.

Cheers

Paul