Detailing Step By Step list please

[Huascar82]

Hi guys,

so I've never really taken care of my car as I should have from the get go, but I wanted to start now.

I was thinking of doing the whole wash/clay/polish/wax/seal deal but I dont know in what steps or what supplies to get.

Hopefully someone will take pitty on me and provide a list that a noob like me could use. One where I can go to pep boys or autozone and purchase all necessary materials, and maybe a few hits so I dont end up destroying my paint.

Oh and yeah, I'm reading every tutorial on http://www.autopia-carcare.com but I dont know what specific products are the best to use.
And yes I plan on using a buffer, I'm assuming it will make that part of the job easier.
Thanks everyone.

 

[Brian MP5T]

Mr.Detailer can help..

 

[CXseven]

Watch this vid!!! If you want your car looking detailed!!!
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-892782202661869342&q=car+detailing&hl=en

 

[spike blue]

damm i thought i was good in car detailing!!! This is f*&^% awesome!!!

 

[jersey_emt]

Watch this vid!!! If you want your car looking detailed!!!
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-892782202661869342&q=car+detailing&hl=en

Crazy!!

 

[CXseven]

Heres a good site Step-by-step
http://paintcare-n-detailing.com/

 

[Brian MP5T]

$10,000 to wash a car...

 

[Mr Detailer]

First a few questions:

1. What kind of polisher do you have?
2. What kinds of products or supplies do you have already?
3. Are there a lot of swirls in your paint that you intend to remove during this process?

 

[cboe's_mp5]

$10,000 to wash a car...

dose that in clude that totaly hot girl on the car(ughdance)

 

[cboe's_mp5]

First a few questions:

1. What kind of polisher do you have?
2. What kinds of products or supplies do you have already?
3. Are there a lot of swirls in your paint that you intend to remove during this proceED]

Mr Detailer what would you recomend

 

[Huascar82]

First a few questions:

1. What kind of polisher do you have?
2. What kinds of products or supplies do you have already?
3. Are there a lot of swirls in your paint that you intend to remove during this process?

truthfully I've got 0 supplies. I would be starting from scratch. There are swirls but I believe they are minor, a lot I guess so, if I try getting the sunlight to reflect off the car I can see swirls on all panels, although I do have a few semi deep scratches and scoof marks on the bumpers. Not sure how much this would help, but I purchased this car 13 months ago, from then till now it has only gone thru a machine car wash, and I"m pretty sure the previous owners only did machine car washes.

Any help will be greatly appreciated Mr. Detailer.

CXSeven, thanks for the link, very nice, I like the step by step guide.

 

[Mr Detailer]

Mr Detailer what would you recomend

The best products will vary from person to person, depending on their car, the car's condition, their level of knowledge/experience, etc...
That's what I'm trying to determine here.

truthfully I've got 0 supplies. I would be starting from scratch. There are swirls but I believe they are minor, a lot I guess so, if I try getting the sunlight to reflect off the car I can see swirls on all panels, although I do have a few semi deep scratches and scoof marks on the bumpers. Not sure how much this would help, but I purchased this car 13 months ago, from then till now it has only gone thru a machine car wash, and I"m pretty sure the previous owners only did machine car washes.

When you say "machine car washes" I assume you are referring to the ones that clean with giant spinning brushes and dry your car by slapping big heavy strips of chamois material on it?
If so, you've got more than minor swirls.

You said in your first post that you'll be using a polisher, didn't you? Are you planning on buying one before starting this process?

 

[Huascar82]

The best products will vary from person to person, depending on their car, the car's condition, their level of knowledge/experience, etc...
That's what I'm trying to determine here.



When you say "machine car washes" I assume you are referring to the ones that clean with giant spinning brushes and dry your car by slapping big heavy strips of chamois material on it?
If so, you've got more than minor swirls.

You said in your first post that you'll be using a polisher, didn't you? Are you planning on buying one before starting this process?

Yes you're right about the machine wash. About the polisher, I was thinking about buying one, but based on the how-to's it seems that I may end up messing it up instead of fixing it, so I'm not sure if I should do it with the polisher or by hand. What would you recommend? taking into account that i've never used one and I've never detailed a car.

 

[Mr Detailer]

First of all, those car washes can do serious damage in the way of swirls. It would still help if you could take a digital pic of your paint reflecting direct sunlight, but I could probably imagine what your paint looks like in the direct sun. You WILL need a polisher to remove those, and not just any cheap one from the hardware store. To remove swirls/scuffs, you must have enough torque to work with. Cheaper polishers cannot provide that torque--they bog down when you apply pressure to them.
This is the point where you decide whether you're willing to spend ~$200 to get your paint flawless again. It's a substantial investment, but keep in mind that the supplies will be there next time too...it won't cost you much each time you detail it in the future.

So to start the list...
You will need one of each of these items:
Porter Cable 7424 or 7336 orbital polisher (available at Lowe's hardware stores for $109).

Flexible urethane backing plate:
http://www.prestostore.com/cgi-bin/pro02.pl?ref=exceldetail&ct=37932&pd=178369

Pads for the polisher: (yellow for swirl removal, blue for final polishing)
http://www.prestostore.com/cgi-bin/pro02.pl?ref=exceldetail&ct=65104&pd=273400
http://www.prestostore.com/cgi-bin/pro02.pl?ref=exceldetail&ct=65104&pd=273396

Microfiber towels (don't cheap out on towels...you'll regret it later):
http://www.prestostore.com/cgi-bin/pro02.pl?ref=exceldetail&ct=29279&pd=208073

Moderate polish:
http://www.prestostore.com/cgi-bin/pro02.pl?ref=exceldetail&ct=44434&pd=170699
OR
http://www.prestostore.com/cgi-bin/pro02.pl?ref=exceldetail&ct=65050&pd=286998
I've been using the Medium Cut Compound on a heavily-swirled S10 that's currently in my garage. I've had great results with it so far. Hopefully I can finish up that truck tomorrow so I can park my own car in my garage.

Finishing polish:
http://www.prestostore.com/cgi-bin/pro02.pl?ref=exceldetail&ct=44434&pd=170698
OR
http://www.prestostore.com/cgi-bin/pro02.pl?ref=exceldetail&ct=65050&pd=287001

Then sealant:
http://www.prestostore.com/cgi-bin/pro02.pl?ref=exceldetail&ct=37056&pd=97957

Those are my recommendations to get your swirls out and your paint protected. There are still other things to think about though, like proper washing/drying supplies and techniques. Then there's the need for interior protectants, plastic protectants, tire dressing, etc...

 

[Mr Detailer]

BTW, the types of products you need are not all available at local stores. It's unfortunate, I know, but the vast majority of the population doesn't care much about their car. The ones that do are interested mostly in the cheapest, fastest route. That means the businesses cannot afford to stock the high-quality products, or the ones with specific purposes. Everybody wants the one-step product that cures everything. But that's not reality.

 

[Huascar82]

oouuchh, thats a lot of dough for a polisher. That would come out to a lot once I get all the stuff like you said. Will a less expensive lets say $30 dollar polisher be helpful? I think once I get the hang of detailing the car I would be more willing to get one of the more expensive porter cable tools.

Do you think you could provide some sort list of equipment I would need? something like
2x wool mitts for washing
3x microfiber towels for drying

something like that? and if you could, maybe brands that are available at autozone or pepboys? I'm sure I would get better pricing online but I didnt plan this out to well and I want it done this weekend cause I"m not gonna have time next weekend.

I know I'm being really picky on what I need, its just that I would like to be prepared and know what I'm going to get once I'm at the store.

If you could, maybe some tips on doing it right. Like, I know start from top down when washing, do wheels first. Once I'm done washing, should I reapply water and shampoo to clay the car? or just use the lubricant provided? when I clay should I just go around looking for rough areas to do, or do everything per panel? If using only lubricant will one bottle be enough? once done with the clay, I need to rewash the car right? Would I still need to use some time of pre polisher to "prepare the paint"? when polishing I need to do 2 passes right? is there that needs to be done in between each pass? should do the 1 pass on the whole car, or work per panel and do both passes, one right after the other? Once polish is done, is there something else to do before waxing? Should I do 2 passes only? and can the waxing be done with the buffer? How about sealant? is that the same as wax or would I need to do that as well? before or after the wax? (I'm thinking after) how many coats of that need to be done?

Oh yeah, interior as well, I just had tint put in, what type of chemical should I use on the windows? I think I should vaccum the car first right? before applying anything to the dashboard and panels, what different chemicals should I use? like is there some some sort of cleaner first? and then something that makes things shine? or is it an all in one type deal? should I use papertowels on the interior? do I spray the chemicals on the panels or on the towel?

Damn, this really turned out longer then I expected. Sorry Mr. Detailer, I'm a noob and need a very very BIG helping hand

Thanks for any answers

 

[Rainman]

Great info guys. I am subbing to this thread as a reference for my own detailing.

R

 

[2litrePRO]

If you want to keep it fairly simple i suggest the best/easiest way to get results would be:

1. Wash the car first.
2. Clay bar if needed (on the gritty spots) i like to use windex as a lubricant for the clay but soapy water will do. Its important to keep it lubricated u dont want the clay to start sticking it will leave a residue behind.
3. Rinse it off and shamois the car down.
4. Apply a nice wax. Paste wax is always the best im not a fan of the liquid stuff. I also dont like the sponge wax pads i prefer the cloth covered ones and make sure the pad is damp, not wet as it spreads the wax best.
5. Remove the wax with a microfibre rag and rub till your arm gets sore lol

Oh and polishing and buffing are two entirely different things

Buffing is done at high rpms and its purpose is to grind into the clear to take out scratches, fading etc.

And polishing is done with an orbital polisher which spins much slower and is used to remove wax. A polisher is ideal but definatley not necessary to get good results.

Btw that color looks sexy when its all cleaned up

 

[Mr Detailer]

Christ, if you just drove here I could probably detail the car in less time than I could reply to all these questions!

I'll give it a shot...

"Will a less expensive lets say $30 dollar polisher be helpful?"
In your case, no. Those cheap polishers have VERY little torque, and can do only the slightest bit of swirl removal.

"Do you think you could provide some sort list of equipment I would need? something like..."
2x wool/sheepskin mitts (one for paint, one for wheels) @ local store
Tire brush @ local store
car soap @ local store
Microfiber Waffle Weave drying towels (1-2 for paint, 1 for wheels) @ local store
Polisher
pads
polish + wax or sealant (or both if you desire)
MF polishing towels (at least 6, and don't get cheap ones that are going to scratch your paint further)
Wax applicator pads (foam/cotton/MF) @ local store
That should get you started. Again, local parts store do not carry everything you need, because the popular demand is not there. They cannot afford to stock things that will rarely sell.

"If you could, maybe some tips on doing it right. Like, I know start from top down when washing, do wheels first. Once I'm done washing, should I reapply water and shampoo to clay the car? or just use the lubricant provided?"
Yes, top to bottom. I prefer to do wheels last, but it's all a matter of opinion. If you wash the wheels first, you have dirty water dripping from the car onto the wheels later.
You can clay with a small bucket of soapy water next to you. Just dip the clay into the bucket and then start claying the panel. It's also handy to have a spray bottle of soapy water or clay lubricant to spray the panel with.

"when I clay should I just go around looking for rough areas to do, or do everything per panel? If using only lubricant will one bottle be enough? once done with the clay, I need to rewash the car right?"
If you can't feel any grit in the paint, you don't really need to clay. If you've never clayed it before, I would expect there to be plenty of grit to remove with the clay. Do about 1/4 of a panel, then knead the clay to send the currently exposed surface to the middle of the clay. Re-expose a clean side and continue. One bottle of lubricant should be enough. I'd still keep a bucket of soapy water next to you to dunk the clay in. Better to have too much lubrication than not enough. You may or may not need to rewash the car after claying...if you have no residue left from the clay, you don't need to rewash it. Even if you do have slight residue left, the polish will take care of it.

"Would I still need to use some [kind] of pre polisher to "prepare the paint"? "
No. Clay, then move right to polishing.

"when polishing I need to do 2 passes right? is there that needs to be done in between each pass? should do the 1 pass on the whole car, or work per panel and do both passes, one right after the other?"
How many passes you do depends on how much product you have on the area, how much pressure you're applying, how much torque the polisher has, the density of the pad you're using, and how fast the machine is spinning. The only rule is to make sure the polish is broken down before wiping it off. This is indicated by the polish turning transparent and almost invisible on the car. Too many people like to smear on a ton of polish and go over it really quick. Then they wipe it off while the abrasives are still intact, and thus scratch the car further as they get wiped off. Work a 1' x 1' area at a time. If you work too large of an area, you WILL get discouraged at how slow the progress is coming. Do a small section at a time so you can see the difference right away. That will give you the motivation to continue.

I'll post another response to cut this enormous post down in size...

 

[Mr Detailer]

"Once polish is done, is there something else to do before waxing? Should I do 2 passes only? and can the waxing be done with the buffer? How about sealant? is that the same as wax or would I need to do that as well? before or after the wax? (I'm thinking after) how many coats of that need to be done?"
No, if you have clayed and polished, the car is very well prepped for waxing/sealing. The amount of "passes" makes no difference when applying a pure wax or sealant. Some store bought all-in-one type products will suggest "working in" the product because it contains fillers and/or cleaners, which will work better if they are rubbed in a bit longer. The real purpose of a wax or sealant is to protect, and the best results will come from applying wax/sealant to a vehicle that is already well-prepped...that is, no swirls or oxidation to worry about.
You can wax with the machine if you like, but I find it faster and easier to just wax by hand. It takes me about 25 minutes to apply and remove the wax/sealant from my Protege, whether I do it by hand or machine.
Sealant is merely a synthetic wax. It is designed to increase the desirable characteristics of various waxes. If you want durability, the manufacturer can synthesize a product that will cater to your desires. They can also design products that give superior slickness, excellent water beading/sheeting characteristics, etc... Sealants generally last longer than waxes, though there are some exceptions.
Sealants are applied BEFORE wax. It is an optional step, and you can apply multiple layers if you desire. BUT you should wait 12-24 hours between coats to give the sealant time to bond/cure.

"Oh yeah, interior as well, I just had tint put in, what type of chemical should I use on the windows?"
Some glass cleaners are safe on tint film. Just look for a cleaner that states right on the package that it is safe for tint. Otherwise you could just do what I do, and use a damp MF towel or MF pad, and then follow up with a VERY damp MF towel or MF pad. Water works fine for me, on all but the worst windows.

"I think I should vaccum the car first right?"
Yes. Why bother detailing the interior if you aren't going to vacuum it?

"Before applying anything to the dashboard and panels, what different chemicals should I use? like is there some some sort of cleaner first? and then something that makes things shine? or is it an all in one type deal?"
You could use a plastic/vinyl cleaner first. Interior plastics/vinyls are usually not very dirty, at least from my experience. Usually there are just a few spots here and there that require a purpose-specific cleaner to remove. Most of the time, a protectant with some light cleaning abilities works best. My preference is Poorboy's Natural Look (not available locally though).

"should I use papertowels on the interior? do I spray the chemicals on the panels or on the towel?"
No. Paper towels will leave dust/fibers all over. There is a reason I have over 200 MF towels of all different colors and quality...I use MF for everything. I have MF towels designated for exterior use, interior, glass, etc..., and even a half-dozen extremely luxurious MFs (ExcelDetail Elites) that I ONLY use for the exterior of black cars.
I apply plastic/vinyl protectants and cleaners with a MF pad. Spray the product directly on the pad, then apply to the surface. Remove with a MF towel. You may or may not need to wait a bit to remove the product, depending on the manufacturer's instructions.