-BTW i searched this forum and saw several sporadic threads but was hoping to just get one detailed one - would be much easier.

Ok so you could call me a noob at this. I just wash my car once every 1-2 weeks with some soap (forgot brand name) that contains some wax finish in it and then clean my wheels and use that armor all stuff to get rid of the dirt and make the tires shiney.

Anyways, I'm about to insal my aspec kit and when I do I want the beast to look beautiful. I have heard about claying which removes dirt and particles and stuff and then after that waxing ( / and or polishing?).

Can someone just list the best process I should take?

I was thinking:

1. wash with soap and rinse
2. clay (while wet or dry?)
3. wax / and or polish - still not sure of the difference here
4. ?

...5-7. In the end I clean the wheels and put tire cleaner on ( i have '04 stockies).



Is this ia good process and could you explain a little more for me?
Also, about how long would this total process take me?
Last, what would be the best products for each of these steps? (and for tire cleaner is it best to use gel or the foam?)


sorry for the length but like i said im noob. any answers other than flaming are appreciated

 

Wash, rinse.
Dry (or apply lube while wet)
Apply lube, clay
Dry
Decide if you need to clean the paint, or polish the paint. (polishes contain abrasives which help remove light swirls/scratches, paint cleaners clean via chemical which will only remove dead paint)
Seal (wax or synthetic) Wax products are petroleum refined to make usable. Averages about 3-6 weeks protection. Synthetics will provide greater ease of use, and longer (about twice) protection.

 

^ thanks! what synthetics would you prefer? (brands?)

like something I could get at pep boys or autozone...

And also for the tires, do you prefer the foam or gel?

 

I'm also about to pick up a UDM and everything I need to detail my car. I was planning on taking it to a reputable detailing shop around here but for the price I would be paying, I can get all the supplies and still save about $100. Plus, I can detail my families and friends cars if I get bored.

This is what I've come up with based on reading these forums. These videos give great examples on how to do all of this as well: http://www.paintcare-n-detailing.com/pinnacle.html

1. Wash & Dry
The idea behind this is to strip off all the old wax currently on your car. I've read a few posts of people saying this is unnecessary. Perhaps exceldetail can chime in on this. As for drying the car, would you say the California Waterglade is safe to use? Makes the drying process much faster.

2. Claybar
To remove all the junk stuck to our paint before polishing and sealing.

3. Polish
To remove any swirls or scratches. I'm planning on using the UDM with the Optimum Trio Sampler (8oz bottles). Start with the soft pad and Optimum Polish and move up to a more abrasive pad and Optimum Compound if the soft pad and Optimum Polish isn't "strong" enough. In those videos I posted, they also use a finishing polish. Is this required or strongly recommended?

4. Wax/Sealant
This is to provide additional shine and protect the paint. I'm planning on going with a synthetic sealant since they seem to provide much longer protection. I'm still not 100% sure which product I'm going with.

I've also read about this PoliSeal product from Optimum. It's suppose to be a finishing wax AND sealant? Is it a synthetic sealant? So would I apply this after the Optimum Polish and it covers both the finishing polish and wax/sealant steps?

Sorry for all the questions but I just want to make sure I'm doing everything right the first time. I'd hate to have spent 4-5 hours detailing the car to find out there's a better product or method.

 

As for the sealant, looks like this seems to be a good product (from exceldetail): Four Star Ultimate Paint Protection w/PC Booster, 2 Supreme Towel

I also ran across this product on his website: Danase Wet Glaze 16oz. Would this be a good idea to use as my "finishing polish" between Optimum Polish and Four Star Ultimate Paint Protection? I'm trying to get as much shine from this car as I can. I love the wet look on dark color cars.

 

Here's what I usually do for a full exterior detail... more or less... roughly, LoL.

1. Remove license plate(s)
2. Spray P21S Wheel Cleaner Gel on the wheels and let them soak
3. Spray wheel wells with P21S Total Auto Wash and agitate with wheel well long-handled brush or black ShMITT
4. Spray tires with Amazing Roll-Off, APC mixture or Eagle One A2Z All Wheel & Tire Cleaner (expensive but amazing stuff) and agitate with a brush
5. Agitate wheels with various brushes (Swissvax Wheel Brush, EZ Detail Brush, spoke brush, etc.)
6. Rinse wheel wells, tires, and wheels
7. Rinse entire car
8. Pre-soak entire car with foam gun and Chemical Guys Citrus Wash & Gloss
9. Rinse enitre car
10. Wash car using the two bucket method and grout sponge from Lowe's (Proline)
11. Rinse entire car
12. Clay entire car with just about any detailing clay (Patrick has some nice clays) and ONR clay lube using distilled water
13. Assess paint condition and polish a test section to determine what will work best and most efficiently for the vehicle
14. Compound and/or polish and finish using the appropriate chemicals to achieve the ultimate finish (my favorite compound is Meguiar's M105, medium polish is Menzerna Super Intensive Polish, and finishing polish is 3M Perfect-It 3000 Ultrafina SE)
15. Do an IPA wipe down or rewash entire car if it's too dusty (from polish residue drying up and becoming airborne)
16. Apply LSP: sealant, wax, or sealant and wax (my favorite sealants are Four Star UPP or Optimum OS and favorite wax is P21S 100% Carnauba Wax)
17. Apply wheel well dressing and tire dressing (my favorites are Armor All Tire Foam and Poorboy's Bold N Bright, respectively)
18. Clean windows inside and out with Stoner's IG and a glass MF

I hope this helped you out somewhat. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

 

No steps for cleaning undercarriage/suspension or under-hood components? For shame!

- DDB

 

When I do wheel wells, that includes the suspension.

The undercarriage and under-hood components are optional for my clients and cost extra, hehe.