n3ok318

iTrader: (1)

I bought it used and it came with some stuffs..

1) Yellow, Blue, Teal pads (with velcro? backing plate)
2) Optimum Coupound, Polish, and Seal

And I have..

1) Nu- something polish (orange case)
2) Scratch X
3) Mother's Claybar
4) Eagle 1 Nanowax

---

I plan on buying

1) Lake Country Orange, White, black, and blue pad with microfiber bonet and lambs wool bomnet
2) Pinnacle Souveran Liquid wax
3) Pinnacle XMT #3, #1, Finshing Glze & Pad Conditioner

These are recommended from this website

http://www.auto-geek.net/video/Inter...l_removal.html

Now my questions are since I have Scratch X, polish, and nano wax, can I skip any of the items I listed above?

And is there are better products?

I have limited budget so nothing too expensive would be great.. It's pretty pricey if you add things up!

Hawhyen51

Before you decide on #2 & #3, I would give the Optimum Products a shot. I think it's a great polish and often mentioned here. I would purchase the pads since there is no other info available about the pads you got with the PC. The LC Orange with the Optimum Compound is a great combination and will probably meet your needs. If there is any hazing you can follow with the White and Optimum Polish. So you really wouldn't need either the NuFisnish or ScratchX. Personally, I'd can the NuFinish but the ScratchX can be used for trouble areas if needed. You mentioned you also have a Poli - Optimum has a PoliSeal which is a one step product that will clean, polish (w/light abrasives) and a sealer. AG carries Optimum Products. There are a number of great sealants/waxes available. My go to product is FS UPP and a favorite by many here.

Are there better products available? It really comes down to personal preference. Try what you have on hand (Optimum) and see if does what it's designed to do. If not, then try something else.

steve9207

Check out this thread (the main answers are linked lower down in my link to autopia.org where Pat answered). It just has some very basics in it from when I started.

I agree with everything Hawhyen51 had to say above. I'm a HUGE fan of Optimum products & Four Star Ultimate Paint Protection (FS UPP). If you could go with two products to start out your polish / sealant with; I vote these two without a doubt.

To answer one of your questions below in regards to bonnetts for the pads - give it a try if you'd like, maybe others will chime in too, but personally I don't car for them. I like to remove products by hand. To me it just seemed that I missed too much product during removal and it was hard to notice sometimes. Check out these for sealant removal from ExcelDetail - they're the best

Also, about the pad cleaner - as mentiond in the thread linked above dishsoap will do (I've read that this may cause the velcro to seperate, but I've never had a problem). I also use this solution (Snappy) in a bucket of water if I'm going to need to clean more than one pad. As I use each, I toss it in the bucket and let it soak. I still usually end up rinsing it then using some dish soap again anyway.

Hope this helps some...there are some excellent resources on this forum. In the coming months you'll have gained so much knowledge, you'll be able to share too!

exceldetail

n3 you didnt really mention what your using the PC for? Or did I miss something? Tell us a little about the car.........

n3ok318

iTrader: (1)

oh sorry!

I'm using it to just have a great shine on my car.

My car's an 05 and car's in great condition. There are no swirl marks.

But I do have a few scratches here and there but that's not the reason I bought PC for.

I want show room like shine on my car (wet look would be great too)

Jesstzn

Another option for a sealant is Meguiars #21 and if your looking for wet .. your going to have to top most sealants with a carnuba like S100 or maybe the Nattys Excel has on sale.

As for bonnets .. been there .. tried that .. moved on .. per above .. missed too much.


Don't throw the Nu-Finish ( if its the liquid ) in the trash .. its one of the best products to protect your wheels. Its an old school sealant and actually does work well .. just not as easy as some of the newer ones. Sort of like lower end Klasse SG .. hard to work with but layerable and will produce a decent shine .. still needs to be topped if used on the body.

Hawhyen51

Why don't you check out this recently detailed TL by Exceldetail. He used Optimum Compound and Polish with a Orange pad for surface cleansing and paint correction followed with UPP.

exceldetail

I didnt find a lot of value in bonnets either. IF I WANTED TO, i would just use a unfolded MF under a soft pad.....As for the Nufinsh, the friend I bought my truck off of used that religiously, and it had a hell of a layer on the paint. Works quite well as a paint protectant also, just an atrocious smell, very chemically, thus its cleaning ability....(last I witnessed)