HELP me choose the proper detailing items

[KPHMPH]

So for the last week I’ve been using a drill and an attachment to shine metal and my god am I sore from forcing it into the items to actually get them to shine.

I think I should actually buy the proper buffer, or whatever it’s called.

From the minimal research I’ve done I can just use a dewalt grinder with the guard removed ?

Pics of said work.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v76/bonder45/4DF74A0A-D3E9-4C16-AB13-77F7275A8CB8_zpswqfnysqr.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v76/bonder45/EE6338A6-767C-4D0B-A048-700465AE084B_zpsxrugi8ea.jpg

[schocker]

You can get like really small diameter DA polishers which might work. For even smaller you can get rotary which I think all the small ones are pneumatic (Just be careful is you would use it on paint as it could mess up the paint easily).

[nismodrifter]

This is a pretty thorough guide, re what you need:
https://www.iowa80.com/blog/step-by-step-big-rig-wheel-polishing-guide/

And a good video re process:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt-KuU_vxUA

[msommers]

There's a fantastic local place called Carzilla that stocks a ton of great stuff. I'd reach out to them

[Mostwanted]

Check out Carzilla, they have great prices. When i started detailing my car, I thought everything or most things would come out cheaper online (Amazon, 3rd party etc), come to find out that Carzilla beats the price by a lot. They are also very knowledgeable on what to recommend.

[M.alex]

Just giving a bump to Carzilla - I was surprised at how extensive their local inventory is .... I buy all my stuff from them because prices are very good and they're local (just off 16th avenue)

[rlim891]

Chris at Carzilla is awesome. Only thing I have found is that because he carries a million brands,its hard to get a which is better answer from him.
So i recommend during your research online as well on brands. Mike and his autogeek guys does a good job in comparing products.

[KPHMPH]

Chris at Carzilla is awesome. Only thing I have found is that because he carries a million brands,its hard to get a which is better answer from him.
So i recommend during your research online as well on brands. Mike and his autogeek guys does a good job in comparing products.

Definitely a late reply from me.


I’ve found this when visiting him, you ask him a question and he scurries around the store saying “oh, this one works but so don’t this and this and this.....”

[schocker]

Definitely a late reply from me.


I’ve found this when visiting him, you ask him a question and he scurries around the store saying “oh, this one works but so don’t this and this and this.....”

The problem is that every brand has a version of everything, and the products he carries are all of good reputation and quality. It is hard to choose as you take time to research but it is just diminishing returns as they are so similar anyways. Chemical guys are the only ones that seem to have a wide difference in quality between products of the same brand. They also seem to have too many products for very specific uses where as better brands will handle more tasks with one product.

[suntan]

I got tired of car washes not washing.

Went to Carzilla, he helped me pick out some stuff. His prices are very competitive and he has lots of quality products that can't be matched by CT.

Amazon is a total ripoff.

Stripped the Santa Fe XL of all build up, the wash took forever because there's so much grime on it and rust spots.

And wow hand waxing is spectacular.

[JDMMAN]

I got tired of car washes not washing.

Went to Carzilla, he helped me pick out some stuff. His prices are very competitive and he has lots of quality products that can't be matched by CT.

Amazon is a total ripoff.

Stripped the Santa Fe XL of all build up, the wash took forever because there's so much grime on it and rust spots.

And wow hand waxing is spectacular.

Curious to see how long this took for you. Did you use the Fall-out remover, then clay the entire vehicle? Might be worth applying ceramic coating since it's all clean.

[suntan]

Around two hours. I used Gyeon Restart Wash. I still had a lot of rust spots so I sprayed with Magma. I had to do that about 5-6 times because I kept finding new spots. Had to wash and rewash certain areas because some of the gunk just wouldn't come off. Then waxing. I didn't clay because I forgot to ask about clay bars while I was there. I did a bit of plastic using CG VRP that I had before. Didn't put anything on the wheels.

The waxing wasn't bad at all, I thought it would take forever but I was done quicker than I thought.

My initial objectives were to get rid of all the buildup, remove the rust spots and find all the paint chips that need repair. And get a coat of wax on.

I only sorta know what I'm doing right now lol.

I also did the Kona, the exterior detail the dealership did was horrible. I just used Fireball shampoo, did a proper dry and used VRP.

Going to go back, ask about clay bars and I also need a skinnier wheel spoke cleaner. Their cloths are centuries ahead of what the normal stores sell.

[cyra1ax]

Around two hours. I used Gyeon Restart Wash. I still had a lot of rust spots so I sprayed with Magma. I had to do that about 5-6 times because I kept finding new spots. Had to wash and rewash certain areas because some of the gunk just wouldn't come off. Then waxing. I didn't clay because I forgot to ask about clay bars while I was there. I did a bit of plastic using CG VRP that I had before. Didn't put anything on the wheels.

The waxing wasn't bad at all, I thought it would take forever but I was done quicker than I thought.

My initial objectives were to get rid of all the buildup, remove the rust spots and find all the paint chips that need repair. And get a coat of wax on.

I only sorta know what I'm doing right now lol.

I also did the Kona, the exterior detail the dealership did was horrible. I just used Fireball shampoo, did a proper dry and used VRP.

Going to go back, ask about clay bars and I also need a skinnier wheel spoke cleaner. Their cloths are centuries ahead of what the normal stores sell.

Not that there's anything wrong with it, but my guess is he'll probably just sell you a bar of their house brand clay bar unless you believe in/ask for a clay mitt. Also don't forget to get some clay lube!
I need to stop by there to get a bottle of TW Seal and Shine, wasn't too happy with the job that TW Graphene Flex Wax did.

[suntan]

Last time I waxed with with Turtle Wax or NuFinish, that stuff is utterly useless. It turned me off so much I gave up hand detailing. The wax Carzilla gave me was about 3000x better to apply and remove.

- - - Updated - - -


Not that there's anything wrong with it, but my guess is he'll probably just sell you a bar of their house brand clay bar unless you believe in/ask for a clay mitt. Also don't forget to get some clay lube!
I need to stop by there to get a bottle of TW Seal and Shine, wasn't too happy with the job that TW Graphene Flex Wax did.

Are there actually differences with clay bars? Is there one you like? I literally have zero clue.

[cyra1ax]

Last time I waxed with with Turtle Wax or NuFinish, that stuff is utterly useless. It turned me off so much I gave up hand detailing. The wax Carzilla gave me was about 3000x better to apply and remove.

- - - Updated - - -



Are there actually differences with clay bars? Is there one you like? I literally have zero clue.

Historically Turtle Wax hasn't been the greatest to work with, but their Hybrid Solutions/Ceramic lines seem to have gotten pretty good reviews. The graphene line seems to be YMMV, and in my case was more of a miss in my opinion. It gave me slickness but didn't really give me any shine that I was looking for.

Clay bar:in my non-professional opinion they're more or less the same, but I don't want to steer you the wrong way so someone more experienced than I should chime in here. Clay mitts work, but I wouldn't use one on a car that hasn't been clayed before/for a while. Again, someone more experienced than I should chime in here since I'm also someone that tosses out my clay bar after I've used it on one car.

[suntan]

I last used Turtle Wax in 1997 :rofl: So I guess it's gotten less shitty since then.

[schocker]

Claybar types seems to just be tackyness as far as I can tell

What are the differences between clay bars?

The primary difference in clay bars is the aggressiveness/grade. There are typically three different grades of clay bar, medium, fine and heavy.

Heavy clay bars are meant to remove deeply imbedded and adhered particles. These will leave hazing and should be followed up with polish.

Medium grade clay bars are meant to remove more stubborn contaminants but may leave behind light micro marring or hazing that will require a follow up with a light polish.

Fine grade clay bars are means to remove light amounts of contaminants and will not harm the finish. These can be used as often as you like and are the kind typically found on store shelves by the likes of Meguiars and Mothers, both of which are my recommendation for most people in search of an affordable, quality clay bar.

I use medium but find it doesn't really leave any marring or hazing as long as the surface is well lubricated. There are also sponges which I have and have never used like most of my detailing products......
https://www.amazon.ca/Nanoskin-AS-019-AutoScrub-Grade-Sponge/dp/B00CUAWJ6G/

[suntan]

Thanks for the info guys. I didn't even know there are differences in grade.

Me: "I'd like a clay bar please"

Store: "Ok, what kind?"

Me: "Um, clay?"

[schocker]

Thanks for the info guys. I didn't even know there are differences in grade.

Me: "I'd like a clay bar please"

Store: "Ok, what kind?"

Me: "Um, clay?"

For the average person as long as you aren't getting heavy I dont think it really matters anyways

The store brand one (I think it is store brand) is probably the best bet
https://carzilla.ca/products/claybarrrr-detailing-clay-fine-grade-100g
Can probably break into like 3-4 nobbins to clay with I would think.

https://carzilla.ca/products/optimum-no-rinse-wash-shine-32oz
If you don't have clay lube (Or quick detailer) I would just pick up this or the smaller bottle and mix full strength (Add 1 oz. of Optimum No Rinse™ Wash & Shine to 2 gallons of water) I just mix 0.5oz into a gallon of distilled water from the store, shake and then transfer to spray bottle.
This is the old guide, I am guessing it would be similar but it its a new formula, but I just do the washless rinse concentration since it is not expensive and lasts forever.

Quick Detailer: ratio 1:16 or 8 oz/1 gallon or 240 ml to 3.84 liters for water (62.5 ml per liter)
Clay lube: ratio 1:64 or 2 oz/1 gallon or 60 ml to 3.84 liters of water (15.6 ml per liter)

[HiSpec]

The nano scrub pad is easier on your hands so you don't pinch your fingers together to hold the clay bar.

I usually keep the used clay bar for cleaning up the wheels between wheel swaps.

If you don't want to spend money on ONR or clay lube, you can use the left over car shampoo from your wash bucket.
Or if you want to be even cheaper, use baby shampoo. This is a little industry secret :)

[suntan]

Thank you all for the great advice! This is all very helpful!

[SportEL]

I've saved so much time with the Clay Mitt. And I don't have to worry about dropping the clay bar on the floor or spend all the time molding the clay. The mitt is much more easier and efficient. I initially got the small clay sponge, but then got the much larger mitt which is much better. All you need is Waterless wash too as the lube

https://carzilla.ca/products/autoscrub-wash-mitt-fine-grade?_pos=4&_sid=5b863735c&_ss=r
-Nanoscrub Autoscrub, available in Medium and Fine Grade


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