Exhaustive Guide: Car Detailing Basics

[Nairrk]

Excellent results Nair Sahab, I think you can go ahead on your Tiago.

Yes, but after the rainy season.

Correction - I have Tigor and not Tiago..

 

[drvkverma]

After going through such a nice informative thread I have sorted out some products for my 3 months old new ride polar white in colour.
Sonax gloss concentrate for wash
optimum no rinse wash
ultima elastroform for claying
poorboy white diamond glaze for polish
ultima paint guard as sealant
poorboy natty white paste as wax
formula 1 glass cleaner
meguoars natural shine protectant for dashboard dressing
sonax interior cleaner for upholstery and fabric cleaning
some tools like sobby wash mitt, sobby mf cloths 340 and 440 gsm and ezclean foam applicator pads.
I would like the expert opinion for the selection for any update and corrections.
I'm dilemma as elastroform is not available on online stores and I don't know other options for claying available in India except to go for traditional claybar, which I don't want to use.
Please guide me.
Do I need caroro perl and any quick detailer too??

 

[Driveright]

Look for clay mitt on AliExpress or bangood .I have been using them and they are good and reusable many times.
Soapy water is most of sufficient ..car shampoo in spray bottle also works

 

[drvkverma]

Hello everyone
Can I put ultima paint guard plus directly over meguiars ultimate polish without ipa wipedown. Will this have any effect on durability and bonding of upgp.

 

[CRACING]

Hello everyone
Can I put ultima paint guard plus directly over meguiars ultimate polish without ipa wipedown. Will this have any effect on durability and bonding of upgp.

Hello,

I believe Megs UP is oil based (Like most compounds and polishing products) and Ultima Paint Guard Plus is water-based so oil and water do not mix. To ensure proper bonding of UPGP, we can wipe down the entire car with diluted IPA (~25%) and then apply the wax.

Some compound and polishing products have fillers in it which will hide defects (i.e swirls) and after a couple of washes, the filler is gone, defects are back so some people use IPA to get rid of filler and inspect the surface to determine if it is defect free or if further work is required.

However, there is high chances of marring the paint with an IPA-wipedown so I wouldn't recommend it. Instead pre-wax cleaners like Collinite 840 would be a better choice.

Thanks...
Best Regards

 

[drvkverma]

Hello,

I believe Megs UP is oil based (Like most compounds and polishing products) and Ultima Paint Guard Plus is water-based so oil and water do not mix. To ensure proper bonding of UPGP, we can wipe down the entire car with diluted IPA (~25%) and then apply the wax.

Some compound and polishing products have fillers in it which will hide defects (i.e swirls) and after a couple of washes, the filler is gone, defects are back so some people use IPA to get rid of filler and inspect the surface to determine if it is defect free or if further work is required.

However, there is high chances of marring the paint with an IPA-wipedown so I wouldn't recommend it. Instead pre-wax cleaners like Collinite 840 would be a better choice.

Thanks...
Best Regards

Thanks a lot for kind guidance.
Now what I'm confused about is whether-
1. I should use collinite 840 or poorboys polish before applying upgp. or
2. Just forget about upgp and use collinite 845 as also after using c840 prewax cleaner.
Mine is polar white Hyundai with fine swirls.
I was inclined towards upgp is because of ease of application, just wipe on walk away.
However please suggest some polishes compatible with upgp as ultima paint preparation plus is not available online in India.
Or sonus paintwork cleaner will do the job.

 

[CRACING]

Thanks a lot for kind guidance.
Now what I'm confused about is whether-
1. I should use collinite 840 or poorboys polish before applying upgp. or
2. Just forget about upgp and use collinite 845 as also after using c840 prewax cleaner.
Mine is polar white Hyundai with fine swirls.
I was inclined towards upgp is because of ease of application, just wipe on walk away.
However please suggest some polishes compatible with upgp as ultima paint preparation plus is not available online in India.
Or sonus paintwork cleaner will do the job.

1. Poorboys polish, isn't it same as Megs UP? It removes fine scratches, brings out the maximum shine and I guess it contains oils. Whereas Collinite 840 is used to remove old wax, oil, water spots, stains and make the surfaced ready for fresh coat of wax.

2. UPGP costs ~1.9k for 4 oz which is expensive but you only need little quantity for whole car (It is like applying ceramic coat) and hopefully it will last 2-3 months in our environment. C850 costs ~2.1k and you should apply thin layer otherwise you'll have hard time buffing it off.

Which car detailing products do you have correctly? and do you own rotary or da polisher?

 

[drvkverma]

1. Poorboys polish, isn't it same as Megs UP? It removes fine scratches, brings out the maximum shine and I guess it contains oils. Whereas Collinite 840 is used to remove old wax, oil, water spots, stains and make the surfaced ready for fresh coat of wax.

2. UPGP costs ~1.9k for 4 oz which is expensive but you only need little quantity for whole car (It is like applying ceramic coat) and hopefully it will last 2-3 months in our environment. C850 costs ~2.1k and you should apply thin layer otherwise you'll have hard time buffing it off.

Which car detailing products do you have correctly? and do you own rotary or da polisher?

Thanks for your kind advice.
I have only sonax gloss concentrate, clay mitt and optimum no rinse and wash, but looking for a decent polish and a sealant. My car has fine swirl marks. Attaching a pic for reference.
Planning to do the detailing with hand.

 

[drvkverma]

Will buy a DA Polisher soon but as my car is only 3 months old so planning first hands on in milder way.

 

[CRACING]

Thanks for your kind advice.
I have only sonax gloss concentrate, clay mitt and optimum no rinse and wash, but looking for a decent polish and a sealant. My car has fine swirl marks. Attaching a pic for reference.
Planning to do the detailing with hand.

Will buy a DA Polisher soon but as my car is only 3 months old so planning first hands on in milder way.

Only 3 months old car and swirls already? Do you always use rinseless wash method?

Removing swirls by hand is a tough job and you'll not get even results so skip that until you get rotary or da polisher. Use polish once or twice a year and wax/sealant every 2-3 months depending upon its durability. AIO products will polish and wax in one go but it will hardly remove any swirls and will not last long. For quick detailing, you can apply AIO and regularly use spray wax to maintain the finish. For complete detailing, Clay -> Polish -> Sealant -> Standalone Wax and/or Spray Wax.

Get any of these friendly premium car detailing products: Megs Ultimate Polish, Megs 26 Yellow Wax (Mix), Megs NXT Tech Wax 2.0 Paste (Synthetic), Megs White Wax (Synthetic AIO), Megs Ultimate Quik Wax (Synthetic), Poorboys Polish with Sealant (Synthetic AIO), Poorboys EX Sealant (Mix), FinishKare 2180 Ultra Polymer Sealant (Synthetic AIO), FinishKare Hi Temp Paste Wax (Synthetic), Sonax High Speed Wax (Natural), Sonax Xtreme Brilliant Shine Detailer (Synthetic).

If you are using two paint protection products then make sure you apply sealant first then wax, in other words synthetic first and then natural (i.e Carnauba wax) so that the sealant will bond properly to the paint and carnauba wax will give you rich, warm glow.

 

[drvkverma]

Only 3 months old car and swirls already? Do you always use rinseless wash method?

Removing swirls by hand is a tough job and you'll not get even results so skip that until you get rotary or da polisher. Use polish once or twice a year and wax/sealant every 2-3 months depending upon its durability. AIO products will polish and wax in one go but it will hardly remove any swirls and will not last long. For quick detailing, you can apply AIO and regularly use spray wax to maintain the finish. For complete detailing, Clay -> Polish -> Sealant -> Standalone Wax and/or Spray Wax.

Get any of these friendly premium car detailing products: Megs Ultimate Polish, Megs 26 Yellow Wax (Mix), Megs NXT Tech Wax 2.0 Paste (Synthetic), Megs White Wax (Synthetic AIO), Megs Ultimate Quik Wax (Synthetic), Poorboys Polish with Sealant (Synthetic AIO), Poorboys EX Sealant (Mix), FinishKare 2180 Ultra Polymer Sealant (Synthetic AIO), FinishKare Hi Temp Paste Wax (Synthetic), Sonax High Speed Wax (Natural), Sonax Xtreme Brilliant Shine Detailer (Synthetic).

If you are using two paint protection products then make sure you apply sealant first then wax, in other words synthetic first and then natural (i.e Carnauba wax) so that the sealant will bond properly to the paint and carnauba wax will give you rich, warm glow.

Your extensive list again confused me which polish and sealant combination will be most suitable for me.
Please help me choose
1. meg ultimate polish > next tech wax
2. Poorboys polish > Exp sealant > natty paste wax
3. Collinite 840 > collinite 845
4. Meg ultimate polish > collinite 845
5. Sonus paint work cleaner > UPGP +/- Optimum car wax.
Thanks in advance, I really appreciate your patience and understanding to answer my novice questions.
4.

 

[CRACING]

@drvkverma

Sorry for the confusion but I just gave a list of VFM products for around 1k. Also it is difficult to suggest a single product because results may differ on weather conditions, application, maintenance & etc.

For a car that hasn't been detailed, we should start with polish (i.e Megs UP) then protect it with sealant and/or wax. AIO (Polish+Protect) are also good for beginners because full detailing requires lots time and energy.

As of Collinite 840, Sonus Paintwork Cleanser and other pre-wax cleaners; these are useful when the paint is in good condition or already detailed and you just need to remove any previous wax along with above surface contamination. It can also be used between polish and wax but it is not a replacement for polish.

For full detailing: Clay -> Megs UP or Poorboys Professional Polish -> Megs Nxt Tech Wax or Megs Yellow Wax or C845 or Poorboys EX Sealant or Poorboys EX-P Sealant or FinishKare Hi temp Wax -> Another coat of wax/sealant if you wish.

For quick detailing: Megs White Wax, FinishKare Ultra Polymer Sealant, Poorboy Polish with Sealant, Poorboys Polish With Carnauba or any AIO products that contain polish+wax. No need to use standalone polish or pre-wax cleaners before any of these.

 

[drvkverma]

@drvkverma

Sorry for the confusion but I just gave a list of VFM products for around 1k. Also it is difficult to suggest a single product because results may differ on weather conditions, application, maintenance & etc.

For a car that hasn't been detailed, we should start with polish (i.e Megs UP) then protect it with sealant and/or wax. AIO (Polish+Protect) are also good for beginners because full detailing requires lots time and energy.

As of Collinite 840, Sonus Paintwork Cleanser and other pre-wax cleaners; these are useful when the paint is in good condition or already detailed and you just need to remove any previous wax along with above surface contamination. It can also be used between polish and wax but it is not a replacement for polish.

For full detailing: Clay -> Megs UP or Poorboys Professional Polish -> Megs Nxt Tech Wax or Megs Yellow Wax or C845 or Poorboys EX Sealant or Poorboys EX-P Sealant or FinishKare Hi temp Wax -> Another coat of wax/sealant if you wish.

For quick detailing: Megs White Wax, FinishKare Ultra Polymer Sealant, Poorboy Polish with Sealant, Poorboys Polish With Carnauba or any AIO products that contain polish+wax. No need to use standalone polish or pre-wax cleaners before any of these.

Dear sir, such a nice information, you really made my day.

 

[drvkverma]

Hello,

I believe Megs UP is oil based (Like most compounds and polishing products) and Ultima Paint Guard Plus is water-based so oil and water do not mix

In this reference I asked Mr. Sanjay from bringingbest, while ordering some products, the reply I got was as -
"Yes, you can use UPGP after polish, no issues there. I do not think there are any substantial filler in polish. It is not considered last step layer. Any wax or synthetic polymer can be applied after it. Cutting power is very negligible and is designed to remove minor imperfections after use of ultimate compound."

Sincerely,

-Sanjay

My original question to Mr. Sanjay was-
One query is that can I use UPGP as LSP over ultimate polish. Is there any bonding or durability issues as ultimate polish is having fillers and oils.
Also please confirm the cutting ability of ultimate polish.
Regards

 

[Nairrk]

Autoluster Waterless Wash + Poilish

Today, I have applied the waterless wash on my Tigor and the result is very good/shining. It took about one hour to do the work for the full car.

See here some images, after applying the waterless wash solution. (They recommend two coatings, but I applied only once).